Frequently Asked Questions
You are not alone if you have questions about the on-board experience or how bookings work. If we've been asked before, we try to put it into the FAQ. If you don't see your question here, by all means give us a call or send a message.
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About the Experience
All about being on board the yacht.
How Many Paid Passengers?
The Luxury Yacht Ciamar provides un-matched private, elegant experiences for up to 6 people.
The Westport is a luxury ride for groups of up to 12.
The Stephens yacht is certified up to 49.
The Ted Geary Fantail yacht is comfortable for up to 100.
If your group is larger, let us help you find exactly the right high end yacht for your event. We are pet-friendly vessels, and your pet does NOT count against the person max. (See pets below)
Ciamar can sleep three couples (6 people) and the Westport can sleep 8.
Marquis Charters is proud to have donated use of a yacht for dockside fundraisers and cruises where we can take about 30 people on Ciamar. If you have a worthy cause where you think a yacht party fundraiser could help you out, please get in touch.
What's Included?
We maintain a 'No Surprises' promise to rapidly confirm total cost for you based on your specific needs BEFORE you commit to the charter with a deposit.
All prices quoted for Marquis Charter trips are ‘no hidden cost/fixed price’ trips including everything described by the Trip Description.
Alcohol is is not included in the charter price. We provide free provisioning of a customized alcohol order at cost/no markup.
While nearly every client customizes their trip plan a little bit after booking, it is very rare that the total cost is different from the contracted price. Any change you make that would impact price is agreed to in advance for no surprises.
Regardless the type of charter, our quoted pricing is inclusive of all expected costs and you don't need to worry about post-trip surprises.
Please contact us regarding special requests. We pride ourselves in being a 'turnkey' experience that doesn't pester you with upselling or surprise you with upcharges.
Service On-Board?
Every trip will be commanded by a Captain licensed by the USCG to commercially operate a 100 ton motor yacht in the inland waters of the Bay and rivers of the USA and/or in the coastal ocean waters outside of the bay as your itinerary demands. Our captains also have extensive experience in the cruising this area and have been trained on and have experience running these specific yachts.
On longer trips, depending on group size, you will be served by one to five Steward(s). Most trips include a private chef on-board for custom dining experience. Often there is an Engineer, Bosun or Deckhand supporting the Captain's operation of the vessel and to provide rest breaks for the Captain to ensure safe operation of the yacht at all times. On full day or overnight trips, there will be additional crew on-board sufficient to maintain round-the-clock watch and rest schedules at all times.
Marquis Charters' elite crew represent the region's top luxury service staff, on-call for Marquis Charter trips. Our captains and crew hail from the Navy, giga yachts, ferry boats, TowBoat US, worldwide deliveries and members who've been to Alaska and back on Ciamar. They all have some stories to tell if asked.
Who are the Crew?
All of your crew members are professional crewed charter yacht crew with training and experience in their role and on the specific yacht you are on. Every crew member has also been trained in the yachts they work on.
All crew members carry current First Aid/CPR/AED, Alcohol handling and Food Handler certifications. Every crew member is drug & alcohol screened, subject to random testing and statutory crew are enrolled in a federally regulated random drug testing program. We use the Maritime Consortium's Drug Free Vessel Program.
Crew in our Chief-level ranks hold additional professional credentials such as STCW, Interior I/II or Engineering certifications as appropriate to the role. Captains hold at least a Masters 100T license, with Near Coastal preferred.
What About Alcohol?
Our crew are certified to serve the alcohol that you bring or that we provision for you. The most cost effective alcohol strategy is to have us provision the supply of your desired alcohol on the yacht in advance. This service is free and the actual store cost is simply passed through to you with no markup. On a few yachts, we can also operate a cash bar where your guests pay for their drinks, with the note that bar service is at premium bar prices.
Of course, underage drinking on-board is strictly forbidden at all times.
Red wine is allowed if you desire, however, we ask that it be consumed on the flybridge and exterior spaces of the yacht and not in the carpeted areas of the interior.
Will I get Seasick?
Very, very few guests have ever experienced nausea or sea sickness on board. And there are some clear practices that keep it that way.
Our Captains steer clear of rough water and steer through water at angles that keep things as smooth as possible.
Guests who have a history of motion sensitivity are advised to partake in their preferred remedy before boarding the vessel. But in the event that you feel a little unsettled underway, the nearly foolproof method to avoid sea sickness is to look out at the water, watch the land on the horizon and count the number of sail boats that you see. We may even ask you to take some time on the wheel, steering the yacht under the supervision of the Captain. This is a great antidote.
What About My Allergies?
To make sure everyone is protected, we will ask you about food allergies when you book. We will confirm any food sensitivities with you again when we finalize your custom food plan about a week in advance of your trip. An often overlooked benefit of using a private chef is that your custom designed menu can easily 'thread the needle' of multiple food allergies or preferences in a group in a way that catered or restuarant style meal prep can not.
Drug Policy?
Your yacht is federally documented by the USCG and is governed by federal law. That means when state law and federal law conflict, the federal law is what governs. So even though marijuana is legal in California, it is illegal on board any USCG documented vessel, such as your chartered yacht.
All crew on Marquis Charters are drug / alcohol tested. Furthermore, we have a zero tolerance policy on illegal drugs on all charters, anywhere on-board. If illegal drugs are discovered, the charter will be ended immediately, with no refund.
Yacht owners, captains and crew take this very seriously. They are all subject to arrest, prosecution, license revocation and yacht seizure if anyone on board is found to be in possession of illegal drugs. The Captain is authorized to seize illegal drugs, deposit all members of the party directly to the closest point ashore and report the incident to law enforcement.
Do You Allow Pets On-board?
We are a Pet Friendly company with pet-tested vessels.
To be absolutely sure that our yacht and your pet are going to be a good match, we require that the Pet On Board Request be disclosed to us and approved in our charter agreement at the time of confirmation of your booking.
To be sure that your pet will be a welcomed addition to your trip and won't subtract from your experience, here are some things we suggest you consider before you book:
Will I hold my pet the entire time, keep them on leash or control them by verbal command while on-board?
Is pet accustomed to boats?
Do they travel well in cars?
Will I be able to walk him/her immediately before boarding?
Am I willing to bring his/her travel crate on-board to be stowed for use in case needed?
Has my pet ever exhibited aggressive behaviors toward strangers (e.g. the crew) or people in uniforms?
On an airshow and July 4 and New Year's Eve trips, the Captain may instruct that your pet be placed in their crate and located in a quite space below decks during the portions of the trip that will have extremely loud noises (low flybys, fireworks). Am I ok with that?
To discuss pets on board, please contact us in advance of booking so we can answer any questions and also get comfortable approving your pet.
Cancellation of a charter due to denial of boarding of a Pet is only refundable if the Pet that is denied boarding is the Pet identified in the charter agreement's Pet On Board Request at the time of booking and that the description of the pet in the Pet Request is in all respects an accurate description of the pet that was denied boarding.
About Booking
All about the booking process.
How to Start?
The best way to start is to reach out and contact us to inquire about the type of trip that most fits your desires. We will be in touch soon to get to know you and flush out aspects of the trip that you desire to make it a perfect experience.
You can also simply start by calling, requesting a callback. or scheduling a call.
Don't worry about fitting a mold, or a template for what a trip is 'supposed' to be. We love doing things that are special, or even unprecedented.
Date/Time
When we have an idea on what you want to do, and when, we'll rapidly research it and get back to you to confirm. The tides (water depth) and currents of the area where we're going to travel could be no big deal, or they could present a real challenge where a small change in your desired schedule could make all the difference. Of course, sunset times change every week and will guide what the best times are for sunset trips. Sometimes we need to contend with drawbridge schedules, or be sure we can make a reservation to lift a bridge when we arrive.
Your date/times are not confirmed until we are aligned and you sign the Charter Agreement for your trip.
Payment
The short answer is that we can most likely get you on and off the yacht from wherever you like. Our favorite pickup location is the Alameda Bohol International Circle Park Public Dock. It has free parking, is part of a new park, and is never crowded. Another regular spot is the Oakland/Jack London Square Guest Dock. We can also pick up in San Francisco Pier39, Pier 1 1/2, South Beach Pier 40, Fisherman's Wharf, Oyster Point in South San Francisco, Sausalito, Horseshoe Cove, Angel Island, Berkeley, Emeryville, Tiburon, Richmond, Redwood City, Benicia, Vallejo, Napa and Petaluma.
Let us come to you. We can work out a pickup/dropoff plan for practically anywhere you wish. Challenge us! We haven't been beaten yet. Let us know what you'd like to do, and we can talk about what the logistics of pickup and drop off look like for that location.
Also combining ground transportation from your home/hotel into the equation can be a great idea. When we do that, the entire trip logistics gets easier, and more options crop up, you avoid parking and have a built in designated driver for the ride home after partying on the yacht.
Payment
We can take all forms of credit card, EFT and cash payments and have started taking Crypto payments.
A signed charter contract is required for all bookings and full payment details will be included.
In general;
A Non-refundable Deposit at the time of booking creates a date hold
Signed contract within 24 hours of a date hold confirms the charter
50% of the charter fee is due 30 days in advance
Remaining balance due 14 days in advance, including a refundable damage deposit
A damage deposit is held to cover excessive cleaning or damages. The deposit is released at the end of the charter the first business day after you disembark.
On Bareboat trips with APA, the reconciliation is reviewed with you before you depart the yacht.
Special Events:
New Years' Eve, July 4 Fireworks, Air Show Days, SailGP, Big Boat Series and Bottle Rock are examples of unique, special events where bookings are 100% due and payable at the time of booking.
Gratuities
Gratuities are customary, and the generally accepted norm for luxury crewed charters in the USA is ~ 20% of the total cost. In this industry, tips make up the majority of the crews' compensation, and they are greatly appreciated. The amount and how you deliver your gratuity optional.
If you've ever seen the TV show 'Below Deck', then you know how it usually works. Guests provide a cash tip envelope to the Captain while saying goodbye at the end of the trip. Some guests would prefer not carry cash around, or might feel uncomfortable being so formal. So, we can also accept a departure gratuity for the crew via a payment app such as Venmo or Square. Another option is to tell us to deduct the tip from your security deposit refund. We can also add a Gratuity into your contract for advance payment.
On our yachts, all tips are pooled. We ask that you provide one overall gratuity at the end of the trip to the Captain. S/he will divide the tip in equal shares across all crew members tasked to your trip, regardless of role (Captain, Crew, Chef, Engineer, Purser, Musicians, Photographer, etc).
Yachties are insanely customer oriented. The custom of guest gratuities sustains that level of service and provides immediate, direct feedback on how well the crew performed.
We are proud that our crews have been recognized by our guests with an average and typical gratuity of 25%. Over the last two years, the tips have ranged from 16% to 70%.
Cancellation
A signed charter contract is required for all bookings and the actual and full cancellation details will be included in the contract.
As a general rule, charter bookings can be rescheduled but are otherwise non-refundable. On a cancelled charter, the deposits and payments made on a booking are not refundable but future payments may be cancelled if the charterer does not wish to reschedule. Cancellations may be rebooked within six months, subject to availability. Cancellations made less than 24 hours from departure may not be rescheduled, except under extreme circumstances.
If, at the sole discretion of the Captain, the charter can not start due to weather or vessel concerns, the charter will be refunded or rescheduled as you prefer. If the Captain ends the charter early due to weather or vessel concerns, a rebooking will be offered within six months, subject to availability. If the charterer no-shows or causes the charter to end early for any reason, the charter is non-refundable and not re-bookable.
Refusing to commence a charter due to denied boarding of too many humans or unapproved pets is considered a same day cancelled charter and is non-refundable and not re-bookable.
Special Event charters are non-refundable and may not be rescheduled.