Santa Barbara CA USA Cruise Port Guide

Location:

Cruise ship tenders arrive in the heart of the Santa Barbara Waterfront and visitors are welcomed by a hospitality team. There are plenty of maps, brochures, and community information available upon arrival to help you plan your day.

Santa Barbara Landing is in walking distance to both Santa Barbara Harbor and the historic Stearns Wharf as well as close to downtown. Downtown and waterfront shuttles for only $.50 per ride ($.25 for seniors) as well as plenty of taxis.

Printable map to take along.

Cruise calendar for this port.

Watch a destination video.

Live Nautical Chart with Wikipedia Markers

Port Location on Google Maps

Monthly Climate Averages for Santa Barbara CA USA

Sightseeing:

Lush, sun-drenched, relaxed and nestled seductively between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Santa Barbara is one of America's best-kept secrets. From State Street and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the Channel Islands and the wine country, Santa Barbara basks in sunshine, natural bounty, creativity, cultural sophistication and an appreciation for taking life at your own pace.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

Santa Barbara Trolley: Discover the enchanting seaside Spanish paradise known as Santa Barbara, through a unique fully narrated tour.

It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.

Nearby Places:

From the City, you are just minutes away from the Santa Barbara wine country. The gorgeous Santa Ynez Valley, with its breath-taking vistas, is home to such notable attractions as Solvang and the Chumash Reservation.

Shopping and Food

There is good shopping along State Street from around 600 State Street to 1400 State Street. It is not very far to walk or there are electric buses you can take for 25 cents.

Stroll the Sunday Art fair.

Currency:

The official U.S. currency is the United States dollar (symbol: $). ATM's everywhere.

Major credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are widely used and accepted, even for transactions worth only a few dollars. In fact, in some cases, it may be the only way to make a transaction. Note to overseas visitors: Prices of goods and services always seem lower than they really are, as taxes and gratuities are seldom included.

Most states have a sales tax, ranging from 2.9% to nearly 10% of the retail price; 4-6% is typical. Sales tax is almost never included in posted prices (except for gasoline, and in most states, alcoholic beverages consumed on-premises), but instead will be calculated and added to the total when you pay.

Tipping in America is widely used and expected. While Americans themselves often debate correct levels and exactly who deserves to be tipped, generally accepted standard rates are:

Full-service restaurants: 15-20% (Often this is the only income of the wait(ress). Tips are either left in cash or you can add it to the credit card slip) Note: Few restaurants add an automatic service charge, in which case it is up to you how much you tip extra. Check your bill!
Taxi drivers, hairdressers, other personal services: 10-15%
Bartenders: $1 per drink if inexpensive or 15% of total
Bellhops: $1-2 per bag ($3-5 minimum regardless)
Hotel doorman: $1 per bag (if they assist), $1 for calling a cab
Shuttle bus drivers: $2-5 (optional)
Private car & limousine drivers: 15-20%
Housekeeping in hotels: $1-2 per day for long stays or $5 minimum for very short stays (optional)
Food delivery (pizza, etc.): $2-5, possibly more for very large orders

Currency Converter

Communication:

The U.S. has no official language at the federal level, but English is by far the standard for everyday use. Several states have declared their official state language as English. Spanish is also official in the state of New Mexico, where it is widely spoken; French is official in Louisiana and the Hawaiian language is official in Hawaii, but neither approaches the use of English and are official for primarily historical reasons.

Emergency 911

Opening Hours and Holidays:

In major metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles, many drugstores and supermarkets are routinely open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, while department stores, shopping centers and most other large retailers are typically open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and often with shorter hours on Sundays - generally 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. On holidays, the tendency is to remain open (with the exception of the most important holidays like Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day where stores are generally closed)

Holidays in the USA

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