I went on the Extreme with my fiancee just this past week. The only reason I don't give it a 5/5 is because the ride was slightly shorter than expected (why would you lie and tell us it's longer than it ends up being?!?), and the staff could be a tad friendlier. But for a speed ride on the lake, you really can't talk down with it only being $30... P.S. You WILL get wet. Bring a plastic bag for your valuables, such as cell phone... read more

I went on the architecture cruise the week they opened up this year and I was extremely disappointed in the amount of information given on this tour. Our tour guide provided minimal and uninteresting facts, ie how much a one bedroom costs vs a 2 bedroom.. I DON'T CARE. There were many awkward silences in his tour because I really don't think he was prepared/ knew what he was talking about. I hope To God the tour guide was lying when he claimed to have done this tour 5.. hundred times. And to top it all off, our tour guide was not the slightest bit funny (though he really thought he was). After about 20 minutes in I began looking at the clock, waiting for the tour to end. Also I would mention somewhere in your tour that you are going to take guests out for a little speed ride afterwards. I honestly didn't mind this part, but my mother on the other hand was totally uncomfortable and if I had known this is what you were going to do I wouldn't have gotten these tickets. The only good thing I can say about this tour was that the seats were comfortable. I was excited to buy these tickets on groupon because I got two tickets for the price I would have gotten just one on the architecture foundation's tour. I would have rather had just one ticket for the other tour. I went on the other tour over the summer and cannot say enough nice things about it - I learned so much and laughed the entire time. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND BUY TICKETS TO THE ARCHITECTURE FOUNDATION'S TOUR INSTEAD. read more

One of those Chicago things you have to do at least once. Make sure you bring the kiddies. Make sure it is a hot day. Make sure you sit in the middle to the back of the boat. Make sure you sit near the sides of the boat. I did like to music they play (Born To Run!)....but it is way too loud. Oh Well. You will get ABSOLUTELY SOAKED. You will ABSOLUTELY love it. read more

3.5 stars actually....here's why: - Tours every hours so convenient - GREAT views of the city from the boat....bring a camera - The 30 min goes by really fast...wish it could be longer - The tour guide talked really fast that I couldn't understand what he was saying half the time - From what I could hear what he was saying was not all that great. "see that big tall black building? Yeah that's the Hancock" I didn't pay to just have you point out buildings - They play catchy music - The guide barked like a dog after he was done talking - Boats go fast and even though I was only on the regular, not extreme tour, I did get wet. That was fun Overall it was a fun trip, but worth the original price ( I used a Groupon)? I would have to say no. Only way I would go back is if I had people in from out of town. I would be maybe be willing to try the extreme tour, but for architectural tours, I will be sticking with other cruises. read more

This review is for the Seadog Extreme Thrill Ride. I took my boyfriend, and we both had a great time. I had Groupons, so it wasn't expensive. However, it seems pretty pricey to pay the full price for 30 minutes from dock to dock. The fun part probably lasts only 15 minutes. They play really fun, energetic music from the past 5 decades. Everyone on board is going to get wet, and those on the back of the boat are going to get soaked! Take your sunglasses because you will go fast, and it gets windy for your eyeballs. The captain whips around and does some fun tricks. I will definitely do it again...probably every time a friend or family member visits me in the summer. The staff are very friendly, helpful, and corny with their jokes. It's kid-friendly, and they run the rides on time. Make sure you're early, or you'll get left behind. Bring a couple baggies for your electronics to stay dry. In fact, put your phone/camera in a baggie and use it throughout the ride so you don't have to pay $20 for the pic they take of you. read more

We went on a 30-minute speed boat ride and enjoyed it. I was able to take some great pictures of Chicago, Navy Pier and Ferris Wheel. There was some cool music playing on the boat and our guide was quite funny. read more

This tour was enjoyable enough. However, it doesn't compete entertainment-wise, nor price-wise with other lake and river tours in Chicago. I wanted to get a drink with my husband and thought it would be fun to get one while taking a nice boat ride. When we went to the booth to buy tickets, they said they allowed drinks on the boat, but when it was time to board, they changed their minds. This was odd, but not a terribly big deal. We took our seats (where we had to remain even when we were traveling slowly down the river). I found myself gawking wishfully at larger, nicer boats passing by with people walking around on them and drinking wine. turns out the cool boats cost the same as the speedboat tour :( read more

Went on the Seadog with a group of friends on a really cloudy day and our experience on the boat was fabulous! Starting with the our guide "Jake", he made the entire trip worthwhile. We were so impressed with his knowledge with the city of Chicago and how much fun he was. His sense of humor was far beyond what we've experienced at other architecture tours!! We will definitely be back and hope that Jake is there to show us another great time!! Rain or shine (we had lots of rain) this is something you've got to do in Chicago! Thank you!!! -Priscilla, Diana "Ms. Marquez", Pat "Patricia", Jackie and Erin read more

Princess Jamie( hope I didn't spell the name incorrectly) Tiger and Lucious are the best!!! Love this high speed cruise!!! I will definitely recommend it to others!!! Keep this staff on board for future rides!!! They made the experience sooo much fun!!!! read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Awesome cruise!!!! Our tour guides were fun, nice and alive. Beautiful tour of the city, fun fast ride with a beautiful back drop and wind in my hair. Got this on groupon for a great price and did not disappoint. Would def recommend!! read more

Best trip ever!!! Great staff and great tour. Lucious was our guide and he knew everything about everything. He had the best sense of humor and was so friendly!! Can't wait to do this again the next time I'm in Chicago! read more

The Seadog Cruise was a ton of fun. We went the first weekend of October. From the moment we got on, I wasn't sure what to expect only b/c it was freezing cold and overcast and we were on a speedboat! Were we going to go all around Lake Michigan in this artic freeze?! The music was so chill and the vibe was energetic and fun. We got started and Grace was the tour guide of the boat. She was fantastically knowledgeable and witty! We enjoyed the tour, loved learning all of the quirks about the city, and got a fantastic recommendation by Grace on where to get deep dish pizza. The locals know! Overall despite the freezing (unexpected) temperatures, it was a great experience and so glad we chose Seadog. I think you can get a coupon in advance through the double decker bus info guide, so if you want to save a few bucks, wait until you get there. We got there about 20 min early so Navy Pier was a great spot to grab a quick bite prior to taking the cruise (and to escape the cold). There's an indoor plaza with multiple food vendors and shops like a famous Chicago style hot dog, fresh greek gyros & pitas, and a mexican choice too to name a few. It can feed all appetites and preferences. read more

Our friends recommended that this is one of the attractions that we do... BEST Attraction in Chicago ! Tila was hilarious and so knowledgable... great fun for sure !!! read more

Seadog Cruises - On the speed boat portion of the tour - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great for a day out on the lake. Even better when you're out of town guests really don't care to learn much about Chicago's fine architecture as the 30-minute tour only showcases about 10 buildings. Great view of the skyline when you're on and the tour guides are witty and funny. Lines start boarding approximately 10 minutes before the actual tour time, but don't forget that people will actually line up way ahead of that time. The one thing I did find annoying was that while you board, they do it one party at a time so that they can snap your picture. I'm sure some ppl find great joy in it, but it definitely wasn't for me. I wonder what they do with those pictures that patrons don't purchase. read more

The ride on Seadog Cruises was a great way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. You can see so much of the city from this great ride. My group did the downtown architecture tour, and it was great! Our tour guide was fantastic! He was the person who did all of the research behind the scenes, so he defintely knew what he was talking about. He was very entertaining and had some corny, but great jokes to go along with the ride. I learned so much about Chicago on this ride. Eventhough we were tourists, there were a couple locals on the ride who loved it just as much as we did. I highly recommend Seadog Cruises! read more

What a way to experience Chicago in a fun and entertaining way. I love this sea dog boat excursion. I took the fastest one. Not much history on the tour but a fun and exhilarating rude and great way to cool off. The weather was perfect and the speeds these boats reach is amazing. I got some awesome pictures of the Chicago skyline. Buckle your seats for one of the best boat rides ever. read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went on the architecture tour with my family while we were visiting Chicago. It was a spur of the moment decision and we ended up really enjoying it. The tour guide was young and really funny. We got a lot of great information about the buildings in Chicago and we laughed almost the entire time. He had great stories and kept everyone really engaged. Right before we went on the tour we had seen The Dark Knight at the IMAX and during the tour the guide was pointing out where a lot of the filming took place which was really interesting. All-in-all, I would totally recommend taking the architecture tour, especially if you aren't from Chicago and want to get a good feel for the city. read more

Wouldn't really know on how the tour goes because our boat cruise left 15 minutes early. Pretty annoyed that I wasted money trying to get on a beer flight cruise. They were very apologetic and a refund is supposed to come back in a few days. The young lady was nice enough to give us vouchers for a free boat tour. Reluctantly went back for the boat tour (40 minutes before the tour) and waited in line where we were rudely waited on and informed this was sold out. Watched the boat leave the dock with 1/3rd of the seats open. Needless to say I'm annoyed and I hope one of their boat capsizes with their rude staff members. read more

Great time - Hanna was great beautiful day and great cruise. The leisure tour was great for young kids. read more

We had a great experience with the architectural wine flight! We were actually on the inaugural tour, so it was new for everyone. We tried four different wines (only one of which was tasty to us) and heard some great stories about the Chicago that we hadn't heard before. Dan was our guide and he was fantastic! Try to book with him if possible. The architecture was gorgeous at night, so I'd recommend going in the evening. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, I just wish we went further down the river! read more

Seadog Cruises - Entering the river with our great tour guide, Dan. - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I did the river and lake architecture tour. Overall this was a great experience. The ride was comfortable and relaxing. The crew provided excellent service (the captain, shipmate, and Kale- the narrator). Please rehire the crew and keep them on staff. The tour was very informative and entertaining, and I learned a lot of great information about the city. Though I live here in Chicago, I still learned a lot, and was able to see the city in a way that I wouldn't normally get to (be river and lake). Also, I missed my originally scheduled time of 1:15, but Seadog allowed me to reschedule for the next tour at 2:15 with no hassle and in a very efficient manner. I would recommend this tour, and I would do another tour with Seadog. read more

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My husband and I chose Seadog before we got to Chicago. It turned out to be the perfect choice! Boarding was easy and on time. Our guide Elliott was funny and informative. We learned a ton of history about the city in addition to learning about the architecture and history of the buildings around us. During our tour there were a few out of their control things that happened, (lock hold up, water bridge turning on and sailboat traffic), but Elliott kept going and let us ask questions about the city. I would highly recommend Seadog to anyone traveling to the Chicago area and we can't say enough wonderful things about Elliott. We did many things while in Chi and this was by far our favorite! read more

The SeaDog Extreme was fun experience and I'd recommend anyone try it at least once, especially tourists. The tour started off with some G-n-R blaring through the speakers and then they cranked up the speed. No, it wasn't superfast but fun all the same as they tilted the boat both left and right creating a jet stream of waves. They took you both to the north and south of the skyline pointing out interesting tidbits before asking, "but you're not here to learn about boring buildings are you? No, you're here for a speed boat riiiiiiide." Que the Van Halen and then you raced back towards Navy Pier pounding the chopping waves with the wind in your hair. Little did I know the excitement didn't stop there. While we were idling back to the pier my friend commented on a small party boat that was floating along next to us. Upon second look my friend commented that "gosh, there sure is alot of guys on that boat." Unfortunately, I happenned to look over the side of the boat to see some guy aboard the "S.S. Boystown" pull down his shorts and moon the prestigous Seadog. They celebrated by hi-fiving and chest bumping each other while our boat sat in silence. Only my friend and I laughed. And we didn't stop until we reached the dock. Good times. -Greg read more

Loved the ride for my Bday in June ; ) and it was great w/ my group of friends to hang out at navy pier afterwards for appetizers!! You'll see Chicago from a different view from the water and its beautiful! I love this city!! read more

Trooper was a GREAT guide!! We were visiting from LA and had a 2-for-1 coupon so decided to take the SeaDog architectural boat tour. The boat was really lively and fun with music blasting. Trooper was very knowledgable, funny, and well-versed on the architecture of Chicago. The boat ride was about 90 minutes and definitely a great way to see the city! The speedboat ride on Lake Michigan before the actual tour was definitely a plus, and added something different than a typical boat tour. Our boat was full, but hearing Trooper through the speakers wasn't a problem at all. Definitely recommend this to out-of-towners! read more

We took the lake and river cruise. The tour guide made me want ear plugs. Her political views and propaganda was beyond awful. The boat does not have beverage service or bathrooms. I've done a few tours when out of town friends and families come to visit and this one for me ranks last...mainly because of the tour guide. #MAGA #Trump2020 read more

Trust me. You'll be happier with your money. Tour guides are hit or miss, as is the volume of the tour. You don't really "speed" that much. It's something I was on for free, and I thought that for free, it was all right. Kind of like someone you only sort of know and aren't sure you like showing you their new boat... the the kind of guy who, you know, names his boat the Sea Dog, then makes you bark along with him. I mean you like the boat and it's pretty fun and all... but you're thinking about ways you could be better spending your time (and money). However, I think if I would have paid the $20 for the half hour, I would have felt let down, like I could have gotten $20 of candy instead and still have had some candy after 30 minutes. read more

I got the Groupon and apart from almost missing our departure time (our fault), the tour was fun. Our tour guide was a cute English guy that coupled his knowledge of the Chicago skyline with some witty jokes. I haven't lived in Chicago in over a decade, but he talked about buildings and mentioned some facts I've never known before. It made me appreciate the city that much more. Obviously if you're a know-it-all and go on the tour, you might feel that it doesn't encompass everything. But if you're new to the city, it's a good primer to the Chicago skyline. Our tour guide even offered to make recommendations to everyone about different places in the city. read more

It was amazing!!!!! Such and fun and entertaining ride! Jersey John was such a fun tour guide! He really was a great source of entertainment and was very informational! I was a little bit scared at first due to the fact I rode the triller red boat, but Jersey John eased the nerves and provided a great time! Thank you!!! read more

Did the fireworks ride, lots of fun, and not a lot of rocking. A lot of fun and a good way to see the city.

Pick up a tourism booklet somewhere in town and look for their ad for "2 for 1!" My friend and I got to go on the architecture boat tour for only $20 each and it was great! The tour was a great excursion when visting Chicago! The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the city. Our tour guide's name was Kale and he had a great sense of humor and had a lot to say about the architecture and it's history! I would highly recommend booking through this company if you want to really learn more about the city and it's architecture/fun facts/history! read more

Amazing ride thank you Groupon we paid $15 per ticket instead of $33.95 read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The captain was incredibly rude (captain princess Jaime). We arrived a few minutes before take off with a group of 12. A few people in our group needed to use the restroom and asked if there was a restroom on the boat they could use after take off. The captain told them to use the restroom inside the building instead and there ended up being a line. The rest of the group was waiting to board and she kept yelling that she was going to leave the rest of our group and we either had to get on the boat or forgo the trip because they were leaving immediately no matter what. I had to sprint to the bathroom to grab the group out of the bathroom line and we just barely made it. The captain completely ruined the whole mood of the event. Also, the staff is not at all aligned on boat policy. The website states that the ride is byob. It was my sister's bachelorette so we had brought a bottle of champagne to drink. We asked the tour guide several times whether we could open it, and told us we could. Shortly after, another staff member came and chastised us-- taking the bottle away. Finally, if a tour is scheduled to be 75 min long, it should not take over 2 hours. We had reservations that we missed due to how much longer the tour ran over. It was incredibly hot and there was a good 30 min where we sat idle in the locks with the sun beating down on us. It was incredibly dangerous, especially for babies and older folks. read more

I like these cruises well enough, but how could you not like being out on lake Michigan in a speed boat. They would really not have to do anything and it would still be breathtaking and fun. Still, I don't think I'd shell out the full ticket price, since the 30 minute cruises leave you seriously wanting more. I went once with my school for free. The night time tour was nice, and has the potential to be kind of romantic as you see the city skyline lit up, while you're under the dark sky on the lake. My second cruise, I bought a groupon to take a visiting friend out to see the Lake. It was a beautiful, sunny day and nothing beats the view or the feel of the wind in your hair. They manage to cheese up the tour bit, but I laughed despite how lame some of the jokes were. I don't know that I would recommend this tour over the other options out there, but I can't say that the experience won't be enjoyable. read more

I'll break it down (extreme ride) - $32 charge - probably worth $20 and that's what we paid through groupon. Really only 15 minutes of boating. 5 minutes of boarding, 5 minutes of talk of Chicago and 5 minutes of getting in and out of the marina. It is fun and worth a try if you looking for good views and a different way to spend part of your day. read more

I had a credit from a tour that I could not make last year and thought it would be a good way to spend a Sunday morning with my kids so I really do not feel like I paid full price because if I did I would feel cheated. The tour guide was great and really interactive but the tour was so short. You are barely cruising. For the cost of the tickets you really should spend more time actually cruising. But for the first time with my 4 year o.d on a boat i can not complain. read more

One word - EXTREME! My dad just really wanted to try this tour and he has never let me down ever! This was definitely one of the best boat rides I have ever been on, perhaps the best! Awesome crew - fun and passionate and knowledgeable! How could anyone go wrong with this? A thrilling ride on Lake Michigan with blasting fun tunes, a brief pause of history on two occasions, and the beautiful view of Chicago on the foreground or background, all depends on the boat's angle! If you want to get wet, sit in the front....if you want to get soaked, sit in the back! The fun is always in the back anyways :) --- if you're into rollercoasters as they say, this short (30 mins wasn't enough lol) tour ride is for you! read more

Seadog Cruises - The Seadog Extreme Boat - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Captain Kat lead us on a smooth and beautiful tour of Chicago, Tyler was an absolute hoot and mixed sass with historical facts. It's a really great way to see the city of Chicago and learn about all the beautiful buildings in Chicago. read more

This ride was pretty fun. We went on the "regular" speedboat ride. Here's why it was just a 3. -Really, really annoying girl doing the announcing. I mean REALLY annoying. Laugh at her own *bad* jokes annoying. And she was quite possibly still in high school, and acted like it. -Short. It was 30 minutes, but it felt a lot shorter. -I did get wet, and that was fun. -They play dance music, but the choices were from the early 2000's.. Ja Rule? -Random stop in the middle to point out the North Side and other buildings. -Great views of the city. Overall, just ok. I've also been on the Architectural from Wendella, and that was much better. I used a groupon, so at least I didnt pay full price. read more

I recently took the Architectural tour on a Saturday evening and had a wonderful time! This was my first time riding on the Seadog and I wasn't sure what to expect. You are allowed to bring drinks onto the boat even though it is not advertised. My friend brought a bottle of wine and we were able to drink it with no problem or issues. The ride was about 45 minutes and the views are amazing. You basically cruise out of Navy Pier and onto the Chicago River. What is a tour without a good guide, right? Well our tour guide, I believe his name was Jake, did a great job. Not only was he very informative but he sprinkled in some pretty funny jokes along the way. Star Wars reference, anyone? In between giving information about the architecture he would walk around and answer any questions or snap photos. He even sang Happy Birthday to one of the passengers. It is that kind of service that makes a occasion more memorable and enjoyable. Overall it was a fun experience and I will definitely be checking out the Seadog in the future for boat tours. read more