Decide which part of Chicago you will be in and what you want to see. If you are in a group with small children, you will need to revise your plans and perhaps take a shorter cruise. Determine what price range fits within your budget, how much time you have and what you want to accomplish. There are cruises at Navy Pier and all along Lake Michigan. Evening cruises offer a spectacular view of the night Chicago Skyline. A link to many cruise websites is found in this article. Many of the cruise ships depart from Navy Pier.
Choose your cruise line. The main Chicago Lakefront Cruise lines include: Odyssey which is more of a luxury cruise for adults. Spirit, which is for families and those wishing to dine and dance and is a more casual environment. Mystic Blue which is fun, casual and family-friendly and has a DJ for onboard entertainment. And finally, Seadog, featuring a 2,000 hp higher-speed open-air vessel and sails from April to October.
Call ahead or go on the Internet and reserve your cruise. Always inquire about age limits, environment, boarding schedules, cruise length and restrictions. The cruise line will generally ask for a credit card to reserve your space. If this particular cruise tends to fill quickly, reserve early. Otherwise, reserve as close to the cruise time as possible. This is so you do not lose money if you have to cancel.
Try to take a Chicago Lakefront cruise as part of a travel package. This way your transportation, tickets and general stress is all taken care of for you for a slightly higher cost. Sometimes you can even add other tourist attractions to this.
Drive up for the day and top your night off with a skyline cruise along Chicago's lakefront. Most cruises last from one to three hours.
Test your sense of adventure and try a cruise on a different type of vessel such as a sailboat, Jet boat or you can even hire a private charter.
