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San Diego Basics

San Diego is consistently ranked as one of the most pleasant cities in which to live and visit, deservedly so. San Diego is California's second largest city, with a population of 1.25 million people. The city is also a primary embarking and disembarking port for a number of cruise lines.

San Diego has a very diverse economy, focused on defense, commerce and trade, tourism, telecommunications, biotechnology and high tech industries. San Diego plays host to the University of California San Diego, in La Jolla; the cell phone technology company Qualcomm, and the US Navy, which maintains a home port in the harbor.

Folks in the snow belt are often jealous when they see what it's like in San Diego in the middle of winter. The city is renown for its pleasant year-round Mediterranean climate, with warm, sunny days and cool evening breezes. The city's average daily temperature is 71° F (21° C). But it's also fairly arid, as San Diego averages only about 12 inches of rain each year.

First Impressions

Chances are that, since you're checking out this San Diego Basics page, you're going to either start or end your cruise in San Diego. There's nothing wrong with that, and if you decide to tack on a day or two in San Diego before or After your cruise, you will be amply rewarded.

Cruise ships dock at the San Diego B Street Cruise Terminal, which is conveniently located at the west end of Broadway, a major downtown thoroughfare. Spread out as it is, the freeway system is pretty good, and getting from one place to another isn't the big deal it is in Los Angeles. You can even take the very accessible light rail trolley around town.

Despite what you may otherwise think, San Diego is a very walkable city; it takes only about 20-30 minutes to walk from the Horton Plaza outdoor shopping mall in downtown to Balboa Park and its numerous attractions. There's nothing like enjoying the view of the city from the park when seemingly being "strafed" by the low-flying aircraft on their last approach to the airport.

The city of San Diego has been doing a lot of renovation over the past 20 years, and in the process remaking itself. The Gaslamp Quarter redevelopment has transformed the center city area, offering a variety of unique restaurants, shops and boutiques. In addition, the Marina area has seen the building of the Convention Center, the Padres' Qualcomm Park, a number of high-rise hotels and a pedestrian shopping center adjacent to the water. But the city's beautiful Balboa Park and the world-famous zoo provide a traditional counterpoint to the city's new urbanization trend.

Time Zone

San Diego is on Pacific Time, eight hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time during Standard Time, and seven hours later than GMT during Daylight Savings Time.

Language

English is universally spoken in San Diego, and you'll find a lot of the locals speak Spanish as well.

Currency

The US dollar is the official currency in the United States.

Banks and ATMs

There are several bank branches with ATM machines on West Broadway, within short walking distance of the Cruise Terminal. These include:

US Bank, 600 West Broadway, downtown San Diego (3 blocks from the Cruise Ship Terminal).

City National Bank, 501 West Broadway, downtown San Diego (4 blocks from the Cruise Ship Terminal).

California Bank & Trust, 402 West Broadway, downtown San Diego (5 blocks from the Cruise Ship Terminal).

Torrey Pines Bank, 550 West C Street, downtown San Diego (4 blocks from the Cruise Ship Terminal).

Bank of America, 655 West Broadway, downtown San Diego (3 blocks from the Cruise Ship Terminal), and in Horton Plaza, downtown San Diego (9 blocks from the Cruise Ship Terminal).

To see the locations of downtown San Diego's ATMs, see our San Diego downtown ATM map.

Weather

San Diego is renown for its pleasant year-round Mediterranean climate, with warm, sunny days and cool evening breezes. The city's average daily temperature is 71° F (21° C).

Like its larger neighbor to the north, San Diego faces "May gray, June gloom," a phenomenon in which a persistent marine layer fails to burn off during the day, making for cool overall temperatures. In addition, the climate in the San Diego area varies dramatically over short geographical distances, due to the city's topography.

Rainfall is concentrated in the cooler half of the year, particularly during the months of December through March. San Diego averages only 12 inches of rain each year.

San Diego Average Temperatures
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg High - F	65	66	65	67	67	69	73	75	75	73	69	65
Avg High - C	18	19	18	19	20	21	23	24	24	23	21	18
Avg Low - F	49	51	53	56	59	62	66	67	66	61	54	49
Avg Low - C	9	10	12	13	15	17	19	20	19	16	12	9

San Diego Average Precipitation
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg, Inches	1.8	1.5	1.8	0.8	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.2	0.4	1.5	1.6
Avg, mm	46	38	46	20	5	3	0	3	5	10	38	41

San Diego Weather Forecast, CA

Keeping In Touch

Internet Cafes & Wi-Fi Access

You can find several internet cafes and Wi-Fi hotspots in San Diego; their rates are very reasonable. Here are a few suggestions:

The Internet Place, 37 Horton Plaza, on the Mezzanine Level. They provide High Speed Internet Service with 20 computers available for your use. Internet rates are $5.50 per hour; Wi-Fi service is also available, at $3.00 for 3 hours. Open daily, 10:00 am to 9:00 pm year round. Tel: (619) 702-4643.

The Office Games has two locations: at the University Town Center Mall (4545 La Jolla Village Drive) in La Jolla, and at the Mission Valley Mall (1640 Camino Del Rio North) in San Diego. At this internet cafe, you can use their high speed computers to access the internet, play video games and use office programs. They provide access to printers, a fax machine and a scanner. Drinks and snacks available for purchase. Rates are $5.00 per hour; they're open from 10:00 am to midnight daily.

Wired Cyber Cafe, 853 Hornblend Street, in Pacific Beach. Enjoy a good cup of joe as you take in the funky Pacific Beach atmosphere. Tel: (858) 490-8060.

Starbucks has several locations in downtown San Diego. The closest one to the Cruise Terminal is at Broadway & Kentner (600 West Broadway). Other locations include 2 stores in Horton Plaza, and another at 511 F Street, in the Gaslamp Quarter.

To see the location of San Diego's Internet Cafes and Wi-Fi hotspots, see our Map of San Diego Internet Access locations.

Cellular Phone & Data Services

	Cell service: Verizon's CDMA service provides digital coverage to the greater San Diego area. Data services: Verizon offers extensive 4G LTE coverage in the greater San Diego area. Ranked #1. See details on Verizon's cell and data services coverage in the San Diego area.
	Cell service: AT&T's GSM service covers all of the greater San Diego area. Data services: AT&T offers extensive 4G and 4G LTE service in the greater San Diego area. Ranked #2. See details on AT&T's cell and data services coverage in the San Diego area.
	Cell service: Sprint's CDMA service provides digital coverage to the greater San Diego area. Data services: Sprint offers extensive 3G service in the greater San Diego area. Ranked #4. See details on Sprint's cell and data services coverage in the San Diego area.
	Cell service: T-Mobile's GSM service is available in all of the greater San Diego area. Data services: T-Mobile offers 3G/4G service in the greater San Diego area. Ranked #3. See details on T-Mobile's cell and data services coverage in the San Diego area.
	San Diego rankings per RootMetrics* report, August 2012.*

Kindle Connectivity

In San Diego, you can download your Kindle 3G data through AT&T's 3G coverage in the city.

Local Holidays & Festivals

Look for the following local festivals and events taking place in San Diego in 2013:

San Diego Restaurant Week-Winter, January 13 to 18. Some of the city's best restaurants offer 3-course prix-fixe menus; hosted at participating restaurants in the San Diego area.

Museum Month, February. Enjoy San Diego's exquisite museums at half price during February.

St. Patrick's Day Parade, March 17. The annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will make its way through beautiful Balboa Park on Saturday, March 17 at 11 am.

Easter Day Festivities, March 31. Lots of activities around town, including Easter Brunch at most restaurants.

Mission Federal Art Walk, April 27 and 28. Now in its 29th year, San Diego's beloved ArtWalk Festival will return to downtown's hip and historic Little Italy neighborhood.

San Diego County Fair, June 8 to July 4, in Del Mar. What's summer in San Diego without a visit to the fair?

Independence Day Celebrations, July 4. Fireworks, parades, BBQs, and the whole nine yards.

Racing at the Del Mar Racetrack, July 17 to September 4. The seven-week racing season will feature the nation's top horses, trainers and jockeys, and plenty of fun in the sun.

21st Annual Sea Chanty Festival, TBA (either July 21 or August 31). The Maritime Museum of San Diego, along with San Diego Folk Heritage, presents the 21st Annual Sea Chanty Fest. A day of music aboard the Star of India.

Thanksgiving, November 28. A day to look back and give thanks for all we've got.

42nd Annual Port of San Diego Boat Parade of Lights, December 8 and 15. Dazzling boat parade of lights on San Diego Bay on the two Sundays prior to Christmas.

Cruise Port Schedules

San Diego is a popular embarkation port for Carnival, Holland America and Princess ships traveling to and from the Mexican Riviera, Hawaii, plus coastal cruises to Ensenada and along the Pacific Coast, and Panama Canal voyages.

As a general rule, ships arrive at the city's cruise ship pier between 6:00 am and 8:00 am, and depart between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm.

In 2013, San Diego is slated to host 119,000 passengers sailing on 67 ships, down 18% and 15%, respectively, from 2012. For further information, see our San Diego Cruise Ship Schedule - 2013.