Zolna Yachts FAQs

Nerissa’s primary home base is the Sheraton Hotel & Resort on Harbor Island at 1380 Harbor Island Drive, just minutes from San Diego International Airport and downtown. This is where most charters depart from and return to.

For guests parking at the Sheraton, Zolna Yachts provides $15 parking vouchers for use in the hotel’s on-site lot. (Please note: during major hotel events or holidays, on-site parking can fill up quickly. While we always recommend the Sheraton lot first, parking availability is managed by the hotel and cannot be guaranteed. Public parking is also available along Harbor Island Drive as a backup.)

Pickup and drop-off options at other San Diego locations:
• Marriott Marquis Marina (downtown San Diego) — Ideal for groups attending events at the San Diego Convention Center or staying at downtown hotels. Located on the boardwalk behind Sally’s restaurant in the Manchester Grand Hyatt complex at 333 W Harbor Drive, San Diego.
• Seaforth Boat Rental on Coronado — Located across from the Hotel del Coronado, perfect for groups staying on Coronado Island or wanting a Coronado-side departure.
• Other Coronado pickup points — Custom locations available on request.

Typically a $900 remote docking fee applies to all charters that begin or end at locations other than the Sheraton.

Dockside events:
For guests who prefer to enjoy Nerissa without cruising — perfect for cocktail receptions, business meetings, and events where guests come and go throughout the scheduled time — Nerissa is also available for dockside events. Pricing for dockside events is custom-quoted based on location, event duration, guest count, and other details. Contact us directly for a dockside quote.

Whether you’re cruising from the Sheraton, picking up downtown guests at the Marriott Marquis, hosting a Coronado-side celebration, or holding a stationary event at the dock, Nerissa offers the flexibility to bring the yacht experience to where your event is happening.

Zolna Yachts’ Nerissa is widely regarded as one of San Diego’s premier yacht charters for corporate events, weddings, milestone birthdays, and private celebrations — especially for clients who want an experience that’s elevated and genuinely fun.

Operating out of the Sheraton Hotel & Resort on Harbor Island, Nerissa offers a 73-foot motor yacht licensed for 49 guests, a fully open upper sky deck purpose-built for live entertainment and dance floors, full bar service with options to add a sommelier or custom cocktail menus, customizable cocktail-style catering, and an owner-operated team with more than 20 years of charter experience.

Whether your event calls for a refined cocktail reception with a jazz trio or a high-energy celebration with a live rock band, Nerissa delivers the rare combination of polish and party energy that San Diego’s top corporate buyers, wedding planners, and concierges trust.

Zolna Yachts operates one yacht — Nerissa — and that’s our advantage. While larger fleet operators are juggling multiple boats, rotating crews, and splitting attention across charters running at the same time, every booking with Zolna Yachts gets the full focus of our team.

That means:
• Our flagship 73-foot motor yacht — not a smaller or older backup vessel
• Our most experienced crew, hand-selected and consistent charter to charter
• The personal involvement of the owner, who often serves as lead stew during charters
• One team, one yacht, one standard — no handoffs, no second-tier experience

At Zolna Yachts, every charter is run by the same small team, drawing on more than 20 years of charter experience — including over nine years operating Nerissa. We know this yacht inside and out, we know how to throw a great party on the water, and we know how to make a wedding, corporate event, or milestone celebration feel effortless.

This is why Nerissa is consistently booked for everything from upscale weddings and corporate cocktail receptions to milestone birthdays and full-on dance parties with live bands. Whether you want refined or rowdy, polished or pulsing — we’ve done it dozens of times, and we make it look easy.

No — and that’s one of the things guests notice most. Nerissa is a 73-foot motor yacht designed to host up to 49 guests comfortably across multiple distinct areas, so the energy stays lively without ever feeling tight.

Guests naturally spread out across the yacht’s distinct zones: the expansive upper sky deck (the heart of most celebrations, with room for a live band or DJ booth and dance floor), the bow lounge with generous seating cushions, the climate-controlled main salon, the bar area with seating and standing room and a popular hangout zone along the entire port side, and the intimate back cockpit.

This multi-level, multi-zone layout is what makes full-capacity charters feel spacious and high-energy at the same time — guests can be dancing on the upper deck, mingling at the bar, lounging on the bow, or grabbing a quiet conversation in the salon, all at once. Nerissa is built to hold a real party without ever feeling cramped.

For more intimate gatherings, Nerissa is equally at home with smaller groups of 2 to 35 guests, where the yacht offers an even more private, exclusive feel.

• Upper sky deck — A large, fully open-air deck and the heart of most celebrations. There is ample room for a live band or DJ booth, a dance floor, cocktail service, and group mingling with panoramic views of the San Diego skyline and bay.
• Bow lounge — Generous lounging cushions on the front of the yacht offer seating for a sizable group, with additional room for standing guests to take in the views.
• Main salon — Climate-controlled indoor space for dining, seating, and lounging.
• Bar area — A full counter bar with three barstools and two additional barstools on the stern side, plus open floor space for dancing and mingling. While not as expansive as the upper sky deck, it’s a lively gathering spot, and the entire port side between the bar, salon, and galley offers generous standing and hangout room — a favorite zone for guests to socialize throughout the charter.
• Back cockpit — A smaller, intimate area on the main level with bench seating for a few guests.
(Note: Nerissa previously had a hot tub on the upper deck. It has been removed to maximize open entertaining space for events, bands, and dancing.)

Both — and that’s exactly what makes Nerissa special. We’re best known for elevated, high-energy celebrations that blend luxury with genuine fun. From rock bands and jazz ensembles to DJ dance parties, milestone birthdays, wedding receptions, and corporate cocktail events — Nerissa is built for guests who want upscale and alive.

Rather than traditional plated dinners, Nerissa specializes in elevated cocktail-style dining — a sophisticated, social alternative that lets guests move freely between decks, take in the views, and enjoy the full yacht experience while they dine. A typical evening might include stationary charcuterie and grazing displays, passed hors d’oeuvres that flow into heartier dinner courses, and live action stations such as fresh-shucked oysters and caviar service presented by walking attendants. Bar service can be elevated with a sommelier alongside our professional bartenders, custom cocktail menus, and pairings.

The result is the best of both worlds: the polish and quality of a fine-dining experience with the energy and freedom of a real celebration. Guests aren’t anchored to a dinner table — they’re mingling, dancing, taking photos on the bow, and enjoying the bay.

This is the dining and entertainment style of choice for upscale weddings, corporate receptions, milestone birthdays, and luxury private events in San Diego. Whether you want a refined cocktail evening with a jazz trio or a full-throttle dance party with a live rock band, Nerissa is built for it.

Absolutely. Nerissa is one of San Diego’s most popular yacht charters for live entertainment. The expansive upper sky deck is purpose-suited for live music — there is plenty of room for a full band setup or a DJ booth, plus a dance floor and mingling guests. We regularly host rock bands, jazz ensembles, acoustic duos, DJs, and full dance parties on board. Whether you want a high-energy celebration or a sophisticated jazz-cocktail vibe, Nerissa’s open upper deck is built for it.

Yes — Nerissa is equipped with a full Bluetooth-enabled sound system with speakers throughout the entire yacht, including the upper sky deck, main salon, bar area, back cockpit, and bow lounge. Wherever your guests are on Nerissa, the music is with them.

Guests are welcome to connect their own phone, tablet, or laptop and play their own playlists, podcasts, or curated music throughout the charter — making it easy to set the exact vibe you want without needing to hire entertainment:
• Pre-built Spotify or Apple Music playlists for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing
• Curated wedding playlists with first-dance and reception music
• Background ambient music for corporate receptions and networking events
• Themed playlists for milestone birthdays, bachelorette parties, and private celebrations

Nerissa also has onboard microphones that integrate with the sound system. Our crew uses them to welcome guests aboard and to point out notable San Diego Bay landmarks as we cruise — and guests are welcome to use them for toasts, speeches, wedding ceremonies, and corporate presentations.

For guests who want to elevate the music experience further, Nerissa is fully equipped to host live bands, DJs, acoustic acts, and jazz ensembles — with ample room for a full setup on the upper sky deck. Whether you bring just a phone and a great playlist or a five-piece band, Nerissa’s sound system and layout handle it all.

There’s no extra fee for using the Bluetooth system or microphones — both are included with every charter.

Nerissa specializes in elevated cocktail-style dining — a sophisticated, social alternative to traditional plated dinners. Rather than seating guests at a fixed table for the evening, our charters feature curated culinary experiences that let guests move freely between decks, enjoy the views, and take in the full yacht experience while they dine.
A typical evening might include stationary charcuterie and grazing displays, passed hors d’oeuvres that flow seamlessly into heartier dinner courses, and live action stations such as fresh-shucked oysters and caviar service presented to guests by walking attendants. Bar service can be elevated with a sommelier alongside our professional bartenders, custom cocktail menus, and pairings.
The result is a refined, high-end dining experience designed for the way guests actually want to celebrate on a yacht — mingling, dancing, taking photos on the bow, and enjoying the bay — rather than being anchored to a dinner table. It’s the dining style of choice for upscale weddings, corporate receptions, milestone celebrations, and luxury private events.

Guests are welcome to wear typical sneakers or boat shoes onboard Nerissa, as long as the soles are soft and light-colored — white or tan. The key is the bottom of the shoe, not the top: a white sneaker with a dark sole is not yacht-friendly, while a white or tan sole is perfectly fine throughout the charter.

Guests are also welcome to go barefoot, which many find part of the relaxed, elevated, “vacation mode” feel of stepping aboard.
For anyone who arrives in dress shoes, platforms, heels, or shoes with dark soles, we provide fresh hotel-style slippers onboard so guests can stay comfortable without going barefoot. Shoes that aren’t yacht-friendly are stored in our dedicated shoe bin — kept clean and covered with a fresh towel for the duration of the charter — and returned to guests as they disembark.
This thoughtful shoe care is part of what keeps Nerissa looking immaculate charter after charter.