Does Dana Point have any real potential as a port of call for cruise ships?

The topic of Dana Point’s potential as a port of call for cruise ships seems to come up every few years. Most recently, the issue got a lot of attention, including my own initiation asking the city to look into our viability as a port of call. That sparked a lot of debate on whether or not we want cruise ships and their passengers in our midst. My intention was to get some information so we can stop speculating and either move forward or get a reality check. (I strongly suspected there was a good reason Dana Point hasn’t already been approached by any cruise lines.)

Our Economic Development Director started working on a report of the potential benefits and impacts, but that’s as far as she got before word came down that the city should defer to Orange County since it’s technically their harbor. Brad Gross, Harbor Director, was quoted in the Dana Point News stating, “This is not something we at OC Dana Point Harbor are pursuing or planning to pursue anytime in the near future.”

In the meantime, nobody was asking the question I think most of us were wondering—would the cruise ship industry even consider Dana Point?

Local resident and cruise ship dance host Chris Anastasio told me the two major cruise lines going past Dana Point on a regular basis are Carnival and Royal Caribbean. So I asked them—“How could our harbor be considered for a stop and what factors does your company look for in choosing ideal ports?”

Aly Bello of Carnival Cruise Lines responded, “We currently have three Carnival ships operating from Long Beach and San Diego. We offer 3 to 8 day cruises to a variety of ports along the Mexican Riviera. These ships attract guests primarily from California, Arizona, Nevada and Washington. Because we generate a significant portion of our business from guests that live in California, we have elected to take guests to other destinations. While a call in your coastal town could provide a great experience, most cruisers would prefer to visit more exotic places that offer a different type of experience.

We are constantly evaluating feedback from our customers and this situation may change over time. However, we don’t see an opportunity to include California ports to our West Coast itineraries at this time.”

I had a longer exchange with Royal Caribbean starting with an impressively quick response from their Executive Vice President referring me to Christopher Allen, Director, Deployment and Itinerary Planning for Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises & Azamara Club Cruises. Mr. Allen wanted me to express his thanks for our community’s interest in the cruise industry and explained what they look for when choosing ports of call. Among the important factors taken into consideration are: Location, marketability, tour/shore excursion offerings, port fees, politics and regulations. The most critical issue which basically puts Dana Point out of contention is infrastructure. Mr. Allen explains, “The port must have the infrastructure to handle our ships. We do not have any small ships. Most of our ships are actually too big to fit through the Panama Canal. As a result, only our ‘small’ ships are over on the West Coast of North America. But even our small ships average about 2000 guests and are about 290 meters in length. Our strong preference for all ports is to be able to dock. Most, but not all, of our ships carry tenders and can tender guests into a port if the distance is below 1.5 miles. However, we try to avoid tender ports as it can create lines, weather disruptions and lesser guest experience. That said, if the appeal is strong enough we will still tender.”

I mentioned Carnival said they don’t have much demand for stops along the California coast and asked if the same is true for Royal Caribbean. Mr. Allen replied, “We do offer San Diego and San Francisco as ports of call for some sailings…But these voyages are unique and cater to guests from outside the region. I would also add that we do not have any full year programs on the West Coast. All of our West Coast capacity is dedicated to the Alaska market. We go up and down the coast only as we transition in and out of Alaska or when we turn in San Diego for a Canal sailing. In both situations the likelihood of adding a tender port in California is limited for the near future.”

Now we know. Unless the Harbor Plan is revised to include docking capability for enormous ships and we somehow turn Dana Point into an “exotic” locale, we’re probably not going to be a port of call for much more than the Catalina Express and historic tall ships. And that’s okay. We will continue to do our best to attract visitors who arrive by land, but we also need to diversify our revenue from mostly tourist dollars and look for other ways to support our local economy. Dana Point is a great place to visit, but as we all can affirm, it’s an even better place to live.

PLEASE NOTE: The opinions offered here are solely those of the guest columnist and may or may not be shared by the Dana Point Times staff. We appreciate, however, their willingness to share their views, and we invite responses to be sent to letters@danapointtimes.com.