Alcatraz Cruises

I loved this Very yuck and professional people you were guided the whole way. We got lucky ideas a beautiful day to go to Alcatraz. I love how frequent the cruises go back to sf so you don’t feel trapped there for a long period of time. Very clean.

Going to Alcatraz!!! So very exciting! The sun even came out to warm things up! :-)

Had a lovely time on the Rock. Probably the best audio tour I’ve ever experienced — perfect blend of history and entertainment. However once the headphones come off you start to feel the post walking tour fatigue. Wandering around the hilly island takes it out of you — time to leave. The park ranger told us to show up 5 min before ferry departure time… We arrived 15 min early… But it turned out that was 15 min too late. Just like how in the brilliant James Cameron’s depiction of the Titanic disaster — they didn’t fill the life boats to capacity! — the Alcatraz ferry filled about halfway before the rope came up, denying us weary tourists access to the near empty vessel. C’mon man!!! Not wanting to lose our place in line, with nowhere to sit, we stood there waiting like schmucks for another 25 min for the next boat. Fill her up for Christ’s sake! Go to the rock — it’s great — but beware of the ferry filling protocol.
As always, Snack’s got yo back.

This is a great way to get to Alcatraz and they also have a night tour. You have excellent views on the way there and back. If you are into photography this is a fun way to see the bay, the Bay Bridge and a view of Alcatraz just about anywhere on the boat. The boats fill up, but people move around and your view is not obstructed. You have the freedom to take a tour or go on your own. You can also leave on any boat going back. Easy, efficient, and great way to see Alcatraz. Also for parking, you can park away from the city anywhere on Market St and take the F-​line for $ 2.25. You get to take an old trolly and see more of the city. The transfers last a while too maybe 5 hours? So you can also take it back to your car without paying extra.

I came to Alcatraz once when I was a kid but decided to come back as a Christmas present to my boyfriend. We bought our tickets online and took a nice Sunday cruise over to The Rock.
We parked off Embarcadero near Pier 23 Café. Parking was $ 20 for the whole day — pretty good for the area. We had lunch before boarding the ship. The ride over was easy and they really have the boarding and whole process down well. Super easy and convenient.
The island wasn’t too busy — which the same cannot be said for the summer months. I really liked the audio tour and walking the cell blocks while hearing the stories and history of Alcatraz.
And the view — you cannot beat the view of downtown SF from Alcatraz. So if you’re a local or if you’re a tourist, I highly recommend a trip to The Rock.

Fun and not too expensive-​30 $ per person. Buy your tickets online 1 – 3 weeks before the day you want to go– as certain days and time slots sell out fast. Make sure you get there a few minutes before your departure time and at least 30 minutes prior if you want a good spot on the ferry. Bring a camera, jacket and plan 2 – 4 hours for the whole trip.

Wear good shoes. You will be going for a hike on «The Rock» (Alcatraz island).
The line up onto the boat is very well organized. I recommend printing your ticket at home and then getting in line by the boat once you arrive. It’s about a 15 minute ride to Alcatraz.
Once there, a Ranger gives some instructions, then you can choose to either go on a guided tour (free) or do your own audio tour (also free). For the audio tour, you have to hike up to the prison. (Not really hike like through the woods but there is definitely an incline so consider it your workout for the week). Audio tour is pretty easy… listen to the narrator and he’ll tell you where to go. The tour ends in the gift shop. Buying from here helps support alcatraz and of course, I practically handed them all my money with all the cool stuff they had. Tourist suckaaaa (me). And yes, I also bought the photos when I got back to shore. $ 20 for 1 and $ 25 for 2. Guess which I choose.
There are designated times off the island via boat so pick a time you would like to go home. Easy.
Parking: I parked at the waterfront Plaza (80 Francisco St, San Francisco, CA 94 133) $ 20

Alcatraz is definitely a must if you are visiting SF. I bought my groups tickets online, super easy and convenient, and was able to get on the boat with no problems at all. The boat ride was probably less than 10 minutes and as soon as you are on the island you listen to them explain a few things and then off you go. You walk up a few small hills and then are given a headset to listen to while walking around the prison. This was my 3^rd time going so I kind of walked around and took pictures but I recommend listening to the headset because it has a lot of cool information about the prisoners and other things. My favorite part is probably the morgue located half way up the road to the cell house. I noticed most people pass it but you should really peek in the window and check it out! I absolutely love Alcatraz and the stories behind the island. Well worth the $ 30 tickets!

We had a great time at Alcatraz. Now, we came in the beginning of December, so tickets were pretty easy to come by, but we are told that certain part of the year requires advanced purchase WEEKS ahead of time.
You are free to wonder all over the island, although much of it is under restoration or blocked off. For instance, the new industries building area is inaccessible, as well as the family barracks, the military officers area and the rec yard. There is mention of the hospital area Al Capone was in, but I don’t think you can get to it. Still, there is many places to wonder around, and the sights, views and wildlife give you a lot to look at.
I would plan on being on the island for 3 – 4 hours.

I find it interesting that true to old school Alcatraz fashion, there is one way on the island, and one way off it. This is located right at Pier 33. Book your tickets @
and do it a few days in advance.
I find it interesting that because it is such a popular attraction, the Parks and Rec department uses a 3^rd party to run things. Well, the more I think about it, let’s be honest– with the amount of people coming in and out, a third party would be best to help handle it.
If you do book online, you will have a better chance to book a ticket at the times you want. They also have special night time tours on select days. The website has a great breakdown of everything.
I originally purchased a 9:10AM tour, but since I got there so early, I was able to exchange it for the «early bird» tour– the first one of the day. I was glad I did. My ticket cost $ 31. They do have a separate line for will call and for ticket purchases.
While you wait to board, they have a cool model of Alcatraz and have some historical items on the pier as well.
When you board, it comes in first come first serve. They take your picture and you can see it upon return (it costs like $ 20, but don’t feel guilty if you don’t buy it– they recycle the unused pics). They also give you a small map and info about the island to help you get around. Make sure you get one!
They have 4 boats in their fleet (one of them being a «hybrid» which is a little smaller) that are constantly going back and forth between the pier and the island. The boarding process is fairly quick, they have it set up in four rows (based on first come first serve). It took about 5 – 10 minutes to board (they are really on it when it comes to timing, you are gone before you know it!). The trip to the island is about 10 minutes and you get great views of the bay and the city.
The boats are 3 levels– bottom level is all inside, 2^nd level is half and half, and the top level is all outside. I stayed on the top level both trips. They have food and drink options on the 1^st level but I did not utilize it. They frown upon alcohol consumption as well.
It is great to know that they have a company with their shit together to help herd the cattle on and off of Alcatraz– I cannot wait to visit it again!

Having lived within a couple hours of San Francisco her entire life, my wife had never been to Alcatraz. She works within the California prison system (not as a guard) and has had a fascination with institutions of history. We picked an awesome weather day to head to the Island.
Boats depart every 30 minutes during the day. Purchase tickets online for your desired departure time. The ticket includes transportation to and from the Island and your entrance/​tour of Alcatraz.
The line starts building shortly after the previous boat departs. While navigating the switch-​back line, you’ll have an opportunity to have your picture taken for purchase later. or just walk passed like we did. Grad a drink and/​or munchy before getting in line.
There’s lots of room on board, two levels, indoor and out. It’s a pretty short float over to the island from Pier 33; about 10 – 15 minutes. If you want indoor seats, don’t be late to the line. If you choose the bow to stand and observe during the crossing, be prepared for a cold breeze and messy hair. Seating in the main area is awkward. Lots of open space if you want to stand (with nothing to hold on to) and the chairs are not attached to the floor, only to each other. Rather uncomfortable aluminum chairs, not the folding kind. It’s a short trip, don’t sweat it.
Disembarking is quick at the Island. The prison tour is operated by National Park Services not Alcatraz Cruises (your only choice to the Island). When you’re ready to return, boats depart every 30 minutes back to Pier 33. You can buy beer on board the boat but only on the return trip.
No other options to compare this taxi operation. Ticket purchase was easy and nothing complicated about the boarding process. Parking near Pier 33 is an issue. If you’re staying for the day, park close to where you’ll be spending your ‘other’ time and trot down to the embark spot.

If you’re going to Alcatraz then there is a good chance, that you will be getting on this cruise line. It’s a rather decent sized boat, but it can take sometime to board if there are a ton of people getting on with you.
The boat is pretty stable, but expect a few bumps and bruises along the way. If you’re feeling frisky go on the outside of the boat and enjoy the view. Might be a little windy. They also offer food and drink inside for affordable prices, so don’t be afraid to check it out.
Overall, a smooth ride to Alcatraz and that’s the way I like it.

Pro tip — Buy your tickets well in advance. My brother attempted to buy tickets two weeks before the date he wanted and they were sold out. Also, I am heard that the night two hours of Alcatraz are awesome.
Alcatraz cruises was all-​around a good experience. I ordered tickets online for my son and I to visit the island. We went during Fleet Week and saw numerous airplanes flying above an all-​around us.
The website was top notch. It was easy to order the tickets and find other relevant information for our visit, including parking and other things you might need to plan your trip to the island.
It was easy to find the location of the ferry. The ride itself was nice. Boarding and deboarding was simple and efficient. While on the boat, we felt safe and comfortable. There are plenty of places to sit down on the boat as well as places to stand outside and enjoy the wonderful views of the bay including Alcatraz Island in the city.

Boat ride was quick. Whole experience felt like they wanted my money. Tourist trap. Would have rather swam there. Not a good swimmer, so perhaps could have made a quick raft.
Island itself was nice. Locked my wife up but she escaped as I have seen her on the boat trip back. No wonder they shut the prison down.

The boat was very large and clean. Sitting on the upper deck provides you with an incredible view and its just realxing to take a boat ride all the while over to historical Alcatraz.
Finally visited Alcatraz island and because my wife and I are fascinated by history, it was pretty cool to come and finally see this tourish destination to which we’ve lived by for about a decade. The audio tour is a must, and best of all its free.
Also it was a beautiful day in the bay and the view from the island itself, which was so much larger that I’d previously thought, was awesome.

The cruise is part of the fun experience of Alcatraz! We arrived at Pier 33, thirty minutes before our scheduled cruise departure. There was no line up to get our tickets. They have an effective system where people buy tickets beforehand and there’s a sign telling people they were selling tickets 2 weeks later so there’s not a long line up of people wanting tickets for that day and out of luck. We showed them the confirmation email and ID of the ticket buyer and we received our tickets.
We went to use the facilities and joined the line. The line up is organized so it’s not too crowded. They took our photo and then began boarding people a few minutes before departure time. We made our way to the very top deck to be outside and found a place to sit. Once the boat starts moving, many people get up to take photos of Bay Bridge and the island. It gets windy, so best to bring a jacket or sweater. The cruise is about 10 minutes and it was pretty orderly getting off the boat.

What a great historical family trip.
The ferry ride was fast and fun with gorgeous views.
The self-​guided tour was excellent.
Really took you to the time period.
I’ve been to this before when I was in my twenties but don’t remember much.
Probably too hung over.
Anyway, don’t miss this!
And drink responsibly.

Talk about a well oiled, well run machine!
In all my years of living in CA, I’ve never taken the Alcatraz tour. I’m glad I did! It was really great to see a part of CA history up close and personal. And of course, I watched Escape from Alcatraz and the recent documentary, so it made the anticipation for this trip even greater.
My mom’s friend from PA came out two weekends ago, so it was a perfect opportunity to take them out and of course the fiancé. I bought the tickets online and printed them. I highly recommend you do this as even the will call line is long when you get to the dock.
Now let’s talk about the well oiled machine: First, the boats are truly state of the art, nice, and well maintained. The boats even operate on solar energy as you can see panels fitted on the outside of the boats. The cabin and upper decks are very clean, no tables are dirty when you enter going both ways.
Now as you can imagine, getting a hundred or so people (not sure of the capacity) on a boat and off is no small endeavor. However the crew does not waste any time in mooring the ship. So people can get on and off the boat. Very courteous crew too.
Oh one of the nice things is that they have a security guard at the front who checks tickets. Several people who bought afternoon tickets (we went at noon) tried to persuade the guard to allow them to get on the earlier boat. Guard would have none of that. Me being the type who can’t stand line cutters relished the sad/​mad/​pouty faced cry babies who were turned away :)
The boat ride is very short, less than 30 minutes as I recall. Enough time to take a few pics and look around the boat.
While I’m tempted to write further about the Alcatraz tour itself, I’ll save that for a proper review of the island tour itself.

The whole process of getting on the boat was organized. The ride takes about 20 minutes. Once you’re there you can take a guided tour or wonder on your own. I recommend you take the guided tour and then wonder on your own.
It was a very educational experience.
Worth doing if visiting SF.

«Break the rules and you go to prison, break the prison rules and you go to Alcatraz»
Was für ein Erlebnis! Ein Muss, ich wiederhole, EIN MUSS, wenn man hier ist!
Bucht eure Tickets vorher online lautet meine Empfehlung, da die Touren natürlich sehr beliebt sind. Ticketpreise variieren etwas, wir haben ca. 38 Euro bezahlt. Man druckt diese dann einfach aus und bringt sie mit zum Pier. Mega bequem.
Wir hatten die Night-​Tour gebucht und sie war jeden Cent wert. Kann ich nur raten, da die Insel und Gebäude eh düster und unheimlich sind.
In der Schlange vor dem Schiff dachte ich allerdings oh nein, super überfüllt, aber auf der Insel wurden wir in 2 Gruppen gesplittet und in den Gebäuden verlief sich es relativ schnell, so dass man sich alles in Ruhe anschauen konnte.
Nehmt auf jeden Fall den Audio-​Guide, super spannend wird hier die Geschichte der Insel und deren Insassen erzählt.
Die Überfährt dauert ca 20 Minuten und packt euch eine windresistente Jacke ein, denn an Deck weht ein sportlicher und vor allem kühler Wind.
Die Insel und deren Gebäude spiegeln den Ruf von «The Rock» schön wider. Alles schon etwas verfallen und verwittert, aber das macht es umso authentischer.
Die Tour dauerte ca 2,5 Stunden und anschließend konnte man die Insel mehr oder weniger auf eigene Faust erkunden.
Schon faszinierend, wer hier alles so sein tristes Dasein absitzen durfte, wobei Al Capone und The Birdman zu den bekanntesten Häftlingen zählten.
Wenn man erstmal die winzigen Zellen begutachtet, kann man nur im Ansatz erahnen, wie es einem hier damals ergangen sein muss.
Tolle Erfahrung, muss man wirklich mitgemacht haben!

Ever since I found out I was going to be going to San Francisco everyone was telling me the same thing: GO TO ALCATRAZ!
I had heard that booking a trip to Alcatraz can be very hit-​or-​miss, especially in the summer months when bookings on the boat line ran by Alcatraz Cruises (the only way out to the Island) can fill up weeks in advance. Thankfully, I went online about a week before my trip and I was able to scoop up a noon-​time expedition to the Island (when I got to the dock the sign said they were sold out of all rides until Monday!)
I paid online ($ 30) and my ticket was emailed to me (it advises to take your credit card and ID too, I was checked that my ID matched my ticket before boarding the boat and that was sufficient).
The line for the cruises starts to line up about half hour before the boats departure time. Boats seem to depart the dock every half hour with the last boat from Alcatraz back leaving the rock at 6:30pm. I took the F-​tram to the dock from the SoMa district and it took about thirty minutes. There is a small portable restroom trailer in the shade by the dock which was cramped but clean and in good working order.
The staff I encountered were all very friendly and good at making small talk with the visitors. They also had a small photobooth area set up as you line up to board the boat however copies of your photo were extremely pricey ($ 20!). Although the lines were long they moved quickly and efficiently.
Overall the boatride was smooth and pretty quick, safety rules are addressed via louadspeaker as the boat is still at the dock. You get amazing views of the city on your way out to the Island and plenty of photo ops as you approach the rock.
Although Alcatraz Cruises run the monopoly on boat-​trips-​to-​the-​island they do provide a very fun, clean, safe and affordable trip. I would highly recommend checking it out and definitely recommend booking online.

wir haben die erste «nachttour» gebucht, die 5:55 p.m. ablegt. (zurück geht die fähre dann 8:45 p.m. oder 9:25 p.m.) die reservierung über’s internet und die ticketabholung gingen reibungslos von statten. während der fahrt nach alcatraz sieht man die skyline von SFO im hellen, abends dann im dunkeln und schön beleuchtet (besonders die baybridge sieht super aus) — allein das is schon die kohle wert. :) alcatraz selbst ist absolut sehenswert, die führung via audiogide funktionierte einwandfrei.
würden wir jederzeit wieder buchen.