Pacific Avalon Yacht Charters

I came to write a nice review and the bad ones make me so sad! Everyone we worked with was absolutely wonderful and they gave us a very good price for such a comprehensive package.

Anytime I had questions they were right there to answer everything! Everything went so well! I had looked at all yachts in Long Beach and Newport Beach and I couldn't find one that was so nice as the Ambassador and the price was amazing. I got a package deal and didn't have to worry about anything...they took care of me from day 1 until the BIG day. I know you will love working with everyone at Pacific Avalon.

My husband and I booked Pacific Avalon for our wedding reception in 2005 for our June 2nd 2007 wedding. We're both very very happy with the services Pacific Avalon offered. Our wedding was perfect. The yacht was gorgeous, the food was yummy and the team taking care of us the day of was fabulous. I can't say enough about the company. We interviewed all of the yacht companies from San Diego to Marina Del Ray and felt Pacific Avalon out did them all. I would definetely recommend Pacific Avalon.

I would like to thank pacific Avalon yacht for my beautiful and romantic wedding last Aug. 28, 2011. To Mr. John Gueola, you are amazing. Thank you sir for supporting and helping me with every detail. Your staff were very accommodating, the food is great and the place is breathtaking. My wedding is a perfect day that will be treasured forever.

I recommend Carrie as a coordinator. She was extremely prompt and always had answers for my questions. Everything went as I had planned. I can't say that I had any wedding day disasters. The Ambassador was very comfortable and beautiful. The food was great and there was plenty of it. I highly recommend Pacific Avalon and the Ambassador for weddings and parties. My guests had very high praises for the whole event.

My husband and I chose this location for the all-inclusive-ness. When you rent the yacht, you get the following provided in the cost: wedding coordinator, wedding officiant, DJ, photographer, florist, cake, and 1 course dinner with salad, bread and coffee/tea. For any of the vendors you dont want to us, the owner is cool about letting you hire outside vendors. Breakdown: Food: It was amazing. We sprung to get two course meal (chicken and roast beef) and it was delicious. Prepped that day and very fresh. The beef was so tender and juicy. The vegetables we got with it (green beans and mashed potatoes) were just as good. Our guests raved about the food and went back for seconds. The Boat: there is newer furniture, and the entire boat is very clean and has not funky smells. We looked at some other companies in the local area and they had funky smelling boats. Costs: It was very reasonable for us with a 75 person guest list. For the whole wedding on the boat cost us less than 12,000 for everything, and that's including upgrading to an open bar option. Fun: Everyone that came had a blast because it's on a boat! So the idea of having a boat wedding seems really fancy and fun, but the greatest thing about it is how affordable it is. The Picking the Wedding Package: Everything included in the package you chose can be included or excluded. If you exclude one of the vendors (i.e. DJ, Photographer, Florist, etc.) and want to bring in someone you know or have booked outside of the boat, you can and it wont cost you. But, if you have an outside vendor who is staying on the boat for services, you have to include them as a "guest" and the boat will serve them whatever the guests are eating, no vendor meals are provided to outside vendors. Things I liked the most about this venue: (1) I didnt have to worry about catering, renting tables or linens, or getting staff(2) I was able to pick one package and call it a day and never think about following up till the closing meeting(3) Willing to allow outside vendors to work (I used my own DJ, Florist, and photographer). (4) Lots of places to personalize the package and get what you want. (5) An owner who speak british! Hahahha okay not a good reason, but still awesome. (6) Very professional staff working with you at the wedding. Our coordinator was very polite and helped us stay on time. (7) Affordability!!!! People think you spend tons when really it's more affordable than renting a room from a hotel. (8) The view. (9) Great food and a cake from TLC's Cinderella Cakes for a fraction of the price. (10) People left the boat wanting to party more.

First off, there are a lot of very negative reviews on PAYC luckily I had a very positive experience with them. I felt that I had to stay on top of things just because that is how I am. I asked a lot of questions that didn't have to be asked because they already know what they are doing but I had to put my mind at ease so there wouldn't be any surprises. Their staff does seem to change a bit, we met with Carrie when we booked then it changed hands a couple of other times. As long as you send your email to the general address and then add anyone else you have you'll get a helpful response. Emailing different people with questions didn't negatively affect my wedding at all. I personally didn't like Terry; he was too brash and business like but he was just there for the tasting and he isn't a part of the rehearsal so it wasn't a big deal. We had our wedding on the Royal Princess with PAYC. It included food, cake, dj, tables, chairs, linens, officiant, and staff. We also upgraded to an open bar and we added an hour. Everything that is included and not included is clearly stated in the paper and contract. They were very helpful during the planning process, I email them multiple times and they responded within 24 hours. We had a tasting and the food wasn't that great but but on the day of it was very good! (I suggest the chicken; the beef was dry).The day before the wedding we had the rehearsal. I had quite a few questions and I got them answered. They are pretty open to what you want to do. They know it's your day so you choose what you want. They said that I could come onto the boat 1 hour before the wedding (so guests wouldn't see me) or wait until the ceremony starts. Since we were doing 1st look pictures Collin and I could see each other beforehand so I chose to arrive 1 hour before. This was a great idea because this was the only chance that we got to get pictures of us 2 and the wedding party on the lower deck. For the day of the wedding I was supposed to have a coordinator and I'm not sure who that was supposed to be. The DJ, JJ, with EV sound (comes with the package) was awesome; he fit the role perfectly! He was the only one that would come up to us and ask if we were ready for the next thing and if we weren't it was totally fine. He was very professional but also relaxed; the perfect mix for your wedding day. I don't know if he was supposed to be the coordinator but he was for us and it turned out great. He also played every song that we had requested and gave the whole reception a very fun and upbeat feeling. We had met with him before the wedding and went over everything. It made us feel very good knowing that he was going to be our DJ. We had to make a couple of decisions after the meeting so we just emailed him them and everything worked out great.The captain could not read for the life of him; he messed up the ceremony/vows multiple times. You could tell he didn't practice what I sent him or maybe he was just really nervous. I think he even skipped a couple parts so the ceremony was 5-10 minutes. That was devastating to me at first but I got over it. So a word of advice: ask the captain to go over the ceremony lines when you see him before the wedding starts!The intimate atmosphere of the yacht was exactly what my husband and I were looking for. I wanted everyone together and enjoying each other and that's what happened. I am told by guests that the views were amazing. This was another reason why we chose this venue but I didn't even stop to look at them, at least there's pictures and video! That is some more advice I'd give: talk to the guests while they're eating, dance as much as you can, but also take a couple breaks with your new husband and look at the view in a quiet spot at the back/front of the boat. We didn't do this and I really regret it. But we did get to dance and have a lot of fun!So many guests have said that it was the funnest wedding they had ever been to, which was the goal of it all!Everything went pretty smoothly, I knew going into it there would be a couple of bumps and there were but nothing horrible. We were able to express our love in front of our family and friends, there was great food and drink, the music was fun, and the dance floor was packed so I am happy with the outcome! If I had to go back and do it over I would definitely hire PAYC again!

We absolutely loved our wedding aboard the Majestic. We had a few troubles dealing with some of the staff over the phone prior to our event, trying to get details in order. But the day of the wedding was so amazing. The entire staff on the yacht was so helpful and attentive. Our Captain was hilarious and kept our guests entertained before the ceremony started. The food was great, and plenty of it. The bar was great, our cake was delicious and it turned out beautiful. I paid a little more to have the cake square and stacked instead of tiered, well worth the money. I went with a different vendor for my flowers due to pricing and flexibility not being very good. All of our guests had a blast. I am still hearing from people how it was the best wedding they had ever been to. My husband and I want to do it again, we had such an amazing time! Thank you Pacific Avalon.

Captain Terry was amazing... He gave our ceremony a casual, intimate feel, which is exactly what we wanted. Upon meeting him it was clear we would go with PAYC... We never even met with the other yacht companies we had on our list!We were married aboard the Royal Princess, and our party of 90 guests was perfectly comfortable. Everyone raved about the food! We had zero issues.It was a perfect day, and I know how lucky I am to be able to say that... there's really so much that can go wrong, and being the (mini)bridezilla that I was I definitely would have lost my mind if anything had!

Very easy to work with! We LOVED working with Carol and John. The boat we had was the perfect size for an intimate wedding (55 people - counting us). The only drawback is parking is a little expensive ($10/car). Overall, we loved them!

I've gone here a few times for different events. This is a great place for events and the service is very good. The food is tasty and its the perfect place for a romantic event. I'd recommend them for any special event. I looked around before booking them, and could not find a better value.

The Royal Princess is such a beautiful yacht. I was afraid once all 110 people were on it was going to be really crowded but it was perfect. The entire staff on the yacht stayed on top of everything, which helped things run very smoothly. We did run out of champagne but I dont think many people noticed.

We were married on the Majestic, which was a beautiful yacht. We really enjoyed ourselves. We thought that it went pretty smoothly, and that generally our guests enjoyed the food, the ambiance, and the experience of attending a wedding on a yacht. Some negatives was that the air conditioning was not on prior to the wedding so it was VERY hot in June and felt uncomfortable. It is also was disappointing that some guests actually got on the yacht before the bridal party due to a lack of security on board. Also, the toilet in the bridal suite was clogged and not working and had not been cleaned. But overall it was a good experience and well worth the cost.

This was a great vendor in that it was a packaged deal so that you wouldn't have to find seperate vendors for other parts of the wedding such as flowers, food, a minister, dj, etc. The only problem was that if you went with what they had, it would cost you. Their flowers for example was pricey and their beautician for the bride's hair and make up was extremely expensive. I liked most that the cake was included in the price and a dj and minister was included in the price. The food was good but just barely enough for everyone even though it was a buffet. Some people who were too slow did not get seconds.

The staff and crew were very helpful and support the day of the wedding. My "coordinator" Terry, pretty much forgot who I was after we paid for the event, so I had little contact with him. But I didn't let one bad thing ruin the event.

I would say that I LOVED my wedding but not because of what Pacific Avalon did. The person who booked us, Alexandra told me that I wouldn't need a wedding planner because she would be there the whole time. Besides returning 2 out of every 3 emails I sent I never saw or heard from her again. The staff was very unorganized which terrified me right before I was about to walk down the aisle. The Captain stumbled through the vows which was very unprofessional. Most of the food was great but the chicken was very very dry. Besides that, the view was spectacular and you could hardly feel the boat moving. My guests loved it! We really did have a great time on the yacht but I wouldn't recommend my "wedding planner" :)

My daughter got married aboard the Majestic in September of 06. My biggest complaint was that when the ship returned at the end of the reception, all the gifts and presents were on the dock, unattended. We were promised they would be "stored safely" during the event. We did not suspect until a couple weeks later, that there were gifts missing, and that they had never been even moved to the office. When I spoke with our consultant, she denied this, assuring me that they had been stored, then transferered to the dock after the ship's return. Months later, it became very apparent that there had been gifts missing, but of course, there's no way to tactfully prove just how many without asking each guest who did not have a gift recorded. My other complaint is the bartender, who appeared to be bothered by having to be there, at times seemed to be sulking, and even complained to the groom at one point that she wasn't getting any tips. It was my understanding tips were to be at our discretion at the end of the event, depending on how pleased we were with the service. We did, in fact, tip the DJ, the captain, etc., and had planned to do the same for the bartender. On top of that, we found out quite a bit after that she had been serving alcohol to obvious minors. Another disappointment was that at the end of the evening, as guests were leaving, we realized that the crew had removed all the flower arrangements and were handing them out randomly to guests. We had planned to use them for a luncheon the next day, but just let it go rather than make a fuss at that point.The food was mediocre, and very small servings. Guests were wandering all over the ship before wedding party even got there. Other than these few things, the wedding was beautiful, and the guests had a good time.

I don't know where to start except to say BE CAUTIOUS IF YOU ARE GOING TO BOOK YOUR WEDDING OR ANY SPECIAL EVENT WITH THIS COMPANY. My sisters wedding was ruined by this company, not only did they ruin her wedding, they blamed the guest for all the devastating circumstances, and made up lies to cover their own asses. The ceremony was beautiful, BUT then the yacht crashed 3 times! with no announcement to the guest or Bride and Groom, to steady yourselves, before the yacht crashed all 3 times. Guest were scared, and feared for their lives. the yacht company is admitting no fault and after all the commotion, the wedding ended after only 4 songs during the reception. The Bride didn't get to do her money dance and bouquet toss, and the Groom didn't get to do his garter toss. Everyone was shocked that after all the events that took place that night, and their wedding being not only ruined, but with terrible memories of the Most Important day of their lives, the yacht company had the audacity to end the night after only 4 songs. Unfortunately everyone aboard the Ambassador that night now has negative memories and thoughts of the beautiful idea of getting married on a yacht. Since I was in the wedding party I wasn't aware of the events that supposedly took place, but what I do know is that the crew didn't handle any of it professionally, they could have done many things different considering what was promised in the contract, and with the events that occurred the wedding could have been "saved" by letting the reception go on a few extra hours,but now the Bride and Groom are left with many negative memories of their wedding day. IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING USING THIS COMPANY PLEASE REVIEW ALL THE REVIEWS, AND CONSIDER USING ANOTHER COMPANY, YOU MIGHT REGRET IT IF YOU DON'T, I KNOW THIS BRIDE AND GROOM DEFINITELY WISH THEY WOULD HAVE RESEARCHED IT FIRST.

Food was disgusting. We were not allowed to do a tasting, so this was a complete surprise to us. Everything was overspiced and the appetizers were too few. Avoid this company at all costs.

My husband and I were referred to Adventures At Sea which is in the building right next to Pacific Avalon. We wanted to keep our options open after checking into Adventures at Sea. So we walked over to Pacific Avalon and spoke with Ali (Alexandra). She seemed really cool and nice. She told us she would be our wedding planner and she would be with us the whole time. We wouldnt have to worry on the day of our wedding because there would be someone right there to take care of us and tell us where to be. We were also told we would be able to taste the food before we chose it. Well, when it came down to it, she was very inconsistent with email responses and when she did respond to an email, she wouldnt fully answer all my questions. We 'corresponded' in August 2009 and then once in Jan. 2010, twice in Feb. 2010 and 3 times in March 2010! When I asked about the food tasting that she had promised us her response was: "We don’t usually do tastings as people pretty much know what they like in terms of chicken , Beef, fish, etc...pretty basic. We have owned our catering company for 35 years and it is excellent. If you MUST do a tasting we can work with you, normally they are on the weekends around our event schedule only." Well, there went that idea. :/ Suddenly I get an email from a 'Christine' (who happens to have the same last name as Alexandra) in JUNE 2010 conveniently asking for the rest of my payment to them! She also didn't respond to every email in detail and answer all of my questions. She was very consistent, though, with collecting my money for additional guests I thought would show up. She had mentioned in the email to give them our credit card number or bring a check for the additional amount owed. When I showed up with a check, in front of Terry she said "Oh, just so you know, we don't accept checks." I reminded her that in the email she said I could pay by check. Terry told her to accept my check and she did. Also, another thing that they had failed to mention to us is that we and all our guests must pay $10.00 to park on the day of the wedding. I had to send out a last minute email to all of my guests letting them know about this. When I had my rehearsal, Christine completely rushed us through it. She wasn't very friendly with me or my family. Alexandra (our PLANNER) was nowhere to be seen. On the day of the wedding, things were very stressful. There was hardly any parking in their parking garage! Once on the yacht, we were first told that our DJ was stuck in traffic and would be late. Then it evolved to our DJ was in a car accident and couldn't make it and that a fill-in DJ was on her way. I was not a "bride-zilla" so I told Terry I was sorry to hear about it. Terry told me that he wasn't sorry about the DJ one bit and he should have been on time. Well, we were running about 30 minutes late and the DJ still wasn't there. I ended up having to use my Ipod for the processional and recessional songs. No songs were played while guests were being seated. When the ceremony ended, the DJ arrived about 15 minutes later. However, I lost a very important part of my ceremony...My father passed away last year and to include him in my special day, I planned to have a slideshow of my dad and me during the Father/Daughter dance. Since the assigned DJ (Dave) was in a 'car accident', it was completely lost. Also, the DJ (Catherine ?) who filled in was terrible!!! There was only one song played that I had actually requested (besides the 1st dance & parent dances). She was horrible with announcing to my guests (and even to us, the Bride and Groom) what was to be done next, such as the cake cutting and when the cake was served. Luckily I was upstairs when the cake was set out at the seats. I grabbed a microphone and made my own announcement. She saw me do this and made her announcement after the fact. She also played music that I did NOT want played, and then argued with my husband when he said something about it. There was no one there to help guide us through, as I was told there would be. The photographer was the only one to help us, and he wasn’t even through Pacific Avalon! Everything felt very rushed and I can’t imagine how it would have been, had I not purchased the extra hour!! I may have remained calm on that day, but when it was all said and done, I ended up being very unhappy with the majority of it. Don’t get me wrong, the Captain and crew were great! But it doesn’t make up for lost time and memories. JJ (the DJ I had originally corresponded with) has stepped up and compensated me for the cost of the slide show that I didn’t get as well as offer his personal DJ services at my choice of event. I want to know what Pacific Avalon will do for my husband and me to make up for this inconvenience. Also, because we ran late, our photographer had to charge us additional. I believe PA should pay for this, not us. I emailed PA on Tuesday, 7/19/10. It is now a week later and I haven't heard back from them at all. Hopefully I can get a hold of them and they can rectify this situation. I would hate to have to take them to court...