Welcome to San Francisco

[Emperor Norton]

Saw this coming in and thought I’d share. 

[Skoogs]

Nice shot, love Alcatraz in the background. Was on Volendam last November for a Panama cruise, great ship and crew.

[joekerstef]

Very nice! Anyone know of a good SF Bay webcam to watch the ships go in and out?

[Cruising-along]

Thank you!  I love our stops in San Francisco, especially when it's an overnight!

[VMax1700]

Wow, I could spend hours looking at that photo!  So atmospheric.  Cluttered but peaceful.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great picture.

 

Thank you for sharing it.

[J&Dhighdesert]

The Maasdam will be arriving on May 7 for a three week cruise in Alaska.  Maybe you can take a picture and post it.

Edited May 5, 2019 by J&Dhighdesert

[dchip]

3 hours ago, J&Dhighdesert said:

The Maasdam will be arriving on May 7 for a three week cruise in Alaska.  Maybe you can take a picture and post it.

 

I would except we will be in Lake Tahoe. I have to wait until 5-28. 😫

 

Cheers, Denise

[Richjoxyz]

I was on the ship, and in this picture!  We were on the upper balcony.

[Nanner]

Thanks for the preview of our June departure on the Maasdam.  It will be our first time sailing out of/in to San Francisco. That's one of the reasons we booked, along with 4 new ports in Alaska and our first ever visit to Oregon.

[Double D Cruisers]

It is a great experience sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.  We last did it in 2015 as part of a South Pacific cruise and will do it again in September. My wife and I were born and raised in San Francisco.   We left in the early 1980s and have lived in many other states and overseas in Japan.  We live in Washington State now. We still love (our memories) of San Francisco and still think of it as home, even after being away for 40 years.  I would not want to live there now.  I am not alone.  Earlier this year a Survey showed half of all Bay Area residents want to leave California soon. When asked where they would move some did not want to say for fear other Californians would follow them. Oppressive traffic, homeless problems, high cost of living, and unaffordable housing top the list.  The median house price is San Francisco is $1.2 million.  You would be shocked to see what that $1.2 million will get you.  Other than that it is still a great place to live.  At least it is not NYC where the average 2 bedroom apartment is $2 million. 

 

[Georgie562]

Just off Royal Princess and snapped a photo of the Volendam coming into port with us in Puerto Vallarta this past Wednesday

[Catlover54]

I hear what you are saying, Double D (ex-SF resident here, though I am still very close, a veteran of six car break-ins, two house break-ins, assault,  and more over the years in urban CA).

But SF is still a good cruise port, (views, food, shows, etc) even if you have to be well-off or under rent control to live well and safely there, like the tech hipsters who live in SF and commute to silicon valley every day for work on tech company buses.

BTW I also used to live in Washington state when young, when Californians fleeing high taxes and cost of living streamed in and were resented by locals (and this was back in the day when CA still voted for Republican presidents!).  Now Seattle has become more like SF, but it is also still a great cruise port.  When we cruise, we often just see the best of the ports and areas and then have nice memories, even if idealized.

 

And Emperor's picture is very nice :), thanks to Emperor for posting.

[SFO Peter]

If some of you think San Francisco is just Market Street and tenderloin area along with a stench you are sadly mistaken.

Most of the tech workers want to live here.  Some of them are exceptionally well off and can live anywhere.  To each his own.

 

 

 

 

[slidergirl]

5 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

Lived on Russian Hill from 1980 until 1991, still golden years in the city ( including Carol Doda!) and then moved to Napa, now I will be moving again soon, because the stench from San Francisco has risen north..

Are you sure the stench isn't following you???   And, I remember Carol Doda...  And, Beach Blanket Babylon... And I had my car broken into back in 1982 down at the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf.  So???

Try to spend some time in downtown Los Angeles.  It was the subject of my social Geography Senior thesis.  Things could change in a block.  Same with San Francisco.  

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Are you sure the stench isn't following you???   And, I remember Carol Doda...  And, Beach Blanket Babylon... And I had my car broken into back in 1982 down at the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf.  So???

Try to spend some time in downtown Los Angeles.  It was the subject of my social Geography Senior thesis.  Things could change in a block.  Same with San Francisco.  

I don't understand, you gave yourself the answer, it was a great city, sorry, no more..

[SargassoPirate]

Johnny Carson said it best 35 years ago. "Living in California is like living in a bowl of granola, what ain't fruits and nuts are flakes."

 

I was living there at the time and I was laughing so hard I about spit my tofu and bean sprout sandwich all over my Birkenstocks.

[Double D Cruisers]

Catlover54- I agree with you, San Francisco is still the most beautiful city in the US in my opinion.  I love cruising under the GG Bridge.  Last did it in 2015 and will do again this year.  The City and County of San Francisco encompasses 49 square miles.  There are still really great neighborhoods to live. The Marina, Forest Hill, Pacific Heights, Saint Francis Woods, Presidio Heights and Sea Cliff (my personal favorite) come to mind. However median sales price in these places are between $3 and $4 million.

When we were kids the family used to do a lot of tent camping.  One year we traveled to the Oregon Coast to spend a week. I remember an evening campfire talk with one of the Park Rangers. There were about 100 campers gathered.  The Ranger started off by asking where the campers were from. Most were from Oregon, Washington, Idaho.  When he asked, "and who is from California" our family proudly raised our hands.  A loud chorus of boos followed.  This was in the 60s and an introduction to how non-Californians viewed us. My wife and I were born in San Francisco, as were our parents.  Psychologically I still think of SF as home.  Sadly it has declined precipitously and everybody knows it. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

11 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Are you sure the stench isn't following you???   And, I remember Carol Doda...  And, Beach Blanket Babylon... And I had my car broken into back in 1982 down at the Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf.  So???

Try to spend some time in downtown Los Angeles.  It was the subject of my social Geography Senior thesis.  Things could change in a block.  Same with San Francisco.  

 

(bold is mine) That's true of so many cities. You need to pay attention to where you are any time you're traveling.

 

[TheEmerson]

On 5/5/2019 at 5:27 PM, slidergirl said:

 

"san fran"?????  Really????? It's San Francisco or The City.  Only toorists say san fran or, Heaven Forbid, frisco...  😉

 

San Fransicso is still one of my favorite cities in the world.  So walkable to me, and a plethora of good food choices to try out.  Indigent and homeless mentally ill are everywhere.  God bless and hope you never find yourself in that situation - "There but for the grace of God go I."

 

This most likely because I live in the East Bay, but many I work with and are friends with will call SF "San Fran" or The City.  From people that have lived in the EB all their lives or a newbie like me that moved here 25 years ago.  But I do agree that "frisco" moniker is 100% tourist.  But to each their own.

[Double D Cruisers]

51 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

When my dad flew out of there it was always San Fran. He wasn't a tourist and lived there for 30 years.

I agree. No one who lives in the bay area calls San Francisco  "Frisco" or "San Fran."   Your dad is an exception.  Maybe after he moved away he developed a new local term from the area he moved to?  In the 50's and 60's it was often referred to as "The City by the Bay" or "Baghdad by the Bay" by local columnists Herb Caen in the SF Chronicle.  Recently I have noticed air travelers refer to it simply as "SFO."

[TheEmerson]

7 minutes ago, Double D Cruisers said:

For those who don't know 510 is a relatively new Area code (early 90s.)  It was split from San Francisco's 415 area code and signifies the East Bay.  Oakland, San Leandro, Castro Valley, and Hayward.  In the 70s and 80s when crime and housing costs were on the rise, many escaped SF and moved to the East Bay, Concord or the Peninsula.  Many incurred an oppressive commute but at least they could afford a house in a nice family neighborhood with safe schools.  My brothers made that move in the mid 80s.

It is even worse now.  My office is in Oakland, but my work number area code is 628 which on it own is an overlay of 415. 

[Double D Cruisers]

3 hours ago, TheEmerson said:

It is even worse now.  My office is in Oakland, but my work number area code is 628 which on it own is an overlay of 415. 

Wow. I did not know that.  I used to work at the Ship Yards in Alameda during the summers I was in college.  My father-in-law had connections in the plumbers union and got me jobs as an apprentice pipe fitter. I knew nothing about pipe fitting but was good at toting and fetching.  Lots of Hells Angels types worked in the yards in those days. Pay was good for the late 70's.  I got paid a whole $7.50/hour which I thought was fantastic. 

[TheEmerson]

40 minutes ago, Double D Cruisers said:

Wow. I did not know that.  I used to work at the Ship Yards in Alameda during the summers I was in college.  My father-in-law had connections in the plumbers union and got me jobs as an apprentice pipe fitter. I knew nothing about pipe fitting but was good at toting and fetching.  Lots of Hells Angels types worked in the yards in those days. Pay was good for the late 70's.  I got paid a whole $7.50/hour which I thought was fantastic. 

 

How often then did you goto the Colombo Club for dinner?  Many changes in Alameda now.

[Double D Cruisers]

36 minutes ago, TheEmerson said:

 

How often then did you goto the Colombo Club for dinner?  Many changes in Alameda now.

I bet.  Never had the pleasure of going to the Colombo Club.  However, I married into a big Italian (Sicilian) family.  My mother-in- law  was one of 8 kids, 6 were girls so my wife had lots of Italian Aunts. Most lived in the City (North Beach and Noe Valley) but some lived in Monterey. Our Wedding reception was at the Verdi Club in San Francisco, which may be a similar Italian American Social Club.  At least it was in the 60s and 70s.  Not sure what its all about now.  Its funny, my wife has red hair but she is 50% Sicilian and 50% Scotch-Irish.  4 kids in the family,  2 looked Italian, 2 looked more Scotch Irish.