Maritime

Meet Miguel Reyes, Sr. Maritime Trade Account Manager

melicone@portofsandiego.org ( Marguerite Elicone) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:02:15 +0000

Voices of the Port
In between a sea of camouflage-painted Hummers and 150-foot long windmill towers on the Port’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal sits the nondescript warehouse office of the Port of San Diego Trade Development department. Deals are made in this office that bring international contracts to the Port and millions of dollars in economic input to the region.

Miguel Reyes is a Senior Maritime Trade Account Manager who works in this four-person office, sealing overseas deals and marketing maritime tenants. He started in 2002, and since then has helped the Port secure business with big name auto, shipping and cargo companies.

The Port’s Maritime Trade Development department is the sales force for the Port. It is constantly seeking new business for the Port’s two marine cargo terminals – one each in San Diego and National City. In addition, the department seeks new business for maritime tenants such as the cold storage facility at Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, and the stevedoring companies that are responsible for loading and unloading cargo.

As Senior Maritime Trade Account Manager, Reyes attends industry meetings and trade shows and helps organize trade missions for the Port.

“One of the main challenges of this position is to educate potential customers about the Port of San Diego,” he said. “Customers always hear about Los Angeles and Long Beach, and don’t realize that shipping to the Port of San Diego can save them money in fuel and transportation costs.”

Reyes’ job is to make sure potential customers throughout the United States, Latin America, Asia and Europe are aware of the Port’s facilities, capabilities and experience.

Some of the Port’s success stories include convincing Eastern Car Liner (ECL), Ltd., a Japanese car carrier, to call on San Diego. Due to a lot of persistence, the Trade team was able to convince ECL to add San Diego to their port rotation. They have been coming here since 2004. Another big name was Dole Fresh Fruit. The company that currently ships 185 million bananas a month to the Port’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal previously shipped to Los Angeles. In 2006, Mazda switched from importing cars to Port Hueneme to the Port of San Diego, bringing 100,000 additional vehicles a year to the National City Marine Terminal.

Last year, Reyes traveled with former commissioner Sylvia Rios, Ron Popham, the Port’s Assistant Vice President for Maritime; Ed Plant, president of San Diego Refrigerated Services and representatives from the San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to Mexico. The purpose of the trip was to seek new avocado cargo for the Port of San Diego, Reyes said.

“This is a good time to partner with Mexico because they are currently looking for other options for transporting avocados to the United States.”

The trade mission laid the groundwork for future avocado imports for the Port of San Diego. Currently the growers are trucking the shipments to U.S. border towns like Nogales and Laredo in Texas. Shipping the avocados provides a safer and less expensive method of transport.

While there, the group visited Uruapan, Michoacan, considered to be the avocado capital of the world. The area is home to 28 USDA-certified avocado packing houses and 4,000 avocado growers.

Other trade missions that Reyes has participated in included trips to Brazil and Chile. Those visits resulted in additional shipments of steel and other project cargo.

Next month, Chairman Stephen Cushman, Commissioner Robert “Dukie” Valderrama, Ron Popham and Reyes will travel to Brazil, Chile and Ecuador to conduct meetings with current and potential customers. Trade missions are essential to reinforce relationships with cargo stakeholders and the participation of port commissioners is really appreciated by overseas companies. As part of a Fee-for-Service agreement that the Port has with the World Trade Center (WTC) in San Diego, the WTC will be assisting in the coordination, planning of customer events and logistics of this trip.

Reyes’ favorite part of his job is dealing with the customers, which contributes to the Port’s reputation of excellent service.

“It’s exciting to secure accounts after working for months on them,” he said. “A big part of this job is based on relationships with our customers. These relationships create opportunities.”

Securing new accounts in today’s economic climate is often difficult for many ports throughout the world.

“The Port of San Diego isn’t alone in this,” Reyes said. “However, one positive aspect is that the slowdown has caused many customers to take a second look at how they do business. This slowdown has created new possibilities for us because customers are realizing they don’t need the giant container ports. We’ve got the lay-down area, we’ve got the expertise and we can save the customer money.”

The Port has seen a decrease in automobiles and construction cargo such as lumber and sand. Despite those decreases, it has been able to make up the losses with other cargo. Wind energy components continue to do well as do shipments of steel, bananas and industrial cargo that is often used for power plants. Frequent military offloads also help boost revenue.

Reyes is optimistic that the construction-related cargo will pick up soon. “The industry is cyclical. We’ve seen it before and we’ll see it again,” he said.

In the meantime, Reyes and the rest of the Trade Development department will continue to do what they do best – marketing the Port and its maritime tenants and promising first-class service.

Wind Energy Parts Offloaded at Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal

dfrost@portofsandiego.org (Dale Frost) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:15:04 +0000

The first of six scheduled shipments of tower components used for alternative energy products arrived this week at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, creating more business for the Port of San Diego.

After the General Electric towers are offloaded by longshore workers, they will be trucked to a wind farm in Palm Springs. In total, the Port will receive 300 tower sections. The next shipment is scheduled to arrive on July 6th.

At the wind farm, three of these 85-foot-long sections will be connected to create a 256-foot-high windmill tower. The tower components are imported from China.

The Port of San Diego regularly handles a variety of alternative energy components. Wind blades, rotors and other parts are imported from Japan. From the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal, they are trucked to wind farms in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Port of San Diego tenant Knight and Carver Wind Group, located in National City, is also involved in research and development of wind blade technology.

“The Port of San Diego is in a key position to handle more alternative energy shipments due to our proximity to the Far East,” said Miguel Reyes, senior maritime trade account manager.

The goal of the Dept. of Energy is to have 20 percent wind energy by the year 2030. 2008 saw a record-breaking year of wind power installation.

Over the last few years, alternative energy products have become a primary import cargo at the 96-acre terminal. An increase in alternative energy imports is anticipated as windmill farms grow in national popularity due to the demand for energy that has less impact on the environment.

Port Awards Contract for New Cruise Terminal Construction

melicone@portofsandiego.org (Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:27:06 +0000

In less than two years, Broadway Pier on San Diego Bay will be home to a new, modern cruise ship terminal. A construction contract was awarded last week to Jaynes Corporation, a construction company with offices throughout the southwest.

Jaynes Corporation, which received the go-ahead by the Board of Port Commissioners, will begin construction on the 52,000-square foot cruise ship building early next month. The construction contract also includes a mobile passenger gangway and seismic improvements to the pier.

Designed by Bermello Ajamil and Partners, Inc., the new cruise ship terminal will be a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) - certified building. The certification is a national recognition, which means it will be designed to use less water, less energy and produce fewer pollutants. The design features a unique "sawtooth" roofline and glass roll-up doors. The façade of the building will be all glass, giving the structure an airy, open feel. The estimated construction cost for the project is $21.1 million.

The terminal building will be set back from Harbor Drive approximately 400 feet. On days when there are no cruise ships in port, the public can access the pier and the terminal. A public space will be open in the back of the building, with an open pavilion providing views of the bay. On the second floor of the building, another area will be available for special events.

Construction bids for the project were opened on May 19, 2009. There were 14 bidders, with bids ranging from $17.4 million to $21.5 million. Jaynes Corporation's bid came in at $17,444,003.

Jaynes Corporation has significant experience in both the public and private sector commercial construction markets. Regional projects include the Encina Water Pollution Control Facility in Carlsbad, the Padre Dam Customer Service Center in Santee, the National City Public Library, Grossmont Hospital's Critical Care Center and the San Diego City College indoor physical education facility.

The new cruise ship terminal will assist the Port of San Diego with its growing cruise business. In fiscal year 2008, 297 ships called on the Port. The Port's main cruise ship terminal, located at the B Street Pier, can accommodate two cruise ships at a time. On days where three or four ships are in port, Broadway Pier was utilized as a temporary terminal. Passengers were processed in a tent structure set up on the back of the pier. The additional terminal will allow the Port to accommodate more cruise customers and remain competitive with other cruise ports.

The World Makes San Diego Its First U.S. Port of Call in Three Years

gbatuyon@portofsandiego.org (Glenn Batuyong) — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:53:14 +0000

The only vacation home at sea will pull into the Port of San Diego on Sunday, May 31, after circling the globe for the past three years. May marks the first time since 2006 that "The World" has visited the United States.

The vessel is not your ordinary cruise ship. It has earned its spot in maritime history as the only ship where residents live in their privately owned homes.

"For some, it's their vacation home. For other residents, it's their permanent home," said Renato Chizzola, General Manager of The World. "The people who come to us want really want to be very special - they want to feel as being part of something that is really more of a very unique, homey lifestyle."

The World offers its residents and guest travelers the comforts of home while visiting some of the most exotic destinations around the globe.

"We've been as far south as Antarctica, we've been as far north as Spitsbergen, we've gone to places like Pangkor Lau, which very few cruise ships go to," said Emilio Freeman, Senior Vice President of Operations for The World. "In total, we've been to about 650 different ports of call in the world."

The World is visiting San Diego as part of its 2009 Golf Voyages itinerary. While in port, residents will enjoy a round of golf at the Torrey Pines Golf Course. And once in a port, the World stays in that city five times as long as a cruise ship stops.

The concept of the ship dates back to 1997. The ship was christened in 2002. There are 165 apartment homes on the World, which are owned by 120 families. And it's those residents who help determine the ship's itinerary.

"Our residents are very well-traveled, from around the world," Freeman said. "We have over 19 different nationalities represented. And as a result, each of them knows their own backyard and we've established a committee, a committee of seven different residents, who I work with very closely in designing a given year's itinerary."

Homes on the ship are just as incredible as the ports she visits. Homes range from studios, to 1-, 2- and 3-bedrooms. With luxury comes million-dollar price tags and something similar to an HOA fee that helps maintain the ship. Guests are also welcome aboard The World, but there is a six-night minimum stay to rent a private home at a cost of $1,400 to $5,000 per night.

"You can look at the itinerary and basically design your own customized stay, coming and going as you please, and that flexibility and spontaneity is something that permeates across the entire experience onboard the World," said Nikki Upshaw, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales.

The World boasts the lowest turnover in the industry, from captains to general manager and other employees, who have been there since day one.

"We are lucky to have an enrichment fund that is sponsored by our residents. We are offering tours for our crewmembers. Let's say we are going to Egypt - we will offer a tour to the pyramids just for our crewmembers," Chizzola said.

Among the other incredible amenities on the ship are the only gourmet supermarket at sea, Freddy's Deli; a steak & seafood bistro that turns into a marina watersports platform; four restaurants and two casual dining spots, which are always available for room service; a movie theater; doctors, housekeeping and dry-cleaning, and a one-of-a-kind spa.

"We have the only spa at sea by Banyan Tree," Upshaw said. "It's a very serene quiet space for everything from facials to Thai massages and Swedish massages. We also have an incredible gym - so between our gym and our sports and golf director, our full-sized tennis court, I think there's actually no real reason to not stay fit on here."

Don't expect any entertainment or traditional cruise ship events. The whole idea is The World is home on the water.

"We have this magic little bubble that we call The World that takes you to a given region and you can go out and explore and see so many great things, but then you always have the opportunity to come back to the comfort of your own home," said Freeman.

For information on homes for sale, contact ResidentSea Management at 800-970-6601 or visit their website.

Carnival Elation to Resume Mexico Voyages in June

melicone@portofsandiego.org (Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222) — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:55:39 +0000

The Port of San Diego's first year-round homeported cruise ship, Carnival Cruise Lines' 2,052-passenger Carnival Elation, will resume its regularly scheduled Mexico voyages on June 18, 2009. The visits to Mexican ports of call were temporarily halted at the end of April because of the H1N1 flu virus and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control against non-essential travel to Mexico.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has lifted its recommendation against Mexico travel, and all Carnival Cruise Lines vessels that originally visited there will return in the coming weeks.

The Carnival Elation will resume calls in Mexico with a three-day cruise to Ensenada departing from San Diego's B Street Pier June 18, followed by a four-day cruise to Ensenada and Catalina on June 21. The ship resumes its four-and five-day cruises to Cabo San Lucas beginning July 2. On this route, four-day cruises will depart Thursdays and visit Cabo San Lucas. Two different five-day itineraries are available. One of these will depart on Saturdays and features two full days in Cabo San Lucas. Another departs on Mondays and features both Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada.

Carnival Cruise Lines will continue to follow CDC guidelines for cruise ships which include pre-boarding health questionnaires for all passengers and crew and secondary screening by shipboard medical professionals as necessary. In addition, all Carnival ships stock influenza test kits and anti-viral medications for treating influenzas.

The full schedule for the Carnival Elation and all of the Carnival Cruise Lines vessels can be found at www.carnival.com or on the Port of San Diego's cruise site.

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Five Diverted Cruise Ships Visit Port of San Diego This Week

Mon, 04 May 2009 16:37:19 +0000

Thousands more tourists will make landfall in San Diego this week when their diverted cruise ships sail into San Diego bay. Major cruise lines eliminated stops to Mexico after health officials urged the public to avoid non-essential travel south of the border due to the swine flu outbreak.

Today, May 4 through Sunday, May 10, two Princess Cruise Lines ships, one Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise line ship and The World, a luxury liner where people live aboard the ship and sail the globe, will all make calls in San Diego.

The Sapphire Princess stopped for the day Monday, before heading to Santa Barbara. That ship will be followed on Tuesday, May 5, by the diverted Star Princess. Last week, Princess Cruises announced they would offer a future discount for some passengers affected by changes in their itineraries.

"Three of the seven affected cruises were sold as voyages exclusively to Mexico, and we therefore realize that these passengers are not receiving the cruise vacation they had anticipated. Therefore as a goodwill gesture we are offering these passengers a 50 percent future credit on their cruise fare paid, for any sailing booked by the end of April 2011," the cruise line announced in a statement.

On Friday, May 8, Celebrity Cruise Line's Infinity will dock at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal for a short stay, after sailing from Guatemala. The vessel is due to arrive around 2 p.m. and depart at midnight. That same day, Residensea's luxury liner, The World, will arrive for an overnight stay. The ship is home to an exclusive community of people who live on or rent one of the 165 private residences located aboard. The World will depart on Saturday around midnight.

On Sunday, May 10, Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas will replace its port calls in Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with an extended, overnight port call in San Diego.

All of the cruise lines have instituted a number of precautions in the wake of the swine flu outbreak, including screening passengers and crew regarding any recent travel to Mexico, more thoroughly sanitizing high-touch areas, and providing hand sanitizers throughout the ship. They have also announced that if necessary, onboard medical staff can isolate and treat guests or crew members who display flu-like symptoms, using the supply of anti-viral medications kept onboard all ships.

Last week, four other cruise ships made diverted stops in San Diego.

Monitor the following sites for the latest information on the swine flu:

Number of Cruise Ships Diverted to San Diego Rising

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:52:34 +0000

The first of nearly one dozen cruise ships that are being diverted to the Port of San Diego in the coming days because of the swine flu outbreak will come into port on Thursday, April 30. Princess Cruises Sapphire Princess is due to dock at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal at 7 a.m. That ship will be followed by Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas at noon at the North Broadway Pier.

The Sapphire Princess is sailing in from Ensenada, Mexico and the Serenade of the Seas is arriving from Acapulco. Combined, both ships will bring more than 4,000 tourists to the region.

Carnival Cruise Line's Elation, which was already scheduled to berth in San Diego, will also be in port. The cruise line, which is home ported in San Diego, canceled all calls to Mexico through May 4.

"In many cases, we will be able to substitute the canceled call with an alternative port," the cruise line said in a statement issued Wednesday. "In the unlikely event that our new itinerary options are not to your liking, we will also give you the opportunity to reschedule your cruise at a later date. Those details will also be made available (Thursday)." Passengers with questions can call 888-CARNIVAL.

Officials with Princess Cruise Lines said the flu outbreak forced them to rearrange eight itineraries and 22 calls in Mexico.

Four cruise lines are making San Diego their newest port of call between now and Tuesday, May 5. The new arrivals are:

May 1: Holland America's Ryndam, (morning)
May 2: Norweigan Cruise Line's Norweigan Pearl (morning)
May 3: Normal arrivals, no diverted ships due in
May 4: Princess Cruise's Sapphire Princess (morning)
May 5: Princess Cruise's Star Princess (morning)

Eight other ships are due to berth at the Port of San Diego through Thursday, May 14. Most of the vessels will be in port for one full day, allowing passengers the chance to experience the Big Bay and other attractions around San Diego. Passengers are being handed out flyers ( Port of San Diego Cruise Passenger Welcome (2.82 MB) ) from the Port of San Diego on what they can experience while in port.

The cruise lines have stated that their ships and medical staff are "well equipped to prevent and contain the spread of contagious diseases, including swine flu." They are also enhancing screening practices for passengers and crew, including isolation of anyone suspected of having the flu. Rigorous cleaning and sanitation of the ships is routine.

On Tuesday, the Port of San Diego placed posters, provided by the Centers for Disease Control, in place at the Port of San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal. The posters offer tips on proper hygiene in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

Monitor the following sites for the latest information on the swine flu:

Cruise Lines Divert Ships, Cancel Calls to Mexican Ports

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:41:42 +0000

Cruise lines are suspending calls on Mexican ports and diverting ships to the Port of San Diego as a result of the swine flu outbreak. So far, 10 cruise ships have confirmed plans to berth in San Diego instead of Mexico.

Princess Cruise Lines announced plans on Tuesday, April 28, to divert the 2,670-passenger ship Sapphire Princess from Puerto Vallarta to San Diego. The ship will dock at the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal at 7 a.m. on Thursday, April 30 for an 11-hour stopover. Princess and other cruise officials said they are working on alternatives to passenger itineraries, but at this time, the exact details are still pending.

Princess Cruise Lines issued a statement which read in part, "The health and well being of our passengers and crew is our foremost priority... our ships and medical staff are already well equipped to prevent and contain the spread of contagious diseases, including swine flu."

Carnival Cruise Lines, which is home ported in San Diego, announced they would cancel all calls to Mexican ports for current sailings and for all cruises between April 30 and May 4.

"In many cases, we will be able to substitute the cancelled call with an alternative port," the cruise line said in a statement. "Additionally, we are working on alternatives for those itineraries impacted by this decision. Full details will be available by 5 p.m. (Wednesday). In the unlikely event that our new itinerary options are not to your liking, we will also give you the opportunity to reschedule your cruise at a later date. Those details will also be made available (Wednesday)."

The cruise lines said they have plans in place to screen passengers and report any ill passengers to the proper officials. Carnival said their line "enforces the highest of standards for cleaning and sanitation on all of our ships to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We have well trained medical staff and expansive reporting capabilities onboard. We do not anticipate that our guests' cruise experience will be impacted by this type of illness."

On Tuesday, posters provided by the Centers for Disease Control, were put in place at the Port of San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal. The posters offer tips on proper hygiene in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that U.S. travelers avoid all non-essential travel to Mexico, as a result of the swine flu outbreak. San Diego County's Health and Human Services Department continues to closely manage and oversee the region's response to the influenza cases.

The status of outbreak locally and nationally is changing frequently throughout the day. Monitor the following sites for the latest information.

Firms Asked to Bid on Building Broadway Pier Cruise Ship Terminal

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:59:38 +0000

The Port of San Diego is advertising for construction bids for one of its largest public works projects, the Broadway Pier Cruise Ship Terminal.

In a related development, on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, the California Coastal Commission gave the go-ahead for construction of the $28 million terminal project should be finished by the end of next year.

The project includes a 52,000-square-foot building to be built on Broadway Pier and the demolition and removal of an embarkation platform that is on the pier.

Broadway Pier Cruise Ship Terminal Bidding Information

The cruise ship terminal building is planned as a steel, metal-framed structure that will include Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) features such as photovoltaic panels, sustainable materials and equipment that will reduce energy and water consumption. The building will house a ticketing, passenger waiting area and a baggage claim area. There will be an area for passenger disembarking, baggage handling and stations for customs and Homeland Security. On days when there are no cruise ships in port, the building may be used for public events, and public art will be included in the project.

Bids are scheduled to be opened on May 8, 2009. The proposed contract is scheduled to go before the Board of Port Commissioners for approval at the July 7, 2009, Board meeting.

A new terminal is needed so the Port can meet the demands of its growing cruise business. There were 297 cruise calls at the Port in fiscal year 2008, compared with 181 cruises in fiscal year 2007. The Port's main cruise ship terminal is located at the B Street Pier, which can handle two cruise vessels at once. On days when there are more than two cruise ships in port, the vessels use Broadway Pier as an additional berth.

Because there isn't a building at the cruise terminal to service the cruise ships, the Port has been conducting cruise operations from a large tent. The Port needs to build an additional cruise ship terminal to avoid losing business to other port cities that have more modern features.

Public Invited to USNS Wally Schirra Launch

bmoreno@portofsandiego.org (Barbara Moreno) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:08:23 +0000

General Dynamics NASSCO is set to christen the Navy Ship Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8) on Sunday, March 8. The ship is named in honor of the fifth American into space, Navy Captain Walter "Wally" Schirra, Jr.

The public is invited to attend the hour-long ceremony at the NASSCO shipyard, which is located at 2798 Harbor Drive (map). The main gate opens at 6 a.m. and the event begins at 7 a.m.

General Dynamics Chairman and CEO Nicholas D. Chabraja will speak along with Capt. Lee Morin, the senior Navy astronaut on active duty, who will be the ceremony's principal speaker. Schirra's widow, Josephine Schirra, will christen the 25,000-ton ship. Former astronauts Bill Anders, Scott Carpenter, Jim Lovell and Tom Stafford are also expected to attend.

The ship's primary mission will be to deliver more than 10,000 tons of food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships at sea. Construction of the 689-foot-long vessel began in October 2007. It will be delivered to the Navy in the third quarter of 2009.

On March 4, General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the USNS Carl Brashear to the Navy. The ship is named in honor of Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear, the first African-American to serve as a Navy master diver. Brashear's military service was the subject of the 2000 movie, "Men of Honor."

General Dynamics NASSCO, the only major shipyard on the U.S. West Coast and a Port of San Diego tenant, employs about 4,800 people. The Port imports steel coils and plates that are used for construction of vessels.