Disembarking in San Francisco & getting to SFO

[neeuqdrazil]

I'm going to be disembarking in San Francisco from a Panama Canal transit cruise next February (departs Fort Lauderdale, San Francisco is first US stop.) We've got an overnight in SF before disembarking (arrive AM Tuesday, cruise ends Wednesday.)

 

The only cruises that I've done have been Transatlantics, where everyone has to go through the absolutely horrendous Brooklyn cruise terminal customs and immigration system, so I have no idea what to expect at SF, especially given that we'll presumably(?) have gone through customs/immigration the day before for excursions, etc. 

 

I'm going to be flying back to Toronto, and the only reasonably-timed flight is at 11.50AM on that Wednesday (otherwise, I'd be stuck waiting until 11PM that night to fly out, and not arriving back home until the next morning.) How is the customs/immigration process at San Francisco for disembarkation, and if I do self-disembarkation early, am I likely to arrive with enough time to catch the flight? (I will have checked bags, so will need to arrive with enough time for that.) 

[CruiserBruce]

Where do you stop before SF? 

 

Yes, the ship is cleared when you dock the first day. So you can walk off early and grab a cab, or even, if you wish, go stay at a hotel at the airport.

 

There aren't any special procedures at SFO for the flight to Toronto...we took it last year. Flying Air Canada? It departs out of a domestic terminal...Terminal 2. Getting there by 10am is plenty of time.

[neeuqdrazil]

Stops are Aruba, Guatemala, and Mexico. 

 

Yes, it's the AC flight, and being able to walk off on Wednesday morning will make everything MUCH easier!

[Boiler Cruiser]

My wife and I were on the Royal Princess on a RT to Hawaii from San Francisco's Pier 27 last month (March, 2023).

 

Disembarkation at Pier 27 went without much trouble or delay.  Once off the ship, and having retrieved our luggage, that is when we had issues. 

 

The biggest issue for the Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 in San Francisco is that it is small compared to other cruise terminals, such as Port Everglade's Princess Terminal.  That lack of size extends to the lack of road access to the terminal itself.  The pier is quite small, so there is little room for a driveway for private vehicles, busses, and cabs arriving to pick up passengers.

 

We, too, had a flight from SFO the next day, and chose to stay in a hotel at the airport.  Because of the lack of driveway access, we had to wait in line for almost 40 minutes to get a cab.  The driveway was a traffic jam, and even the cab drivers hate it.

 

So, 2 things to take into consideration when planning your disembarkation at Pier 27 in San Francisco.  Allow at least 40 minutes to stand in line waiting for a cab to the airport.  And understand that the cab fare to the airport will be about US$80.  That was what we spent.

 

 

[wheezedr]

2 hours ago, Boiler Cruiser said:

My wife and I were on the Royal Princess on a RT to Hawaii from San Francisco's Pier 27 last month (March, 2023).

 

Disembarkation at Pier 27 went without much trouble or delay.  Once off the ship, and having retrieved our luggage, that is when we had issues. 

 

The biggest issue for the Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 in San Francisco is that it is small compared to other cruise terminals, such as Port Everglade's Princess Terminal.  That lack of size extends to the lack of road access to the terminal itself.  The pier is quite small, so there is little room for a driveway for private vehicles, busses, and cabs arriving to pick up passengers.

 

We, too, had a flight from SFO the next day, and chose to stay in a hotel at the airport.  Because of the lack of driveway access, we had to wait in line for almost 40 minutes to get a cab.  The driveway was a traffic jam, and even the cab drivers hate it.

 

So, 2 things to take into consideration when planning your disembarkation at Pier 27 in San Francisco.  Allow at least 40 minutes to stand in line waiting for a cab to the airport.  And understand that the cab fare to the airport will be about US$80.  That was what we spent.

 

 

A solution to that problem, and I accept that the problem does exist, is to leave the terminal and go about a block away .  From that point it’s much easier to catch an Uber/Lyft to SFO.  They are also usually less expensive 

[phabric]

On 4/22/2023 at 11:56 AM, Boiler Cruiser said:

My wife and I were on the Royal Princess on a RT to Hawaii from San Francisco's Pier 27 last month (March, 2023).

 

Disembarkation at Pier 27 went without much trouble or delay.  Once off the ship, and having retrieved our luggage, that is when we had issues. 

 

The biggest issue for the Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 in San Francisco is that it is small compared to other cruise terminals, such as Port Everglade's Princess Terminal.  That lack of size extends to the lack of road access to the terminal itself.  The pier is quite small, so there is little room for a driveway for private vehicles, busses, and cabs arriving to pick up passengers.

 

We, too, had a flight from SFO the next day, and chose to stay in a hotel at the airport.  Because of the lack of driveway access, we had to wait in line for almost 40 minutes to get a cab.  The driveway was a traffic jam, and even the cab drivers hate it.

 

So, 2 things to take into consideration when planning your disembarkation at Pier 27 in San Francisco.  Allow at least 40 minutes to stand in line waiting for a cab to the airport.  And understand that the cab fare to the airport will be about US$80.  That was what we spent.

 

 

What hotel did you stay at the airport?

[Boiler Cruiser]

On 4/27/2023 at 9:59 AM, phabric said:

What hotel did you stay at the airport?

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 4/27/2023 at 6:59 AM, phabric said:

What hotel did you stay at the airport?

 

If I spent a night in SF post cruise, I'd stay in the City, not at the airport.