Some San Francisco questions

[Table 6 UK]

:confused:

Hi Guys

 

My GF and I will be flying from the U.K. to sail on the Golden Princess for our first Princess cruise out of San Francisco 4/22 on a 10 day trip down to Baja Mexico and back. YAHOO – CAN’T WAIT! ! So can we ask you a few questions?

Can anybody recommend a good hotel close to the cruise terminal in San Francisco for a pre cruise overnight stay? With the jet lag, we will be no doubt waking up at about 4am Saturday morning so we want to take a tour of Alcatraz before we board the Golden which leaves at 4o`clock – given the required check-in time, will we have enough time to do this if we catch an early tour in the morning?

 

Lastly, I believe that S.F. airport is quite a distance away from the Fisherman’s Wharf area, so I guess a taxi fare could be quite expensive? Is there some form of shuttle bus or public transport available that might be a cheaper alternative?

 

Many thanks for any help you may give us.

 

KEV AND ALI

[melika091900]

for shuttles try bayporter.com

weve always used them with no problems ,

 

the SFO airport is about 30-45 min from fishermans wharf, with no traffic, what day are you flying in ?

 

theres also BART which is at the airport, you can take it to the embarcadero station and then get a cab to your hotel, its really cheap . probably about 5$ per person , http://www.bart.gov/index.asp

 

as far as hotels theres a lot in that area. the agronaut is nice

the Raddison hotel fishermans wharf, the Hyatt at the embarcadero,

or hyatt at fishermans wharf.

 

I would stay in one of these, some areas in SF arent real safe like the union square area, i wouldnt stay there, a lil rough in my opinion ,

but the other places i suggested should be ok,

 

info on alcatraz

http://www.alcatraz.us/tours/tourType.cfm/ttid2/1383?gclid=CNPt653S74oCFU9FGAodOjQeqg

 

 

http://www.alcatraztickets.com/tours/tourDetail.cfm?tour_id=7209

 

 

 

http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/ this is the ferry service that goes to alcatraz from fishermans wharf,

 

 

have fun and enjoy the city,,

 

Melissa

[Bruin Steve]

We actually live in Southern California...but find ourselves in San Francisco frequently...

 

The last time we flew up, we tried taking the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) into the city from the airport...It was incredibly easy...and cheap...

 

There was a quick ride through the airport on the internal loop train. then a change right onto BART and all the way into the heart of the city...We were staying at the Marriott Courtyard Downtown (chosen primarily for its proximity to the Stadium--we were there for a football game)...but a secondary benefit was that it was walking distance from theMontgomery Street BART Station!!

 

You actually have several areas to choose from in picking a hotel...For the most convenience to the cruise terminal and to the tourist sites--including the Alcatraz tours--you might want to consider staying near Fishermans Wharf...but the nicer hotels there can be a bit pricey...The area around Union Square has a large concentration of hotels...in various price ranges...(I've stayed there, it's not that bad)...I also like the Hilton on Kearney--right next to Chinatown)...

 

I would do a search on Tripadvisor.com, trying to stay within Fishermans Wharf, Union Square and the Financial District...Once at your hotel, it's fairly easy to get around San Francisco...walking, cabs and cable cars all do the trick...

 

Have fun...

[Monterey Girl]

Oh goodie, you are going to one of my favorite cities !!

Like previous poster said, there are several hotels very near the cruise pier. Union Square is a nice area but no where near what you will want to see on your brief visit. Personally, I prefer to stay near Fishermans Wharf. We always stay at the Sheraton which is a block or so back from the main drag. It is quiet and we have NEVER felt unsafe walking day or night.The Argonaut mentioned in previous post is a very nice hotel a little further down the street in the oposite direction of the cruise pier, but still very much within walking distance. I have also noticed a Holiday Inn and a Hilton in the same area.

I cannot comment on the fare from the airport to downtown since we live near SF. The airport is not really THAT far away. I would spring for the cab or maybe your hotel will have a van service. If you are tired and have loads of luggage I probably wouldn't attempt using BART ( Bay Area Rapid Transit), especially if you are arriving at night.

BTW, you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVERLY MUST, MUST, MUST!!!! have advanced reservations for the Alcatraz tour. Be sure to use the OFFICIAL tour site from previous poster or you will be paying more thru a second party ticket broker. Try to get the first tour of the day which I believe is about 9:00 AM. This frees up the rest of your day. I also think renting the audio tour is well worth it.

And if no one has told you, it is almost always cold in SF!! Even during summer. Dress is layers and wear a jacket !

There is tons to do and see right where you catch the boat to Alcatraz. Pier 39 is a tourist area full of shops. Plenty of eateries nearby. Our fave is Boudin's which has a 2 story restaurant just to the left of Pier 39. It has wonderful food but try their sourdough bread bowl with clam chowder !! The restaurant is upstairs and downstairs is a bakery and gift shop.

Let me know if I can help further. MG :)

[BorntoTravel]

I, too, love SF and am there frequently. My favorite hotel in the Fisherman's Wharf area is the Holiday Inn on Columbus Avenue. Love that it's within walking distance to the Cable Car line which then accesses Market STreet with BART and then you can get anywhere in the city on BART, Buses or CAble Cars.

 

I just was able to get a great price through Priceline for the Holiday Inn - lucky happenstance as you don't know what hotel you'll get until they accept your bid. But I got it for less than half what the website rate is!!

 

Have fun in The City!!

[Kelly K]

:confused:

Hi Guys

 

My GF and I will be flying from the U.K. to sail on the Golden Princess for our first Princess cruise out of San Francisco 4/22 on a 10 day trip down to Baja Mexico and back. YAHOO – CAN’T WAIT! ! So can we ask you a few questions?

Can anybody recommend a good hotel close to the cruise terminal in San Francisco for a pre cruise overnight stay? With the jet lag, we will be no doubt waking up at about 4am Saturday morning so we want to take a tour of Alcatraz before we board the Golden which leaves at 4o`clock – given the required check-in time, will we have enough time to do this if we catch an early tour in the morning?

 

Lastly, I believe that S.F. airport is quite a distance away from the Fisherman’s Wharf area, so I guess a taxi fare could be quite expensive? Is there some form of shuttle bus or public transport available that might be a cheaper alternative?

 

Many thanks for any help you may give us.

 

KEV AND ALI

 

Hey there! We're on the 4/22 Golden too - hope you stop over to our roll call and meet the rest of the group! We're flying in day of departure so can't help you with the hotel question. But - we've made reservations with Super Shuttle - cost is very reasonable. Van service will take us down to the pier for $15 pp. (and all our luggage!) You can phone ahead for reservations - or book on-line at www.supershuttle.com

 

Come over to the Princess Golden roll call and visit!

[polodad]

If it's available I love the SF Omni on California St. They sometimes have some great deals and it's a gorgeous hotel not too far from the pier via cab.

[Cruise_More_Often]

The Tuscan Inn (a Best Western) is wonderful (here's the website). It's right in the Fisherman's Wharf area, not too expensive, beds are to die for, there's wine tasting in the lobby every evening, and the little restaurant next door is great.

[shawilson]

You must come check out our roll call, as Kelly K suggested! We have some fun things planned, and you will be very welcomed. Come join in the fun, no pressure. Just show up if you desire. Bunch of really nice people will be sailing with you. Hope to see you on board!

 

Sharon

[critterchick]

info on alcatraz

http://www.alcatraz.us/tours/tourType.cfm/ttid2/1383?gclid=CNPt653S74oCFU9FGAodOjQeqg

 

 

http://www.alcatraztickets.com/tours/tourDetail.cfm?tour_id=7209

 

 

 

http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/ this is the ferry service that goes to alcatraz from fishermans wharf,

 

 

have fun and enjoy the city,,

 

Melissa

 

Blue and Gold Fleet isn't doing Alcatraz this year.

[Jeepers385]

We normally fly into SFO and take the Supershuttle for $15 each and have stayed at The Argonaut. We love the location since it's still in the Wharf area but more towards the Maritime museum area and close to the Trolley car location.

Enjoy.

[sfc]

Hello,

 

Since you are flying into SFO, there are many hotels near the airport.

To get to the cruise terminal, take mass transit as follows:

1. From SFO, take BART (bart.com) train to Embarcedero Station

2. Take Muni F Light rail train (sfmuni.com) to Fishermanwharf area. The cruise terminal is near Fishermanwharf.

[CL-JW]

Hi there. As Sha & Kelly have said, we have a very active roll-call going for this cruise (link is below):

 

Golden Princess April 22, 2007 Roll-Call

 

C'mon over. Looking forward to this cruise!!

[pattyfrann]

Went on the Princess Mexican Riveria cruise lst year. Stayed in SF for a few days first. Alcatraz, waste of time. There are better things to do.

Oh goodie, you are going to one of my favorite cities !!

Like previous poster said, there are several hotels very near the cruise pier. Union Square is a nice area but no where near what you will want to see on your brief visit. Personally, I prefer to stay near Fishermans Wharf. We always stay at the Sheraton which is a block or so back from the main drag. It is quiet and we have NEVER felt unsafe walking day or night.The Argonaut mentioned in previous post is a very nice hotel a little further down the street in the oposite direction of the cruise pier, but still very much within walking distance. I have also noticed a Holiday Inn and a Hilton in the same area.

I cannot comment on the fare from the airport to downtown since we live near SF. The airport is not really THAT far away. I would spring for the cab or maybe your hotel will have a van service. If you are tired and have loads of luggage I probably wouldn't attempt using BART ( Bay Area Rapid Transit), especially if you are arriving at night.

BTW, you ABSOLUTELY POSITIVERLY MUST, MUST, MUST!!!! have advanced reservations for the Alcatraz tour. Be sure to use the OFFICIAL tour site from previous poster or you will be paying more thru a second party ticket broker. Try to get the first tour of the day which I believe is about 9:00 AM. This frees up the rest of your day. I also think renting the audio tour is well worth it.

And if no one has told you, it is almost always cold in SF!! Even during summer. Dress is layers and wear a jacket !

There is tons to do and see right where you catch the boat to Alcatraz. Pier 39 is a tourist area full of shops. Plenty of eateries nearby. Our fave is Boudin's which has a 2 story restaurant just to the left of Pier 39. It has wonderful food but try their sourdough bread bowl with clam chowder !! The restaurant is upstairs and downstairs is a bakery and gift shop.

Let me know if I can help further. MG :)

[critterchick]

Went on the Princess Mexican Riveria cruise lst year. Stayed in SF for a few days first. Alcatraz, waste of time. There are better things to do.

 

I don't know what you were expecting to see (Burt Lancaster, Sean Connery or Nicholas Cage perhaps?) but I thought it was fascinating. There are different things to do, but not necessarily "better" than seeing a really cool bit of history...

[pmcrusta]

I agree with a previous poster...Tuscan Inn is in a great area. It's next to a

grocery store and all the Fisherman Wharf activities.

I agree also that Alcatraz is really interesting, IF that is your a history buff even mildly.

As far as doing cable cars...I've never seen the reason to wait as long as you have to to ride one. So there's different things that are of more interest to some than to others.

San Francisco is just a great people watching place and it's just unfortunate

people think they can get to all the main tourist spots in a day.

Hope you enjoy your visit. I'm sure there's something you can find to do.:)

[caribbean dreams]

the agronaut is nice

the Raddison hotel fishermans wharf,

or hyatt at fishermans wharf.

 

 

Also if you want to be able to just walk to the pier to board the ship from your hotel without taking a taxi, all the above hotels except Argonaut are within walking distance, about a 1/4 mile of plat paved sidwalks.

 

the Argonaut is at the end of wharf area, still walkable but a long one.

 

For budget hotels there is also Best Western and holiday Inn express.

[Jeepers385]

Isn't it interesting how we all have different opinions on things. I for one, loved Alcatraz but everyone has their own opinion and that's ok.:D

The Argonaut is a little walk away and if you only have 1 piece of luggage you'd be ok wheeling it down the streets. Now everyone might think your loco:p or maybe not.

[Sunnystone]

I have been staying in SF pretty much for the past 2 months due to business commitments and can highly recommend the Sheraton at Fisherman's Wharf. They have a car service $55 for sedan, $65 for a stretch limo to/from/SFO. They also have van service $15pp. The hotel is esy walking distance to almost everything down around pier 39 and even to Ghiradelli square. Very safe, grocery store just across the street and nearby one of the best retaurants ever........Scoma's (the scallops and prawns are beyond compare).

Good luck and have fun!

[IamAlyce]

I too will be staying in SF pre-cruise this summer. We were there last summer and loved the SF area but I really want to do the Alcatraz as I've always been fascinated with the prison!! My question is; are the boats very rocky on your way to/from the island? My stomach gets quesy easily (go figure that I love to cruise!!) and I would have my 13 yr old w/me. It wouldn't be much fun if I was so sick I coudln't tour the island/prison. Also, would the people that have been there and liked it think a 13 yr old girl would enjoy it?

Thanks