Fewer cruise lines expected to make port calls to San Diego

SAN DIEGO -- The embarcadero is often packed with tourists and customers ready to enjoy the San Diego scene.

“Always something else, something else to see in San Diego,” says tourist Thomas Gallagher.

But what you may not see are as many cruise ships off the port of San Diego next year.

Norwegian Cruise Line is not scheduling cruises out of San Diego for the 2023 to 2024 season.

“We have a lot of people from those cruise ships when they come and stop by here,” says shop worker Suhaib Ahmadi. “They come and visit our shop and they start shopping here, so if they don’t stop by here we will have fewer sales, fewer business and we will lose a lot of customers.”

Norwegian is setting sail for Asia instead. Other lines expect fewer San Diego cruise calls as well. The Port of San Diego says Disney Cruise Line is shifting to Australia and Princess Cruises is also shifting to Asia as cruising opens back up there.

“When Asia was shut down, the cruise lines had to make adjustments to put their ships considering many other ships were already sailing out of Los Angeles and putting addi...