Transfer from Crown Princess San Francisco to the airport

[oakridger]

I suggest you keep it simple and just take a taxi from right in front of the ship to right in front of SFO!  No need to haul luggage to street cars, BART, etc. and figure out how to pay!

 

Taxi + Credit Card = easy trip!    🙂

 

~Nancy

[ldubs]

2 minutes ago, edq said:

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.   

 

Visit Clippercard.com to learn how to load it on your phone.  It was pretty straightforward for us to load it on our iPhones.  

 

The streetcars have always been crowded when I have used them.  Both times we have used the streetcar with our luggage it was very crowded.   During a weekday probably less so, except for others from your cruise using the F-line Streetcar from pier 27!   

 

It is about 1 mile from pier 27 to the Embarcadero BART station.  More than I would want to do with luggage.  BART trains run about every 10 to 15 minutes.   The BART ride to SFO is about 35-45 minutes.   BART trains shouldn't be crowded as you will be counter-commute direction at that time of the morning.  I can't talk to reliability as I haven't used the system for a few years. 

 

 

 

 

 

[ldubs]

16 minutes ago, oakridger said:

I suggest you keep it simple and just take a taxi from right in front of the ship to right in front of SFO!  No need to haul luggage to street cars, BART, etc. and figure out how to pay!

 

Taxi + Credit Card = easy trip!    🙂

 

~Nancy

 

 

I agree. For convenience, I would do Uber or Taxi and be done with it. 

[Outerdog]

Folks suggesting the F line streetcars are, with all due respect, out of their minds. These are commuter cars and more closely resemble a school bus than something designed to whisk away tourists and their luggage. Schlepping your luggage from the terminal, on and off a street car, into and out of BART sounds easy on paper but it is more trouble than its worth for someone on vacation.

 

Get a taxi or uber from the cruise terminal to the airport. Done.

 

 

 

[memoak]

1 minute ago, Outerdog said:

Folks suggesting the F line streetcars are, with all due respect, out of their minds. These are commuter cars and more closely resemble a school bus than something designed to whisk away tourists and their luggage. Schlepping your luggage from the terminal, on and off a street car, into and out of BART sounds easy on paper but it is more trouble than its worth for someone on vacation.

 

Get a taxi or uber from the cruise terminal to the airport. Done.

 

 

 

Unless you have basically a backpack public transit can be a problem. Even BART would be an issue during commute hours 

[rj59]

You don't call for a taxi in SF. You download and learn how to use Uber and Lyft apps. When you're off the ship, before 7:30, you order one and they'll be there in a minute and take you to the airport, for a fraction of the price of a taxi, drivers are screened and rated, and you'll know the price ahead of time, so there's no meter and no price gouging. You can also have them take you to the nearest BART station, at Embarcadero, and you can take the subway directly to the airport, with no traffic hassles, which might be quicker and definitely cheaper. Before the cruise, practice taking Uber and/or Lyft a few times. It will change your cruise life, and you'll stop wasting time and money on taxis and cruise transfers. It can also improve your personal life, since as a part-time Lyft driver I've seen how rideshare allows couples to go out and drink safely and not have to worry about parking, and how older folks can get around to medical appointments or even go out to run errands from assisted living facilities. 

[wheezedr]

I have made this trip on multiple occasions and in many differing segments as I live in the Bay Area (born in SF before they even dreamed of BART) and have cruised out of both pier 27 (the current dock ) and pier 35 (the old dock) as well as traveled to and from SFO to often to count.  We usually use Bart to the Embarcadero and then walk the mile to Pier 27, but I have no time constraints like you do for the airport, as I can plan my BART trip to allow for the time I need to walk to the pier for embarkation.  Have also used it to go home, usually works fine but there was the day a construction project ran well overtime.  Thank goodness I have friends who are available at the last minute as BART would have added two extra transfers and 45min to an hour for one of their Bus Bridges. I also have no time I must be home by.  You also do not want to use the F-Line streetcars.  They are designed as an antique surface trolley system and are not set up to handle luggage well.  It can be done but it is not easy.

 

Uber or a taxi are really a matter of your comfort and ease with the locations and systems.  Taxi pickup is right at the terminal, cost will vary primarily by how much stoppage time is wasted in traffic but that should be less of an issue on a weekend.  In general UBER is cheaper but if they surge a lot at a mass pickup point like the cruise terminal the cost can actually exceed a cab.  Depending on when you enter the pickup time you may have a short wait.  Also both Taxis and Uber will drop you at your departure terminal.  SFO has multiple terminals so let the driver know your airline.  BART brings you into the international terminal and depending on your airline you may have a few minutes of additional travel time in the airport itself.  Enjoy your cruise but make your outbound trip easier without stress.