[1][5][6] Deering owned homes in Chicago, New York and Paris and traveled extensively but he often spent winters in Florida.

[8][9] The yacht was kept constantly ready for use and equipped with the same china, monogrammed French linens, and fine accessories as the mansion.

[10] From Christmas 1916 until his death in 1925 Deering typically resided at Vizcaya from the end of November to the middle of April entertaining guest that included Lillian Gish, President Warren Harding, Marion Davies, William Jennings Bryan, Thomas Edison and John Singer Sargent.

[8][11][12] In April 1917, Sargent was invited to cruise the Florida Keys aboard Nepenthe with James and Charles Deering.

[note 3] The yacht was sunk, a year after Deering's death aboard the SS City of Paris (1920), in the 1926 Miami hurricane.