cruise terminal in San Francisco questions?

[atlantic cruiser]

Will be embarking on the Star Princess for mexico in Sept. Will be arriving on the ship coming down from Vancouver, meeting family at pier to continue on. What are the facilities like where we will dock. We are meeting elderly family member and am worried about adequate seating etc. in case we are delayed with rough seas or whatever. Due to dock at 10:00 a.m. but he will be anxious and arrive early and just need to know he will not be made to stand outside for long period of time. Any comments appreciated. He does not have a wheelchair but may bring a walker. Thanks.

[wineforhealth]

If you want to meet a party in San Fransisco it may be best to meet someplace away from the pier. It can get very crowded.

 

Find a place easy for your friends to get to and join them there.

 

Hope it works out.

[Pia1913]

Will be embarking on the Star Princess for mexico in Sept. Will be arriving on the ship coming down from Vancouver, meeting family at pier to continue on. What are the facilities like where we will dock. We are meeting elderly family member and am worried about adequate seating etc. in case we are delayed with rough seas or whatever. Due to dock at 10:00 a.m. but he will be anxious and arrive early and just need to know he will not be made to stand outside for long period of time. Any comments appreciated. He does not have a wheelchair but may bring a walker. Thanks.

 

There is nowhere to go/sit at that pier. Arrange to meet somewhere else. Perhaps at Pier 35 at a specific store or restaurant?

[paul929207]

Pier 35 is a fiv eminute or so walk from where the ship docks. There are shops, bars and restaurants there. He could get a cup of coffee or such and relax while waiting for you.

[wineforhealth]

Pier 39 has tons more space with shops and resturants and not much further. Even ther ferry termanial works well

[Pia1913]

Pier 39 has tons more space with shops and resturants and not much further. Even ther ferry termanial works well

 

The OP is talking about someone with a wheelchair or walker, so would try and keep him as close as possible to pier.

[timetravler]

I agree with finding somewhere else to meet. A resturant near by would be ideal. This pier does get very very crowded when a cruise ship is in the port.

[wineforhealth]

Due to dock at 10:00 a.m. but he will be anxious and arrive early and just need to know he will not be made to stand outside for long period of time. Any comments appreciated. He does not have a wheelchair but may bring a walker. Thanks.

 

Pia

 

I think it says they are meeting an elderly family member there, so parking and access is much better at pier 39.

 

Time for some SB

[deadzone1003]

Meet somewhere else. There is really nowhere to sit. It is mostly standing in line, outside and in the sun. Highly recommended you come after 2pm.

Think of all the tendering ports you have used and you come close to San Francisco.

[atlantic cruiser]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had hoped we (other family members) who are arriving on Star princess could easily disembark and meet our elderly brother at the pier. I see now that could be a problem. He will be dropped off by family members by car so will have to talk with them. I had envisioned being able to disembark and meet in the terminal and accompany him through the embarkation process but I guess will have to meet up somewhere away from the congestion. What is the waiting area like when embarking? Can it accommodate large numbers? thanks again. Thanks Pia for your thoughtful suggestion and noting he will have a walker. Was a very fit and with it 79 year old until he was rear ended by semi 3 months ago. It is a miracle he survived and this cruise is to celebrate that and to give him something to look forward to during this period of therapy and recovery. It has boosted his spirits immeasurably! Thanks again.

[rlmosher]

Contact princess and they may be able to arrange something for you to meet him and help him thru the embarkation.

[bcnvcanada]

Request thru your t/a or Princess boarding for a special needs person. They will have a special area roped off, with some chairs. They will assit your family member thru the boarding process, and if needed assit the member on to the ship. Since you will be on the ship,before San Francisco, in addition, speak with the pax service desk and explain the issue. Some times they are very helpful. We had a good friend who broke their leg shortly before departure they were princess land and cruise staff went out of there way to assit them. The problem in SF is the port workers and U.S homeland security people.

[shepp]

The Embarcadero was not designed to handle the traffic from 4000 disembarking and embarking pax, and when ships are in port, traffic by the pier is a mess. Even "being dropped off by family members" may entail muddling through a half hour or more of traffic jam.

 

Also, when we were disembarking on a ship that continued through, there was a problem with customs and disembarkation for transit passengers eas delayed by literally hours. I'm not trying to be discouraging here, just to point out to make plans as flexible as possible and be prepared for slip-ups. SF is very disabled-friendly, though, so I'm assuming some provision can be made. Maybe Princess can help.

[Pia1913]

Pia

 

I think it says they are meeting an elderly family member there, so parking and access is much better at pier 39.

 

Time for some SB

 

I went and had my SB just after posting and then opened a new PG for dinner. Yes, he had his R.

[wineforhealth]

I went and had my SB just after posting and then opened a new PG for dinner. Yes, he had his R.

 

I still have 30 min. Then I will join you.

 

 

BTW are we confusing 35 with 39 ?

[Times Prince]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had hoped we (other family members) who are arriving on Star princess could easily disembark and meet our elderly brother at the pier. I see now that could be a problem. He will be dropped off by family members by car so will have to talk with them. I had envisioned being able to disembark and meet in the terminal and accompany him through the embarkation process but I guess will have to meet up somewhere away from the congestion. What is the waiting area like when embarking? Can it accommodate large numbers? thanks again. Thanks Pia for your thoughtful suggestion and noting he will have a walker. Was a very fit and with it 79 year old until he was rear ended by semi 3 months ago. It is a miracle he survived and this cruise is to celebrate that and to give him something to look forward to during this period of therapy and recovery. It has boosted his spirits immeasurably! Thanks again.

If you and your family members have cell phones I suggest having them wait in their car at a convenient stopping point some distance away (I'm from SF, so know the parking is really bad there), and then once you are on land and ready to assist you can call and they can do a drive by, dropping your brother at the curb with your assistance. That way he will be in comfort until you are ready to assist.

[Pia1913]

I still have 30 min. Then I will join you.

 

 

 

BTW are we confusing 35 with 39 ?

 

Could be. You live there; I only cruise there. ;)

[wineforhealth]

We must be pier 35 is just an old pier and I think has other uses

 

Darn you I'm just going to make it 5 now

CHEERS

[Pia1913]

We must be pier 35 is just an old pier and I think has other uses

 

Darn you I'm just going to make it 5 now

CHEERS

 

Cheers! I'm done for tonight.

[sonnenschein]

I went and had my SB just after posting and then opened a new PG for dinner. Yes, he had his R.

What??:cool:

[Nancyquilts]

We must be pier 35 is just an old pier and I think has other uses

 

Darn you I'm just going to make it 5 now

CHEERS

Pier 35 is just for ships. Pier 39 has restaurants, shops, etc. I like the idea of phoning when you are ready to help him. He probably would want to get on the ship and relax.

[MTJSR]

Could be. You live there; I only cruise there. ;)

 

The pier numbers are all odd on that side of the bay bridge so piers 35 and 39 are next to each other, pier 35 is where the ships dock and pier 39 is the shopping mall pier with restaurants and other things to do. It is just a 5 minute walk as said by another poster.

[casavaha]

Terminal? What terminal? Where the ship docks in SF is nothing more than an old

warehouse over the water. It is quite a way from the entrance to the ship and the

street, where you leave your luggage. The highlite of the warehouse is a gangplank

that has Matson Lines written on it. This is where the Lurline, Monterey and other

Matson Passenger ships docked.

 

Pier 39 is a pier with shops and restaurants on it. About 2 long blocks from Pier 35.

 

Greg

[Bucky3]

Request thru your t/a or Princess boarding for a special needs person. They will have a special area roped off, with some chairs. They will assit your family member thru the boarding process, and if needed assit the member on to the ship. Since you will be on the ship,before San Francisco, in addition, speak with the pax service desk and explain the issue. Some times they are very helpful. We had a good friend who broke their leg shortly before departure they were princess land and cruise staff went out of there way to assit them. The problem in SF is the port workers and U.S homeland security people.

 

The above sounds like a very good suggestion.

 

I have one other idea: How about the "Bon Voyage Experience." That way the family members taking your brother to the ship could stay with him, come on board and enjoy lunch with you, and your brother would have someone with him the whole time. Just a thought. Hope it all works out well for you all.

[Pia1913]

What??:cool:

 

The pier numbers are all odd on that side of the bay bridge so piers 35 and 39 are next to each other, pier 35 is where the ships dock and pier 39 is the shopping mall pier with restaurants and other things to do. It is just a 5 minute walk as said by another poster.

 

Pier 35 is just for ships. Pier 39 has restaurants, shops, etc. I like the idea of phoning when you are ready to help him. He probably would want to get on the ship and relax.

 

I knew that. It's my fingers that mixed up 35 and 39. :D

 

And to Sonnenshein: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Riesling