<p>The Port of San Diego expects to welcome 252 cruise ship calls this year carrying more than 800,000 passengers. That compares to 238 calls and 700,000 passengers in 2007. Nine cruise lines make calls in San Diego, including Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Holland America, Norwegian, Regent Seven Seas, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Silversea. Destinations include Mexico, Hawaii, the Panama Canal and the California and Northwest U.S. coasts. </p><p>Cruises generally are four to 10 days for Mexican excursions and 10 to 14 days to Hawaii and through the Panama Canal. In early May, Royal Caribbean International announced it will begin offering seasonal four- and five-day cruises from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera beginning September 2009 aboard the Radiance of the Seas. Cruise travelers will also be able to sail aboard the Radiance of the Seas from San Diego to Valparaiso, Chile, in December 2009.</p><p><br />Another Royal Caribbean ship, Serenade of the Seas, will sail from San Diego through the Panama Canal twice in 2009. These voyages conclude in Miami in October and San Juan in November. San Diego also plans to build a new cruise terminal to accommodate its growing cruise business. The port will build the terminal on Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego. </p><p>Construction is slated to begin late spring 2009. The design for the 50,000-square-foot terminal features a modern, two-story structure. The terminal will include areas for passenger check-in, baggage processing and Customs and Border Protection. For more information, visit www.sandiegocruiseport.com or www.sandiego.org.</p>