ATSEAMYLIFE

For $60 you can pay for lounge access with United.

Plus, you can buy United lounge access.

I agree on the HFD location it's not my fav. I don't think it's been a HI in many many years and I found the rooms and public areas very nice, no signs of being an HI. Hilton US is always our go to if we want to stay in downtown and the St Francis is not affordable. We have been upgraded to suites twice there and the top floor bar can't be beat for views of the city. Hotel food at FD is better than US. But there's so many great places nearby to eat hotel food is my last choice.

We have a private driver we frequently use and have used him to take us from our condo in Rosarito to the Valle. I can't speak to drivers at the dock.

Good choice if the Hilton Union Square doesn't work. We have stayed at the HFD a few times and the bar/restaurant has good food if not a view. If it works out go to the Stinking Rose for dinner. I wouldn't walk the area after dark.

We have stayed there a couple of times and it's a good choice if you can't get the Hilton Union Square. The restaurant/bar has good food. I wouldn't venture out walking after dark. If you get in early enough dinner at The Stinking Rose is always good.

Drop everybody off near the port, drop the car back at the airport, and Uber to the port.

Easy walk I would do that, in fact we did.

I refrain from eating anything raw in Mexico unless it's fruit or vegetables. Raw seafood is high on my list of "no."

Big problem with that chart is San Diego has a huge variance between the beach and inland. Those numbers look like inland numbers and not on the coast. We have the same weather as SD coast and it's currently low 70's and that chart shows mid-80's. Just go a few miles inland and the temp can be 10-15 degrees higher and go a few miles more and it's in the 90's. Better to search for Coronado, Imperial Beach, or La Jolla weather for the coast.

You will love the El Cordova just make sure to book one of the larger rooms as the small ones are really small. I would use their parking at $40 per day is about normal. You will find no street parking close unless you have a resident permit. We stayed there several years ago the history of the place is amazing. We had a large group of family and even booked the "superintendent's" suite, which was huge (dining table for ten). My brother ended up in a "workers" room where he could touch both walls with outstretched arms. I had a nice sized room with a living area and bedroom/kitchen but backed up to the alley with garbage trucks in the morning. All in all it's a great hotel with lots of history.

I wouldn't stay at the ES every again. Years ago I reserved two nights. Due to mechanical issues our Delta flight from Sacramento went from daytime to a red eye arriving not 1500 hrs on Thursday but 0800 hrs on Friday (a good reason never to fly day of). Since it was too late to cancel the first night my AMEX was charged as we sat in Sacramento. I called the front desk and told them we would be in around 0900 hrs on Friday and I wanted my room upon arrival. The desk assured me it wouldn't be a problem. You can guess what happened. Yep, no clean rooms until 1100 hrs and only one was a smoking room. After being up and traveling for more than 24 hours we took it. I later complained to Hilton and they did give me 50k in points, but still. They made double money on my room. This was before digital check-in which would probably solve that issued now a days. We still like the Doubletree Gallery One best for our Fort Lauderdale stays. If money is no object then the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort is the place to be. We did find it once for the same money as Doubletree but not recently.

Great little French Bakery "Anna's" across the street. There's the Galleria Mall for shopping. PF Chang's, Blue Martini, Season's 52 at the Mall or take the water taxi to other stops.

We have come to prefer the Doubletree GalleryOne. Better location, larger rooms, and great service. Plus several nice places to eat across the street and the water taxi stops in front.

Good point all depends on the airports. We did Colorado Springs and Cincinnati, both were empty on Thanksgiving Day during mid-day.

You can bring back commercially packaged solid hard or soft cheeses (as long as the cheese does not contain meat or pour like a liquid i.e. ricotta or cottage cheese). Sorry can't help you with the wine/cheese store as we go into the wine country for that. I do recall some of the larger wineries do have tasing rooms in town. Maybe Marisma Wine Bar, Rolu Vinícola, or Ensenada Vinos.

Not Ensenada.

We have flown twice on Thanksgiving Day and the airports are ghost towns. Only issue might be short holiday staffing at the port.

If it wasn't for grandkids I would have no knowledge.

Yes, I recall I pointed that out in my OP.

We have taken family on both lines and it all comes down to the ship and not the lines. Nothing can really compare to the Oasis class ships for kid stuff. Have you looked at NCL? They include drink packages and other stuff you pay for on other lines, which can lower the overall cost.

We stay at the Hilton LAX and at times it can be around $200. They have a shuttle to/from the airport and a nice bar/restaurant.

Clearly 761 is too early that's why I mentioned the 777 and pointed out how late it arrives in SLO. But I don't see the OP mentioning any concern out the late arrival of 777. More importantly there's no bus leg for 777.

No bus on the #761 or #777 direct train to SLO.

Any reason not to do the Surfliner? Looks like you could go to Fullerton or Irvine and catch it around 2 PM. It would put you in later to SLO but the routes the same.