Commodore's America's Cup Experience

JOIN COMMODORE FOR THE BEST VIEWING OF AMERICA'S CUP ON 

SAN FRANCISCO BAY! 

Check out Commodore Cruises & Events' 6 luxury yachts!

PRIVATE CRUISES

Commodore Cruises is offering special menus and unique beer and wine pairings, as well as private wine tastings provided by Napa Valley Vintners. The exclusive wine partner of the America's Cup World Series!

PUBLIC CRUISES

Here is your opportunity to be out on the water and view Sunday's Championship Race.  Enjoy great food & beverage aboard San Francisco Bay's Grand Dame, the Cabernet Sauvignon Commodore.  

Sunday, August 26, 2012
11:00AM Boarding at Pier 40, San Francisco
11:30PM Depart, Buffet & Bar Open
3:00PM Return to Pier 40

Dual entrées for a Buffet Lunch, Hosted Beer, Wine, and Champagne with Cocktails for purchase, and Open Sky Deck for viewing the Live Action of the Races along with Live Streaming of NBC Television coverage onboard 3 of the luxury decks. Limited seating available.
$175.00++ per person. 

Purchase tickets at  http://commodoreevents.com/americascup.html 

Call for availability (510) 337-9000

Visit our DIRECTIONS page for driving directions and parking information to Pier 40.

RACING SCHEDULE

August 22-26, 2012

Wed.  1:00PM Match races

Thur.  2:10PM Fleet Races 1&2

Fri.     2:10PM Fleet Races 3&4

Sat.    2:10PM Fleet Races 5&6          3:10PM Match race Semi final           4:20PM Match race Final (1 race)

Sun.   12:25PM Final Fleet Race 7          1:00PM Celebrity Pro-Am

Call and book the best seats on the water for your private viewing of the racing action live with the option of private wine tasting from Vitners from the Napa Valley. 510-337-9000

Do You Want To Live In A Floating Ocean Community?

“There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats.” --Kenneth Grahame

By their nature, people seek adventure. The drive to escape the status quo opened the American frontier, sent man to the moon, and has led to countless ocean expeditions for the purpose of charting new territory, exploring the depths of the seafloor, vacationing, and more. The Seasteading Institute was founded on the premise that these temporary voyages have just begun to tap into the bounty of the oceans; it seeks to enable a new cohort of seafaring pioneers to establish permanent communities in international waters, to experiment with new ideas for innovative and sustainable governmental systems.

But why would anyone want to colonize the ocean when there’s so much open space on land? First, as those who have experienced a taste of life at seas can attest, the vast blue landscape calms and mesmerizes -- unlike on land, everyone gets a seaside view! Second, residents of floating vessels have substantial autonomy, including the ability to relocate with much greater ease than on land. The seasteading community envisions a future in which floating mega-cities made up of detachable, or “modular,” buildings enable the formation, reshaping, and replication of the best ideas for organizing society. The ocean clearly has much to offer, whether one is looking to dine and relax on a brief cruise or build a permanent platform for advancing humanity.

Given the audacity of this vision, The Seasteading Institute is trying to break down the major legal, business, and engineering challenges into smaller “incremental” steps, which can be solved by entrepreneurs using existing technology. Since its founding in 2008, the Institute has produced hundreds of pages of research and built a community of thousands of people around the world. This leveraged approach will stimulate development of numerous seasteading businesses in the next few years. One such business is the Blueseed Project, a for-profit spin-off of the Institute, which will provide opportunities for foreign tech entrepreneurs who can’t get immigration visas to lease space on a retrofitted cruise ship 12 miles from Silicon Valley. These ventures will prove that permanent living on the ocean is not just possible, but sustainable -- technologically, legally, and financially.

Once the major challenges have been overcome, an increasing number of people will opt for the seasteading way of life, creating demand for real estate aboard ever-larger ships, small floating platforms, and eventually, full-fledged cities on the ocean. If you are interested in participating in this grand vision for advancing humanity, you can sign up to receive a semi-monthly newsletter at seasteading.org, or support the Institute by becoming a member.

Written by: Charlie Deist, Staff Writer/Administrative Associate at seasteading.org

75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge

Here at Commodore we are getting ready to celebrate the 75^th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Our Bay Area dinner cruises would not be the same without the view of San Francisco's most recognizable landmark.  We plan to honor the bridge with a public yacht party that includes white glove service and a gourmet dinner.  Our on renowned DJ will provide all your dining and dancing music for the evening.  You will have the best seat in the Bay to view the bridge and the city skyline.   At 9:30PM our Captain will be nestled in an ideal location on the Bay for all of our guests to view the spectacular fireworks display in honor of the Bridge's Anniversary.  We are also posting on our Pinterest unique ways you can pay tribute to the historic site at your private Commodore Event. 

Sunday, May 27^th, 2012

6:45PM Boarding

7:00PM Departing & Buffet Open

9:30PM Fireworks

10:45PM Disembark

*Please note that a no host bar will be available during the cruise

To purchase tickets please visit our website at www.commodoreevents.com/goldengate

Did you know that construction for the Golden Gate Bridge began January 5, 1933 and was completed for the Grand Opening on May 27, 1937?  The bridge connected the 6,700ft strait between San Francisco and Marin County, which was previously only reached by ferry.  For the opening, 200,000 people crossed the bridge on foot the day before vehicle traffic was allowed.  This same event was recreated May 1987 for the 50th anniversary.  This time it attracted an astounding 1,000,000 people.  An ineffective crowd control allowed 300,000 people on the bridge all at once, causing the center part of the bridge to flatten out under the weight.  Due to this occurrence, bridge officials have stated that this event won't be considered for the 75th anniversary.  So what better way to celebrate the Golden Gate by enjoying its spectacular views from the water with dinner, drinks, and music.  Learn how you can be a part of this momentous occasion by visiting our website at... 

www.commodoreevents.com/goldengate

Prom Season

It’s that time of year again, Prom Season!  Let the planning begin.  With all the details you have to think about where do you start?! Here at Commodore Cruises we would like to help you with that.  We are happy to provide you with free inspiration on our Pinterest page, as well as, great vendors that we know and trust to provide you with a once in a life time experience. 

First you need a venue:  there are places in the city, gyms, and theme parks, but not many people can say they spent their Prom partying on a luxury yacht on the San Francisco Bay.  Whether you have a large junior or senior class, or a small one, we have an entire fleet that we can walk you through to provide you with the best experience for your Bay Area cruise. 

Our Commodore family is ready to assist you with all of your party boat needs. The next most important thing after the venue is what you are going to wear.  Tons of pictures by your parents and friends are going to be taken all night, so you want to make sure you have the best outfit.  On our Pinterest page we have lots of options in dress styles, tux looks, and hairstyles.   We even have some creative suggestions on how to ask a date to Prom. 

 

At Prom there are a lot of different options to customize for a theme or to represent your school.  Our Prom Event Coordinator, Brienne, has a wide variety of dessert options she can discuss with you to make your menu unique.  Some great options she has done in the past include: school colored cake pops, chocolate fountains, and a mascot themed cake.  She also has some great suggestions for fun add-ons like a photo booth or henna artist.

  

What is Prom without dancing and music?  Each yacht has at least one dance floor and state of the art sound systems with iPod and CD capability.  If it is in your budget to upgrade to a DJ, we can recommend DJ’s that we work with on a regular basis that we know are not just someone’s relative with an outdated play list.  They are DJs that will make sure your Prom’s playlist will be the newest top hits.

 Not convinced yet, call us today to schedule a private viewing of our yachts at (510) 337-9000.  Learn more about us on our website at www.commodoreevents.com or on our Facebook.  We look forward to helping you celebrate.

The One Year Anniversary of the Royal Wedding

This Sunday marks the one year anniversary of the royal wedding.  So this week we would love to honor the Duke and Duchess by giving our Commodore Cruises Brides and Grooms ideas of how you can give your weddings the royal treatment aboard our yachts. 

How could we forget Duchess Catherine’s dress?!  Her infamous dress immediately sparked a new world wide trend in fashion that brought more classic lines, sleeves and lots of lace back to wedding dresses.  We have a wide variety of dresses that have incorporated these trends featured on our pinterest.  And who could forget that train, not traditionally as long as former royal brides, but enough to still command attention.
 

This wedding was very traditional per the Queen’s specifications, but the young couple managed to put a lot of their own spin on things.  For instance, who says the bride is the only one who can wear white, as shown by Duchess Catherine’s sister, Pipa, who entered in a show stopping white dress of her own.  Even all the flower girls were wearing white.  What ideas of your own can you bring to make your Commodore wedding unique to you and your future spouse?  Some of our past couples have made their mark by getting married by the Captain, releasing doves, and using oars or life rings to be signed as their guest book.  Each one of our yachts offers a different look and feel that can cater to all different kinds of themes.  More ideas can be viewed on our pinterest or our wedding coordinator Christina would be happy to discuss some of the things we have tried on our vessels. 

After the ceremony, the newly married royal couple had their elegant exit by horse and carriage.  Mariners Square leading up to your Bay Area wedding cruise makes for a dramatic entrance or exit by horse drawn carriage.  Our preferred horse and carriage vendor is budget friendly and could be that great addition to really give your entrance the regal treatment. Make sure to speak with our Wedding Coordinator about this opportunity.
  

As the Duke and Duchess look back on their first year of marriage and reflect we want to thank them for all of their wedding inspiration they have given us over this last year.  

Celebrate Your #1 Fan!

Mothers have the hardest and most rewarding job in the world.  They are always there to pick us up when we fall, push us to challenge ourselves, inspire us to inspire the world, teach us to be humble, and believe in the person that we become... they are our number one fan.  So, with Mother's Day right around the corner, it only seems fitting to reflect on the many ways we can tell and show mom how much we love and appreciate her!

I'm sure we have all given her flowers, made her breakfast in bed, or one of my favorites, given her a spa day, but why not change it up this year?  Add something unique to your Mother's Day tradition and take mom out for a Champagne Brunch aboard a Luxury Yacht that cruises San Francisco Bay!  It's the perfect surprise for mom, family, and friends!  Bring your handmade cards, presents, and flowers aboard and spoil her in a way she will never forget!  Get some gift ideas on our Mother's Day Pinterest Board!

DIY Tote

DIY Body Scrub

DIY Hand Print Picture

We want to know what you all think... what are some of your favorite Mother's Day traditions?

Mother's Day Brunch Cruise 2011

You can find out more and purchase tickets for our Mother's Day Brunch Cruise here:  www.CommodoreEvents.com

The Clippers Have Arrived!

Did you know that you can become a part of the crew and sail in a race on a Clipper Yacht? It’s called the Clipper Round the World Race!

Commodore’s Cruise Director vicariously lives her dream to one day sail around the world in a race on a Clipper Yacht! Commodore Cruises & Events is looking forward to sharing in the celebration of this amazing feat as we board for a private cruise with excited fans and supporters of the competing yacht, “De Lage Landen.” The ten participating yachts will re-launch from Jack London Square in Oakland during the “Strictly Sail Pacific” and “Pacific Power Boat Expo” on April 14^th to take on their next to last leg of the race!  

De Lage Landen

The amazing thing about this race is that anyone can participate, yes anyone!  It’s the only race in the world that you will find nurses, taxi drivers, bakers, housewives, chief executives and more, all working together with the common goal of having the most points when pulling into the final port, Den Helder, Netherlands after sailing 40,000 miles of ocean.  This race is just short of a yearlong, consists of 15 individual races, and visits 13 countries along the way.  Can you imagine being one of the 450 (give or take) crew members that get to participate in this amazing event?  What a life changing experience! 

Ten identical, 68 foot, stripped yachts have sailed into our backyard to rest up before they finish out their journey around the globe. The first to arrive in Oakland on March 30^th was the Gold Coast Australia!  Over the next few days, they were followed by the rest of the Clipper fleet. 

A few of the Clipper Yachts!  If you look closely, you can see our yachts  across the estuary!  

Inspired by the crew’s stories of perseverance as they braved every kind of weather out on the great blue sea, Commodore’s Cruise Director, Trisha Lees, looks forward to being on board the Commodore Yacht, Fume Blanc, as they escort the team out of the San Francisco Bay.  Trisha shares, “As an enthusiastic follower of their crew diaries and whereabouts across the globe, I was impatiently waiting Sunday to watch the Edinburgh Inspiring Capital make their way to Jack London Square, where they were welcomed by cheering fans and of course, bagpipes!  Watching the dedicated crew sail in with smiles on their faces and seeing them put feet on the ground for the first time in four weeks was such a site to see!  Since I will not have the opportunity to be one of those 450 crew members any time in the near future, I look forward to being able to cheer on and watch in awe as the De Lage Landen and the rest of the fleet take on the final two legs of their journey. It is going to be brilliant!”  

Surprise! It's your birthday!!

Your day comes around once a year. Each birthday marks a passage of some sort. One year you’ve entered the terrible twos, at five you begin school, at 12 you may have a Bat Mitzvah, at 13 a Bar Mitzvah, on your Sweet 16 you get to drive, at 18 you can vote, and of course your 21^st birthday often leaves you with a hangover. From there on, each decade clicks past with the old adage, “time flies!”

Although there are many ways to celebrate, one of the most exciting is undoubtedly a surprise birthday party. Nonetheless, not everyone is lucky enough to be thrown a surprise celebration by their loved ones. What seems like a very thoughtful and fun idea in the beginning might cause more stress than originally intended if not planned out thoughtfully. Although I may be an experienced event planner now, I have even been an offender of planning a surprise party debacle. Let me share with you my embarrassing story:

I was in high school and my friend, Dana, and I decided to throw a surprise party for our friend, Annie. We rented out a room at a local restaurant to surprise Annie for her Sweet 16. We had everything planned to the last detail (or so we thought). The room was reserved, the invitations were sent, everyone secretly RSVP’d, decorations were bought, the birthday cake was ordered, and we were ready to go.

Before I continue, please think to yourself.. what is the most important part of any celebration? If you thought the guest of honor, you would be correct. Since Dana and I were so busy planning the perfect surprise party, we forgot to invite Annie to a made up event. I thought Dana had already invited Annie to the movies and Dana figured I had a decoy plot in action. So come the day of the party we realized that neither of us had locked down Annie on plans for the night. We immediately asked her if she wanted to hang out and catch a movie. Her reply: “Thank you, but I am already babysitting tonight.” This could have been the worst answer in our situation. Although I felt like our plans were foiled, I chose the proactive route. The first step: contacting her older sister to see if she could cover Annie’s babysitting shift. After a stressful afternoon of trying to get in contact with her sister and having her sister get in contact with the family Annie was babysitting for, we figured it out. Dana and I kidnapped the birthday girl and brought her to the restaurant, while Annie’s sister took over the babysitting. It ended up working out wonderfully, and although Annie had no idea I think I aged five years on her birthday. So when planning a surprise birthday party make no mistake and think it through. Here are some tips that will have the guest of honor in complete awe.

-KEEP THE SECRET! Do not blab, and make sure everyone invited is well aware to keep their lips zipped.

-Choose the venue. Many factors should go into selecting the venue. Make sure that it will be easy for your guests to travel to, and incorporate the venue into your surprise. Many of our clients pretend they are taking the birthday celebrant on a public cruise, and when they walk onto the yacht they are surprised by a private event with their family and friends. We also have clients who pretend they are dragging their significant other to company party, or a coworker’s retirement celebration. Our yacht staff even plays along with the surprise!

-Invite the guests in the most secret way possible. Also, make sure that you have guests arrive earlier then the time the guest of honor will be arriving.

Awesome nautical stationary for the invites!

-Start the planning early! It is easier to overcome planning obstacles if you give yourself plenty of time to prepare (unlike my “day of” fiasco for Annie’s party).

-Relay the appropriate dress code to your guests and have the guest of honor dress accordingly. Avoid making the guest of honor feel uncomfortable because everyone is decked out and they are not.

-Food, which is my personal favorite part of any party. Make sure you know some of the guest of honor’s favorite dishes, and be sure to have some at the party. Also, make sure you are aware of any dietary needs or allergies of the attending guests. It is also smart to have appetizers or snacks available for the guests before the birthday celebrant arrives. This way, the guests are not hungry and moody when the guest of honor enters the party a bit late.

-Music. Whether you hire a DJ, band, or play an iPod, make sure you have some of the guest of honor’s favorite jams.

-Assign guests to help with decorations and the setup, as you might be the one bringing the guest of honor.

Great Centerpiece Idea for Yachts!

-Birthday cake. Unless the birthday celebrant is not a fan of sweets, don’t forget the cake. This tradition is as standard as fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Beautiful Ocean Themed Cake

Love this nautical themed party!

-Most importantly…make sure you make up a believable plan for the guest of honor. Hopefully my little experience helped communicate that concept :-).

Proms & Grad Nights Galore!

Sorority Party

School Party

In just a couple months it will be one of my favorite times of year…prom and grad night season! I plan most of the school events at Commodore, and compared to when I was in high school, there is so much more to offer these days for our school events. One of the most exciting aspects of our school events is the fun and interesting vendors that come on board. Henna Tattoo Artists, Caricaturists, and Photo Booths are very popular, and give our guests something to take home to show off to their families. Then we have our Palm Readers and Psychics who keep people talking for days.  A school favorite is the Hypnotists and Magicians who never fail to leave their audiences in awe every time!  We are also excited to introduce additional vendors, including Air Brush Tattoos, Glitter Tattoos, Indian/Chinese Astrologers, and Portrait Artists!

Photo Booth Props!

Even though I am very eager to see the new trends in prom dresses this year, and share the contagious enthusiasm with the recent Class of 2012 graduates, I am really excited for our returning season of fun vendors!


Don’t think that our vendors are only for our schools though, as they are very popular for corporate, birthdays, and more!

Be sure to check out our “School Ideas” on our new Pinterest board!

Commodore has Your Best PINTEREST in Mind!

Yes, we said Pinterest.  Now you can review the latest in trends and options making designing your dream event easier.  It’s also perfect for those of us that need and want new ideas!  Check out our ongoing collection of pictures that create numerous options that will make your party planning a cinch.

With all the recent engagements over the holidays and spring just around the corner, we are busy coming up with new, exciting ideas for weddings, engagement parties, and more!  And what better way to showcase these ideas than on our new pin boards!  That’s right, we have been creating new “vision boards” for our brides and clients to help inspire you while planning a yacht party or wedding.  We also have a special board just “For the Bride” that is full of unique, beautiful, and fun ideas that will make any bride feel truly stunning! You can also check out what other brides have done on our Luxury Yachts.

However, it’s not just about the bride’s.  We have many ideas for corporate functions, birthdays, school parties, fundraising galas and more!  Follow us on Pinterest to get inspired for your next event!

A Commodore Thank You

We want to congratulate our Valentine's Day Cruise winners and thank them for joining us for a wonderful cruise on San Francisco Bay!  It was a beautiful evening full of great food, love, laughter, & dancing - all while taking in the city lights.  

One of Our Lucky Valentine's Day Winners!

For your opportunity to win free cruise tickets to one of our upcoming public cruises, simply "Like" us on Facebook and "Follow" us on Twitter to stay tuned for our next giveaway! 

Upcoming Public Cruises

May 13th, 2012

Mother's Day on the Bay! Take mom out for a Champagne Brunch including Mimosas, Bloody Marys, family photos, and dancing all provided for Mom, family, and friends!

  

June 17th, 2012 

Father's Day on the Bay! Take dad, family, and friends out for a cruise on San Francisco Bay while enjoying amazing White Glove Service, Gourmet Lunch, Dancing, and Spectacular Views! 

Our New Website is Here!

We are proud to announce the launch of our new website!  Its sleek new design makes it seamless to navigate and find the information you are looking for.  Our new site is filled with exciting menu options, photos, videos, and more!  We are also introducing "Event Everything," which enables Commodore to make your event stress-free!

Check us out!  CommodoreEvents.com

Whether you are planning a wedding, corporate function, school party, birthday, fundraising gala or other milestone event, our professional event managers will create a unique and memorable celebration designed just for you!! 

Love & Excitement is in the Air!

At Commodore Cruises and Events, we have so many exciting new things to share with you! For starters, we are adding a second cruise to our Valentine’s Day Public Cruises, providing you a lovely dinner, cocktails, and dancing for you and that special someone while taking in the romantic sites of the city lights and bridges on SF Bay! 


We will also be launching our brand new website this month along with our social media campaign that will keep you connected to the very latest in what is happening on SF Bay and how Commodore can get you the hook up! 


You can now become eligible to WIN two (2) tickets to our Valentine's Day Dinner Cruise!
Simply "Like" us on Facebook, "Follow" us on Twitter, or "Follow" our Blog,


AND


you MUST Join Our E-Mail List to win!


Do all four to increase your chances of winning! Click here for more details, terms, and conditions. 


You can expect something new and fun going on regularly as we look forward to celebrating the year's special holidays with you. Keep on the lookout for our next promotional giveaway for Mother's Day and then Fathers Day!


In addition to these celebrations, we will once again be working with the San Francisco Giants and their "Day on the Bay" Cruise before dropping guests off to attend the games. We have created some special game day packages that will put you right in Mc Covey Cove during game time!


This year we are very excited to have the opportunity to offer you private cruises for viewing the Americas Cup Races coming August and September.


2012 is going to be a great year for birthdays as well! Our beautiful Golden Gate Bridge turns 75 in May and this year marks the SF Symphony's 100th Season! There has been no better time to join us on one of our luxury yachts and celebrate from a different point of view!
Bon Voyage!


Linda Wright
Director of Sales & Events
Commodore Cruises & Events
510-337-9000