The Norwegian Bliss made history in San Francisco as it became the biggest cruise ship to visit the port when it called on Oct. 3.
The 4,200-guest, 164,600-ton ship docked at the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27.
While docked, the port and local officials boarded the ship and participated in a traditional plaque ceremony onboard.
Pictured above, Port of San Francisco Maritime Director Peter Dailey presents a plaque to Captain Staffan Bengtsson of the Norwegian Bliss.
P&O Cruises is to run two full world cruises in 2017 to mark its 180th anniversary.
Aurora’s 104-night eastern circumnavigation from Southampton echoes the trade routes of the British Empire, calling at 35 destinations in 21 countries and sailing almost 30,000 nautical miles.
Departing on January 9, 2017, the cruise features 23 new ports of call, overnight stays in Dubai, Singapore, Sydney and San Francisco, seven evening calls and transits of both the Panama and Suez canals.
Arcadia’s 114-night western circumnavigation from Southampton calls at 37 destinations in 21 countries, sailing more than 36,000 nautical miles.
The voyage, departing on January 2, 2017, includes 22 new ports, overnight stays in San Francisco, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore and nine evening calls.
Prices lead in at £10,299 per person on a Select Price rate for Aurora’s world cruise, including onboard spending money of between £350 and £1,000, depending on cabin grade.
The sailings feature in a 2017 World Cruise Collection brochure which goes on general sale on September 9.
The programme also includes a 50-night Oriana cruise to the Caribbean and Amazon departing from the UK on January 3, 2017 and a 12-night Northern Lights itinerary including an overnight stay Alta and a late evening in Tromso. Prices start at £3,999pp and £899pp respectively.
The line’s marketing director, Christopher Edgington, said: “P&O Cruises has a reputation for offering original and appealing world cruise itineraries which we spend a lot of time planning, based on extensive research and trends.
“Our round the world cruises are not a once-in-a-lifetime dream but a truly affordable and realistic holiday for empty nesters looking for long haul adventure and ‘this is the life’ memories.”
The Port of San Francisco is dedicating its new cruise terminal, which will accommodate longer cruise ships, in a Sept. 25 ceremony.
Situated on the city’s famed Embarcadero, Terminal 27 totals 88,000 square feet on two levels. An older maritime shed was demolished to make space for the terminal, which had a soft opening with the arrival of a Princess Cruises ship last week.
The new terminal comes with an overhead gangway for boarding passengers along the Pier 27 apron and shoreside power infrastructure to permit docked ships to shut down their onboard engines.
A three-acre triangular paved area between Pier 27 and Pier 29 has been developed as a ground transportation and provisioning area.
The existing terminal at Pier 35 will continue as a secondary terminal when there is more than one cruise ship in port.
The port currently gets between 40 and 80 calls a year. That is not expected to change, although the passenger count will grow because the ships docking at the pier are getting larger.
Redevelopment of Pier 27 has been in the works since 2007.
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