Deo Juvante

My husband and I absolutely loved the boat cruise!!! We did it for Valentines day yesterday.

My friends and I went on the Newport Harbor Weekend evening cruise. We had a great time and the staff on the boat provided great customer service, especially David. The living social deal advertised hors d’oeuvres, but there were no hors d’oeuvres. They compensated that for an extra drink ticket.

My brother got a job working for this charter, it doesn’t come with the perks you think, but needless to say I get to come down almost every weekend and it’s absolutely awesome. I get to meet the people that take the charter and they are all really friendly. The staff are all really friendly and very approachable and easy to talk to! So if you find your self in Newport you need to check it out!

Got this through Groupon. Said it included parking. Had to pay $ 20 down the street because none available. Really not their parking lot. No representative of their company there. No one would explain just didn’t know why.
No light snacks as promised –had to buy. Did get one drink.
No safety announcements– no announcements or commentary at all.
Ships employee did come upstairs to admonish those with children for not keeping them under control.
Ships horn blasts with no notice. Both my grandkids burst into tears –scared
Overall not a professional organization. Never again.
Lights were beautiful but that had nothing to do with them.

I was skeptical about this tour because of all the negative reviews but my husband and I loved it! I think sometimes people’s expectations are too high or people are too picky. I purchased the Deo Juvante Christmas Lights Tour deal through LivingSocial and went yesterday on the 5:15 pm cruise. It was very easy, not packed and everyone was very kind. We checked in within less than 2 minutes, stood in the line to board the boat for about 5 – 10 minutes then we were all on the boat and departing right at 5:15. We both received 1 drink ticket each so I enjoyed a generous pour of a red wine and my husband had himself a Corona. We sat on the rooftop area and really enjoyed ourselves. We ended up getting another drink each which costed us $ 13 for both, which is cheap compared to other places that charge that for 1 drink. We loved listening to the Christmas music and it was a very relaxing tour. We would definitely come back!!!
The only thing I would change is they should post on their website or on the deals that you have to pay for parking in their lot!

I came here last Sun for the Christmas ride. It was fun, and I had a good time. I love love love boats, water, and Christmas lights, so I wouldn’t imagine that it could be bad. I had a groupon for a $ 19 ride, which came with a free drink. There is a full bar, but the drink that I ordered (LI) was not included, and had a $ 3 up charge. The food available was snack size bags of chips, for $ 2. The ride was about an hour and we passed some pretty cool houses.
The reservation process was a little confusing, and eventually we had to pay $ 21 extra for gratutity due to having a «large group» (10 people). The $ 21 gratuity did not guarantee us seats on the boat, or to be able to stay together. There were only enough seats for half the boat, and everyone was spread out. The boat wasn’t really decorated, and there was no real interaction with crew members, so you are really paying to sit/​stand on a boat and drive in a loop for an hour, and see lights dependent on how others decorated their houses. I personally had a great time. I thought $ 19 was ok. I do not think that it would be worth the full price without the groupon.

DON’T DO IT!!! enough said!!!
I purchased 4 tickets on groupon and was looking forward to this Xmas boat trip. I scheduled my reservation online and tried changing it from 1 to 4 because I missed the entry the first time. I emailed them and received an email from INFO@xxx and they asked me to provide all 4 groupon numbers in order to get the confirmation. I did this right away in the AM and contacted them by phone in the PM not knowing if we were confirmed or not for that evening as originally requested. So far no issues, but because it’s 2:30pm I’d thought giving them a call to make sure. I finally spoke to a gay who answered the phone and explained the above story. All he could was you are not on the list so of course I asked to speak with someone in the the INFO email department as I have been communicating with them and thought they could provide an answer. Apparently that did not make sense to this individual with the worst customer service attitude ever and thought hanging up on me after I got a little frustrated was a smart thing. Called back but hung up on me again and emailed them with no response. Thank you for nothing. Too bad some idiots manage the phone and should only be in charge of a list. What a joke.

Just got home from our cruise, which we enjoyed, but are very glad we had a Groupon voucher and didn’t pay full price. Be aware that you may have to pay for parking, which we were not advised of, and that the parking lot it difficult to navigate if you drive a larger vehicle, very tight turns going down the levels.
Our voucher included one drink per person from a very well stocked bar and light snacks. We enjoyed our hot chocolate w/​whipped cream vodka and the wine served was good. The only disappointment here was the fact that you can’t bring on your own food and the only snacks we ever saw were the chips being sold at the bar. i’d like to know where the snacks were, thank goodness we ate before getting on the boat (and had smuggled on snacks for the kids).
We were a little disappointed with how few houses were decorated, but this isn’t Deo Juvante’s fault. The crew was friendly, with the exception of the young lady who check us in, she seemed a little put out to have to help somebody.
Would I recommend this excursion to somebody else, only if you can get a deal. The full price of $ 80 per person would not be worth it.

I was skeptical after reading all the negative Unilocal reviews, however we had a great time. For the most part everyone was very friendly. They do have a fairly young crew but they were all very pleasant. The appetizers were decent (nothing fancy), just like the boat. Overall we had a great time, my husband and I got our voucher for $ 45 on travelzoo and it included 2 drinks, the cruise, and appetizers. Original price is $ 70 per person so I feel like we got our money’s worth. If you’re looking for something more upscale and expecting a fancy boat this cruise is NOT for you.
One last thing. I did have one complaint an older lady that helped us at the front desk seemed bothered by us and not very personable when we checked in.

I enjoyed my big 29^th birthday celebration with the crew at Deo Juvante. Tabitha was our bartender along with Trevor and the Captain Torre, to say the least every single one of them were AMAZING!!! I had around 35 people including kids and a private dj and photographer join us on our outing. We sailed through the harbor and had food and drinks all day long. Everyone was having so much fun when it was over no one wanted to get off. The celebration ended with a beautiful sunset and cheers to a fabulous day! I couldn’t have asked for a better celebration. I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants to have a great time, sunset cruise or any type of event or celebration. Being a local Wedding and Events planner here in the OC area, I would personally recommend them to any of my clients. Thanks so much for the memorable and fun filled experience.

A group of us ordered Amazon Local vouchers for the 2-​hour cocktail cruise to celebrate my wife’s upcoming birthday. We tried to contact Deo Juvante for over a month to coordinate scheduling of everyone’s vouchers so we could all take the cruise at the same time. They told my wife to call back in a week when the new schedule was up. When she did, they told her another two weeks. Then it was a month. Then they stopped answering the phone. Now their voicemail box is full. We never got to use our vouchers.
Thankfully, Amazon’s customer service is top notch and they gave us a refund when I explained this. I’m glad this company won’t be getting a penny from us.

TERRIBLE. Purchased a Groupon for 2 people ($ 49). Definitely NOT worth it. If you’re considering purchasing it full price, don’t even bother!
The website provides false advertisement about what they could possibly offer as a «continental champagne brunch cruise». First of all, NOT ENOUGH food for everyone and I didn’t get ANY champagne. They had small dessert plates to put your food on, that is if they had enough food for everyone. I didn’t even get a chance to grab a bagel or any yogurt. I got to pile up on their melon medley at least, and that was about all I got to eat. Their «one drink» coupon that comes with the cruise is a joke. If you are going to provide just some bagels, croissants, and fruit, please make sure there are enough bagels to go around. That is the LEAST you could provide for how much you’re charging with this Groupon rate. Groupon is supposed to help your business, but instead, I think it’s doing the opposite.
The pictures on the website show a server serving your drinks, etc, but nope! No server. There was a captain who seemed excited at first, and then the owner and another girl at the bar. Each person on the cruise had to get their own drink at the bar and they pour your drink in those small cups with barely any alcohol of course. No one even told us where the food would be located in the first place, or when we could get any. It was just a «free for all».
The other people on the cruise seemed disappointed as well. One girl asked the front desk (prior to boarding) if they offered bottomless mimosas at all, and the front desk girl said YES, YES THEY DO. Uhm, I think she lied. It was a good thing I read Unilocal reviews prior to going, or else I would’ve been MORE disappointed. My boyfriend and I couldn’t wait to get off so we could grab food elsewhere. We already expected a mediocre experience prior to going, but we ended up getting a worse experience.

If you get a Groupon, it might be worth it.
We signed up for a «sunset cruise», which included «hors d’oeuvres» and one free drink. Looking at Deo Juvante’s website, you see attractive photos of heating trays (4!) for the food, as well as cheese and fresh fruit, with the words, «tantalizing selection of traditional hors d’oeuvres». In reality, we found two trays of snacks consisting of egg roles and mini taquitos. My wife and I took in the view for a few minutes and then headed down to try some «hors d’oeuvres». There were none left. I mentioned casually to one of the bartenders, «oh, you seem to be out of hors d’oeuvres». His bored response, «when they’re gone, they’re gone.»
Don’t advertise some crappy frozen snacks as «hors d’oeuvres» on your site – especially when there are not even enough to go around!!!
We were warned to arrive 30 minutes early (which we did), but then boarding was 30 minutes late, so we got to chill outside their office for an hour before departing. There was no explanation for the delay.
Of course, once we got underway, the views were amazing. For the price we paid, it was an «OK» cruise, but we will not patronize this establishment again.
.
.
Note to Deo Juvante: If nothing else, a simple apology can do WONDERS for a disappointed guest, while a dismissive attitude can be equally damaging.

Such a great time on the Saturday Sunset cruise! My boyfriend had been sick with the flu all week, so I was hesitant to book the cruise for his 35^th birthday… Saturday he was feeling better… so I went to book online and it wasn’t available! We went down in person, and talked to them, and they got us on! Complete opposite experience of many of the other reviews on here. Their customer service was fantastic!
The cruise itself was so romantic, it really was a perfect night.
Pros:
Beautiful sunset and views
Comfortable seating
Great customer service and nice servers
Good drink selection
Tasty appetizers
Only complaint, there weren’t nearly enough appetizers for the amount of passengers on board.
They served mini egg rolls, mini taquitos, veggies & dip and chips and salsa… but unfortunately, not enough for everyone.
I bought this deal on groupon for $ 49, which included 2 tickets and 2 drinks. (travelzoo had it for $ 45, but their site wasn’t working). For that price… it was amazing, and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone. For the retail price of $ 140…I would have been *really* disappointed. Overall a great trip.
I plan to buy a certificate for my brother/​sister in law for their birthdays… and would love to go again myself! :)
Have fun!

This is a Sunday brunch booze cruise. There is no menu as far as food well it’s just fruit and bread. 2 drink limit per person. So after you still want to drink more it comes out of your pocket. For what it’s retail price of $ 70 not worth it. But in this case I got a groupon and it only cost $ 40 for 2. Read my review and do some research before you board and pay full retail.

Do you want to book a yacht event but are afraid of your group getting seasick? Have no fear! The Deo Juvante yacht will NEVER LEAVE THE DOCK! Apparently the coast guard has declared it unfit to sail (or something, we couldn’t quite figure out what the problem was) so you and your group will sit in dock all night, just the way we spent yesterday evening.
Oh, did I say «yacht?» When I saw this dirty old dragger I figured it was just transport out to the real yacht. NOPE. The wreck of the Minnow was in better shape than this garbage hauler and Gilligan knew far more about seamanship than these yahoos did. Can a boat ever be described as «ghetto?» The answer is YES!
So we kept getting told for hours that we would depart in just 5 minutes. After awhile, people tried to leave but the crew hard-​sold them into staying. We never ended up going anywhere other than drifting about 10 feet away from the dock. Thank goodness for the rope! We’d have been cast adrift with no way to return to shore.
The organizer of the event, a wine tasting outing, said the yacht company was a $ 1000 cheaper than anyone else. Well, you get what you pay for! Heck, I could rent a rowboat for $ 40 and at least I could get the thing out to sea. By the time I was done I would have settled for an inner-​tube and a swimming pool.
Did I mention being gassed by the fumes of the engine while they tried to get the thing started? The plastic chairs were a classy touch too.
At least when I go to a one-​star restaurant, I’ve usually ended up putting something in my mouth. What did I get out of this? Since I cant give this Little Rascals-​esque buffoon-​a-​rama lower than one star, I’ll have to recalibrate my scale from here on out. Thank God no one fell in, I doubt the life preservers even functioned.

HORRIBLE! Do not book with this company!
I purchased through groupon, and the customer service was unbelievably horrible! The first time I called and tried to make a reservation the guy hung up on me. All I did was ask if there you had to be 21+. He said «you have to be at least 75» then hung up.
So I decided to avoid the conversation with the guy and made my reservation online. After doing that, I never got my confirmation. So I called and asked if he could send me a confirmation. And he said to go on the website and send an email so I can contact them. I told him how I was already contacting him directly and if he could pull it up for me. He then hung up.
So glad group on refunded me. Would have been a waste of time and money!!! Worst customer service it have ever experienced.

I bought two Groupons — one to go with a group of girlfriends, and the other with my husband and mother. With the girlfriends (Tuesday night), we got very close to the homes and saw so many beautifully lit homes… It was a lot of fun and everything we had expected it to be.
When I returned only 3 days later (Friday) with my family, was completely disappointed! Without any warning on their website, on the reservation confirmation, or Groupon, we were told we had to pay for parking despite that just days earlier, there was no charge. I asked why and the guy at the counter laughed it off uncomfortably about it being weekend parking… fine, but warn your guests! As we were sailing, the boat captain stayed in the center of the harbor, sometimes straight through the middle thoroughfare about a quarter mile from the shore and homes.
On the first ride, the captain had left the Christmas lights on our deck lit the entire time which made the experience more festive as if we were participating in the boat light show as well. But on Friday, it was a completely blacked out deck. At times, the ride felt that we were just in the middle of a dark harbor and the furthest thing to celebrating the Christmas lights.
Never again…

We purchased vouchers on Amazon Local, to take my mother in law who was visiting from Indiana and had never been on the Newport bay. We hoped to see the Christmas lights, there were a few but it was pretty disappointing. The boat is old and tattered, the food was some cheap frozen meat balls and spring rolls, and there wasn’t enough for all of the guests. The music was too loud to speak comfortably over (like they were trying to be a party boat) Most of the 2 hours were spent in the cabin as going on deck seemed pretty unsafe. By the end of the cruise more than half of the guests were completely sloshed. I suppose drinking might have made this more worthwhile but the drinks were overpriced so we decided to just chalk it up to a deal too good to be true!
Save your money on this one, don’t bother unless you just want to get drunk!

Really fun boat trips! Troy the oc party man in cool. I recommend this to a friend :)