San Pedro, Calif. — December 28, 2020 — Expect to see more cruise ships — all without passengers — in and around the Port of Los Angeles in the weeks ahead. The visits for fuel, supplies and services are part of the cruise lines’ operations to reestablish the ships in U.S. waters as a prerequisite to meet federal regulations in order to resume cruising in the future.
Cruise operations have been suspended since March due to the pandemic, and no date has been set yet for U.S. passenger sailings. The Port continues to closely monitor the situation and is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), California Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and other emergency and public health agencies. The CDC recently issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, outlining a phased resumption of cruise ship passenger operations.
Princess Cruises, Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ships are scheduled to send ships arriving in Los Angeles this week and through the new year, periodically docking at the Los Angeles Cruise Terminal for fuel, food, supplies, and/or services. No vessels will be carrying passengers.
The Port of Los Angeles is expecting more than two dozen cruise ship calls through early February.
In addition to increased precautions to minimize community spread of and exposure to COVID-19, cruise ship safety implementations while at berth include Passenger Ship Safety Certificate (PSSC) training and Marine Evacuation System (MES) replacement.
In 2020, the Port of Los Angeles experienced 93 cruise cancelations—more than 70% of total cruises—due to the pandemic. Each time a cruise ship calls in Los Angeles, it contributes about $1 million to local businesses and the economy. Losing these cruise ships amounts to losing nearly $100 million in economic activity on the LA Waterfront.
The Port of Los Angeles remains open with all terminals operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $276 billion in trade during 2019. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.
