Jimmy Herman, former International President of the ILWU

Jimmy Herman, former International President of the ILWU

The newest dock of the bay – San Francisco’s handsome $100 million new cruise ship terminal – opened for business Thursday when giant ship Crown Princess, big as a castle and white as a wedding cake, tied up just after 7 in the morning.

There was no ceremony – Peter Dailey, the port’s maritime director, called it “a soft opening” – but the arrival of the Crown Princess was a big deal.

The new terminal is named for veteran labor leader James R. Herman, a onetime port commissioner and head of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.

The new terminal will get a proper opening with bands, speeches and assorted hoopla at noon next Thursday. The cruise ship Grand Princess will be in port that day.

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