October is cruise ship month in Santa Barbara, when six of the behemoth vessels are scheduled to anchor a mile offshore. On view on Wednesday is the Royal Princess, which arrived around 7 a.m. for a nine-and-a-half-hour visit.
Though the 217-foot-tall and 1,083-foot-long ship carries about six restaurants and four bars, as well as five spa and fitness centers, live shows, and a casino on its 19 decks, passengers were nonetheless walking downtown and out visiting the Old Mission.
Robin Elander of Downtown Santa Barbara said ship passengers can sign up for wine tasting, tours, and other activities, which brings an influx of economic activity to the city. According to a survey by Visit Santa Barbara, the cruise ship traffic creates between $3 million and $5 million a year for area businesses.
Wednesday’s ship brought 3,408 passengers, said Angela Rodriguez, spokesperson for the city’s waterfront. Making a hasty phone call as she worked to finalize arrangements for this weekend’s Harbor & Seafood Festival, Rodriguez told the Independent that the Royal Princess had a crew of 1,323 people and that $15 was assessed for each passenger who came ashore. The city estimated that came to about $500,000 in revenue annually.
This calendar year, 11 cruise ships were scheduled, which is less than the city’s cap of 20, established last year. The ships bring anywhere from 2,000 to 3,500 passengers at a time to gaze at the city and the mountains, or to come ashore via tender boats. After this month’s influx, one more ship, the AIDAdiva, is scheduled to arrive in December.
You must be logged in to post a comment.