Join us on a cruise of San Francisco Bay on FDR’s historic presidential yacht.

The USS Potomac offers two-hour and three-hour cruises, some with narrated themes.  Book Now

We also offer a variety of special cruises throughout the year, such as the Music on the Potomac summer series, Summer Solstice Wine Tasting Cruise, Fourth of July Fireworks cruise, Fleet Week Blue Angels cruises,  Mystery on the Potomac featuring characters from Bay Area history and folklore.  You’ll see and hear Elvis performs live (Did you know Elvis once owned the Potomac?), and you can pay tribute to our military veterans on Veteran’s Day cruise.  See Schedule

In every cruise, you’ll cruise by huge container ships unloading and loading cargo.  After passing under the Bay Bridge, you’ll see the San Francisco skyline, cruise by Alcatraz, Angel Island, the bay’s lighthouses, around Yerba Buena and Treasure Island.  If the winds and tides are with us on our three-hour cruises, you’ll even travel underneath the spectacular Golden Gate Bridge.

The USS Potomac normally operates live-narrated San Francisco Bay public cruises from Opening Day on the Bay in late April through Veteran’s Day in November.  She closes out the year with an adult Holiday Cruise and Santa Cruises when our special guest from the North Pole joins us aboard. Book Now

The narrators will talk about the history of the Bay Area and point out surrounding landmarks, and discuss what effect’s FDR’s administration had on the Bay Area through the New Deal and WPA projects.

Guests may watch a 15-minute video in the Visitor Center prior to the cruise that provides a glimpse of FDR’s life and times aboard the USS Potomac, and reveals the twists and turns of her journey to the Bay Area, and ultimately the remarkable restoration of this National Historic Landmark and national treasure.

Come join us and walk the decks once traversed by presidents, royalty (including the King of Rock ‘N Roll), and the First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt.  You’ll see the fantail, where FDR loved to enjoy cocktails, sparing or joking with the press; the saloon where he took his meals and worked on his stamp collection, the elevator he used to pull himself up to the top deck,  the room where he worked on his stamp collections, and his cabin where he retired for the night.  You’ll see the crew cabins, officer’s and guest quarters, and the wheelhouse where the captain drives the ship.

A cruise on the Potomac is more than just time on the water.  It’s an opportunity to step back in time and imagine what life aboard must have been like back in the 1940s for the 32nd president of the United States.

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Accessibility

The Presidential Yacht USS Potomac is a historically preserved vessel. As such, it does not fully comply with the facility access standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ship allows limited access for the mobility impaired. Wheelchairs are limited to the main deck only. Restrooms onboard the ship are not accessible as the maximum wheelchair width (outside of wheel to outside of wheel) is 25 inches. Accessible restrooms are available in the Port of Oakland Buildings next to the Potomac. USS Potomac docents and crew are not allowed to provide physical assistance to mobility impaired individuals; including lifting occupied wheelchairs over obstacles.