Transfer from Crown Princess San Francisco to the airport

[edq]

We will be arriving in San Francisco on the crown princess and have a flight leaving San Francisco airport at noon.  The itinerary says that the Crown Princess will be in port at 7:00 a.m.  We are planning to take our own baggage off the ship and get the earliest disembarkation.  I am not sure if the 7:00 arrival time of the ship is when they begin the docking process or when disembarkation of passengers begins - I.e. I am not sure how I determine the time for a taxi to pick me up.  Anybody have any insight that might help?   Also we need to find a taxi service that will be reliable to take us to the airport.  Has anyone had experience with a service in San Francisco?  Thanks.

[ldubs]

Last two times docking in SF (both this year) we used Uber.  One time to near Oakland airport and one time near to SFO.  I don't recall waits for Uber pick ups being too long.

 

Sadly, because we were not in a hurry to offload from the ship, I can't help you with the most important part of your question. That being how early can you meet your ride.    

[edq]

19 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Last two times docking in SF (both this year) we used Uber.  One time to near Oakland airport and one time near to SFO.  I don't recall waits for Uber pick ups being too long.

 

Sadly, because we were not in a hurry to offload from the ship, I can't help you with the most important part of your question. That being how early can you meet your ride.    

Thanks for the quick response.  We usually take the ship transfer to the airport so like you have never really paid that much attention to how long the actual disembarkation process takes to begin.  I have never used Uber - any recollection of approximately what it was to Oakland airport - might be similar pricing to SF airport I would think.  

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, edq said:

Thanks for the quick response.  We usually take the ship transfer to the airport so like you have never really paid that much attention to how long the actual disembarkation process takes to begin.  I have never used Uber - any recollection of approximately what it was to Oakland airport - might be similar pricing to SF airport I would think.  

 

If memory serves the Uber X was about $35 plus tip.   For cruises or flying out of SFO we actually park our car at a relative's house in South SF.   The Uber trip was from the cruise terminal to that place.  SFO would be another 5 - 7 minutes.  

  

If you have been there before, you know the SF pier can be a kind of zoo with traffic jams getting to the passenger pickup/drop off area.   Of the two Uber rides mentioned, our longest wait was it was about 20 minutes.   Some may opt to walk across the Embarcadero to the corner of Lombard street to meet their Uber.   Because we were not especially in a hurry, we didn't do that.    

 

[mtnesterz]

We have disembarked in San Francisco twice, on different cruise lines.

Both times we booked transfers to the airport through the ship.

Princess is the most efficient in disembarkation process of all lines we've sailed.

On Princess, take the self early walk off option, meaning bringing your own luggage.

You have your own reasons and preferences, but especially given it's Princess, I'd go the bus transfer.

[edq]

11 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

If memory serves the Uber X was about $35 plus tip.   For cruises or flying out of SFO we actually park our car at a relative's house in South SF.   The Uber trip was from the cruise terminal to that place.  SFO would be another 5 - 7 minutes.  

  

If you have been there before, you know the SF pier can be a kind of zoo with traffic jams getting to the passenger pickup/drop off area.   Of the two Uber rides mentioned, our longest wait was it was about 20 minutes.   Some may opt to walk across the Embarcadero to the corner of Lombard street to meet their Uber.   Because we were not especially in a hurry, we didn't do that.    

 

Thank you.  You have been so helpful.  We are not opposed to walking so thanks for the tip to walk to Lombard.  I am going to look into Uber - never used it but keep meaning to figure it out.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, mtnesterz said:

We have disembarked in San Francisco twice, on different cruise lines.

Both times we booked transfers to the airport through the ship.

Princess is the most efficient in disembarkation process of all lines we've sailed.

On Princess, take the self early walk off option, meaning bringing your own luggage.

You have your own reasons and preferences, but especially given it's Princess, I'd go the bus transfer.

 

I agree about the Princess transfers.  I've would say they are efficient, convenient, and worry free.  

[edq]

1 hour ago, mtnesterz said:

We have disembarked in San Francisco twice, on different cruise lines.

Both times we booked transfers to the airport through the ship.

Princess is the most efficient in disembarkation process of all lines we've sailed.

On Princess, take the self early walk off option, meaning bringing your own luggage.

You have your own reasons and preferences, but especially given it's Princess, I'd go the bus transfer.

We have always taken the ship transfers too but this time Princess has told us their transfer won’t allow us to make a noon flight.  We could take a chance as they usually get to the airports very early so exploring other options.   Maybe on the ship they will have more accurate information on times for us. 

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

There ARE Taxis waiting in que when you do early walkoff in SF.

For 7am arrival, were usually off the ship by 7:45.

You can easily walk to Taxi waiting area closeby ship.... or wait for Uber.

BUT, the last couple times we waited for Uber, it was a zoo with some first time Uber

riders walking out into the street trying to grab the next one.... it doesn't work that way.

For you, I would just walk to Taxi area and get out of there sooner than later.

Good luck.

 

[EDDY0827]

51 minutes ago, edq said:

Thank you.  You have been so helpful.  We are not opposed to walking so thanks for the tip to walk to Lombard.  I am going to look into Uber - never used it but keep meaning to figure it out.

Download the Uber/Lyft apps. From there you can get a price quote. Surge/dynamic pricing may be in effect for pier 27.

[edq]

49 minutes ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

There ARE Taxis waiting in que when you do early walkoff in SF.

For 7am arrival, were usually off the ship by 7:45.

You can easily walk to Taxi waiting area closeby ship.... or wait for Uber.

BUT, the last couple times we waited for Uber, it was a zoo with some first time Uber

riders walking out into the street trying to grab the next one.... it doesn't work that way.

For you, I would just walk to Taxi area and get out of there sooner than later.

Good luck.

 

Thanks.  That is very helpful.  We were guessing that we would be off by 8 so good to hear we were in the ballpark. 

[edq]

7 minutes ago, EDDY0827 said:

Download the Uber/Lyft apps. From there you can get a price quote. Surge/dynamic pricing may be in effect for pier 27.

Thanks. I will explore but may find it simpler (and less nerve wracking) to use a taxi rather than being a first-time Uber user.  I will look into Uber though, if not for this time for other times.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

There ARE Taxis waiting in que when you do early walkoff in SF.

For 7am arrival, were usually off the ship by 7:45.

You can easily walk to Taxi waiting area closeby ship.... or wait for Uber.

BUT, the last couple times we waited for Uber, it was a zoo with some first time Uber

riders walking out into the street trying to grab the next one.... it doesn't work that way.

For you, I would just walk to Taxi area and get out of there sooner than later.

Good luck.

 

 

It would seem very odd for there not to be a taxi queue.  Are the taxi's in the Pier parking area or out on the street?   

While I've used Uber, I think this is very good advice.  If I saw an available taxi I would jump in and go.  

 

 

[happy42cruise]

The taxi area is on the left side of the circular driveway as you exit the ship.  People line up & there was someone coordinating people & taxis when I walked by.  So if you are off the ship early you should have no problem getting a taxi.  The issue with the Princess transfer is they use large busses & they don't leave until full.  You could wait a long time if you encounter any delay getting through customs etc. or you weren't as fast as others who filled the bus first, which is why they don't want you missing your flight because you were not on a bus that leaves early enough.  It's always controlled chaos debarking & embarking so as you arrive try to pay attention as to where the taxis are being loaded if you arrive early enough or ask the people directing traffic before you board.  Hopefully you know the airport is not very close to the pier.  There is also BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) that goes to the airport if you are ok walking to the station with your luggage.  Good luck deciding & have a great trip!

[edq]

6 hours ago, happy42cruise said:

The taxi area is on the left side of the circular driveway as you exit the ship.  People line up & there was someone coordinating people & taxis when I walked by.  So if you are off the ship early you should have no problem getting a taxi.  The issue with the Princess transfer is they use large busses & they don't leave until full.  You could wait a long time if you encounter any delay getting through customs etc. or you weren't as fast as others who filled the bus first, which is why they don't want you missing your flight because you were not on a bus that leaves early enough.  It's always controlled chaos debarking & embarking so as you arrive try to pay attention as to where the taxis are being loaded if you arrive early enough or ask the people directing traffic before you board.  Hopefully you know the airport is not very close to the pier.  There is also BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) that goes to the airport if you are ok walking to the station with your luggage.  Good luck deciding & have a great trip!

Thank you - very helpful.  We have cruised many times but not from San Francisco and know each port is different in terms of their rules so I am glad to hear that the taxis are allowed to wait close to the ship and we will as you say pay attention when we are boarding.  We are taking the BART from the airport to our hotel the day before the cruise but I think the BART station (Embarcadero) looks like it about a 30 minute walk from the ship which we could do but maybe shouldn’t take the time to do as we want to get to the airport as quickly as possible.  It looks like a taxi fare would actually be no more expensive than paying for a ship transferx2 so unless the traffic is uncooperative (which may be the case on a Tuesday morning at 8am) might be the best option.  Thanks for your insight.  

[Cruise Raider]

We’ve also taken cruises out of San Francisco many times.  Unless there is a major delay with disembarkation, you will have plenty of time to get to the airport well before noon.  
If you are at Pier 27, which I think you are, there is a taxi line up there at the port, you can just grab the next one in line.  Or you can go across the drive through and pick up an Uber.  Be warned that Lyft and Uber have gone up dramatically from the pier upon disembarkation in SF.  It used to cost us around $60-$70 to go home, just past the Oakland airport, and it has now gone up to over $100 the last few times we’ve used them.   
Anyway, the port of San Francisco uses facial recognition so the immigration process is really quick and easy, especially is you are carrying your own luggage off the ship.  

Depending on the day of the week and what is happening on the Embarcadero, there may be little to a lot of traffic but I still think the drivers know how to get out of traffic jams in the City.  
 

BTW, Princess does on,y sell EZ air out of San Francisco for any flight at noon or after.  They usually pad this time so, even though I may not have a flight using EZ Air, I use that time as my guide when I do fly.  

 

[edq]

14 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

We’ve also taken cruises out of San Francisco many times.  Unless there is a major delay with disembarkation, you will have plenty of time to get to the airport well before noon.  
If you are at Pier 27, which I think you are, there is a taxi line up there at the port, you can just grab the next one in line.  Or you can go across the drive through and pick up an Uber.  Be warned that Lyft and Uber have gone up dramatically from the pier upon disembarkation in SF.  It used to cost us around $60-$70 to go home, just past the Oakland airport, and it has now gone up to over $100 the last few times we’ve used them.   
Anyway, the port of San Francisco uses facial recognition so the immigration process is really quick and easy, especially is you are carrying your own luggage off the ship.  

Depending on the day of the week and what is happening on the Embarcadero, there may be little to a lot of traffic but I still think the drivers know how to get out of traffic jams in the City.  
 

BTW, Princess does on,y sell EZ air out of San Francisco for any flight at noon or after.  They usually pad this time so, even though I may not have a flight using EZ Air, I use that time as my guide when I do fly.  

 

We do feel we should be OK making the 12 flight - didn’t want to wait for the next one which was around 4:30.  Your comments are encouraging.  I think we will pay attention to the location of taxis when we are boarding, will ask once on board about the timing of the ship transfers and if these don’t sound feasible will walk off the ship with our baggage and get a taxi and hope the traffic cooperates.  

[Cruise Raider]

49 minutes ago, edq said:

We do feel we should be OK making the 12 flight - didn’t want to wait for the next one which was around 4:30.  Your comments are encouraging.  I think we will pay attention to the location of taxis when we are boarding, will ask once on board about the timing of the ship transfers and if these don’t sound feasible will walk off the ship with our baggage and get a taxi and hope the traffic cooperates.  

Even after having a leisurely breakfast, we’ve always beeb home by 10:30 AM from and we live a further distance from the pier to the airport.  We’ve even been home as early as 9:00 AM with walk off and ordering an Uber.  Uber now has the option to pay a little less and wait a little longer.  Because we are really never in a hurry to get our ride after a cruise, we tend to take the cheaper option. 

[memoak]

When we lived in Oakland we would just take the ferry over

[nasa1974]

I got off the Crown the end of October. There are signs that show where to go for Uber/Lyft and taxis. I got off as late as I could because I was going to a hotel near the airport. Traffic was a complete mess and I sat in the taxi about 15 minutes before we even got out onto the main road. The taxi was $60 plus tip. If you get off the ship as soon as possible a noon flight should be doable. Good luck.

[edq]

Thank you everyone for your insights.  I think we feel comfortable now that all will work out.

[TBfrPH]

5 hours ago, edq said:

...  We are taking the BART from the airport to our hotel the day before the cruise but I think the BART station (Embarcadero) looks like it about a 30 minute walk from the ship which we could do but maybe shouldn’t take the time to do as we want to get to the airport as quickly as possible...

You do not have to walk to BART.  You're walking off the ship independently, so I assume that your bags are of manageable sizes.  You have the option of taking the "F" trolley car which takes you to the Embarcadero BART station on Market Street.  There is a platform to board the trolley on the main road on either side of Pier 27.  The trolley ride costs $3 pp and is about 10-15 mins depending on the signal lights.  The trolleys run separately from car traffic, so congestion is not an issue. If you leave the ship by 8 am, you should have no trouble getting to the airport in time for a noon flight.  Uber may be much more convenient; but if surge pricing is in effect, you might consider doing trolley/BART.

[edq]

1 hour ago, TBfrPH said:

You do not have to walk to BART.  You're walking off the ship independently, so I assume that your bags are of manageable sizes.  You have the option of taking the "F" trolley car which takes you to the Embarcadero BART station on Market Street.  There is a platform to board the trolley on the main road on either side of Pier 27.  The trolley ride costs $3 pp and is about 10-15 mins depending on the signal lights.  The trolleys run separately from car traffic, so congestion is not an issue. If you leave the ship by 8 am, you should have no trouble getting to the airport in time for a noon flight.  Uber may be much more convenient; but if surge pricing is in effect, you might consider doing trolley/BART.

Thank you - I will see how the BART works coming in from the airport to our hotel and think about this.  Would need to look into how to pay on the trolley - tap credit card? Cash?  I have been trying to find out if I can tap my credit card on the BART rather than applying for a Clipper card for one trip but so far haven’t had a response from them.  I am sure we will figure it all out when we arrive at the airport.  

[ldubs]

55 minutes ago, edq said:

Thank you - I will see how the BART works coming in from the airport to our hotel and think about this.  Would need to look into how to pay on the trolley - tap credit card? Cash?  I have been trying to find out if I can tap my credit card on the BART rather than applying for a Clipper card for one trip but so far haven’t had a response from them.  I am sure we will figure it all out when we arrive at the airport.  

 

Unless things have changed, you cannot use a credit card for the streetcars.  Easiest will be to have exact change for the fare.  I think you can use the Clipper card.  Note that you will need to lift your luggage up a step or two to board the streetcar.  BTW, the streetcars are very cool.  They are antique streetcars imported from all over the world.  

I used to ride BART daily to work in SF.  Have also taken it to SF and jumped on the F line streetcar to Pier 27 for a cruise.  Now days you must have the Clipper card (or digital version of it on your phone).  You cannot board BART by tapping your credit card. You can pre-load the Clipper card on your phone (we did this). You can also get it at a vending machine at the BART station.  Once you get the Clipper (for a small fee) you can load it to cover the BART fare.  I think the station vending machines will accept credit cards but to be honest have not used the ticket machines in years.  

 

BART will be your least expensive option. Since you are taking it into town from the airport, you can determine if you want to use it going back to the airport after the cruise.   You will already have the Clipper card, so that part isn't a concern.  

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by ldubs

[edq]

20 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Unless things have changed, you cannot use a credit card for the streetcars.  Easiest will be to have exact change for the fare.  I think you can use the Clipper card.  Note that you will need to lift your luggage up a step or two to board the streetcar.  BTW, the streetcars are very cool.  They are antique streetcars imported from all over the world.  

I used to ride BART daily to work in SF.  Have also taken it to SF and jumped on the F line streetcar to Pier 27 for a cruise.  Now days you must have the Clipper card (or digital version of it on your phone).  You cannot board BART by tapping your credit card. You can pre-load the Clipper card on your phone (we did this). You can also get it at a vending machine at the BART station.  Once you get the Clipper (for a small fee) you can load it to cover the BART fare.  I think the station vending machines will accept credit cards but to be honest have not used the ticket machines in years.  

 

BART will be your least expensive option. Since you are taking it into town from the airport, you can determine if you want to use it going back to the airport after the cruise.   You will already have the Clipper card, so that part isn't a concern.  

 

I have been trying to find out for sure about whether I could use my credit card on the BART and was hitting a dead end.  I really appreciate your clarification.  I will now see if I can load it on my iPhone and then we will be good to go.  Do you think the streetcar will be really crowded at that time of morning on a weekday?  I know our subways are crazy and trying to get on with suitcases would be somewhat challenging.