San Diego Cruise Port Embarkation guide (parking, nearby facilities, tips)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- Starting and ending your cruise in San Diego? We have helpful details on arriving, parking and leaving.
We have embarking and disembarkation info, with helpful tips thrown in for arriving at the airport, parking and the surrounding area! Get ideas about how to maximize your time during embarkation in San Diego.
Here at the Port Lowdown, we focus on the port (terminal, berth, whatever you want to call it) and its surroundings. Follow along as we explore the possibilities and challenges of every port we land in. This is the Port Lowdown!
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When I used the San Diego port in December 2023, one of the major long-term parking lots was closed and they were not accepting reservations for cruise people. We did research and decided to go with San Diego Airport Parking Company on Kurtz St., about 15 minutes away. We parked there and the whole process was so quick that we got to the terminal an hour ahead of time.
Noted. Not accepting cruise passenger reservations? That's odd...so many of their customers are cruise passengers.
Could the long term lot that you originally were interested in have been full? I tried to book the BRIC south and it kept saying sold out multiple times….then 4 hours later, i tried again and got a reservation. I would recommend people keep trying because the spaces open up at the end of the day as people leave the lots everyday.
Very helpful, we are driving down from north of San Diego for a January 2025 cruise. We have debated taking the train but it would be cutting it close time-wise unless we come the day before and get a hotel. Ends up that parking at the airport would be about $175, which would equal the cost of the round-trip train tickets themselves, so we will drive down! Great to see where everything is, thank you.
Quite welcome! Thus was one of our first videos, so I'm really glad it still helps people!
Wow definitely the best video on San Diego embarkation ever. Thank you for making this video!
Good information!!
Nice.
Finally! An up to date video with fantastic info! The suggestions for what to do and where to park for those of us who are driving is so helpful! Thank you!
Glad to help. This was one of our first videos, so it's great to keep getting positive feedback. Thanks!
Informative and clear , very nice
Very good review Thank you! Well needed info 😊
You're most welcome. Have a great trip!
This was awesome! Thanks so much for posting this. I'm going to file it in my HAL Cruise folder now for November.
Thanks so much! More videos coming!
Very helpful - as a travel agent that specializes in Disney, I have a lot of guests who travel out of San Diego, but... I never have, so... this is helpful. (I'm attaching it as part of the guests' itinerary.) Keep up the good work!
Wow! Thanks for the good word and reference. Coming from you, that means a lot. All the best!
Very well done. Love the birds-eye mapping visuals. You describe lots of important details which most presenters gloss over. I sailed from/to San Diego once, via airport, and so can vouch for your accuracy. To fill my time gap pre-boarding I visited the amazing USS Midway museum. My one complaint in your video is the ukulele playing on the balcony...talent aside, it's an intrusion to other staterooms. That aside, good job!
Well, thanks so much! I really appreciate the feedback. As for my son, he was doing that for a few minutes during arrival. No more. We're pretty sensitive about neighbors actually. Best to you!
Very very informative!
Im so glad I came across your video, I was clueless on parking in San Diego, didn't know we had to pay for extra days for parking at our Hotel. I've watch your video sevral times incase I missed something.. 🚢 Thank you
Thanks! Some hotels maintain the parking fees as separate from the hotel bill, some don't. Hopefully your hotel is close.
I always find your videos incredibly helpful. Thank you so much!!!! ❤
Thank you thank you! And happy travels!
They don’t have a good system for rain and luggage. Yes, it does not rain very often here in San Diego, but on our last cruise, April 2024 it rain and our suitcases sat in the rain uncovered. When we got them, water had leaked through the zippers. We had hard shell luggage. For our upcoming voyage, I scotch guarded all the zippers just in case.
What? Must have been that rack out in the open at the parking area. They leave it there for quite awhile before going in.
Appreciate the great info!! Thank you!!
Nice information
Thanks for this. We cruise from there next March. We are parking about a half mile from the port, just past the Santa Fe depot and staying the night before departure in the Wyndham Bayside. In your opinion, when we return and disembark, would it be best to have my wife and daughter wait at the port while I run to get the car, or have all of us walk to the Wyndham and have them wait for me there? Just to avoid the chaos of the port.
Hi! I would keep them at the port since it's double the work to haul luggage to another location. Just co-ordinate where to meet at the exact spot on the lot. The private pick up area is at the far end of the lot, so you can pre-arrange with your party. When you drive up, you'll most likely be directed left to the far end by security. If not sure, you can always tell them you're picking up your group. Have a great trip!
@@ThePortLowdown great, thank you!
The parking situation looks a little annoying. Long beach seems much easier. Of course it helps to grab the earliest check-in time if possible.
I'm all for early in just about any situation, frankly. I agree, parking is one of San Diego’s least appealing aspects. San Pedro is way easier. But as far as walking access to attractions and food, it's hard to beat.
@@ThePortLowdown agreed on all of the attractions. Hotels across the street too is pretty sweet.
Great info except that San Diego Port workers DO NOT care what your check-in time is. We usually sail on Holland America Line from the port and the workers are not HAL employees.
We made the mistake of honoring our given check-in time while boarding a cruise in early 2023. Consequently, we got in a huge snaking line and arrived on the ship after 3pm and missed our welcome aboard lunch on the ship. Other passengers who arrived early embarked the ship right away even though they had the same check-in time as us. Never again!
In our experience, if the line is light, they might let you in. But when the line gets long, they get strict. It's inconsistent.
It never rains here in San Diego! Lol😅. Where do you stand while waiting for boarding time? Thanks for sharing
Outside the gate by the sidewalk. There's no cover, so plan for weather. There was also a rain storm through some of my shooting! Rare, but it happens.
Nice
I have a question. If you park in a hotel, then you walk yourself and drop off your luggage correct?
Or do you still do a drive thru because of where you would park ( maybe airport) ? I don’t know if that makes any sense 🤣 I appreciate your help immensely
Yes, you can drop off yourself. Thing is, the drop off point isn't in the building, but wherever the porters are picking up where the cars drop off. It's a bit odd, but that was our experience. Thanks for the kind words, too! It keeps up going. Have a great trip!
@@ThePortLowdown Great video. It will be our first time in San Diego. I expect that we will be walking from our nearby hotel to the port. We should just find where the porters are and head there?
Thanks! Is your hotel directly across the street? If so, just cross and find the porters in the open area to your left, where the cars are dropping off passengers. At least that was our experience when we were there. There will be people to guide you if it gets confusing.
Also, my wife dropped us off at the porter area. We dropped our luggage and we were directed to wait outside the gate.
What hotel is closest to the cruise port
SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Diego Downtown/Bayfront is directly across the street.
InterContinental San Diego and Wyndham San Diego Bayside are also very close on the same street. Hope that helps!
Do realize that these hotels that are very close sell out on cruise nights up to a year in advance. It is great if you are planning a cruise months out; however, not if you book in the last 100 days.