We did the Seadog River & Lake Architectural Tour and it was an absolute blast and super interesting tour! We signed up for the 75 minute cruise and our guide informed us it could be closer to 2 hours due to the traffic between the lake and river and it was but we enjoyed every minute! Our guide Yesica was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. We started out with a 10 minute speed cruise with music! It was super interesting learning about the history of the city and fun facts about the buildings and river. read more

For 30 minutes whirling around the bay, the view of the city is nice and the weather is perfect in early/mid October- just make sure to bring a windbreaker and you'll be set. Watch out for caps, sunglasses, and your phone if you're taking one of the faster boat rides as the wind element can definitely whip it out of your hand. Suitable for all ages, young children and elderly will likely enjoy this ride, the turns are wide so there's relatively little G force to worry about. Recommended if you're looking for a relatively affordable attraction on the waterside! Otherwise, you'll get about the same entertainment on the shore minus the lackluster commentary of the staff (designed to humor more the kids). read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was terrified of boats, so I was very scared to try the Sea Dog Speed Boat. Instantly, I was greeted with a friendly smile from Avery! She was so sweet and gave us a ton of facts! When she was talking, she was smiling and dancing to the music! 10/10, I will have to go again!!! read more

This was incredibly fun AND educational! Jaime was great reminder to bring cash for tips! read more

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Decided to be a tourist in my own city and enjoy one of the last warm days of summer. One cool thing about Seadog cruises is that if you look at some of the specific offerings, you can bring your dog! Which of course, I totally did. There are multiple ways to get to navy pier, so choose your own adventure. Just be mindful that if you choose to park, there are other garages near for an extra 10 minute walk for a third of the price. Or consider public transit. Pay your own expense parking at navy pier itself. Scheduling online is a breeze and if you're able to go on a weekday, the tickets tend to be a bit cheaper. However, I definitely feel I got my bang for my buck with the experience. Jake was our guide and had all the best of the cheesiest jokes while educating us about Chicago history and its architecture. When the boat locks are up, they will do some spins on the water so you get different views. It's awesome! We luckily didn't have a super crowded trip so seating wasn't an issue. I will definitely consider going back again to see what info I retained/what info Jake changed. read more

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I had an amazing experience! I can't wait to try the extreme ride where they do 360° donuts. They take you out on the lake to explore both the north and south sides of Chicago, providing a great history of all the buildings. This is a fantastic family experience, especially on a warm day, as you might get a little wet. However, the front of the boat is the driest, while those at the rear can expect to get soaked! it's a good price for family, fun entertainment, the duration is about 30 minutes and it goes by quick so try to enjoy it and take lots of pictures read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Bought a Groupon for a tour on the lake and the river. They give you some facts about the buildings and the water that goes thru the river. After the tour you get tired. read more

We took the 75 minute architectural tour. This is great! Joshua our tour guide had a ton of information and provided great spots around Chicago for people to explore. If you are at Navy Pier this is definitely worth the time and money. read more

Great team and an amazing boat ride cannot complain one bit. The architecture tour is definitely worth the money.

Prepare to get wet, most fun archechure tour of Chicago River. I was most impressed by how massive the draw bridges are. This is a guided tour with a knowledgeable guide. This is a large speedboat ride , not a big boat tour. read more

I loved the Extreme Thrill ride so much. We got wet a good amount and the wind in my hair waso refreshing. I kept thinking about how alive I felt! I would definitely go on this again and it was my favorite part of my day in Chicago. Thank you to our tour guide, Romeo, and the rest of the team!! I'd listen to Romeo though when he says to play music in spanish because that's the only thing missing from making this even better than it already is. I would drive two hours any day to come to a reggaeton boat ride with Romeo as our guide of course. read more

This was my highlight on this Chicago trip! We took the 30 minute trip. The extreme ride was sold out. Encountered one of the most beautiful sunsets! The captain was a woman and was highlighted. Our guide was fun and does know the area and featured the functioning pretty lighthouse! Highly recommended!!! read more

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Chicago and river cruises go synonymously hand in hand. If you're visiting here for the first time you HAVE to experience one of their river cruises. Our excursion was with Seadon Cruises and they were so friendly. Your tickets can come with a drink at the nearby restaurant bar that they have a partnership with. After we checked in we walked down the boardwalk a few minutes away to pick up our drink orders to sip on the cruise. The Seadog Cruises are located centraly in the middle of Navy Pier right where their ferris wheel is located called the Centennial Wheel. Our cruise was at 11am so the ferris wheel hadn't opened up yet along with many of the other businesses on the boardwalk. Since this cruise is centrally located by the shops too I was able to quickly run into their souvenir store to purchase a bright neon yellow cowboy hat for the 90 minute cruise to protect my face. I am so glad I did because otherwise your face is blasted with sun for 90 minutes. My neck and shoulder got slightly sunburned so I am so happy I equipped myself with the hat. Then after our cruise was over I offered it to another nice family waiting to board the next cruise so they could also enjoy the trip without being blasted with the sun. A fun fact we learned was that when entering the river from the lake there is a waiting period where once you get cleared to enter they section you off before they let you in to "raise the water" to the river level since the level of the river and lake aren't the same the way they have them engineered to stand. It was fun getting to learn the intricate details and history of the city and its building that tower over you as you drift on through. read more

Could've been great until the boat driver decided a head on view of the fireworks was a good idea. How can you possibly have a good view trying to look directly over the head of someone sitting in front of you when the fireworks are at the shoreline level?!?! Keeping the boat at a slight angle so you can look over the shoulder of the person in front of you makes a lot more sense. I'm pissed I wasted $70 for zero view of the fireworks expecting something better than the free view I could've had on shore. Don't waste your money!! Piss poor planning read more

Seadog Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We used our GoCity pass for this and had a great time. We'd recommend did the 30 minute lakefront speedboat tour and we learned a lot, didn't get wet, had great tunes to listen to, and enough speed to let you know you were on the water. Very fun and would recommend. read more

Seadog Cruises - Lake - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Jake was a great guide - very knowledgeable and funny! The ride was smooth and the speed boat ride was awesome! read more

This experience was fun and pretty but did have a few cons. Did a family excursion at Navy Pier. Seadog Ceuises offers speedboat cruises with great night and day views of Chicago. There is an MC who was funny, and they took us to an awesome spot where we could see the Navy Pier fireworks offered all summer on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Pricing not bad. Views unrivaled. I subtracted two stars because the boat was full of spiders. So much so that many of the patrons screamed upon initial arrival on the boat. While small and harmless, spiders was overall not professional and definitely had a yuck factor. A few people took a while to sit, and staff said rather defensively that they had to leave the boat immediately or sit down. Not cool. Once the ride started and water spritz came, the spiders scattered, however, and no one thought twice about them. Overall, would have been the perfect experience without the spiders. I tried this same experience at Baltimore harbor with Seadog, and there were no spiders in site fyi. read more

Seadog Cruises - Seadog City View - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing night watching fireworks on Lake Michigan a must do for family! It was so lively with a front row seat on the water! read more

Seadog Cruises - Lake Michigan firework show - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ok, let's talk about it. Jake, the showman, Skunk the shipwright and the Swaggiest Captain in the Chicago river Captain Swag. This trio made it a great experience on a rainy cloudy day in Chicago. Jake was super knowledgeable about the amazing architecture and historical facts about Chicago. Skunk was very patient even though he had to deal with those who did not want to follow directions. While Captain Swag got us through the tour safely, which is what I asked for. Overall, this was a satisfying and educational experience that I would gladly recommend to those thar love architecture or just want to be on a cool boat tour. read more

Seadog Cruises - The city of Chicago from the seadog boat tour - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Quite honestly it was boring... not fun like when we got on last year! The speed boat was short lived and not any fun maneuvers!!! Parking is also ridiculously priced $15 an hour during the week smh... read more

Geez... I Love this city. Admittedly I did not feel that way 10 minutes before the tour started. I live in Chicago, and I work in the city and I kind of hated Chicago. The taxes, the crime, blah, blah, blah, if you know, you know. But, honestly, after this tour and seeing the buildings from a different perspective, and hearing all of the history... I love my city again. No wonder SO many people get the Chicago flag tattooed on them. This city is so rich in history that its crazy. The city is more than just crime, taxes, corruption, and politics. Me and wife brough my nephew, and my two pugs on the tour. Just something to do to show my nephew around and get my dogs some air. The ride was nice and the information we learned about the city was unmatched. That's all because of JAIME. There were 3 other crew members, but Jaime was the best part of the tour. I can get pictures of the city from anywhere but the inside knowledge that Jamie had was pheromonal. He was the tour guide and had a great personality, the jokes were funny, and he had great crowd presence. He answered questions and he was straight to the point about everything. Thank you, Jaime and the others. We had a great time. read more

Jamie was an amazing captain and Lily and hunter were great hosts as well we had a great time for our first time on the ride and we had a blast we had a thrill !!! (: read more

While in Chicago for a work conference, my friends & I were in the mood to explore a water adventure. Seadog Cruises offered a 30 minute cruise on the hour, which worked out the best for us. At first, I was a little reluctant to spend $30something on a 30 minute cruise - but it was WELL WORTH IT! Tip: If you buy online - it's cheaper. The crew was very personable & fun to be around, the boat felt very safe - complete with safety belts & life vests if wanted, and the view was breathtaking. It was only 50 degrees while we were out on the lake, so we didn't want to get wet - they warned us that we could still get a little wet but the front of the boat was the safest. (Fortunately, we started dry for the most part) The entire vibe of the trip was amazing. Great music, entertainment & company. I would definitely do it again. And for anyone questioning spending $30-something for 30 minutes - it was SO WORTH IT! read more

Seadog Cruises - Jet boats - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you're looking for something enjoyable, but VERY tame, to do then consider Seadog Cruises. Aboard the yellow boat you'll get a neat perspective on Chicago and probably learn something too! We set sail one weekday afternoon and were some of just a few people on the boat. The trip took us out into the lake a few miles on a mini-tour of the Chicago Water Cribs. Our guide was a wealth of knowledge, and funny to boot! It really made for a fun time. In fact, I learned a few new things that I have since shared with others - a great sign of a nice lesson. The trip was quick, maybe just 30 minutes (I think), but worth the time and cost. A pleasant touristy thing to do. I'm glad, as a Chicago native, I went. That said, I may try the more aggressive red boat next time, it's supposed to be a not-so-leisure time! read more

Awesome cruise and water tour of the 1st Aquarium, the lighthouse, etc. our tour guide was awesome, had the jokes and history of Chicago down. I believe he mentioned that he is a teacher. Definitely had the group laughing and having a good time. read more

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We had Jake as our tour guide and my boys have done nothing but repeat all the jokes they heard on board. From the bud light joke to the "look at you, stare at you" public safety announcement. Jake was absolutely entertaining and I credit him as to my boys having fun. The bonus for the adults was not having complaining children so we could appreciate and listen to the amazing culture and history your beautiful city has to offer. Absolutely recommend taking a guided tour with Jake on the mic. read more

Our tour guide on the 75 minute river cruise was Jake the Showman. He was funny, knowledgeable and friendly. He did a great job!

Jake, Captain Coo was absolutely incredible! Such creativity and knowledge of Chicago!

I dis this for my birthday and absolutely loved this adventure ride!! The booking is easy you can either book online or at the Navy Pier booth but I highly recommend booking in advance. You do get wet on this ride, not soaking wet but where u sit will determine your dreanchness level (I know thats not a word lol). I sat on the inner part of the boat and didn't get extremely soaked. The boat does offer ponchos for sell and I recommend wearing a light fabric that will easily dry after. The host of our ride was great! He was funny and really made the crowd have a good time. I won't spoil the ride but it is worth the money. I am already planning a day at the pier next summer for my entire family to go and experience the Seadog adventure! Highly recommended! read more

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We did the lake and architectural tour. It was an absolutely incredible experience! Our tour guide Yessica is so hilarious and very knowledgeable about the city's architectural history. Worth every penny and minute spend on the boat. You get an incredible view of the city's architecture and the captain drives the boat very smoothly and at a perfect speed. read more

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Well, I went on this boat cruise and it was enjoyable up until the point where the guy on the microphone giving the tour stopped in front of Trump Tower and started grabbing his nut sack and saying f*** you Trump pay your taxes and every other type of thing that was totally inappropriate for a boat cruise. I don't care if you like or don't like Trump, but when you pay for a boat cruise like that you shouldn't have to listen to some clown expressing himself on the boat microphone. Especially unemployee. So I hope that clown, whoever he was is dealt with. This happened on July 14th, on Chicago Riverwalk. I would not recommend this boat cruise there are several dozen other cruises you can go on and not have to listen to a clown articulate his hatred towards someone. Good day. read more

I was in Chicago for a girl's trip, and we decided to take this leisurely cruise. Seadog Cruises has a 30 minute cruise which begins every hour. The crew was fun to be around, and the view was amazing. It was a warm day on the lake so that was another plus. read more

Jake nice :) and it was fast I would go again and Jake told us about Chicago As a newbie it really helped.

We booked a combo architectural tour and speedboat ride for 3:15 pm on a Sunday. The weather was in the low 80s and sunny, some breeze, hence lots of boats out. We did the speedboat ride first which was fun. The tour itself was fine. Now the bad...which I feel responsible for letting others know. When you book a 3:15 tour advertised 75 mins long, you'd expect to be able to make a 6:15 pm dinner rsvp just a short Uber ride away with plenty of time. The guide warned us only after we got into the boat that we would be late and to basically cancel any dinner plans. I thought he was kidding. He was not. The buzz kill is that you have to wait for the harbor lock gates to open, which we waited about an hour for EACH WAY. Meantime, you are sitting on a stagnant boat, no breeze, just beating sun. There was an attendant who handed us ONE tiny 8 oz bottle of water only after we moved to the back of the boat for the little patch of shade because my 8-year-old was about to pass out. There's nothing for purchase on the boat. I had water in my insulated water bottle luckily but was a bit miserable with the wait, more so bc of my kids. We got off the boat about 5:45pm. I have done the architectural tour with Wendella boat tour (w/o the speedboat ride) but years ago. It's inside the river already and there's no need to wait for the harbor lock gates to go in and out of the lake (which was required for the speedboat ride. Just be prepared for the wait and the tour is much, much longer than 75 minutes and not that comfortable. read more

Great and fun ride and as a bonus you get an amazing view of the city. Not to mention the amazing tour guide, Mateo, who made it all the more fun and informative. And of course, to Captain Swag and the rest of the crew, thank you! read more

Seadog Cruises - Mateo, the tour guide paying for the picture - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The guide was great but they should post their phone number as it rained heavily the day I was scheduled to to take the tour and there was no way to get in touch with them. The capital left early the day prior, ahead of the scheduled time so had to rebook. read more

RUFF RUFF!! The signature call of these fun, entertaining boat rides is the best. We've gone on trips with them probably five or so times and each trip has been wonderful. You can choose to do a quick speed boat adventure to soak in the Chicago skyline or can take one of their architectural tours from the water. The "River and Lake Architecture Tour" is my absolute favorite. I've done it three times, first for myself and then with friends visiting the city. You learn sooo many interesting facts about the city, boat right next to Chicago's biggest buildings, and see almost the entire city in such a creative way. This is the one thing I'd recommend doing if visiting the city for the first time!!! read more

Beware shady pricing practices. Despite being told by the tour operator that online prices are the same as ticket booth prices, I was charged $59 per ticket for the same cruise on Saturday that were $44 each online an hour earlier. For 4 tickets and associated fees that were for some reason also higher, buying at the boat cost me $70 more than if I had bought the same tickets online an hour before. This is the company's explanation to me by email: "This can occur due to dynamic pricing as the demand for a cruise increase or the cruise time draws closer the price can increase. This can, on occasion, cause in person prices to be increased from what may have been advertised earlier online." Fun experience but will not return or recommend given these deceptive and price gouging practices. read more

Jake was very funny and made the trip good. It's a 30 minute fast ride but really nice. Loved the music they played read more

Seadog Cruises - Water boat - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Enjoyed the trip...Especially our tour guide Jake...he made it worth wild. Highly recommend.