Pier 27 James R. Herman Cruise Terminal — Local services in San Francisco

A project well done!

Let me start by disclosing that I have never boarded a cruise ship at this Terminal, so I am mostly focusing on the brief history of the place and how it, I think, improved the SF waterfront amongst other things.

Until 2014 all the cruise ship to San Francisco was through Pier 35. The pier was an old and aging facility that was rebuilt in 1930s by the State Board of Harbor Commissioners. However, as cruise ship traffic to San Francisco almost tripled in 1990s, the increased strain on the pier made it obvious that something had to be done. So in 2007 the Port Commission accepted the recommendation to build a modern cruise terminal at Pier 27.

The new Pier 27 terminal (named James R. Herman Cruise Terminal after the former president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union) opened in August 2014. It has electric shore power, larger holding areas, and secure customs screening and handles many more ships per year than Pier 35 ever did.

The area in front of the terminal was made into a park (Cruise Terminal Plaza Park) and is a favorite of many locals who wish to walk their dogs in the afternoon. I do not have enough insight about economic or other effects of the new terminal on the city, but as far as the cosmetics go, I can say with certainty that it has improved the look of that portion of San Francisco waterfront. Next time you are walking along the Embarcadero take a few minutes to take a detour and walk around the park and see some of the areas you may have access to...

Pier 27 James R. Herman Cruise Terminal is located on the northern waterfront of The Embarcadero. The terminal is about a 20 minute walk from the Embarcadero BART/Muni station. The nearest streetcar stop is The Embarcadero/Sansome Street. Cruise ships (Princess, Celebrity, Carnival, Seven Sea’s, Norwegian, to name a few) generally berth at Pier 27. On days when multiple ships are in port, Pier 35 may be assigned. The port of San Francisco is located along the Embarcadero waterfront. Passengers will enter from the Embarcadero into a small lobby where soft security checks will take place. Passengers will be required to present a government-issued photo ID and cruise travel documents. Due to heightened security measures, taxis and private vehicles are not permitted to enter Pier 27 Cruise Terminal, nor will they be permitted to wait by the curb unless they are actively in the process of loading or unloading passengers. Private motorcoaches may be permitted if space in the terminal...

I’ve been on many cruises. This is a bad terminal. The porters guilt you into tipping more despite a generous and reasonable tip. The staff enforces masks in the building despite a federal judge overturning the mask mandate. Check in the cruise was chaotic and disorganized. There were no signs directing which line we should go in, and which boarding groups they were serving. The security screening staff think it’s funny to have us unnecessarily raise our hands in the air while walking through the metal detectors. On disembarkation day, the staff would not let my father in the building to use the restroom. Instead, they advised him to go in the...