sfpd3000

18 hours ago, Walkthedesert said:

I was on this cruise.  Combination of weather, a rare tide called a King Tide, and the fact that the regular pier is undergoing some maintenance.   The captain felt that we could get into Skagway okay, but maynot be able to get back out.  The next day was our Glacier Bay day and he didn't want to risk missing GB. We were all in agreement.   Come to find out a Royal ship did go into Skagway and was not able to make it out until the next day.

Thanks for the info.  I trust Capt Lye to make the right decisions.  One of the better captains, and always visible around the ship.

The porters are generally there waiting for you.  If I recall, there was only one time when I did not see any porters due to a scheduling mixup.  In that event, passengers had to roll there luggage to the x-ray room and then walk back to the line to get into the terminal.

When we were on the Crown in February, I saw about 6 mahjong sets.  When we were on the Crown again in April, there were NONE!  I checked throughout the cruise as well as disembarkation day (we were delayed so I had time to kill) when everything should have been returned.

28 minutes ago, 555 said:

yes

Thanks

Does the minibar get restocked if you do a B2B?

23 hours ago, Knickearth said:

Having recently gotten off the emerald I learned to appreciate the medallion app.  Every afternoon we went onto the app and checked the dinner menu in the MDR for that day.

Old app used to post the dinner menu for the ENTIRE cruise so it made it easier to plan for specialty dining reservations.  This new app only posts the menu for that particular day.  We had to ask the dining room manager for the week's menu.  It was printed on a piece of paper in a tiny font size that you needed a magnifying glass to read.

I agree with @happy42cruise.   I’ll just add one other option:  if you book a hotel near the airport, you can go back to the airport the day of your cruise and use the Princess EZ Air airport transfer.   The hotels closer to the airport will probably be cheaper than ones in the City.

or

If you book a hotel in the City, park at 80 Francisco instead of parking at the hotel.   Then taxi, Uber, or bus back and forth.

We had a similar experience a few months ago.  The Princess promotion was ending on a Sunday that we wanted to take advantage of and since our travel agent doesn't work weekends, we had to call and book with Princess directly.  Got everything booked with no issues.  We just happened to check the website the day after, and saw that our cabin that we had already was AVAILABLE.  Called Princess again, and found out that our reservation had been cancelled.  No email, no notification, no nothing.  If we hadn't gone onto the website and looked, we would have assumed our booking was still good.

11 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

When I posted @...I was hoping that Alan would chime in TO THIS THREAD.  Which he did. @sfpd3000 thanks for monitoring the boards.

Luckily you posted @..., which shows up in my email

2 minutes ago, RSF Cruiser said:

Maybe you’ll be there in October, then. 

We'll see.  As @telecheck wrote, I usually post on the particular roll call thread that I work.  But we don't get the work requests until a month or two out, depending on when the sergeant posts them.  He posted this morning for the June and July cruises.  Or if he gets mad at me (twice already), I get dropped out of the rotation...

4 minutes ago, RSF Cruiser said:

Ha! Had I known I’d have waved to you!

If you had waited one more week... I'm working the Discovery tomorrow.

4 minutes ago, RSF Cruiser said:

 

We just did this cruise last week and will be doing it again in October. Perhaps when the schedule first came out, the itinerary included Santa Barbara, and then it got changed to Monterey, and then Catalina. I got suspicious about Catalina for October when no excursions were listed. The Catalina port schedule still has the Discovery listed, but my bet is the schedule hasn’t been updated, especially if the SF port schedule just got changed last week. Thanks for confirming my suspicions!

We probably sailed past each other twice.  I was on the Crown last week on the way south while you were on the Discovery going up north and then vice versa.

Doing a little more research here.

My cousin did this cruise last year (doing the itinerary from Post #19).  But they only spent the day in San Francisco.  So I'm guessing since you're staying overnight in San Francisco, you'll miss Catalina and Santa Barbara too?

If you look at the Princess page for your particular cruise, the map illustration shows you departing Los Angeles, going to San Francisco, and then Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Ensenada before returning home.

I'm here.

I believe the question is: Will Discovery stay overnight in San Francisco?  We now have Discovery scheduled to arrive on Monday (10/21) and staying overnight before departing on Tuesday (10/22).  The port schedule was just updated last week.  The original schedule had Discovery here in San Francisco for only one day (Monday 10/21).  So my guess is Princess already knew about this particular sailing skipping Catalina and had informed the Port of SF.

Just now, sfpd3000 said:

Just got off the Crown Princess.  I heard it’s a mess at Pier 80

Of course it’s a mess at Pier 27 too.

3 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

I was checking out the Marine Traffic app today and saw Grand Princess docked way down at Pier 80. I'm sure they have it pretty well set up by now, but that's gotta be an absolute mess. 
 

I was stationed in the Bay Area for several years back in the mid-80s, my ship was home-ported out of Concord but we also spent a lot of time at the old Oakland Naval Air Station and Mare Island. It's probably been 25 years since the last time I was out there. Very much looking forward to that day where I get to spend digging up old memories. 

Just got off the Crown Princess.  I heard it’s a mess at Pier 80

On 4/24/2024 at 7:46 AM, dmwnc1959 said:

I’m curious about April 2025 when the Norwegian Jade visits. Ruby Princess will be there on a turn-around day, will Pier 35 be where we go? 
 

If I had to bet, I would put money on Pier 35.   Dredge work should be finished by Fall 2024.  But then again, this is SF…….

On 4/24/2024 at 12:23 PM, TMLAalum said:

Thanks. Upon further review, Yank Sing will not be open on our port day in S.F. Instead we will head to Pallette Teahouse, 900 Northpoint St, B201A. Looks like Muni Bus #30 from the Presidio Transit Center should get us there? And then the F streetcar back to Pier 27?

Sorry…just got off Crown Princess and am now just catching up on emails, etc.  I agree with what the others have posted.  900 Northpoint is just a couple of blocks from the end of the line / start of the line for the F streetcar.

Yes the 30 bus will start at the Presidio Transit Center (next to Sports Chalet) and it will get you a few blocks of 900 Northpoint.  Or continue on to Chinatown and have dim sum there.

22 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Interesting they are using Pier 80. First choice is the regular terminal at Pier 27. Second choice is typically Pier 35, the old cruise terminal. There is at least facilities there. Pier 30-32 is the next choice...used occasionally,  but no facilities. Pier 80 is a new one. It sounds like you will be here in Spring, so the biggest event of the year, Flight Week, is not the cause of this.

Crown Princess is homeported here; that's why they get Pier 27.  The backup terminal is Pier 35; that terminal needs major dredge work and will not be available until the Fall (Europa 2 pulled it off last week because they are a smaller ship and they "demanded" to be docked at Pier 35).  Pier 30/32 will not hold the weight of the number of semi-trucks loading the provisions for the next cruise.  They luggage x-ray machines were being packed up last week from Pier 35 getting ready to be moved to Pier 80.

2 minutes ago, Coral said:

Really? Small world!

I'm the guy in the yellow fluorescent vest on the left side of your picture looking to my right (at the traffic mess).

I think I've cruised with you before (pre-pandemic).

10 hours ago, Coral said:

There will be a sign:

 

Hey, that's me in the picture!

On 3/22/2024 at 1:42 PM, AryMay said:

San Francisco is an overnight port stop on our April cruise. I am interested in the Hop On Hop Off bus but concerned because our ship is scheduled to be at Pier 32/30 which much further south than the main Pier 27. 

 

Has anyone ever booked the HOHO bus through HAL? The times listed for the tour booked through HAL are either 8:30 am or 9 am but booking independently through the Big Bus website shows the bus begins service at 10 am. 

 

What I'm trying to figure out (and couldn't get an answer by calling HAL) is:

 

• 1.  Is transportation provided to one of the bus stops? The closest stop to Pier 32/30 is almost a mile away at the Ferry Building.
• 2. Why is there a difference in starting times?

 

 

I talked to the HoHo rep yesterday.  He assured me that their buses will make the longer loop to include Pier 30/32.  You will not have to find your own way to one of the other stops.

4 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Great reply!!! THANK YOU! I have purchased it already from NCL. I had called the Shore Excursion Deck at the cruise line and they had no idea. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a response here so I also actually emailed the Hop-on Hop-off bus company. 🤣
 

Will this also be the same for the OP down at Pier 32/30 where the bus will pick them up if it’s purchased through HAL? 
 

😁

 

 

I will be working Wednesday when the Ruby Princess will visit.  I will ask the Hop-on hop-off rep when I see him.  Pier 30/32 is not used very often since Pier 35 is our backup terminal (but that’s another story).

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

If there is anyone out there that has done these hop-on hop-off tours SPECIFICALLY IN SAN FRANCISCO, and know details of how passengers from Pier 32/30 or Pier 27 access the tour buses from the ship, please chime in. 
 

I’ve done similar research to where the first bus doesn’t depart until 10AM, but the tour options start at least an hour or more before this.

 

The Hop-on hop-off buses will pick you up at Pier 27 once you walk out of the terminal.  If you bought it as an excursion on board, they will exchange that ticket for a hop-on hop-off ticket.  For certain cruise lines (Princess), if you DIDN’T buy it as an excursion on board, you can buy a ticket before you get on the bus and the rep can directly charge it to your stateroom account.  I think if you choose not to do either option (or once the rep leaves) they will force you to walk to their office in Fisherman’s Wharf a half a mile away and buy your ticket there.