tl; dr: great tour guide, subpar customer service and not worth the money for the haunted boat tour on a busy marathon weekend. Thanks for reading! I booked the 9:15 p.m. spooky haunted tour on Saturday, Oct. 13. Less than two hours before we were supposed to arrive, I got a text (that didn't apologize) saying our boat tour was cancelled. I immediately called the provided number and the woman was uninformed and slow to help us rebook. We rebooked for Sunday evening and arrived at 6:45 p.m., as the woman informed me multiple times on Saturday night. Once we found the location at Navy Pier, we go to the barren check-in window only to find out we were the only three people booked on the tour. What's more is that they need six to go out in the water and we had to wait to see if three other people randomly happened upon the stand and purchased tickets. We came back at 7 and they said the boat tour was happening. We finally left with two other people (so not the six we were told), at 7:25. The tour guide (whose real we did not catch) but went by the ghost name of William Ogden did a great job trying to engage with the five of us on board. He very clearly knew his Chicago history - ghostly and otherwise - and we learned a lot. Highly recommend him! I'm surprised it was so empty with thousands of people in town for the marathon. They did make the tour happen even if it was just five people. FYI - it was also absolutely freezing out there, which we expected, but also we were still very cold. Just something to consider. read more

The Chicago City Seadog 75 min jet oat with architecture cruise is worth it! Rebecca was a perfect guide - funny, took our picture and was so informative. So glad we went. read more

Make sure to sit in the front so you can really experience the wind slamming into your face while the boat is going super fast! Some tips for the ride (especially the women): --bring a sweater/long sleeve shirt for the ride, it gets chilly the farther you get from the lakeside --bring a hair tie, otherwise you'll be whipping yourself and your neighbor with your hair --if you wear glasses/sunglasses during the ride, it'll probably get wet --if you raise your arms when the boat is speeding up, you'll have a lot more fun read more

First - make sure you have a coupon. Either a Groupon or one from one of the Chicago visitors magazines. I love being on the water and wanted to fit in a boat tour during my time in Chicago. I knew I'd be spending an entire day looking at architecture in Oak Park the next day so I wanted a more low key and laid back architectural cruise. If you are looking for detailed information about Chicago's architecture and skyline, this isn't the cruise for you. The tourguide provides basic information about buildings pointing out which ones are which and gives additional details on some. It was just the right amount of information for me, but certainly not as detailed as some of the other cruises. Take the 8:15 p.m. cruise. You get stunning views as the buildings transform during the twilight sky and then come to life with beautiful lighting. It was great being on the water for sunset. At the end of the cruise, you get a quick speedboat ride on the lake. It provides stunning views of the skyline and some fun before returning to the dock at Navy Pier. Overall, it was a great experience and I would cruise with Seadog again on a future visit to Chicago. read more

Amazing ride definitely recommend it's so much fun with tour guy Cool J, captain with awesome skills Jamie and last for the best safety check Eric! It was a wonderful experience in Chicago! read more

I thought that this was a great architectual tour. Our guide was kowledgable, and very funny, and had a witty sense of humor. We learned about buildings that we had never even glanced twice at. The ride was 75 miutes with about 10 minutes on the open water going kind of fast (not very fast) and then about 50 minutes touring. The rest of the time we were stuck in "lock ins" that allow you in and out of the citys canals. My #1 complaint is that the bathrooms were so disgusting. The toilet didn't flush. The sink didn't work, there was no toilet paper, and it looked and smelled like it hadn't been cleaned in years (I'm not exhaggerating!) Other than that, it was great. We had a BOGO from our Entertainment book, and it was definitely worth the $35 for both. read more

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My friend and I are from Chicago but we decided to do some touristy stuff. Highly recommend the river and lake architecture tour. Griffin, Captain Swagg, and Tony the Tiger were the crew on this awesome tour. We were running late to our scheduled tour so Seadog Cruises was very accommodating and let us get on the following tour. We had a Groupon which generally you can not change times but am grateful we could. On the Seadog Website it states this particular tour is BYOB so my friend and I brought diy mimosas. Nice way to spend our Sunday morning. Definitely plan to bring my family at some point to get this other perspective of the city. read more

Seadog Cruises - Tour guide Griffin, my friend and part of my head on the Seadog boat - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The service is horrible and they actually overcharged us. I purchased the ticket from Viator, and the location on my ticket sent me to the wrong side of the map. The customer support number on the ticket doesn't connect you to the right person. Also, if you had any issues, don't even try speaking with manager because they won't help you smh read more

Went on an architectural tour and it was awesome! Great mix of speed out on the lake and fantastic views of the city from the river. This is a must do activity when you visit the city. read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!! Kind of expensive though, $26 for a 30 minute extreme boat ride?! We got lucky and someone gave us a spare ticket so we only had to buy one ticket. You definitely need a poncho!!! They sell it for $5 at the ticket stand. They music they play during this is awesome, both trendy/old school songs. I'm glad we didn't eat before, but I felt my stomach getting a little upset by the end of the ride. They basically take you into the lake and spin and do fun things! They stop twice - once to tell us some history about Chicago and another time to take photos for the groups on the boat. read more

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Not what I was expecting, but a good experience. We purchased our tickets for the Fireworks Cruise online about a week before departure. Picking up the ticket was super easy, just head to will call and give them your name. I quickly learned that the boarding was first come, first served. The line to board the speedboat was absurd. We arrived a half hour early and it was halfway down to the street already. So, be sure to arrive super early if you want to have a great seat. Before you actually board they have you stop for a photo in front of the boat/skyline. They try to get even more money out of you. The pictures were $20 for one large and two small, so note that if you have a party larger than three, someone will be left out. I wish I remembered the names of the folks on the boat, because they were lovely. My group of four were seated almost in the back row, the spray from the lake wasn't bad at all, but you did get slightly wet, rather, misted. They had a playlist of mashed up music playing while we cruised along, but it was rather strange and no full song was ever played. Still, they tried to entertain. Chicago from the lake at night is quite beautiful. The lights were bright and only eclipsed by the totally bad-ass, huge, orange, crescent moon that made an appearance on our trip. We learned some things about the skyline architecture, which building was which, and some funny puns and jokes about them. The view for the fireworks was quite cool from the boat. I was disappointed with the length of the fireworks. While I didn't time it, they felt like they were only 5 minutes long. On a side note, it is absolutely amazing watching the captains dock the boats with such precision. Good job Seadog Employees. We enjoyed our ride and will see you again sometime. read more

Seadog Cruises - Fireworks cruisr - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a great time with friends on this adventure cruise. Skunk and the rest of the crew were very nice, informative, and engaging. Highly recommend doing this if you're in Chicago! read more

Do NOT come to Chicago without going on this tour. It is absolutely amazing, and well well well worth the money. Everyone on board is so amazing and the tour is amazing. Tyler, chopper, and grease were absolutely fantastic crew to have aboard. I will go on this boat tour every time I come to Chicago now!!! read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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my granddaughter and I road on the super fast Seadog Aug/12 I want to tell you it was the most exciting experience I have ever done and in the near future we will do it again thank you Seadog for a fantastic experienc. read more

they were very amazing, we came with our military family and they had amazing hospitality and accommodation with us. love this spot. we got on the speed boat read more

If you visit the Navy Pier I highly recommend taking the Seadog tour! As a visitor is was a combination of a bit of a thrill ride and historic lesson! Being out on Lake Michigan and seeing the breathtaking city skyline is worth the money! We experienced the 30 min tour. It flew by! The crew was welcoming and funny. This is a good experience for all. The cost is 39.00 per person which is slightly high but again--- worth every penny! read more

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Did the yellow boat Lakeshore Speedboat Cruise. Probably really good for people with kids, overpriced for what you get, and a little boring for adults only. The Captain Grant was awesome and friendly. This boat goes fast, but not excitingly fast. They play good music which makes it more fun. If you want excitement - probably go for the red boat. If you want info - probably go for the architectural tour. If all you want is to see the shoreline of Chicago from out in Lake Michigan - this is a good tour for you. read more

Seadog Cruises - Navy Pier - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Excellent experience from start to finish! My team of 30, in town for some meetings, just finished the 30 minute speed boat cruise. They all loved it!! Kale was our narrator, he knew great facts about the lake shore and made the experience that much more fun. We will be back to try the other SeaDogs boats. Thank you! read more

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Jake from State Farm Was hilarious! We went on a company party and it was so much fun. The dog was cute too! Thanks jake!! Sorry for misbehaving?! read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fun, entertaining, and informative. I also enjoyed being able to check-in to FB at a location called "middle of Lake Michigan" during the cruise. As a tourist, I was fortunate to visit the Navy Pier on a beautiful summer day. The Seadog cruise was a great way to get a fuller Chicago experience after taking the Lakefront speedboat tour. Based on that experience alone, I think it's a great balance of the other tours they offer. We passed on the Architectural one, but they actually talked a lot about the buildings we could see from Lake Michigan. Also, our boat only had an iPod with music intended only for the Extreme Thrill tour so we got a taste of some classic rock and roll and old school hip hop jams from LL Cool J, Outkast, and Beastie Boys! Too bad we couldn't stay for the Fireworks cruise at night, but I'm sure it's worth the little extra cost. read more

Okay so when I heard architectural tour I thought boring. WOW what a great way to see Chicago buildings and the river. Grant was our guide and he was funny and interacted with the group. He would try to answer any questions you may have had. After the city tour they took the boat out on Lake Michigan and sped it on up. What a great way to end a tour. This should be your number one on the bucket list as much better than just going up in a tall building Looking down is over rated. All the other tours just cruise. So if you are old and don't like fun and speed choose another company. read more

Chicago is known for its architecture and what better way to view the beautiful buildings than by boat. I recommend doing the river and lake tour and get the last departure. Since they mostly operate during the summer season, you will beat the heat. Going on the last departure will allow you to view the scenery in the daytime, but you will also get to view them at sunset and it makes great for picture taking. read more

Leaving from the Navy Pier on Lake Michigan this is just flat out FUN. My wife and I took the lake front speedboat tour where a jet propelled tour boat spends half an hour throwing itself around Lake Michigan like a jet ski on steroids. Cruising at about 35 knots with lots of great views of the Chicago waterline you'll be hard pressed to find a better way to cool off on a hot day. A week in Chicago and this was one of our favorite finds. read more

We had a 5:15pm reservation for a 75 minute architecture cruise on Friday, September 2nd. This was our first time taking a cruise of this sorts in Chicago. So, this easily had the potential to be 5 stars; however, our specific circumstance prevented it from being so. We arrived at 4:45PM and got in line and actually we were number 3 & 4 in line. Now, in retrospect -- is there a bad seat on the boat -- no. However, we arrived early and wanted to be in one of the first two rows on the ship. I didn't quite understand how they even knew people purchased tickets, because they did NOT collect tickets from hardly anyone who boarded. As we started to board, #1 & 2 got right on without presenting a ticket. #3 & 4 (us) were stopped and asked for our ticket (it was prepaid voucher on my phone). FYI...I went to the box office before getting in line to make sure that we did not need to exchange the voucher for an actual ticket. They said no. Once they asked for our voucher, they said they didn't have the scanner and had to run to the box office for the scanner. While we waited for the gentleman to return, they let the next 25 people on board and held us back. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, they did not ask anyone for tickets except two other people. So, we were now sitting to the mid/back of the boat. We still enjoyed the tour. I actually really loved the combination of the speed boat ride at the beginning versus the gentle architecture tour. Our guide, Diesel Dave, was an excellent tour guide! He was very knowledgable and very friendly. I would return to the company again for future tours; however, by not having everyone present a ticket -- anyone could have boarded whether they had a ticket or not. And then by requiring our ticket and not being prepared with a scanner --- they wasted our time of arriving early for no purpose at all. read more

This is the way to tour Chicago! As a first time visitor to the Windy City, I didn't know where to start the sightseeing. Luckily I had a Chicago native with me who highly recommended Sea Dog's architecture cruise. Sightseeing at its finest! Moving slowly down the Chicago River, I was in awe of the skyscrapers and buildings that could be seen. You get to see everything from the new Trump Tower to the mighty Sears Tower, and everything in between. A tour is only as good as the guide you have and ours was exceptional. Sadly, I forget his name but he was real down to earth and very knowledgable about everything Chicago. I highly recommend this tour to any first time visitors or people looking for some great views of the city. read more

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What fun!!! We went on a cruise with Grace as our tour guide, and Saleem as our captain (so sorry first mate, can't remember your name...) Grace was so funny!! I loved the architectural tour of Chicago as we only were there for one day. It was nice to get in a little history and information about this cute city from the view of the river. It was also a very comfortable boat. The seats were plush and seat belts were large enough for a pregnant lady! It was a really great tour, you should absolutely come!! read more

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Great tour! The guide Tila was amusing. The views are spectacular. The only complaint(s) are the amount of time spent idle in the boat. You have a 10-20 min wait each way into and out of the main channel leading to downtown. I realize there is nothing anyone can do but had we known about this I would have opted for a different tour. Again this is very scenic tour of the buildings in downtown from a boat and well worth the money. Just know what you're signing up for. Thanks! read more

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Reall fun tour! Diesel Dave was the tour guide and he was super knowledgeable about the city of Chicago and the architecture, he made it fun and it was a very enjoyable tour. Especially when they bark every time after they say the word seadog. Can pick it up right off navy pier smack dab in the center of the touristy location! Will probably do the adventure tour at some point, but the architecture tour was definitely worth while and if you are new to Chicago make sure to check this out! read more

Seadog Cruises - Diesel Dave! The man of the 75 mins - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Choose this company & you'll be thankful! Request Lucious because he's awesome! Tony & Steve are also great! It took a little long to get through the river locks, but the speedride at the end with the music blasting makes up for it! That was a fun way to end the ride. read more

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Lots of fun! We went on the extreme ride which was extra soaking because of how windy it was and how choppy the waves were. Wouldn't recommend the extreme one to younger children on such a windy day just due to how bumpy it was and how jerked around you get! It's perfect for a hot day when you need to cool off and you learn a little about the harbor itself as well! Would definitely do it all over again! read more

Had a great experience on the 75 minute architectural tour last week. Billy was our tour guide and did a phenomenal job. We had been on the Seadog before and are Chicagoans, and still learned new information about the city. The tour also included a 15 minute "speed" ride out on the lake which was a nice touch. read more

Absolutely loved our 75min Architectural tour on Monday (Memorial Day). My parents and I had a blast! We are from the Chicago area, and were all really impressed with what we learned about the architecture around the city. Our crew was great- Billy was our tour guide and Chopper, and Swag drove the boat. The staff were all very friendly and Billy was extremely knowledgeable. All I can say is ask questions because the people on our boat were so quiet and that is how your hear the cool stories! I would highly recommend this excursion and I will be bringing guests back! My only suggestion would be making the speed portion of the trip a little longer. I know my mom was bummed it ended so soon...other than- AWESOME!! read more

My husband and I came to the Chicago area for a quick getaway. We have been to the area several times, but have always come during the winter season, and therefore have not gotten out to do much other than drive around and grab a bite to eat. Well, this time we decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and learn a little bit about Chicago in a fun way, and Seadog Cruises offered it! We learned about Seadog Cruises through Groupon, which was a great value for us. We originally made a reservation for a 1:15 pm departure. We are staying about 1.5 hours from downtown and knew about 11:30 that we were not going to make it on time. I called the customer care line to change our reservation to the 3:15 time slot. Instead of changing it, the rep said there was plenty of space on the 3:15 and just to show up. Usually with prepaid prebooked reservations, you just go get in the boarding line. Since we have a change and our papers showed 1:15, I went to the kiosk. The manager who helped, I want to say his name was Steve, said that we missed our sailing. I explained that I called beforehand and was told just to show up. He went in to check availability and updated our reservations and printed up new tickets. Our crew consisted of Billy (guide), Grant (1st mate), and Captain John. Grant was very knowledgeable about the area. They gave us a great tour consisting of cruising the coastline, including a speed boat ride for about 5 - 10 mins, talking about the lighthouse from France, then taking us through the city river touring the city's downtown architecture and providing history of the buildings and area. There is some beautiful detail and creative architecture in the area! It can get a bit chilly during the speedboat cruising portion and I would recommend taking a jacket with you, even it if it's 80°+ out. Also know that you may get a little wet, particularly if you sit on a seat right by the rail. I didn't mind getting wet, other than it being cold! Parking is expensive in the area, $15 and up, so be prepared for that. It can also take a bit to find, so make sure you plan accordingly. Hubby enjoyed the cruise just as much. It proved a great visit to the Pier! After our cruise, we grabbed a bit at DMK Burger Bar. There are various eatery choices and much more entertainment available in the area. read more

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Did the extreme thrill ride today and it was Aaaaamazing. So much fun!! Had two teenage boys and two moms and it was by far our favorite part of the trip!!! Highly recommend!! Captain Cat, first mate Taylor and MC Joey were all awesome!! read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Seadog Extreme Boat Ride was awesome! Better than I expected and would do that again and recommended it to anyone. Ps: they aren't lying when they say you get soaked! It's like a big fun jetski! My only suggestion and something they can do better is to warn you further in advance how wet you will get so you can leave bags, phones, etc behind. read more

Seadog Cruises - The view coming in from the ride! - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Took the cruises last week, we had so much fun. All the staffs are friendly. Thumbs up for the service. read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The boat and view overall is wonderful! But the reason this place is only getting one star from me is because they run a very hazardous business if you sit near the rear of this tour boat. The exhaust fumes and noise that comes off the motors is very toxic and there is no protection offered. This was brought to their attention and no refund or ear protection was offered. There is nothing in their site to indicate that there was such hazards. When brought up to the management I was given an email which no one answered. 10/10 would NOT do again. Nice view though. Take a normal boat. This is just a warning to parents with kids who don't want their children to be deaf or in respiratory distress. UPDATE: management actually was way more polite than the lady who told me she was a supervisor! I appreciate the reach out and am very happy that there will be a warning offered prior to the start of the trip! While it is still a hazard, the fact that there was a instant effort made is music to my ears! Thank you so much! read more

Visited Chicago from the Boston area and had to take advantage of fun things in the water! Saw these boats walking through Navy Pier and thought it would be a great time. Went with the yellow Seadog for the 30 minute ride. There's also the red Seadog Extreme (gets you wet!) Decently priced and very organized. Our guide Lucious was such a character and gave us quite a few laughs! Highly recommend for some fun at Navy Pier! read more

Loved this tour! We spent the afternoon in Navy Pier but were looking for a shorter boat ride tour and this one was perfect - 30 minutes! Great way to see the skyline and learn a couple fun facts! Also our guide was amazing! Malaiah (sp?) did an excellent job and was so funny!! Would definitely recommend this tour! read more

This is a pretty well operated tour, but opt for a slower/longer tour if you are looking to learn more about Chicago and to take in the skyline more. We opted for the Lakefront tour. We accidentally booked the wrong day tickets and despite their policy of no refunds, customer service helped us switch the date. It's very easy - print your tickets and show up early. I recommend about 30 minutes if you want first pick of seats. We showed up 10 minutes prior and we're about 2/3 of the way in line. There's separate lines for the extreme and lakefront tours, which isn't very apparent to those showing up. Ask one of the check in employees and he will direct you nicely. Someone also helped us move and store our stroller, which was really nice of him. The ride was basically a fast jaunt out to the lake to the sounds of hit music, a pause to talk very briefly about some of the buildings (kudos to the speaker for his jokes), and another sprint back. I wonder if we just didn't get as much info as the other high reviews? I feel as though I only heard about which were the tallest buildings and then we drove back. Maybe it depends on your tour guide. I highly recommend sitting in the front or sides for a better view of the water. If you care about learning more about Chicago, find a longer tour or architectural tour. Great option of a boat ride if you have young children who cannot tolerate sitting for longer stretches. Bring a hat, sweater and sunscreen! read more