Crystal Symphony do matične luke u San Franciscu

In a boon for The City’s waterfront tourism industry, Crystal Cruises plans to homeport its Crystal Symphony cruise ship in San Francisco during the summer of 2011.

The ship will take as many as 922 guests on 12-day tours of the Alaskan shoreline and on a 19-day cruise into the Panama Canal, according to a statement by the Port of San Francisco.

The company used San Francisco as the homeport for one of its cruise ships until 2005.

The Port’s Maritime Director, Peter Dailey, said he was thrilled that the company has agreed to return to San Francisco, where the ship will generate economic activity by stocking up on supplies and bringing visitors to the waterfront before they embark on their voyages.

“It means that there’s more work for the longshoremen that have to load and unload the bags,” Dailey said.

Gregg Michel, president of Crystal Cruises, said the company is “delighted” that the Crystal Symphony will return to San Francisco.

“By 2011, we will not have had a summer series of Alaska cruises for six years,” Michel said in a statement. “These itineraries add a fresh mix to our cruise repertoire.”

In other good news for the waterfront tourism industry, Disney Cruises will make its first ever call in San Francisco in 2011, according to Dailey.