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Cruises from San Francisco: Details on Departures from SF's Pier 27
By: Jill Loeffler • Published: October 26, 2015 • Updated: February 19, 2025
Hop aboard one of these cruises from San Francisco and enjoy the ultimate vacation experience. From Pier 27 in SF, you will find trips with destinations to Alaska, Mexico, and Hawaii.
You can also enjoy a longer cruise through the Panama Canal or over to the South Pacific. In addition, you will also find some shorter cruises to the ports on the western coast of the US.
There are several cruises that leave SF each month. Many of them offer round trip service to your destination and back. However, the longer options usually end in a secondary location.
Read on to learn more about the various ocean journeys that start in SF.
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.
Cruises Leaving from San Francisco by Month
This is a great section for those looking to book a cruise that leaves from San Francisco. The date listed is when it departs from San Francisco.
My calendar offers upcoming cruises for both 2025 and 2026 by month.
March 2025
- 3/8: 11-Night Mexico Cruise with Princess
- 3/19: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
April 2025
- 4/4: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
May 2025
- 5/4: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Glacier Bay National Park with Princess Cruises
- 5/8: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
- 5/15: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Glacier Bay National Park with Princess Cruises
- 5/22: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
- 5/26: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Glacier Bay National Park with Princess Cruises
June 2025
- 6/5: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
- 6/6: 22-Night Ultimate Alaska Solstice with Glacier Bay Cruise with Princess Cruises
- 6/19: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
- 6/28: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier with Princess Cruises
July 2025
- 7/3: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
- 7/9: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier with Princess Cruises
- 7/17: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
- 7/20: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Glacier Bay National Park with Princess Cruises
- 7/31: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier with Princess Cruises
- 7/31: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
August 2025
- 8/11: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Glacier Bay National Park with Princess Cruises
- 8/14: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
- 8/22: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier with Princess Cruises
- 8/28: 4-Night Mexico Cruise with Carnival
September 2025
- 9/2: 11-Night Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier with Princess Cruises
- 9/21: 15-Day Hawaiian Cruise with Carnival
- 9/24: 11-Night Mexico Cruise with Princess
October 2025
- 10/19: 11-Night Mexico Cruise with Princess
- 10/30: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
November 2025
- 11/15: 11-Night Mexico Cruise with Princess
December 2025
- 12/1: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
January 2026
- 1/2: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
- 1/18: 11-Night Mexico Cruise with Princess
- 1/29: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
February 2026
- 2/19: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
March 2026
- 3/7: 11-Night Mexico Cruise with Princess
- 3/18: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
April 2026
- 4/3: 16-Day Hawaiian Island Cruise with Princess Cruises
Upcoming Cruises Leaving San Francisco by Destination
In this section, I organized all of the upcoming cruises for you by destination.
Cruises from San Francisco to Alaska
The most popular cruises from San Francisco take visitors through the Alaska Inside Passage. This journey offers you a chance to see the wild beauty of Alaska up close. Most have three stops in Alaska as well as one in Canada.
The highlight of these cruises is the journey through either Tracy Arms Fjord or Glacier Bay. While you don't dock on these days, you do spend a number of hours cruising around these amazing natural wonders.
Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier
- June 28, 2025
- July 9, 2025
- July 31, 2025
- August 22, 2025
- September 2, 2025
Alaska Inside Passage Tour with Glacier Bay National Park
- May 4, 2025
- May 15, 2025
- May 26, 2025
- July 20, 2025
- August 11, 2025
Special Cruise: 22 Night Ultimate Alaska Solstice with Glacier Bay
- June 6, 2025
Cruises from San Francisco to Hawaii
San Francisco offers two wonderful cruises to the Hawaiian Islands. They both stop at four places among the islands, including Honolulu, Maui, and Hilo.
These cruises also make a short evening stop at the waterfront town of Ensenada, Mexico.
16 Day Hawaiian Island Cruise from San Francisco with Princess Cruises
- March 19, 2025
- April 4, 2025
- October 30, 2025
- December 1, 2025
- January 2, 2026
- January 29, 2026
- February 19, 2026
- March 18, 2026
- April 3, 2026
15-Day Hawaiian Cruise with Carnival
- September 21, 2025
Cruises from San Francisco to Mexico
Enjoy a cruise from San Francisco to the Mexican Riviera. This lively trip offers you the chance to visit several ports of call on Mexico's western coast.
You will stop in places such as Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas.
4-Night Cruise with Carnival
- May 8, 2025
- May 22, 2025
- June 5, 2025
- June 19, 2025
- July 3, 2025
- July 17, 2025
- July 31, 2025
- August 14, 2025
- August 28, 2025
11-Night Cruise with Princess
- March 8, 2025
- September 24, 2025
- October 19, 2025
- November 15, 2025
- January 18, 2025
- March 7, 2025
Panama Canal Cruises from San Francisco
Head south on the Pacific and through the Panama Canal. These tours stop in several locations on the way, including Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala or Nicaragua.
For one full day, you get the chance to enjoy the beauty of the Panama Canal. You will then continue your journey and stop in locations such as Columbia, the Bahamas, or Aruba.
Most of these cruises end their adventure in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
5 Fun Shore Excursions in San Francisco
Are you planning a visit to SF during your cruise? If so, you will find a wide variety of shore excursions for your stop. You can also check out some of my self-guided tours that will help you quickly and easily get to as many different attractions in one day as possible.
Here are five fun options.
- Alcatraz Prison Tour: The ferry terminal for the Alcatraz Cruises is within walking distance from Pier 27. Learn more about the three tour options.
- Muir Woods and Sausalito: This afternoon tour offers you 90 minutes in Muir Woods to stroll among the redwoods with some time in Sausalito at the end. Details on the morning tour. Details on the afternoon tour.
- Hop On Hop Off Tour: Explore San Francisco with ease on this Hop On Hop Off Tour. Jump off an explore at any stop along the way and continue your journey when the next bus arrives. More about SF's hop on hop off bus experience.
- Napa & Sonoma Ultimate Wine Tour: Want to sample some local wines? This shore excursion takes you to both Napa and Sonoma and ensures you are back on time for your cruise departure. More about this tour.
- Half-Day Afternoon SF City Tour: Want to explore the city with a guide? This three and a half hour tour takes you past top attractions such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street and more. Details here.
Cruise Deals
The best place to start the booking process is by checking out the deals being offered. You will find some deals directly on the cruise companies' websites as well as through third-party booking agencies.
Here are links to a few of the sites where you can discover the best deals for cruises from San Francisco (and beyond!):
- CruiseDirect: Special offers & top 10 weekly cruise deals. Best price guarantee - book now!
- Expedia: Discover the best cruise deals today on Expedia!
Luggage Storage Options
Do you need to store your luggage for a few hours or all day in SF? Here are a few places that allow you to store your luggage.
Stasher Luggage Storage: The best way to find a spot for your luggage is to head over to the Stasher Luggage Storage website. Here you can find locations for storage and book a spot ahead of time. They charge just $6 per day, which includes insurance up to $1000. Visit their site for details.
SFO: You can also store your luggage at the Airport Travel Agency in the International Terminal at SFO. They charge by the day. If you only leave it for a few hours, they will still charge the daily rate. They do scan all luggage that is set to be stored before they accept it. They are open daily from 7 am to 11 pm and you will find them near the Departures/Ticketing area.
Local Hotels: Many of the local hotels will allow you to store your luggage with their concierge. Your best bet is to call them ahead of time, tell them your story, and they will tell you if they allow it or not.
I would contact the larger chains such as Marriott or Hyatt as you have a better chance of them offering this service than others. These hotels will often take your name and ask when you will be arriving.
Most of the time, you do not need to be a hotel guest to receive this service. However, please be courteous and leave them a nice tip for this service.
Cruise Lines from SF
With the opening of Pier 27 a few years ago, San Francisco now offers several cruise options from a number of lines. You'll find the largest variety of cruise destinations operated by Princess Cruises.
Cunard Line: Cunard offers luxury cruises all around the world. It's perfect for those who love to dress up each day for their adventures, dining, and other activities. The great thing about this cruise line is that you are allowed to start and stop your cruise at many destinations throughout the world. This offers you the chance to make your cruise as short or as long as you'd like.
There are several routes that leave from San Francisco. Most head toward Hawaii first, then on to New Zealand and Australia. Others continue up through Southeast Asia, along the eastern African coast down to South Africa, back up the western side of Africa, on to Spain, and then finish in England or even New York.
All tours are on the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Anne, or Queen Mary 2, which offer room for up to 2,000 passengers.
Norwegian Cruise Line: Norwegian offers a couple of cruises that originate in San Francisco. The most popular is the one to Miami through the Panama Canal.
Princess Cruises: Princess Cruises offers the largest number of cruises leaving from SF. They offer 8 cruises with destinations around California, Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, and the Panama Canal.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Regency Seven Seas is the final company that originates cruises from San Francisco. They also offer an 18-day cruise to Miami through the Panama Canal.
Fun Things to Do While You Are in SF
About Pier 27, SF's New Cruise Terminal
How to Get Here
The best way to get to Pier 27 is by public transit. As you can see in the picture below, you will find a streetcar stop right across the street from the pier.
You can take the historic F streetcar along the Embarcadero going south from Fisherman's Wharf or north from Market Street.
You can get off at either the Sansome or Greenwich stop. You can also ask the driver to alert you when you arrive at the stop for the cruise port.
Parking
If you plan to drive, there are a few parking options nearby. I do have to warn you that parking is VERY expensive (up to $30 or more a day) in San Francisco and I only recommend this if you do not have any other options.
Here are a few parking garage options within walking distance:
- Lombard and Sansome
- Lombard near Montgomery
- Chestnut and Montgomery
Before you leave your car, make sure to review their regulations. These change frequently, as well as the pricing, so confirm that they offer 24-hour parking and what the daily rate is before you leave your car.
Hotels Nearby
Most people taking cruises from San Francisco enjoy staying a night or two before or after their visit. There are quite a few fun activities and attractions here, so, if you can, I recommend extending your trip dates a little to explore SF.
Also, it's best to stay in Fisherman's Wharf. It's an easy walk, cab ride, or streetcar ride to Pier 27. Here are a few of the best options.
Hi, I'm Jill!
Dreaming of a San Francisco vacation? As a proud local, I'm here to share my insider tips and personal experiences to help you make the most of this iconic city!
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