City Cruises - Chicago

d recommend a wedding here a million times over again. Alejandra was our coordinator and was FANTASTIC! Along with Alberto.

wait staff efficient and attentive, the bartender was fast, my event coordinator simply amazing, DJ super fun... can't say enough good things about everyone! We had the best comments from our guests about how unique the experience was. If you're thinking about this option for your wedding or event, do not hesitate, we would do it all over again!

ceremony, and the food and drinks helped make our wedding a life time memory! The staff was amazing and we were so thankful to have their service for our wedding! They went out of their way to make our guest feel included! The brides family came to the USA for the first time for the wedding and Spanish is their primary language. Their server realized this and spoke fluent Spanish to them and so the entire evening, they understood everything! Huge shout to Rachel and Louis for all their support as well! Louis helped us understand everything regarding pricing, types of boats, and all the items that can be included! There was no surprises and by the end, we knew exactly what we would have for our wedding! He is extremely attentive and answered every single question we had before deciding with City Cruises! Our wedding coordinator, Rachel Elkes, was nothing short of amazing and professional! She answered all our questions and concerns, extremely friendly, and overall the woman you want in your corner! We were scheduled to arrive early for pre-boarding setup, but due to a sudden Chicago traffic, we were late by almost 30mins. We were already past the scheduled general boarding for our guests, but Rachel managed to make everything work out! She helped with setup, made sure we're both doing well, and took care of all the background work while we prepared. She pretty much calmed both of us down and rearranged the schedule in a way that it still felt like we're on time! We can definingly recommend her to anyone out there looking for a solid coordinator! Rachel and Louis, if y'all read this, we want to say thank you again for everything!

h it - she took care of EVERY detail. The food, drink, decor, music - everything was more than what we expected. We heard all weekend what an amazing time our guests had and the bride & groom were beyond happy. Thank you Tess for EVERYTHING!

rried!

did weddings as well! From the beginning, Becca (Associate Director of Sales) listened to our needs and adhered to the budget we wanted to stay within. Planning a wedding from states away is not an easy feat, but Becca and Taylor (Event Coordinator) made everything so simple! Taylor (our event coordinator) met with us a few times prior to the big day to ensure that everything would be smooth sailing the day of! We were so grateful for Taylor! She let us drop off the decor the day prior to the wedding, had everything set up, and tore everything down for us! We had our wedding ceremony on the Spirit of Navy Pier and our reception on the Vista deck within the boat. The Vista deck was perfect for our small wedding of ~55 people. Taylor removed some tables so we can have a dance floor! :) The food was amazing. Our guests really enjoyed being on a cruise for the ceremony/reception, and the fireworks show at the end of the night was just the cherry on top! Thank you City Cruises (Becca and Taylor) for helping us plan a phenomenal day!

cruise’s answered all my questions and helped guide me towards better options for this venue. While on the boat the entire staff was so attentive and accommodating, having them they set up all decorations for me was so helpful. Coming from a couple of chef’s the food was spectacular they even let us make a few tweaks, the space was appropriate for our party, seeing the city from the boat was an amazing view. Our guest ABSOLUTELY loved watching the fireworks at the end of the night. Keep in mind if your wedding party is small you will mostly share the boat with another party. I was concerned we would bump into each other but I didn’t even notice the other guest. The Spirit of Navy pier Vista Deck has two poles in the space, we made it work and no one was bothered, just FYI. All my guest loved the wedding and claimed it was the best wedding ever. This day was truly amazing and so much fun. P.S I did suggest to give the bride and groom togo boxes of the food at the end of the night. With all the chaos I eat so little my only regret is that I didn’t eat more.

ve fun- which we definitely did!! We know our guests also had a great time - we had so many people comment on the uniqueness of the venue and all were mesmerized by the views of the city skyline from boat. The food was delicious and the staff on board the boat the evening of the wedding was fantastic. Working with Becca on all the plans up to the big day was great- she always made herself available and was very supportive. We are so incredibly happy with the way everything turned out. We could not have asked for a better venue and experience on this most special day.

TCH!

as very flexible with accommodating our needs and requests. Highly recommended - we had a wonderful and stress-free experience!

he staff aboard the vessel to our wedding team, everything went smoothly and we were so fortunate to not experience any major hiccups day of. We thank the Odyssey for hosting our wedding and creating an unforgettable experience for us.

couldn't fall in love and make it work with any venues. Then I found City Cruises and made it happen in 3 MONTHS on Nov 4th 2022! Becca was my account manager, and she was very responsive and helped every step of the way. They do a great job of letting you tour the space, go on a tasting cruise to get a feel for the views (which btw...are worth every penny), and taste the food. She even helped when we had to do some last minute rescheduling, and was also so helpful and understanding. The day of the wedding was a little chaotic, mostly because I'm not much of an event planner :) But the boat staff was ready and willing to help. I am not joking when I say that the Kitchen Manager onboard made me feel like his one and only goal in life was to make me happy that day! I can't say enough about the staff that night. We even had one of the workers sprint to the nearby hotel to return our guest book, and he totally saved the day because he knew how devastated I would be if I forgot it! Oh, and speaking of kitchen, the food was amazing! I recommend the braised beef and the Pasta al forno, a total hit with the guests! Also, shout out to the DJ who knew what to play and when! We had such a great time dancing at the end to some very strategically planned songs, so I appreciated him so much. My only few cautions: Weather, duh its a boat. Be careful about your date! The Elite is sturdy and has several floors in case of rain, but it's on Lake Michigan and at the mercy of the waves. So wind and rough waters is a factor to consider when picking your date! Lastly, this is NOT your venue if you're a bride with a very specific vision for decor or any type of activity "stations". There isn't a ton of room for extras, but there also isn't a ton of opportunity to access the boat before or after your event to coordinate, set up, and collect. This wasn't a deal breaker for a bride like me because I had very few decorations and ideas, and the boat itself is a wonderful venue as-is. But just wanted to point that out to help set any expectations :)

to our wants and needs, the decor was placed beautifully, the food was outstanding. Our whole guest list loved the unique scenery and atmosphere, the staff was very kind and attentive. Many people have told us they will be back for a formal tour because they enjoyed their experience so much. Our party was a long time coming as we originally booked in 2020 and delayed due to the pandemic, but it was worth the wait! The only thing I would say is that I wish the cocktail cruises were just a smidge longer but maybe I was having just too much fun! and that there was more than 1 bartender as the line did get crowded often but it moved decently fast. :)

r wedding organized with her incredible people on the ship! She introduced us to our Event coordinator Emma who was just simply Amazing!! We only had less than 2 weeks but everything was so well organized that it seemed like it was organized for well over a year! Emma did fantastic! Thank you So much Ladies for a job well done! Our wedding was beyond anything we ever thought it would be and its because of you ladies and all the people on the ship. Thank you!!!! Definitely would recommend this Venue for Ceremony and Reception!!! Our guest and us had such an amazing time and very unique than traditional wedding! Many many thanks again! And just another huge shout out to Emma and Serena!!! Thank you ladies!

to our wedding coordinator Zachary, to our amazing DJ and on board manager Basia (I hope I spelled it right). Becca was super responsive every step of the way. We booked in March and wedded in August. The food was soooo good, the cocktails were amazing and they did a great job following my decor notes…lol I had a lot!!! Basia was great at anticipating my every need there was always a drink in my hand and although we didn’t stick to the program ( completely our fault btw) the staff were super flexible and responsive. My guests and my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. One week later everyone is still talking about the event. We could not have chosen a better venue. Thank you again City Cruises of Chicago!!!!

us got to see family we have not seen in years due to COVID and celebrate an occasion that has been coming for a while. We worked with Serena throughout the entire booking process and she was AMAZING. She answered any question we had, even if it was ridiculous… helped up navigate extra funds when our guest count dropped to get some fun upgrades, and overall is extremely knowledgeable about everything and that is a huge part to why we felt so comfortable booking. The day of our wedding was definitely an interesting one! Navy Pier was hosting an event that we were unaware of so during our ceremony there was a drum line passing by… gave us all some great laughs as everyone wanted to stop an look over the side of the boat INCLUDING US! The reception was a great time, the food was FANTASTIC, I still think about the short rib… There were some delays with food which made everything seem a bit off. Our on board coordinator Kelly kept checking in with us to make sure everything was okay which was greatly appreciated because she helped to try and get everything back on schedule. She even helped us get our playlist going when the DJ claimed he never received it. That would be our 1 and only complaint and why I am giving 4 stars is because of the DJ. When we finally got the playlist going he played it very quiet as if it was an inconvenience to him, then once it came to dancing (only about 5 minutes worth due to delays) he finally turned up the music that was not on our playlist…. Overall, the experience was worth it. They have fantastic vendors, fantastic staff, and overall a great indoor/outdoor vibe ON THE WATER, you cannot get that anywhere else. We are looking forward to our anniversary cruise next month and cannot wait to relive the experience!

and finally had it summer 2021. We chose lunch cruise. I spotted the cruise during an architectural tour and searched online afterwards. It was a brand new cruise back then, I was so excited because having a wedding on a glass canopy cruise in downtown Chicago is super unique and I knew that the pictures will look amazing with the natural backdrop! (Saved lots of money on decor! We literally had zero decor besides flowers) Odyssey was extremely accommodating on us changing dates, they didn’t charge extra (even change to another year) which is an amazing grace to Covid weds! Initially I thought we were gonna lose all the deposit, thanks to Odyssey didn’t rip us off. But of course changing dates mean changing wedding coordinators, we had Serena and Kelly. Honestly I didn’t even remember what I planned back in 2019, but Kelly managed to collect all the details and made it happened. Menu also changed after 2 years (I don’t blame them), we went on a night cruise for menu tasting 2 months prior. We didn’t quite like the vegetarian choice that night and requested to revise the option. The kitchen made a choice of veg ravioli for us especially! (Which was super delicious and it was important because my maid of honor is a vegetarian) Thank you for going extra mile Odyssey crew members! Kudos to all! The weather that day was nice and sunny. Everything went smoothly, DJ/ wedding cake cutting/ premium bar/ meal, it was the best day of my life! I highly recommend having a wedding on Odyssey if you like Chicago’s skyline! And for this price with all inclusive package, it’s quite unbeatable in my opinion. Thank you Odyssey for delivering my dream wedding!

Chicago Elite, and I wish I had known to steer clear sooner. I had my wedding on the Chicago elite on October 2nd. I initially had Serena as my wedding planner, but three weeks prior to the date, I was informed that Kelly would be taking over my wedding. Kelly was unresponsive, unhelpful, and did not receive any details I had told Serena from the previous wedding planning calls months before and I had to tell her all over again. A week before the wedding Kelly informed me that she would not be on the boat the day of the wedding but would meet me Friday, October 1st for me to drop off the decor. Kelly was a no-show and I was met by Jordyn, ANOTHER wedding planner, and I had to relay my information on what to do with the decor. Upon arriving at the boat, NOTHING was set up the way I had asked Jordyn to relay to the team. I had to set up my decor the way I wanted it, and press to get my rooftop DJ setup and my bar on the rooftop. Worst of all, the microphone system was horrible, and my father’s speech was cut short due to their system and glitches. I'm beyond disappointed. I would NEVER recommend working with City Experiences and if I had a time machine, I would do this completely differently.

as the most spectacular experience I ever had and I have all the thanks to give to Natalie Gudel. 2020 was a rough year for us all but she made our experience incredible. She was a diligent communicator, flawlessly detail oriented, and had a wealth of wedding preparation knowledge. Planning the day was literally a breeze because of her. The day/night of the event we had the pleasure of working with Nicole and Alberto. I literally have no words. That was one remarkable team. They were masterfully attentive and pleasantly professional. I did not have to ask them for a single thing, I honestly think they were mind readers and a Brides dream team! I would book this venue a million times over but I am sure they would get tired of me. My wedding guests still gush about the boat, the FOOD, the drinks, the service, and everything else you can think of. We certainly made the very best decision booking them. I cannot thank Hornblower Cruises and Events enough for the incredible memories.

c and details we planned were executed by Kelly and her team perfectly. We got married aboard the Odyssey and had an excellent day. Furthermore, City Cruises deserves credit for helping us through the pandemic. We booked our wedding well before everything happened, and they were flexible and helpful the whole time.

she also made my guest stand in the rain when it was past time for them to arrive because the staff was still not ready. Bridal party ended up boarding at the time the guest were suppose to board and guest boarded later than that and it was a rainstorm outside. The same thing happened when we dropped off our decor the day before. We had an appointment with Serena. She came late to the appointment. And then made us wait in the rain when we carried decor through navy pier to the boat. Twice! Because we made more than one trip from car to boat. She knew we had one more trip and still took forever to open the gate. My signature drink was incorrect as well Premium bar. There was a patron missing from my premium bar. I paid for that drink to be in stock and it was not so I need to be reimbursed. I was told by Serena that the staff would pack away our decor and we would just have to take it home, and that any kitchen ware that was used would be washed and I could pick it up the next day, but at the end of night I to pack dirty chargers and decor in-front of all my guest. And when I asked Serena about this she said it was policy guest pack their own item after telling me something different on the phone. Which leads to my next grievance and why my marriage license was misplaced by Jordyn. Jordyn showed us our marriage license and said she would pack it with our items. Jordyn did pack one tote halfway with decor but no marriage license was in that tote like she said it was. I live 3.5 hours away and had to make a special trip to get my marriage license 2 days later. But If it is policy that guest pack up our stuff then why did Jordyn half pack a tote herself. Either they were supposed to pack for us or Jordyn broke policy. But because of the lack of communication amongst staff, my marriage license and other items were misplaced for days. Serena was late to phone calls multiple times, she had my balance wrong multiple times. I had to double check the amount and correct her after I made payments. She had my total cost of the wedding wrong and I had to correct her about that as well. No one from hornblower has gotten back to me.

of planning ahead of time did not transition to a smooth wedding ceremony aboard the boat. First, we boarded 15 minutes late, which meant as my husband and I were waiting to board all of our guests started showing up so I wasn’t able to get out of sight before people arrived. Once on the boat, the coordinator I had worked with beforehand was not the same person on the boat and it didn’t seem like any info was passed to the new person because there was no coordination of the ceremony. And lastly, and most upsetting, the sound didn’t work during the ceremony. On a boat on the Chicago river sound is pretty important, but it didn’t work and the DJ did nothing to attempt to fix it. No one knew I was starting to walk because they couldn’t hear the music. It was so upsetting because we were so excited about the boat. The Odyssey was a cool venue otherwise, but the ceremony was a mess. I would NOT recommend getting married on the boat, but would be great for any other wedding-related event when those can come back full steam.

dding on May 30th this year, but when Covid hit in March, we suddenly faced planning a whole new wedding. I had read horror stories from brides and grooms losing money on vendors during COVID, but Hornblower was nothing short amazing. They were flexible and understanding. Serena helped me throughout the months in creating the wedding of our dreams set for October 3rd. We were even offered a substantial discount due to our changing guest count. We ended up with an intimate and beautiful wedding, just as glamorous as originally planned, with a venue that offered it’s own unique perks for guests- a night on Lake Michigan, with the city skyline in the background. Despite the difficulties of this year, we could not be happier with how our wedding turned out and it was done in a fun but safe manner and was the highlight of everyone’s year.

a success, but creating a memorable event, that we are still talking about almost a week later (and undoubtedly be recalling years to come). The ship was beautiful (and immaculate) with spectacular views of the Chicago River, but what really made the event special was the staff. Every team member who I worked with and encountered was outstanding: • Natalie and Serena, who provided advanced coordination, made the entire process of booking and planning so easy. They focused on every detail and made sure that my requests were their priority. This allowed my husband and I, as hosts, to actually enjoy the evening and not worry about any surprises or unexpected circumstances. Thank you for everything you did to make this happen, from your flexibility and advocacy when plans needed to be adjusted, to your excellent and timely communication. • Nicole and Alberto, who provided oversight and coordination of service and food while onboard the Odyssey, made sure every planned detail was precisely executed from the minute we boarded until we departed. Thank you for your personal attention, excellent service, and incredible food. o The service was outstanding—people were amazed by the staff—so professional yet personable—making each guest feel like they were the most important passenger onboard. They anticipated our needs before we even had a chance to ask. o The food was outstanding. Typically, when you order from any restaurant-type menu with several options, you expect one or two standout items. Every menu and dessert item selected and sampled by our guests was exceptional—everyone was raving (and almost debating) that their entree had to be the best choice; that their dessert was the greatest. • Patrick, our DJ, rocked. The music (and sound system) were excellent. I had some unique requests, which he happily (enthusiastically) made happen! In this time of COVID, it is a challenge to host a gathering which feels special and intimate, while maintaining a safe environment (with social distancing), but the “advance team” and onboard staff worked together to accomplished this. I know our invited guests (as well as my husband and I) expected the “ride” and views to be the highlight of the evening, so when everyone experienced this stellar service and fantastic cuisine, they were amazed. Thank you to every single staff member at Hornblower Cruises and of the Odyssey for making our rehearsal dinner such a special and memorable event. We cannot wait to cruise with you again.

wn. Having great food, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, music and staff on site was a major bonus. We were given the option to provide our own desserts which helped us feel as if our own touches could be included with the evening. The boat, bar, and skyline spoke for themselves so having little details accommodated provided for an unforgettable evening! I highly recommend this venue for your wedding. If I could go back in time I would choose the Odyssey Chicago River again without question!

n a church or a hotel. After poking around on The Knot & Pinterest, I came across Odyssey Cruises and found out they were introducing a new river boat in Chicago. With architectural cruises being one my favorite things and seeing the renderings of the soon-to-be boat, we couldn't think of anything else. Our wedding exceeded our expectations, it was perfect. The boat is beautiful and no other venue could compare with the views. We had beautiful weather, but I really think either way the day would have been wonderful. The food and drinks were delicious (we had the brunch menu) and all of our guests had an amazing time. So many people told us it was the best wedding they've attended and some are considering the Odyssey Chicago River for future events. The staff and crew on the cruise were absolutely top notch. We'd like to give a shout out to our DJ, Chaz, who really helped us stay on schedule and was so helpful throughout the day. He also did a wonderful job with the music selection when the guests were boarding, eating and dancing. Throughout the process we worked with four women who helped answer all our questions and really made our dreams come true. Tiffany and Ashley helped us in our beginning stages and then Rachael and Becca helped us to finalize all our details and delivered on all our requests. Becca was our day-of coordinator and there was not one problem that she didn't help us to solve. I was adamant about having waffles and she made it happen! She was upbeat and truly a pleasure to work with. We had a total of 136 guests and it felt like a perfect size for the boat and what we wanted out of our event. There was room for dancing and we had a sweets table with our cake, a favors table, and a cards/gifts table. The aisle was a tad narrow for couples to walk down, but it only felt that way during the ceremony. We're waiting on our photos from our photographer, but the photos we've seen from our guests have all been beautiful. I really could go on and on about how amazing and wonderful our wedding was, there's no doubt we would recommend this venue to others.

y, but the coordinator and staff put that to rest and made us feel at ease immediately. We really appreciate you guys, your company's quality work, and professionalism. We wouldn't have rather gotten married anywhere or any other way, and we're truly blessed that we came across your venue. Simply saying "thank you" doesn't do justice to the way we actually feel in our hearts! We strongly recommend this venue to any and everyone. Our wedding day was genuinely one of the greatest days of our lives!

can you beat the Chicago skyline from Lake Michigan for your pictures. I could not have imagined it better!

age, SO FANTASTIC!), and the views of the skyline gave us the most romantic backdrop for our big day. I would recommend this company to any bride getting married!

ient with me when I felt like I was losing my mind trying to plan a wedding while still in medical school and in the midst of graduation. The Odyssey is just such a beautiful venue especially with the backdrop of Navy Pier from the top ceremony deck, and when we decided to sign our contract for a June wedding, we never imagined that it would rain on our wedding day! I was having anxiety about the weather for days leading up to our wedding day. Amy was there with me from the very beginning, reassuring me that it was my night and they would make it special rain or shine. Mother Nature tricked us into thinking that the rain had passed and that we would be able to get through our ceremony without it raining again. So when I made the call 20 minutes before the start of our ceremony that I still wanted to proceed with having the wedding outside on the top deck, the Odyssey crew made it happen and in record time set up 150 chairs so that our guests had dry chairs to sit on. In fact, our ceremony actually started five minutes early to try to beat the rain. We were able to get all our guests seated, and the entire wedding party down the aisle without a drop of rain. However, the moment my song started playing and I was walking down the aisle with my mom and dad, a fat drop of rain hit my face and I knew it was coming! My officiant just went with it, and I was drenched by the time umbrellas made their way to us (the Odyssey brought out a ton of umbrellas for our guests too), but it was just so beautiful and so much joy and laughter was caught in pictures and video as we got married in the rain. I had so many guests tell me that our wedding was the most memorable and unforgettable wedding they have ever attended, and the most fun they have ever had at a wedding, beginning to end. It was also a plus that everyone dried off pretty quickly once they got inside for the reception, and the staff had coffee and tea ready. I had guests texting me even days after our wedding complimenting the appetizers and the food. We had an open bar all night and the bartenders were great, the DJ was amazing as was our live band, and the two giant macaron towers that they put together for us were beautiful and delicious. The rain cleared up pretty much right after the ceremony and it turned out to be a beautiful evening, so the Navy Pier fireworks show still went according to plan! It was the best day of our lives for sure, and so many people told me that they had never seen my husband smile so much. Only issue I can think of bringing up is that there were some communication issues with the Odyssey staff and our photographers and videographer, and they weren’t informed that the plan was to start the ceremony five minute early (to try to beat the rain), which led to our videographer not catching my husband and his mom walking down the aisle, along with the first couple of people in our wedding party which we are pretty bummed about. There was also some miscommunication regarding the meals we had ordered for our vendors, and with the craziness of the evening, they ended up not getting a chance to eat. However, we also know that the weather that evening threw off our meticulously planned schedule. We can not wait to be back for our one year anniversary cruise!

d and it went smoothly. I give this place an A+ for quality customer service, excellent views of Chicago, and the food was AMAZING! Best place to get married if you want it all done in​ one place with not a lot of hassle.

. Setting the whole experience up could not have been easier. The staff is top notch, their attention to detail is incredible. Alberto ran the show like a boss. In fact, the whole experience was so amazing, we started to worry that it would overshadow the wedding day! All I can say is highly, highly, highly recommend. Would do again.

s trying to help perfect anything and everything. If we knew how amazing it was we would have chosen odyssey for our wedding as well. Food was also amazing. I have absolutely no complaints. I am very picky and this venue was PERFECT!!!!

cky to have a sunny-perfect day. It was amazing to have the skyline as background and the crowd of the navy pier at the bottom. The reception was in a private space of the boat. There were other guest too in the cruise, but we really felt like we were the only one on the party. The help we got from the entertainment cruise company was great since the beginning. They were very transparent with the costs, and very helpful in guiding us through the various options. We really felt in expert hands the whole time. Also, since we live out of the chicago area, we were able to take most of our choices saving trips to chicago. During the wedding day, the staff was extremely helpul, they set up both the deck and the reception area in a perfect way, and they handled efficiently and always in a positive manner all the small unexpected things that happens to the guests or to the bride/groom. Also the DJ that was provided to us was great: he played the music we provided him and required him to play, but he was able to put an extra touch on the night: very professional. We also had the fireworks (it was a Saturday cruise) at the end of the night, which really completed a perfect night. The food was excellent, above our expectations. We also opted for the open bar for our guests and it worked great. All our guests were entusiastic, they enjoied the ceremony, banquet, and the magnificent chicago skyline that was always visible from the cruise. Even after few months, we are still receiving compliments and positive feedback from the night. I know that this review looks exaggerated, but it is actually my honest feedback from the experience we had!