The numbers are going up; last season we had about 69 calls and this season we are expecting 90,” said Adam Deaton, senior account trade representative at the Port of San Diego, discussing the location’s comeback story.

That also means passenger numbers will rise from 198,000 in 2015-2016 to up to 250,000 this season and more beyond that.

“Mexico is looking to come back little by little, and that is good for us,” said Deaton, of the port’s bread-and-butter homeporting location for Mexican Riviera cruises.

“We had over 200 calls back in 2009-2010 and then it flattened out by 2013 to 79 calls,” said Deaton. The flattening was attributed to the downfall in the Mexican Riviera market. “We are going to see that 100-ship mark again. It’s hard to say how quickly it will come back but that is the first clue.”

Among the news for 2017 is Disney with 13 departures. Princess is also a main player, calling on San Diego on round-trip Mexican Riviera sailings from Los Angeles.

Then there is Holland America Line, which is also on a comeback with the Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal and Hawaii sailings from San Diego. The Seattle-based line has also upped its program, putting bigger ships into the market.

And, as the Alaska market looks forward to a record 2017, and bigger 2018, according to Cruise Industry News data, San Diego is positioned to capitalize on shoulder season business to and from Alaska. Disney, for instance, bases the Wonder in San Diego during shoulder season periods and has already confirmed a 2018 return.

The B Street Cruise Terminal will get an investment in the form of a new escalator in 2017 to help better manage passenger flow, said Deaton.

The port is also still bullish on its massive North Embarcadero facelift, with pavilions, greenery, restaurants and vendors awaiting cruise passengers.

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Get an in-depth, behind the scenes look at the North America cruise market and the ports that make it happen in the 2016-2017 Winter edition Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine. Subscribe today.