B Street Pier Cruise Ship Terminal
1140 N Harbor Drive. The main terminal and where most sailings from San Diego check in.
San Diego Airport to the Cruise Terminal
It is two miles. The hard part is luggage, not distance.
Last updated
Quick answer
San Diego's cruise terminals sit about two miles south of the airport, which the Port describes as less than a ten-minute drive — this is one of the shortest airport-to-pier transfers of any US cruise port. Ships use the B Street Pier Cruise Ship Terminal at 1140 N Harbor Drive, with the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier at 1000 N Harbor Drive used as an overflow terminal. A taxi or ride-hail is the fastest option; neither the Port nor the airport publishes a fixed fare, so check the app rather than trusting a quoted figure. The cheapest option is MTS Route 992, which leaves both terminals and lists the Cruise Ship Terminal among its stops along Harbor Drive, at $2.50 for an adult one way. With a family's worth of suitcases on a sailing morning, the bus is a false economy. The Port does not own or operate cruise parking and long-term parking is not available at the piers themselves, so if you are driving in, book with one of the third-party operators the Port lists.
Airport to the pier, compared
| Option | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxi or ride-hail | Not officially published — check the app | Fastest. Under ten minutes by the Port's own reckoning, door to door with bags |
| MTS Route 992 | $2.50 adult one way, $6 day pass | Runs from both airport terminals down Harbor Drive and lists the Cruise Ship Terminal as a destination |
| Trolley | $2.50 one way | No line runs to the pier. You would connect from Route 992 at America Plaza or Santa Fe Depot — slower than staying on the bus |
| Park and shuttle operator | Set by the operator, booked on their site | The Port lists Ace Parking, ABM Parking and Park, Shuttle & Fly; only some of them run a shuttle |
| Walking | Free | Not realistic. Two miles along Harbor Drive with cruise luggage |
Where to stay nearby
Rates and availability change daily, so we link the guide rather than quote a price. Each page compares walkable, short-drive and budget options with parking and resort fees called out.
- Hotels near San Diego International Airport (SAN)For the shortest transfer, start with Harbor Island properties such as Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina or Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor Island.
- Hotels near Seaport VillageClosest walkable: Manchester Grand Hyatt (2-min walk).
- Hotels near San Diego Cruise PortLittle Italy and the north Embarcadero offer the easiest pre-cruise base.
- San Diego NYE Hotel PackagesLodging guide for this area.
- San Diego HostelsLodging guide for this area.
Which terminal is yours
Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier
1000 N Harbor Drive, one pier south. Used when two ships are in port on the same day, so check your cruise line's documents rather than assuming.
Tag your bags before you arrive
The Port's own guidance is to have luggage tagged with your cabin details before you get to the pier — porters take it at the kerb, and there is no bag storage on the pier.
Doing it on the cheap
Route 992 is the bus that actually goes there
The 992 leaves both airport terminals and runs along Harbor Drive; its own timetable lists the Cruise Ship Terminal, the County Administration Center and the Embarcadero as destinations. $2.50 adult, $1.25 reduced.
A day pass if you are early
At $6 for the day, the pass pays for itself if you kill a few hours downtown before boarding and use the trolley to do it.
Two people with bags changes the answer
Two adult fares plus wrestling cases onto a bus is close enough to a short ride-hail that most people should just take the car.
If you are driving and leaving the car
There is no Port-run cruise car park
The Port states plainly that it does not own or operate cruise parking and that long-term parking is not available at the terminals. Anything advertising 'official' pier parking is a third party.
Operators the Port points to
Ace Parking hotel garages, ABM Parking lots and San Diego's Park, Shuttle & Fly. Rates live on their own reservation sites, not the Port's, so book direct and read whether a shuttle is included.
Some lots have no shuttle at all
The Port's own list flags ABM lots at 0.6 miles and 2.5 miles from the terminals as having no shuttle — walkable in the first case, not in the second.
Cruise parking in detail
The longer version: which lots, how far out, and when a hotel package beats paying for parking.
Arriving the day before
Hotels near the terminal
Walkable-to-the-pier options, with parking charges shown next to each.
Somewhere to eat first
What is genuinely close to the Embarcadero rather than a taxi ride inland.
Left with bags and hours to fill
Disembarking at 9am with a late flight is the classic San Diego cruise problem. Where the bags can go.
How to check this before you rely on it
- • Terminal addresses, the two-mile distance and the statement that the Port does not operate cruise parking come from the Port of San Diego's own cruise pages, checked 20 September 2026.
- • Route 992's destinations and fares come from the MTS timetable effective 6 September 2026 and the MTS fare chart.
- • No official body publishes a taxi flat fare or ride-hail price for this trip, so we do not quote one.
Frequently asked
How far is San Diego airport from the cruise terminal?
About two miles. The Port of San Diego describes the airport as less than a ten-minute drive north of the cruise terminals, which makes it one of the easiest airport-to-pier transfers in the country.
What is the cheapest way from San Diego airport to the cruise port?
MTS Route 992, at $2.50 for an adult one way or $6 for a day pass. It leaves both airport terminals and its timetable lists the Cruise Ship Terminal among its Harbor Drive stops. With a lot of luggage, a taxi or ride-hail is worth the difference.
Can you take the trolley to the San Diego cruise terminal?
Not directly — no trolley line serves the pier. You would ride Route 992 from the airport and could connect to the trolley at America Plaza or Santa Fe Depot, but for the cruise terminal itself staying on the bus is simpler and faster.
Which pier do cruise ships use in San Diego?
The B Street Pier Cruise Ship Terminal at 1140 N Harbor Drive is the main one. The Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier at 1000 N Harbor Drive is used as a second terminal when two ships are in port, so check your cruise documents.
Is there parking at the San Diego cruise terminal?
Not long-term, and not run by the Port — the Port states it does not own or operate cruise parking. It points passengers to third-party operators including Ace Parking, ABM Parking and Park, Shuttle & Fly, who set their own rates and decide whether a shuttle is included.
How early should I get to the San Diego cruise terminal?
Follow the check-in window on your cruise documents — the lines stagger arrivals, and turning up early mostly buys you a queue. Because the airport is only two miles away, a same-day morning flight into San Diego for an afternoon sailing is more realistic here than at most ports, though flying in the night before is still the safer plan.
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