PaperSniper4

Here's another option that give you plenty of space for your luggage. Rent a towncar? We did this with friends in Seattle for a cruise and it worked out great.

 

Right now you can book online for $49 plus tip. Hope this helps?

 

http://sanfranciscosuperlimo.com/

Thanks. Their "request a quote" page isn't working right now. I will give them a call later today. This would be an excellent option for us! Thanks for passing it along.

Made my day, and to think all these years I have just been using a stapler, generally at the hotel desk.

Yep, generally works fine. But I started using clear packing tape several years ago when one of my tags secured with only a staple was just hanging on "by a thread". It's an additional, simple, minimal cost/hassle protection. Even just regular old 1/2 inch tape is available at hotel desks, etc. I can't remove the cruise line's tags that are taped with using the nail clippers my wife keeps in her purse.:cool:

Distance is about 16 miles. Uber will cost you about $40 for two people. Here's a Airport site with costs for different transportation costs. It shows Uber cost.

 

http://www.fishermanswharf.org/airport-info.html

Hey, thanks to all for the good information. I also found THIS SITE that has useful information on it.

Anyone actually used a Uber Cab? In SFO or anywhere? My wife and I (mostly my wife's items!:rolleyes:) will have two large roller-bags and two smaller ones....plus at least one other hand carried bag like a purse or laptop bag sized. I suspect we could get that in the typical large yellow taxi (Crown Victoria), but I don't think it would fit in a regular Uber cab (UberX size). So I think we will probably need to get an UberXL, which is an SUV. Any suggestions on that?

From what I can determine, the cost of an UberXL will still be $15 or so less than the regular yellow cab......not that spending an additional $15 will break me after $7k for the cruise!:eek:

Thanks ya'll.

Doug

You had better hope that should you need your passport and don't have it that there is a US consulate/embassy nearby that is open. Otherwise the paper that the passport info is printed on is worthless.

"Worthless" is probably too strong.......that copy of a passport has most of the information an embassy would need to issue a duplicate......and having just that copy has been very useful to me on several occasions while in Europe.....in the Caribbean I think one could get by with a library card. :cool:

We travel a lot, but avoid air whenever possible. We have to fly into SFO for a Princess cruise in early April. I've never used Uber Cabs, but heard good things about them.

Couple questions:

How do I use Uber cabs? I understand there is a "smart phone" app I need on my phone?

I heard not to call for a ride until we're at the airport ready to go....I assume that means I've already gotten my bags. Where do I meet the Uber cab?

Anyone know how much I'd save by using an Uber Cab over a regular taxi? I know it's even less expensive to use a shuttle or BART other means, but Uber/taxi seems like the most straight forward and simple....which is worth several bucks to us!:cool:

Thanks!

We made several extra copies of each of our luggage tags, then sort of home laminated them, using clear plastic packaging tape, hole-punched them using an office paper punch. We then packaged them with our cruise documentation and paperwork, along with enough smallish nylon tie-wraps, and then attached them to all our luggage, including carry-on, checked and any miscellaneous items (ie. CPAP, etc) at hotel on embarkation morning.

 

...VTX-Al

Me too. I don't see any reason to spend a lot of money on luggage tag holders. That packing tape is as strong if not stronger. It's a very good idea to also use the cruise line luggage tags on your carry on bags....amazes me how many folks I see not doing that....and then seeing bags on the lido deck that evening looking forlorn and lonely......:rolleyes:

Leialoha and Dave,

 

Any chance you'll still be on the Diamond for the September 2016 sailings? I hope so.

Look at a couple of pages earlier and you'll see a link Dave posted where they will put their schedule when they know it.

Doug

Princess offers "Stay & Cruise" packages that provide transfers from the airport to a hotel and then on to the ship the next morning. It may not be the least costly option but it takes all the head aches and luggage handling out of the trip.

PS - I was at the opposite side of the Navy---fast attack submarines.

Oh, you WERE at the opposite side of the Navy! I was in P3s ASW trying to find you guys during many exercises! The other guys with the Slavic accents were much easier to find! :cool:

Thanks for the info on the "Stay and Cruise". I'll check into that. Sometimes convenience comes out ahead of cost!

Try here for hotels: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2210314

Thanks. Been looking at that one.........................apparently none of the hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf or Marina area have shuttles to either the airport or the pier. Looks like Shuttle/BART/cab from the airport to the hotel is going to be the best bet....I am unfamiliar with "uber" cab and will have to check that out also. We are in our mid-60s and don't want to lug around our 4 suitcases any more than we have to! :o

There are shared van rides to all parts of San Francisco .

This is usually the cheapest .Here is a link to the San Francisco airport

web site with approximate costs.

 

http://www.flysfo.com/ground-transportation

Updated link is http://www.flysfo.com/to-from/ground-transportation

Just got off the Star Princess(3/21-4/5) RT Hawaiian out of SF and used Pier 27. All well now. Any questions, just let me know. Nice area and better flow for bus, cab, and car traffic.

 

Pooh

We are flying into SFO on a Friday night in April. Thinking of spending one night at a hotel, them going to the Grand Princess for our Hawaii cruise the following day. After the cruise we plan to fly home that same day.

Looking for recommendations for transportation SFO to hotel to ship then ship to SFO. Plus hotel recommendations....I am cheap....something around $150 if possible!

Doug

Or SuperShuttle which probably would cost less.

Thanks, good point. I believe I have used those in other airports and it worked out well. Thanks for the reminder..........:o

Well, my wife and I booked the cruise today. Looking forward to those sea days; always our most favorite activity! I spent most of my first 8 years on Oahu where my dad was stationed with the Navy. I also spend some time there while I was in the Navy. I am retired now. My wife Kathy and I love to cruise and travel in general. Looking forward to seeing the Grand, a ship on which we have not sailed, although we have sailed on her sister ships.

We are flying out from Memphis. We will probably fly out the day before and stay in a hotel near the ship. So we'd love to hear from anyone about the hotels, transportation to/from the ship, etc. I understand Princess offers airport-ship-airport transfers for $58, which is a great price I think, but if we stay at a hotel I suppose we'll have to use a cab.

Looking forward to another wonderful ocean voyage.

PS - I was naval aviation, not the ship-Navy; otherwise I might be sick of ships!:cool:

Too early, but I know Dave (Elua) has requested the Ruby after the first of the year.

We are booked on the Ruby in Feb, so we are hoping to finally see them.:)

 

Patti

Well dang! I would really like to see Elua again. Dave is a great singer and uke instructor, and I counted him as a friend when we sailed in the past. We sailed on the Golden Princess twice before and he and Leialoha were on board both times. But this time we figured we'd do the cruise a little different, and elected to sail on the Grand Princess out of San Fran. Haven't seen SF in several years, and never sailed under the Golden Gate. Oh well, I'm sure Princess will have similar activities scheduled for the Grand in April 2016.

That's the plan anyway - I need to call my TA and book the cruise!:cool:

Doug

Aloha Gang!

We are sorry we will not be joining you on this fabulous itinerary. We understand Brian & Rowena Vasquez will be onboard from October 17th until October 23rd. They will be conducting the Hawaiian program until the ship gets to Honolulu. Enjoy! They're beautiful people and Brian's 'ukulele playing is phenomenal!

Aloha, Lokelina & Kimo

Makani E

This is an old thread, but I'm not having much luck finding the answer to this elsewhere, even though it's still a long way off:

In April 2016, does anyone know who the cruise director will be, and who will be doing the uke/lei/hula lessons on the Grand Princess (2 April 2016 sailing)?

This will be our third Hawaii cruise; the other two were on the Golden out of San Pedro. David Cole and Elua were on both and we had a terrific and entertaining time. I doubt we'll be lucky enough to have them this time, but it would be great!

Thanks!

Grab the Caribe deck balcony! ;)

I believe I will, sir! You must be surface Navy? I was Naval Air for 27 years - retired in 1994.:cool:

Long Answer, Port and Starboard cabins, not aft cabins.

Caribe Deck has cats. BE, B2 and BD. The balcony size is 9'x9' half covered half uncovered.

Baja Deck has cats. BA, BB, BD, BE. The Balcony size is 9'x5' covered.

 

Almost all cabins have the same interiors, but there are a few cabins that have a slight difference. The difference is noted in red when you look at the cabin in the on line deck plans. Cabin B429 is an example.

 

Princess always has the option to upgrade you to a higher cat. cabin. It is much less likely if you have your booking marked 'no upgrade.' This is mentioned because you could select a BD cabin on the Caribe Deck with the large balcony and Princess could upgrade you a cat BA, BB, BC on Lido, Aloha or Baja Decks with the smaller balconies, or to one of the aft facing B4 cabins.

Hope this explanation helps.

Yes, that is very, very helpful! Thank you for taking the time to reply.:cool:

Yeah, we always mark our cabin "no upgrade" when we book, as the cruise line's idea of an upgrade is often not what we consider an upgrade. Very good advice!

I apologize, but could not find this information using the Search function.....

I understand the balconies on the Grand Princess Caribe deck are larger than those on many(/most/all?) other decks. I am specifically comparing the BE, BD, B2 category cabins on the Carib deck.

The price for a balcony cabin on the Caribe deck and Baja decks appears to be the same or close, but can anyone verify the balconies on the Baja deck are the larger size as are those on the Caribe deck? I just don't trust my TA to answer this question, but I know the good people here can!:cool:

Thanks y'all.

Doug

Thank you all very much!:D

We have sailed on the Ruby and Golden Princess and enjoyed the larger balconies on their Caribe deck. We have the choice next time of sailing on the Star or Grand Princess. Can anyone please verify the Star also has the larger balconies as the Golden and Ruby?

Thanks.:cool:

OP sailed on NCL Jewel last year, before Dream. Maybe they have coffee makers. EM

You are correct.....how'd you know that?:confused:

I'm really looking forward to my cruise on Magic next year, but admit that I will miss the coffee maker we had in our cabin with NCL. Much more convenient than waiting for room service to arrive or even going to the Lido deck to get coffee to bring back.

We were on the NCL Jewel last March. Yeah, I liked that coffee maker also, but it's not a big deal. Just about everything else is more important than that coffee maker in the cabin. On every other ship on which we've sailed going up to the lido for two insulated cups is my morning task. We are very early risers and find that the "room service" delivery time isn't precise enough for us.....besides, some days we're up at 0400, others it might be 0600. The walk to the lido or the coffee maker makes life a little easier......but heck, we're still on a cruise ship!:cool:

Oh my, oh my, color me embarrassed!:o

We took two cruises last year, one on the Dream, one on the NCL Jewel. I'd forgotten until my wife reminded me it was the Jewel, not the Dream, that had a coffee maker in the cabin. I feel like an idiot!:eek:

Someone mentioned a carafe. I never thought of that before, and will check that out. We are getting ready to book a cruise next winter on the Dream (not the Jewel!) so I now am reminded which has the coffee maker in the room. I was surprised that the Jewel had one, as none of their other two ships on which we've sailed (Spirit, Star) had them, and of course no CCL, RCI, Princess has had them either.

My embarrassing question just shows you what you young folk will be doing when you reach my age!:eek:

We sailed on the Dream last year. Had a balcony cabin on deck 8 or 9. The cabin had a coffee maker. Can anyone verify that the cove cabins also have a coffee maker. I thought I'd never use the one last year, but actually used it quite a few times.

Thanks.

:cool:

just came off the dream saturday,

 

I booked a 8b balcony cabin. Didn't like it at all because the lanai on the dream is a few decks down.

 

I like to sit out there at night and have a drink, just me and the ocean, or maybe my ipod. I find this very relaxing. I also like to sleep with the balcony door open and listen to the sounds of the waves.

 

Impossible on the dream however

 

the lanai sends tons of light into the cabin, also drunks come out of the casino or club hooting and hollering like people do at 3-4am when the club closes and they are drunk. Also, instead of looking down directly on the water you see this deck.

 

I would book the cove balcony, its cheaper and doesn't have any of these issues. My friends were booked in a 7c and I loved it and was jealous of them. We spent all our time hanging out in there room.

I echo your statements. We also chose a higher priced balcony cabin and all we saw outside was noisy kids in the hot tub. Next time it's a cover cabin or a different ship!