Blue & Gold Fleet
Categories: Boating, Boat Charters, Tours [Edit]
Neighborhood: Fisherman's WharfPier 41
San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 705-8200
Come enjoy the great fall weather aboard RocketBoat,…
Announced 4 weeks ago
- Good for Kids: Yes
41 Reviews for Blue & Gold Fleet
One of Blue & Gold Fleet's Favorite Reviews
My friend introduced me to boating, so I decided to treat him to a Blue and Gold Fleet ride. It was a very beautiful sunny afternoon. Me in my white flowing dress with shades, him in a white shirt, grey slacks and shades. It was a relaxing ride, smooth sailing, cool, calm and perfect. We looked like two happy people on a brochure cover trying to sell a carnival cruise, and then it hit me. No not a wave, but the dork that drank to much beer and bumped into me as I was standing basking in the mellow sunlight. But heck, that's ok. The seating is expansive, you can stand, and really take a chance to mellow out after a long day of corporate america. It does cost 22.00 a person, but heck everyone needs a cheap vacation now and then. Life is short, live it and love it.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves riding the Blue & Gold Fleet. We took a ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito, stayed for a while, and back again later in the afternoon.
The boat rocked a little bit when we were pretty far along, which made my friend a little queezy, but as soon as we got to Sausalito, it was pretty nice.
We paid a fair price, I thought.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
The bay is beautiful. So to boat around for 2 1/2 hours on a gorgeous cool evening is incredible.
I have now taken a charter twice with a singles group that fills the boat to capacity. And while the fleet accommodated the dancing on the lower level, it was so nice to sit on the deck and chat and admire the breath-taking views. The Golden Gate, Tiburon, Sausalito, Angel Island, the Bay Bridge, the SF Skyline, Alameda, everything!
My trip on Saturday evening was the highlight of my slightly touristy weekend for which my friend specifically came into town. And with the singles group, it meant we could mix and mingle without so much awkwardness. Because there is always something pretty to look at and if you want out of a conversation - you either say you are hot or cold and walk around the boat.
I would highly recommend a charter to anyone who has a large enough group to afford it. I really enjoyed the Blue and Gold Fleet for the second time.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
In lieu of one of my typically long-winded reviews, I just uploaded a cubic ton of photos (er, seven approximately), most of them of strangers' backs and asses, because that's about all I saw.
And a picture is worth 1,000 words, right?
So yeah, beware the 2:30 p.m. cruise. I learned the hard way that it's insanely crowded, even on a Tuesday. So crowded, in fact, that the pre-recorded Captain Nemo voice tour had to be REPEATEDLY halted so a member of the crew could come on the loud speaker and yell at the excess people to get off the roof deck.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
Maybe its my childhood nostaligia calling, but I remember the ferry being a cool way to to see the Bay and visit various islands, including Angel & Alcatraz. A ferry ride is usually a relaxing short cruise from Point A to Point B. Scenic views, sea gulls flying about & the fresh air.
A late departure, odd smells emitting from the boat while enroute & dirty floors made for a rocky start. (Minus 2 stars.) Still, the charm of the swirling fog, salty air & observations of freezing tourists made for an amusing ride to our destination. And it's the only way to get to the island unless you've got your own boat or the ability to swim the cold Bay.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Wanted to treat some out of town visitors to a view of the bay and a ride to Tiburon for dinner and back. The ride was great. Not cheap, but, hell, considering the cost of fuel these days, it was worth it.
I made one mistake.....I accidentally purchased one too many round trips (for a 2 year old who was supposed to ride free). As I boarded the outbound trip I told the boat operator what I had done and he told me no prob. Just take the ticket back to the booth, and they'd refund my money.
Oh, yeah? Really? When we returned from the round trip the ticket booth at Fisherman's Wharf was closed. So I called. The person answering the phone told me to put my request in writing. So I did. And I sent it off. A week went by before I got a response----"no, sorry we don't give refunds". Then I talked to that person on the phone. Same answer. But, I told him, your operator told me that I could get a refund. Nope, sorry. This continued on the phone. Finally I asked the name of his supervisor. Was told her name and told that she wasn't in. I took her name down and told him to tell her to call me. A few days went by and Tanya called me back. Immediately she apologized profusely for the obstacles that I had encountered. She promised to refund my tix (I gave her my credit card number), told me to keep the extra tix and use them anytime. Also told me that the next time I take a tour to call her and she'd give me tix.
What I feared was going to be a sour situation turned very positive. Hooray for Tanya!
Hooray for the Blue and Gold!
We had friends in from out of town and decided to do some tourist stuff. Hey, a bay cruise sounds like fun. Well...its not! The horrible pre-recorded "Captain Nemo" sound track made our whole group want to jump ship. If you are looking for a raging headache, then this is your boat! There is no where to escape that crazy loud recording (except for the bathroom- which reeks...I couldn't decide which was worse!).
Cool ferry trip to take to Sausalito or Tiburon from Pier 41 in SF on a nice sunny day. You get a close up view passing Alcatraz Island and can enjoy the view of the SF and Sausalito from the water. The boat itself is nothing special. Very convenient as it pulls up right to the cool area of Sausalito and the restaurants at Tiburon, but was it really worth the $18-19 round trip for the 30 min ride each way?
Bottom line: Fun and different, but rather pricey.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
We took this home the other day from Sausalito. Since we didn't drive, it's kind of the only way to get back! It was okay, but I didn't love it. They have totally jacked the price up - $9.00 one way!!! That it outrageous! It's a nice trip so if you want to get directly to or from Sausalito, it's worth it.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Rounded up, so more accurately 3.5 stars.
The thing is, Blue and Gold Fleet is the only line that services trips to/from Angel Island from Pier 41. So there isn't much of a choice. Essentially, this could be the worst possible ferry and you'd STILL have to take it, unless you own your own boat. Or unless you're Aquaman.
For the rest of us common folk, with no super powers- and more importantly sans sailboat, the Blue and Gold Fleet ferry is our only option. That being said, our trip to Angel Island was quite pleasant. Sure, the interior of the ferry was a bit on the grimy side, but the upper decks were just fine. Another plus is that both ferries to/from the island were very on time. The prices were also decent- $14 for a round trip ticket.
My only gripe is that on weekends (we went on a Sunday), there is only ONE trip out to the island that departs Pier 41 at 10:35AM and only ONE ride back to Tiburon/ Sausalito/ SF at 3:50PM. My hopes are that they broaden the options with more frequent services as the warmer months approach.
*Remember to wear layers of clothing- the ride there can get windy in the mornings*
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
Took Blue & Gold Fleet back to San Francisco from a day trip in Sausalito. If you don't have a car and don't want to bike or walk back via the Golden Gate Bridge, this is basically the only choice you have to get back. That said, I think they take advantage of that fact and set the price at a hefty $9.00 one way. Their bike system is a bit frustrating and confusing. The ride back was nice as we got a good view of Alcatraz an sailboats. Didn't hate this ride but didn't love it either.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Ferries are fun but this one is expensive and for round-trips will sometimes drop you off somewhere other than they picked you up!
Me and my asshole ex-friend took the Bay tour that a few other people have mentioned previously. Personally, I didn't think the $22 ticket price was that bad. The Captain Nemo commentary was informative but got a bit grating after a while. I did not expect to get that cold though; definitely should have brought a sweater and gloves. I guess the thing that annoyed me the most was that after we bought tickets, we were told to go line up in a particular place, by the pier alongside a huge impressive spanking-new cruise ship. However, when the tour time arrived, we were led further along the pier to a much smaller, crappier-looking boat. I mean, it was ok and we were able to get a seat, but we felt a bit misled.
We were walking with the rest of the "out of towners" (I don't like to call myself a tourist) along Fisherman's Wharf.
We saw the stand for the Blue and Gold Fleet offering the SF Bay tour. We figured....Yeah, why not.
First impression: The boat is desperate for some serious updating. Other than that, it was fine. It's not like it was dirty or anything. We had no long wait, no long lines. It was early in the morning, mid-week. I'd say there were less than 20 of us on the boat.
Full steam ahead, we left the dock. And I mean full steam...he went pretty fast!! Then it happened. "Captain Nemo" narrated the WHOLE TOUR. It was a cheesy recording with even cheesier music playing. But, it was actually quite informative with lots of fun facts and history of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz etc..
Lots of wind, kind of on the chilly side (it was October after all). The tour takes you down to the Golden Gate Bridge and under it. You loop around go back under it again and head towards Alcatraz. This tour doesn't stop at Alcatraz. (we weren't interested in going in since we had a baby carraige with us). We did go around the backside of Alcatraz, slowed down a bit and listened to Cpt. Nemo give us some history on it, then headed back to the dock.
We got a combo ticket which also gave us admission to the Bay Aquarium.
All in all, it was pretty decent. I'm glad we did it. I mean, how else do you expect to get out on the Bay??
SF-Tiburon service is awful. Crappy information at the gate & way overpriced.
I have friends with PhDs that couldn't understand their schedule.
They have been treating regulars & tourists alike like scum for years! Especially cyclists...
That Tiburon loop is a great ride if you can get to it....
They have an outdated bicycle system even though bike tourists swarm the route whenever there is warm weather.
Can anyone say, "shooting themselves in the foot"? - it's simple people - good treatment for cyclists = more cyclists = more ticket sales
They updated their main boat, the Zelinsky, and didn't change their bike storage system.
If you have to put your nice bicycle on the back of the boat, it gets covered in saltwater spray that requires a full wash when you get home (very fun to figure out how to do in a shoebox SF apartment). Your bike is either crammed between other bikes, bending everything sticking out on the bike, or hanging in thin rails that scrape the frame.
This review is based on a single recent ferry ride.
We decided to do some sightseeing in SF a few weeks ago. Funny....born in Berkeley & raised in Oakland - I've been in the Bay Area all my life (and I love it)! Still....I'm not very familiar with the city and, before Yelp, I'd only get to the city a few times a year.
After the recent Boss of the Sauce event and the North Beach/Coit Tower sightseeing I did thereafter, I decided I wanted to see more of the city. So...armed with my new camera we took to the city on the ferry.
We didn't partake of the snack bar - I pretty much hung out on the upper deck taking pics of the sight and my wife stayed warm and cozy inside.
We had decided on Pier 39, so we stayed on board when we stopped at the ferry building. A move I now ques ton. (I've yet to experience the ferry building.) We got to Pier 39, had a meal and saw some sights before our return trip.
All in all, this was a very pleasant experience for me. The fare is pricey, but you can buy books of 10 or 20 tickets at a nice discount. I don't know if I'd be so keen on the ferry if I relied on it for daily commuting. For us, this is purely a weekend day fun excursion type of trip - no rush, no worries. Just taking the day in and havin' fun.
We'll be using the Blue & Gold ferry service in the future, mos def! I totally want to check out the ferry building (I need some oysters, man!) and we still have a mostly full book of tickets.
Yeah...I'm cheap...I'll do anything for a discount. But it's a pleasure to commit myself to more trips to the city by ferry - I'm gonna be exploring, taking pictures and having fun. If I run into you I'd love to buy you a drink!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
The ferry to Tiburon is awesome!! They serve booze and it's super fast, BART could take some pointers from the ferry fleet on how to run their transit system! It's such a beautiful ride from the Ferry Building to Tiburon, I would highly recommend it to tourists and locals alike!
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (1)
Cool (4)
I booked a tour of Alcatraz on their website. It's fast, easy and simple. Some tourists took pictures of my friends and me before we got on the boat for our tour of Alcatraz. Very strange. It's a nice ride across the San Francisco Bay. I was surprised the price for the tour and boat ride added up to about $16 and all you have to do is show your receipt to pick up your tickets. Not a bad deal indeed. We had a good time walking around Alcatraz. Not a bad deal...I really want to try to do the night tour one day. Spooky.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
It's been a long time since I've been on one of these boats ... I'm talkin' back in the day (late 80's) when my fraternity would rent a boat for a party.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to cruise over to Tiburon for lunch with some friends, so we all hopped aboard, ready for bay ride. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed as the boats seem kinda grubby, and in need of a serious scrubbing. A good coat of paint wouldn't hurt either. Moreover, the $17 round-trip fare for a 25 minute ride, left a lot to be desired, as we later thought that the next time we go to Tiburon that we'd drive. Moreover, their hours suck. The last boat leaves Tiburon around 4:15 or so, which is way early if it's a warm summer day!
I do have to admit that there is no better view of the Bay than from a boat! That can't be beat in any car, even when cruising top-down across the Golden Gate Bridge. It's also kinda cool that you can grab a drink to get the day started (or finish off with), while cruisin' on the water.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
This could be the worst $20 I've ever spent. If I go back in time I'd give you the same $20, let you wrap the bill around your knuckles, and then punch me in the teeth.
If you go there after reading this, you're dumb.
Let's see, the 1 hour tour costs $20. You give them money but you don't actually get a spot on the boat. You just WON THE RIGHT TO STAND IN THE LONGEST LINE EVER. We didn't get on our boat, and had to wait for the next one (total wait-time for the fail-boat was 1.5 hours)
The boat doesn't have enough seating, especially outside. You will be standing.
The boat drives at full speed towards the most ridiculous wind ever. You will be cold, and think you must be insane for paying money for this. You are.
A retarded recording of CAPTAIN NEMO comes over the intercom. I was expecting this to suck, but still.
The boat finally turns around, chugs around alcatraz and you are home. This was the only downer of my weekend in SF. DON'T GO!
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
Okay. Sure this tour/ferry boating company gets you were you need to go all over the Bay area. But seriously, why are these people ALWAYS crabby?
Yes, you have to deal with tourists. Yes, you have to keep a schedule. Yes, you have to deal with "forgetful/stupid" people like myself who thinks you can buy a "ticket" WHILE boarding the ship and then deal with my "freaking out."
Really, it's a great boat ride and they take you to such destinations as Angel Island, Tiburon, Sausalito, and, of course, Alcatraz. However, put on a smile next time people and I'll bump you up to four stars.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
This is the best way to roll up to Sam's in Tiburon or do an all day bike trip to Angel Island.
Bars centrally located on two floors ensure that you can have a great time to and from your destination, and plenty of bike racks for the outdoor enthusiast.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Cool (2)
I declare this thing... an inconvenient necessity"
Boat-- ugly, smelly, uncomfortable
Schedule-- poor on the weekends
Timeliness-- good
Annoyingness-- high
Perhaps I'm overdramatic. Perhaps, HA!
This ferry is less than enjoyable. The boats are smelly, ugly, designed to be completely utilitarian and not at all special in any way shape or form.
So, as a tourist going to Angel Island, the first leg of your trip will be marred by the ferry ride over. ESPECIALLY if you happen to catch the ferry that runs to Tiburon first, and then to Angel Island. A 25 minute ferry ride turns into 50 minutes.
All that said-- I believe it's the only way for an average joe to get to Angel Island besides swimming, or buying or renting a boat and learning to sail.
So this is a cautionary review-- if you're going to Angel Island on the weekend-- take the first ferry over because it's direct (skip Tiburon) and the 3:00 ferry back to Pier 41. And know that it's not a great ride.
But Angel Island itself is beautiful and it's worth the ride over to "hike and bike it.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
Our trip from SF to Sausalito was great. We sat on top of the boat, rather than in the dingy under-area. The only thing that struck me as odd and particularly annoying on this ride was that one of the crew members came up to our deck to smoke a cigarette. I have no idea if that is actually allowed, but I find it horrible if it is. Even more irritating was that he threw the cigarette into the water after he was done with it. Grrrrrrrrr......
The return trip from Sausalito? Well, thankfully, we only bought one-way tickets. What a disaster it was on the Sausalito side. That entire town was over-run with bikes from Blazing Saddles. There were literally hundreds of people with bikes trying to get on the ferry back to SF. Because the bikes take up so much room, the line wrapped all the way around the main park in town. It was a disorganized mess. When we saw these insane masses of bikes that we'd have to contend with, we bailed on the whole idea and took the bus back to town.
Since I don't have a sailboat or other watercraft of my own, I always take my visitors on the Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise. The views are spectacular! Taking this ferry ride is so much more fulfilling than the Alcatraz tour. 20 bucks will get you on the water for ~1 hour, cruising at ferry speed around the bay, past Alcatraz and angel island, and then under the golden gate bridge. Audio headsets are also provided in multiple languages to give factoids about various sites on the cruise. Ferries depart from Pier 39 in Fisherman's Wharf.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (2)
I love boats. I love riding boats. I love water and everything about it, especially when floating on it won't kill my wallet.
What I don't love is having the boat spin, spin, spin during the 4th of July fireworks. (Imagine a boatload of people running port to starboard with the sounds of Bennie Hill.)
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
this is based on the most recent encounter with Blue & Gold Fleet to Angel Island. i did some research previously to see what ferries go to Angel Island from SF pier but there was only one - Blue & Gold Fleet. so we didn't really have any choice. there's only 1 scheduled ferry to Angel Island, so if you miss it, that's it for the day.
the Blue & Gold Fleet is very easy to spot. it's right between Pier 39 and Pier 41 (i think there's another ticket booth at Pier 41 also). after you buy the ticket ($14.50 round trip per person), you walk to the dock. when you look at the ferries and try to which one is the one you'll be on, it's the uglist and most worn out one. the first one i was on kinda stinked also. this one was ok, i think the ferry can be fixed a little to make passengers enjoy their ride more.
short ride to Angel Island - 30 minutes. the view of the bay and alcatraz is very nice. go on a sunny day but if it turns out to be cloudy, it's also nice, just a little windy.
3 star for Blue & Gold Fleet because of the following:
1. there's only 1 ferry from SF pier to Angel Island (there needs to be more choices)
2. the ferry looks worn down. needs some work or cleaning
Bike from the Bay Bridge along the Embarcadero, over the Golden Gate, through Sausalito and to Tiburon, and take the Blue and Gold back to Fishermans Wharf, then bike to the Ferry building for some oysters, Delica Rf-1, or Cowgirl+Acme for a well earned treat. Its a day in heaven, all thanks to the ferry! Only note: If you've got a bike, line up at least 15 mins before the ferry leaves to make sure you get on (thats where the one star gets taken off....waiting in line is BORING and they should just add more bike racks...theres plenty of room on the ships!)...they arent that often on the weekends. This is the Bay Area at its best!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
My fiancee decided to propose to me on one of these ferries, so I can't give it anything lower than a 5! :)
People thought this was:
Cool (3)
It's public transportation with a view. The costs are nominal and these boats run on time! Imagine that; a mode of public transit that is both clean and punctual. Muni, are you hearing me? This is especially a good mode of transportation for trips to Marin County and East Bay locations like Six Flags and Jack London Square. This is a great way to take a few more cars of the roads. Great for your out of town guests as well. http://www.blueandgold...
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (3)
The ferry is a little bit like a floating motel in terms of griminess...but forget all that and hike it up to the top deck to see some spectacular views of the Bay. It's $15.50 round trip to Angel Island, and there really isn't any other way to get there unless you have your own boat. Being on the water is awesome, though, and they have beer for sale on board...what's better than that?
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
If you are a tourist, this is the boat for you! If not, try and stick to the Golden Gate Ferry (if at all possible). With the Blue and Gold you get: No discounts for commuters, unfriendly service, and the ferries just aren't nice. It is the only commercial boat to take you to Angel Island, and only has one drop off (10:30am) and one pickup (3:20), which is a little inconvenient to say the least (at least during the winter months)...
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
We wanted to do something fun and relaxing so today, Pat G. and I decided to finally use up our Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise tickets he purchased back in February.
Plan on being in line 20-25 minutes before departure time because the line gets really long. I cannot believe how many people they let on the boat, many were standing along the edges, but luckily, we got a seat.
Great view of the city, Alcatraz, Palace of Fine Art, Tiburon and Marin, but it's difficult to see with people standing everywhere trying to take pictures. What I really liked most about the boat trip was going under the Golden Gate Bridge and being able to see kite surfers and windsurfers 100-feet away from the boat :-)!
There's music playing during the tour and historical narration, but it was barely audible and it just sounded like a bunch of gibberish to me. I do not think that the narration and music are necessary because people are way too busy looking at the views and taking pictures to even pay attention. There's a little area downstairs where beers and snacks are available to purchase.
No smoking anywhere on the boat, please :-)!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
A great way to get out on the water and either just take a tour or avoid the crowds and traffic and ferry over to Marin.
Or if you plan to take this boat tour. The views from the bay are outstanding. The tour boat is open so you are at an advantage to take in all the sites.
The boat is large, so you are with about 100 people so you really don't feel the waves under you. The tour is narrated by a salty sea captain which is nice because it tells you the history and current events of San Francisco and the surrounding waters. The boat also travels around the island of Alcatraz.
It can get quite cold and breezy on the water so if you go off season (recommended for less tourists) be sure you are warmly dressed!
So it's a boat. It gets you from one place in the Bay Area to another place in the Bay Are with reasonable efficiency and (no thanks to the boat company) nice scenery.
But what's with the crappy high prices? In many other major cities of the world, there are ferries (perhaps run by the city?) that range from free to a couple of bucks. Not $14.
Or, what really pisses me off, $17 with *an unannounced* credit card surcharge. BOO! Isn't that sort of thing a violation of Mastercard/Visa policies anyway? Plus the guy on the boat the day I was there was so slow at working the card cruncher thingy, he (or we) could have sent out our card numbers by smoke signals. To Bora Bora. And gotten faster verification.
Blegh. Damn touristy crap.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I enjoyed watching Kaboom Firework festival from Blue and Gold Fleet, and recently I used it coming back from Tiburon to San Francisco Pier.
The people on the boat are friendly and they are on time, making the trip very reliable.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
This is fun even for locals like me. Great way to sail the bay. Gets a little choppy at the GGB but much fun even on a foggy day.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Had to take the Ferry to Angel Island this weekend. I liked how the Ferry is on time, but it's annoying that we had to stop by tiburon for like half an hour. That's time we could have spent hiking in Angel Island. I would advise checking the weekend Ferry schedule to Angel Island, because if you miss one Ferry, you might have to wait 2 hours to catch the next one. The last Ferry leaves 4:40. So what happens if you get left behind? Angel Island is worth all of this annoyance, the hike up to the top of the mountain is absolutely one of the best views out there.
So apparently there are some things out inthe bay worth seeing, and taking a ferry boat is the method with which this is accomplished. So, despite having to brave the tourist mecca that is Pier 41, I've definately had good times out on the water. There is a little bar aboard each ferry, but after testing it on a couple of different occasions, nobody seems to regulate if you BYOB. Nice.
Certainly not the cleanest and certainly not the most efficient. But why should they care? Apparently, they're the only commercial fleet that services Alcatraz. And that seems to be one of the biggest tourist attractions near Fisherman's Wharf. I was there on a Thursday and the earliest they had for new reservations for Alcatraz was the following Tuesday. Luckily, I booked ahead and I recommend you do the same.
