The
Red & White Fleet matches its rival, the
Blue & Gold Fleet with its
Bay Cruise, which, like Blue & Gold's, lasts about an hour.
Red & White Fleet, however, provides narration via headsets in 12 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Korean, Portuguese, Japanese, Thai, Italian, Russian, and Hindi.
The cruise takes riders past the
Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito,
Angel Island and
Alcatraz. Frequent daily departures start at 10am.
The narrated tour offers a nice introduction to San Francisco, with a nod to Native American, Spanish, and frontier origins. Locals will find most of the information - and the scenery - pretty familiar. Still, it's hard to beat riding around on the Bay under the sun.
Red and White Fleet also offers a
2-hour California Sunset Cruise with spectacular sunset sailings past Alcatraz, Angel Island, Marin County, Golden Gate Bridge, and San Francisco. The tour includes an Italian appetizer buffet and one drink per person. This tour is available Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays - April through October.
Red & White Fleet also operates the
San Francisco Explorer Cruise with cruises departing from Pier 43 ½ May through September at 3:30pm daily.
Dress in layers; it's cold and windy on the water no matter how sunny the skies. And we found that the best place to sit with children is on the side of the boat, where you can peer
through the grated wall. Otherwise, the only way a child under five can see the sights is with a lift from a grown-up.
Special Events and Tours: Check the website for special events, including the KABOOM and 4th of July Fireworks cruises and Fleet Week cruises, motor coach tours throughout Northern California, and private event opportunities. School groups can learn about the educational Pier 45 Program, which includes the 1-hour Golden Gate Bay Cruise, a visit to the USS Pampanito (WWII submarine), and Jeremiah O'Brien (WWII merchant vessel).
Red & White Fleet also operates the
Ferry Building Line, with cruises departing from the Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco.
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