How it works
From booking to boarding, in plain words
Six steps, no surprises. Here is exactly what happens after you click Book, and what we need from you.
Step by step
What happens after you book
1
Choose your tour
Pick a city, a tour, a date and a departure time. The calendar shows live availability from the operator, so what you see is what is really open. Add your guests by age category. Prices are per person and include everything: nothing is added at checkout.
2
Pay securely
Enter your name, email and mobile number, then pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Payments are handled by Stripe; we never see your card number. Your booking is confirmed by email right away, with your booking reference.
3
We buy your official ticket
As soon as you book, our team buys your ticket from the operator: Statue City Cruises in New York, Alcatraz City Cruises in San Francisco. We never buy tickets in advance as stock. In the rare case a departure sells out in between, we contact you right away and you choose another time, a similar ticket with a refund of the difference, or a full refund.
4
Your tickets arrive on your phone
If your departure is more than 24 hours away, we email your ticket 24 hours before departure. If it is 24 hours or less away, we email it as soon as it is bought. Check your spam folder if you do not see it, and keep the email handy: it holds your ticket QR code and your City Guide link.
5
Get your City Guide ready
Open your private link: we email it 10 days before your tour (right away if you book later), and it is also in your ticket email. It works in your phone’s browser with an internet connection. When the iPhone and Android apps are out (coming soon), open the same link in the app and download the audio tours you want on Wi-Fi: they then play offline on the ferry and the islands.
6
On the day
Arrive early. In New York, be there at least 30 minutes before your ticket time (it is your security check-in time); lines can take more than an hour at busy times. In San Francisco, arrive at Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing 45 minutes before your departure for check-in. Show the QR code on your phone, board the ferry, put your headphones on and enjoy.
Meeting points
Where your day starts
New York City
Battery Park, Lower Manhattan
Security screening and ferry departures are at Castle Clinton, inside The Battery (Battery Park). You do not need the ticket office inside Castle Clinton: go straight to the security line with your ticket. Closest subway: South Ferry (1), Bowling Green (4, 5), Whitehall St (R, and W on weekdays).
San Francisco
Pier 33 Alcatraz Landing, The Embarcadero
Check in at Pier 33 on The Embarcadero, between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Ferry Building. F Line streetcar: Bay Street stop, across from Pier 35, then walk one block south. Not Piers 30, 32 or 34: those are far away.
Plans changed?
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Cancel or change your booking for free up to 24 hours before departure, for a full refund. Later than that, tickets cannot be refunded, because the operators do not refund us either.
- Full refund to your card, usually within 2 to 7 business days
- Change your date, time or number of guests, subject to availability
- If the operator cancels your departure, you choose a new date or a full refund
Questions?
We answer every day
Call or text (646) 279-7493, or email [email protected]. We answer 7 AM Eastern to 8 PM Pacific, 7 days a week, including the day of your tour.
Ready when you are
Pick your city and your date. The rest is on us.