Sail under the Golden Gate at sunset. Alaska or Mexico next.
Princess sails year-round from Pier 27 on the Embarcadero, with Celebrity, Holland America and Royal Caribbean in season: 10 night Alaska round trips in summer, 10 night Mexican Riviera and 15 night Hawaii voyages in the cooler months, and 4 to 7 night California coastal cruises in between. SmartCruiser shows every sailing leaving San Francisco from every line, prices them with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit and better-than-public fares at the top.
Three ways to sail from San Francisco
Pick the trip and the list filters itself; every one of them starts with the bridge overhead.
Alaska, 10 nights
- Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and glacier scenic cruising, with a Victoria call on the way home
- Princess every ten days from May to September, no flight to Seattle or Vancouver
- Four sea days to settle in; the long way is the relaxing way
Best for: Bay Area families, retirees, anyone who wants Alaska without an airport.
Mexican Riviera, 10 nights
- Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, sometimes Manzanillo
- Princess from fall through spring, with Celebrity and Holland America in season
- Three sea days south, three home; warm water from October on
Best for: a longer, calmer version of the LA Mexico week.
Hawaii, 15 nights
- Honolulu, Maui, Kauai and Hilo with ten sea days and no flight
- Princess, fall through spring; often with an Ensenada stop
- The ship is the destination; bring the books you never finish
Best for: sea-day lovers, honeymooners with time, repeat cruisers.
San Francisco deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every sailing from Pier 27 from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery sailing from San Francisco
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Where ships from San Francisco sail
Four directions from one pier. Pick one and the list above filters to it.
Which line from San Francisco?
One line is here all year; three more visit in season. Our one-line take on each.
When to go
San Francisco sails all year, but the trips change with the season.
San Francisco cruise questions we answer every day
Where is the terminal, and what does parking cost?
Ships use the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27 on the Embarcadero, with Pier 35 as the overflow berth. There is no overnight parking at the terminal itself; the long-term cruise garage at 80 Francisco Street a few blocks away and the nearby Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf garages typically run about $20 to $30 a day, so for a 10 or 15 night cruise it is worth pricing a park-and-cruise hotel package or BART from the East Bay.
How far is the airport?
SFO is about 14 miles and 25 to 40 minutes by taxi or rideshare, or 35 minutes on BART to Embarcadero and a short walk or cab along the waterfront. Oakland is about 20 miles. We can add a transfer to your booking.
When do we actually go under the Golden Gate?
Ships sail around 4 p.m. and pass under the bridge roughly an hour later, so be on the top deck with a jacket by 4:30. Coming home, the bridge appears at dawn; set an alarm, it is worth it.
Should we come in the night before?
Bay Area and Sacramento cruisers drive in the morning of sailing; boarding starts around 11 a.m. If you are flying, come in the night before and stay on the Embarcadero or near Fisherman’s Wharf, both an easy walk or short cab to Pier 27.
Do I need a passport to cruise from San Francisco?
Round-trip Alaska, Mexico and Hawaii sailings are closed-loop, so US citizens can sail with a birth certificate and government photo ID, even with the Victoria stop. One-way sailings ending in Vancouver require a passport. We recommend a passport for everyone: if you need to fly home from Cabo or Juneau via Canada, you cannot board without one.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Gratuities, drinks packages, excursions and parking are extra.
Talk to a San Francisco cruise specialist
Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we price every ship sailing from Pier 27 side by side with the fares you qualify for. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.