Port of Call San Francisco

Visiting San Francisco And Fishermans Wharf

Alcatraz

If you’re coming to San Francisco to catch a cruise or visiting as a cruise port of call, San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is a great starting point. While the wharf is an exciting area there are also a number of adventures and excursions that depart from here. Catch a famous 100 year old cable car that has made San Francisco famous or rent a bike to take you up and down San Francisco’s hills or even across the Golden Gate Bridge. Also no trip to San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf is complete without a trip to Alcatraz Island. The Alcatraz ferry departs from Alcatraz Landing – Pier 33.

Where Your Ship Docks

The cruise piers in San Francisco occupy a great location on the city’s waterfront and only a few blocks away from the famous Fisherman’s Wharf. This area is the focus for most visitors to the city. The cruise terminals have public facilities and walking out is permitted and right outside the port area is the center of San Francisco’s tourist hot spots. Taxis are easily available but chances are, all you need is to stroll down the street.

Transportation

Riding Cable Cars – It’s easy to catch a cable car. The city has three cable car lines – two start at Powell and Market and continue to Fisherman’s Wharf; one starts at California and Market and continues to Van Ness Avenue. Board at the cable car turntables (the beginning or end of each route) or look for the brown-and-white cable car stop sign post. Ride fares can be purchased at a number of locations. General fare is $8.00 each trip, Senior/ Disabled/ Medicare $4.00 with children 4 and under Free.

For all-day travel, you may want to purchase a visitor Passport. A Visitor Passport can be purchased at ticket kiosks, on Clipper® and sales locations for 1, 3, or 7 consecutive days of unlimited rides on Muni, Muni Metro, historic streetcars, and cable cars.  Single ride Cable Car tickets are also available. 

  • Passports are the same price for all ages and abilities.
  • Muni Passports are good on Muni only. They are not valid on BART, other transit systems, tour buses, or for transportation to or from San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
  • Passports expire at 11:59 pm. on the first, third or seventh day of use, and must be used by January 31 of the year following the year printed on the cover of the Passport.
  • 1-Day Passports $24
  • 3-Day Passports $36
  • 7-Day Passports $47
  • Cable Car Single Ride Ticket $8

Currency

Local currency is the U.S. Dollar and most major credit cards are welcome with ATMs being plentiful.

Attractions

Aquatic Park Pier (MUNI Pier) – A great place to start exploring at Fisherman’s Wharf offering great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, or the remarkable 22-acre Alcatraz island, Ghirardelli Square, Coit Tower, and the sweep of San Francisco Bay. The pier runs a good distance into the water and the views are spectacular.

Umbrella Alley – Don’t miss Umbrella Alley near Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s located between buildings on Beach Street, featuring the California Dreaming, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, and Greetings from San Francisco murals with brightly colored balloons and umbrellas suspended overhead. Find new murals being painted next to the Summer of Love Monarch Wall which features a huge 3D butterfly.

Ghirardelli Square – San Francisco’s chocolatier encompasses an complete plaza dedicated to a love of chocolate. The complex features great shops and restaurants where you can stroll the plaza and enjoy waterfront views, don’t pass up the original Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop.

Cartoon Art Museum – At a new Fisherman’s Wharf location, the Cartoon Art Museum on Beach Street is a must do experience with exhibits on comic strips, comic books, political cartoons, graphic novels, and even underground comix.

Stroll through Fisherman’s Wharf world of art featuring galleries filled with paintings, sculptures, mixed-media along with street performers, and public space art. Don’t forget to get a caricature drawn and post an Instagram selfie in Umbrella Alley.

Visit a Liberty Ship – The SS Jeremiah O’Brien is one of the few remaining fully functional Liberty ships built during World War II. The O’Brien has the distinction of being the last unaltered Liberty ship and remains historically accurate. Moored at Pier 45, Fisherman’s Wharf, a popular San Francisco attraction.

SS Jeremiah O’Brien

Any visit to Fisherman’s Wharf requires getting your picture taken under the Fisherman’s Wharf sign. It’s at the corner of Jefferson and Taylor streets and was installed in 1968 featuring a giant crab on a ship’s wheel.

Food

If this city is famous for anything it’s food. Boasting a number of originals like Boudins and Ghirardelli it also has some really great seafood.

Boudin Bakery, Bakers Hall Fisherman’s Wharf – A cafe, famous for its San Francisco sour-dough bread. Features indoor and outdoor seating and the perfect place for their clam chowder served in that sour-dough bread bowl.

Crab House – PIER 39, Level 2 -Well known for their world-famous “Killer Crab” a two pound whole crab roasted in their secret garlic sauce.

Fog Harbor Fish House – PIER 39, Level 2 – Considered one of San Francisco’s best seafood restaurants and a dining landmark. Featuring fresh 100% sustainable seafood with spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Dining room or outdoor seating available.

For a link to a complete directory to restaurants in the Fishermans Wharf area click HERE.

Graffiti Everywhere

I am not sure why but my camera is drawn to record graffiti as we travel. Some of it is incredible street art worthy of being recorded and saved, but much is just a defacing of public and private property.

Housing project, Crete
Historic fortifications, Vigo Spain

I have developed some opinions about why some places are rank with graffiti while others are completely devoid of it. My first belief has to do with how attractive a place is along with a natural reluctance of most people to deface real beauty. The exception of course involves a subculture that sees destroying a places intrinsic value and even natural beauty as a form of expressing hatred for the very place where they live and perhaps the very people they live with.

It looks more and more like the growth of graffiti in much of the world is the result of growing population displacement and immigration to places with major cultural differences. Often it seems like biting the hand that feeds?

My second belief involves regional and local authority. Some places are either overwhelmed by the task of trying to prevent or punish street vandals or perhaps do not think the vandalism rises to the level of a serious enough crime to warrant strong punishment. In these circumstances the result is usually a growing blight on the community where the locals just learn to accept the problem as part of life.

Ho Chi Minh City

The counterpoint to that is a strong local government where punishment is quick and serious enough to cause potential “artists” to reconsider their chances of arrest, jail or worse.

Stangeland, Norway

Graffiti is not new but has been around for thousands of years. Examples of graffiti have been unearthed from ancient Pompeii and Rome (above). One of the most common forms has been to protest but more and more recently it seems to have no real purpose other than to desecrate.

There are places where graffiti has been channeled into a socially acceptable art form where artists are celebrated and whole communities get involved in decorating walls and fences. In addition to the above there are economies where tourism is a major source of income to the community and tolerance for graffiti has a serious economic impact.

Quebec

Western Europe seems to be an increasing target for graffiti and many locations seem to be helpless to stop it. Unlike graffiti in many places in the world, the canvas in Europe has often become churches, historic sites and public buildings. Before the recent clash of cultures from major immigration, these buildings were considered cultural icons and considered off limits.

Above from top left: Monte Carlo, Italy. Malaga, Spain. Lisbon, Portugal. Tahiti.

Above – Top left-Monte Carlo, Italy. Top right – Palma, Spain. Bottom left – Lisbon, Portugal. Bottom right – Tahiti.

Stangeland, Norway

Often modern graffiti is becoming less political protest and more an ethnic challenge. Political protest and anarchy are growing causes that spread graffiti. It is becoming more and more common in the West to see Antifa symbols, revolutionary slogans and Arabic scrawl as a major element of graffiti, showing up from Greece to Germany, Norway to Quebec, Canada and the U.S.

Above from top left: Crete. Canary Islands. Palma, Spain. Montevideo, Uruguay. Venice, Italy. Barcelona, Spain. Cyprus. Saigon, Vietnam. Rome, Italy.
Vietnam

Interesting that there are places in the world that are virtually graffiti free. It is rare to see it in rural areas of America, or in cities in Australia and New Zealand. I can’t say I noticed any in Amsterdam which is a very permissive culture, nor in Singapore. In the case of Singapore it probably has to do with a very harsh criminal code and strict enforcement. Even the fine for not flushing a public toilet in Singapore is S$200.

Graffiti on graffiti in Lisbon

Anyone else a collector of graffiti? Care to share? Love to see what you found and where. E-mail us at TheIntentonalTraveler@gmx.com

Visiting Three Museums In Piraeus, Greece

Devote A Little Time To These Great Piraeus Museums

Piraeus is a popular cruise departure port in the Eastern Mediterranean but while cruisers look forward to visiting fascinating ports on their cruise, they should allocate some time to this amazing port city. Piraeus was the harbor for one of the ancient worlds greatest cities and this seaport has a lot of history to explore. It is also a vibrant city boasting two harbors, one being a beautiful yacht harbor ringed with a walking promenade featuring a number of outdoor cafes and restaurants. It is also home to a number of really good museums.

Archaeological Museum of Piraeus

Plan to spend an hour or two at the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus. If you happen to be there on a Saturday, even better, as admission is free on Saturdays.

Occupying the western side of an Archaeological site in central Piraeus the three floor museum houses a remarkable collection of Greek artifacts from around the area. The city has been an active port dating back 2,500 years so there is much to see.

Its permanent exhibits include finds from the wider area around the city and along the southern coast of Attica. The museum’s collection covers a period spanning from the Mycenaean era, through the Golden Age of Greece, up to the Roman times and covers the history of ancient Piraeus, an important trading center of the Eastern Mediterranean.

A Liberty Ship Museum Near Athens Greece

I admit I have a special fondness for these WWII antiques having spent over two years at sea on one. So I was really surprised and pleased to find one set up as a museum in Piraeus harbor.

During World War II American shipyards launched almost three thousand Liberty Ships. These amazing cargo ships played a major role in winning the war by shipping ammunition, troops, food and military equipment across the Atlantic. This class of cargo ship was built in the United States from a British design for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass-produced on an unprecedented scale, the Liberty Ships came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial might.

When the job was done and the war ended all those cargo ships were seen by some as a huge business opportunity. Put up for auction nobody took better advantage of them than Greek shipping companies and a number of Greek families became very rich as a result.

The Hellas Liberty’s Bridge

One Liberty Ship built by the California Shipbuilding Corporation in 1943 was bought at auction in January 1947 and registered in Piraeus, Greece. This ship, one of almost one hundred bought by Greek companies remained in service until 1967 when it was retired. Restored it now it sits tied up to a pier in Piraeus harbor as a floating maritime museum.

A few other of these ships still survive restored as floating museums. Today in the United States, only three remain intact, the John W. Brown, docked at Baltimore, the Jeremiah O’Brien in San Francisco and the American Freedom in Tampa Bay.

If you find yourself in the Athen’s port city with some free time, pay a visit to the fourth, the Hellas Liberty. She’s well maintained, has a number of historic exhibits and admission is free. A great way to spend an hour going back in time.

Hellenic Maritime Museum In Piraeus, Greece

Another museum worthy of a visit while in Piraeus is next to the Marina Zeas (the Piraeus small boat marina). Another jewel of a museum, the Hellenic Maritime Museum celebrates Greece’s impressive naval past from antiquity to the 20th century. The modern building sitting at the mouth of the marina has exhibits that include miniature vessels, naval instruments, weapons, furniture, and wonderful paintings, maps and engravings. One section of the museum is devoted to the private collection of shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, a trove of sea-related treasures that once adorned his extravagant yacht, the Christina.

Piraeus Marina area

Working On The Road

The Business Owner’s Guide to Working on the Road

Whether you’re an occasional outdoor enthusiast who likes to go camping a few times a year, or you’re a seasoned RV owner who spends a significant amount on the road, it’s important for business owners to stay connected and available. Today, The Intentional Traveler provides some tips and resources to help you with remote work.

Become Tech Savvy

Make an investment in top-of-the-line technology. Buy a good quality laptop or tablet and keyboard, and make sure you have plenty of storage and a hefty data plan with a reliable wireless network. The same goes for your smartphone. High-quality earbuds can come in handy, as can rechargeable power banks that allow you to recharge even if you aren’t in close proximity to a power source. Having the ability to turn a phone into a hot spot for a tablet or laptop is also a smart move. According to NBC, waterproof tech gadgets are also wise investments.

Use Apps to Your Benefit

Download and learn to use traveler-friendly apps. It can be beneficial if you can participate in video conferences from anywhere, review presentations, and record memos and notes and then translate them and send them off by text or email. According to Business Insider, other helpful apps include GPS apps, currency conversion apps, if camping out of the country, and from a practicality standpoint, weather, road condition, and WiFi finder apps. You can also use applications to find dry, warm lodging in the event your trip gets rained or snowed out.

Keep Some Things Low-Tech

In some instances, it makes more sense to go low-tech while combining camping and work. For example, if you need to review an existing hard-copy employee training manual, rather than scan each page into a PDF before your camping trip, it might be easier to take a physical copy with you so you can go through and mark up the content by hand. You might also prefer to talk to clients and staffers by phone for quick chats rather than worry about your clothing, background, and connectivity for a Zoom meeting.

Additionally, you might as well take advantage of free resources whenever possible. For instance, this invoice maker can generate professional-looking invoices for your customers and help you maintain precise records – and all for free!

Plan Travel With Work in Mind

As you’re planning your camping trips, look for campsites that offer free WiFi, or can assure you of good connectivity. If you’re tent camping, having a travel table or picnic bench at your site can be helpful. Even though you’ll likely want to spend some time entirely off the grid, plan your schedule so you can be available as needed for pre-planned check-ins or high-level meetings. You might even let people know you’ll be available during certain times of the day so you can be sure you’re in work mode and ready to talk or answer emails.

Be Mindful of Travel Challenges

You can easily get caught up in your camping and outdoor adventures and lose track of time, so be mindful of time zone differences and deadlines. If possible, avoid camping trips during especially busy times of the year, or at critical points of large-scale projects. You should also designate someone you trust to act in your stead and make decisions in the event you can’t be reached when you’re camping. Set your email to send notifications when you’re out, when you’ll return, and what clients and staffers can do if they have an immediate need.

Ensure Smooth Operations

Of course, the more organized your business is in general, the easier it will be for you to run it while you’re on the go. Create a comprehensive business and marketing plan and register your business as a limited liability company, or LLC. This will protect you from some types of liability, give you flexibility, and make it easier to file come tax time. You can do the work yourself, hire an attorney, or your best option, use a formation company to handle details. LLC laws vary from one state to another, so learn yours in advance. And if you’re trying to decide between Zenbusiness vs Legalzoom, the former is cheaper and provides more service throughout various stages of your business.

Tips for Pre-Startups

If you’re just thinking about launching a business and considering business models that will give you freedom and flexibility to travel, there are a number of options to consider. You can play on your professional skill sets and simply work in a remote capacity, or launch an operation that lends itself to remote work. This might include IT projects, accounting, editing, or creative jobs like graphic design or social media management. Jobs like customer service or help desk support can be tricky, as you typically need to be available as customers need you. 

The best part about being your own boss is having the freedom to hit the open road whenever you like. In fact, with just a little planning and dedication, the open road can be your new office! After all, why chain yourself to a desk if you don’t have to?

The Intentional Traveler invites you to join us as we offer up reflections on where we’ve been and dream about where we’re going next. Please subscribe to make sure you never miss a thing!

Those Caribbean Cruise Private Islands

In any number of surveys one of the top reasons for booking a Caribbean cruise is spending time on a tropical beach. If that’s what attracts you to Caribbean cruising make sure your cruise includes a day at a private island. Lots of time on a beautiful tropical beach, water sports, cook-outs, restaurants and bars, with many including water parks, zip lines and nature walks.

The Appearance And Rise Of Cruise Private Islands

Primarily a Caribbean phenomena the private island cruise destination was developed mainly as a business decision. Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Stirrup Cay was the first cruise line private island acquired back in 1973. This developed destination had a number of benefits for the cruise companies.

  • It added an itinerary destination other ships didn’t offer.
  • It eliminated much of the port fee expenses.
  • It was a more controlled and safe environment.
  • It reduced the likelihood of passenger money being spent off-ship.

Soon after Norwegian Cruise Line opened Stirrup Cay other cruise companies recognizing the appeal of private islands, started planning their own. Depending on the definition, today the Caribbean is home to between 8 and 12 of these destination cruise ports and there are indications that the phenomenon is likely to appear in other world regions soon.

Coco Cay

The Caribbean private islands include:

Castaway Cay

Castaway Cay

  • Cruise Line: Disney Cruise Line
  • Location: The Bahamas
  • Castaway Cay is located in the Bahamas. Disney describe Castaway Cay as an island that has everything needed for the perfect beach getaway– including lounge chairs, beach umbrellas, and tasty food. The island also offers scenic walking trails, water play areas, open-air BBQ dining locations, and more.
NCL Great Stirrup Cay

Great Stirrup Cay

  • Cruise Line: Norwegian Cruise Line
  • Location: The Bahamas
  • Norwegian Cruise Line describes Great Stirrup Cay as an idyllic paradise. One of the oldest private islands in the Bahamas, it’s a traditional tropical destination, with beaches, lounges, and cabanas. Also featured are bars, restaurants, a spa, and a zipline.

Half Moon Cay

  • Cruise Line: Holland America Line
  • Location: The Bahamas
  • Holland America’s private island offers a wide array of activities, including snorkeling, kayaking, horseback riding, and more. With a half-moon shaped beach, the island even has a chapel for wedding and renewal of vows.
Half Moon Cay

Harvest Caye

  • Cruise Line: Norwegian Cruise Line
  • Location: Belize
  • Advertised as having a huge swimming pool, Harvest Caye is Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest private destination. Located in Belize, the island has a beach, a saltwater lagoon, a zipline, and a marina featuring bars and restaurants.
Harvest Cay

Labadee

  • Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International
  • Location: Haiti
  • Developed and operated by Royal Caribbean, the recreation area was opened around1985. While not an island it is an isolated peninsula. Labadee offers several beaches, an alpine coaster, a zipline, numerous watersports, food and a Haitian flea market.
Labadee

Perfect Day CocoCay

  • Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International
  • Location: The Bahamas
  • Perfect Day at CocoCay has recently been upgraded. It features a beach club with bars and restaurants, a lagoon, and a large water park with the tallest waterslides in North America. Another attraction is the Up, Up & Away helium balloon, allowing guests to view the island from the sky.
Coco Cay
Princess Cay

Princess Cays

  • Cruise Line: Princess Cruises
  • Location: The Bahamas
  • Princess Cruises, says that the private destination boasts outstanding amenities while carefully preserving local nature on the island. Among the attractions is an observation tower, a full range of watersports, and a beach BBQ area.

Ocean Cay

  • Cruise Line: MSC Cruises
  • Location: The Bahamas
  • A new private island, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, opened in 2019 it features a complete tropical experience with beaches, a saltwater lagoon, a lighthouse, a sports zone, and more. Promoted as more than a private island, it is a marine reserve. Around the island, you’ll find eight white sand beaches, two of them on a calm lagoon and the other six open to the ocean. It features a restaurant and bar within walking distance to any of the beaches. The landmark on the island is a Lighthouse.
Ocean Cay

Mahogany Bay

Mahogany Bay
  • Cruise Line: Carnival*
  • Roatan, Nicaragua
  • This beach destination is attached to a cruise port shopping village that includes good beaches, watersports and a zipline along with a couple of bars and a restaurant. It is also not a private island but a peninsula.
  • *Mahogany Bay was developed by a partnership with Carnival and the government and the cruise port is open to other cruise lines.

The Business Of Private Islands vs. Cruise Ports Of Call

Caribbean cruising has for some time represented about 35% of the worlds total cruise business. There are a number of factors involved in the size of this segment. The first is its near proximity to the huge North American market which allows potential passengers to discount the costs of getting to their cruise departure port when budgeting. Another huge element is the demand for tropical destinations. Tropical climes, white sand beaches and crystal clear waters top a majority of peoples travel wish list. In addition the Caribbean for its size provides more cruise destinations than almost anywhere else on the planet.

While the Caribbean is a lucrative cruise market it is also very competitive and there is a great deal of maneuvering to get bigger pieces of the market. Cruise lines work at this by offering more onboard amenities and ship features along with additional services and a big part also involves the appeal of the cruise itineraries. Profitability for each cruise hinges on several factors that include the booking income, filling the ship and controlling costs.

Port fees have always been a serious cost area for a cruise ship. Docking fees, often based on the ships gross tonnage, can range from $3,000 to over $50,000 per day and some ports add on a head fee per passenger. On top of that there are pilot and tug fees, security and more.

The conclusion is that private islands are a win-win for passengers and cruise ships.

For The Love Of Bicycles…

A Photo Gallery Celebrating The Bicycle

A photographic collection celebrating bicycles. Basic transportation, art, sport, obsession and a few unusual uses. Some cities couldn’t function without them and others have left them behind…

Images of bicycles from Key West to Amsterdam. Ravenna to Montevideo.
Images of bicycles from Key West to Amsterdam. Paris to Saigon.