San Diego check in times

[cmrvancouver]

I have heard that check in at San Diego terminal is strict regarding boarding times compared to other ports. Is this true.?

[sunviking90]

I can let you know soon. We board on the 22nd, and intend to show up an hour before our assigned time. I have never missed MDR lunch on embarkation day in over 30 years of cruising and I don’t intend to start now. (My flame suit is on 😊)

[JessWright]

I am scheduled to board the Volendam ship to Hawaii on the 22nd.  My scheduled boarding is 1:20. However, as a 5-star Mariner with 51 cruises with HAL, I plan to board much earlier.  

[syesmar]

@cmrvancouver This Thread has some helpful info for San Diego: 

 

[lais]

9 hours ago, JessWright said:

I am scheduled to board the Volendam ship to Hawaii on the 22nd.  My scheduled boarding is 1:20. However, as a 5-star Mariner with 51 cruises with HAL, I plan to board much earlier.  

Just remember boarding the ship doesn’t start until 11:30.  
the port usually opens at 10:30 if no delays so if you arrive at 10:30 you’ll sit inside the terminal for an hour or so.  
 

[SanDiegian]

We get there as soon as we can because the line inside the terminal gets longer the later we arrive. Yes, we have dropped off our suitcases then left to park our car (we always use Airport Parking on Kurtz St.). Just put luggage tags on top and side handle and inside because there are more than one ship boarding. I watched the luggage cart with our suitcase while waiting outside and after the porter loaded in the cart just sat outside for over half an hour. When the suitcases did get delivered to our cabin it was done by a very capable little ‘girl’ reminding us the ships are still short-staffed after the pandemic. Again we boarded first because we requested wheelchair assistance and our bags still took until Muster drill to be delivered. So bring your own roll-on, drop it into your cabin then go to lunch and start your Vaca. Don’t miss the sail-out of SanDiego
 

BonVoyage! And Thank You for your Service!

[Nickelpenny]

1 minute ago, SanDiegian said:

We get there as soon as we can because the line inside the terminal gets longer the later we arrive. Yes, we have dropped off our suitcases then left to park our car (we always use Airport Parking on Kurtz St.). Just put luggage tags on top and side handle and inside because there are more than one ship boarding. I watched the luggage cart with our suitcase while waiting outside and after the porter loaded in the cart just sat outside for over half an hour. When the suitcases did get delivered to our cabin it was done by a very capable little ‘girl’ reminding us the ships are still short-staffed after the pandemic. Again we boarded first because we requested wheelchair assistance and our bags still took until Muster drill to be delivered. So bring your own roll-on, drop it into your cabin then go to lunch and start your Vaca. Don’t miss the sail-out of SanDiego
 

BonVoyage! And Thank You for your Service!

As I will be driving over in a rental car (to be dropped off at the airport), can I just drive up at the port to drop off my luggage?  Is it inside or outside of the fence?  I will be embarking the Volendam on the 22nd.  TIA!!

[lais]

2 minutes ago, Nickelpenny said:

As I will be driving over in a rental car (to be dropped off at the airport), can I just drive up at the port to drop off my luggage?  Is it inside or outside of the fence?  I will be embarking the Volendam on the 22nd.  TIA!!

You can drive in but not until the port opens at 10:30 

you can walk luggage in before that but usually not until 9:30 or when the porters are ready from working debark.  

[SanDiegian]

Inside the fence, but luggage drop-off is outside on the pier. They porters will take your $ but for what? Just to leave your bag in the open? Have your boarding pass & ID ready at the gate, they allow private vehicles for drop offs. There is a free Red-Bus that picks up at the airport and drops-off across the street at the County Admin. Building fountain if you like walking. Look it up at the SanDiegoPortAuthority web-site along with what ships are visiting and the LiveWebCam

[Nickelpenny]

8 hours ago, SanDiegian said:

Inside the fence, but luggage drop-off is outside on the pier. They porters will take your $ but for what? Just to leave your bag in the open? Have your boarding pass & ID ready at the gate, they allow private vehicles for drop offs. There is a free Red-Bus that picks up at the airport and drops-off across the street at the County Admin. Building fountain if you like walking. Look it up at the SanDiegoPortAuthority web-site along with what ships are visiting and the LiveWebCam

Thanks so much!!  The 992 looks perfect (I have walked from the port to the Santa Fe station before with luggage so that is not a problem).

 

Also, thank you @lais!

[lais]

21 hours ago, SanDiegian said:

Inside the fence, but luggage drop-off is outside on the pier. They porters will take your $ but for what? Just to leave your bag in the open? Have your boarding pass & ID ready at the gate, they allow private vehicles for drop offs. There is a free Red-Bus that picks up at the airport and drops-off across the street at the County Admin. Building fountain if you like walking. Look it up at the SanDiegoPortAuthority web-site along with what ships are visiting and the LiveWebCam

Wow! I never heard of this bus. I tried to look it up but can’t find the link.  Could you post the link for us?   

[FlorenceItaly]

10 minutes ago, lais said:

Wow! I never heard of this bus. I tried to look it up but can’t find the link.  Could you post the link for us?   

We researched this a bit yesterday.  It is Metro bus 992.  It is downtown San Diego to airport back and forth.  You can find more information at sdmps.com, go to routes.

[lais]

16 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

We researched this a bit yesterday.  It is Metro bus 992.  It is downtown San Diego to airport back and forth.  You can find more information at sdmps.com, go to routes.

Yes but that is not free red bus Sandiegan is talking about.  I think he’s talking about the free shuttle from airport to old town trolly station that can stop by Laural st and that stop is about a mile from the port. 

Edited November 12, 2023 by lais

[FlorenceItaly]

3 minutes ago, lais said:

Yes but that is not free red bus Sandiegan is talking about.  I think he’s talking about the free shuttle from airport to old town trolly station that can stop by Laural st and that stop is about a mile from the port. 

We had no luck finding such information about the free red bus.  Hopefully, OP will come back with specific details.

[Nickelpenny]

1 hour ago, FlorenceItaly said:

We had no luck finding such information about the free red bus.  Hopefully, OP will come back with specific details.

The free one is going between Old Town Station and the airport:

 

https://www.san.org/to-from/Public-Transportation#1178347-old-town-shuttle

 

The one from the airport to the Santa Fe Station (nearer to the port) is the city bus 992 and costs $2.25 ($1.25 for seniors, disabled, Medicare recipients and youth).  There are stops before the Santa Fe Station so you could get off right in front of the ship:

 

https://www.sdmts.com/getting-around/departures-and-schedules/schedules/992

 

 

[FlorenceItaly]

Years ago when we flew in the day of we took the city bus from airport to pier.  It was very easy and we would not hesitate to do this again.  This time we are flying in a few days early so may take the complimentary hotel shuttle.  We are also staying one day post cruise.  Actually we are flying in Dec 3 for Koningsdam Dec 5-16 cruise.  We are then flying from SD to Las Vegas on 16th to visit friends, and will return to SD on the 19th, boarding the Koningsdam again for Dec 21-January 6.  We are staying one day post cruise, flying home January 7.

[SanDiegian]

7 hours ago, lais said:

Wow! I never heard of this bus. I tried to look it up but can’t find the link.  Could you post the link for us?   

From San.org

Travelers headed to and from San Diego International Airport can connect with Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner and the COASTER at Amtrak's Santa Fe Depot train station downtown by using Metropolitan Transit System Route 992, which operates between 5:00 a.m. and 11:30 p.m., every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends and holidays.

[SanDiegian]

[Dobby36]

There is a convenient map and fare card machine and info kiosk at SAN terminal 2 baggage claim (assume there will also be one at terminal one once it’s remodeled , or maybe already?)

[teacherman]

We are to sail on Koningsdam, Saturday, November 25, out of San Diego.  We have never sailed from San Diego.  We have received our boarding pass, which gives us a time of "11:20 and Group B".   Exactly what does that mean?  Do we show up to drop off our luggage at 11:20 or do we do that before 11:20 and actually board at 11:20?  Can we come later than that?  We are staying at a hotel across the street from the pier.  Any information/advice is welcome.  Thank you.

[0106]

@teachermanI’d check out of my hotel

at 11 and walk over to board the ship by 11:20.  I would avoid the Lido and go to the Main Dining Room for lunch.  This thread will provide additional info. 

 

[teacherman]

Does someone know what time they serve lunch in the MDR on boarding day?

[CruiserBruce]

Many threads on the topic. The time is your check in time, not your boarding time.

[CruiserBruce]

1 minute ago, teacherman said:

Does someone know what time they serve lunch in the MDR on boarding day?

12-1:30, usually. That doesn't vary by port, its a HAL fleetwide policy.

[DAllenTCY]

There will be 2 ships at the port that day....at the B Street Pier.

 

Hopefully 2,600 (Disney) and 2,500 (Holland America) guests will be disembarked by 11 am. 

 

Holland America "Boarding Group" is a misnomer.  It should be "Terminal Arrival Group".  In essence it suggests that you arrive in groups of about 150-200 every 20 minutes beginning at 11 am.  Actual boarding is subject to many variables. At least once you get through security screening, seating, restrooms, and vending machines are available. 

 

Disney Magic will have lines outside of the pier set up for their sequential boarding.  Disney is very strict with it and will have posted times.  This method has proven to work best at this port.

 

Holland America would like to have you think that it will be controlled in a similar manner; however, there is no physical space to do so at the present time due to construction at the terminal.  Much of the sidewalk outside the pier remains blocked off.

 

My advice as usual.....do not arrive more than 20 minutes before your "Boarding Group" time.

 

 

David