San Francisco Hop On Hop Off Bus booked through HAL?

[AryMay]

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?

 

 

[sfpd3000]

1 hour ago, AryMay said:

 

• 2. Why is there a difference in starting times?

 

 

It's staggered to prevent everyone from showing up at the same time and overwhelming the folks trying to check you in.

[dmwnc1959]

On 3/22/2024 at 5:56 PM, sfpd3000 said:

It's staggered to prevent everyone from showing up at the same time and overwhelming the folks trying to check you in.

If you can elaborate on this a bit. I’m booked on a similar tour through NCL that has the staggered times. Are the Hop-on Hop-off tickets for the tour provided by the issuing company and then distributed to booked passengers on the ship, or are we taken to a centralized office location somewhere in town? 

[dmwnc1959]

On 3/22/2024 at 4:42 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?

 

 

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.

 

[sfpd3000]

2 hours ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Edited April 7 by sfpd3000
Deleted. See next post.

[sfpd3000]

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.

[dmwnc1959]

35 minutes ago, sfpd3000 said:

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.

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? 
 

😁

 

 

Edited April 7 by dmwnc1959

[sfpd3000]

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).

[dmwnc1959]

12 minutes ago, sfpd3000 said:

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).

Much appreciated appreciated, OP said he was on Holland-America and by the schedule it may be the Zaandam doing an overnight on April 23rd. 

[sfpd3000]

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.

[AryMay]

1 hour ago, sfpd3000 said:

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.

Thanks so much!