First cruise from San Francisco: questions and answers

A first cruise from San Francisco usually starts at Pier 27 on The Embarcadero, leaves in the afternoon and spends its first full day at sea. Princess and Carnival run almost every sailing here, with 57 for Princess and 39 for Carnival on our schedule. So the answers below come mostly from those two lines' own pages, with the Port of San Francisco and the National Weather Service for the rest.

Which pier do cruise ships leave from in San Francisco?

Go to the pier printed on your boarding documents, which will be Pier 27 or Pier 35. Both are on the northern waterfront of The Embarcadero, and the port says Pier 35 is a 6 to 8 minute walk north of Pier 27.

Pier	Who uses it	Sailings with this pier confirmed
Pier 27, the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal	Princess and most Carnival sailings	53
Pier 35	Carnival Luminosa on some 2027 sailings	4

Princess says its ships dock at the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27. Carnival's port page lists San Francisco as "Pier 27 | Pier 35", and the port's own schedule moves Carnival Luminosa between the two during 2027. If you sail with Carnival, check your own sailing rather than the last one you heard about.

The port publishes its schedule a year at a time, and the current one runs to 31 December 2027. Sailings after that show "Pier not published yet" on our schedule until the port adds them.

Getting there is simple. The port says Pier 27 is about a 20-minute walk from the Embarcadero BART and Muni station, and the nearest streetcar stop is The Embarcadero/Sansome Street. For Pier 35 it is The Embarcadero/Bay Street. Taxis and cars can drop passengers at the Pier 27 terminal hall entrance, and Princess says taxis and rideshare cars are available pier side. The terminal guide covers both piers, and the airport guide covers the trip in from SFO, Oakland and San Jose.

What time should I arrive at Pier 27 for my cruise?

Arrive in the time slot you choose during online check-in, and not before it. Each line runs this its own way.

• Princess. You choose an Arrival Group in the Princess app. Princess says selection typically opens 30 days before embarkation, and that it assigns you a group 24 hours before if you have not chosen one. Its FAQ asks guests to arrive within their window, and says boarding closes well before the ship leaves.
• Carnival. Finish online check-in by midnight Eastern time before your sailing date, which is 9 PM the evening before in San Francisco, and choose an arrival appointment. Carnival says everyone in the stateroom should be at the terminal at that time. Anyone not on board by the final boarding time printed on the boarding pass will not be permitted to sail.

At check-in, Carnival asks for your boarding pass, a picture ID and your citizenship documents.

Can I drop off bags early or store luggage at the cruise terminal?

You can hand over bags early, but there is no luggage storage at the piers. Princess says guests who arrive early may drop off luggage, and are then asked to return at their designated time before entering the terminal. Carnival says guests due before 1:30 PM usually check their bags with a porter, which leaves them free for lunch on the Lido Deck before cabins are ready.

The port says luggage storage is not offered at the cruise terminals. It points instead to self-service lockers at the California Welcome Center at PIER 39, Level 2, for a daily fee. That helps on the way home, if you leave the ship in the morning and fly out at night.

Checked bags reach your cabin later in the day. Princess says that is typically within a few hours of boarding, often by early evening, so keep documents, medicine and valuables with you.

• Carnival suggests one bag per person on cruises of 3 to 5 days and two on 6 days or longer, with no suitcase over 50 pounds. It takes checked bags until 2 hours before the published sailing time.
• Princess says the line itself typically enforces no formal size or weight limit.
• Carnival says curbside porters are not its employees, and that they are customarily tipped $1 a bag. That was its guidance on 3 November 2026.

What time do cruise ships leave San Francisco?

In the afternoon. The Princess itineraries we read leave at 3:00 PM and come back at 7:00 AM, and the Carnival ones leave at 4:00 PM and come back at 8:00 AM. Carnival Luminosa's one-way crossing to Tokyo on 2 October 2027 leaves later, at 6:00 PM. Times can change from one sailing to the next, so check the itinerary for yours.

What is the weather like on deck leaving San Francisco?

Cool and windy, even in summer, so pack a warm layer in your carry-on. The National Weather Service's study of San Francisco's climate describes a strong afternoon and evening sea breeze channeled through the Golden Gate, typically at 20 to 30 miles per hour at its afternoon peak. Ships here leave in the afternoon, so you sail out into it.

Summer is the foggy season. The same study describes San Francisco summers as cool marine air with persistent coastal stratus and fog, and NOAA says a driver crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in summer will commonly meet fog. The study says spring and fall usually bring the most cloud-free days.

On NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for downtown San Francisco, the average high is 66°F in July and 70°F in September and October, and summer lows run about 54°F to 56°F. The season guide has every month, and the weather at the ports.

How many sea days are there on a Hawaii cruise from San Francisco?

More than half the trip. Ruby Princess's 16-day Hawaiian Islands cruise of 8 November 2026 has 10 sea days, on Princess's itinerary:

• Days 2 to 5 are at sea, and the first island, Hilo, comes on day 6.
• Days 6 to 9 are Hilo, Kahului, Honolulu and Kauai. Honolulu runs from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM.
• Days 10 to 14 are at sea, Ensenada is a stop from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM on day 15, and day 16 is at sea again.
• The ship is back in San Francisco at 7:00 AM on day 17.

Carnival's 15-day Hawaii itinerary from San Francisco has the same shape. It spends four days at sea each way, four days in the islands and an evening in Ensenada on the way home, nine sea days in all.

All those days on board are part of the price. Drinks, Wi-Fi and specialty dining are charged by the day, and the cheap and last-minute guide adds them up. Our schedule lists 23 Hawaii sailings, and the Hawaii guide compares them.

How many sea days are there on an Alaska cruise from San Francisco?

Four, plus a day of scenic cruising, on Ruby Princess's 10-day Inside Passage cruise of 21 May 2027. Princess's itinerary has two days at sea going north, then Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Prince Rupert in British Columbia, then two days at sea coming back. Carnival Luminosa's 10-day Alaska itinerary also has two sea days each way, with scenic cruising in Tracy Arm Fjord.

Pack for cold and wet weather in any month. Carnival says to dress in layers, that daytime temperatures even in midsummer may be in the mid-50s to mid-60s °F, and that rain is always possible. NOAA's normal high for Juneau in July is 64°F.

Our schedule has 45 Alaska sailings, 43 of them 10 nights long. The Alaska guide covers the routes.

What is a 4-night cruise from San Francisco like?

It is two days at sea around one port. Carnival Legend's 4-day Baja Mexico itinerary leaves at 4:00 PM and spends day 2 at sea. It calls at Ensenada from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on day 3, spends day 4 at sea and is back at 8:00 AM on day 5. Carnival Luminosa's 5-day version stops at Catalina Island before Ensenada, and Princess's 5-night trips call at San Diego and Ensenada.

The 16 4-night sailings on our schedule are all Carnival trips between May and early September. The short cruises guide compares them with the 5-night trips.

What is included in a cruise fare from San Francisco?

Meals in the main dining rooms and the buffet are included. Most drinks, Wi-Fi and shore excursions are not.

• Princess. Its itinerary pages say the standard fare includes entertainment, fitness facilities, youth and teen clubs for ages 3 to 17, and dining: multicourse meals, the buffet, pizza, burgers, hot dogs, soft-serve ice cream, pastries and desserts. Beer, wine, cocktails, specialty coffees, sodas, Wi-Fi, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, the spa and laundry cost extra. A room service order by stateroom phone carried a $5 fee in its FAQ on 3 November 2026.
• Carnival. Its ticket contract covers full board and ordinary ship's food. It leaves out spirits, wine, beer, soft drinks, mineral waters, shore excursions, spa services, specialty dining and room service. Carnival includes non-bottled water, lemonade, iced tea and non-specialty coffee and tea, in the main dining room and around the clock at the Lido.

Both lines add a 20% service charge to drinks bought on board, and both bill medical care to your onboard account. Princess suggests checking whether your insurance covers you outside the United States.

How much do you tip on a cruise from San Francisco?

You rarely tip by hand, because both lines add a daily amount to your onboard account. These were the rates per guest, per day on the lines' pages on 3 November 2026:

Line	Standard cabin	Suite	Charged for
Princess	$18, or $19 for mini suites, cabanas and Club Class	$20	Each guest
Carnival	$17	$19	Ages 2 and older

On the long trips from here this adds up. By our arithmetic, counting one charge per night, two people in a standard cabin pay $576 on a 16-night Princess Hawaii cruise. They pay $340 on a 10-night Carnival Alaska cruise and $136 on a 4-night Carnival trip to Ensenada. Carnival lets you prepay online until 11:59 PM Eastern time, two days before you sail.

What should I wear on a cruise from San Francisco?

Casual clothes by day, something smarter for dinner, and a warm layer for the deck.

• Princess. Smart casual is typically recommended in the main dining rooms. Formal nights depend on the length of the cruise: none on 1 to 4 days, one on 5 to 6 days, two on 7 to 13 days and three on 14 to 20 days. A 16-day Hawaii cruise has three, and a 10-day Alaska cruise has two. Princess asks guests not to wear pool or beach clothes, gym shorts, ball caps or casual jeans in its dining rooms.
• Carnival. Most nights are "cruise casual" in the main dining room. Cruise Elegant nights call for dressier clothes, with one on select cruises of 5 days or shorter and two on cruises of 6 days or longer. Ripped or cut-off T-shirts, sheer or athletic clothing and swimwear are not permitted in the dining room.

Do I need a passport for a cruise from San Francisco?

Not for a round trip, if you are a U.S. citizen, though Princess highly recommends one. CBP calls a cruise that starts and ends at the same U.S. port on the same ship, within the Western Hemisphere, a closed loop. U.S. citizens on one can show a government photo ID with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. That covers the Alaska, Hawaii and Baja round trips here, which stop at Prince Rupert or Ensenada.

CBP also says you need a passport to fly back into the United States from another country, which matters if you miss the ship in port and have to fly home. One-way sailings, such as Carnival Luminosa's crossing to Tokyo or Ruby Princess's Panama Canal trip to Fort Lauderdale, are not closed loops. Our schedule has 94 round trips and 7 one-way sailings, and the documents guide covers each case.

What happens if I miss the ship in San Francisco?

It sails without you. Princess says the ship will not wait for late guests, even when a flight is delayed, and that you may not be eligible for a refund. Carnival's ticket contract says a guest who fails to board at embarkation cannot board later and gets no refund, and that the cost of rejoining the ship is the guest's.

With departures at 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM, a morning flight on sailing day leaves little room for a delay. A night in the city first lowers that risk, and the hotel guide covers the area around Pier 27.

Can I park at the cruise terminal in San Francisco?

No. The port says temporary or overnight parking is not provided at the cruise terminals. It names Metropolis, which offers cruise parking at 55 Francisco Street and 80 Francisco Street. The port says to book directly with Metropolis and confirm before you travel, because it does not manage the lots. The parking guide has the details.

Where do I start if I have not picked a cruise yet?

Start with the full schedule, which lists 101 sailings on 4 lines from 8 November 2026 to 19 October 2028. For a first trip of a few nights, see short cruises from San Francisco. To choose a month first, use the season guide.