Extremely friendly crew. We took the 30 minute fast tour and our guide was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and funny. A great experience.

there's a lot of hating on this place, but i think it's pretty solid. there's a lot of "architectural" boat tours in chicago, but sea dog differentiates itself with its speedboat ride and goofy, corny commentary. and who doesn't love a plain old fashioned speedboat ride? also, the boat seats themselves are cushioned and comfy, for which i would pay a slight premium over the plastic lawn chairs i spied on other boats. we took the 75 minute architectural + speedboat tour. staff was friendly, and offered bottled water which was a godsend in that summer heat. it may not be the most "involved" tour, and at times i felt they rushed a little bit through the descriptions, but it gave a nice overview to some of the more notable structures. surprised they left off the hancock. if you buy an entertainment guide, you also get a 2 for 1 coupon. we weren't able to take advantage, but hopefully that helps someone else out there. read more

Feeling like a total dork because it seems everyone here on Yelp got a Groupon and somehow I "missed the boat" on that one. (groan) We paid full price which is SO not worth it. We chose the 30 minute tour, the middle one which includes a little speed and supposedly includes architecture as well. It was me, my husband and our 13 year old son so it sounded perfect. Well, there was not much speed and zero on the architecture. The guide named buildings, that's all, which to me is pointing out landmarks, and not being knowledgeable about architecture. 30 minutes gets pretty much eaten up with boarding and cruising out of the harbor, so time on the water is limited. The guide just said, "There's the Adler Planetarium" and so forth. He was charming and tried to tell some jokes but overall you could tell he had no clue. If you do decide to go, join my fellow Yelpers and dig up a Groupon. Would have been a better tour for me if I'd paid far less! read more

Just took two cruises with Capt Dolan and his crew this past weekend. One just wasn't enough, and they were both great!! We tool the speedboat cruise where Kale our guide pointed out city points of interest and was entertaining and engaging .. we then took the architecture tour through the city along the Chicago river...and that was even better. I highly recommend these guys!!! read more

I am a Chicago native, so I have been on almost all the boats in Chicago. Entertainment Cruises hands down is the best, my favorite being Seadog. I was just on again for the first time in a long time this past weekend with friends and we had an absolute blast! Jake was our tour guide and he did an excellent job! He was knowledgeable on the architecture and I loved how he tastefully incorporated jokes into the tour related to the buildings. Also he did an excellent job in the way he incorporates an audience interaction element into the tour making it very personable, which I have never seen on another tour. You can tell people were enjoying the experience and his Chicago charm. Love that you can eat and of course drink on there (so long as nothing goes overboard) he even sang Happy Birthday to this 17 year old girl and it was hilarious and sweet. I guess he also writes the material and I loved how he can spot on tell you where all his sources came from (any English major could appreciate that, right?) The facts he incorporated were original and stuff you can share over coffee table talk. Keep up the good work Seadog! read more

We went on a Wednesday night for the fireworks cruise and it was spectacular! The boat takes you on two high speed rides before and after the fireworks. This gave customers on both sides of the boat an excellent view of the skyline. During the fireworks, the boat sat head on, facing the shoreline, so sitting about the half way in the boat, our view of fireworks against the skyline was somewhat limited by the people in the front raising arms to take photos. (We still enjoyed the fireworks, just in the sky, not against the skyline is all) We got there around 8:40 for the 9 pm departure and the line was long. If we had patience, we should have waited long before that to get to the front seats. The guide didn't give much information about the city, which was okay because we went to enjoy the view. We got splashed a little, which added to the fun. Overall, we found the experience worth every penny! Night time skyline was breathtaking and the cruise gives you the best seat in the city for the fireworks!! The cruise lasted just a few minutes over an hour so we got back to the pier just after 10 pm. We had to park a little away, off the pier parking lot, but there were still a bunch of people walking back and my teenager daughter and I felt safe despite the "late" hours in the city. read more

Great experience! Went for my sisters birthday and had the best time. Our tour guide and captain, Grant and Peter, were very entertaining and knowledgeable. Look forward to coming back again read more

Great time. Beautiful trip on the river and Chicago's history. My girls 14 & 10 enjoyed eveymry minute! Learned about more places we went back into the city to visit after the tour. Highly recommend well worth the time and money read more

We went on the SeaDog Extreme. It was great. They were actually accommodating us because we had a mix up with which boat we bought tickets for. So the service was excellent, the price was good (groupon discount) and the experience was a lot of fun. read more

Chopper is a cool and funny guide. Best tour by sea in chicago. We had a lot of fun and would definitely return again.

The Extreme ride was outstanding. Great views, great ride, good music, and the Captain - "Princess Jaime" , and First Mate "Tony Tiger" were inviting and fun. Well worth the money! read more

I would recommend the architecture river cruise but the extreme thrill ride isn't worth the money spent for the 20 minutes on the lake. (5 minutes from dock to outside wake zone and 20 minutes on lake 5 minutes from wake zone to dock. The crew was great read more

May 24, 2012 we celebrated our 5th graders heading off to middle school, 100 kids and 30 adults! We had such a blast on the Sea Dog! Everything from planning the event through Lucy Sharkey to our fantastic ride with captains Dan Laporte and TIm Roach was fantastic! Elizabeth was also a great and helpful with lining up 130 people for the ride! The kids absolutely loved it and so did the adults! Can't wait to come back!!!!!! read more

ok I'm going to try and cut right to it. We took the architectural tour and our guide (Grant) was fantastic!!! I highly recommend taking this tour and if you can get Grant as your guide you will have a ball, He is hilarious, knowledgable, and can easily keep your attention for the entire ride. read more

If you are looking for are an architecture tour, DO NOT choose Seadog. And if you are looking for an "exciting boat ride" - this is waaaay overpriced. I felt like completing the tour and being at home on the couch might be the best thing that's ever happened to me. Here's my story: Before purchasing my ticket, I was concerned about the unpredictability of Chicago weather, but I trusted the Entertainment Cruise customer service representative's guarantee that the tour would be re-scheduled in case of inclement weather. This helped me finalize my decision and I placed my order. I woke up the morning of the tour to a weather alert that said "steady rain unseasonably cold." In other words, "The weather says get bent." When my group of eight arrived, it was indeed raining and the temperature dipped below 45 degrees. There was only one other group that arrived - a rambunctious middle school group. Seadog was undeterred by the low turnout and lousy weather. We were informed boarding would begin as planned, and that if we didn't want to get wet, we should sit in the front of the boat - where, curiously, there was no protection from the rain. My interior monologue said: "This is such a crock I could slow-cook a brisket in it." My outward appearance rallied for an "exciting ride." So: we boarded the cruise ship and huddled under our umbrellas and towels. Some people in my group chose to sit in the back of the boat, where there was some protection from the rain and - as promised - they got drenched because (and why is this even a sentence I have to type?) at the beginning of the tour, the boat sped up, purposely generating waves that completely subsumed all of us. Which meant, before even setting out on our voyage, we were soaked. Immediately another feeling sinks in, the one that settles into your stomach like spoiled milk: we were now equipped with the knowledge that we'd spend the rest of the day uncomfortably touring the city in cold, wet socks and clothing. My group were still good sports. As Chicagoans, they seemed to accept the record cold as just another trial in the gantlet of seasonal indignities that city dwellers face. But the tour only got worse from there. Due to the foggy, gray conditions, visibility was low - one couldn't see the skyline and the tour was abbreviated, so we never got to see the "lakefront featuring views of Chicago including Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, beautiful Chicago Harbor, Chicago's Museum Campus." We did spend 20-25 minutes of our 50 minute (not 75 minutes as advertised) tour on the locks, for what purpose, I am still not sure. As for the architectural tour and "fascinating stories" - it was a joke. No mention of Daniel Burnham or Louis Sullivan. I don't recall the word "skyscraper" being used. We floated by an extraordinary cluster of 1920s high-rises, including the eclectic Wrigley Building and the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower, but no details about its construction or architectural history were shared. And what about some of the major elements that made Chicago so unique: the reversal of the Chicago River, the creation of Chicago's lakefront parks, and the Ferris wheel at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition? We were not informed. Meanwhile, our tour guide was chided by middle school students and the boat driver to do push-ups. I think he managed to do 25. read more

Our tour guide was difficult to understand and the microphone was basically inside his mouth when he was speaking, which made it sound more like the beginning of an R. Kelly concert than a Chicago boat tour. I now also know far more about the tour guides personal life then I do about the city of Chicago, this gentlemen loves to talk about himself. All in all the boat part was great, music was great, views were great. read more

great guide (dont remember the name.. but he was the big batman fan) very knowledgeable and made it pretty entertaining. boat ran slow but it was an architectural tour so made sense. the jet boat ride wasn't that fast either.. but whatever still fun. read more

1/2 hour "speed boat ride" is a tourist trap that'll take a bite out of your wallet !! Think twice as you don't take this ride for the tour and don't want to spend the more than $25 price for a condensed usually less then speedy boat tour that's overrated, except for generating quick revenue. If you must go, because of friends in from out of town, ask the agent how fast the boat will go, if the lake condition is good and if the boat will go outside the breakwater. If not, then it'll just putt-putt around the area with a guide saying some dopey stuff about a few buildings, info that you could certainly get from any other and much cheaper tour boat operator at navy pier. Plus, it will take at least 10 minutes to get outside the breakwater and you'll still have to suffer with 10 minutes of stop to listen to the tour shpiel. At best you're looking at about 10 minutes of speed boating. Also, look to see if the boats are going less than half empty, if so there's not much incentive for them to use the extra gas. The only ride I'd recommend is the "Fireworks Ride." It's longer and they actually hit the gas. read more

The Extreme ride is pretty awesome.. $30 for 30 min isn't terrible and the ride was fun and super fast..

had a groupon 4the 75-minute architectural tour and it was sooooooo cool! it was pretty informative about several buildings downtown. the boat went into the lake for a while & it was thrilling cuz we were goin pretty fast & it felt great! we came back into the river & got explanations of numerous buildings as well as extra random info. my friend & i really enjoyed ourselves! chicago looks so beautiful during sunset time & it was pretty warm outside so it was even better.i dont think i would pay the full price for this tour but if u can get some type of discount somewhere then go 4 it! read more

It was pretty fun, I have to admit. I rode it solo and took the last 75 min tour of the night. The skyscrapers & buildings lit at night is pretty awesome. You also get pretty nice views of the skyline. I've lived in Chicago for a few months now but I've never really done any of the touristy things here so I thought why not. I learned a lot about the city's history on the tour. read more

This has to be the most liberating experience in Chicago!!!! The crew host Maui, first mate chopper and captain Dave have to be the most amazing people you all have!!! They truly made the trip from Ukraine extremely worth it!!! Thank again for this amazingly liberating experience!!! Hope to come again next year!!! 10 outta 10 would definitely do it again!!!! If your in Chicago you can't leave with out riding the extreme sea dog speed boat ride!!! read more

Fun, informative and exciting. Our Captain Red Beard and 1st mate Chopper were excellent at maneuvering through the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Our Crew/guide, Sarah, was so great at story telling. Informative, funny, kind of a dork in a lovable way. She knew her stuff and kept us all entertained throughout the 75 minute speed boat and architectural tour. Highly recommend. read more

This was definitely one of the cooler experiences I've had in the city and I've lived in the burbs my whole life. If you go, keep your fingers crossed that you have Charlie as your tour guide. He's funny and has a lot of random bits of city info to toss at you along with the architectural information. This will be a staple activity any time I have guests in from out of town. read more

Went on boat yesterday with my kids and loved it. The tour guide (Fabio) was terrific. can't wait to go again!!

We did two of these while in Chicago. First, we did the architectural cruise. Very interesting and a great trip through the heart of Chicago. Then we did a night fireworks cruise. So fun! We raced, splashed and saw fireworks over Navy Pier. A real blast! Highly recommended for all visitors to this great city! read more

A little pricey but fun! I don't do boats often, so the speed was enough to make me a little nervous and the rocking made me queasy. I'm a wuss though. Not too informative of a tour, think of it as a light and fun thing to do. read more

Nice time - the person that gave the tour was very informative. People behind us wouldn't shut up.

This thrill ride is part of an adventure that I took my grandson on. It was so much fun I have decided to take each one of my grandkids! It is a blast! Maui, our tour guide was fun and a good dancer! I can't wait to go again read more

We had a great time on the 75 min architectural tour. Grant was our guide/host/comedian and we had a great time, learned a lot, and laughed a lot. We also got the picture that was taken, the photographers really know how to take a picture. read more

Loved the architecture tour. Informative and interestingly narrated. Got some great glimpses of downtown chicago from the boat. Make sure you take your cameras with you. read more

Get the back seats to get wet and the front to stay dry. It was so much fun it has been a tradition to sit in the back seats for 4 years. Have fun read more

Ive been at the pier several times this summer and passed up the extreme because I thought it was too expensive. This past weekend I finally gave in and rode! Our extreme ride was with with Captain Pedro! It was awesome! Pedro did crazy spins, twists, and turns. I came off the boat completely SOAKED. We even managed to get the other Seadog boat wet, not sure what Pedro did but somehow he splashed water all over them! It was hilarous. There was only a little bit of talking, but then again I didnt pay for a tour, I paid for a THRILL RIDE. Def. coming back next summer! read more

Architecture river tour was fantastic. Born and raised in Chicago, and I still learned many new things! The tour was on time and we even got a few extra minutes out on the water. It was a hot day so they passed out water bottles. I have been on other tours and this is by far the most fun and entertaining. Our tour guide Dan was funny and very knowledgable. Dan is awesome! read more

Dan was very great!! It does not matter if you're from Chicago or not, this guy knows his stuff and is extremely funny.....do it!

The Architectural Tour with Jake was fabulous. He did a great job of describing the buildings along the Chicago River in a way that kept everyone alert and interested. The only thing that could have made it better is if he had injected some info on buildings he thought were worthy of mentioning. His style was to let the participants ask about various building rather than pointing out the ones of notoriety. read more

We went on the regular Sea Dog ride a couple of years ago, and had a very good time. Since then, the kids have been asking to try the Extreme Thrill Ride version, so we finally took them for a special day out. We were thinking it would just be a thing for the kids, but the adults had a great time too! The ride was awesome, and the tour guide (Cartier) was funny and personable. Definitely recommended. read more

Went on the 75 minute architectural tour, and it was a blast!! Brian the tour guide was outstanding, with a great mix of architecture facts and corny jokes. He kept everyone engaged. I originally planned to go in July and got rained out. They gave me VIP Tickets to return any time. The tour was kinda chilly, but that's my fault for forgetting to go when the weather was still nice. read more

Very fun relaxing tour filled with lots of informational tid bits topped of with a cruise on the lake to witness Chicago's skyline, our tour guide "Chopper" kept us entertained with interesting facts about the architecture of Chicago's famous buildings and history mixed in with some humor. Definitely a must when visiting would recommend doing!!! read more

Great mix of history and fun on the river and lake. Tour guide Jamie was engaging, knowledgeable, and funny.