I was treated to a Father's Day brunch on the Odyssey Lake Michigan cruise. The weather was grey and rainy, but it didn't hamper the day at all. The enclosed decks were comfortable, and the outside decks covered so you could take in the view. There was a very good selection of breakfast and lunch choices and the food was delicious. I was particularly impressed with the service. Overall, a wonderful job. I would recommend it for brunch or dinner. read more

I had very inconvenient bad experiences. I booked the dinner cruise for my fiance's birthday almost 2months earlier. My booking was cancelled on his birthday morning due to unforeseen circumstances. I was so upset. I booked my ticked with Headouts which is third party booking service. When I call Headouts they didn't even know the cruise was cancelled. So the agend said that I need to wait 2-4 hours which i couldn't because it was my fiance's birthday. So I booked different one and ended up paying 70 more dollars. Because they cancelled my booking they gave me 10%. I asked to use it for my current booking they said no. I spent almost 1 hour over the phone to figure this out. Very frustrating. Then we went for Odyssey dinner cruise. When we get there, they were not able to scan my ticket and let us go back to the ticket booth to get printed ticket. Dinner was fine. Server was not really good. I asked her to fill my water twice because dessert was too tich and sweet. She never did. read more

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I was invited to a birthday celebration on the Oddessy and had a lovely time! My friend's daughter hosted her mother's birthday dinner on The Oddessy dinner cruise. Seven of us were treated to dinner, dessert and dancing. Parking: I find parking expensive at Navy Pier. If taking public transporation, CTA Bus #66East will take one directly to Navy Pier. We boarded 1 hour prior to departure time. When boarding The Oddessey, the staff welcomes you and takes your picture. Walking onboard, staff is friendly and welcoming. The holiday decor was festive and beautiful! Lighting and decor in dining room were exquisite. Dinner included a set menu where diners selected soup or salad, choice of protein. Dessert was an assortment of different cakes and sweets. The birthday girl received a beautiful dessert tray. After dinner and dessert, guests were escorted to upper deck for a fabulous fireworks show which was amazing. Exiting the boat, guests were treated to chocolate chip cookies. Dinner cruise was a memorable experience. Thanks for a fabulous dinner cruise along Lake Michigan! read more

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Went here on a bunch cruise which was a fantastic experience despite the weather being a bit cloudy. The boat was gorgeous, with lots of little elements to make the experience classy and elegant. There was plenty of room to walk around both in the dining room and outside for pictures and to enjoy the weather. The service was top notch. Our server Enrique did a great job of checking up on us regularly and helped us with taking photos through the whole experience. He accomplished this with a great deal of enthusiasm and smiles throughout the entire trip. The food was overall fresh and delicious. The shrimps in the appetizer were a good size and there was plenty of sauce to go with it. The watermelon and feta salad, and granola parfait starters were presented nicely and had a good fresh flavor to them. The buttermilk-brined chicken breast was very tender with a good amount of flavor and slightly crisp edges. The mustard glazed marble potatoes were quite unique and enjoyable in flavor. The brioche french toast was quite fluffy with a good amount of nutella cream filling. The mix of marscapone whipped cream and syrup was not overly sweet and matched well with the french toast. The basque cheesecake and tres leches were also done well, with a good smooth flavor and once again, was not excessively sweet -- with nice pieces of fresh fruit to help with presentation and a little variety of flavor. Overall, this is a nice escape to enjoy the cruising experience locally when I can't take a long ocean cruise -- with great food, service, and views. Highly recommended for people to take a trip during the warm months in Chicago. read more

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Beautiful yacht Beautiful views Decent food Very nice people working there DJ was good It was an enjoyable evening read more

Odyssey Lake Michigan - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had a great time with my wife celebrating our first anniversary! Great hospitality! Smooth boat ride, though amazing weather definitely helped. Great variety of food for the brunch buffet! Only reason for 4 star versus a 5 star is because the old woman who was licking her fingers and picking up food. read more

Odyssey Lake Michigan - It's a boat - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My family hosted our reunion's banquet on The Odyssey. I wish I could say the experience was as amazing as we planned for it to be, but I simply cannot. During our planning process, we were in communication with Colton. Upon finalizing our reservation, we had to send in a list of every person in our party. We were then given the option to pick up our tickets when we dropped off the final check, or have a rep check people in as they arrived. We chose for a rep to check everyone in as we didn't have the man power to do it ourselves and wanted to ensure everyone that reserved a spot was able to board the ship. Upon arrival, I was informed that an envelope containing the tickets had been given to a member of our party whose name was not on the contract. There was no rep checking us in. They simply and carelessly just handed over all $11,000 worth of tickets to the first person that said they were with our party. Like what?!?!!! We board the ship and were informed that due to technical issues, the ship wouldn't take sail! They mentioned that it due to power issues and referred to the lights flickering. (I'm just they just hit the light switch) Nothing else was affected by this so called power issue. The music, air, and lights worked fine. So now we have to explain to 120 people, half of which are from out of town that we won't be setting sail. The crew was so cowardly that they wouldn't even make the announcement themselves. In a sad attempt to make up for the boat being docked, they gave us an open bar, after already collecting hundreds of dollars from us at the bar for the better part of an hour. The bartender, Tra' was not only rude, but demanded that we tip them. How tacky?! Their tip jar was literally overflowing from us. Just as soon as the bar opened, it closed with no warning or announcement from the crew. At this point, I'm realizing, we got scammed. Smh. It was days later when my 5yr old said, "Mom, remember when we got on the boat that didn't set sail? That was really sad and disappointing." As a part of the planning committee, I am utterly embarrassed, disappointed, and downright upset with City Cruises by Hornblower. 0/10 would not recommend. read more

I'm conflicted in writing this review because I had mixed experiences. This dinner cruise is normally $111 but because of Groupon ($66) add $36 taxes and fees it was $102. The menu is limited and included in your ticket you get a 3 course meal and beverage that has limited options. Alcohol is an additional cost. The roasted red pepper bisque was really good the flat iron steak could use improvements. The Spanish "Basque" style cheesecake was delish. I was apart of a party of 18 seated at separate tables and they gave us a waitress who started working there the day before. She did her best but did not receive support until about an hour into the cruise. The machine she used to take our orders broke down so we did not get our drinks or food until 75minutes after the cruise started. Additionally they questioned whether we received dessert asking if we''re sure we didn't get it. Twelve people at a table saying the same thing and you question our honesty??? Knowing you can plainly see there are no dessert plates at the table and you just picked up our entree plates 10 minutes ago. Okay! The room was dimly lit, there was a dance floor and the dj isn't a dj, they are just someone who plays music because the way she hopped all over the charts was quite interesting. I'm giving it 4 stars because having a 2.5hr cruise on Lake Michigan and seeing scenic views of the city was amazing. I'm giving grace to the server because she was new but she was sincere about her service and apologetic. The assistant manager or manager stood by the dj booth with his laptop and offered no assistance to help serve. If you're parking at navy pier park as close as possible in the garage near the fun house and you'll be right there. If you go on the cruise pack patience and flat shoes ladies. Be sure to take photos. The boat takes you from Navy Pier to Shedd aquarium and back. read more

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We booked for a family reunion cruise and brunch. What should have been a great time was ruined. The boat stayed docked the entire time claiming mechanical issues. At $90 a person (around 100+) they thought they could make it right by complimenting the bar. The bartender was rude and the drinks were already watered down before they were free, which they then turned to basically juice. The food also left a lot to be desired. And to top it off they did not refund any of the money. We could have had brunch at a five star restaurant for what we paid for this non cruise. Don't waste your time. Plenty of other cruise ships in Chicago read more

Not crazy about it. The boat itself was gorgeous and the cruise provided spectacular views of the city. The best views are from the observation deck which is not covered/heated. Given that I went in November, it was freezing up on the observation deck. The food was good. Menu was small. There was a small wedding going on during our cruise. I don't know how they did that... like they were legit sitting in the same dining room with us. Kinda awk. read more

Odyssey Lake Michigan - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Really enjoyed the experience for lunch! Good staff! Timely departure and arrival! Food was fabulous! DJ was so good! She went around and asked each table if they were celebrating an occasion. How personable! read more

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A group of six went on the Sunday Brunch Cruise. I recommend paying the high rate to park in the Navy Pier Parking Garage because you will literally be right next to the cruise boarding location. The cruise was scheduled to board at 12:15, but they were about 10 minutes late. If the weather was nice, that would have been okay. But it was really hot outside and it wasn't any fun waiting. Getting on the ship was challenging because we had to walk up a ramp that was very steep. I can't imagine that it was ADA compliant. Our table was extremely close to the table behind us and the seats were too close for comfort. Thankfully, no one sat at the table on the other side of us, and we were able to push our table back some. The food was absolutely amazing! Hence the rating of 4. I couldn't have asked for more in terms of quality and taste...so bravo!! It was a buffet, and as some of the items ran out, it took too long for them to be replenished. The cruise was on Lake Michigan, so after we saw the skyline of the city, there wasn't much more to look at. That was disappointing. In my opinion, the cruise was way too long. I was almost done eating by the time we left the dock and you can only look at the skyline for so long. An hour into the cruise, we were ready to get off. With that said, I'd be interested in trying the architectural cruise in hopes of better views. read more

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The food was great the sites were nice and the service was very active. I have been on a few cruises and I don't think I have ever had food this good. I had the steak and it was on top of potatoes au gratin with a nice mushroom brown sauce. It was cooked a good medium rare and tasted amazing. Completely unexpected. read more

I came here with my parents about a year later, still an amazing time, but I was less impressed with the food. They switched the vegan/vegetarian ravioli to a butternut squash situation, which was good but not nearly as good. They also removed the sorbet, so the only dessert option for vegans was fruit. It seems like they cut corners on the vegan/vegetarians option which is disappointing for the cost of the experience. read more

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Service was great; we had Angel and he was a delight. The manager came around to check on all the tables, so they clearly cared about the experience. The views of the city are gorgeous. The food was pretty good. The only thing I didn't love is that we are our appetizers and starter courses before we even undocked. It would have been nice to dine during (not before) the experience. read more

Our company offsite took us on a dinner cruise aboard the Odyssey Lake Michigan, departing from the Navy Pier on (surprise surprise) Lake Michigan. Not being a fan of river cruises generally, I was pleasantly surprised. The triple-deck yacht was surprisingly roomy (capacity is 749 guests) although it did get a bit crowded on the top deck. The music (DJ) on the lower deck was good, the live musician on the top deck was great. The food was delicious! I missed the hors d'oeuvres because I popped up to the top for the view except for a single mini Beef Wellington which was super tasty. And as a special treat, we were there on one of the evenings with fireworks, which was quite spectacular on the harbor! Not sure what the cruise would have been like as a smaller group or date, but as a large group outing it was very nice. read more

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Today was our second time for dinner cruise with odyssey. Staffs are friendly, offer prompt service and quite kids friendly. They gave my kids special treat of vanilla icecream when desert was coming out, and took their song request and played it at the end, we felt welcomed. I have to mention this-the food has gotten better than last time! It was not bad last time, we had buffet style dinner, but this time food was picked and served to our table. We had Caesar salad, chicken breast-very most and flavorful, and desert-that was buffet style. Strawberries were all ripe and good, no soggy gross ones, and sweets were quite nice. My kids love this special experience. I totally recommend! read more

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Okay, the ride was pretty nice, and the boat is big and nice. We were a party of six and made dinner reservations at the Odyssey. The boat would go around and around Chicago and had a fantastic view and we really enjoyed it. BUT, man, the food was just terrible and really low class. Really disappointing. Don't believe that video ad where the guy says that the food is "amazing". Is amazingly bad. The food is also barely warm when they serve it to you. The menu and ingredients are all low quality. Even the desert. Also we had a really bad experience with dinner. Our kid is allergic to dairy, meaning anything that contains milk, whey, butter. We specifically spoke with the servers and we asked these really nice folks to speak with the Chef directly. They did and the Chef told us which foods had dairy so we simply avoided those and ordered the stuff the Chef recommended. Well guess what baby, the food they served us did have dairy and our kid got really sick. Dudes, flying all the way to Chicago for our family vacation and to go to Odyssey to get sick is just not cool. The Chef came to the table and apologized and said that he didn't know why our kid got an allergy reaction so we told them that whatever they are using does contain something with milk ingredients. He said no, but they are clearly using something with milk. Simple as that. Looks like we know more than the Chef himself as to what dairy is. They better get their act together and separate and know exactly what they are feeding to people because if I end up going back here and the same thing happens I will personally call my lawyer and sue them. The chef is responsible for knowing every single ingredient used in their food. Not knowing why a kid is getting an allergic reaction to dairy is not acceptable. From what we were told, this boat ride was very expensive and "high end" but that was certainly not the case. My recommendation is simply save your money, just get on a much less expensive boat, enjoy the ride and beautiful Chicago scenery, and then go eat somewhere else where they serve really delicious food worth the money. Trust me the food in this boat is really low class, we were really surprised how bad it was and it was really disappointed. read more

Located at Navy Pier, this large ship has many levels of entertaining with dining rooms, bars, and music with djs on each level and a top level with lots of places to sit and take advantage of the good weather and gorgeous lake and city landscapes. The spacious dining room had an abundance of windows to take advantage of the fantastic views. There's options to do a standard dinner or lunch but I prefer buffet style. The light were dimmed and the dance floor with dj was filled dancers and popular songs like charlie brown. There was a cash bar but with special deals, it can be unlimited drinks. Its great for a girls night out, anniversaries, birthdays, or a romantic evening. I feel safe on larger boats so I don't get sea sick. The food, music, and views were fantastic. I would do it again if there were more affordable sales. It would be nice if the staff knew how to handle red wine stains and would have time to help guests with photos. Did I mention on board ship photographer made me look thin in the printed photos they sell? I need to hire him full time. read more

The staff and experience was nice. The Dj played a nice variety of music but he just didn't set it off the mood good enough to get people up and dancing. The food was tasty. read more

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We went here for a birthday dinner for a friend. The view of the cityline was totally spectacular at night. I had been to lake cruise many times but not like this for a night cruise. Awesome view. Food was just like in the restaurant. They served us a salad for a starter, then a salmon steak for the main course, then a slice of mousse cake. Everything was pre-prepared. They had a nice dance floor with a dj. Everybody can dance while they enjoy the music and ambiance which is very awesome. The whole cruise was about two hours. read more

Odyssey Lake Michigan - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We did not have crazy high expectations for the food, as we've been on similar trips and were disappointed. The new chef (Danielle?) far exceeded what we anticipated. She took a simple iron steak with potatoes and turned it into such a savory, phenomenal dish. The meat was just tender enough and the potatoes were a yummy surprise, all with a perfect brown gravy. We highly recommend doing this if you can plan it. The ambience was sweet, you get a perfect alone, and an amazing meal. read more

We took a cruise to celebrate my birthday. It was AWESOME!!! I had never been on a fancy lunch cruise like this before so I didnt know what to expect. We were treated like royalty! The boat was not full so everyone on board was lucky enough to have a window seat. It was a beautiful sunny day (because it was my birthday of course). Our waitress Jaime was super nice. She knew it was my birthday so she added candles to my birthday dessert dish (chocolate cake). The cruise lunch came with a three course meal. We ordered the lobster bisque, seafood cannelloni, chocolate cake, duck pastry dish, herb chicken, and peach and blueberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Everything tasted delicious!!! Even the complimentary bread (I had three of them before my meal!) was served hot tasted great! There was a band on the cruise so they played live music while we ate and cruised. They also announced birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions if you were on the cruise for any of those reasons. There are three decks which you were allowed to visit during the cruise. The top deck was my favorite. The seating there was comfortable, you can really enjoy the Chicago skyline, and it was nice and sunny up there. What a great way to celebrate a birthday!!! read more

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Food: 2 Decor: 4 Service: 4 I came here with about 80 other coworkers for an evening dinner party, from 7-10pm on a Tuesday night. Pros: -free glass of champagne with Yelp check-in! :) -nice view of city -heating was good -manager was very helpful -attentive wait staff -optional photo at boarding Cons: -horrible DJ on lower level -no DJ/music on upper level -only 2 bartenders resulted in long waits (10+ min) at the bar Our food: buffalo chicken strips, pasta, nachos, and meatballs http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/XoQjz0JdZ7UjDkU8_Mj1aA?userid=2fN8mN7uUjOw-QqtcgYqXQ#NAeBiRQBzm9JWSb4KVlxFw read more

Odyssey Lake Michigan - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went on a lunch cruise with my friend while visiting Chicago. We departed around 2pm (2 hours). Once on board, we got to go on top of the boat to take pictures, then once we headed back inside, we were seated right away and our waitress went over the pre-fixed menu with us. For my appetizer (you can choose from two options), I decided to go with the lobster bisque, which was very good and creamy. For my main dish, I went for the braised short ribs vs. the salmon. Beef was very tender, but the sauce/gravy was very basic and ordinary for me. Veggies and mashed potatoes was pretty good. For dessert, I parted with the butter pound cake with vanilla ice cream vs. the chocolate cake. Pound cake was delicious, buttery, and moist. I was so full, I could not finish it. After lunch, there was dancing and a dj. Staff here were very nice, friendly and welcoming. I have no complaints at all. We got back to the dock right at 4pm. read more

The best Mac N Cheese I've ever tasted. Periodt. I love having a wonderful view of Chicago, but I do get a little nauseous while on a boat for a while. Boat ride is not for everyone, but is a great experience for all to have! read more

We took the Odyssey II Cruise on Sweetness Day 2009. The $95/person charge includes: - A 3-hour cruise around Lake Michigan - A full dinner - Live music and dancing - 4 levels to explore (plus the top observation deck!) - Tour the Captain's Bridge--he welcomes visitors! - Fireworks show in the harbor--the Captain backs the ship's stern to the fireworks barge, so you're really close! The dinner includes a starter, soup/salad, entree, dessert bar, and beverages (non-alcoholic). A Belevedere Vodka Martini only costs $6, so the drinks are reasonable. I had the Argentinian Scallops for the starter, and the North Atlantic Salmon for the entree. Both portions were very large: the scallops were the size of golf balls and the salmon was as big as my hand. The dessert bar includes a chocolate fountain. I'm not a chocolate fan, but I gotta say, I was dipping everything in that fountain! Cheese, bread, my thumb, and pickles--it's all good. I'd give a perfect 5 stars, but my friends said their steaks were not cooked properly and lacked taste. I tried a bite--yep! A little bland and over-cooked. Still, I scolded my friends. After all, you're on ship--eat seafood! Have fun and bring your camera! read more

Odyssey Lake Michigan - Fireworks Show from Odyssey II - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This was my very first lunch cruise and it was an amazing experience. The DJ was alright, everybody knows the best way to get the party started is with the wobble! Lol I would definitely come back again though. The food was really good in my opinion. read more

Odyssey Lake Michigan - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Beautiful experience overall. Really enjoyed the view and the service for the lunch cruise. The food was great--had lobster bisque and the salmon. Also had a delicious chocolate mousse dessert. The freshly baked rolls were delicious as well. Honestly, I have been on other cruises and this was by far one of the best! The bathrooms were nice too lol. And it was big and modern. They had good music and a DJ. Definitely worth the price! A nice cruise to go on with family, friends, or partner! read more

Odyssey Lake Michigan - That view! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was very skeptical about the meal cruise because of the high prices and all the hype I heard people rave about. However, after I tried it myself the first time, I was quite impressed. Hubby and I booked the Thanksgiving lunch cruise. Although the confirmation said the boarding time was at 1:45pm, assuming because of the cold weather, they allowed us to board early. We were immediately taken care by the servers, Mariya and Samuel. Water, iced tea, and hot tea were part of the lunch cruise package. However, if you want alcohol or other premium drinks, they had a plenty of options. If you want one (1) free premium drink, check in at Yelp. I personally don't drink any alcohol, so I chose not to use this offer. The lunch cruise buffet consisted of typical Thanksgiving meal items, such as creamy corn, turkey, roast beef, ham, meshed potatoes with gravy. They also had Caesar and Gorgonzola fruit salads. They were decent. Everything was quite salty. They could have used a better judgement on pinches of sodium. On the other hand, the dessert was the highlight of the entire meal. They had cannoli, raspberry cheesecakes, chocolate cakes, pumpkin pies, and chocolate fondue that you could dip the fruit with it. The only complaint about the dessert was the ripening of the fruit: they melons were under-ripened. Though the chocolate used for the chocolate fondue was pretty delicious. We received an outstanding service the entire time. The view on the sky deck was spectacular. Even though it was a cold and semi-windy day, the sky was clear, and we could see all the Chicago attractions while cruising on Lake Michigan. In the Amethyst deck (one deck above the dining room), they were playing "Horton hears a hoo" to keep children entertained. They also provided a complimentary coffee station, which was nice (it was sort of funny that if you wanted coffee with your meal, they charged you additional $4 for it). You could also go out and enjoy the view at the Amethyst deck level, it was less windy and easier for snapping a picture without your hair all messed up. The entire cruise lasted for two (2) and half hours. The speed of the cruise was easy breezy, so I didn't feel sick (thank God because I do occasionally get motion sickness). I think I will for sure do this again. Imagine that getting on a cruise will be fantastic during summer time. read more

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TL:DR - Not just about the experience, the food is legitimately above average. This is a great great great place to celebrate birthdays, they really go above and beyond to make you feel special. The extra cost for a window table isn't really worth it. DJ was terrible. Wow, I was honestly not expecting much, but this place really impressed. My partner and I came on for a dinner cruise to celebrate her birthday. It just happened to also fall during restaurant week, and so we saved a good chunk of change there. But from the moment we got on the boat, we were continuously surprised and impressed by their service and attention to detail. When making our reservation, I did indicate it was her birthday, and each staff person knew it. The individual at the ticket booth even said happy birthday. Once we got in the boat, we were impressed by the interior dining room. It resembled a higher end wedding venue, equipped with a light up dance floor and a back lit Odyssey sign. The tables was also set up well. Off the restaurant week menu, my partner and I got the lobster bisque, Caesar salad, short rib, mushroom ravioli, and the dessert bar. When I first reserved the cruise, I was assuming the food would be subpar, and had resigned to the fact that you were really just paying for the experience, not the food. But the food was delicious and rivaled some of the restaurants that don't cruise Lake Michigan. The lobster bisque was super light and delicious. Creamy with a perfect hint of lobster. The Caesar salad was also good, my only gripe is that the romaine came whole vs. chopped up. While it looks nice in terms of presentation, it's much more annoying to eat. I didn't try the ravioli, but my partner said it tasted cooked, but a little hard/chewy (undercooked?). The short rib was the star of the night, however. Super meaty and savory sauce that coated a perfectly cooked short rib. Fall off the bone that included a good amount of fat. The dessert part had a huge variety of desserts. Each being better than expected (I was expecting a continental breakfast quality type dessert), but nothing spectacular. They had carrot cake, lemon tart, salted caramel tart, coconut cream cake, and fruit. The other thing that impressed me, beyond the food, was how much they make birthday people feel special. Once on board, there was a nice captain's hat for the birthday girl and a button that said "Captain's Crew" for their accompanying partner. They also gave each person an personally signed large gold birthday card (signed by the captain) that also invited them + a partner to the cockpit/steering room. They also gave each birthday person an individual 6 in/8 in birthday cake (I'm terrible at guessing size). We were so stuffed from dinner we didn't get a chance to try it, but they did pack it up for us. A couple of other notes, the DJ on board was so bad. I only noticed 1 or 2 transitions, otherwise it felt like we just had an ipod playlist going. In addition, there was no logic behind any of the songs he choose and in what order. He'd play one 80's song, then a slow song, then a pop song, then another slow song. I had no idea what he was trying to do. In addition, his schpeel about thanking people for celebrating their birthdays with the boat, people from in and out of town, and in and out of country was so rehearsed and he said it so many times, that I knew it by heart by the end of the cruise. The DJ was just a bad experience the whole way around. Also, I don't think it's personally worthwhile to pay the extra $100 for a window seat. Many of the tables were within viewing distance of the window. In addition, at night, you don't really see much. And you honestly stop looking out the window so much about 30 min into the cruise. All in all, this was a super surprising trip. It was more than worth it for the restaurant week price, and would totally be worth is for a special birthday. read more

Website is impossible to use. Cannot find the schedule or book. I keep getting redirected to navy pier activities and am never able to book on the odyssey. Thank read more

To memorize! For friendship and those old days! Friends always ask me have you ever taken a boat in Chicago? I can't recall !i said no. When I opened my album,i found those photos! How happy we were in those hard schooling exam days lol. I forget how good the food is. But I still remember how romantic and beautiful view of the cruises. The cruises traveled around the lake near Navy pier! We girls took pictures together on the deck. Just Enjoying the wonderful Chicago winter night! The service is good! Waitress is nice and sweet! People danced inside happily.A boy made a proposal to his girlfriend! Flowers and the ring! Actually! it is a very nice place to do all romantic things and make good memories!Isn't it? read more

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We went on an Odyssey Champagne Dinner Cruise at the end of September and enjoyed a fine dinner with dancing and sight seeing from the deck of the Odyssey on an evening cruise. We were able to take some great photos of Chicago's Lake front from the deck of the ship. The boarding begins at 6:00 pm and the ship departs at 7:00 pm. The cruise has a duration of two and a half hours bringing us back to port at 9:30 pm. The Odyssey is a sleek Renovated ship which has a capacity to accommodate hundreds of passengers. There are 3 climate controlled decks from which to view the Chicago vistas from the lake. There is a rooftop lounge with modern furniture where patrons can sit and relax and enjoy the views. The ship docks at Navy Pier and sails almost every day of the year. read more

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Amazing!! Thank you Jamar! From the hostess to the servers (Well done Dara too) to the water and bus person!! Let alone the guests! The people I sat by were the cutest couple Happily married 30+ years. I am so lucky to have the chance to do this. My server needs massive credit, take a bow Jamar! He made me laugh, I made him laugh and the people sitting next to me made us laugh! He was attentive and went out of his way to ensure I had a wonderful time. What else- Great view of the city if you want to see the lights and the buildings do a dinner cruise. Wonderful food and there are options to upgrade from the set menu. I had a blast and I highly recommend the Odyssey by Entertainment Cruises. read more

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we reserved a city tour ($11k) on for 130 people family reunion brunch cruise. Initially the vessel was changed we were told to accommodate special needs guests in our party with ramp access. what cruise ship doesn't have ramp access??? Tickets to board the vessel for our group were given to a random member of our party without any adherence to the agreed on process, safety, nor security, no ID verification to ensure no unaccounted for persons boarded. Once our party was onboard we were advised that we would not be leaving the dock for the tour due to a mechanical issue. With an attempt to appease with an open bar, the gesture was short lived as the cut it off prior to the end of our allotted time on the ship AND the bar attendant was rude! The boat manager went MIA with no regard for customer experience or service. Needless to say, any attempt to address our experience with a member of management was impossible for several days and when we finally connected, any compensation options were initially nonexistent. We will continue to attempt to work for a reasonable resolution for this terrible experience. BEWARE when booking this river tour!!!!! read more

Steer clear of the Odyssey!!! We brought our out-of-town family on for the Father's Day "premier" brunch cruise and were very, very disappointed by the experience. First off, walking on to the boat is quite surreal (not in a good way) as it feels like the pandemic never happened...let alone still happening. I know that the city of Chicago has eliminated all COVID-era restrictions and capacity limits, but that doesn't mean independent companies can't still be choosing to modify operations to at least suggest a notion of safety and care for their guests. There was absolutely no guidance from the crew about any updated procedures, no semblance of social distancing, and no hand sanitizers in sight. And most shocking of all - the buffet set-up was self-serve. In what world Hornblower (the parent company) is operating is beyond me, but at minimum, I would expect that the food service would be modified to align with the "new normal" we're all adjusting to. Honestly, it was gross. And the food wasn't good. And beyond this, the boat itself was tired and worn-down. The atmosphere is dark, dank, depressing, and outdated. The bathrooms are dirty and broken. The outdoor furniture is worn-out, delipidated, and just overall sad. For the prices that Hornblower charges for these "city experiences," they should be ashamed by the conditions. The profits from one busy cruise alone could probably support an upgrade to the patio furniture! Bottom line, the former owner of the Odyssey (along with several of the other boats operating from Navy Pier) used to offer a positive, fun, and festive experience. Not sure what happened after Hornblower took over, but wow - what a difference. Save yourself the cost and stress, and enjoy a dinner or brunch out at any of Chicago's amazing restaurants - you'll end up saving money and avoid the anxiety created by this out-of-touch operation. read more

We booked a 100+ person reservation for the Cartwright Family Reunion last weekend (7/13/2024). We reserved the date with no issue weeks in advance, and boarded the ship at Navy Pier by the agreed upon time of departure (12pm CST). After about an hour or so, we were advised that the cash bar would now be open for the remainder of our cruise (which was only until 2:30pm CST). Good news right?? - WRONG. We were then told that due to some technical issues, the boat would remain docked and would not set sail at all, hence the open bar. Determined to make the most of it, we continued with our banquet as usual, while still attempting to get more information on what happened. We paid close to $10k to reserve our section of the boat, and were not given any sort of accommodations other than the open bar (well drinks only). We've constantly called and sent emails, and have not had anyone return our call, or offer to refund even part of our reservation (as we never set sail). We had family visiting from all over the country who had never seen our city or skyline before, and the lack of communication from the Odyssey throughout this whole ordeal was sickening. We later found out that other guests with separate reservations on the Odyssey had their entire booking refunded, which makes the Odyssey's lack of accountability with us even more disgusting. The bartender was rude to us, and constantly asked us for tips (disregarding the fact that her tip jar was CONSISTENTLY full). We weren't even able to stay on the boat past our 2:30pm end time, as there was a reservation immediately after ours (??? - we were told the ship couldn't sail?). I understand that some things are beyond the crew's control, however the lack of care, communication, and the utter disregard for us is extreeeeemely unacceptable - it has now been 4 days since our cruise, and we have yet to receive any communications or resolutions from the Odyssey on this matter. The open bar was nice, but respectfully, was not worth the almost $10k we spent for the trip. The food was solid, but that's about the only positive thing I have to say about this ordeal. We will likely never reserve a cruise on the Odyssey again, and wouldn't recommend them to anyone hosting a large gathering. They were overly communicative during the booking process, however on the back end, they've essentially ghosted us at this point. If you have a large group looking to reserve a boat cruise, go with the Anita Dee or another company - the Odyssey is not it. The customer service is BEYOND trash. If I could rate this experience a ZERO, I would. Thanks for reading. read more

Not sure if there is new management or not, but the Odyssey has truly changed. First of all the meal is buffet style although the website says you'll be served. There is no social distancing being observed, not between the tables or while standing in the long line for food. Although you are required to wear masks while not sitting at your table, people are touching the serving utensils and there is maybe 1 or 2 hand sanitizers, in not too convenient locations; e.g., next to the food. It was more crowded than one would think for a pandemic. The best part was our server, Matthew, who was delightful. The food was average but not worth the price. I guess you're paying for the ambiance? Odyssey please do better! We are not out of the woods yet! read more

We came here to celebrate a birthday in the family--and did they make it a special experience! -beautiful converted home in a Savannah neighborhood -several rooms of dining, all very well-appointed and charming--old world furniture and artwork -extremely friendly and attentive service--they made an extra effort to celebrate the birthday and bring out a candlelit dessert -food was fantastic--great sophisticated southern cuisine -delicious biscuits!--best we had in Savannah! -grouper was fresh and well-prepared -also made a killer mint julep! Perfect place for a special occasion or formal evening. read more

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