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San Francisco send-off for Crystal Serenity world cruise

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Port Commission president Willie Adams presents a plaque to Capt. Birger Vorland (Photo: Port of San Francisco)
Port of San Francisco officials including newly elected Port Commission president Willie Adams were on hand to send off Crystal Serenity's world cruise.

The 102-night circumnavigation began Monday, after passengers on the full sailing embarked the ship Sunday for a special overnight celebration.

Adams presented a commemorative plaque to Crystal Serenity Capt. Birger Vorland. (Vorland was the master of Crystal Harmony in 2005 when the vessel received the first Port of San Francisco Cruise Ship Environmental Award.)

Among the officials on hand for the port's commemoration of Crystal Serenity's world cruise were Consul General Henry Bensurto Jr. of the Philippine Consulate General; John Stoll, vp land programs, Crystal Cruises; Port of San Francisco's Peter Dailey, maritime director, and Michael Nerney, maritime marketing manager; and Juan Fernandez, chief officer, Crystal Serenity.

San Francisco hosted 82 calls in 2015 and a record 297,000 passengers. The forecast for 2016 is 83 calls and 310,000 passengers.

Nerney told Seatrade Cruise News the feedback from cruise lines and cruisers about the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27, after one full year in service, has been highly favorable.

Other port highlights for 2016 include Grand Princess homeporting year-round (36 calls) and maiden calls by Explorer of the Seas (Sept. 19-20) and Nieuw Amsterdam (Oct. 7).