San Francisco has not seen a cruise ship dock in the city for 19 months.
The long pause ended on Monday following the disembarkation of passengers from the ship, who headed to buses meant to tour them around the city. Despite this, stiff pandemic rules are still present for the ship.
Early Monday morning, the London-based Majestic Princess docked in the city. The passengers’ sightseeing will only last for a day, they said, as they will again board the ship for another tour of the California coast.
All the passengers are required to be protected by vaccine and secure a negative virus test before they get their seat on the ship.
The dock of the Majestic Princess can signal the start of more cruises to return to San Francisco.
Twenty-one more calls for cruise ships are left for the ports this year, and more than a hundred set next year.
Ship passengers take pride in being part of the history. “I am happy to be a part of history so to speak that we are back aboard and cruising,” Robert Espudo, one of the ship’s passengers, said.
In 2019, cruise ships will deliver around $27 million to the local economy, San Francisco officials said. The same amount could possibly come back to the city if more ships will dock, ABC7 reported.
Passengers also shared that safety protocols were observed on board, like mask-wearing indoors and the availability of hand sanitizer areas everywhere. According to them, they feel safe while on board.
