Business is creeping up at San Diego, with new homeporting operations from both Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line in 2015.

“Holland America has also added more Mexico sailings, so we have increased the business from them slightly,” said Adam Deaton, cruise marketing representative.

After finding the bottom, the Mexican Riviera market is coming back, he said, pointing to not only those three lines, but Princess with more sailings out of Los Angeles that do transit calls in San Diego.

“We are shooting for 100 calls (up from 80 this year) in 2017,” he commented, “and we see that happening with the news coming out of Mexico. It’s positive; they are reporting record tourism numbers.”

 Disney has 10 cruises scheduled from the West Coast port in 2015, and has also added cruises to nowhere.

Two piers are available for operators, the larger but older B Street facility and the newer Broadway pier.

The port is investing in the former facility, recently giving it a facelift with new paint, flooring work, window upgrades and lighting.

“We have a long-term vision and keep moving forward,” said Deaton. Also new for the port is a mooring dolphin to allow bigger vessels to dock at B Street.

Added Brandy Christian, vice president, strategy and business development: “We opened the North Embarcadero in front of the terminals, with new landscaping, structures and making the promenade bigger.”

Christian pointed to the San Diego airport as well, which has recently gone through a renovation of Terminal 2 with new gates, and a new consolidated rental car facility. There are new direct flights from Miami, Orlando, Tokyo, Dallas and London.

Noted Deaton: “With San Diego being the closest port to the border, the cruise lines can save quite a bit of fuel homeporting here (and sailing to Mexico).”