We were greeted by Mo who was very knowledgeable and patient with the hiccups we experienced. We were then guided by the crew member, Joshua, who was very friendly and very detailed to ensure we knew everything we needed to know once we sailed off. We were able to navigate the downtown branch of the river, go to Chinatown and even go a bit north of our docking port. The boat itself was very clean. We were very happy that any questions or concerns we had were met promptly and professionally. We will be coming again soon! read more

Chicago Boat Company - Inside look of the boat and the beginning of our ride. - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

fantastic trip! great Staff!!! Really great Experience all around!!!! Boat was great and they provided coolers and bags of Ice are available on site for a small fee! Just a wonderful evening!!!! read more

The boat was a lovely slow ride. The staff was very helpful and accommodating. They allowed us to wait out the rain a bit and then go out. The boat was clean and easy to manage. read more

Great boat rental! Kelly was great and super informative. Wonderful experience and highly recommend. I grew up in Chicago and now live in California. It's nice to come back and do all the tourist things we have never done when living here. read more

Went on a girls trip to Chicago and did the party barge sunset cruise and it was so much fun!! Captain Kelly took us back and forth on the river and even told some fun stories about various buildings. It's BYOB and there's a bathroom and Bluetooth speaker on board. There are barstools to sit but you can get up to dance and take pictures freely. Such a fun time, highly recommend for groups. read more

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We rented a 8 person electric boat this weekend with the chicago boat company and had a very pleasant experience! The staff was friendly, the boat was clean, and the online booking process was smooth. I even emailed them the morning of our trip because of possible weather issues and the acknowledged my email in a timely manner which was nice they took the time to check it and respond. Highly recommend! read more

This is our second year in row renting a Luxury Duffy for a birthday party cruise. We always have a great experience and everyone loves cruising the river. Everyone working there is very kind and helpful. read more

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When I asked if I wanted to cruise down the Chicago River in the middle of February, I first thought my husband had lost his mind. However, once I saw the hot tub option I decided to be open minded and boy am I happy I did. The company has great communication and Devante, our crew member, was very helpful and friendly. We had 90 minutes but honestly because you can only cruise between a bridge span of three blocks we came back early. Just know that you are the one driving the boat so you definitely have to take somebody who is willing to be the designated captain. Overall, a really fun experience and I would try it again in the summer.. read more

Chicago Boat Company - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Starting off it was a bit difficult to find, but following the directions they sent in the email was easy to navigate. We made sure to bring our own snacks, drinks, and a Bluetooth speaker just in case. We rented the 8 person boat from 1p - 4p and it came with Bluetooth speakers already, but didn't test it since we brought our own. Shefra was our compliance director and was super kind and informative - she provided us with a map of where we could and couldn't go. Overall was a bunch of fun had 6 people comfortably I feel 8 people on the 8 person boat may feel a bit cramped. Would recommend it for a chill fun afternoon! read more

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One Facebook ad, quick online reservation, and here we are Thanksgiving weekend floating down the river in a hot tub in 20 degree weather...AND we would do it again! Here's what to know: -Make the reservation online days or weeks in advance so everyone can complete/sign waivers online well in advance -A couple of days before your date, the person who made the reservation will receive a text w/ additional waiver to sign and a training video on safety. Complete prior to date as it reduces the amount of time to check-in -Yes, they do ask for the credit card that was used to pay for the reservation, their ID, and they have to be at check in -There are a lot of fees for misuse and misconduct so definitely read the documents -once checked in, a team member walks you to the marina area and the changing rooms; the bathrooms are near the changing area and require a key to enter -The bathrooms and changing area are heated -The changing area has a few lockers to keep your belongings safe and you are responsible for keeping the key (if you lose there is a fee) -Once in your bathing suit, keep your shoes on, warm hat, and jacket -The boat doesn't have areas to keep your stuff so keep most of your items in the locker -A team member will walk you to your boat and there is a covered plastic crate that you will put your coat, locker key, and shoes in -There is a walkie talkie on your boat so you can stay connected w/ your assigned team member -The water is very warm and you can control the heat off/on -Make sure the entire group pays attention to how to drive the boat, it's def a team project -The boat doesn't not go very fast but turns seamlessly so give yourself grace for figuring how it maneuvers -Yes you are on the water w/ big water taxi boats and tourist boats; they definitely make waves and will push your boat out of their way -You can drive the boat w/in a 5 block radius -We had the most fun just floating in one of the "pier" type areas; sooo many people bundled up walking near the river said hi, took pics of us, and asked about our experience -You will stay warm the entire time, it was sooo hot sometimes we stood up just to cool off If you are thinking about this experience just grab some friends and do it! We are already talking about doing it again and bringing some friends! read more

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I reserved a pontoon for two hours on Sunday, Jun 21 for a Father's Day outing. The weather was too dangerous to go out - thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and even the Cubs canceled their game. When I asked about a refund, they stated they don't refund due to weather. It was impossible to go out on a boat that day, there were young children in our party, and it wouldn't have been safe. I asked for them to exhibit some human decency and compassion, but they refused. So they essentially stole $580 from me. read more

It's a nice affordable way to chill out with friends. The boat only goes about 5 mph but it's very relaxing if you take it north up by Goose Island. read more

Chicago Boat Company - Along the river - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Amazing afternoon on the Chicago River!! kat and Joe really made my daughters birthday special! Totally recommend. read more

Chicago Boat Company - Birthday Girl on the boat - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The experience was amazing and the staff were delightful from the beginning to the end of our trip. Ask for Hannah! She's the best!

OMG, this was such an amazing experience so fun and adventurous. My sister and I had an amazing time on the lake. this boat was so easy to drive. It's like driving a car. The instructors were so friendly and they were detailed about our safety instructions. I will highly recommend this boat ride for any mature age group. read more

Chicago Boat Company - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had such a great time celebrating a sweet 16! We will definitely be coming back again! Thank you to the staff for making everything so easy. read more

EASY to book! Staff is super friendly and John did an awesome job prepping us for the water and bringing us back in! The views are off the charts. Would definitely do again. read more

the seats were not adjustable and there was no covered part on the pedals to keep your feet on them - so as a short person it was hard to pedal . Otherwise a fun trip read more

10/10! Bailey was our onboarding captain and gave us a great boat introduction with easy to follow instructions and told us the best route to take to optimize our time! We came on a slower Monday and went to the wrong dock at first (completely our fault!) but luckily they were still able to accommodate us even though we didn't show up the full 30 minutes in advance. Such a fun experience and we will definitely be back! read more

My friends and I had the best time on the hot tub cruise. Even though we arrived late, they gave us an extra half hr! read more

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Just the best time we've ever had on the Chicago river. Smooth sailing from start to finish. From booking to boarding to driving to docking, our family had 100% fun fun fun. Thanks for providing this memorable experience! read more

Chicago Boat Company - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was a fun tour. Fun to see city from the river. Monica and Catherine made sure we had everything we needed. It rained but with the roof and our guides it was still great afternoon! read more

Me and my friends have so much fun We will recommend, good for gathering with your friends and family to explore Chicago river read more

Chicago Boat Company - So much fun - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very cool experience! The little retro boats are great. They are a little temperamental however. When using the radio to communicate with staff it does cut power to the power. Seems to be an issue on most of the retro boats. Easily restarted when this happens. Staff is working to sort this. The boats are extremely slow. Although it's just a cruising experience I feel they need a little more power to safely navigate around other boats. Next is the price. $300+ dollars for 90 mins I do think was excessive. I think $150-$200 is much more appropriate given the time and experience. With all this being said I did enjoy it and the staff is extremely helpful, polite and friendly. I'd definitely do it again. read more

Chicago Boat Company - Cruising the river - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My buddy and I rented a boat from The Chicago Boat Company and had a great experience. Connor was friendly, and explained the safety and boat instructions clearly. It was my first time on the Chicago river and had a blast! I would highly recommend this company to anyone interested in a fun boat day! read more

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I organized an electric boat tour for my work group and it was a good experience. This company is very responsive by phone, fairly responsive by email. We had a good tourguide (a freelancer), who was very knowledgeable about the history of the Chicago waterways and had visuals. I wish he was provided with a microphone; it was sometimes hard to hear him on the boat, and I was sitting closest to him. We had a 2-hour tour, which was enough time to go to the locks, then up and down different legs of the river. We rented a 22ft Luxury Duffy Boat for 12 passengers; it was actually very comfortable for 8 of us (plus our lunches on the small table in the middle), though none of us sat in the uncovered back area. If there were more of us, it would have felt tight. Our boat was clean and in good condition. The company provides coolers for drinks. We drove it ourselves and it was very straightforward. read more

Easy to use and great customer service from the time we arrived until return. Boats are easy to operate and fun to hangout with friends on the river. Get scenic views of downtown you can get from on the side. 1 hour was plenty to hit the Y of the river and Navy Pier. read more

Chicago Boat Company - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Connor was fantastic!! He helped so much and walked up through everything ! Thank you Connor.

Had a great time! The overall Rockwell on the River space is beautiful! TJ gave us great advice as we launched and the donut boat was easy to drive. We were able to get as far south as Diversey and back in less than an hour. Saw lots of fish, herons, and cormorants. Nothing beats eating donuts on a donut boat! read more

Chicago Boat Company - Heron - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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it was funnnn!!! i rented a boat with my husband and it was so peaceful. the staff were very kind and helpful aswell 10/10

This was one of the best experiences ever!! Everyone there was great , I will definitely be coming back. read more

Chicago Boat Company - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We've rented Duffy Boats from the Chicago Boat Company many times over the years so we know what they are and what to expect. This time (May 6, 2025) the boat was very slow. Like really slow. Walking pace slow. We were passed by people walking alongside us on the Riverwalk. Our normal route is to motor west on the main branch of the river then go north to Goose Island, turn around and go south to just north of ChinaTown, then turn around and go back up to the main branch. From there we head out east and go to the locks, turn around and head back to the dock at Marina City. A perfect two hour cruise. This time we turned around before getting within sight of ChinaTown, and then never made it east of Marina City to get to the locks area. Very disappointing. And going against the current was sooo slow. I called shortly after leaving the dock to ask them if we should switch boats and was told this "new" behavior was normal. Hmm. We did get together with another Duffy out at the same time and they were much faster than us. Not sure about renting again from Chicago Boat Company given the performance of this boat and the cavalier attitude from the staff. Are there alternatives? read more

Chicago Boat Company - My wife getting ready to call CBC about our "slow" boat. - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So much fun! Boat was easy to drive. I don't know how heated it was-- we all kept coats and gloves/hats on, but we were protected from the wind and comfortable. Would definitely do it again! read more

Great company and great boat! It was worth the money and they were all so friendly and helpful. read more

Chicago Boat Company - Boating Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

great staff. great boat. Rented the BOR for my wife's birthday. We had a blast. I recommend using them, you'll have a great time.

Boat rental was easy and hassle free People were nice and informative. We had a good time cruising up and down the Chicago River. read more

Amanda and Avril were amazing! My group had a great time on our boat ride. I recommend the 120 public ghost tour!

Great time! Conner was amazing he did a great job setting us up and even lent us his portable charger so we could play music! Very happy with the service and experience read more

We had a wonderful time cruising the river at night just before Christmas. The staff was wonderful, particularly Conner, who helped us with the boat. read more

Reserved an 8 person electric Donut Boat for my birthday lunch cruise on a Saturday in October. It was a crisp, sunny day perfect for a beautiful 2 hour ride down the Chicago River! We brought slider sandwiches, a charcuterie board and drinks while enjoying a relaxing cruise with the beautiful Fall colors. Lou started the cruise with a friendly, informative and thorough session on navigating and safety. We did purchase the cancellation policy just in case the weather was too cold or rainy for a boat ride in October. My whole family thought it was a great way to start out a day in the city celebrating! read more