Low down on Santa Barbara and Monterey ports

[OlsSalt]

3 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

I looked at LA options.  I think we are going to stick with San Pedro, sis is considering a spa day.   Avalon looked pretty nice for strolling but I will look at the offerings. TY

 

Glad to hear your sister is well enough to travel now. The Huntington Library and Gardens and Griffith Observatory overlook is a good option, to see what can be remarkable about the LA area. Getting above and away from most of it. 😉  Getty Museum was another obvious option too, but not included. 

[Fietsen1]

On 8/28/2023 at 11:22 AM, FlaMariner said:

 

I hear you!

 

I hope SF is nice for you but we had friends that went in May and they left a day early and I think we all know what the experience was for them......So very sad. 

 

 

 

No, we do not all know what you are referring to. As a person who travels to SF at least twice a year to visit friends and family, I would like you to let us know what happened that warranted an early departure for your friends.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 hour ago, Fietsen1 said:

No, we do not all know what you are referring to. As a person who travels to SF at least twice a year to visit friends and family, I would like you to let us know what happened that warranted an early departure for your friends.

 

You are kidding right? You haven't noticed the homeless taking over more and more areas/sidewalks? You haven't noticed stores like Nordstrom announcing they are closing their flagship store? Whole Foods closing one of their prime stores? CVS and Walgreens closing stores?

 

SF is not as pleasant as it once was, especially since the city seems to be unwilling to take steps to make it more pleasant.

[Fietsen1]

3 minutes ago, scottca075 said:

 

You are kidding right? You haven't noticed the homeless taking over more and more areas/sidewalks? You haven't noticed stores like Nordstrom announcing they are closing their flagship store? Whole Foods closing one of their prime stores? CVS and Walgreens closing stores?

 

SF is not as pleasant as it once was, especially since the city seems to be unwilling to take steps to make it more pleasant.

No more than I usually see! Not worth leaving a trip early though.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 minute ago, Fietsen1 said:

No more than I usually see! Not worth leaving a trip early though.

 

That is your take. Others disagree. I've had an office in San Francisco for 30+ years, been traveling to the City my entire life and went to Berkeley for undergrad and grad school. San Francisco has significantly deteriorated the last 10 years and Covid drove that into overdrive.

[mhurdle127]

I don't know how this thread turned into an argument over San Francisco - my original post dealt with two other ports. In any case, we are working on changing our cruise to another destination for next year, but for multiple reasons not inclusive of the San Francisco back and forth.

[FlaMariner]

4 hours ago, Fietsen1 said:

I would like you to let us know what happened that warranted an early departure for your friends.

 

The poop on the street finally did it in for them and they decided they did not need to be there.....Sad. 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

On 8/29/2023 at 1:37 PM, Fietsen1 said:

No, we do not all know what you are referring to. As a person who travels to SF at least twice a year to visit friends and family, I would like you to let us know what happened that warranted an early departure for your friends.

We lived 90 minutes away and went to the the City several times a year for the last +25 years for long weekends.  Sure there were always places you just didn't go as a tourist, but the other 95% was safe, interesting, and memorable.  Now it's the other way around with only 5% I would go and so that's not worth it.  The City is a ghost town compared to pre-pandemic with no signs of getting better.  Restaurants that were open everyday all day are now only open on the weekends with limited hours or just gone.  Shopping malls are empty and unsafe to even get to.  Tourist attractions Union Square, Golden Gate Park, Presidio, etc are overrun with homeless, poop, and needles.  The office workers who supported downtown merchants are mostly gone and working remote.  Even the federal building has told employees to work remote because it's unsafe downtown.  It's sad to see what a once great city has become.  I do still visit when I have to for some appointments, but we don't hang around and make a weekend of it as we used to.  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Certain elements in CA are working to keep tourists away and to keep people from moving there, etc. Santa Barbara and Monterey/Carmel are two of the biggest NIMBY areas in CA; "I've got mine, now that I am here, you stay away".

 

This whole "Chumash Marine Reserve" thing is just another way for those who don't want people coming to Santa Barbara for any reason to stop them. If it goes through, it will cost millions of dollars and destroy several thousand jobs.

 

There is the answer on SB/Monterey.

[JRG]

On 8/27/2023 at 5:14 PM, OlsSalt said:

The other burning question having lost the Santa Barbara port for a San Pedro substitution, is taking the Silver Line "J"  metro bus from the San Pedro port into LA downtown safe, crazy, too dangerous, and/or perhaps also over-hyped by lurid publicity.

 

It is very safe and you might find a fellow cruise passenger or 2 with you.  Recommend to get to Union Station LA and then cross the street and eat at Olvera street for the best authentic mexican lunch available and then walk 1 block to catch the Silver Line for what used to be $2 and gets you on an express bus to the port in about 1 hr or so.

 

This method of getting to your cruise lets you stay at the Downtown LA hotels too.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 8/27/2023 at 5:14 PM, OlsSalt said:

The other burning question having lost the Santa Barbara port for a San Pedro substitution, is taking the Silver Line "J"  metro bus from the San Pedro port into LA downtown safe, crazy, too dangerous, and/or perhaps also over-hyped by lurid publicity.

 

Too time consuming. If you want to go to DTLA, Uber, Lyft or cab.

[latebuyer]

Is there any updates to what is happening with santa barbara? I am looking for booking for 2025 and santa barbara is still listed as an option. However another cruise has catalina island and it seems its less likely to be cancelled. Any updates please post. All i could find was in 2022 they stopped the ban.

[julia]

On 12/18/2023 at 10:44 PM, latebuyer said:

Is there any updates to what is happening with santa barbara? I am looking for booking for 2025 and santa barbara is still listed as an option. However another cruise has catalina island and it seems its less likely to be cancelled. Any updates please post. All i could find was in 2022 they stopped the ban.

Several cruise lines (HAL being one) continue to show Santa Barbara and Monterey on future itineraries.  I would NOT book a cruise with the hopes of visiting either of these ports.