San Francisco Embarkation Experience - What to expect

[ninka26]

First time cruiser who will be on the Ruby Princess departing from San Francisco in July 2023. My husband and I booked a Suite. Can anyone provide an explanation of what to expect for embarkation? My husband is a teacher (elementary school) and I really would like to ensure the experience is as smooth as (reasonably) possible so I'm trying to familiarize myself with the area and the process. Thanks for any guidance. It's really much appreciated. 

[skynight]

This post my help. As I remember the drop off area is rather small, pull through for taxis. 

 

[happy42cruise]

There are many posts on CC so do a search when a question occurs to you.  Are you coming from NY?  If yes consider flying in at least a day early & research where you want to stay.  There are options for getting to the cruise terminal depending on where you are coming from & how adventurous you are from walking, taking Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), taxi, Uber, Lyft, etc.  We always try to arrive to the ship early but others say they wait until later to avoid crowds.  Once you drop off your luggage if there is a line you can always explore around the port or go to a tourist attraction for a while just make sure you get back before the ship is ready to leave. Use CC to get all kinds of information!  There is a lot on here.

Oh, the drop off area is a crescent shape.  If you arrive really early the departing passengers are leaving so there is some chaos with cars picking people up etc, but the buses are in the center of the circle not with the cars and taxi's are lined up on the right curb for departing passengers.  If you are being dropped off you just wait your turn and your driver will stop when it's clear & the porters will take your bags.  Suites do get priority boarding but that's when boarding starts, later you just walk on when you are checked in.

Edited April 3, 2023 by happy42cruise

[snoozecrooze]

You can get dropped off inside the port area in the aforementioned crescent-shape drop-off zone. Or you could skirt the traffic by getting off just a few steps away on the Embarcadero instead and then just walk about 2-3 minutes into the port building. You will be asked to have your passports ready, so just have it in your hands before entering. Then you will take an escalator into an area in which you will immediately scan your bags and go through the metal detectors. After that, you will be directed to a check-in counter where they will verify your info; if you have the medallion with you, that will accelerate the process. If not, you'll be guided to a table on the side to pick it up. Once you're done with what should be a 5-minute check-in process, you can sit in the suites area and wait to board.

 

Pier 27 is only 9 years old in the form that it's in. Completely rebuilt at the time, so the building is nice and modern. There will be bathrooms, and they've been clean, in my experience.

Edited April 3, 2023 by snoozecrooze