Boarding time in San Francisco?

[Treven]

We find the Ferry Bldg sidewalk to Pier 27 is flat and smooth. Pier 41 to Pier 27 has cobblestones past Pier 39 and a lot of delivery trucks going in and out of driveways.

Guess I really could just take a trip into The City (a practice), just to see how the walk would be from the Ferry Bldg to Pier 27. Then I could force myself to go on up to Pier 39 & have lunch at Bubba Gumps😛

[Roatanfans]

Hey Roatanfans, I am down in your area and we are taking the same cruise as you this October. You say that you are using a private car to get to SF? Any recommendations? We having taken the train before but are looking at other alternatives. :D

 

We use Corinthian http://www.corinthianparking.com. They have been reasonable and never had a problem with them!

[ramrax4]

We are planning to hop the Ferry from Vallejo. Also, curious how difficult it was to maneuver on and off the Ferry with luggage in tow. We will have 2 large rolling suitcases, possible carry-on and backpack.

If I am understanding this thread correctly the advice is to get off at pier 41 vs getting off at the Ferry BLDG for pier 27?

[CoffeHound]

Did you have any trouble handeling your luggage on/off the ferry?

Normally I take the train to Emeryville, then the Amtrak Thruway bus into The City, then there's the walk, dragging my luggage to the pier. I can get off the train at Jack London, ferry across the bay, depending on where I can get off in The City. Which one would be easiest for a Sr. citizen with luggage & walker.

 

Hi Treven,

 

getting on and off the ferry is much like the cruise ship only a way shorter gangway and a way smaller boat! They are wheelchair accessible (even the bathrooms) and will make sure you have space on the lower deck if you cannot climb stairs to use one of the upper decks. The crew is very good at offering assistance if needed.

 

As to the walk from the ferry to the ship, it is flat but pretty far if I am having a bad day and my foot is acting up. I usually tell my family that I can do it, but not necessarily as fast as they wish I could!

 

Two other options besides walking could be a challenge i.e. the street car or the pedicabs. If you can mange the step up, and don't mind paying for the experience ($20/mile), the pedicabs were moving faster than the traffic on embarcadero the last time we left out of San Francisco. We contemplated getting out of our cab and switching. With luggage, I don't think I would try the street car because they always seem to be so crowded.

 

If you want to take a cab, you can get off at the Ferry building, cross Embarcadero and the Hyatt Regency Hotel is right there at the foot of Market Street. They have a taxi stand so it easy to get a cab for the short ride down to the Pier.

 

Its been so long since I was at Pier 39 (the other stop) I cannot remember what the taxi situation is down there.

 

My mom, my sister and me will be on the Grand April 24th. I wish you were going a week later or we were going a week earlier!

 

I hope your cruise is wonderful.

[r4cents]

Thanks for the info roatanfans!

[Jojiboy]

Did you have any trouble handeling your luggage on/off the ferry?

Normally I take the train to Emeryville, then the Amtrak Thruway bus into The City, then there's the walk, dragging my luggage to the pier. I can get off the train at Jack London, ferry across the bay, depending on where I can get off in The City. Which one would be easiest for a Sr. citizen with luggage & walker.

 

 

As someone else mentioned, handling our luggage on and off the ferry was very easy. Both my DW and I each had a large piece of luggage, a carryon and a backpack. Neither of us have mobility issues so I can't say how your experience will be however. When you take the Amtrak Thruway bus, where do you get off to start your walk to the pier?

 

We did the walk from the Ferry Building because the sidewalk is pretty much flat all the way to Pier 27 and we didn't need to maneuver ourselves and our luggage around all the people/tourists walking/congregating around Pier 39. And as a previous poster said, the sidewalk around Pier 39 is brick/cobblestone so rolling luggage in that area takes more effort.

[Treven]

Hi Treven,

 

getting on and off the ferry is much like the cruise ship only a way shorter gangway and a way smaller boat! They are wheelchair accessible (even the bathrooms) and will make sure you have space on the lower deck if you cannot climb stairs to use one of the upper decks. The crew is very good at offering assistance if needed.

 

As to the walk from the ferry to the ship, it is flat but pretty far if I am having a bad day and my foot is acting up. I usually tell my family that I can do it, but not necessarily as fast as they wish I could!

 

Two other options besides walking could be a challenge i.e. the street car or the pedicabs. If you can mange the step up, and don't mind paying for the experience ($20/mile), the pedicabs were moving faster than the traffic on embarcadero the last time we left out of San Francisco. We contemplated getting out of our cab and switching. With luggage, I don't think I would try the street car because they always seem to be so crowded.

 

If you want to take a cab, you can get off at the Ferry building, cross Embarcadero and the Hyatt Regency Hotel is right there at the foot of Market Street. They have a taxi stand so it easy to get a cab for the short ride down to the Pier.

 

Its been so long since I was at Pier 39 (the other stop) I cannot remember what the taxi situation is down there.

 

My mom, my sister and me will be on the Grand April 24th. I wish you were going a week later or we were going a week earlier!

 

I hope your cruise is wonderful.

Actually one of the first stops for the Thruway bus is the Hyatt, so I could get off there and take a cab with all my luggage & walker. The problem I've found with the cab drivers in The City is they really don't like leaving their place in their queue for a short ride/low fare. Then the next cab in line gets a fare down to SFO!

 

I'm not about to take the street car along the Embarcadero with two rolling duffels, and a carry on, plus my rollator walker. They're too crowded just for a body without luggage.

 

As far as the pedicabs are concerned, I'd probably need two; one for me and one for my luggage

Edited March 17, 2016 by Treven

[cvpends]

You're welcome. I should mention though that you should check the ferry schedule before deciding which ferry terminal you want to board the ferry. We boarded in Alameda because for the time we wanted to head to San Francisco the schedule showed the ferry picking up in Alameda before going to Jack London Square. If we wanted to board an earlier one, it would have picked at Jack London Square first and then Alameda.

 

I see what you mean. Sometimes it goes to Jack London Square first, and sometimes to Alameda first. It looks like for the weekend schedule the earliest ferry will go to Jack London Square at 9:45, and then on to Alameda at 10, and finally to San Francisco. So we will embark in Oakland. The next ferry during the morning goes first to Alameda and then to Oakland, as you say. For those interested, this is the website with the schedules:

 

http://sanfranciscobayferry.com/schedule-information

[muggo11]

Uber is a godsend for short or long trips in SF. If you are loaded with bags, no biggie to grab an uber from Ferry to Pier 27.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[CoffeHound]

Actually one of the first stops for the Thruway bus is the Hyatt, so I could get off there and take a cab with all my luggage & walker. The problem I've found with the cab drivers in The City is they really don't like leaving their place in their queue for a short ride/low fare. Then the next cab in line gets a fare down to SFO!

 

I'm not about to take the street car along the Embarcadero with two rolling duffels, and a carry on, plus my rollator walker. They're too crowded just for a body without luggage.

 

As far as the pedicabs are concerned, I'd probably need two; one for me and one for my luggage

 

If you are coming in on the first ferry/early bus hopefully the allure of picking up a disembarking passenger at the pier will soften the blow of the short ride?

 

However, we did see several pedicabs along the embacadero with one person and A LOT of luggage at least six pieces in one of the ones we saw. We also saw a pedicab heaped with luggage followed by two others with 2 or three passengers in them like a pedicab caravan.

 

I'm pretty sure one Treven and 4 pieces of luggage will fit. Plus all of the people in the pedicabs just looked like they were having way more fun then people like us sitting in the backed up traffic on embarcadero.

[Treven]

Actually the pedicab does sound like an interesting way to start my vacation:D😀

Edited March 18, 2016 by Treven

[Napagirl]

Great minds ;) :D

 

Indeed! lol I need to find your FB group! :D:)

[Mary RM]

Napagirl--- will be getting off the ferry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Napagirl----Will be getting off the ship & you'll be getting on. We also take the ferry over from Vallejo. Our daughter drives us to Vallejo. She gets on the ferry with us and rides it over to pier 39. She boards the ship with us (BVE). She has a nice lunch and a glass of wine. We walk a round the ship for a bit and she gets off. She rides the ferry back to Vallejo and drives back home. She picks us up at the ferry in Vallejo when we return. It's really nice and relaxing for all of us. Mary RM

[Cruise Raider]

We use Corinthian http://www.corinthianparking.com. They have been reasonable and never had a problem with them!

 

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Edited March 19, 2016 by Cruise Raider

[cvpends]

I decided to book my daughter and her boyfriend for a Bon Voyage Experience, as someone here had recommended. That way, rather than dropping us at the ferry terminal in Jack London Square, they can take the ferry over, and enjoy a few hours on the ship with us. This particular daughter (we have three) has sailed Carnival and Holland America, but not yet Princess, and her boyfriend has only sailed Carnival, so they are excited.

[Jojiboy]

I decided to book my daughter and her boyfriend for a Bon Voyage Experience, as someone here had recommended. That way, rather than dropping us at the ferry terminal in Jack London Square, they can take the ferry over, and enjoy a few hours on the ship with us. This particular daughter (we have three) has sailed Carnival and Holland America, but not yet Princess, and her boyfriend has only sailed Carnival, so they are excited.

 

 

Sounds like an excellent way to thank your daughter and her boyfriend. I think the garage on Washington St. offers 12 hours of free parking if you bring the parking stub to be validated at the ferry terminal. I know they do on week days but not sure if they do this on weekends too. Worth a try in any case.