West coast cruise concerns

[coordinator23]

I have been watching the news all Summer long about all the fires on the west coast. We are among the cruisers doing the west coast this September. Can anyone tell me (who lives or has recently been in Washington, California or Oregon) if this is going to effect our cruise?

Is the wine train worth booking, or if the fires of the past two years have left a path of scorched earth making this a waste of money?

And, of course, any recommendations of what left/not to miss things are always appreciated.

Also, since we overnight in San Francisco, would you recommend renting a car to see some of these sights/attractions/national parks, or should we just stick with ship tours.

Thank you for your input.

[c-boy]

aww San Francisco sky line at night what a site. Fires won't affect the city as most wind direction is north north east. As far as tours go...ya got me.

[rjrpar]

San Francisco is not what it was 15 years ago; homelessness and filth everywhere.

[westcoastvecs]

Aww you will LOVE a Pacific Coastal!! I do, and I am from here and been to all the places many times. San Francisco is a fabulous city, and sailing under the Golden Gate bridge is awesome! There is plenty to see and do in the city that is walkable-Fisherman’s Wharf area, the Ferry building-there is BART (Bay area transit) to venture farther out, cable car up by Ghiradelli Square for a more local view.

Not sure where your cruise goes but Santa Barbara, Monterey, Astoria, Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver are all beautiful, amazing and should not be affected by fires.

 

:)

Robin

 

 

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[westcoastvecs]

Oops, also, the wine train is fun (and delicious) BUT -at least when we did it-you don’t actually stop at any wineries-you just view some-and not the best or prettiest from the train.

 

 

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[HallOfPromise]

You shouldn't be affected too badly by the fires in the Bay Area. There are some unhealthy levels of smoke every now and then but most days are okay. All depends on the wind direction. The Wine Train should be good as well. The largest fire, the Mendocino Complex Fire, is about 100 miles north of San Francisco and shouldn't be noticeable from San Francisco, other than some smoke or haze. The North Bay fires of last year are mostly unnoticeable with the new thin layer of vegetasion covering the burn scars.

 

I can only speak for the Bay Area since I live in Sonoma County, where the Tubbs and Nuns Fires hit last October.

[ONECRUISER]

San Francisco is not what it was 15 years ago; homelessness and filth everywhere.

You can say that again. "Summer of Love" long over, but they have job openings: San Francisco has assigned six city workers to a new "Poop Patrol" to rid targeted sidewalks of human waste -- but it turns out the pay is far from crappy. "Poop patrollers" earn $71,760 a year, which swells to a value of $184,678 with mandated benefits.

[tonyweir]

Smoke should not be an issue.

Depends on what sites you want to see. If Yosemite, Napa, etc, you should rent a car. There is plenty to see and do in San Francisco. Walk across the GG bridge. Go to Sausalito. See Golden Gate Park. Fishermans Wharf. Cable car museum. Alcatraz tour. All of these can be done on your own.

[Debitoo]

If you are over-nighting in S.F, try to get tickets to the Alcatraz night tour. It's really a fun tour. https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

[Shippy]

Aww you will LOVE a Pacific Coastal!! I do, and I am from here and been to all the places many times. San Francisco is a fabulous city, and sailing under the Golden Gate bridge is awesome! There is plenty to see and do in the city that is walkable-Fisherman’s Wharf area, the Ferry building-there is BART (Bay area transit) to venture farther out, cable car up by Ghiradelli Square for a more local view.

Not sure where your cruise goes but Santa Barbara, Monterey, Astoria, Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver are all beautiful, amazing and should not be affected by fires.

 

:)

Robin

 

 

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I would NOT recommend BART to anyone unless there was no other way to get around.

[Glide_Path]

Fire and smoke for the most part won't be a problem.

-Rent a car to see Muir woods, Napa, or Half Moon Bay if you don't mind driving a bit. Parking within SF itself is going to be hard to find and very expensive.

 

-I've done Napa with a car, and in the wine train. I liked, but didn't love the wine train. It's expensive, you don't get to visit wineries, you're limited to the food and wine they serve you. If you drive, you can see a lot more. Lots and lots of delicious restaurants and wineries along the way. Of course, you loose the luxury of being able to drink a bit more and just relaxing vs a tour or wine train. Highway Patrol is always there, don't even try it.

 

Maybe over night in Napa?

[ace1zoe2]

We did this cruise a couple of years ago and loved all the ports.

 

We didn’t book any tours they the cruise line but toured on our own.

 

There is a link in my signature with a review or you can check out my blog and just search for Pacific NW and you will find a post about each port and what we discovered Alaska by the way.

 

Cindy

 

 

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[bonsai3s]

I have been watching the news all Summer long about all the fires on the west coast. We are among the cruisers doing the west coast this September. Can anyone tell me (who lives or has recently been in Washington, California or Oregon) if this is going to effect our cruise?

Is the wine train worth booking, or if the fires of the past two years have left a path of scorched earth making this a waste of money?

And, of course, any recommendations of what left/not to miss things are always appreciated.

Also, since we overnight in San Francisco, would you recommend renting a car to see some of these sights/attractions/national parks, or should we just stick with ship tours.

Thank you for your input.

 

 

Fortunately, the fires will have no impact on your cruise in San Francisco.

 

The wine train is one of those things you do once. If it's on your bucket list, then it would be worth it. But like others said, you may be disappointed.

 

There are so many things to see near the cruise terminal in SF. If you love to walk, there's a wide, flat, walking path/sidewalk...turn right as you exit, you can easily reach Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf...and all the touristy stores and restaurants along the way. You'll get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge and yes, a tour of Alcatraz is highly recommended. Walking the other way towards AT&T park (SF Giants) you'll see the Bay Bridge. Make sure to stop at the Ferry Building Marketplace.

 

Renting a car opens up more possibilities. Driving in SF can be difficult at times because of traffic...but...you can drive to Golden Gate Bride and see it up close and personal...perhaps even a short walk of the bridge. You can drive past the Presidio (use Lincoln Avenue) through the Sea Cliff neighborhood (some of the most expensive homes in SF here) and stopping along Lincoln Avenue will give you more breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Make sure to stop at the Legion of Honor, one of SF's best kept secrets.

 

Continue west towards the ocean and make your way to the Great Highway. Driving south, you'll see Golden Gate Park on your left...drive slow and enjoy this magnificent park. At the east end of the park, stop at Haight and Ashbury...you can still imagine those times back in "hippie" days. On your way back, you can visit Japan Center, Chinatown, and there's Coit Tower very near the cruise terminal. Just above the North Beach (Little Italy) neighborhood, drive up Coit Tower and you'll see more wonderful views of the bay...Golden Gate Bride, the Bay Bridge, Angel Island, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf...and your ship!

 

If you like wine, then perhaps driving to Napa/Sonoma and doing some wine tasting would be best for you. It is about an hour and half to two hours (depending on traffic). Note: Please make sure you bring a "non-drinking" friend with you who can drive back after all your wonderful wine tasting.

 

National Park...there Yosemite. It just recently opened after all the fires have been contained. It is approximately 4 1/2 hours east of SF (again, depending on traffic.) Is it worth visiting? Yes, (So said the millions of tourist that visits Yosemite every year.)

 

Happy Sailing and have a great two days in San Francisco.:)

Edited August 24, 2018 by bonsai3s
missing letter

[coordinator23]

Thank you for all your input. Especially Bonsai3s

[Funbobby68]

Smoke is all but cleared now it’s currently raining at our weekend place in Washington state, and is also raining at home near Vancouver, this has really helped the smoke situation, and has drop temperature , by about 7 degrees:(

We our on most likely the same cruise , the overnight, we booked hoho for day one and Alcatraz for morning on day two , the just exploring port area after that , it’s my wife’s first time in SF so she’s pretty stoked

 

 

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