Cruising From San Diego

This West Coast city makes its mark as a major cruise port

If your cruise clients are seeking a West Coast cruise, San Diego, a vibrant, fair-weather city awaits. Jeffrey Anderson, vice president of marketing, America’s Vacation Center in San Diego, says the city is “not just a good place to go for a quick getaway, I really think it’s one of the best places in the world to vacation—rivaling London, Paris or other big cities.” For example, the city’s historic Gaslamp District offers eclectic dining, shopping and entertainment.

More cruisers are now coupling a city visit with a cruise from the Port of San Diego. Over the past three years, cruise operations increased 125 percent and the port will host more than 260 sailings this year. Popular cruise itineraries include the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Central America and the Panama Canal.

San Diego is a year-round home for Carnival Cruise Lines’ Elation, operating four- to six-day voyages to Ensenada, La Paz and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Carnival also operates seven- to nine-day, round-trip Mexican Riviera cruises onboard Carnival Spirit and Carnival Pride. Dawn Princess offers seven-day Mexican Riviera sailings.

Multiple Holland America Line ships, including Ryndam, Oosterdam and Zaandam, also operate voyages this year from San Diego. Royal Caribbean International’s Monarch of the Seas sails a series of cruises that feature San Diego as a port call.

Pre-Cruise Stays
We recently sailed from San Diego on a Panama Canal itinerary on Silversea Cruises’ Silver Shadow. For our one-night, pre-cruise stay, we stayed at the historic US Grant, a luxurious grande-dame property that’s only a five-minute cab ride from the cruise pier.

A fixture in downtown San Diego for nearly a century, the US Grant reopened in 2006 with $56 million in upscale renovations. Now a Starwood Luxury Collection property, the hotel boasts elegant and comfortable public areas; a highly rated 95-seat restaurant, the Grant Grill; and rooms and suites with sumptuous style and amenities. A new high-end art gallery just opened off the lobby, and, later this year, the hotel will open a full-service spa.

“When I first walked into the US Grant, I looked at the grandeur of the structure and the appointments, and I realized this was not something traditional from the West Coast standpoint,” says Anderson. “It does carry a special ambiance.” Anderson says the US Grant recreates the aura of elegant, historic properties more commonly found in major East Coast cities.

A treasure trove of original art, the US Grant showcases everything from an original portrait of President Ulysses S. Grant to modern “drip” paintings by French artist Yves Clement. His paintings (no two are alike) grace the headboards in each room or suite.

Clients who want to splurge a bit might opt for a Signature Suite; ours—number 426—featured a six-jet rainforest shower; a living and dining parlor and separate bedroom area; minibar and coffee machine; two large flat-screen TVs with DVD players; and an Xbox player.

For spa enthusiasts, agents might consider booking a pre-cruise stay at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina. This property boasts $65 million in recent renovations, including a new conservation-focused Blue Marble Spa. Beyond savoring the eco-friendly treatments, clients may stroll in a new private earth garden and work out in a new waterfront fitness center.

San Diego is awash in major new properties. Here’s just a sampling:

* The newly opened $300 million Grand Del Mar is a magnet for golf buffs with its Tom Fazio-designed golf course.

* A new Hard Rock Hotel San Diego delivers 420 rooms and suites, high-octane nightlife and a signature Nobu restaurant.

* A new 129-room Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa has opened and will expand to 250 rooms by early summer and to 350 rooms by 2010.

* A new luxury property, the Setai San Diego, is slated to open in late July/early August.

* Opening later this year is a new 32-story Hilton San Diego Convention Center Hotel with a 23,082-square-foot health club.

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