Princess transfer San Francisco

[socialworker]

We always take the BART in and out of SFO, including to Embarcadero for cruises and I have always felt safe.

 

A few years ago we flew down for a San Francisco/Vancouver repositioning cruise just after I had suffered from a long illness and even then the walk from the BART to the ship was no particular challenge.

 

I'm not concerned with riding BART from SFO to any stop within the San Francisco touristy areas, rather my question was about "going through the Oakland area" on BART on our way to Concord.

 

For example: We live just outside Chicago. There's an excellent public transportation system within the city, but...there are routes which I would consider unsafe to travel through on public transportation, especially for seniors hauling luggage.

 

Thanks.

[boom op]

I'm not concerned with riding BART from SFO to any stop within the San Francisco touristy areas, rather my question was about "going through the Oakland area" on BART on our way to Concord.

 

For example: We live just outside Chicago. There's an excellent public transportation system within the city, but...there are routes which I would consider unsafe to travel through on public transportation, especially for seniors hauling luggage.

 

Thanks.

You will have no problem on BART going to Concord, just ride during the day. I take BART often from SFO to Walnut Creek and have had no problems.

[socialworker]

You will have no problem on BART going to Concord, just ride during the day. I take BART often from SFO to Walnut Creek and have had no problems.

 

Thanks. Now maybe I'll look at staying in Walnut Creek rather than San Francisco proper and just take the BART each day.

[Tina G]

We just left SFO yesterday. Finding a cab is easy! They have traffic directors that put you in lines for cabs. It works like a charm. It only takes a few minutes. The cab is easier and more convenient than a Princess transfer, and it costs about the same. I would recommend taking a cab.

My biggest gripe was the cost of a hotel in San Francisco near the ship. We paid a total of $265 (including taxes) for a so-so room at the Holiday Inn Express at Fisherman's Wharf. The location was ideal, but the price! Ouch! Full breakfast was included, and it was very good. DH ran around and did some sightseeing. I went to Trader Joe's and bought wine and chocolates to take on the cruise.

[Pia1913]

We just left SFO yesterday. Finding a cab is easy! They have traffic directors that put you in lines for cabs. It works like a charm. It only takes a few minutes. The cab is easier and more convenient than a Princess transfer, and it costs about the same. I would recommend taking a cab.

My biggest gripe was the cost of a hotel in San Francisco near the ship. We paid a total of $265 (including taxes) for a so-so room at the Holiday Inn Express at Fisherman's Wharf. The location was ideal, but the price! Ouch! Full breakfast was included, and it was very good. DH ran around and did some sightseeing. I went to Trader Joe's and bought wine and chocolates to take on the cruise.

 

This is where we are staying precruise in October. Thank you Priority Club points. :D I selected this hotel especially because of the close proximity to Trader Joe's.

[Corinda]

Hi Doug,

 

Noticed that you're from or in Concord, CA. That's exactly where we have to go after our alaska cruise on Sea Princess. Initially I was going to take the ferry from Pier 41 to Oakland, pickup rental car, and stay on the Waterfront in Oakland. But many folks suggested I'd probably be more comfortable staying in San Francisco rather than Oakland and simply take BART to Concord when I need to move to that location. We have 2 full days to fill before we need to be in Concord.

 

Do you agree that Oakland may not be a good place for us (2 seniors) to stay? Is the BART from San Francisco to Concord safe? We'll have some luggage, but nothing overwhelming.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

 

Being an East Bay Baby (born and raised in Oakland ...mostly :)) I can highly recommend BART especially if the luggage is manageable. I would say that if you are going to concord you would be better off going in the morning where the route is reverse commute after 3pm would be problematic. and remember you can take either a concord or pittsburgh/bay point train. have fun :)

[Pia1913]

OK, booked our air for March. If Princess is charging $24 for transfers; so be it. It doesn't pay, for a few less dollars, to mess around with other shuttles. In any event, we will have lots of time in between. Booked a 10 PM flight, but it's nonstop. ;)

[shepp]

OK, booked our air for March. If Princess is charging $24 for transfers; so be it. It doesn't pay, for a few less dollars, to mess around with other shuttles. In any event, we will have lots of time in between. Booked a 10 PM flight, but it's nonstop. ;)

 

So does that mean you'll be heading from the pier straight to SFO? I was hoping to meet up with you and Mike while you were here, maybe. I'd offer to drive you to the airport, but I doubt your luggage will fit on my motorcycle. :)

[Pia1913]

So does that mean you'll be heading from the pier straight to SFO? I was hoping to meet up with you and Mike while you were here, maybe. I'd offer to drive you to the airport, but I doubt your luggage will fit on my motorcycle. :)

 

If you can find something a little larger than a cycle, we'd love to spend some time with "youse." We can "do lunch." Hey, we have lot of time for lunches. :D We can even play trivia and I'll let you win. :p

[flamomo]

We used the Princess transfers from the pier to SF airport in March, and it was very efficient. Because things were such a mess at the pier on embarkation day on the 19th, due in part to the fact that it was extremely busy with 2 ships at that pier, we weren't sure what to expect. But everything went off like clockwork on disembarkation day, and we made it to the airport in very good time for our noon-ish flight.

I had not seen it done this way before, but the non-US citizen cruisers' immigration was handled onboard in one of the dining rooms, and the US citizens did not have to even stop in immigration for a passport check. We walked off the ship at our appointed time, went to the baggage hall for our bags, and in less than 5 minutes were onboard the waiting bus for the ride to the airport.

[CTGirl]

Hi Gloria,

Saw your thread and just wanted to say hi. Enjoy your cruises.

[san diego sue]

Hi Shelly,

Thanks. This will be a big one. SA 49 days.

Please let me know how you like the Royal next year as we board her

that Sept-Oct.

Will be in your neck of the woods in October. Doing New England, Canada

on Oct 20th.

Gloria:D

[CTGirl]

Hi Shelly,

Thanks. This will be a big one. SA 49 days.

Please let me know how you like the Royal next year as we board her

that Sept-Oct.

Will be in your neck of the woods in October. Doing New England, Canada

on Oct 20th.

Gloria:D

Sounds fun. We did Buenos Aires to Santiago 5 years ago. We loved it. Sorry but we had to cancel the Royal in June because we booked a River Cruise to China for April. and then we booked Alaska for Sept. 2013.

 

You will enjoy Canada/New England. Email me if you have any questions. Maybe we can get together.

[burm]

Would I have any worries about a 12:45PM flight out of an Francisco)? We are sailing on the Grand Princess, disembarking April 10,2013 and expect to take a taxi to SFO, What is the latest time we could expect to be off the ship?

[TLC535]

Would I have any worries about a 12:45PM flight out of an Francisco)? We are sailing on the Grand Princess, disembarking April 10,2013 and expect to take a taxi to SFO, What is the latest time we could expect to be off the ship?

 

 

We had a 12:55 flight out of SFO in May & had no problem getting off the ship & to the airport in plenty of time...but we did use princess transfers, from what I have read the cost of a taxi would be around the same price as Princess transfers, so just something to think about....once you turn in your disembarkation paper work onboard within a few days you will get you disembark time...with that flight time I would expect you should be off the ship by 9:30 (baring any issues at the port:rolleyes:) if they give you anything later you can go to the CS desk & ask for them to change it....enjoy your cruise, we loved sailing under the Golden Gate & Hawaii :D

[burm]

[quote name='TLC535'][B][FONT=Georgia][COLOR=royalblue]We had a 12:55 flight out of SFO in May & had no problem getting off the ship & to the airport in plenty of time...but we did use princess transfers, from what I have read the cost of a taxi would be around the same price as Princess transfers, so just something to think about....once you turn in your disembarkation paper work onboard within a few days you will get you disembark time...with that flight time I would expect you should be off the ship by 9:30 (baring any issues at the port:rolleyes:) if they give you anything later you can go to the CS desk & ask for them to change it....enjoy your cruise, we loved sailing under the Golden Gate & Hawaii :D[/COLOR][/FONT][/B][/quote]


Thank you for the reassurance. However, unless the ship is diverted, we will be going to Mexico. ;)