After coordinating our wedding and hosting the event, we now wish that we had hired a different company at a different venue. In addition to poor customer service on-site, the staff (lead by Daniel Martinez) was very rude to both the bride and ...guests throughout the night. 'Not a good impression.
Here are three key things that you should know:
1. Our Intended Rental Yacht Broke Down at the Last Minute
We were told an hour before boarding that we would have to either stay docked at the Pacific Hornblower or move to the Empress Hornblower for our cruise. This was extremely unprofessional, especially because the on-site staff didn't tell us until the last minute--after we had already set up the tables on the Pacific. This ruined our seating chart due to the new deck layout. Moreover, the staff did not let us put our party favors at the tables, which the bride worked for days to make by hand. Although we understand that malfunctions happen, it was the Hornblower staff's duty to be prepared for this well ahead of time and notify us far, far earlier.
2. The Staff and Coordinator Made No Attempt to Compensate Us
After both families rushed to move everything from the Pacific to the Empress, the staff rudely informed us that they would not give us extra time on the cruise, stating that we had made them late because *they* were ready on time. From the added corkage fee (we told there was none) to the general attitude of the staff, we were surprised at the lack of empathy shown to the bride and the wedding party. This was incredibly stressful, since both the coordinator and the staff made little attempt to give us any extra time on anything, which made the ceremony chaotic.
3. Overall, Communication From the Staff Was Extremely Poor
Mainly, we weren't notified about anything in a timely manner. 'Had we been given enough notice about the boat's failed engine, the weather conditions and a variety of incidentals, we could have dealt with the crisis better. Almost nothing we were told regarding our plans was consistent among most staff members.
Pros: Several compliments on the food; planning coordinator (Erica Stenson) was on-point and provided great communication prior to the event; half of our guests (at most) had a decent experience.
Cons: Customer service was several lacking; most of the staff was extremely unapologetic about anything that went wrong; we were offered no compensation for any last-minute changes nor the stress that the bride suffered.