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Community Outreach
Please understand, ships have been very limited but we’ll do our best to set something up for you. The availability of Navy assets for tours and visits is dependent upon operational commitments. Coordinated tour/visit requests are subject to change or cancellation on short notice due to schedule changes. Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Pacific is only able to coordinate with the surface fleet (amphibs, CGs, DDGs, and LCS) and our subordinate commands (including ACU 1, ACU 5, and beach landing commands). If you are interested in touring other commands, we can provide contacts for those visitors are commonly interested in.
Any tour/visit request submitted less than seven days prior to the requested visit date will not be considered.
All requests will be confirmed or denied no less than seven days prior to a requested tour date. Ensure all information is filled out completely and that all information is correct and valid.
Tours are normally during working hours and are approximately one-hour at an UNCLASS level. If you would like a classified tour or discussion, we can refer you to the appropriate office to arrange a subject matter expert visit. While each ship tailors their tour, guests are taken through various spaces throughout the ship. These may include the foc’sle, helo hangar and flight deck, weapons, pilot house/bridge, mess decks, and medical/dental. Most ships are able to accommodate requests to visit the ship’s store to purchase hats or coins but it is up to the individual ship. If interested, you should list that as a special request. Guests should be aware that any purchases aboard the warship will be cash only.
Groups should be between 10-50 visitors. It may be difficult to accommodate larger groups. Plese confirm your group size. We understand things could shift a bit as the day gets closer. Once aboard, large groups may be split into smaller groups to help movement through the ship.
CAUTIONS: Guests should not participate unless they are in good health and fully ambulatory. Ships cannot accommodate guests requiring the use of crutches, canes, walking boots, or wheelchairs.
Navy ships, by their very nature, present certain hazards not normally encountered ashore. These hazards require persons on board to exercise a high degree of care for their own safety. Do not operate equipment or switches, position any valves, or enter any posted areas without prior approval from the ship’s force. Be aware of where you place your hands. Never grasp things such as cables or wires. Please be aware that the ladders on the ship are steep and there will be walking and possibly climbing involved in the tour. If you are claustrophobic or have other physical ailments, it may be better to forego your visit.
BASE SECURITY: Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) - An individual who has authorized base access may escort up to ten guests in no more than two additional vehicles. Escorts must be of 18 years or older. Please work with your host ship once identified if additional escorts are needed. - Only government or DoD contractor company vehicles and authorized buses with a pier pass are allowed into the security enclave and on the piers. Pier passes may be obtained at Gate 6A, South of 32nd St. on Harbor Drive. - Additional information can be found at https://cnrsw.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAVBASE-San-Diego/About/Base-Access/ - Parking is limited. ~ We recommend consolidating guests into as few vehicles as possible. ~ Please ensure you give yourself enough time to locate a legal spot and walk to the enclave where your ship is located. ~ Parking may be arranged with the host ship but is not guaranteed. ~ If on a bus or in two vehicles, then one escort is sufficient. Additional vehicles will require additional escorts.
ATTIRE: Active duty visitors may be in the uniform of the day and whites are not recommended. Civilian guests should dress casually, wearing comfortable clothing – jeans or slacks, long-sleeved shirts, and comfortable walking shoes. Shoes with low, rubberized soles are suggested. A ship is an industrial environment with steep stairways called ladders; high-heels, open-toed shoes, sandals (including Crocs), skirts, and dresses are not permitted. Do not wear dinner jackets or ties. Also avoid necklaces that can get caught or anything else that may impact the ability to climb steep stairs and ladders with both hands. Participants wearing revealing or inappropriate clothing will not be provided a tour.
PHYSICAL EXERTION: There are no elevators for moving people on a warship. Guests must be fully ambulatory and able to climb multiple stories of stairs in order to navigate the ship. Navy vessels are physically demanding work locations and are designed for the typical age and physiological characteristics of active duty Sailors and Officers. There are no ADA facilities on U.S. Navy ships.
A shipboard obstacle to be aware of are ‘knee-knockers’. These are located in hatches (doorways), raised by 12-inches. Hatches are cut into steel bulkheads (walls) located throughout the ship. Moving from bow to stern (front to back), guests will pass through dozens of these hatches requiring a ‘high step’ to clear each bulkhead.
Guests who are not physically able to overcome these obstacles should reconsider their participation. We want to make this a memorable visit for all, and that won’t happen if a guest is spending time in the Sick Bay or is physically unable to move around the ship. Guests arriving which are not fully ambulatory or who begin to struggle will be medically screened by shipboard personnel and may not be permitted to continue their visit. An appropriate resolution will be determined based on the situation.
AGE TO TOUR: 8 - 75 years old due to safety concerns and hazards that are naturally present on a naval ship. Requests for visitors beyond the specified range are managed on a case-by-case basis.
HEALTH SAFETY: We appreciate you helping to keep our Sailors healthy. Please do not participate if you are feeling ill, have a fever or a non-allergy related cough, or are asymptomatic but potentially contagious. You are welcome to wear a mask throughout if you so choose. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES: In the unlikely event that an emergency situation arises, alarms will sound and announcements will be made over the 1MC (ship-wide loudspeakers). You are requested to stay where you are and remain clear of all passageways and operating areas. Do not obstruct ladders, standard hatches (regular looking door), or watertight doors (“door” has a sealing lever). Allow ship’s personnel to perform required action without interference. The member of the ship’s company in charge at the scene will explain the situation as soon as they are able. Show Images: https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8286597/apex-tour-uss-tripoli https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8118501/uss-jackson-lcs-6-host-ship-tour-support-fleet-week-san-diego-2023 https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8314203/njrotc-tour-uss-tripoli https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8314198/njrotc-tour-uss-tripoli