Santa Barbara welcomes the return of cruise ships again

[OlsSalt]

Santa Barbara city council welcomes the return of cruise ships again: 

https://www.noozhawk.com/article/santa_barbara_city_council_gives_ok_to_cruise_ships

[GulfShoresCruiser]

That's good news!!!!....Last I heard us cruise passengers and our $$$ were not wanted in Santa Barbara....and they were starting to treat us like the welcoming, open people of Key West.

 

Things are looking up and that is great.  Thanks for sharing the article. 

[OlsSalt]

Voters recently elected a new more business friendly mayor. The rest of the city council apparently got the message. Always tensions here between the "environmentalists" who want ships to go away, and the practical realities of prudent commerce which did prevail and want to bring back this unique addition to our tourism base.

 

I personally am surprised to see this went through with the  standard protests - you know their drill -but do expect to see a radically changed Santa Barbara after the "covid shut downs" that lost many small businesses and re-routed State Street into a pedestrian mall of very mixed degree of success and outright failure. However, we did add electric bike rentals for  those who want to explore on their own. 

 

Wish you could visit right now as we have a splendid Van Gogh exhibit at our local art museum right now - through May.    https://www.sbma.net

 

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by OlsSalt

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I am glad to see that Santa Barbara is welcoming cruise ships again. I lived there from 1968 to 1982, and visited via ships several times in the 2000s.

[CATandSQUID]

Pier side or boat transfer?

[Crew News]

Great news!!.  The Zuiderdam and I will be there next month.

[OlsSalt]

Port side is too shallow unfortunately -so  it does require tendering into the Santa Barbara harbor, but you get lovely views of the town and the surrounding hills and mountains coming in. 

[OlsSalt]

1 hour ago, Crew News said:

Great news!!.  The Zuiderdam and I will be there next month.

 

Pretty time to be here - things  will still be green - mid-April is when the wild flowers are at their peak in the surrounding hills -if it is a really good last rainy season Figueroa Mountain can be ablaze with golden poppies and blue lupine. For anyone venturing out into the Santa Ynez Valley wine country.

 

I'll be interested in seeing what shore excursions they will be offering or hearing what others like to do when they do visit here for one day. Happy to answer any questions. Don't yet know how much of a formal set up will be available but in the past they had port ambassadors, lots of maps and information as well as shuttles to downtown or out to the Zoo area and Montecito Coast Village Road.

 

A question often asked when I did serve as a cruise ship ambassador was how to get to the Santa Barbara Mission - not easily, best to take a tour or find your own transportation for that visit because it takes a number of bus connections to make it work. But there is a lovely walk back down the hills through parks and nice residential areas to get to downtown - and then hopefully a shuttle back to the tender departure area. 

 

The other most asked questions is where were the nearest restrooms - a few at the harbor and others a few blocks away at the entrance to Stearns Wharf at the end of State Street. Or any restaurant along the way or at the stunning County Court House. 

[OlsSalt]

3 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

I am glad to see that Santa Barbara is welcoming cruise ships again. I lived there from 1968 to 1982, and visited via ships several times in the 2000s.

 

As cruise passenger, and also knowing the city well, what did you like to do when you became  a day tripper in town?

[OlsSalt]

Looks like April 23 for the Zuiderdam in Santa Barbara?

[Crew News]

26 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Looks like April 23 for the Zuiderdam in Santa Barbara?

Yes.  April 23d for the Zuiderdam.

 

Glad to learn of the scenic photo ops.  Since Santa Barbara is on the humpback whale migration route and April is a significant time to be observant, I chose a whale-watching excursion.  Might have to spend more time ashore to capture some flower photographs.

[Cruisercl]

For those in the know, how much is still open on the pier?

It had shops and restaurants last time I was there which was Fall 2019.

Thx!

[jaapie]

7 hours ago, Crew News said:

Yes.  April 23d for the Zuiderdam.

 

Glad to learn of the scenic photo ops.  Since Santa Barbara is on the humpback whale migration route and April is a significant time to be observant, I chose a whale-watching excursion.  Might have to spend more time ashore to capture some flower photographs.

In June last year when we took the ferry from Ventura to one of the Channel Islands, about half way to the island we saw a blue whale. The ferry stopped and we watched the whale for about 15 minutes from about 400 yards away - magical.

[OlsSalt]

5 hours ago, Cruisercl said:

For those in the know, how much is still open on the pier?

It had shops and restaurants last time I was there which was Fall 2019.

Thx!

 

Two waterfront areas - the tender lands between the two - one is the long wooden wharf full of shop and restaurants just celebrated its 100th anniversary - that is Stearns Wharf and also contains the newly redone Sea Center - it is a few blocks walk away from the tender landing along the beachfront side walk if you turn right when you leave the tender drop off area.

 

You can rent kayaks, small sail boats and standing windsurf boards where the tender drops you off - called Sea Landing 

 

There is smaller working harbor also a short walk away in the other direction if you turn left - this is where private bots have their berths and the fishing industry unloads their catches. There are some limited shops restaurants here as well as the very nice Maritime Museum. The Coast Guard patrol ship docks here to always on the look out for drug-running pangas  who also ply our more remote shorelines.

 

Hope it is back running by now as there is a tiny tug  "The Little Toot" offering trips between the two locations by water, which takes in some of the inner harbor resting spots for a good batch of local sea lions.

 

https://www.santabarbaraca.gov/gov/depts/waterfront/

 

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by OlsSalt

[OlsSalt]

Travel from Stearns Wharf and the Santa Barbara Breakwater Harbor on The Little Toot - a small tug boat - you land in the middle at Sea Landing between these two destinations and pick up spots for the Little Toot:  https://www.celebrationsantabarbara.com/lil-toot-water-taxi/

[OlsSalt]

12 hours ago, Crew News said:

Yes.  April 23d for the Zuiderdam.

 

Glad to learn of the scenic photo ops.  Since Santa Barbara is on the humpback whale migration route and April is a significant time to be observant, I chose a whale-watching excursion.  Might have to spend more time ashore to capture some flower photographs.

 

A closer in option for wildflower viewing is the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - some stunning views this  time of year particularly from its Great Meadow near the entrance - you need to arrange your own transportation to get here  as they stopped the bus route a few years ago - uber or a tour?

 

The SB Courthouse gardens and various spots around town do try to provide  green relief. A walk up to the unique horticultural specimen planted Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens is only a few blocks from the main down town. (Park was the garden donor's last name, so we all learned to call this the Park park.)

 

Santa Barbara Botanical Garden: https://www.sbbg.org/explore-garden

 

More info about local parks and gardens, including the pretty spectacular Rose Garden at the Mission Santa Barbara which should be starting full bloom

:   https://www.santabarbaraca.gov/gov/depts/parksrec/parks/features/horticulture/alicekeck.asp

Edited March 10, 2022 by OlsSalt

[Live4cruises]

Wow - thank you for all this wonderful information!  We are leaving for a B2B in a couple of weeks.  Will be in SB on March 29 and April 5.  The first time, we are going to visit Solvang; nothing planned for the second time, but the Van Gogh exhibit sounds like a winner!

[JRG]

4 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

More info about local parks and gardens, including the pretty spectacular Rose Garden at the Mission Santa Barbara which should be starting full bloom

 

And don't forget to follow-up your wonderful morning visit to the mission with a lunch stopover to La Super Tacqueria (a few blocks away to the south on Milpas or Upas)   for their chile  poblano  house special.

 

I forgot what is called but we heard about it on the Food channel a few years back and it is worth visiting and waiting for.

[OlsSalt]

37 minutes ago, JRG said:

 

And don't forget to follow-up your wonderful morning visit to the mission with a lunch stopover to La Super Tacqueria (a few blocks away to the south on Milpas or Upas)   for their chile  poblano  house special.

 

I forgot what is called but we heard about it on the Food channel a few years back and it is worth visiting and waiting for.

Menu for La Superica - a solid local favorite, also made famous by Julia Child and Katy Perry

https://www.allmenus.com/ca/santa-barbara/743315-la-super-rica-taqueria/menu/

 

We all have our favorites, but I got stuck on #15 Tocino Especial and stopped looking anywhere else  -sounds simple - melted cheese and bacon with , but load up at the salsa bar pico de gallo and put all the ingredients together into one of three the fresh tortillas that come with the order - heaven. Plan on a lot of napkins - juicy and delicious. 

 

Closed on Wednesdays - cash only - often crowded -  will need a car or other transportation since it is away from most other main attractions, though Milpas is a busy street- our working part of town, not our main tourist part of town.

 

A more lavish spot for both lunch and gorgeous views is a few blocks up the hill from the Mission - the El Encanto Hotel with a lovely open dining terrace - part of the Belmont Hotels so it more pricey. This is where we splurge when we want to show off the best of Santa Barbara -or just have a sunset drink..

[flyrobinfly]

We stopped in Santa Barbara in 2019 and took Lil' Toot over to Stearns Wharf to check out the Sea Center, wonderful time. We will be there in a couple weeks on Koningsdam and I was planning to go see the Santa Barbara Carriage Museum. However, we just got notice today that our itinerary has changed and we will now be there on Saturday, when alas, the museum is closed. 😔 Guess we'll just have to go back another time!

 

Now to figure out what else to do. Thanks for the tips, @OlsSalt!

[Cruisercl]

Another thing I remember now is that there were some good wine tasting rooms in SB proper.

SB area has some really good local vineyards too, but you will need a car to get to the actual vineyard and a designated driver, LOL.

I believe there was a map of where the tasing rooms are in the city; I think we got the map online. 😉

[Keata]

@OlsSalt Thank you for taking the time to provide all this excellent information.  The city is very lucky to have you as an ambassador!  Cant wait to see SB for the 1st time on April 7th (we are on the Discovery Princess).  We are thinking of the Trolley Tour to get the hi-lights and them meander on our own.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Keata

[DaveOKC]

2 hours ago, Cruisercl said:

Another thing I remember now is that there were some good wine tasting rooms in SB proper.

SB area has some really good local vineyards too, but you will need a car to get to the actual vineyard and a designated driver, LOL.

I believe there was a map of where the tasing rooms are in the city; I think we got the map online. 😉

A number of them are located near Sterns Wharf between it and the downtown area.

[DaveOKC]

Has anyone seen the comments on SB only allowing cruise ship passengers that have had the Covid test within 2 days of sailing?  Since Princess (and hopefully HAL soon) has gone to 3 days, I wonder how this will work?

 

[Keata]

Here is the direct quote:

 

"Passengers must be fully vaccinated or provide a negative test result within 24 hours of coming on shore to visit. Cruise lines must also follow the CDC’s COVID-19 Program, and all captains must sign a separate agreement with the city to abide by all ecological guidelines affecting Santa Barbara waters."

Full article here:

https://www.independent.com/2022/03/09/santa-barbara-poised-to-end-two-year-stall-on-cruise-ships/