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Cruise ships return to Santa Barbara after COVID-19 hiatus KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOSThe cruise ship Majestic Princess is anchored Wednesday off Santa Barbara. It was the first cruise ship to visit the city since 2020.
Off the coast of Santa Barbara Wednesday morning, a new but familiar cluster of lights shimmered over the ocean, illuminating a possible sign of normality in a post-pandemic world.
It was the Majestic Princess, anchored nearly 2 miles from the Santa Barbara Harbor — the first cruise ship to visit Santa Barbara since the program was halted during COVID-19.
Before Wednesday, the last cruise ship visited Santa Barbara on March 4, 2020.
Santa Barbara has 17 cruise ships on deck to visit during the remainder of the spring season in 2022. Ships anchor off the coast, and passengers are brought to the Sea Landing on tenders to explore, shop and dine around Santa Barbara.
“We are delighted to return to Santa Barbara, and our guests are excited to once again visit this beautiful California coast destination,” Briana Latter, a spokesperson for Princess Cruises, told the News-Press in a statement.
Lower State Street in downtown Santa Barbara saw more foot traffic Wednesday after the arrival of cruise ship Majestic Princess.Holland America Line’s Koningsdam cruise ship is scheduled to arrive in Santa Barbara on March 26, the next to visit the area. According to a schedule, the 17 ships are projected to arrive in the morning and leave Santa Barbara in the late afternoon the same day.
“It is really neat to see, a nice signal that the community (is) taking another step back towards normality: people starting to travel back to the community,” Mike Wiltshire, Santa Barbara’s waterfront director, told the News-Press.
The cruise ship industry had a total economic impact of nearly $4 million in 2016 in Santa Barbara, according to the most recent study commissioned by Visit Santa Barbara. Retail brought in about $1.4 million and restaurants made up about $1.3 million, according to the study.
A boat from Majestic Princess ferries passengers to and from Santa Barbara.Passengers reported spending an average of nearly $110 per party while ashore in Santa Barbara. After the Majestic Princess’ arrival Wednesday, the News-Press noticed more foot traffic on lower State Street, a favorite area for visitors.
The cruise ship study found more than half of the surveyed passengers were visiting Santa Barbara for the first time. About 50% said they were likely to return within one to two years, and 8% said they would visit again in just a couple of months.
“Cruise ship passengers benefit local businesses such as tour operators, restaurants, wineries and area attractions which in turn generate taxes that support local residents. Spending by these visitors can make a difference in supporting our small business community as they recover from the losses of the pandemic,” Kathy Janega-Dykes, president and CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, told the News-Press.
The Majestic Princess can hold more than 3,500 passengers, but was not full when it anchored off the Santa Barbara coast.“As we know from past experiences and data, cruise ships generally arrive midweek and off-season when travel to our region tends to be slower, and therefore when businesses can use the income,” she said. “It’s a bonus that cruise visitors don’t contribute to traffic or parking issues, and the disembarkation location encourages direct foot traffic to the downtown corridor.”
The Santa Barbara Waterfront Department collects $7 per passenger listed on the manifest of every ship — regardless of if the guest comes ashore, according to Mr. Wiltshire.
The exact number of passengers aboard the Majestic Princess ship was not immediately available, but the boat can hold up to 3,560 guests. However, the ship is not completely full, a spokesperson said.
Prior to COVID, Mr. Wiltshire said 20 to 30 cruise ships visited Santa Barbara each year. Cruises are limited to September through May, considered to be non-peak business seasons.
This schedule was designed to minimize the impact on residents but strategically support Santa Barbara businesses, according to Ms. Janega-Dykes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has since established a Conditional Sailing Order, which requires at least 95% of crew and passengers to be fully vaccinated (defined as the non-booster shots) and testing mandates for non-vaccinated individuals before coming to shore.
Earlier this month, Councilmember Kristen Sneddon said she had concerns about the cruise ship program — not because of the COVID protocols but the impacts the cruise industry has on the environment. Councilmember Sneddon said she would like the city to “grow an environmentally sustainable economy” and phase out cruise ship visits.
Councilmember Sneddon was also the lone no vote on a proposal allowing the city to contract with Santa Barbara Airbus Inc., to ferry cruise ship passengers to various downtown locations when in town for the day, citing environmental concerns.
During the pandemic shutdown, many older ships were replaced by newer vessels that use alternative fuels or are hybrids, according to a presentation recently given to the Santa Barbara City Council.
“We are happy to see the cruise ships return after such a long hiatus,” Robin Elander, executive director of Downtown Santa Barbara, told the News-Press Wednesday. “With up to 3,500 passengers per ship, the ship’s day visits will certainly be a boon to assist downtown businesses with economic recovery. Our Downtown Santa Barbara staff team enjoys welcoming the guests alongside the visitors center and city waterfront team and directing them to our downtown boutiques and unique neighborhoods to enjoy restaurants, wineries and more. It definitely feels like we are finally getting back to a bit of normalcy.”
email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
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