Transfer process from SFO to pier/boarding.

[lilypod7]

It seems that there can be long lines to board ships at San Francisco piers. If you take the Princess transfer from the airport to the pier, does that make the boarding process easier? Is your luggage taken from the bus directly to your room? Are your documents checked by Princess rep before arrival at pier? Thank you for info. 

[memoak]

1 minute ago, lilypod7 said:

It seems that there can be long lines to board ships at San Francisco piers. If you take the Princess transfer from the airport to the pier, does that make the boarding process easier? Is your luggage taken from the bus directly to your room? Are your documents checked by Princess rep before arrival at pier? Thank you for info. 

Not much. Your bags go to your room but then you have to line up with everyone else. I November we saw the line and ran across the street to a restaurant for lunch and a beer

 

[Ombud]

46 minutes ago, memoak said:

Not much. Your bags go to your room but then you have to line up with everyone else. I November we saw the line and ran across the street to a restaurant for lunch and a beer

 

No!! I want it to be better than April 2022. That was not fun 🙄

[trbarton]

42 minutes ago, lilypod7 said:

It seems that there can be long lines to board ships at San Francisco piers. If you take the Princess transfer from the airport to the pier, does that make the boarding process easier? Is your luggage taken from the bus directly to your room? Are your documents checked by Princess rep before arrival at pier? Thank you for info. 

Nothing checked prior to you arriving at the pier. All checking is done once inside the terminal. Remember that the bus from the airport may sit there for a while before it leaves. I prefer to use either Lyft or Uber. The earlier you arrive at our pier the better. What time will you arrive at SFO & when is your cruise?  I arrive at the terminal around 9:30 am & am usually in the terminal around 10 am. 

 

The porters take your luggage & once on the ship they are delivered to your room. 
 

Since there is one line for everyone entering the cruise terminal & it doesn’t matter how you got there. Arriving on the bus doesn’t speed anything up vs arriving on your own.. The only perk coming from the airport is that your luggage is taken from the bus by the porters at the pier. You don’t handle your luggage once at the terminal. Once inside there are different seating areas depending on your level. 
 

The long lines, from photos I have seen, have been people arriving later than earlier, especially if the ship is full. I’m on an April 23, 2023 cruise & the ship is sold out so that’s why earlier is better. 
 

Any additional questions please ask. 
 

Tom😀

[trbarton]

15 minutes ago, Ombud said:

No!! I want it to be better than April 2022. That was not fun 🙄

What time did you arrive at the terminal?
 

If you arrived at the terminal later vs earlier you may find the long line. Since I arrive before the terminal is opened I’ve never experienced a long line. I’ve seen photos of the long line on my cruise but arriving earlier I avoided that. 
 

Tom😀

[Ombud]

Just now, trbarton said:

What time did you arrive at the terminal?
 

If you arrived at the terminal later vs earlier you may find the long line. Since I arrive before the terminal is opened I’ve never experienced a long line. I’ve seen photos of the long line on my cruise but arriving earlier I avoided that. 
 

Tom😀

10:45. About #50 in line and was asked about ArriveCAN multiple times .... finally just starting flashing this card 

amazed at how it prolonged boarding. Will try to get there by 10:45 again and hope for rapid boarding. 

 

 

 

 

[lilypod7]

Thank you for helpful responses. If plane on time, we will arrive at SFO by 8am. Based on info, we will cancel transfer and take taxi hoping to arrive early

[sfpd3000]

5 hours ago, lilypod7 said:

Thank you for helpful responses. If plane on time, we will arrive at SFO by 8am. Based on info, we will cancel transfer and take taxi hoping to arrive early

Also take into account if you are embarking on a double ship day.  But an 8am arrival should be ok.  You will probably be arriving at the terminal around 9:30-10.

[SiliconCruiser]

On 4/4/2023 at 5:31 PM, trbarton said:

What time did you arrive at the terminal?
 

If you arrived at the terminal later vs earlier you may find the long line. Since I arrive before the terminal is opened I’ve never experienced a long line. I’ve seen photos of the long line on my cruise but arriving earlier I avoided that. 
 

Tom😀

We were told to do exactly that on our very first Princess cruise. Not knowing any better we had selected a 3PM boarding time.  Our travelling companions told us to get to the port by 10:30 AM.

 

[Ombud]

Bad news for anyone using Bart thru Orinda to get to SF Pier 27: there's a bus bridge next weekend. Ugh. So plan on a very very long trip or just uber. I'm doing uber 

[trbarton]

On 4/5/2023 at 6:19 PM, SiliconCruiser said:

We were told to do exactly that on our very first Princess cruise. Not knowing any better we had selected a 3PM boarding time.  Our travelling companions told us to get to the port by 10:30 AM.

 

On my April 23, 2023 from San Francisco I’ll be at the pier around 9:30 am & usually inside the terminal around 10 am. I’ve never experienced a long line here. Guess it’s because I usually arrive early. 
 

Tom😀

[brisalta]

On 4/4/2023 at 5:36 PM, Ombud said:

10:45. About #50 in line and was asked about ArriveCAN multiple times .... finally just starting flashing this card 

amazed at how it prolonged boarding. Will try to get there by 10:45 again and hope for rapid boarding. 

 

 

 

 

 

ArriveCAN is now only for passengers arriving in Canada via air transport. Covid19 testing no longer required for arrival in Canada.

Official information for both topics can be found at:

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid

 

[brisalta]

24 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Bad news for anyone using Bart thru Orinda to get to SF Pier 27: there's a bus bridge next weekend. Ugh. So plan on a very very long trip or just uber. I'm doing uber 

 

The work will go on for several weekends.

According to the official statement https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230228

it will add an additional 30 minutes to travel time on that BART line.

[Ombud]

2 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

The work will go on for several weekends.

According to the official statement https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2023/news20230228

it will add an additional 30 minutes to travel time on that BART line.

No issue getting on the Bart & walking to the pier .... not sure about jumping on a bus bridge with my suitcase. 

 

[WALKER1313]

Well that sux.  Uber or Lyft for us. 

[brisalta]

28 minutes ago, Ombud said:

No issue getting on the Bart & walking to the pier .... not sure about jumping on a bus bridge with my suitcase. 

 

 

I wonder if they will be using a kneeling bus on that route? That would make it easier to get cases on and off.

[Ombud]

38 minutes ago, brisalta said:

I wonder if they will be using a kneeling bus on that route? That would make it easier to get cases on and off.

I guess I can do just my carryon. Was hoping to pack my suitcase in that it was my home port. Yknow .... can take whatever in the 23" case. But oh well, it's a week so the 17" one will have to do.  Maybe I'll bring a big purse. 

 

Opps .... this is off the topic of getting from SFO -> Pier 27/33. Apologies

[SiliconCruiser]

40 minutes ago, Ombud said:

I guess I can do just my carryon. Was hoping to pack my suitcase in that it was my home port. Yknow .... can take whatever in the 23" case. But oh well, it's a week so the 17" one will have to do.  Maybe I'll bring a big purse. 

 

Opps .... this is off the topic of getting from SFO -> Pier 27/33. Apologies

We took a pullman and a carry-on bag on board an F streetcar from Pier 27 to the Embarcadero station a couple of months ago, but had to go to Montgomery because the elevators weren't working to accommodate my wife's wheelchair.  The F was all but empty, but became loaded with Princess passengers at Lombard (or whatever street the stop in front of Pier 27 was at.)

 

[Ombud]

The issue isn't walking with it, the issue is getting it on (what I assume is) AC Transit. My carryon can hold everything except toothpaste and chocolates for crew. I was going to bring take away cups for MDR Coffee but honestly it'll just be easier to buy it. 

[FrankieJayIII]

On 4/4/2023 at 5:31 PM, trbarton said:

What time did you arrive at the terminal?
 

If you arrived at the terminal later vs earlier you may find the long line. Since I arrive before the terminal is opened I’ve never experienced a long line. I’ve seen photos of the long line on my cruise but arriving earlier I avoided that. 
 

Tom😀

What time does the terminal open?

[Caribensun]

Have taken PCL bus from SFO airport to SFO pier 3 times in last 3 months and boarding has been fast.  Got right off bus, went through security, got medallions and boarded ship in less than 20 minutes each time.  The longest line was going up the gang way.  Took time to go from hotel back to airport. 

[SiliconCruiser]

On 4/9/2023 at 8:42 PM, FrankieJayIII said:

What time does the terminal open?

Probably before 7AM for disembarking passengers.  For embarkation, usually around 10:30 unless they have a problem with the zero count.

[SiliconCruiser]

On 4/9/2023 at 6:14 PM, Ombud said:

No issue getting on the Bart & walking to the pier .... not sure about jumping on a bus bridge with my suitcase. 

 

Shouldn't be a problem, all public transit has to be ADA accessible (for federal funding).  The bus should have an ADA ramp for wheelchairs and other mobility issues.  You can just ask them to deploy the ramp (anyone can make that request).

[Ombud]

2 minutes ago, SiliconCruiser said:

On 4/9/2023 at 6:14 PM, Ombud said:

No issue getting on the Bart & walking to the pier .... not sure about jumping on a bus bridge with my suitcase. 

 

Shouldn't be a problem, all public transit has to be ADA accessible (for federal funding).  The bus should have an ADA ramp for wheelchairs and other mobility issues.  You can just ask them to deploy the ramp (anyone can make that request).

Thank you. I feel so much better. I really want to use the larger case. I can only lift 30lbs comfortably and I tend to overpack that one

[SiliconCruiser]

7 minutes ago, Ombud said:

Thank you. I feel so much better. I really want to use the larger case. I can only lift 30lbs comfortably and I tend to overpack that one

I usually pack a 27" to under 50#. It just ends up that way.  But you should have no problems getting on a public transit bus with it.  We took a 20" and a 27" on Muni to CalTrain a couple of months ago (experiment to see if we had any issue with using public transit.)

Edited April 11, 2023 by SiliconCruiser