The last few years San Diego has seen a huge increase in the number of cruise ships calling here, with nine cruise lines now making stops at the Port of San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal, conveniently located only about only a mile down Harbor Drive from San Diego International Airport. You can see above just ow close our airport is to the cruise ship action on San Diego Bay.
Most of the cruise cruise itineraries from San Diego are to Mexico’s Pacific Coast, but some head as far as Hawaii or even the Panama Canal.
The Airport Authority was thrilled when industry leader Carnival Cruise Lines decided to homeport their ship, Elation, here in San Diego. You can see the Elation, pictured here, docked at the cruise ship terminal most Mondays and Thursdays. The Port even has a special website, just for cruises!
As a result of this increased cruise ship traffic, San Diego International Airport (SDIA) has seen a huge increase in cruise ship passengers. As I write this post, I am in Ft. Lauderdale representing the Airport Authority at an Airport/Seaport Planning Conference. 
Ft. Lauderdale International Airport, through Port Everglades, processes up to 40,000 cruise passengers a day! Keep in mind, SDIA serves an average of 40,000 to 50,000 passengers a day — and that’s ALL our passengers, not just cruise passengers. A busy day in Ft. Lauderdale is eight or nine ships starting and ending voyages there (just look at the unbelievable number of bags THAT produces), compared to San Diego, where a three-ship day is considered 
extremely busy.
It is our hope that through the Destination Lindbergh project we’ll really make the airport into an awesome gateway for your next cruise. Visit San Diego and let us take you on a Sea Cruise!
Filed under: RYAN (Airport Planning Department)
