B Street Pier — San Diego's Cruise Terminal, Explained for Arriving and Departing Passengers
One pier on the downtown Embarcadero handles San Diego's cruise traffic. Here's how the curb works, what parking actually costs, and the flat-rate alternative.
Flat rates: SAN ↔ terminal $65 · Downtown $65 · Coronado $75 · La Jolla $95 · luggage handled · (858) 522-0264
TL;DR
San Diego cruises sail from the B Street Cruise Ship Terminal at the Port of San Diego, on the Embarcadero in downtown — steps from the waterfront, minutes from the Gaslamp, and about a 10–20 minute drive from SAN airport. Terminal parking runs $25/day (a 7-night sailing = $175+ before you've boarded). EGT drops you curbside at the terminal entrance instead: $65 SAN ↔ terminal, $65 downtown, $80 Coronado, $95 La Jolla — flat, pre-booked, luggage loaded and unloaded by your driver. Call (858) 522-0264.
Where the terminal is and how the curb works
The B Street Cruise Ship Terminal sits at the Port of San Diego on the downtown Embarcadero (North Harbor Drive at B Street) — one of the most central cruise terminals in any U.S. port city. Embarkation mornings concentrate taxis, rideshares, hotel vans, and private cars into the same curb window; a pre-booked car with a driver who works this curb weekly gets you to the luggage porters without circling.
EGT drivers drop directly at the terminal entrance, unload every bag, and hand you off porter-side. On disembarkation day the same works in reverse: your driver is staged as you clear the gangway and customs, not summoned afterward.
Terminal and schedule information per the Port of San Diego — official cruise page; airport information per San Diego International Airport (flysan.com). All rates as published on EGT's cruise terminal car service page. Checked .
Parking math vs. a flat-rate car
Terminal-area parking is $25/day. The honest comparison for a couple from a downtown hotel:
| Option | 7-night sailing cost | What you still deal with |
|---|---|---|
| Drive + park at terminal | ~$175 parking + fuel | Luggage across a parking structure, car sitting a week, post-cruise garage exit queue |
| EGT from downtown hotel | $65 each way | Nothing — curbside both ends, bags handled |
| EGT from SAN (fly-in passengers) | $65 each way | Nothing — meet curbside at SAN, board ready |
| Route | Flat rate | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|
| SAN Airport ↔ B Street Cruise Ship Terminal | $65 | 10–20 min along North Harbor Drive |
| Downtown / Gaslamp hotel ↔ terminal | $65 | 10–15 min |
| Coronado ↔ terminal | $75 | Bridge cross, 12–20 min |
| La Jolla ↔ terminal | $95 | 20–30 min |
Rate clarity: $65 is the local downtown ↔ pier point-to-point rate (non-airport). $65 is SAN airport service — curbside airport pickup or drop-off with real-time flight tracking, luggage handling, and driver staging included. They are different services, not alternative prices for the same ride.
Which sailings use B Street Pier
San Diego's cruise calendar is dominated by Mexican Riviera itineraries, with Holland America, Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity, Princess, and Norwegian among the lines calling at B Street Pier. Ship schedules vary by season — the Port of San Diego's official cruise page publishes the current ship calendar; check your cruise line's documents for your specific boarding window.
Curbside at the pier, not circling the Embarcadero
$65 SAN ↔ terminal · $65 downtown · $80 Coronado · $95 La Jolla — flat, pre-booked, no surge on embarkation morning.
Call (858) 522-0264