During the past eight years, 12 cruise ships have visited Santa Barbara, bringing 36,000 passengers to the harbor, generating $162,000 in City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department
Based on expressed interest by cruise line operators and the city’s reception to increased ship visits, seven cruise ships are scheduled for next year.
“Congratulations to John Bridley, the city’s waterfront director, and his entire crew for adding eight more cruise ship visits in the next 12 months,” said Councilman Frank Hotchkiss, liaison to the Harbor Commission. “Soon after I was elected to the council, I thought having more cruise ship visits would be a great way to boost our local economy. I believe this will be a significant boost for our tourist industry.”
Hotchkiss also lauded the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau and the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization for working with the city to boost cruise ships’ visits.
Most cruise ships visit during spring and fall, repositioning periods between Alaska and the Mexican Riviera. The Waterfront Department plans months in advance with cruise ship representatives, local Chamber of Commerce groups, other city departments and security agencies facilitating logistics for arriving passengers. The planning process has become streamlined and less burdensome as more local agencies participate.
In time for the upcoming holidays, Princess Cruise Line’s Sapphire Princess will visit Dec. 19, marking its fifth stop in Santa Barbara. Weather permitting, 3,700 passengers and crew will flow into downtown shops and businesses.
“Our ships have been calling periodically in Santa Barbara since 2002, and it’s always a popular stop for our passengers,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises’ executive vice president. “We value our relationship with the city and the port, and the way the community has welcomed our passengers. We look forward to visiting more often in the future on our new California coastal itinerary.”
A successful working relationship among community organizations and cruise lines has helped establish a hospitality volunteer program, a coordinated transportation plan and a marketing campaign guided by the Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau. In addition, a partnership between the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Organization, the Waterfront Department and the Waterfront Merchants Associations has enhanced success of the visits.
“I have never seen such a smooth, coordinated and cooperative effort by the city and business organizations to promote local economic development,” said Steve Cushman, president of the Chamber of Commerce.
Included in seven proposed cruise ship visits scheduled for 2011 are the following: Crystal Cruise Line’s Crystal Symphony is slated to visit twice in April, once in November and once in December. The Sapphire Princess will visit in May, September and October.
“The arrival of regularly scheduled cruise ships will provide a notable economic boost for our community, particularly in downtown Santa Barbara’s retail sector,” said Kathy Jenega-Dykes, CEO/president of the Conference & Visitors Bureau.
Bill Coyller, Santa Barbara Downtown Organization director, also was receptive to the increased visits.
“The Downtown Organization welcomes the added cruise ship visits,” he said. “Thousands of passengers and crew will flood downtown shops, museums, historical sites and eateries for the day, taking in everything we have to offer. The cruise industry reports an average couple spends $200 per port and while the economy is looking up, we need to creatively perpetuate that momentum.”
“Cruise ship visits are typically infrequent in Santa Barbara,” Bridley said. “We would like to find a balance between these beneficial ship visits and not creating an atmosphere that overwhelms the harbor and/or our community. We are still a relatively small, working harbor with limited facilities, but we nonetheless look forward to the increased ship visits.”
— John Bridley is director of the City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department.