Illinois > Chicago > Scenic & Sunset Cruises Experiences

Chicago Gourmet Dinner Cruise

Chicago, IL

From: $219

Item #: CRU-CHI-0027

(10 Reviews)

Experience the Lake Michigan waterfront from the luxurious comfort of the Chicago Gourmet Dinner Cruise. Enjoy fine dining, exceptional entertainment, and dazzling views all rolled into one unforgettable evening!

Marvel at famed Chicago attractions from the rooftop lounge and climate-controlled decks of the elegant Odyssey
Delight in an elegantly plated meal, featuring a sumptuous menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts
Let the sweet sounds of background music serenade you as you wine and dine, then dance to your heart's content to the tunes of Chicago's hottest DJs
Make lifelong memories sharing this Lake Michigan cruise with family, friends or a special someone!

From: $219

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Overview

Marvel at famed Chicago attractions from the rooftop lounge and climate-controlled decks of the elegant Odyssey
Delight in an elegantly plated meal, featuring a sumptuous menu of appetizers, entrees and desserts
Let the sweet sounds of background music serenade you as you wine and dine, then dance to your heart's content to the tunes of Chicago's hottest DJs
Make lifelong memories sharing this Lake Michigan cruise with family, friends or a special someone!

Full Description

Step aboard the Odyssey and experience one of the most exquisite things to do in Chicago: The Gourmet Dinner Cruise. No other evening will compare to floating along Lake Michigan on a luxury yacht, taking in the stunning sights of the Windy City.

With a chic look that's reminiscent of classic ocean liners, the stylish ambiance of the Odyssey is evident as soon as you step foot on the ship. Linen-draped tables, brilliant bar displays, and modern decor set the scene for an evening that won't be forgotten. Explore the boat's various decks or relax on the rooftop lounge as the boat leaves Navy Pier. Take in legendary Chicago attractions as you gracefully traverse the shoreline, admiring the city's spectacular skyscrapers like John Hancock Center and Willis Tower.

The Chicago Gourmet Dinner Cruise offers guests a first-class wining and dining experience that is sure to please every appetite on board. Menu selections are made with seasonal ingredients to ensure only the freshest cuisine is presented. Settle in with a unique tasting trio featuring options that may include (though subject to change) shrimp and watermelon, vegetable salad, or whipped goat cheese.

Then savor every last bite of a mouthwatering entree. Choose from delectable options like:

Crab cakes
Salmon filet
Glazed chicken breast
Beef short rib
Greek zucchini fritters.

And with sorbet, parfaits, salted caramel cake, and Odyssey's signature warm butter cake on the menu, there's plenty of incentive to leave room for dessert.

All evening long, delight in the ship's onboard entertainment as you cruise from Navy Pier and back again. Light music will accompany your boarding and dining, and a cruise host will mingle with guests to help celebrate special occasions. Treat yourself to a favorite cocktail, beer or wine from one of the full-service cash bars, as you're stylishly serenaded. Or embrace the vibrant atmosphere that graces the ship's dance floors, as DJs spin top tunes to get guests enjoying some fancy footwork.

Make some waves and memories with family, friends or that special someone in your life. A remarkable evening full of class, fine cuisine, and brilliant city sights await on the Chicago Gourmet Dinner Cruise.

Location

Navy Pier - Chicago, IL

Availability

When Do I Choose A Date?

If giving as a gift, your recipient can choose a date at their convenience; otherwise, you can choose one after checkout.

Year-Round:
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*Rates do not apply for holidays, Valentine's day weekend and specialty cruises

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Important Details

Essential Information

Coffee, tea and iced tea are complimentary
Additional beverages may be purchased on board: juice, soda, mixed drinks, fine liqueurs, specialty waters, champagne and wine
Rates are inclusive of taxes and fees

Duration

Approximately 2.5 - 3 hours depending on the date booked.

Experience Provider Info

Complete information for your Experience Provider, including contact information, will be included on your booking confirmation email once you or your gift recipient have scheduled the experience. Our Product Management team handpicks top-rated experience providers, removing the guesswork for you and ensuring your peace of mind.

Maximum Participants

The cruise ship can accommodate up to 500 people.

Spectators

Only those on board will be able to enjoy this experience.

Weather Dependent

This experience takes place indoors and will not be affected by weather conditions.

What To Wear

We recommend casually stylish attire such as nice pants or jeans, polos, button-down shirts, and sundresses or skirts. Although allowed, we strongly discourage t-shirts, casual jeans, shorts, and sneakers.

COVID-19 Safety

For this experience, our partners are taking extra measures to prevent any potential spread of COVID-19. In those jurisdictions where it is required, all guests over the age of 18 are required to provide their full name and email address prior to boarding the vessels. Guests who self-report they are experiencing any symptoms indicative of COVID-19 will not be permitted to board our partner's vessel. All guests ages 3 and older are required to wear face coverings at all times while on board our vessels, except while dining, unless exempted by the local health authority. Our partners request that each guest face mask fully cover an individual’s nose and mouth and allow the guest to remain hands-free. They also require that the mask fit snugly against the side of the face, be secured with ties or ear loops, and be made of breathable material. Guests who do not have a face mask will not be permitted to board the vessel. If you have travelled internationally in the last 14 days, the CDC advises that you should stay at home and avoid contact with others. Additionally in those jurisdictions where it is required, guests will undergo temperature screening prior to boarding. Based on guidance from health authorities, anyone displaying a temperature of 100.4 F or above will not be allowed entry; those in their party will not be allowed entry either. For this experience in particular, there will no no live entertainment until further notice. Our partners will be offering plated options for dinner delivered by a server. These Covid-19 safety measures are subject to change.

FAQs

What type of food is served?

Each guest will be presented a menu to order from and each order will be prepared fresh in the full-service galley.

Plated Dinner Menu
*subject to change
Tasting Trio: Roasted Summer Vegetable Salad, Rock Shrimp Spheres and Whipped Goat Cheese
Entree: Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, Oven Baked Atlantic Salmon Filet, Maple & Mustard Glazed Chicken Breast, Braised Beef Short Rib, Greek Zucchini Fritters
Desserts: Duo of Sorbet, Granny Smith Apple Parfait, Salted Caramel Cake, Odyssey Signature Warm Butter Cake

What is the cruise route?

Weather permitting, Odyssey cruises south along the lake shore, past the Adler Planetarium, north to Montrose harbor, then returns south to Navy Pier. All the while, Odyssey offers unmatched views of the world-famous skyline, from the Sears Tower, the John Hancock, to the Museum campus, Aon Center and more.

How far offshore does the ship travel?

The ship is licensed to travel as far as 3 miles offshore, however, the cruise route typically remains only 1 mile off shore. This way guests can enjoy views of Chicago!

What is the dress attire?

Is the vessel wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The ship can accommodate wheelchairs for boarding and provides a handicap-accessible restroom. Please notify us of any special-assistance members in your party prior to the cruise so we can provide the appropriate assistance upon arrival.

Are there restrooms on board?

Yes, restrooms are located in every enclosed dining room on the ship.

Returns, Exchanges & Cancellations

Returns
Experience Vouchers that have not been redeemed can be returned hassle-free within 30 days. All refunds will be made to the original purchaser.
Exchanges
Experience Vouchers that have not been redeemed can be exchanged for anything else in our marketplace at any time. If you choose to exchange for an experience that costs more, you'll simply have to pay the difference. If you choose to exchange for an experience that costs less, you'll have a credit towards your next booking with Virgin Experience Gifts.

Cancellation Policy

Once you have scheduled a date and have received a booking confirmation, all bookings are final and no rescheduling or cancellations will be allowed.

Other Chicago Experiences

Customer Reviews

This experience has a customer rating of 3.5
based on 10 reviews.

View More Reviews:

Nate S. This was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. We initially set up our experience for 08-06-21, but had to change it to 08-20-21. I spoke to a representative to do the changes for us and we’re told we were all set. We were told that the cruise started at 8 o’clock and we needed to be there by 7 and that they would stop loading at 7:30. I printed out the instructions which was about four pages and was told that we needed them in order to get on the boat. As we sat near the entrance we noticed that people were getting on the boat at 6 o’clock. We wondered why they were getting on so soon since the boat wasn’t leaving until 8 o’clock. At around 630 we decided to go ahead and get on the boat. We got in line but when we got to the boat they told us we had to get boarding passes to get on and that the cruise started at 7:00 and not 8:00. I had spoken to folks at least three times regarding the dress code and what time we need to be there and so forth, and I was never told once that we needed to get a boarding pass. All I was told was to bring the confirmation print out. We got in the other line to get the boarding pass. Went back and was allowed on the boat. Once on the boat they said they couldn’t find our reservation and was told to get off the boat and go back to the ticket booth to see if they could figure out if we could get on the boat. After several minutes and with only about three minutes left before they stopped loading folks on the boat we got different boarding passes and we’re finally allowed on the boat. We were told that we had to wait at the bar for the manager to seat us. We had to stand there looking like idiots for 20 minutes while everybody else was being served and enjoying the meal before we got a table. The salad we had had more cheese than lettuce and it was very wilted. At this point we were so disgusted we didn’t even enjoy the cruise. This was supposed to be a cruise but I think it only went out about a 100 yards back and forth. My friends been asking how was the cruise and unfortunately I cannot recommend it at all.

— Nathaniel S | Sep 02, 2021

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Good afternoon Nathaniel, Thank you for taking the time to write your review and share your experience with us! I greatly appreciate your patience while I worked with your cruising partners to define the best solution regarding your time aboard the Chicago Gourmet Dinner Cruise. The feedback you provided regarding your evening was very helpful and I did not take it lightly. I was able to reach out to your cruising operators to discover a way to make this right for you and for customers dining in the future. First and foremost, I can't even imagine the disappointment and frustration you experienced with the boarding process and being asked to deboard the vessel after the confusion surrounding your reservation. That is not a Virgin Experience Gifts standard and I want to assure you that we always take feedback to improve for future cruisers. I will work with my team to ensure that the information regarding the boarding pass will be included in our notes for future inquires. I am so sorry for the troubles with retrieving your boarding pass and having to go back and forth. I can understand how it can take away from what was supposed to be an exhilarating sail. After being able to board your cruise, I recognize how troublesome it must have been to have to stand by the bar and await for your seats. I truly hope that once you did sit down, the beauty of the lake and city were a wonderful sight to see. With that being said, my sincere apologies that this adventure did not exceed expectations and was anything but a stellar evening across Lake Michigan. I am heartbroken that we could not give you an unforgettable or legendary adventure but I would love to make this right. We have added a credit to your Virgin Experience Gifts account to be used towards another adventure on our website. Although I recognize that this cannot change the past, I would love an opportunity to provide you with another exciting and more memorable experience in the near future. All my best, Brianna

Hi - We enjoyed the cruise. The window we sat by was a little cloudy. The most disappointing was that the food was barely warm and it was unclear on how/when to tip the waitstaff or settle up the "extras".

— Diane J | Sep 15, 2019

Response from Virgin Experience Gifts

Hi there Diane, I am very happy to hear that overall your Gourmet Dinner Cruise was a success! So glad to hear that you were able to enjoy the views and a lovely night on the water. I wanted to thank you for your generosity. While tipping is not mandatory, it is greatly appreciated. It is so kind of you to take care of the waitstaff as thoughtfully as they aim to take care of you! Your kindness and thoughtfulness does not go unnoticed. After speaking with our partners, I was able to gather a bit more information about the best manner of expressing your gratitude and settling any outstanding differences. They did note that typically, waitstaff will present the check to guests with any outstanding debts at the end of the meal, similarly to how a restaurant operates. That said, we apologize that this was not clarified; we have made note with their team to ensure that this is more clear for the future. We will also be sure to pass along your feedback on your meals, as it is important to us and our cruise partners that your meal is enjoyable from start to finish! I have gone ahead and placed a $25.00 credit into your Cloud 9 Living account in hopes of remedying the frustration. We cannot wait to get you out on another experience soon! Best, Sophia

My husband and I had a wonderful experience enjoying the boat, the food and dancing. It was such a romantic experience!

— Andrea C | Mar 21, 2016

Very friendly and courteous staff. Good music and fun time. The food was average, not quite "gourmet" as indicated by the description.

— Dale B | Dec 21, 2015

The food was a complete disappointment. The staff was not accommodating, they were unable to accommodate a different seating when requested for. Not worth what we paid for.

— NiKHIL M | Oct 21, 2015

Great boat cruise! The dinner was really good, and we especially liked dessert and the warm cookies with departure. Fabulous sunset views of the city. We spent a lot of time on the top deck where they had a guitarist who was really good.

— Eliza R | Jul 25, 2015

The food was not all that great to be advertised as "gourmet". Starting from the limp shrimp cocktail and ending with a pretty common collection of desert choices. The meal itself fell short in many ways. My husbands filler was overcooked and charred on the outside. My salmon was very "wet" with the asparagus very overdone and old looking. The quinoa looked like it had been scooped out with an ice cream scoop and put on the plate. So the meal itself fell short in many aspects. Being on the boat was a great experience although the weather was cold and rainy that evening. Dancing was fun and music was good.

— Cindy R | Sep 14, 2014

The food was quite good, and the view of Chicago from the lake is breathtaking. The DJ had difficulty getting the right song mix, and my wife and I were looking for more swing/foxtrot music.

— Ron P | Jul 28, 2013

We've been visiting Chicago for over 25 years and this is one of the best experiences we've ever had in the Windy City!

— Steve D | Jul 22, 2012

Great experience with top shelf service. We will definitely do this again.

— Ben B | Nov 21, 2011

Chicago Gourmet Dinner Cruise