The Chardonnay II is a great way to experience Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay. It's a large, fast, well-equipped sailboat with a skilled captain and friendly, attentive crew. The sunset was lovely, as was getting to see otters, seals, and sea lions, and sailing past the boardwalk, wharf, and lighthouse. It was quite warm and sunny when we set out,... More

We went on sunset cruise, no expectations. the crew was nice, very generous with the drinks, there was no food. it was chilly and they offered blankets to people which came in handy. the capitan performed some sailing maneuvers which were thrilling and then we coasted along admiring beautiful sunset setting behind santa cruz shoreline, spotted many dolphins and seals... More

The staff was pleasant and the sunset cruise itself was nice (even though cloudy and a little sprinkly and cool). They poured wine and beer frequently. But don't expect much when it comes to food. They say complimentary Hors d'oeuvres included. However, they have no paper plates. They pass around some cheese and crackers, later a platter of vegies, and... More

The crew of the Chardonnay were so nice, attentive and welcoming. The yacht is absolutely beautiful. Some of the time was spent motoring (versus just sailing) so we could get a closer look at seals, dolphins and the shoreline. Our sail included a brunch of pastries, fruit and mamosas or orange juice. We recommend the Chardonnay during your visit to... More

I thought this would be cheesey, but it was SO FUN!!! I highly recommend it. I went with four of my girlfriends. We are all in our early thirties. We did the sunset wine tour. I thought we would barely get wine. I was wrong. I was feeling really good when that boat docked. The ride was smooth. The weather... More

I've been on the Chardonnay several times over the past 5 years, taking out of town visitors including my 80-something year old mother and it is always a hit. I've only done the sunset cruises (some with wine tasting), so I can't speak to some of the other variations. In any event, the staff are terrific, the views are great,... More

We went out on a sail during our June vacation in CA. We had booked a Sunday sushi sailing but they called us a few days before and said it was cancelled because they didn't meet the minimum number to go out. We did instead sail on a Taste of Santa Cruz sail that evening. The boat was great, they... More

Not cheap, but well worth the money for a "yacht race" with pizza and wine. Weather was superb, may be a bit iffy if pouring with rain.

We enjoyed a beautiful fall afternoon aboard the sailboat for "Sushi Sunday." As we motored out to the bay, the crew came around with bottles of saki and wine, followed by plates of sushi. As vegetarians, we appreciated that one tray of three was entirely vegetarian. A crew member even came back to ask us if we wanted more after... More