Issue link: https://pma.uberflip.com/i/1355890
ILWU members service the Grand Princess cruise ship at the San Francisco Cruise Ship Terminal. Regional Report: PMA and ILWU Manage Grand Princess Cruise Crisis The Grand Princess cruise ship drew international attention when it arrived in the San Francisco Bay last March with 21 confirmed cases on board. The vessel circled off the coast for days as it awaited clearance to deboard its passengers, eventually docking at the Port of Oakland, which rarely – if ever – services cruise ships. The PMA and ILWU met with Alameda County and California state officials to determine how to safely offload the vessel. Longshore workers employed by Metro Cruise Services were able to service the ship safely without any major problems and demonstrated their role as "essential workers" that are vital to the daily workings of the U.S. economy. COVID-19 Pauses Northern California's Cruise Business Boom Following a successful 2019 for the cruise business at the Port of San Francisco – with projections of as much as 30 percent growth in 2020 – COVID-19 halted that progress. The cruise business was effectively sidelined after COVID-19 restrictions were implemented, resulting in the cancellation of 106 calls in 2020. San Francisco caters to longer cruises than the current seven-day limit imposed by the federal government. Port of Oakland Announces Its Tallest Ever Cranes Last July, the Port of Oakland announced it would welcome three cranes tall enough to accommodate the world's largest container ships. SSA Terminals made a $30 million investment in the 300-foot cranes, which are slated for Oakland International Container Terminal. The cranes are the tallest at the port and can lift containers 174 feet above dock and reach across 24 container rows. MSC's Anna Megaship Calls at Port of Oakland The Port of Oakland welcomed the largest ship ever to visit the complex – the MSC Anna. The 1,312-foot- long container vessel, with capacity for 19,200 TEUs, is one of the largest ever to visit North America. The vessel, on a special assignment to collect empties in Southern California and return them to Asia, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Resilience, training, good planning, and cooperation with the ILWU helped position PMA's team in Northern California to handle the Grand Princess COVID-19 crisis and address the 2020 cargo surge. 28 28 2020 ANNUAL REPORT