Chicago Boat Tours: Find the Best Lake and River Cruises

Table Of Content

• - The 2024 Cruising Season Is Underway! -
• Chicago River Architecture Tour (90 minutes)
• Specialty and Holiday Cruises
• Be the first to get offers and news
• Cruise & Tour Types

See well-known Chicago attractions from... On these 30-minute speed boat rides, you’ll tear across Lake Michigan at up to 45 miles per hour while getting entertaining and informative commentary on Chicago. Recalling the handsome elegance of 20th century luxury yachts, our vessels are sure to make an impression. Choose from seven perfectly sized ships for your private event. Departing from Navy Pier's Polk Bros Park or the northeast corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, this 60-minute trip packs in all of the architectural sights that visitors want to see. Tour guides highlight more than 40 towering Chicago landmarks, including the Tribune Tower, the Wrigley Building, and Marina City (a.k.a. "The Corncobs" or "The Wilco Building").

- The 2024 Cruising Season Is Underway! -

Steps from Millennium Park, The Magnificent Mile and all that downtown Chicago has to offer. Race across Lake Michigan on SeaDog Cruises, featuring 30 minutes of high speeds and exhilarating twists and turns.

Chicago River Architecture Tour (90 minutes)

Please present yourself to our staff if you prefer to board before general boarding starts. Guests unable to climb stairs to the upper deck may choose to sit in the open-air bow or the enclosed, climate-controlled salon with large windows. For safety reasons, motorized scooters and electric wheelchairs cannot be accommodated.

Specialty and Holiday Cruises

Ponchos are available for purchase on all vessels. However, in cases of severe weather, if the Captain deems it unsafe and cancels the tour, all guests will be refunded. The Tall Ship Windy is a must thing to do at Navy Pier. Very friendly and funny staff and always a good time, with beautiful views of the city of Chicago. I've set sail on Tall Ship Windy 4-5 times over the past few years, and it is always a good time. You get a nice view of the city and the crew is entertaining and knowledgeable.

Guests who are able to transfer may use the company's manual wheelchair based on availability.Visit our accessibility page for more information. No, the tour is only on the Chicago River. If you’d like to take a lake tour, please check out our sister cruise line Mercury, Chicago’s Skyline Cruiseline. There is enough seating for all guests to sit on our open air upper decks safely and with proper distancing measures in place. While seat numbers are printed on the tickets, you can ignore these as they are not valid.

Wendella guests can receive a $5.00 off parking chaser coupon from our ticket office. Parking may be reserved in advance by visiting StateWabashParking.com ($5.00 off parking chaser coupon cannot be applied to parking reservations made in advance). I’m a life long Chicagoan and I brought my out of town relatives on this cruise and we all loved it! It was a gorgeous summer late afternoon and the city was just sparkling. Narrator very entertaining and informative.

Open House Chicago: Explore Chicago's Architectural Wonders

Tall Ship Windy offers an unforgettable sailing experience. Explore Chicago’s Skyline and choose from Sunset Sails, Skyline Sails and Educational Sails. Shoreline Sightseeing’s water taxis are a great way to get around town. Starting in May and running through September, our water taxi service offers fast...

There is no storage area on our dock, but guests may bring their luggage aboard keeping in mind it is subject to inspection. Boarding begins minutes prior to scheduled departure time. Please select a specific tour or cruise from the above list to view pricing and more information.

Chicago Fourth of July Events Guide Boat Cruises, Outdoor Dining & More - Choose Chicago

Chicago Fourth of July Events Guide Boat Cruises, Outdoor Dining & More.

Posted: Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Choose from lake & river architecture, sunset cruises, and more. A fun, relaxing, informative boat tour along Chicago's beautiful waterways is the ultimate way to experience the city and leave a lasting impression on your group. Whether you are sightseeing during the day, seeking family friendly options or enjoying the famous nightlife, the infectious energy of the city will make it a trip to remember.

This tour departs from the Wendella Dock, located at the northwest corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge at the foot of the Wrigley Building. There are few more iconic Chicago sights than seeing the bright yellow Seadog speeding around town. And after this blustery 75-minute tour has finished traversing the Chicago River, it ends with a thrilling whizz across Lake Michigan, past Museum Campus, and Grant Park. This one departs from Seadog’s dock at Navy Pier throughout the summer months.

All discounted tickets must be purchased at the ticket office to receive the discount. Discounts are not valid for the Wine & Cheese Cruise or Beer & BBQ Cruise. Our sister company, Mercury, offers the popular Canine Cruise on summer weekends.

There is simply no better way to experience Chicago’s world-famous skyline than on a Windy City Boat Tour with Tall Ship Windy. Chicago CityPass saves 48% on premier admission tickets to Chicago’s top 5 attractions, including the Architecture River Tour. Take Shoreline’s award-winning 75-minute Architecture River Tour to discover Chicago’s renowned landmarks as presented by our expert and entertaining guides. Your wedding is the start of your lifelong journey together, so begin that journey in a truly memorable way - a wedding cruise down the Chicago River. Conveniently located along the Chicago Riverwalk.

That’s what’s on offer with this Chicago River tour. If you’re looking to still have some kind of tour, you can hire a personal tour guide—and we haven’t even gotten to the best bit. These boats are all electric, so they’re a little bit more environmentally friendly, too.

Take in the city’s magnificent architecture bathed in golden light as it begins its transition from day to night. Grab a group of up to six friends and book a private cruise aboard Lady Grebe, a 48-foot vintage yacht that can be reserved for two-hour trips along the Chicago River. The reservation comes with a premium drinks package and you can also opt to kick things up a notch with picnic baskets full of food or full-service catering. Chicago Electric Boat Company offers fun and unique ways to get out on the water, including donut boats, retro boats, and even a bike boat that your group can pedal down the Chicago River. Rental locations include Marina City, the Chicago Riverwalk, and Rockwell on the River in Avondale. Wendella vessels include sheltered areas and climate controlled lounges.

If you're looking for dinner with a view, you could do worse than watching the sunset against the skyline aboard this 2.5 or 3-hour Lake Michigan brunch, lunch, or dinner cruise. Grab a group of friends and book a table – ideally one with a window-facing view—for a buffet-style meal before making your way to the dancefloor for an evening of DJ-curated music. Unlimited coffee, tea, and water will be on hand. If you're weighing your options, Wendella's architecture tour (which it claims is Chicago's original) is another way to explore all of the beautiful structures that line the river.

Cruise Ship Rooms and Suites Best Cabin Staterooms

Table Of Content

• Included Dining
• Suites
• Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.
• Plan the Best London Day Trips Ever
• Compare Popular Choices

You can always ask at the front desk when you board your ship, but even if you play the birthday/anniversary/special occasion card, you can rarely sweet talk your way to a suite. Cruise cabin upgrades are rarely guaranteed, but you have a few ways to chase one. Beyond the aforementioned guarantee booking, you can look for booking promotions or loyalty program perks that allow you to pay for one category of cabin and get upgraded to the next. A few cruise line credit cards let you use your points to pay for a cabin upgrade. For others, scoring the best cabin location is vitally important because your enjoyment of the cruise is at stake. They might also bring you invitations to special events, such as cocktail parties and dinner at the captain's table.

Included Dining

Newer ships tend to have less engine noise and their stabilizers suppress the ship's motion, but you might get that anchor noise a couple of times a day at ports where the ship must use a tender. Many cruise ships today have standard cabins of similar size and amenities, with the price differential being the location. The least expensive, inside standard cabins on a mainstream cruise ship run from about 120 square feet to 180 square feet.

Suites

While it is always possible to hear TV noise or crying babies in adjacent rooms, cabins are much quieter than popular public areas that get lots of foot traffic by passengers and crew. While seasickness is not as common as a first-time cruiser might think, if you are worried about feeling ill, you should choose a stateroom that is midship on a low deck. As a ship rocks and rolls in the waves, it is most stable at its lowest and most central point. Other cruise lines, including Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, also offer single cabins—these special solo and studio cabins aren’t subject to single supplements. Occasionally, you may even find cruise lines running special promotions and waiving their single supplement for a regular-size room. This fee can be an additional 10% all the way up to a full 100% of the rate, making solo cruising unaffordable for many travelers.

Royal Caribbean Blog is your ultimate source for Royal Caribbean coverage.

The most spectacular suite at sea is likely Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Regent Suite. Inside, a balcony cabin will offer an ensuite bathroom, bed(s), closet area, desk with chair and a small sitting area. The exterior wall will be a floor-to-ceiling window with a door leading to a private balcony, usually with two upright chairs and a small table for drinks or alfresco meals. Deciding if a balcony room is worth the price is something many cruisers have to consider with each booking. Ultimately, it depends on your budget and how much more it would cost to move up to a balcony room (or suite) from a lower category. Finding a bargain room is almost certainly going to get you an inside cabin somewhere, but the cost savings usually resonate enough.

Types of cabins on cruise ships

They love them because the view can be spectacular, particularly as you arrive at a new port. Also, some people love the idea of being at the very front of a ship and being able to see where they're going. Note that on some ships, all or most of the rear-facing cabins are large, pricey suites, but this isn't always the case.

Plan the Best London Day Trips Ever

The 9 Best Cruise Ship Suites - Cruise Critic

The 9 Best Cruise Ship Suites.

Posted: Fri, 28 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The secret porthole cabins are those sold as inside cabins that actually have windows with blocked views and the partially or fully obstructed cabins are sold as outsides but often at the price of an inside. Other rooms to avoid on a cruise ship are those situated low and at the back of cruise ships. These are closer to engine noise, which causes vibrations, and the anchor.

Will you be entertaining in your room and need a dining table that can seat six or eight? Do you want benefits like being the first in line to get on or off the ship? Do you want to be pampered with extra-plush linens and bathrobes, fancy bath products and in-suite coffee and booze?

Hotels

On a roundtrip Caribbean cruise or a transatlantic crossing, for example, the side of the ship you are on doesn't really matter. However, one-way sailings such as a southbound Alaska cruise or a trip from Barcelona to Rome means that scenery is, in fact, one of the biggest reasons to sail. Plan ahead before booking your cabin to see on which side of the ship you'll want your balcony room.

Michelle Phi is a California native whose whole life revolves around all things entertainment, beauty, and fashion. When she's not working, you can find her wining & dining on all the yummy things LA has to offer.

Rooms at this level may also come with exclusive access to private pools, clubs and lounges with more luxurious touches and solitude than you’ll find elsewhere on the ship. For passengers with limited mobility or no mobility, most major cruise lines offer accessible staterooms in a variety of room types (inside cabin, ocean view and balcony). These options do vary based on the cruise line and the age of the ship, so it’s best to research this in advance and factor the accessible options available into your cruise planning process. Suites are the largest type of cruise ship cabin, and they come in a wide range of varieties. Minisuites or junior suites are slightly roomier versions of balcony cabins, with sleeping and sitting areas in the same space without a wall in between. Larger suites might include sleeping areas in separate rooms, dining tables, large living room spaces, multiple bathrooms and expansive private balconies.

So luggage fits under the bed, while the items you unpack will be stored in closets and drawers. Staterooms are like tiny homes at sea, and choosing your "best" is kinda personal. Your choice also will depend on the company, vessel, room size, type/view, deck location, amenities.

In all, the suite — and similar suites that were built onto more recently unveiled Viking ocean ships — sprawls over an impressive 1,448 square feet. Royal Caribbean wasn't the first cruise line to go the double-decker route when designing over-the-top cruise ship suites. A decade before the debut of Quantum of the Seas, Cunard Line wowed cruise fans with the unveiling of this two-deck-high Grand Duplex suite and a sister suite, the Sandringham, on its iconic Queen Mary 2. My favorite of all the Royal Loft Suites is the one on Quantum of the Seas, the first vessel in Royal Caribbean's Quantum Class series. Sleeping up to six, it offers a stylish, two-deck-high living and dining space facing the complex's giant window wall, complete with such modernist touches as an Eames chair (which, being a minimalist, I adore).

As you browse cruises, the first question you ask will be "Where are cruise ports near me?" Here's how to choose a port, and what to do once you're there. Here are some Rome vacation must-sees and tips on how to navigate travel when arriving or departing via cruise through Civitavecchia. A Barcelona vacation is always a good idea, but arriving at this iconic port of call by sea is a truly unique experience.

You can study your ship’s deck plans to understand how everything is organized before making your choice. Remember—prime locations for specific stateroom categories are reserved fast, which is why it’s ideal to book early if the deck your stateroom is on matters to you. Each of the twelve ships in the Celebrity fleet is unique in terms of their deck designs and the way the decks are organized.