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Floating Venues

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When a full-length cruise won’t work for the agenda, a short yacht excursion might be just the thing to provide a refreshing break from a landlocked meeting. Some vessels are strictly for fun, but an increasing number are outfitted for serious conferences. Here are just a few of the many choices available.


Admiral Yacht Charters

Based in Newport Beach, Calif., Admiral Yacht Charters offers a fleet of various sizes available for theme parties, team-building excursions, awards banquets, new product launches, and more. They include the Majestic, which offers three decks and accommodates up to 400 passengers, and the Spirit of Newport, a 140-passenger vessel with retractable awnings and a dance floor.


Argosy Cruises

Seattle-based Argosy Cruises offers a fleet of 11 vessels that can be chartered for corporate parties and meetings for up to 700 people. Excursions showcase various attractions and views of Puget Sound, including the houseboats on Lake Union, the Crittenden Locks and views of the Seattle skyline and Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges.


Empress Events

Plying the waters of San Francisco Bay, a fleet of yachts operated by Empress Events offers departures from San Francisco, Sausalito and Berkeley. The fleet includes the 49-passenger Avalon, which features a state-of-the-art sound system, leather furnishings, kitchen, dining room, and main salon. The 149-passenger Yacht Empress includes a dance floor and three decks.


Harbour Cruises & Events

Vancouver, British Columbia’s spectacular harbor and mountain-fringed fjords are the domain of Harbour Cruises & Events, which offers charters on three spacious vessels, including an authentic paddle wheeler. Entertainment ranging from karaoke to theme parties can be arranged.


Hornblower Cruises & Events

California’s largest yacht charter company, Hornblower’s 32-vessel fleet sails out of San Francisco, Berkeley, Marina del Rey, Long Beach, Newport Beach, and San Diego. Available for corporate meetings and a wide range of other events, the vessels run the gamut from Newport Beach’s Wild Goose, a former minesweeper restored by John Wayne for his personal use, to San Diego’s Inspiration, a new 1,000-passenger vessel that is the largest charter yacht in Southern California.


Southwood Yacht Charters

The azure waters off Los Cabos and elsewhere in Mexico’s Baja California Sur can be enjoyed on any of Southwood Yacht Charter’s three luxury vessels, which are outfitted with amenities such as Jacuzzis and elegant dining areas. Groups can try their hand at activities that include sport fishing, kayaking and snorkeling.