Bay Breeze Charters

What a joke. I wish I would have checked Unilocal before I bought through Groupon. Purchased 4 cruises for $ 90 to take some friends out for her birthday. I had the same problems as several others — Tried to book online and all the dates were booked. Had to wait until the end of the month for the new calendar/​schedule and… dates were immediately booked. This went on for several months. My «Groupon» expires February 6^th and looks like they don’t sail in February and, of course, March dates aren’t posted.
The good news is I contacted Groupon and they are (supposedly) issuing a refund. I’ll know in 10 days. If not, I’ll contact Michael Finney. This is a perfect story for Channel 7 news — especially since I’m not the only one.

I’ve gone sailing with captain Pam twice now, and it’s truly been wonderful each time.
The sunset sail is my favorite, the views are just stunning. The sailboat is on the smaller side compared to some other companies I have sailed with out of Sausalito, but it is just the right size to where everybody can still comfortably sit.
It does get quite windy/​chilly, so make sure to wear a warm jacket and maybe a hat/​scarf/​gloves. They do give out blankets, but those are a nice addition on top of the warm clothes.
They also give complimentary wine, soft drinks, hot chocolate, etc which is a really nice touch on a colder day.
Now for the –1 star: if you are using a groupon, don’t expect to be able to instant book. The sails are often filled up, and you have to constantly check at the end of each month for them to post the next months sail date. I’d just check every day for the last 7 days of each month, and would book as soon as the dates went up. It’s also useless to call them, but you sometimes get a response by email. Keep in mind that you are paying ½ of what the other companies are charging, so the inconvenience of booking is a small price to pay. Every other part of the sailing experience is just as described, and perfect. The customer service past the booking part is also wonderful, the two people running the show are really nice and easy to talk to.

I, too, wish I had read the reviews. I bought the Groupon and every time I check the calendar it was booked. I have emailed and called with no response. Do not waste your money. I am beyond frustrated at the lack of professionalism.

I wish someone would’ve warned me about buying this groupon. I’ve emailed, called, checked their 1995 website and no one ever responds and they have sails like once a month that they post. This is a total scam and why groupon is a terrible idea for these dumb small useless companies like this one. Lost $ 50 for nothing. If I could give a negative review I would.

Both of our crew members, Pam and Clay were amazing. They were really attentive and excellent hosts.
We booked a Sunday sail and the weather was perfect. The mimosas and coffee were made wonderfully.
I fully recommend this experience! Just be patient with booking online, it’s popular.

I bought tix before I read the reviews here. I too had difficulty booking when I purchased tix on Tuesday the last week of October.
The price & boat ride was 5* but the booking process is really poor. Hence i give it 3*.
The reason I was actually able to book for the ONLY dates available (Thanksgiving weekend) was bc most ppl were out of town or w family and I was flexible & willing to take the holiday weekend availability. It wasn’t my top choice but I didn’t want to deal w the aggravation to chase after dates daily as ppl echoed.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated. That weekend was nice. The day was sunny during hte day. I made sure I had THREE hours to get there from sf. Arrived 2.5 hrs early.
At 2 hours prior to boarding, another couple arrived and we were figuring out where to meet and «sign in».
we approached 330pm, wind picked up n it got cold. Most of the ppl on the boat arrived by then (for 4pm departure). Shortly after 3:30pm, Pam arrived and put out her sign. It would have been more helpful to have the sign out there much earlier.
We checked in around 4pm. Make sure you have the groupon either hardcopy or on your phone. Having the email confirmation would not do it for check in. Because some patrons did not have the groupon accessible and ready, it caused some squandering of time.
Even w/​a long sleeve polyester base layer topped w long sleeve fleece and a thick down jacket it was really cold (chill factor). Make sure u bring mittens and a hat n face scarf just in case. Be prepared for cold weather. It gets much colder on the water.
The sunset was awesome since it was a clear day.
I don’t think the problem is ppl not showing up causing problems w booking. The predominant problem
Lies with the specials that is run continually, without a break. If they stagger the special across the yr this will allow the 1000 ppl to actually get booking spots. If u do the math there r only 3 departures a week, only 2 of which which working folks can possibly go to– this is 2x (departures) x 25 ppl x 4 weeks 200. It would take 5 – 6 months for the current buyers to exhaust the tix… So really the specials shd be run every few months or more departures needed or increase price slightly or all of the above
Would love to take my family but won’t b worth the stress and hassle most of the reviewers went through. Plus my parents schedule is not so flexible. Would love to go when weather is warmer in summer or spring

Captain Pam powers is the rudest person I have ever met. All they care about is making sure you pay for tickets and do not show up. My sister went into labor and I call 14 times, no answer. Emailed prior to the cruise, no answer. Only until it was after 72 hours and they said sorry no reschedule. Total worthless cruise, worthless people, and a waste of money.

Used Groupon and booked our slot in the same month. After purchase, I was nervous booking because of all the 1-​star reviews, however I took it upon myself to stay on top of the schedule and book the best time. And I did.
We just went to the Sunday sail yesterday and it was magical. The day was perfect — glistening waters, dolphins and a sea lion accompanied us on our way to see Golden Gate.
Pam and Clay were awesome — laid back, friendly and professional. You’re free to walk around the boat to take pictures and enjoy the view. One passenger started playing jazz and it was like being in a movie.
Very romantic and relaxed atmosphere. Also a great place to hang out with friends and family.
With your purchase, you also get complimentary coffee, hot chocolate, a selection of (bottled) beer or wine. After that it’s cash only.
We’ll be back!

DO NOT buy the Groupon deal!!! It is absolutely impossible to book & you will not find a booking until your deal has already expired!
I bought this deal for my boyfriend & I for his birthday back in February. Six months later & I have yet to receive a response to either my voicemails or emails.
For those of you who have booked a tour, go get a lottery ticket because you’re very lucky! You have about a 1 in 10 chance of getting a reservation. Once the new months available cruise times get posted they are already booked before you get a chance to look at them. She never posts reservation schedules more than a month at a time so if you’re thinking of booking a couple months a head, think again because that schedule will not be available & once it is it will be booked!
Pam does not know how to run a business & should not have deals on site like Groupon if she doesn’t know how to accommodate all of her clientele. She doesn’t even have the decency to respond so don’t bother trying to call or email her.
I know there are some out there who will defend her based on your experience, but I’m here to warn others in hopes they avoid this scam. I run a business & I will not leave my office until all missed calls are returned & emails have been responded to! When you own a business or manage one, you put you’re own issues aside & put the customer first. We have a high daily call volume & receive countless emails from all our clients. You are in the hospitality business & should make sure ever client is satisfied. You represent all the company is! There is no excuse for such a lack of customer service!
SAVE YOURSELF & YOUR MONEY! Don’t let yourself fall for this scam! I wish I would have known this before I wasted my time & money.

Hmm it sucks that a lot of people have had a hard time booking their sail :(that’s a tough experience.
As for myself I had no problem booking at all! Did the groupon and then booked a day very easily!
Our sail was extremely magical! My partner and I loved every minute of it. The crew was extremely nice and pleasant (there was a delay taking off but they were apologetic and sincere about it).
Out of the 30 some people the boat can take at a time, only about 15 of us showed up (which was very nice having the boat almost to ourselves). The captain explained to us that it was very common for people not to show up… They reserve their spots and then don’t show, wasting perfectly good spots that other people could have reserved. THIS is why people have a hard time booking a day.
If you aren’t going to show up, CANCEL! Don’t cause a mess for everyone else

After 6 months we were finally able to book a cruise. The experience itself is definitely 5*. Unfortunately, the consistent aggravation of trying to schedule the sail with a Groupon definitely brings a negative to the experience. The calendar is posted but more often than not booked solid the same day posted. Supposedly the boat accommodates 30 people. I don’t know how. The night we sailed, 16 people did not make it in time, probably due to traffic and the equally frustrating endeavor to find parking near the marina. 15 to 18 would not be overcrowded on the boat.
Tip, evidently it is common to have people not show up in time.
If you have a Groupon you’d have better luck showing up at the staging area as a Standby
$ 45 for two people is a fair price for this experience.
At $ 90 each, it would be extremely overpriced
Because of the negatives I would not sail with Bay Breeze charters again.
If the business were run with more focus to open communication and customer service they could book 7 days a week. Captain Pam is a great experienced captain and mariner, but not a business savvy manager. Too bad.

Wow, all I have to say is avoid this one, and see if another is availible. I booked this in a group on deal to go on with my girlfriend. After giving my credit information and buying the offer, they give you information and a phone number in which to call and reserve a date. I obviously thought great !! I was wrong. When I looked upon the availible dates the next day, all the days for the following month were booked, and none were availible for the next month. I called the 800 number, and only got a messagez but was not allowed to leave a message.. My only resort was to call groupon and cancel. Luckily I did it within the time frame. I will be looking at other charters. Again, I warn any buyers to beware of the deals on group on, it looks appitizing, but look to see if there are any availible dates first before you book !!

Bought groupon «2 hour sunset or afternoon public sail for two people — Bay Breeze Charters», but i cannot schedule cruise for already 2 months!!! They online reservation always says «Sorry, this cruise is fully booked.»
They are liars and fraud!

I agree with all of the other people on here who are frustrated with Pam and how she runs her business. Like many others, she stole my money too. We were not able to use our Groupon we purchased because cruises on the website are already full. She is offering Groupons to people while knowing that they can’t book a cruise. I tried working this out with her, but she is very rude and refuses to accommodate me. She will not return my money, and she won’t return yours either.
Instead, we took a wine cruise out of Pier 39 in San Francisco. It was fabulous and I would highly recommend booking with these fabulous people. We had an awesome time and booking was delightfully easy. Stay FAR away from Pam and her scams. Instead please book your cruise at
. Next, letter to the BBB.
**update** I tried working this issue out with Pam prior to traveling to San Francisco for our vacation. She was very unaccommodating then, but ironically very defensive now, realizing that I’ve posted this review. Now I have her full attention. All I can say is that people work very hard for their money. Save yourself the time, frustration and money and just book with a different business. Like I said before, Wine Tasting on the Bay (Pier 39) was an awesome cruise and very easy to book. **
Here’s her email address if you would like to discuss any problems you may have had or are going to have:

DO NOT BUY THE GROUPON.
You will never be able to make reservations, and you cannot get a refund.

Kept checking for new dates and they are full already. Now my voucher expiring and I either pay more or am out my money very shady. Calling better business bureau

As many others have expressed this is a terribly run business. You buy the Groupon for sail for 2 but can never book. I check their schedule daily and yet still once dates are posted «cruise is full.» It is simply impossible to book the cruise and there is expiration date.

I’ve bought a Groupon in the Spring of 2015 and it expires in August 2015. I’ve been trying to make a reservation all these months, but it’s not possible through their system. The sails are either not listed for the upcoming months and once they are … guess what … they’re all completely booked! I’m checking on a daily basis and it’s almost impossible that all dates are booked on the day they are listed! I emailed «Captain Pam» several times. The first time I received an answer that the dates are now posted (I checked within a couple of hours of receiving the email and all dates were gone). Since then, I haven’t received a response. It’s so frustrating and it looks like a total ripoff to me!

Stole my money. Disappointment. I paid online for a private cruise for two. When I went to look at reservations they were booked for the entire month so I called and they told me to check on the 28^th of that month because that was when she was posting the new available dates.
I checked 1 day after the 28 and guess what? It was all booked.
So I emailed & asked about dates and my offer from Group On was going to expire in a month but they were all booked.
I told «Captain Pam» we were open to any sailing schedule as we are locals.
She never answered or called back and did not refund my money.
Poor business practices, limited cruise days a month .
And don’t even bother to write to try to straighten things out now, the damage is done. First impressions are everything.

April 11, 2015 — Sunset Sail. 6:30pm-8:30pm
It is difficult to get a schedule having bought the voucher from Living Social. I emailed Captain Pam after several attempts. Captain Pam asked me to go on stand-​by because the schedule was booked. Got there and we were able go on-​board.
It was a fantastic experience. We started sailing while there was still light; sailed through the sunset and into the dark night. Magnificent views and perfect weather! I will definitely do it again.