We wanted a yacht charter for scattering ashes in the San Francisco Bay, specifically departing…read morefrom the Berkeley Marina. It was very easy to communicate with the owner, Eliot of Compass Rose Yacht Charter. He was willing to adjust the time of departure to our needs and it turned out perfect! Instructions were clear on where to park and our meeting place. We were greeted at the gate by a crew member and directed to the Voyager. The yacht is comfortable and clean and the cabin is spacious enough for our group of about twenty people. Captain Richard was very professional and the crew was friendly and helpful. There is a bar with coffee, tea, water and soft drinks. When we arrived at the designated scattering spot, the crew passed out flower petals to mark the site. Cheryl directed us where and how to scatter the ashes. We also brought a flower reef (created with paper tape), that was also tossed at the spot. The boat slowly circled the site several times, allowing us time for our final thoughts. Total time of our journey was about 1.5 hours, enough time for any speakers or formalities. The price was very reasonable, compared to other, more organized options. My friends and family all agreed and we highly recommend Compass Rose Yacht Charters.

Breathtaking scenic views! Second charter, wonderful and memorable worth the ride! Our adventures…read morebegan at the Berkeley Marina towards Angel Island. The captain and crew members very helpful and knowledgeable. Highly recommend the journey. Take a ride and create your own memories. Thank you, Compass Rose Yacht Charter.

Everything! From cost, ease of booking, flexibility, wonderful crew-Effe and Ruby! And they…read moreproduced glorious weather!

Went out on the Bay Wolf today, with captain Ruby and crew Fallon. There were 10 of us in my party…read more We spread my wife's ashes in Kirby Cove, in the same spot where we spread my mother-in-law and father-in-law's ashes some years before. Ruby and Fallon were wonderful, showing a true love of the sea and answering our many questions about landmarks, currents and wildlife as we sailed out on the bay. I think my wife would have approved; we did it up right. Thanks so much to Neptune Memorials for making this a wonderful day.

I want to say how much we appreciate all the help the Natalie gave us in putting this together for…read moremy mom's ash scattering in the SF Bay. We had to postpone it twice because of Covid and she was very accommodating. The crew was fantastic and we couldn't be more pleased with how everything was handled. They were very friendly and respectful and Captain Ken kept me informed about everything the entire time. He helped pick the absolute best spot for the scattering. I just know my mom would approve! The brunch buffet was simple and perfect and always stocked. The only thing I would change would be to add an extra hour to make it four hours since it seemed to go by too fast. I highly recommend Oceanic West and will be calling upon them again sometime in the distant future when it is time for my dad.

We recently have Mike perform our wedding at Old St. Hilary's in Tiburon. Mike was referred to us…read moreby the chuch and we could not be happier that he was a part of our special day. From the time we met Mike, he simply puts you at ease with his friendly demeanor and warm smile. A few weeks before the ceremony, he sat us down to talk about what we wanted (and did not want) in a ceremony. I really appreciate that his main goal was making the day about us ... and whatever would make us happy. We sent him an outline of what we wanted and he carefully reviewed everything and made edits and suggestions when necessary. I also appreciate that he was able to meet with us the day before for a rehearsal. If you are looking for someone to help make your day extra special, I would highly recommend Mike from Oceanic West. I thought he did a wonderful job ...

Boy did we luck out. This was part of a 40th birthday present for my husband and it was absolutely…read morethe stand out, highlight of our day. First off, the people - Lisa, her husband (the captain) and her steward are some of the kindest, most helpful humans you'll ever meet. They are also incredibly professional. The process, from booking to good byes, was incredible simple. Now the yacht itself. Wow. She was definitely one of the bigger yachts on the harbor which had my family incredibly excited. We got a beautiful yacht, Lisa checking in and serving us, add to that pastries, fruits, an open bar, two outdoor tables (in the back and front) of the yacht, an upscale and large cabin, music, a great captain, a SECOND STORY to the boat...I mean..this kind of felt like highway robbery. And we were the robbers (they are incredibly reasonably priced) Since we're in a time of Covid I should also add that I saw them wiping the boat down several times, they were always in masks and Lisa served the food and drinks with gloves and a mask on. It's clear that they are very conscious of their health and the health of their customers. Lisa's mom is 90 and they're doing their best to take the right precautions to keep their family safe. All in all, I cannot wait to go back. I cant wait to bring friends onto this yacht (when it's safe). I couldn't be happier with this decision. Thank you so much Lisa for making a milestone birthday unforgettable!!!

This overdue review is based on my overall experience with planning my birthday with Lisa at Five…read moreStars Yacht. To summarize, I was constantly trying to work around the restrictions that Lisa failed to disclose at the time of contract. And all of this could've been avoided if it was mentioned on the very first day. I just felt blindsided every time she mentioned something new. If you run a business that hosts events, these should be listed in your contract! She was misleading, had poor communication, was unwilling to work with me, and lied. And this event is a couple $$$$. You would think that I would get better service for paying so much. Save yourself the trouble and book elsewhere! I met Lisa in February, through Sailo.com. While I toured the yacht, Lisa explained what I could expect from booking with them. She said I could decorate the boat however I wanted. She mentioned there were tablecloths in a variety of colors to match any theme. I mentioned I wanted pink tablecloths, and she said she had some light pink shades. She showed me upstairs and said they had tablecloths for the smaller tables as well. I mentioned I would want to decorate upstairs. I asked her if I could bring food onboard, which was okay. We went over bar service, music, and set up. She mentioned the yacht was available to set up in the morning before my event time. Now everything to me sounded great, but little did I know, a lot of what she mentioned was complete BS. I reviewed the contract in March, ready to book with her. The contract had the general cost information. I had questions about bar service, but since the company seemed very accommodating, I didn't have any other questions. Fast forward to July, my event was set for the end of the month. I was already ordering decor. Once I started emailing her details about how I wanted to decorate, many things were not approved. There were restrictions that were not disclosed at the time of contract. For example, no balloons outside, no tape on any surface;only string or ribbon. That is a huge detail you should mention early on, especially when it was clear that I wanted to decorate. After going through multiple options, I had to search for plan b, and just rented marquee numbers, since it was freestanding decor. And even she had some hesitations about that. Then, I asked her multiple times for photos of the pink tablecloths she had mentioned. 2 weeks before the party, she told me she "couldn't find them," and only had white or neutral. Clearly she did not have a variety of tablecloths. I don't even think the pink tablecloths existed. So I told her I would like the white tablecloths for the party. The next issue was food. I asked her if I could use sterno food warmers for one dish. She said no, and that I could only use electric. So, I asked about an electric griddle to set a tray on, and she still didn't approve it..Then, she mentioned a flameless warmer, but refused to send me a photo. She just said, "oh you'll see it online." I sent her an image of one option online, which still wasn't what she was describing, but still approved...all of the back and forth could've been avoided if she just showed me. To make matters worse, 2 days before the event she had the audacity to ask me if I wanted to charge gratuity on my card before the event! So I told her I do not pay gratuity before a service is given. I also asked a week in advance if I could set up starting at 10am, just 2 hours before the event time. I was told 10:30 was the earliest because the crew had to arrive at 10 and set up. On the day of the event, I showed up at 10:20 and the crew was not onboard. They showed up at 10:30 and still needed to set up. So I couldn't start decorating until 10:50, and was scrambling with the little time I had. And when I asked for the white tablecloths, they had no idea that I requested them. They didn't have any ready. They pulled out a DIRTY tablecloth that we just had to fold in half. And the captain didn't even know about any tablecloths for the smaller tables. There was clearly no communication between what I discussed with Lisa and her crew. I asked Lisa if we can bring the smaller table from the front deck inside. She told me the table outside couldn't fold up and had to stay outside, which I later found out was a lie. We had enough space for the food, but I still wanted the table out of the way. The crew told me they could bring the table in. It just shows she was unwilling to work with me and refused to accommodate a simple request. Once we left the dock, things seemed to settle down. The captain and the rest of the crew were great. Unfortunately, the crew service for the day didn't outweigh the stress I went through to plan the event. At the end of the party, I thanked the crew, but made it very clear to the captain that working with Lisa was extremely difficult and stressful.

Captain Dave is amazing. I give him my highest recommendation. My family had never done a…read morescattering of ashes. We said our final goodbye to my uncle on April 24th, 2026 through SF Bay Boat memorials. Captain Dave was very helpful and answered all of my questions about the process. He was kind, sensitive, respectful, knowledgeable, and gave us many options for scattering. He helped my senior-citizen aunt board and de-board the vessel and he showed us a breaching whale. It was wonderful to be able to play our selection of music on his speaker to honor our uncle. Cypress Lawn Funeral services in Colma, CA recommended him and I highly recommend him too. Thank you so very much, Captain Dave!

Captain Dave is the best- professional and sensitive to families needs. Reasonable price and a…read moregreat experience for a sea scattering of loved ones. He is very knowledgeable about the bay, what to expect, and walks families through the process.

My husband and I recently married aboard the California Spirit at YCI. Early on we decided to go…read morefor a yacht wedding so we set out exploring our options here in the Bay Area. We first looked at Commodore, Empress, and Hornblower before we found Yacht Connections International. We were a little hesitant to check out YCI simply because their yachts looked so luxurious; we assumed they would be expensive to charter. Well... we were both right and wrong! We toured the California Spirit, their bigger yacht, and it was by far the best looking yacht we toured; very elegant, very contemporary and really no comparison to the competition. So yes, we correctly assumed YCI had the best looking yachts but we were wrong on the price to charter it! We felt YCI's quote for our wedding was quite reasonable. That being said it is still going to cost more to charter the California Spirit than comparable boats at the competition but if you ask us, it was well worth it! The real reason why you should go with YCI is their employees. Yes their yacht was the best looking, but the people who helped make our wedding so special are worth the higher price. My husband and I have received nothing but the highest praise from our guest about the captain, the stewards, the bartender, and the chef - the food was delicious. All our guests raved about the food but we were too busy to really enjoy all the offerings, we completely missed the artisanal cheese and fruit, but we did enjoy the mushroom ravioli - you should definitely work that into your menu! There are lots of options for the menu including gluten free and vegetarian and loads of drink options - my husband's Irish family members had no complaints about the offerings at the bar, nor the bartender! YCI also has excellent vendors. We had Janelle from Green Petal Designs for flowers, Rob from Rob Martel Photography, and Mary Michler from Creative Pastries for the cake. All did a fantastic job with their respective craft and each was very friendly and helpful during the planning process. This review isn't about them but it exemplifies YCI's commitment to providing a high level of service even from their vendors. Lastly we need to make special note of Captain Bill who married us, great officiant and expert at guiding our yacht through the SF Bay, and Stephanie our event coordinator. Stephanie is simply the best! Listen to all her suggestions and definitely ask her to serve as your coordinator the day of. She kept us on schedule, pointed out photo ops, had great suggestions about decor, things to avoid, and everything behind the scenes. She helped me get down the aisle, took care of any special meal requests, had a plate of food ready for us, helped with guests, and I could go on and on with how much assistance Stephanie provided both me and my husband. Thank you very much Stephanie! In short: the yacht was the most luxurious, the crew phenomenal, food amazing, vendors top notch, and a super event coordinator. This adds up to a five star company that made our wedding day oh so special! (And my husband would like to add, all for a competitive and reasonable price!!!)

They made my wedding day a true experience. The food was delicious, the views breath taking and the…read morecrew was delightful. Everything I wanted and more. Dinah was an absolute delight! She was alway available when I needed her. Even giving me her private number if I needed to contact her after business hours. She was god sent and I'm forever grateful to have her on my team during this special time in my life.. Thank You from the bottom if my heart Yacht Connection Crew and Staff! The Bride

Whether you're visiting or a local you should absolutely sail the bay. Heather has a beautiful boat…read moreand is great captain. My husband and I sat in the front with our pup and enjoyed a relaxing sail with some wine. Bring a jacket, SF can surprise you. Would do it again!!!

We had an absolutely wonderful sail with Capt. Heather! Epic- repeat worthy and all the other…read moreadjectives you can imagine. Her gorgeous boat was a steady beaut and she offered the best blankets for our comfort. She also provides a cooler for your refreshments and small cushions for your tush. Seeing Sausalito from the sea is a delightful treat. Honestly, I love seeing ANY city from the sea. It offers a beautiful change of perspective and juxtaposition so don't hold out on yourself if there's interest. Our day was glorious. Although the fog hung close to the bridge we were still able to see the roiling clouds pass in and out of one of America's most majestic cities. The sunshine glinted off the blue, beaming bay. The waves were gentle and the sails steady... until they weren't and we turned on the engine! Modern technology is a lovely thing & it did not detract from the experience in the slightest. I have every intention of repeating our excursion with Heather. I loved it & having a female captain is way cool to boot.

We had our company holiday party this year on the Empress of Sausalito and we all had a blast. We…read moretook a three hour dinner cruise around the bay and enjoyed every minute of it. Working with Deborah was great, she was able to help us coordinate our activities (casino tables), our photo booth and helped us come up with a great menu that people would enjoy. The rates were great and allowed us to get more for our money, which made for a fun night for all. I highly recommend Empress Events for your next party.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but my experience with Empress Events was extremely disappointing…read more Throughout the planning process, communication was inconsistent and often frustrating. Important details were overlooked, which created unnecessary stress. One major issue involved a lost cashier's check that was not handled with the level of urgency or accountability you would expect. Unfortunately, the event itself fell far below expectations. The dinner quality was poor, especially for the price, and many of our guests noticed. The yacht had no air conditioning, making the ride very uncomfortable. Guests were visibly hot and sweating, and we had to request that the upstairs plastic windows be opened just to get some airflow. The bar service was also disappointing. The cash bar was not fully stocked, and several items listed on the menu were unavailable because they had run out. Additionally, per our contract, we were supposed to use an iPhone for music, but that wasn't possible because they could not locate the connectors they said they would provide. Most frustrating of all, our cruise was cut short due to errors in the contract--errors that were never corrected or brought to our attention beforehand, so we were never given the opportunity to review or re-sign. This directly impacted the experience we paid for. After the event, I reached out to Deborah to address these issues, and I never received a response. That lack of follow-up only added to the disappointment. Overall, I feel like we were cheated out of an event that should have been epic and enjoyable. I cannot confidently recommend Empress Events based on my experience. RESPONDING TO GERRY: Gerry, thank you for responding. I appreciate your apology; however, I want to clarify that my concerns were not based on a misunderstanding or simply being upset after the event. The issue with the cruise time was not that we expected an additional hour. We understood and paid for a 3-hour cruise from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The signed contract clearly stated: Boarding at 5:45 PM, Start at 6:00 PM, End at 9:00 PM, and Disembark at 9:45 PM. We were told during the event that we had to get off the boat at 8:45 PM, which shortened the experience we paid for. I brought this concern to the Host during the event, and she went to speak with you. When she returned, she informed me that unfortunately it could not be accommodated and that we would have to get off the boat. If there was a typo or error in the contract, that should have been brought to our attention before the event and corrected with an updated contract for us to review and sign. We were never notified of any correction or given the opportunity to acknowledge and agree to a revised agreement. A signed contract should accurately reflect the services being provided. While I understand you felt everyone was having a great time, there were many issues happening behind the scenes that impacted our guests' experience. The yacht did not have air conditioning, and guests became extremely uncomfortable from the heat. People were sweating, and we had to request that the upstairs plastic windows be opened just to allow airflow. The cash bar was also disappointing. It was not fully stocked, and several items listed on the menu were unavailable because they had run out. The music arrangement included in our contract also could not be used because the connectors that were supposed to be provided could not be located. We had to use a worker's personal device, which required me to sign into Spotify to access our playlist. If that employee had not been available with his device, we would not have had music for the event. After the event, I reached out directly to address these concerns and never received a response. That lack of communication was disappointing, especially after investing so much time, money, and effort into planning what was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. I truly wanted this event to be an amazing and memorable experience for our classmates and guests. Unfortunately, the combination of planning issues, communication problems, contract concerns, and the conditions during the event left us feeling disappointed and that we did not receive the experience we paid for.