I was extremely disappointed with my experience on the Odyssey Chicago River cruise. My group and I were racially profiled by an employee who approached us accusing us of not paying for our dinner. We had paid in full. The employee never apologized and instead continued to question us, even though it was actually an Asian group nearby who had not paid. Being singled out, embarrassed, and treated as if we didn't belong was hurtful and unprofessional. No guest should ever be made to feel disrespected or targeted because of their race. This experience overshadowed what should have been a relaxing evening, and it left a lasting negative impression. I hope the company takes this seriously, provides proper staff training, and ensures that no other guests have to go through this. read more

An unforgettable evening on the Chicago River! We had a fantastic experience aboard the Odyssey River Cruise. The ship itself is clean, modern, and beautifully styled with an elegant feel. The highlights were easily the exceptional service--shoutout to our amazing bartender and attentive crew--delicious food, and breathtaking views of the city. It takes you right through the absolute best parts of the Chicago River. Highly recommend! read more

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The Odyssey boat tour was an absolute treat from start to finish. Every crew member was incredibly welcoming and attentive, even going out of their way to help us get the perfect photos at the front of the boat. The food was outstanding across the board, the service was even better, and the views made the entire experience unforgettable. Highly recommend! read more

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I hadn't been here in a few years and this time I came to celebrate a friend's bday with 12 ladies. We were the biggest group and Edgar was amazing with us. He had great recommendations and coordinated us all the way thru!!! The food and drinks were delicious! Most of us started with the red dress tequila mezcal deliciousness concoction... wow! Bday girl was greeted with champagne and her glasses were never half full when she already had another one in front of her-what service! We had good time to eat and talk, not rushed at all. After dinner Edgar guided us to the front of the boat to enjoy music and dancing, pictures came out beautiful. Someone came out to let us know boat was going to stop soon for fireworks-great prompt to get a refill. Plenty of space for everyone to see/enjoy fireworks and music volume was perfect. The boat didn't move too fast, it was perfect! We came back and everyone was very patient with our big group going to restroom (very clean), gathering our items, and get off the boat. Take an arm chocolate chip cookie on your way out!!!! read more

I surprised my girlfriend with the Christmas Eve Dinner Premier Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan, wanting to do something new and special. I was hoping it would be a romantic, cozy, energetic cruise. I suppose I had high hopes from the mega cruises I've done with the big cruise lines. While all the employees were friendly, the atmosphere seemed a little lacking. First of all, the boat itself was hard to find. We walked the whole pier looking for it, as the ticket didn't specify WHERE on the pier it would be. The only indication we found it were some lights tied to the onboarding ramp. Once on board, the only thing that indicated it was Christmas Eve was the DJ playing Christmas music and a tree set up in the dining room. Even though the cruise wasn't full, all the guests were crammed into tables on the sides. Perhaps this was so we were all close to the windows, but we couldn't see out them anyway at night. The dinner felt a little rushed, being served as soon as we sat down. The drinks were expensive and the food was pretty mediocre. The dessert bar was pretty good though. Once we finished, we still had a couple hours left to wander around. The boat isn't very big, and nothing was really doing on, so we ended up standing on the roof in the cold looking at the sites most of that time. Overall, the experience was pretty "meh", so I don't think I would do this one again. Maybe it's more fun in the summer if you bring a bunch of friends. read more

Had the most amazing time with my friends... we were a few minutes late getting there and they were about to sail . I hollered and John on board saw me and paused and the captain came to his window to check the commotion and halted the sail. We fortunately were able to get in without any further delays . The set up in the dining area was beautiful and the servers were polite and attentive. The food was pretty good I got a salad but wanted the bell pepper soup like rest of our group and asked if we could get the soup so they accommodated me very kindly . We also were able to get a song dedication for my friend who had a bday this week . The views from the rooftop were outstanding and I would love to come back with the family. Highly recommend getting to the odyssey atleast 30 mins before sail . read more

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Great experience !!! 4 stars only because would like more options for the price & a professional photographer would be ideal. Service was amazing Ambiance was phenomenal I love the music request option!! Nice people great workers. read more

Brought my mother here for her birthday brunch and she loved every second of it. The food was great and so was the scenery! All the staff there were so friendly and attentive and tour guide / DJ was so knowledgeable and the mimosas kept coming non stop. My glass was never empty until the end! A birthday brunch to remember! read more

When the family decided to meet in Chicago for Thanksgiving, I found the Odyssey Chicago River cruise and took the opportunity to have a nice Thanksgiving meal (2pm) on a scenic cruise through the Windy City. First, we arrived at the dock and took some pics with the official photographer as well as a bunch of selfies to commemorate the day, then we sat at our table as the ship took off, then out came the drinks, bread, appetizers, and the meal. One by one, we feasted throughout the 2 hour tour, stopping every so often to go out on the deck and take photos with the family. The waitstaff were more than happy to oblige and take photos for everybody. Some highlights included the seafood tower (not really a tower, but plenty of seafood for everybody), the baked brie, and the Thanksgiving plate (turkey + gravy, green beans, stuffing and cranberry sauce). And a wide selection of drinks for everyone. And best of all, no one had to cook or clean the dishes afterwards, and we got spectacular photos for a Thanksgiving to remember! read more

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We spent our anniversary on the Odyssey Chicago River tour through the Hornblower cruise company. This ship is the newest of the fleet. At 4 years young, it's a beautifully designed boat with a dedicated route through the Chicago river system. It's a 140-foot, 360-degree encased vessel providing spectacular views of the river and downtown Chicago. We took the architectural lunch cruise to catch daytime views of the city. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't ideal but we had a few opportunities where there were breaks in the rain to take in scenes from outside and let me tell you, there are simply no words to explain the grandeur downtown Chicago has to offer. My husband got the anniversary package. With the package we were greeted with a lovely table decorated with rose petals, a beautifully arranged 1/2 dozen bouquet of roses and champagne service. We also received keepsake souvenir flutes. Our server Stephania was kind and friendly. She tended to our requests despite the many tables she was juggling and did a great job of it. Our docent was knowledgeable. He was familiar with the route layout, the building(s) features, architect history and provided interesting facts on the structures highlighted along the tour. From there, that's where the positives of this review end. Unfortunately, we encountered a number of not so great things. It began with the interior temp level. I'm thankful that the boat was climate controlled but upon entering it felt like a freezer. I was able to tolerate it because I wore a long sleeve dress however my husband was cold the entire time. A number of folks who wore t-shirts and shorts felt the same way too. There were moments when puffs of hot air blew through the vents but that made little dent to the frigid like temps within the confines. Next was our add on seafood tower app we paid extra for. The king crab, shrimps and ceviche were good. The sauces were okay but we would've appreciated horseradish versus tartar because the tartar sauce seemed out of place with the seafood on the tower. That lobster though.... SMH. It was bad. I had a bite of lobster and it tasted off. It was slimy, sour and spoiled. I spit it out immediately fearing another bite would lead to food poisoning. My husband noticing my response braved it, attempted a taste, mirrored my reaction and agreed. We let our server know and towards the end of our meal service the senior restaurant Manager, Alberto came out, apologized and made an attempt to make it right by comping a credit towards the seafood tower. We're currently awaiting a refund credit in 6 days. Then came our main course. I've heard good things about their short rib dish which at one point was part of their lunch menu. It has since been removed and is only offered during dinner. Taking the short rib dish off was a big bummer. Ben ordered the cod dish and I got their chicken. Ben said his cod tasted like frozen fish sticks. The portion was small too (see pics). As for my chicken, I would've enjoyed it more had it not been overcooked. My chicken dish had nice season. Had it been cooked right it would've been perfect. The dessert we ordered, a chocolate lava cake, was dry and lacking as well. Having to pay this much for our experience, we expected a stellar meal but received subpar. If you're seeking to go, just note the closest parking garage found on Spot Hero is near the Sheraton Grand hotel roughly 2 blocks away. As you're walking down Cityfront plaza and see the University of Chicago building, find the concrete stairway (on your left) and take it down towards the ticket office/boat. They request guests arrive 30 minutes prior to start time. Check in with the ticket office first prior to boarding. Once the boat leaves, you're pretty much SOL. Final disclaimer for the ladies. I know most of y'all like to wear cute heels but tread carefully down and up the boarding ramp. The ramp has a very steep incline. I strongly advise you hold the handrails. One misstep can potentially break your ankle. read more

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When I went to book a cruise a month ago, I realized that the weather in November could be downright chilly or miserable. So, I chose the Odyssey Chicago River by City Experiences for one main reason: it's entirely enclosed in glass. Our cruise was cozy and warm on a cold windy day. We raised our glasses of endless mimosas to the poor souls freezing to death on the other passing outdoor ships! The service was spectacular. The food was amazing. Definitely worth the extra money. read more

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Amazing time, event, and food for our wedding! A few snafu's on the boat itself (event photographer showed up late and umm....high on life, causing us to miss out on photo favors for our guests, but that was remedied by management, and a few missing dishes we paid for, but again we received compensation for that) Gorgeous vessel! The food was delicious! We hear, even a year later that it was not only some of the best food people have had at a wedding, but the entire wedding was one of the best they had been to! Highly recommend for both special events and normal river cruises! read more

Odyssey Chicago River - Interior of the boat with our dessert table. - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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What a marvelous experience. I am planning my wedding on a city cruise and they offered us complimentary tickets to dining and sampling the food and experience. The food was pretty tasty, the service was top notch. The smiles and greetings started preboarding. The music was relaxing, the views were spectacular! Danny was the manager and Paul was our waiter and they made our experience extra special! Can't wait for our wedding with this company read more

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Well it's that time again. I absolutely love the dinner cruises on the Odyssey. The vibes are always so nice. It's something you can do with your significant other, you can book it for a girls night out, or you can have a family affair....even celebrate a birthday maybe. It's for any and everyone and for everyone occasion. I book this cruise yearly, that's how much I like it. It's so nice to cruise along the Chicago river and catch views of the beautiful city of Chicago and the skyline. It definitely helps that the boat is glass and you can see any and everything you need to see outside of it. There is no bad seat on this boat. I love this boat so much I've even booked a cruise out of the country in Paris!! But honey let's get into this meal! I had the chicken breast and it was very juicy and flavorful. Also had string beans and mash potatoes. I had never had clam chowder before but I must say this was a great introduction for me. It was very good. The staff are always friendly and they make sure you have everything you need. Service is great. They also play a plethora of music for you to enjoy. They play something for everyone. All in all.....I'll gladly be back next year read more

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We came here for restaurant week. They dock at 7pm sharp so make sure to give your self enough time to board. I saw a few people 5min late and they did not let them in. Staff was professional and very attentive. Our food came out after we finished each course which was nice. It was a 2-hour boat ride with 3 course. Appetizer: Beet & baby arugula salad: this was lightly seasoned with vinaigrette. It was topped feta cheese. This was light and refreshing. Clam chowder: this was really good. This was full of flavor and perfect for a chilly night. Main Salmon: this was a little more salty than expected it was topped with rice. Jumbo sea scallop & Shrimp: this came with 3 jumbo shrimps and 2 mini scallops. This came with pasta topped with pesto. This was Dessert Fruit with strawberries: this was diced up fruit with Cheesecake: this was pretty dry not my favorite. I don't this this place would be worth it outside of restaurant week but definitely worth the experience if you are lucky enough to get it during restaurant week. read more

Odyssey Chicago River - Clam chowder - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

At first, I didn't know what to expect, but it was everything I had hoped for to bring my favorite girl too. Definitely do it again. The skyline looks so beautiful when you're out on Lake Michigan. This time I'll be going in March with my beautiful fiancé from Nigeria. She's never had good beef before. And I will upgrade to do the prime rib for her. I'm so excited to show her the city of Chicago. I must add this to everything they served had to come from a very well experienced chef. read more

For moi, a native Chicagoan, it's always fun to view the city from a visitor's perspective. Our town is blessed with a spectacular lakefront and waterways, and the options for boat trips keep expanding. For the Missus and me, this was our introduction to the Odyssey Chicago River, an upscale glass-enclosed floating restaurant. The 2-hour architecture lunch cruise was not only the finest meal we've experienced on a Chicago waterway but also the best river cruise overall. This vessel is fairly new. The dining room is climate-controlled and the food is prepared in a below-deck galley. There is a bar at the forward end of the dining room. The rest rooms (also below deck) are immaculate. Open decks fore and aft are delightful spaces with unobstructed views for photography. Our 3-course plated lunch matched the quality of the finer banquet venues on land. Special diets and food restrictions are accommodated. A Caesar salad and freshly baked crusty rolls were followed by a choice of four entrées. Everyone in our party ordered the braised beef short rib, served hot, fork-tender, and in a savory Cabernet Sauvignon sauce. And, what dessert could be more appropriate than that Chicago warhorse [giggle!], Eli's New York Style Cheesecake? The portions were very generous, and service was attentive and polished. Restaurant manager Simon stopped by our table to greet us and make sure we were enjoying everything. The architecture cruise itself was knowledgeably narrated. This along with background music played by a DJ did not challenge conversation. Meal service was timed so that we finished dessert right about when the vessel made a U-turn to head back, giving us the opportunity to go out on deck and enjoy the panoramic scenery. Please note that Odyssey's lunch cruises cost considerably less than the dinner cruises, and prices do not include tax and gratuity. read more

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This was a great cruise with great service and delicious food. We attended this cruise for a special event and really enjoyed ourselves. We were able to enjoy the guided tour of the greatly engineered buildings of Chicago while enjoying the best dining. The boat was clean, modern and attractive. There was a variety on the menu that all could enjoy including vegan foods and meals for meat lovers. The food was tasty and no one had any complaints. We met people enjoying different occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries. This was truly a great experience! read more

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Spectacular brunch and architectural cruise Ali g the Chicago river. From being greeted at the ship by the captain to flowing mimosas, an incredibly tasty brunch and stellar dessert. This is not to be missed. Worth every minute of your time and attention. Even a slightly rainy day however the glass ceiling allowed perfect viewing if the city and its amazing architecture. Do it now!! read more

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This is a horrible place that sends the wrong location to show up and had us walking in circles. The address then sent in the email is wrong and send you to a random parking garage. read more

My boyfriend booked us for dinner on the Odyssey on a Saturday night. Boarding was easy and quick, and although we did not have a table by the window, the walls and ceilings are glass so the view is still great! The three course dinner is done table by table, so everyone dines at their own pace. This was perfect because it gave us the chance to go out to the front of the boat to take in the views without a crowd. This also made it easier for my boyfriend to drop to one knee and propose! Our waiter assisted him in taking a video of the whole proposal and the ship captain even honked the horn afterwards! It was a perfect night with delicious food, a staff that goes above and beyond, and a new fiancé! read more

Odyssey Chicago River - Proposal on deck - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We came for a corporate dinner (so lots of out-of-towners), and they loved the experience. Booking the experience was a bit of a hassle, since we had to go through group reservations and there was a lot of back-and-forth with the contract, but if you're just booking from the website that won't happen to you. We had two tables right by the window for our group (it was a Tuesday night in the summer, and the boat was not that full), so we got great views. The tables were realllly close together, which made it hard to get out from the table so that was a bit annoying. The pacing of our dinner was a little odd-we boarded at 7pm for a 7:30 departure, and already were through our appetizers before we left the dock. We then got our dinners right away, then there was a long break before dessert. After dessert we were encouraged to go out on the front deck to take in the views coming back up the South Branch, which was cool. It just seemed like they could have paced out the beginning of the meal a bit better, it felt rushed and then all of a sudden put the brakes on. The food was fine, nothing extraordinary but also decent. It's not a cheap experience, but it's well worth it. It's a pretty smooth ride as well, since you don't go out on the lake (we had one guest who gets motion sickness, and he felt fine). If you're looking for a unique dining experience and don't mind shelling out a bit of money, it's worth it. read more

Great experience. Was really nice to have dinner on the river and the vessel itself is breathtaking. Food portions were a little small but that was expected. Customer service could be better. It was our first time and our server treated us like we were already supposed to know how everything worked. Not very attentive and rushed us to order 10 minutes after we sat down. read more

Odyssey Chicago River - Odyssey vessel - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Amazing! Simply Amazing! I took my girlfriend by here for her 28th Birthday and she loved it. It was peaceful, quiet, and very elegant. read more

Odyssey Chicago River - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband and I took a chance on celebrating our anniversary on the Odyssey River Cruise and could not have been more pleasantly surprised. The boat was clean and modern, the meal was delicious and the service was fun and not rushed. We spent time at our table and also got out to see the views from the front and back of the boat. The scenery of Chicago from the river was beautiful and awe inspiring, and we are Chicagoans. The only problem was that my husband wasn't warned about the low ceiling while boarding and hit his head on the metal beam. read more

Food Amazing Service from Heather her Husband the cheaf Rob the Bar tender Brianna the server and forgive me for the spelling a server Named Mynka & Gabrielle Dj Mary honestly all the staff was top tier. But they had to make up for the rudeness for the Captain Guy who treated us as if we were not paying guests and as if the boat belonged to him we was running late and took our shoe's off to run he practically yelled at all of the women in my group as if was a father to us. We was so disgusted with him the staff quickly made up for the captain Guy's (his name) absolutely rudeness. I'll come back for the staff but throw the captain overbooked first please read more

My office overlooks the river and I'd been curious about the new fancy glass-ceiling boat I'd seen cruising around. As luck would have it, my boss and colleagues all had the same thought and planned a private group cocktail cruise. Whoa! So amazing, exceeded my expectations! Food was wonderful (and met all the various allergies/food restrictions our group had). Not 5 star restaurant food, but 5 stars for food on a boat. The views were incredible...and we could be warm inside or wander outside for windowless views (best of both worlds and perfect for the unpredictable weather of Chicago). The staff was amazing! The only negative I can think of is the food plates were miniscule (I'm talking smaller than a saucer). We just filled up multiple times though. Highly recommend and thinking of reasons to get a group together and do this again! For the 4:00 cocktail cruise we had daylight, sunset and evening views! read more

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I had a great time. The crews were friendly and helpful. I wasn't feeling well and they took care of me. Food was average, but i came for the view. read more

Odyssey Chicago River - Inside the amethyst room - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great service and even better food and views! We were a little unsure of whether or not we were supposed to tip because there were a ton of additional fees and taxes. In the end, we left some extra cash on the table. read more

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It's an incredible cozy boat to hangout with loved one and friends to get away from the weather. While a little pricey it is indeed beautiful and worth it with the delicious drinks and food paired nicely with the incredibly nice staff read more

Odyssey Chicago River - Odyssey Chicago River looks absolutely beautiful, and a cozy way to weather this... well weather :) - American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We booked months ahead of the date, and three days beforehand they ended up cancelling the dinner without explanation. Email responses take 3 days to respond, and there is no direct number to call to reset reservations. On top of that, they allow you to book at a different time but won't pay any inconvenience fee to rebook, so I will have to pay the difference out of pocket. My guess is that they overbooked, and was extremely disappointed with the outcome, given the price of the boat. read more

For the price point this is kinda of a lame experience. Not worth the money. The food was pretty awful, the drinks were decent and the staff was nice enough. Overall not worth the money and you are better off renting a boat and having your own picnic. read more

Very bad customer service. The day of our trip and after arriving to thee boat in Chicago coming from far north suburbs, we found out the boat has a mechanic issue. Nobody told us about that. They said they will send us vouchers in ten days to rebook the trip.. now it has been 40 days and no vouchers were received. They say they can not rebook without the vouchers, what a stupid system. When I call their customer service it goes to voicemail. read more

It was unfortunate that the overall expectations of the evening were not close to what we paid for the evening. The trip did not include the North branch of the river as noted in the description which was disappointing. There were at least 3 of the the windows on one side of the ship that were damaged in some way and you could not see out of them. I will say that the food was very good, but the wait staff that we had was more interested in the two large groups and at times I had to go and get our own drinks. I expected that for an evening cruise that starts at 7:00 PM there would not be babies and very small children on board, but that was not the case. The two families with two very small children let the children run around the dance floor like it was a family wedding party, making it very hard for any couples to enjoy the excellent the Dj was playing and trying to get couples to come out onto the floor. I understand that this service is very new to the city, but if this level continues, it will be very short lived. I do not feel that we received the value of what we paid for the both of us and would not be one to recommend this cruise if you are looking for a romantic evening. read more

So the cruise includes bread and butter and ice tea they had neither service was terrible do not recommend.

DO NOT PAY FOR WINDOW, boat is not full and everybody can have a window for $65.00. My husband paid $220.00 for window, that day everybody had a window for half of the price, we were a few people. After my feedback they ofered me 2 tickets more, they never sent me these tickets. DO not pay for windows, just eat and go out of the boat for nice pictures read more

Original Review - I had a reservation that during the Chicago Restaurant week and had to dine dockside due to weather. When calling I spoke to a very nice gentleman that stated we would receive open bar at the docked dinner as well as receive a coupon to attend another dinner and also get open bar on that one. Unfortunately at the time I did not get his name to be able to bring it up when I made another reservation. When booking my next reservation with the coupon, I had brought up that I should get open bar as it was discussed the last time and the lady said it was not possible. Nikki was very rude and did not help to do anything to make the situation better. I am going to attend this cruise since I am unable to cancel, but I will never go again. The booking people and employees that work for Odyssey have been pretty rude. Update - I would like to update my review due to the actions that were taken to go above and beyond to make up for my past experience. Nikki called me personally to apologize for her tone and personally made up for it and gave us drink tickets to use on the boat. I would like to retract my original review because she made up for my last phone call. read more

Great meal, great service, great views. Worthy every penny. It seems like a secret because there weren't a ton of people on the boat. I doubt it will stay a secret for long. read more

Putting anger aside, I want to communicate only factual information.  On May 21st, I booked a dinner cruise on Odyssey for June 12th(Tomorrow).  I called instead of doing it online to make sure everything was completed correctly.   It is my wife and my 25th anniversary.  At NO point was it communicated that there might be a cancellation due to capacity issues. I got a confirmation and even applied an upgrade and received confirmation.  It was going to be special, because we did the same cruise on our 5th.  I was contacted today, a day before the cruise that I was being cancelled because of capacity issues.  When I called, they said at the time, they booked full capacity hoping that would take place.  However the corporation decided not to do that.  KEEP IN MIND this was NEVER communicated. Had it been I would have had a backup plan.  They offered to provide another date....but that would not our 25th anniversary.   A DAY BEFORE, i cannot even make any backup plans.  DO NOT USE THIS organization. read more

I was super excited to celebrate a special occasion with my wife on this river cruise! Unfortunately for us, the company cancelled our booking 5 days out due to "insufficient interest" from other customers. I get it, but please don't sell me a service (and charge me for it) that you'll retract later. Do the Sox cancel their ball-games when they haven't sold enough tickets? Nope. A refund was promised, and the person I talked to on the phone was kind and apologetic, so that's worth one star. But all the time I spent researching, comparison shopping, and booking is now lost. I thought the cruise seemed overpriced anyway, so with this new development, I will not be rebooking. read more