The Holland America liner, the Oosterdam, will cease its cruises out of San Diego in 2012.
The redeployment of Holland America’s Oosterdam, which makes seven-day cruises to Mexico, marks the third ship to leave San Diego waters in the wake of a prolonged economic downturn and rising violence in Mexico. The net effect has been a plunge in cruise ship calls, which are an important component of San Diego’s tourism economy.
The news of the Oosterdam’s planned departure comes on the heels of the San Diego Port’s recent completion of a new $28 million cruise ship terminal at the Broadway Pier that was designed to accommodate overflow business from its larger terminal at B Street.
At its peak in 2008, the Port of San Diego saw 255 ships dock at the Embarcadero, but that number is expected to fall to 103 this year and was forecast to be as few as 76 by 2013 before the announcement by Holland America, according to the Port.