Today I wanted to get started with the Harbour Cruise I missed yesterday afternoon. So I made sure to get down for the first one of the morning, just to be sure I did not miss it again. Also because I wanted to spend a little time this afternoon working out some bookings for after my upcoming Panama Canal Cruise. Plus there is also one or two last minute tours I wanted to book for ports along the way on the cruise.
San Diego Harbour Cruise
The cruise around San Diego Harbour is offered in two one-hour segments. There are two different sections, one to the north of the pier and one to the south. If you have the time, I would recommend taking the two-hour option. You do get to see more, but the cost difference is negligible. For a one-hour cruise, you will pay $25, while the two-hour cruise is only $5 more. (Price updated May 2017)
North Bound
The first cruise of the day starts out to the North. There are some interesting things along here, but they are more interesting in person. I got a couple of photos along this way but not as many as I had expected. But maybe this is a result of the poor weather this morning as well. There may be an opportunity to get some more when departing on my cruise as this is the route the ship takes to leave the harbour.
Above – is a replica Mississippi Paddle Boat, we are told it was operating as a restaurant. But I am not sure if it still is.
Above – In both the south and north directions we were passed by a US Navy Hovercraft. They seem to create quite the wake, so there was a little bit more movement afterwards.
Above – You do get something of a view of part of the San Diego Navy Supply Base Nia, but not much.
South Bound
As the cruise heads on towards the southern loop you get a view of the bridge that crosses from San Diego City to Coronado. Coronado is a residential area next to the Naval Base.
South of the bridge is an extensive range of ship yards and Navy Piers with many US Navy Vessels. They range from Frigates to Aircraft Carriers and hospital ships. I think this is close to the most interesting part of the cruise hearing some of the information about these ships. Information like the size and scale of the some of the ships and just how long it can take to build some of the ships. The industry provides significant value to the area both in the way of jobs and industry.
Finally, the cruise gives an opportunity to get a rather good view of the USS Midway from the water.
The Afternoon
Once the harbour cruise was finished this morning I had a little shopping to finish up. On the cruise there will be a number of formal nights and I did not pack a suit. I had considered the options of hiring a suit or looking if I could buy one. The cost of renting one for 28 days, has given me cause to head out and see what I may be able to buy. What I did pack was a pair of black pants, so I only needed to buy a jacket to match. It turned out to be quite an easy find and only cost around $70.
Man Vs. Debt
For the evening a friend has mentioned about an event happening in San Diego this evening. It was a meet and greet with Baker from the blog Man Vs. Debt. I met Baker, his wife Courtney, and Milligan their 3 year old daughter. Along with a group of other great San Diego locals. They are really nice people and the idea behind the blog is great. Some people would say why get into debt to begin with, but in all honesty, far more people find themselves in debt then not in debt. The blog is well worth having a read, still something that I am working on doing.
Tomorrow is my last full day in San Diego and I have plans to visit the San Diego Zoo. I expect that I will likely spend around three to four hours here, and want to get that out of the way early. So that I can get back to the hotel and get my bags organised and make sure everything is ready to go for the days after the cruise. It is very important to have this all worked out since, I will be limited on internet access while onboard the cruise.
