SAN DIEGO CRUISE TERMINAL

There are two terminals at the Port of San Diego, both of which are located on the Embarcadero which is a two-mile stretch of downtown waterfront that offers dining, shopping, accommodations, and attractions – all with a great view.

Most cruise ships dock at the larger terminal – the B Street Pier & Cruise Ship Terminal. The other terminal is called Port Pavillion and it handles special events and public waterfront access in addition to the cruise ships that dock there.

B STREET PIER & CRUISE TERMINAL: 1140 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101

PORT PAVILION ON BROADWAY PIER: 1000 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101

If you are using a GPS or map program (we use Here WeGo), input the above addresses and you’ll be directed to the correct location.

For real-time traffic information (including driving times, incident reports, transit routes)you can check out the SANDAG and San Diego Transportation Partners website at 511 Website.

PASSENGER & LUGGAGE DROP OFF

EMBARKATION: You may be driven onto the B-Street pier for drop-off but please be prepared to present your ID and ship ticket for that date to do so.

DISEMBARKATION: When returning you can either retrieve your vehicle and return to the terminal to pick up your companions and luggage in the loading area, or take your luggage and companions to your parking lot to retrieve your vehicle.

The area next to the cruise terminal is for loading and unloading only so you should be prepared to unload/load quickly to allow others to do the same.

TAXIS: As to be expected there is a high demand for taxis during peak disembarkation hours and they may not be readily available. Please account for this wait time in your plans for departure day, especially when booking a flight home.

PORTS OF CALL FOR SHIPS DEPARTING SAN DIEGO

Astoria, USA  |  Bora Bora, French Polynesia  |  Boston, USA  |  Buenos Aires, Argentina  |  Cabo San Lucas, Mexico  |  Callo, Peru  |  Cape Horn, Falkland Islands  |  Cartagena, Colombia  |  Charleston, USA  |  Colon, Panama  |  Coquimbo, Chile  |  Corinto, Nicaragua  |  Cozumel, Mexico  |  Ensenada, Mexico  | Fakarava, French Polynesia  |  Fanning Island, Kiribati  |  Fort Lauderdale, USA  |  Fuerte Amador, Panama  |  Galveston, USA  |  Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands  |  Guaymas, Mexico  |  Half Moon Cay, Bahamas  |  Hawaii  |  Huatulco, Mexico  |  LaPaz, Mexico  |  Lima, Peru  |  Loreto, Mexico  |  Manta, Ecuador  |  Manzanillo, Mexico  |  Mazatlan, Mexico  |  Moorea, French Polynesia  |  Monterey, USA  |  Montevideo, Uruguay  |  Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands  |  Panama Canal  |  Papeete, Tahiti  |  Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica  |  Puerto Chiapas, Mexico  |  Puero Montt, Chile  |  Puerto Quetzal, Guatamala  |  Puerto Vallarta, Mexico  |  Punta del Este, Uruguay  |  Puntarenas,  Costa Rica  |   Raiatea, Society Islands  |  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  |  Salaverry, Peru  |  San Francisco, USA  |  Santa Barbara, USA  |  Seattle, USA  |  Topolobampo, Mexico  |  Trujillo, Peru  |  Tuamotu, French Polynesia  |  Valparaiso, Chili  | Vancouver, Canada  |  Victoria, Canada

*Please Note: These scheduled ports of call are not guaranteed as the cruise line may make changes to their itineraries due to weather or other reasons. 

MONEY MATTERS

CURRENCY

The currency of the United States is the US Dollar (USD) which is divided into 100 cents. It is printed on paper bills in the following denominations: $1, $2 (uncommon), $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. It also includes the following coins: 1¢ (penny), 5¢ (nickel), 10¢ (dime), and 25¢ (quarter). There are 50¢ pieces and dollar coins but they aren’t common.

TIPPING

Although it’s not mandatory, tipping is customary in the United States and some service industries will expect a tip for a job well done. Visitors from outside the country may also be surprised at how much is tipped as it can be quite a bit more than in, for example, European countries.

RESTAURANTS: It is customary to offer your waiter or waitress a tip between 15-20% depending on the level of service they provided. Usually, you will find the service is very attentive (refilling your drinking, checking on your party etc.) but if the service isn’t great you can leave a smaller tip or even no tip. Typically service that doesn’t warrant a tip does warrant speaking with a manager to voice your dissatisfaction. If you are dining with a large group (usually 8 or more) the restaurant may add an 18% service charge to your bill automatically so check for this before you add your tip. This is usually indicated at the bottom of a menu if the restaurant does this, or it will be indicated on your bill.

BARS: A tip of 10-15% is appropriate at a bar. In some places, you’ll find a “tip jar” on the bar and others you can give the tip to your server directly.

TAXIS: A tip of 10-15% of your fare is customary, especially if your driver helps you with your luggage.

Paying with a credit or debit card is very common and in most restaurants, bars, and even taxis,  you’ll be able to add a tip to the total on the machine when you settle the bill if you don’t have cash. This is so common that many credit card machines now even have buttons with 15% / 18% / 20% on them so it will calculate the tip for you if you choose that option. You are always given the option to select the amount you’d like to tip, or you can opt not to put the tip on your card and give a cash tip instead.

BANKS & ATMS

Finding an ATM (Automated Teller Machine) will not be too difficult in San Diego.   We’ve pinned several ATMs that are near the terminals to the map below.

Generally, in the US, you will find ATMs at banks (some may have drive-thru ATMs), in grocery stores, gas stations, and in pharmacies (of which two common ones are CVS and Walgreens).

GETTING AROUND SAN DIEGO

San Diego is a very easy city to get around as there are so many options available to you. If you are flying in you’ll only be three miles from the cruise terminals so you can easily catch a taxi into the downtown area. For those arriving by train, the Santa Fe Depot is within walking distance of the terminals.

Once in the city options abound such as:

• Old Town Trolley – This is a great way to visit the main tourist areas of the city with stops at Old Town, Seaport Village (near the cruise terminals), Gaslamp Quarter, Coronado, Little Italy, and Balboa Park. You can either ride the full two-hour narrated historic tour at one time or hop on and off at different stops throughout the day. We used this trolley service on our visit to the city and would recommend it.
• Big Bay Shuttle – This operates between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends and includes eight stops along San Diego’s bayfront from Harbor Island to the South Embarcadero near the convention centre.
• Pedicabs and Carriages- These are popular ways to travel along the downtown waterfront area and into the Gaslamp Quarter.
• Coronado Ferry – Runs across San Diego Bay between the Broadway Pier, the Convention Center, and the Coronado Ferry landing. This would be a good idea for a quick view of the downtown skyline and Coronado Bridge if you don’t have time to take one of the harbour cruises.
• GoCar – This is a GPS-guided storytelling car.
• Pedego Electric Bike– Located along the bay you can rent a bike and enjoy the fresh air. It is worth taking a quick look at Groupon if you are interested in this option as they have deals up to 50% at different times.

SAN DIEGO WEATHER

In general, you’ll find the summers are short, warm, and arid while the winters are long, cool and partly cloudy. The best times to visit San Diego for warm-weather outdoor activities is from early June to mid-October.

The hottest part of the year is from mid-July to early October with an average daily high temperature of 75°F (24°C). The cooler part of the year is from the end of November to the beginning of April with average daily high temperatures below 67°F (19°C).

SAN DIEGO VISITOR’S CENTER

There are several visitor centers in the San Diego area where you’ll find maps, special services information, activity brochures, and helpful staff. The center you’ll be closest to on your cruise will the location on Harbor Drive so that is the information we’ve included here.

LOCATION: 996-B North Harbor Drive, Downtown San Diego

PHONE: 1-619-737-2999

HOURS OF OPERATION: Open daily from 09:00 – Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day –  Please note though hours may be seasonal and subject to change so best to give them a call before visiting to confirm they are open.

For the Official San Diego Visitor’s Guide click here to sign up to receive one by mail or instant download.

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

San Diego is a year-round vacation destination offering a large array of annual events. They have a range of colourful street festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, and speciality fairs.

Some of the big events of the year include:

San Diego Restaurant Week (January & September) – More than 180 restaurants participate in a celebration of local dining.

Coronado Flower Show (April) – The nation’s largest flower show with flower exhibits, and live entertainment.

Comic-Con International (July) – The largest comics and pop culture event in the United States attracts thousands of artists, celebrities and fans of comic books, movie memorabilia, and all things pop culture.

MSAS Miramar Air Show (September) – A world-class air show featuring the best military and civilian pilots in the world, including the U.S. Navy’s famous Blue Angels.

San Diego Bay Parade of Lights (December) – Hundreds of boats are decorated for a spectacular holiday boat parade of lights in the bay.

This list of events is just the tip of the iceberg for San Diego and we’d highly recommend you click on the Calendar of Events link to see what events will be on when you’re in town for your cruise.

DINING

While you’ll have plenty to eat aboard your cruise, you shouldn’t give up the chance to try some of the great things San Diego has to offer.

Being on the coast, fresh seafood is a given and there are several places to enjoy it if you’re a seafood lover. Also with its close proximity to Mexico, you’ll be able to find tons of places to indulge in some authentic Mexican fare.

A few dining suggestions are:

Rooftop Restaurants – With the weather in San Diego being near perfect just about all the time why not dine al fresco and get great views of the city too? This link will take you to 7 recommendations for rooftop restaurants from SanDiego.org.

Must-Try Mexican Restaurants – Local experts were asked to choose places that represent the city’s dedication to authentic Mexican fare and these are the seven they selected.

Kansas City Barbeque – Our personal recommendation, especially for those that are fans of the movie Top Gun, is to pop in here for some lunch. This restaurant was where they filmed the scenes of Maverick and Goose playing the piano and singing “Great Balls of Fire” with the ladies. The original restaurant was destroyed by fire in 2008 but it’s been rebuilt and still retains that look from the film.

SHOPPING

Remember to save some money for shopping in your ports of call, but if you want to do a little shopping pre-cruise (maybe find something new to wear to dinner onboard?) then San Diego has got you covered. You’ll find all the popular retailers here but for some unique shops you can try the following:

Gaslamp Quarter – This area has many trendy boutiques lining the streets or you can visit the multi-level outdoor mall, Horton Plaza.

Little Italy – On Fir Street, you’ll find colourful cottage boutiques with stylish options for women’s clothing, accessories, shoes, and home decor.

Fiesta de Reyes/ Bazaar del Mundo – Located in the Old Town State Historic Park, this area is a popular destination for food, folklore, and traditional shops that capture the essence of San Diego’s history and culture.

Seaport Village – Enjoy the sea breezes in this waterfront shopping, dining, and entertainment complex along San Diego Bay. There are four miles of meandering cobblestone pathways, ponds, fountains, and lush landscaping with more than 50 shops, restaurants, and sidewalk cafés tucked away.

MAP

The map below shows the points of interest mentioned above in relation to the cruise terminal.