San Diego Port - I’m getting nervous

[Hobar]

I’ve been reading posts that SD port can be crowded and that agents are unfriendly. Will be embarking there in March 2024 at the same time as a Disney ship.  I’ve notified HAL that I will need a wheelchair for my mom and we have a Neptune Suite.  I am worried about having my mom wait too long in, what I understand, can be brutal sun.  So, do I need to be worried, and is there anything I can do to mitigate waiting time?  

[DAllenTCY]

Yes, you should be worried....it might rain that day. That is the only thing that is uncertain to me.

 

It will be crowded with over 6,000 people getting off two ships and another 6,000 getting on at the same pier.  

 

We are not "unfriendly".....just having to ask over and over again of your fellow guests to have their documents in hand and be ready to show a bar code either on paper or your phone.

 

Expect that your mom will be among many others who need wheelchair assistance. 

 

Your best bet is to arrive at the pier after 2 pm.  

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sciencewonk]

You probably won't have to worry about the weather.  March usually isn't hot, but it could be raining.  All bets are off if there is a Santa Ana, but they are fairly rare in March.

 

As far as the port staff and lines, I didn't have a good experience my last time at the port - they refused to recognize the Neptune Suite priority boarding among other things.  That was over a year ago, so perhaps it's gotten better.  I would also hope that they would look at for passengers in wheel chairs, but I can't vouch for that personally. 

[TiogaCruiser]

25 minutes ago, Hobar said:

I’ve been reading posts that SD port can be crowded and that agents are unfriendly. Will be embarking there in March 2024 at the same time as a Disney ship.  I’ve notified HAL that I will need a wheelchair for my mom and we have a Neptune Suite.  I am worried about having my mom wait too long in, what I understand, can be brutal sun.  So, do I need to be worried, and is there anything I can do to mitigate waiting time?  

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, if you are expecting HAL to provide a wheelchair for your use during the cruise,  you may be disappointed. There are vendors who you can rent from but you need to set that up in advance.

 

Last time we boarded in SD there was a lady who needed wheelchair assistance and she had to wait for a chair for boarding became available. Have you considered a rollator, that she could sit on in case there is a wait?

[DAllenTCY]

Neptune Suite guests are among the many sailing who are offered "priority".  

For example the Koningsdam sailings may have: 

 

President's Club = 6

5 Star                 = 140

4 Star                 = 443

Hotel to ship       = 113

Airport to ship     = 218

Neptune Suites   =  40

 

That is more than 1/3 of those who are embarking!

 

And it is not an unusual event any more. The ships are larger and many are used to the 'good old days' when most of the fleet were 1,200-1,350 at full capacity.

 

David

 

 

 

Edited February 2 by DAllenTCY

[Haljo1935]

Dec 21 the lines were very long, boarding passes checked multiple times to send passengers to the correct line (clearly labeled with times) and turned away if in the wrong line. However, Mariner (or suite) status was not considered, so it is up to you & your mom to show that and get yourself to the priority line.

Later is definitely better to avoid the crowds.

[Hobar]

30 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, if you are expecting HAL to provide a wheelchair for your use during the cruise,  you may be disappointed. There are vendors who you can rent from but you need to set that up in advance.

 

Last time we boarded in SD there was a lady who needed wheelchair assistance and she had to wait for a chair for boarding became available. Have you considered a rollator, that she could sit on in case there is a wait?

My mistake as I was not clear.  Only need wheelchair for embark and disembark.  She is fine with her cane or rollator once on board.  She will have her rollator which has a seat.  

[dfish]

We embarked on Tuesday and found the port agents to be very pleasant.  They do their best when a large group arrives and all need/want special consideration.  

[Seasick Sailor]

We embarked last Feb on the Hawaii/Tahiti cruise. Luckily my husband has a transport wheelchair as there were no available wheelchairs and there were folks very upset. We were 4 star (now 5) and moved straight through, never waiting at all. One couple could not make the walk, and there were not seats available for them. I wish we could have helped in some way. 

[GeezerCouple]

We have no interest in waiting in long lines, and I also have some mobility difficulties, but long lines... no thank you anyway.

 

So we almost always try to arrive relatively late.  Then we can usually breeze right through.

This allows us to get a relaxed start to the cruise.

 

So we might miss lunch on board on that day, which is no big deal.

 

These lines always remind me of a grad school cafeteria decades ago.

There was a true "LOL" (Little Old Lady, before LOL came to mean something else!), clearly *very* old but in great shape.  She would always, day after day, week after week, go through the line, get what she wanted, and then cut in line, marching right up to the cashier... as she declared:  "I'm 93 and I don't have time to wait!!"  LOL for that LOL!  😁

 

GC

[X-elite]

Last month, we boarded Volendam in San Diego. There was no line in the terminal at 1:30 p.m.  It was empty. We walked right up to document check and then right up to security screening. The terminal personnel were all very friendly. There was only one ship using the pier.

 

Last year, we boarded Koningsdam in San Diego. It was extremely crowded with two ships using the pier. We vowed to never book such a large ship again. Our following two cruises were on a small Oceania ship. Much better experience for us!

[Hobar]

1 hour ago, X-elite said:

Last year, we boarded Koningsdam in San Diego. It was extremely crowded with two ships using the pier. We vowed to never book such a large ship again. Our following two cruises were on a small Oceania ship. Much better experience for us!

This is the first large ship for all of us (except for NCL for me over 30 years ago) so I know It will be a very different experience.  But needed a driveable port and thought that the vast array of activities will be fun for a girls’ week.  Cruise after this one will be back on a 260 passenger ship, but who knows, I just might fall in love with HAL.  Looking forward to week with my mom and sis.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Having sailed out of San Diego many times, I have always found the agents to be very kind and helpful.

 

I suspect the problem is that so many passengers want to be "first to board" that things can get chaotic. I have stayed the night before right across from the ship and notice that some people start lining up at 9:00AM well before the ship has been emptied of the previous cruise's passengers. 

 

One time we did arrive after 1:30 and we were on the ship in no time. If you suspect you might have an issue, I suggest having  a nice lunch at one of the restaurants close by and then start the process.

 

 

 

 

[AKJonesy]

Even though I get priority boarding, along with many many others, I have gone to the San Diego port late.  We once went according to our time, and it was very hot and no place to get out of the sun.  Ask your hotel for a late check out.  

[Pie R Squared]

Hey David, 

 

We are sailing March 30 on the K-Dam, the ship sails at 3:00 PM, we are 3-Star Mariners and we want to get our Mariner lunch in the dining room. What would be the best time to show up? 

 

Paul

[cbr663]

When we sailed in Nov, we also had a Disney ship in port.  The crowds are definitely an issue.  My advice - don't show up early.  Lots of people do and there will be line ups everywhere.  Cruise passengers love to line up and wait.  A HAL rep told me that the lineup at 9:00 am (no one is boarding at 9:00 am) extended down to the USS Regan.

 

We had CO with priority embarkation like you will have with a Neptune Suite.  We waited to arrive at the end of our boarding time window and we moved quite quickly through the outside lines.  There were long lines outside for all those early birds for each of the subsequent boarding times.

 

I found entry to the security clearance area to be a somewhat confusing choke point as you enter on the side at the same time everyone disembarking the ships are basically in the same area.  There were lots of people basically in the same area all trying to go in different directions.  Once inside, there is the typical weaving of long lines and while secuirty staff did a great job of trying to move everyone through, there seemed to be some confusion in the lines regarding priority access.  

 

Once through security it was a quick stop at actual check in and on to the ship.

 

My advice is don't arrive early if you are trying to avoid line ups.  If you want to avoid lineups as much as possible, you may want to consider arriving later in the day.  I have never needed assistance boarding yet I wonder if you need assistance do you request that with HAL or with the port itself?  

[sunviking90]

1 hour ago, Pie R Squared said:

Hey David, 

 

We are sailing March 30 on the K-Dam, the ship sails at 3:00 PM, we are 3-Star Mariners and we want to get our Mariner lunch in the dining room. What would be the best time to show up? 

 

Paul

Arrive at the time on your boarding pass, no earlier. We are 3 stars and unknowingly arrived 20 minutes before our boarding time for the Koningsdam a few weeks ago as it had changed at some point to a later time. I didn’t notice until I opened it again at the pier. We waited in the hot Sun for the 20 minutes, then our “group” was delayed another 15 minutes outside as so many 4,5 star, suite people etc were arriving and they had priority. I was glad I had filled my water bottle as there isn’t any. It was only around 63f that day, but where they make you wait is full sun, next to the building and SO hot.🥵 There were a lot of elderly in our line and I felt so bad. I’d call it the worst embarkation line I’ve experienced in over 25 years. I don’t know why they can’t erect some type of covering if they’re going to do this.
On the Volendam in November we just walked right in, so the line ups with the times in the signs may be new? Or just because there are more people for a larger ship?

Don’t worry about missing MDR lunch. It was the same lunch the served every sea day anyway. 
OP bring water and a hat for your mother. I know you’re in a suite, but just in case.

[Toofarfromthesea]

13 hours ago, Hobar said:

I’ve been reading posts that SD port can be crowded and that agents are unfriendly. Will be embarking there in March 2024 at the same time as a Disney ship.  I’ve notified HAL that I will need a wheelchair for my mom and we have a Neptune Suite.  I am worried about having my mom wait too long in, what I understand, can be brutal sun.  So, do I need to be worried, and is there anything I can do to mitigate waiting time?  

 

I can only relate that my experience, a couple of weeks ago was smooth as butter.  There was a podium with a red umbella that I went to and told the lady that I had requested wheelchair assistance, that I couldn't walk far and couldn't stand long.  She got me into the terminal lickety split and sat me in a holding area.  Within about 10 minutes a port employee came with a wheel chair and took me through check-in and security and then took me to a HAL holding area.  A whole brigade of HAL employees with wheelchairs was lined up just waiting for boarding to start.  Once they got the word they got us loaded up and took us on board.

 

A caviet - there was no other ship embarking.  Also, I had Club Orange priority but that never really came into play.

 

I hope it goes as well for you as it did for me.

[Vict0riann]

I don't know why, but we have never had a problem.  We stay at a more distant hotel, and arrive in a taxi, which we have found always just drives in and deposits us and the bags right at the door of the terminal.  Our bags are taken and we walk right in.  I'm not sure if that is the proper way to do it, but we have never asked and the taxi drivers seem to know their way around.  Once you are in the terminal, you are directed to whichever line is appropriate, although the last time, I seem to remember we had to go through quite a long line and a scan of our boarding passes before they would let us go to the CO line.

[OlsSalt]

We also stay in the hotel across the street and last time we dropped out luggage off as soon as they opened, since which is done in the drive in parking lot. And then spent time doing other things, before checking in later when the lines were down.

 

 Ask to leave any small hand luggage you still have  with the hotel bell captain if you can't get a later check out. Then as suggested before, enjoy a local restaurant and  board later at your leisure, since your main luggage has been dropped off previously. 

[CruiserBruce]

3 hours ago, Pie R Squared said:

Hey David, 

 

We are sailing March 30 on the K-Dam, the ship sails at 3:00 PM, we are 3-Star Mariners and we want to get our Mariner lunch in the dining room. What would be the best time to show up? 

 

Paul

Be aware Zaandam is also there that day, departing for a 14 day cruise.

[NanaJPB]

9 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Be aware Zaandam is also there that day, departing for a 14 day cruise.

Yes.  So, there are, in fact, 3 ships in port that day, all with departure time around 3 PM.  We’re expecting madness after reading all the posts about boarding in San Diego

[CruiserBruce]

15 minutes ago, NanaJPB said:

Yes.  So, there are, in fact, 3 ships in port that day, all with departure time around 3 PM.  We’re expecting madness after reading all the posts about boarding in San Diego

Is the third ship doing just a port visit? I think that is what I heard.

[NanaJPB]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Is the third ship doing just a port visit? I think that is what I heard.

March 30: 4-night Catalina & Ensenada cruise on Disney Cruises.
March 30: 6-night California Coast cruise on Holland America.
March 30: 14-night Mexico cruise on Holland America.
 

from what I can see, all of them are beginning in San Diego on the 30th.

[sunviking90]

3 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

I don't know why, but we have never had a problem.  We stay at a more distant hotel, and arrive in a taxi, which we have found always just drives in and deposits us and the bags right at the door of the terminal.  Our bags are taken and we walk right in.  I'm not sure if that is the proper way to do it, but we have never asked and the taxi drivers seem to know their way around.  Once you are in the terminal, you are directed to whichever line is appropriate, although the last time, I seem to remember we had to go through quite a long line and a scan of our boarding passes before they would let us go to the CO line.

I’m sure @DAllenTCY can confirm, but the procedures early January for the Koningsdam were completely different than what we experienced in November for the Volendam. At that time we walked right up, dropped out bags, and went inside as you did.

January, they had signs for queues with various check in times on them on the side of the building, and we had to join the right queue outside in the blazing sun. We were the only ship in that day.

Edited February 2 by sunviking90