Cruise stops may change

San Francisco has become a popular port-of-call for international cruise ships, and Sonoma County's tourist industry is reaping some of the benefits.

Travel agents say they're booking more Sonoma County customers on West Coast cruises leaving San Francisco's historic seaport.

Meanwhile, arriving cruise passengers take trips to Sonoma County's Wine Country, enjoying a break from their days at sea.

But the cruise connection could soon come to an end under a proposed federal rule that would make it harder for passenger ships to call on San Francisco.

"We're very concerned about it," said Mike Trujillo, cruise manager at Flying Dutchmen Travel in Santa Rosa. About 45 percent of Flying Dutchmen's cruise customers board in San Francisco, he said.

Under current policy, foreign-flagged cruise ships that visit more than one U.S. port must also make a stop outside the United States.

The rule stems from the U.S. Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886, an obscure maritime law meant to protect U.S. ships from foreign competition.

Cruise ships sailing from San Francisco to Alaska stop briefly in Canada -- at Vancouver or Victoria -- to comply.

But an arm of the Department of Homeland Security is proposing to tighten the rule. The plan by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection would require cruise ships to stop at a foreign port for at least two days on each itinerary.

The new policy was pushed by Norwegian Cruise Line, which operates U.S.-flagged ships for Hawaiian Islands tours. NCL complained to federal authorities that its foreign-flagged competitors were flouting the law by stopping for just a few hours at ports outside the United States.

Foreign ports

Most large cruise lines use foreign-flagged ships to avoid U.S. taxes, labor laws and safety regulations.

Cruise ship companies complain the proposed rule change would curtail their visits to U.S. ports from Alaska to Maine.

Some U.S. stops would have to be scrubbed so carriers could meet the requirement for more time in foreign ports, according to Cruise Lines International Association, a Florida-based trade group that represents most U.S. cruise ship companies.

The rule would cut tour ship visits to San Francisco by 40 percent and reduce its number of cruise passengers by 50 percent, according to the city's port authority.

San Francisco currently hosts about 60 cruise ships a year, up about a third from 2000, said Michael Nerney, marketing director for the port. While most ships go to Alaska, Mexico, Hawaii and the Panama Canal, there are a few around-the-world cruises that stop in San Francisco, he said.

Workers affected

In addition to hurting tourism, the new federal regulation would affect dock workers, ship repair companies and other maritime industries, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said.

"This rule would strike a blow to our city's successful cruise business," he said.

It would also have ripple effects in Sonoma County, tourism industry representatives said.

San Francisco-based cruises are popular with Sonoma County travelers who don't want to fly to Florida, Seattle or Los Angeles to begin a sail, according to travel agents.

"Cruising out of San Francisco is very attractive, especially for elderly people who have had bad experiences flying," said Trujillo.

Cruising from San Francisco was expected to get even more convenient when the city upgraded its passenger ship terminal, said Megan Erlendson, manager at HMS Travel Group in Santa Rosa.

"It's a growing part of our business," she said.

Airport Express carried more than 2,500 passengers between Sonoma County and San Francisco's cruise ship docks last year, said Anthony Geraldi, operations manager for the Santa Rosa-based bus company. It's a small percentage of Airport Express' 200,000 yearly customers, but the dock service is important for travelers who don't like to fly, Geraldi said.

"San Francisco cruises are so popular with residents of our area," he said.

Wine Country tours

Cruise passengers who visit San Francisco often take side trips to the Wine Country, said Dean Johnson, vice president at Creative Leisure International in Petaluma.

The company arranges custom tours and lodging for travelers who want a Sonoma County wine experience before or after their cruise.

"It's a great opportunity for us," Johnson said.

Other cruisers do Wine Country day trips, said Linda Viviani of Viviani Destination Management, a Napa company that takes visitors on custom Sonoma and Napa wine tours.

"We never do the same tour twice," she said.

Tourism officials say they've asked for help from California's representatives in Congress to block the proposed rule change.

Cruise ship companies will have to scramble to rearrange their 2008 sailing schedules if the rule is adopted, said Lindsay Forster, spokeswoman for the cruise industry association. The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is now reviewing public comments and could issue a new rule at any time.

"Everyone's wondering when this is going to drop," Forster said.

You can reach Staff Writer Steve Hart at 521-5205 or steve.hart@pressdemocrat.com