Boy did we luck out. This was part of a 40th birthday present for my husband and it was absolutely the 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!!! read more

Five Stars Yacht Charters - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

This overdue review is based on my overall experience with planning my birthday with Lisa at Five Stars 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. read more

Five Stars for Five Stars Yacht of Sausalito! I wanted to do something special for my little sister's birthday, so I began to explore options for renting a boat and crew for a nice Bay tour and afternoon on the water. As I explored my options I was amazed at how all the little things I needed added up to one big hole in my pocket... until I spoke to Lisa with Five Stars. She was incredibly helpful, accommodated all of my wises, and offered solutions to keep me within budget. She allowed us to have a DJ on board, bring our own food and truly went above and beyond to ensure our afternoon was picture perfect. While at sea, Captain Ed took us on a beautiful tour of the Bay while Tommy and Heather made sure all of my guests were well-taken care of at the bar and throughout the boat. There were two bathrooms for use, and the view deck was truly stunning. Honestly, this yacht has it all - and the most wonderful crew to go with it. Now for the icing on the cake. When we had parted ways and regained our sea legs, we headed back to San Francisco to continue our birthday celebration. An hour or so later, one of my guests realized she had left her iphone on the yacht. Within 40 minutes, I was outside of a bar on Union Street watching Heather pull up to hand me the phone back. She drove to the city and returned my friend's phone in person!! I couldn't believe it. Truly exceptional service. Thank you Heather! Everyone is still talking about how much fun we had aboard the Five Stars Yacht last weekend. In fact I'm already looking forward to planning our next event on board! read more

Five Stars Yacht Charters - Boating Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Our family and friends had a beautiful day for Steve's Celebration of Life. The yacht is beautiful. The food is delicious. The service impeccable. It was a glorious day under the Golden Gate Bridge. read more

I had a most wonderful experience with Five Star Yacht Charters from beginning to end. I love planning parties... my number 1 criteria: reliability and great service. Prior to the event: I had a LAST-MINUTE booking with Five Star. The most understanding, patient person to deal with is Lisa of Five Star Yacht Charters. She made my booking worry-free. She took all my stress, wrapped it up in a ball, kissed it, and turned it into fairydust. Really. Seems like exaggeration but I was so stressed!! She took all my stress and took over the planning, held my hand, and reassured me that the party would be just fine. I believed her and she didn't let me down. She even gave me such a reasonable price. Trust me, I shopped all the yachts, their price was the BEST. The party and the boat itself: The Yacht is very nicely appointed!! We were welcomed with overflowing champagne...(and strawberries and cream cake --- I blew my diet on the cake -- it was so good!). There was a flat screen TV, plush leather seating. This ain't no Hornblower nor a run-of-the-mill sorority party boat, people! Five Star Yacht is special. We had a place to "stash the kids" -- they have a very pretty bedroom (with a 4-poster!) downstairs where the sitter watched over the 8-year olds who played video games on their iphones.. and the baby slept! The adults, danced, drank, talked.... enjoyed the main and upper decks. Can you say --- "relax and enjoy the view!", this is your night! And the Golden Gate bridge was perfect viewed from the front of the yacht. So romantic, so precious! The service was DIVINE, DIVINE, DIVINE!!!!! We had a no-host bar that the guests LOVED. The owner, John Scopazzo (sp?) was wonderfully accommodating and when the birthday celebrant wanted a super-impromptu marriage renewal on board, he allowed us to light a couple of candles. . How's that for flexibility! He also let us pipe in our own Ipod music. And we were dancing... having fun. Just a GREAT experience! John and Lisa seemed to be having just as much fun as us. GREAT HOSTS they were! Lastly -- the celebrant -like a bride!!- was LATE arriving. But John and Lisa very kindly extended our cruise beyond the alloted time and didn't charge us extra. None. Zero. No extra charge. Can you believe it?? Look no further, You ABSOLUTELY CANNOT go wrong with Five Star. It's not just the yacht ( andshe is a beauty!) -- it's also the people, the SMILES, the experience, the professionalism. I loved planning my party with them... Best thing since sliced bread -- or rum and diet. (I prefer the rum-and -diet to the sliced bread) :-) FIve Star Yacht Charters is appropriately named. Indeed, they are FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Thank you guys for a great party! Rock on! read more

This was the best experience. A couple co workers and I were charged with the tasks of planning a Belated holiday party for our California staff. We found this place and they worked with our proposed budget. The customer service was great! On the day of the even all the staff were excellent from the chef, the mixologist, and the boat captain. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. If you are planning a boat party use this company and you will not be disappointed. I live in Southern California now but I am a Bay Area native and would definitely re book this company for any boat parties in the future. read more

Our family had the most amazing day, celebrating our mother's life, scattering her ashes under the Golden Gate Bridge. Lisa, John and Captain Andrew were delightful, sensitive to our needs, wonderful hosts, careful of the kids. Great food and wine, a really great day. We will definitely sail the Five Stars again.. read more

What an amazing experience!! Would highly recommend. Clean, comfortable, delicious wine and food and the crew was so fun! Loved the scenery too. Thanks so much. 5 stars for 5 stars! read more

Had a great time as the captain took us out under the GG bridge, around Alcatraz and then Angel island and finally back to dock. Drinks were delicious and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. This was for a work event, and I'd love to throw a birthday or some other event on it given the chance. Lisa was a great hostess and I'd totally ride on her boat again. read more

Just disembarked off a cruise they are running under a subsidiary name "liquid events". How do I know? Because the support emails go to "five stars yacht". I don't think they want their brand associated with this but they'll have to cover their tracks better. This was for the americas cup on a 'boat' called the spirit of sacramento. Stay away... if you see this for any of the remaining races do NOT go on this boat by these organizers. Every planned was a mess. A total waste of time and money. Best thing about the day, and only thing unspoiled was the glorious weather. Other than that... ? Forget it. read more

Had a wonderful trip with a lovely crew. Next time I'm definitely booking again with them. Everything was communicated well beforehand and the ship was just as expected from the pictures, it will not disappoint. read more

We had an experience today with Five Stats charter that was a bit unsavory. The captain pulled up to the presidio yacht club expecting to have access to the public dock which is first come first serve. He was clearly uneducated to the rules of this dock. As a captain your job is clearly to know your destination and the rules of the water way you are visiting. This particular dock you is first come first serve. He spent 15 to 20 minutes yelling at us over his loud speaker about how the dock was passengers load and offload only. He was very misinformed. His handling of the situation was very unprofessional. I tried several times to contact him over the VHF radio channel 19 which is the known mariners communication for the area. There was a large sail boat at the dock that had paid for occupancy who had every right to be there. We slipped into the shallow end of the dock with our 24 ft boat in front of the sail boat to enjoy time on the beach with our dog and friends from out of town. I am a courteous boater and understand the difficulty of operating a large vessel. The captain was nothing but rude about the situation. Had he contacted me on the radio and simply explained that he was picking up passengers I would have moved for him. Though instead he touted himself and his vessel as having the right of way which was not so. Kindness and courtesy will get you a long way. Try it next time. understand that you do not own the waterways. We all share the water. Treat other boaters as your mother taught you to treat others. You will be surprised how far it will get you. God Bless. read more

A true family run business and it shows in the great attitude, friendly manner and compassion. "Compassion" may be an odd term to throw into a review, but it's appropriate here. After scheduling a cruise months in advance, it had to be cancelled on very short notice due to a family death. Lisa couldn't have been more understanding and helpful. The cruise was eventually rescheduled and everyone had a fantastic time. While I certainly don't recommend cancelling at the last minute for anything, it's nice to know that basic human kindness and compassion still exists and is found in unexpected places. Cannot thank them enough for working with us and then ensuring a great cruise was experienced by all. Highly recommend Lisa and the crew at Five Stars Yacht for a unique and special cruise that is easy to arrange and a pleasure to experience. read more

Great party venue, danced the night away, Crew's great party attitude along with Captain John's accommodating personality made cruising the bay with almost 50 friends a fun and memorable party. Drinks, dancing, deck hang out and the stateroom to chillax made kids and of age party peeps uber happy. Highly recommend this venue to accommodate all ages; cruising under the GG Bridge is breathtaking! read more

Back in June for Fathers Day we used Five Stars Yachts services to have a Memorial for my Dad who had passed away in February. The Memorial was to spread my Dads ashes off shore. The staff made such a stressful and sad occasion go very smooth and very pleasant. It was a wonderful experience on a beautiful yacht in an amazing setting with a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The staff provided excellent customer service and the food was delicious. It was a great experience and we are forever grateful. read more

The yacht is beautiful, very clean, and is great for small to medium size parties. We chartered the yacht for a birthday party with kids and it was a huge success! Lisa, the owner, was easy to work with: pricing info was straightforward and questions were answered quickly. I highly recommend Five Stars for your next adventure! read more

This was the third time over the years that we have chartered a yacht for a party on the bay, and Five Star was clearly the best experience. The yacht itself has beautiful lines and is nicely maintained, but it's the owners that really made the experience special. Johnny has fine chef skills, and Lisa's enthusiasm while bartending and generally running things made the three hour cruise go by in a happy whirl. There were 59 of us which is the max allowed, and it was cozy but not crammed. I definitely recommend them. read more

We have rented private yachts up and down the coast of California. We were most recently on Five Stars Yacht Charters for a large family Father's Day sailing. The boat is spacious and clean, the crew was outstanding, and the captain was hilarious! We all had a great time. I highly recommend. read more

I just recently organized a 30th birthday and we chartered Five Stars Yacht during a Saturday day Giants game and got the McCovey Cove experience. Lisa was great to work with, it was so straight forward and easy to organize. Everyone had a lot of fun. Some of the guests were talking about what events they were going to be planning on the boat while we were still on it! Overall a great experience and I would definitely recommend it! read more

My family and I recently scattered my wife's ashes on the Five Stars Yacht. The Captain and crew were very attentive and helpful. The food and bar service was very good and our guests were well taken care of. I would highly recommend their services to anyone who has a need. read more

My family and I spent the day out on the Spirit of Sacramento, run by Liquid Events. We had a great afternoon! The food was tasty and the staff professional. And such a treat to be out on the water seeing the city and surrounding area from that perspective. Fully enjoyed. read more

Outstanding experience, great service, delicious food, great drinks, friendly, professional staff make Five Star a Six Star experience in my book. We had a private group of 10 business people and were looking for a unique experience. Lisa's team handled our reservations expertly with regular communication even when we asked her to add a birthday cake at the last minute. The tour was awesome and boat very comfortable in any weather. This private tour should be at the top of your bucket list in San Francisco! I highly recommend this tour. You will not be disappointed. read more