Before guests can sail to paradise aboard Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess, they will first need to make it through the embarkation process in a cruise terminal that is known for being less than ideal.
The upcoming 16-night sailing to Hawaii is due to set sail from San Francisco, California, on March 19, 2025. Originally, the embarkation process was going to take place within the Pier 27 James R. Herman Cruise Terminal that opened in 2014.
But due to port dredging – which is necessary maintenance to ensure the depth of berthing areas – the up to 3,080 booked guests will be boarding the ship from Pier 35, which has a less than stellar reputation among locals.
“Please be advised that due to port dredging, embarkation for your upcoming Ruby Princess cruise in San Francisco will now take place at Pier 35 rather than Pier 27 as previously scheduled,” reads an update to passengers.
Pier 35 is usually only used as a backup pier for maintenance situations like this or when multiple ships are in the port on the same day – with the San Francisco Cruise Port able to accommodate up to two cruise ships at once.
While guests may need to adjust their arrival plans with short notice, such as changing their drop-off location with pre-booked ride services, Pier 35 is only a 10 minute walk at most from Pier 27.
Once onboard, they can unwind from the stress of the change with a cocktail and a plethora of entertainment options – assured that the pier change did not impact their itinerary and will only be a small portion of their experience.
The 113,500-gross ton ship will still depart as planned at 4 p.m. PST and will call on Hilo, Honolulu (Oahu), Nawiliwili (Kauai), and Kahului (Maui) in Hawaii, along with Ensenada, Mexico, before returning to San Francisco on April 4, 2025.
Is Pier 35 Really That Bad?
Over the years, Pier 35 has gotten a bad reputation as being ill-equipped for cruise operations – and is much older than Pier 27, as it first opened in 1916. It went on to serve as the primary cruise terminal for the city for eight decades.
But today, the primary complaints associated with this facility tend to orient around long lines, not enough space to accommodate the number of passengers embarking and disembarking, and lacking creature comforts that many cruisers take for granted.
“Processing of passengers was not only extremely slow but disorganized as well. The terminal lacks basic conveniences like A/C, readily accessible restrooms, restaurant and bar, and other amenities,” one review reads.
Another passenger, who sailed on Ruby Princess in 2022, also embarked from Pier 35 – much to their dismay.
“It was a mess, I’m sorry to say. The line was about three to four hours long…There didn’t seem to be adequate space and whatever they needed for boarding, as I don’t think that pier was intended for that purpose,” they observed.
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Additionally, passengers with disabilities have complained that the pier isn’t very accessible – saying the elevators don’t work correctly or take them to the wrong location.
“Upon arriving to give our passports, and ID, I asked again, they said “we don’t do priority boarding at this pier” and asked if I would be okay to walk to the ship; I have a disability and was told it wasn’t far to walk,” a former Carnival Magic guest said after explaining she was supposed to have priority boarding.
“WELL, it was far, very far, and we had to use an escalator because the elevator didn’t take us where we needed to go,” she continued.
This information isn’t just noteworthy for guests with disabilities, but also for elite members of Carnival’s VIFP loyalty program and those who purchase the Faster To The Fun package, which usually includes priority check-in and boarding.
That said, the historic pier can’t be all bad, or Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line wouldn’t continue their homeporting operations from this port – which are currently in place.
Additionally, Pier 35 currently has a 4.4 star rating on Google Reviews – with plenty of recent four and five star reviews to combat the poor experiences.
