Yacht Charter FAQ
Getting Setup
Please visit the Booking page and complete the Request Form for the desired dates and times you would prefer to charter the yacht. We will contact you within 24 hours confirming details, availability and pricing.
Please visit the Yachts page and select your preferred vessel for the latest rental fees, details and special offers.
Our experienced USCG approved captains are very knowledgeable of the Chicagoland area. You can go down the river, to the hang out and swim at the play pen, go around the harbors or even venture out to the Casino 20 minutes from Chicago or go to Bahai Temple and get some swimming in. There are now multiple great stop offs on the river like City Winery that have food and beverages.
By law, you can have up to 12 people that you bring including yourself. If you need to accomodate for more, feel free to contact us.
We will provide you a list of USCG qualified captains to choose from. As well, its subject to availability.
We suggest 6 hours of charter to be optimal. You must consider that there is onboarding and offboarding time and motoring out of and into the harbor. While it's fun doing all of this, this will leave you around 5 solid hours of Yacht time.
For daily rentals, we suggest a 10am start time which will get you an ability to have lunch and be back in time for other activities. This is what most of our bachelorette's suggest. If you are going for a PM cruise to see the fireworks, we suggest a start time of around 5pm.
We operate out of Burnham Harbor, the most premier and upscale harbor in Chicago right across from the Museum Campus and Soldier Field. However, we can pick you up on the river at your wish. Many try to start at City Winery and like to hang out for a few hours before embarking to the lake. It's a lot of fun to be seen boarding a yacht from City Winery.
There is parking available (for a fee) at Burnham Harbor. The fees range from $10-20/vehicle. Its very easy to access via UBER/Lyft or Taxi.
We accept all forms of credit card as well as direct wire or ACH. We do accept Venmo and Chase QuickPay/Zele as well. The captain has Venmo as well and may have other payment methods they accept.
Policies
We accept all cancellations 72 hours prior to the charter. There is a 50% cancelation fee anytime within the 72 hour period and 100% cancelation fee within a 24 hour period.
We are Chicagoan's through and through and we know weather can fluctuate. If it's guaranteed to downpour, we are ok rescheduling prior to the 72 hour mark. The yacht is large however and does have indoor and covered space on 2 levels. A fun cruise down the river if there is some intermittent rain is no issue. You will still be sipping wine nice and dry looking at a great skyline!
You are responsible to pay for the charter and you will be paying the captain directly. Captains rates are usually $75-$100/hr.
A $500 deposit will be taken at the time of booking. This will cover any incidentals or damages throughout the trip. We will return the deposit in 72 business hours after your charter is complete.
While underway
We have a great sound system onboard with bluetooth connectivity. The captain will show you how to connect, but it's pretty straight forward like any bluetooth.
There is a refrigerator in cockpit (outside back of the Yacht) as well as a full size fridge/freezer inside. We do suggest bringing ice.
Yes.
Yes, there will always be cell phone reception wherever you travel with us.
As mentioned above, you can chose to let the captain be your guide and take you to the best spots: City Winery down the river, playpen for some swimming and dropping anchor, around the harbors and by the museum campus. Lots of options and the captain will always do a great job tailoring to you.
Besides swimming and cruising, you can water ski, paddle board etc. Watching the fireworks on Wednesdays and Saturdays is an amazing way to spend the day. Since we are at Burnham Harbor, you do have the options like tailgating for the Bears home games late in the season or going to see a concert at Northerly Island and dropping anchor right in front! All concerts are listed here: http://www.pavilionnortherlyisland.com/events/
Besides good people and attitudes, we suggest bringing swim wear if you do decide to swim. You can bring food & drinks as shown below. Most important: Ice. A large 20lb bag of ice will be key for a group of 12 to always have cold drinks. No boater should leave without ice.
Whatever is weather appropriate. As mentioned above, swimwear is a + to bring along.
We have a no pet policy, sorry.
Yes, we have plates, napkins and cups aboard but you can bring your own as well. Please no greasy food or anything that can stain carpet.
Yes, please make sure all drinks, alchohol and mixers are clear and non-staining. We can make exceptions if needed.
We can setup experiences to have a bartender aboard to assist with serving or help cater an event. Let us know if you have any special requests as well, such as a proposal for engagement or anything that requires special attention.
Always!