Chicago River Tiki Bar Party Cruise from Chicago River Wednesdays
Description
See Chicago the Island Party Way. Our floating Tiki Bar offers you the opportunity to take in all the sights and sounds as you relax and enjoy a beverage. Have questions about the buildings you'll see along the river? Our helpful staff will be happy to answer questions.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Board your tiki bar boat right from the Chicago Riverwalk.
Enjoy beverages and listen to island tunes as you take in unique views of Chicago buildings and bascule bridges.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Dogs welcome
Reviews(126)
Disappointing experience – not worth $40 Unfortunately, we were quite disappointed with this cruise, especially considering the $40 price. My girlfriend and I were literally the only two people who were not part of the same large work group. Everyone else on the boat worked together and was there for a work activity. This made us feel very much like we were in the way rather than actual guests of the cruise. There weren’t enough seats left for us, so we ended up sitting in a corner on a box containing the life jackets. The group had arranged their own food, and the whole setup was clearly centered around their private group. They also had a work speech during the cruise, so everyone had to be quiet for part of the tour. We were also sitting next to a speaker that wasn’t playing the advertised tiki music — we mostly heard country music instead. Overall, there was very little of the fun tiki atmosphere that was advertised. We completely understand that other people can book the same cruise, but if the cruise was essentially going to be taken over by a large private work group, this should have been indicated on the website or we should have been notified that the cruise was effectively full for a private event. We would have chosen something else. We felt clearly out of place throughout the experience, and unfortunately it was not the fun, lively party cruise we expected. For $40 per person, we definitely did not feel it was worth the price.
We’d like to clarify a few key facts regarding your cruise. Our public trips are open-enrollment events where multiple independent parties and individuals book seats on the same departure. On the day of your cruise, there were only 29 total guests checked in—far below our vessel’s maximum capacity of 90—and there were several other independent parties on board in addition to the company group. Regarding seating, there was ample open seating available across the boat. Our upper deck alone accommodates 40 guests—more than enough for the entire 29-person turnout—and our open bow features additional seating for 16. Guests are always free to move around and enjoy any of the multiple seating areas throughout the vessel.
Alondra was an amazing bar tender 10/10
amanda was a wonderful help at the bar, great customer service and such a friendly face! loved having a conversation with her!
Amanda was an amazing bartender! She was attentive and sociable and made our journey special. Would recommend for Chicago visit!
"Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear you had such a great time on the water. Amanda is indeed a fantastic part of our team, and we will be sure to pass along your kind words to her—she'll be delighted to know she helped make your journey special! Thank you for recommending us to Chicago visitors, and we hope to welcome you back aboard again soon!"
Amanda W was great!!! Extra friendly
Thank you so much for the 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear you had a great time on our Chicago River Tiki Bar Party Cruise. Amanda W is absolutely wonderful, and we will be sure to pass your kind words along to her—she will be so happy to hear them! We hope to welcome you back on board for another fun cruise soon!
I had reached out ahead of time to see if they do fancy mocktails so I wouldn’t just be stuck drinking a sprite on board. I quit drinking years ago but still want to have fun and fit in. The beverage manager assured me that they do offer a selection of crafted mocktails - so I was expecting a menu or at least the bartender having some knowledge. I asked and the bartender just pointed out the juices that they have. Now a lot of local establishments have created mocktails that have unique mixes to them that I don’t know. So when he was pointing to the different juices I didn’t even know what to ask for. He only suggested a Shirley Temple. So all in all, I was stuck drinking a Sprite and didn’t feel to fit in. I didn’t have much fun.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate your perspective, but we would like to clarify our beverage offerings on board. We are a commercial boat charter, not a restaurant or a cocktail lounge. As such, we do not advertise or offer a menu of craft mocktails, and our bartenders are not trained to mix custom, specialty non-alcoholic cocktails. Our standard non-alcoholic options consist of soft drinks (such as Sprite and Shirley Temples) and a variety of juices. While we are sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your cruise, our bar staff did their best to accommodate your request by offering the juices and sodas we have available on our standard menu. We hope that despite the beverage preferences, you were still able to enjoy the beautiful views from the water.
Had an great time, I'm not a big fan of tropical drinks but (Jovahnny) the bartender at the time made me an amazing drink, he really knows this stuff.
Thank you so much for the fantastic 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear you had a great time on our Chicago River Tiki Bar Party Cruise. Jovahnny is absolutely amazing at what he does, and we love that he was able to craft the perfect drink to win over someone who isn't usually a fan of tropical cocktails! We will be sure to pass your kind words along to him—he will be so happy to hear them. We hope to welcome you back on board for another great cruise soon!
Great experience on the Chicago River Tiki Bar Party Cruise! The views, drinks, and atmosphere were all worth it. Huge shout-out to the bartender, Jovannie (hope I spelled that right) for the amazing cocktail recommendations and excellent service. He made the experience even better. Definitely worth checking out!
Thank you so much for the fantastic 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear that you had such a great experience on our Chicago River Tiki Bar Party Cruise and enjoyed the views, drinks, and atmosphere. Jovannie is a huge asset to our crew, and we will be sure to pass along your shout-out to him for his excellent service and cocktail recommendations—he will be so happy to hear it! We hope to welcome you back on board for another cruise soon! Cheers The Island Party Boat Team
Shane was a wonderful host thank you
Thank you so much for the 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear you had a great time on our Chicago River Tiki Bar Party Cruise. Shane is a wonderful host, and we will be sure to pass your kind words along to him! We hope to welcome you back on board for another cruise soon! Cheers, The Island Party Boat Team
Amanda was so amazing !! The bar line never ended and she did not complain or give a bad attitude. The drinks were good and did the job !!! Would do it again!!
Thank you so much for the 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear you had such a great time on our Chicago River cruise and that the drinks did the job! Amanda is an absolute rockstar behind the bar. Handling a non-stop line with a smile and a great attitude is exactly what she does best, and we are so proud to have her on our team. We will definitely pass your wonderful shoutout along to her! Thank you again for choosing to cruise with us—we can't wait to welcome you back on board to do it all over again! Cheers, The Island Party Boat Team
