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UPDATE: As from 26 September 2006, Blue and Gold Fleet do not run the ferry to Alcatraz. Visit the NPS.gov website for more information, and this links you to the http://www.alcatrazcruises.com / which is the official agent for tickets. Don't buy them anywhere else unless you cannot get them here as they are the official prices, and you could find yourself paying considerably more!

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Alcatraz Island and its infamous prison holds fascination for many of us, and so I was absolutely certain I didn't want to miss a tour to the Island on my recent trip to San Francisco. Blue and Gold Fleet are the only ferry operator to offer tours to the island and having read that pre booking was advisable, I made a booking for three tickets which were an affordable $16 per head for adults. I received Internet confirmation quickly and was advised to turn up at Pier 41 at Fisherman's Wharf to collect our tickets.

There are several crossings a day over to the Island, typically every half hour, and Evening Tours are also available. It is recommended you leave around 2.5 hours for the trip and I would agree with this. Tickets are non transferable and non refundable.

We happened to be down at the wharf almost 24 hours before we were due to depart and spotted a ticket collection point (requiring credit card) at Pier 41. We decided to retrieve them to save time the following day, and we soon realised we had mixed our dates up! I had booked Saturday, having agreed this with my youngest sister, but then I got it into my head that I had booked Sunday instead for some reason. We visited the ticket booth and were served by a wonderful assistant who swapped them for tickets for the following day without quibble. I am just glad the tickets were not particularly expensive if I did have to shell out for three more! Top Marks for common sense service from me.

The Island itself is only about 1.5 miles from Fisherman's Wharf out into the Bay. On water, 1.5 miles does not look like a great distance, and it seems unfathomable that none of the 36 men who tried to escape made it, with five who were never seen again presumed to have died in the cold water with its strong currents.

The queues to board the boat were considerable, but it managed to absorb everyone with ease, and the journey over is fairly swift. In fact the queue to board was slowed down because of their professional photographer taking photos of each couple/family group before they boarded. We declined to have ours done, as I find that

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