Bay Celebrations

The Celebration has the latest in maritime equipment despite it’s appearance as a tour boat. There are two brand new Volvo Penta Turbo-​Diesel power plants which are rated for ocean crossings and they just humm. The navigation system what you would find on a commercial freighter with realtime traffic update, surface/​land identification… There is also a brand new glass cockpit where the pilot can monitor all power plant functions as well as your standard direction, speed, temp, wind, etc.
At least you know that this boat is sea worthy. If you’re an engineer, ask the captain for a engine room tour — you’ll be amazed at the workmanship. Dirk Pitt would approve.
Oh yeah, the tour… We opted for the ships as opposed to the city shoreline just because it’s different and for us, it was ‘more cool’. Kids are bored of shoreline but come alive with ships/​cranes/​dry docks… There is a covered upper deck with forward exits to an outer observation deck, a lower deck with couches and exits to a forward observation deck a few feet over the water. The couches are nice because you can just take a nap. The two commodes very nice and clean.

If you are looking for a fun venue to host your company party, special event, reunion, etc. this is the spot out of all the charter boats on the bay. Jim, the owner, works hard to make sure you and your guests feel at home. There is a comfortable couch downstairs to relax and take in views of the bay. Upstairs, the sound system puts some night clubs to shame. There is fun lighting up top for dancing and a large window to look out the back. Best part, this is one of the most affordable charter boats for a group outing!

I had an incredible experienced on Celebration On The Bay Cruises for my 45^th birthday, 130 of my closest friends and family members from different parts of the Globe also had the time of their lives… We did a four hour cruise, catered by Fork and Spoon Productions, DJ Six Pack and the fantastic staff they have on deck. Cruising around the bay from Jack London Square, Golden Gate Bridge, McCovey Cove, Bay Bridge and the attention of 30, 000 people from AT&T Ball Park as the Giants plated my hometown, Texas Rangers. BEST WEATHER ever that day so we could actually see what we were there to see & the beautiful skyline and sunset of San Francisco and Oakland.
Everyone enjoyed the panoramic view/​photos a month out and Im still receiving them.
Many thanks to Patrick Welch and Captain Jimmy, you were the greatest guys tow work with.

What a great night out on the water!!!
The bartenders are really cool.
The sound system and lighting is awesome.
The views are amazing: the Bay and GG bridges, The City and then on the way back Oakland — you can even see the A’s game lights in the distance if they are playing.
The location is perfect since friends from all over can join safely with public transit (via Amtrak and the Ferry are right there in Jack London Square and Bart is close by –Lake Merritt or 12^th St.).
The Price is Right too! Lower than the bigger charter boats in Alameda — plus nobody should drink and drive (no/​limited public transit in Alameda).
Plus, you can meet up before or continue on afterwards for drinks at Heinhold’s First and Last Chance Saloon — keeping the whole evening nautical/​Jack London Square!
Cannot wait for next time!!!

I can’t say enough wonderful things about working with Celebrations On The Bay! I approached them in late April with the idea to throw a dance party about ten days out. The owner, Jim was incredibly supportive and his right hand man, Patrick worked diligently to make sure my wild idea of having a sunset boat party could happen.
Ten days later … a sold out party, DJs, drummers, dancers … all sailing off into the sunset together! We are now repeating the fun on a monthly basis! I love working with this team. They are genuine, professional, friendly, caring and, like their customers, are out to have a good time!

I Had My Boyfriend’s Birthday Party 5÷25÷2013 On This Boat. It Was Awesome, Sharon & Greg Are The Best To Work With And They Are SOOOOOOOO Very Nice And Helpful. They Have A Awesome Boat And Most Definately A Pleasure To Deal With. If You Are Looking For A Nice Private Boat Party On The Bay Contact Sharon & Greg.

The highly vaunted inagural lighting display on the Bay Bridge was supposed to be viewable on this boat, with a dinner cruise for 3 hours. This was the most awful event ever. The boat launch time was changed without notice, the boat launch location was changed without notice, the people checking in (when customers finally found where the boat was) were not recorded properly so there were not enough tables to sit at to eat dinner, there was insufficient serving help, the food was no better than what you might get in a high school fundraiser dinner (cold sliced chicken, iceberg lettuce salad, pasta with tomato sauce, bread) FOR $ 130 PER COUPLE, the roof was plastic tarps that did not stand up to rain and wind so we got wet, the generator went out so all the lights went out and we sailed DARK through shipping lanes, and the boat never even went under the bridge to the north side to show us the lighting display. The boat was oversold so it was too crowded, and the weather made the water choppy so half the people spilled or dropped food and drink — with NO HELP FROM THE STAFF — over other customers. The upper level had no heat, and there were no announcements about what was going on with the engine and the lights from anyone. We disembarked in the rain at a dock 3 blocks from where we got on the boat, so we had to arrange to be picked up at a different location — all with no notice. This company is NEVER getting my business again. Weather is not controllable, I understand that, but no safety measures or practices were utilized, and the service and food were horrible, as was the office communication. The boat was shabby, the tables too small, and for the price, I would have expected to be served. Horrible, and everyone deserves a refund because they didn’t get to see the lights!

A seasoned party boat captain
would have cancelled a bay cruise
on a RIVERBOAT on a stormy night
like this. Instead, he took us all the
way out to the south side of the bridge
for the Bay Lights display and stayed
out in the bay in a ridiculously pitching
vessel with wind and rain pelting the
boat. Glasses and plates of food capsized
across the tables, then the generator quit.
No emergency lights except a few candles
and resourceful passengers flashlights.
Finally the captain turned around to head
back after we were far enough into the
night so we couldn’t demand a refund.
The crew offered free drinks but that was
a far from prudent choice on a work night
where we would all need to drive home.
So… I advise you to avoid this party boat.
They have no clue what qualifies as a
fun celebration. Shame on you
Bay Celebrations.

I will admit I did not actually go, but this review is based on my wife and her experience…
They arrived at the location as described on the website. There is no sign or anything to tell you that you are in the correct location. My wife and her mother and her sister were basically lost and not sure if they should be there. Apparently others were too. They were asking each other if they are here for the Mother’s Day cruise…
My wife had called a week or 2 prior to make reservations, but when they arrived, they said they did not have any reservations. They were seated right next to the speaker and the band. They were basically one of the band members. The speaker was between my MIL and my wife. The person’s attitude was basically too bad. He said I’m the one who answers the phone and I never spoke with you…
They waited approximately an hour to get their food. So they apparently even though this is a buffet, you wait until you are called and then you go get your food. So if you’re table is last to be called, good luck. They went to get their food and were told that they need to wait for their table to be called, even though they were.
The food was basically frozen sausages (you can only get 1), scrambles eggs and some other stuff that I don’t remember what my wife said. Water was free, but anything else was extra. Including soda.
The band members who went to get food mentioned that they really cut back on the food, because he said they usually have ribs, and a bunch of other stuff. So it means that they cut back specifically for this Livingsocial deal which is a bait and switch.
My wife mentioned that there were no happy faces. If they wanted to advertised their business through this «Deal», they utterly failed.

My girlfriends review:
Very disappointed and so embarrassed as this was a Mother’s day brunch cruise for my mother. There were no signs as to where the boat departs, I had to call twice to find the correct location and then found out I was an hour early. The living social deal said 1p-​4p, the person on the phone said 2p-​5p. The lady who checked us in was upset and rude because I didn’t print out the voucher, she couldn’t read it on the phone and had me read the voucher number out loud. Then told us to go upstairs and find our table. We sat next to the entrance door, as people continued to go in and out, eventually the latch on the door broke and the wind kept the door open. My mother had a nice breeze the whole 3 hours. The staff never apologized or asked if we wanted to move to another table. They called each table one by one to eat, our brunch was at 330p! The food wasn’t worth eating, almost stale donuts, hard bagels, watery cold eggs, yuck! What makes it a champagne brunch when you have to pay for all the drinks. The staff was not friendly or helpful at all. It’s a good thing there was a live band who tried their best to entertain. Waste of my money, day, and time. I would never recommend this cruise.

I got this deal for my boyfriend and I to celebrate Vday on the weekend. The boat was a little smaller than I imagined but finding the dock wasn’t hard and getting on was quick and easy.
The food provided was a lot better than we expected and there was 3 waves of food. The house champagne was tasty and the bar was pretty full and less expensive than we expected.
The decoration wasn’t as extreme as it looked in the pictures, which was nice for my bf but I wanted more gooshy stuff like pink table tops with confetti or something. The boat wasn’t as crowded as we expected so there was a lot of freedom to move around.
The live music was probably the best part of the trip. The band was full of energy and they really got the passengers involved in their music.
3 hrs was the perfect time to spend out in the water, not too long and not too short. We really had a good time together and I think I speak for both of us when I say we would definitely do it again!

I was with Marlene for her 65^th, and I resent the ‘old’ comment!!! LOL There was a bit of trouble with regard to the reservations, but that apparently had something to do with their interface with Travel Zoo. In any event, once we got past that and boarded, we had a lovely time. For the price, this one’s a no-​brainer. I would definately go again.

I had my 65^th birthday on the boat and must compliment the owners Sharon and Greg for an outstanding job!
Many of my friends are seniors and this particular cruise was coupled with a first time Travel Zoo promotion and, unfortunately my «older» friends did not quite get the bookings right. They were grace under pressure in dealing with them and all were eventually able to board.
In addition to all the good things said by others here, this is just a much more personal fun way to celebrate compared to a restaurant. The band was fabulous and drew out the wallflowers in participating so all felt welcome.
The cost for what you get is reasonable. Facilities very clean. For us the views were enchanting with sunny skies followed by a gorgeous sunset — a perfect day! My emails have been glowing with thanks for planning this event on Celebrations on the Bay!

What a great day out on the bay! We went out for the Blue Angels, and had a phenomenal time. The staff made this a very fun and relaxing trip. They work very hard to make sure everyone is having a great time! The boat is in great condition, the bathrooms are clean, the food was yummy! Thanks Celebrations on the Bay!

Last night for our JFK Class of 1976 35^th Reunion we boarded the celebrations cruise. Everyone had a great time! The food was good, the hosts were great and took care of everything!
The DJ was very nice but spent too much time doing karaōke, even though we did not ask for it, or request it. He should have just played the music from our era to listen and/​or dance to as we had I thought requested upon boarding, that was the only draw back and I think our group of 80+ was large enough, I know they can hold up to 120 but it was really crowded with what we had so for a smaller event for sure the value for what you get is exceptional.
Thanks Celebrations!

We’ve enjoyed several cruises with Celebrations on the Bay. My favorite was New Year’s Eve. The fireworks were wonderful. It’s so much fun to cruise with friends where you can relax and just enjoy the whole experience. The food is alway top notch. The crew is friendly. I’d highly recommend it.

Celebrations on the Bay is a great way to spend an afternoon or eveinig. I have been on a half a dozen cruises from a wine paring dinner, the blue angels, Kaboon, to just having dinner, music and dancing. There is a reason I keep coming back: the experience. One of the best values in the bay area.

«April Madness» Dance Cruise”. We did the dance cruise last night and it was wonderful. We had a great time, the band was great, the crew was attentive, and the owners were gracious hosts. The cruise is about 2.5 hours, goes well into San Francisco bay, and moves at a pace that promotes dancing. The live band was great, they played everything from blues to rock, did some great guitar runs. The prices are unbelievable, the cruise cost us $ 60 for two and the wine was excellent and at a great price.
If you had to choose between sitting in a bar or taking the cruise, I suggest the cruise, it is more fun, a better price, and you will have memories that will warm you for a long time. The picture taking opportunities are awesome as well.
Do this Cruise — You won’t regret it at all.