Two-Hour Sightseeing and History Cruises

Take a cruise on President Franklin D. Roosevelt's historic floating White House from 1936 to 1945

Step back in time and experience a remarkable piece of presidential history aboard the USS Potomac, a National Historic Landmark and the only presidential yacht restored and still operating in the United States.

Cruise the scenic waters of San Francisco Bay on Potomac, a beautifully restored ship that holds a distinctive place in our nation’s story. Before your bay cruise, explore the Potomac’s rich history in our Visitor Center, and enjoy engaging stories from our knowledgeable docents on board who bring the past to life.

Have friends and family coming into town for a visit? Bring them along on a short cruise on the historic Potomac!

While cruising on the Potomac, you'll enjoy picturesque views of the San Francisco skyline and waterfront. We'll cruise by lighthouses, islands, and under bridges, while you hear about the rich history of surrounding landmarks and the impacts FDR's post - Depression Era New Deal programs had on the Bay Area.

For all cruises, please plan to arrive 45 minutes early for check-in and to watch the 15-minute video in the Visitor Center about the history of the USS Potomac.

The video provides a glimpse of FDR's use of the Potomac, retraces the impact of his administration on the nation, explains how she came to be in San Francisco, and tells the USS Potomac restoration story. While cruising, guests may elect to take either a docent-led or self-guided tour of the ship.

Please Note

Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Food is not served on our two-hour cruises. Light snacks and soft drinks will be available for purchase. Coffee, tea, and dispensed water are available complimentary.

Capacity

The USS Potomac has a maximum capacity of 110 passengers for two-hour cruises.

Duration

Two Hours

Cancellations

Individuals
Cancellations must be made online no later than 48 hours prior to departure to receive a full refund or to rebook for a future trip (use confirmation code from your original confirmation email). Less than 48 hours before departure, no refund or rebooking is available. Please note, however, your booking is transferrable to another party for your trip but they must present the Potomac-issued booking confirmation from your email on arrival.

Groups of 10 or more
As it would be difficult to resell a large block of tickets so close to the departure date, cancellations of groups of 10 or more must be made within 30 days of the departure date to receive a full refund. Loss of a large booking also threatens cancellation of the cruise overall, causing undue disappointment for other passengers. PLEASE NOTE: At any time after the initial group booking, we unfortunately are not able to provide refunds to individuals within a group booking of 10 or more tickets. Refunds of individuals booked as part of a group of 10 or more will go to the member who booked or paid for the trip. They in turn will make the refund to their fellow member.

In the event of operator cancellation due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, all bookings will receive a full refund.

For any questions, please call us at (510) 627-1215. Office hours are M-F, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

And More Cruising Ahead!

Be sure to check out our cruise dashboard throughout the year for all events and cruises, including our three-hour cruises when lunch is provided, and others that have special themes.

Among our themed cruises, you'll find one entitled Exploring Ships of the Bay, a popular Summer Solstice Wine Tasting cruise, Elvis Live on Board! (yup, the King himself!), a Craft Beer Tasting cruise, and our series of three Music on the Potomac cruises featuring live bands and ensembles.

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). Due to stairs between decks and high thresholds at some doorways, the ship has limited access for some mobility impaired.

Wheelchairs are limited to the main deck only and are NOT accessible to the bathrooms onboard due to narrow doorways and a short step down. Accessible bathrooms are available dockside, close to the Potomac. The maximum wheelchair width (outside of wheel to outside of wheel) is 25 inches. Walkers and canes are permitted and the passenger will need to assess their own level of mobility for safely using stairs to access upper or lower decks. USS Potomac docents and crew are not permitted to provide physical assistance to mobility impaired individuals; including lifting occupied wheelchairs over obstacles.

For questions, call us at 510-627-1215.

As Non-profit Organization, We Gratefully Accept Donations

The USS Potomac Association, which owns and operates the Potomac, is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization at Jack London Square in Oakland, California. It is not affiliated with any political party but is dedicated to telling the story of the life and times of the 32nd president of the United States while he used the vessel during his presidency - a consequential time in American history.

Potomac is part of America's story and even makes an appearance in the Ken Burns docuseries "The Roosevelts," The ship played some important roles for the president during World War II, a topic you will hear about in your tour of Potomac.

The Potomac Association is run primarily by highly dedicated volunteers and a small staff who have a shared vision of preservation and care of this National Historic Landmark, the only artifact or site dedicated to FDR's presidential legacy on the West Coast. We also run an education program in which we take out some 1500 school children each year, some for the first time on the water, to experience Potomac and the bay waters.

Preservation of this national historic treasure comes with high cost. Your purchase of tickets for Potomac cruises goes to support our preservation and maintenance activities, and our student cruises.

We also gratefully accept donations. If you wish to, as you are booking your trip, there is an option to add a donation. Or, separately, you can do so on our website at www.usspotomac.org. A third method is to mail a check to USS Potomac Association, 540 Water Street, Oakland, Calif. 94607. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law. Our tax ID is 93-0830589.

We appreciate your support of our cruises and mission!