SunSea Yacht Charters

Dear Sunset,
You guys did a phenomenal job 90% of the trip. The other 10% was absolutely horrendous. You guys ruined the entire trip. The crew consisted of Kire, captain Jesse, and Kristina (wears glasses). Unfortunately, after repeatedly asking why we were heading back to dock one hour early, they brought us back at to dock at 8 30. This was was 30 mins early than our promised time. Their rationale was we needed at least 20 minutes to unboard. This was pretty ridiculous as we were able to board 19 people in 3 minutes at the beginning. Furthermore, Krisitna had a huge chip on her shoulder. She would not respond to our politeness, was not accommodating, and unresponsive. She was responsible for the food we brought on but wouldn’t listen to our preferences. All in all, she was really rude and didn’t listen to our feedback at the end of the trip. It was so bad that the crew basically kicked us off at 8 45 because we were arguing about their service.
As a large party of 19, we were very disappointed with Captain Jesse and Kristina’s service. Kiri was amazing and so friendly. She actually seemed like she enjoyed having us on the boat and took the time out to speak with us. We are definitely planning on speaking with their management tomorrow.
For further information, don’t hesitate to contact me through direct messaging.

If anyone is looking for a chartered yacht in Chicago, I highly recommend SunSea Party Yacht! The entire crew was very accommodating and helped make an awesome bachelorette party experience! They did everything for us including setting up an open bar and catering food! Everyone had a great time and we enjoyed the epic views of Chicago on Lake Michigan! If you are looking to set-​up a boat cruise in Chicago for a bigger group, look into this company!

I used Sunsea Yacht rentals for my 30^th birthday party. We had about 25 – 30 people and everyone fit comfortably. Captain Jes was awesome and the crew was very friendly and welcoming! The catered food came with a perfect amount and the open bar was great! I would highly recommend for groups and would definitely use Sunsea again!

The highlight of my wife’s 30^th birthday was the Sun Sea cruise. Christina was very helpful and pleasant answering my countless questions. Given some of the lesser reviews about the boat itself, we went to see it on a Saturday morning before I booked it. Captain Ted was there cleaning up and was very welcoming and nice. Admittedly I thought the boat looked slightly run down but it was the very beginning of the season. Christina assured me they were working on some maintenance items over the next week (painting, carpet cleaning, etc.) so I booked it, and was very happy I did. Open bar with premium alcohol, enough food for 42 people, a three hour cruise on Lake Michigan and through the Chicago river while listening to our own music, capped off with Saturday night fireworks off Navy Pier… for roughly $ 85 per person. Reasonable cost for a very memorable night on a big, comfortable boat with good service. Thanks!

I coordinated a champagne toast for20 people with Christina. She was very accommodating and easy to work with. The boat was able to pick guests up on the river which made it so much easier than everyone going to Burnham Harbor. ! The catering was delicious. We had a festive, whole smoked salmon, beef tenderloin, vegetables, fruit, quiche, cake, and a champagne toast. The three hour cruise was beautiful. We did the afternoon cruise which was 4−7pm. The boat has several decks, so you can be outside or inside. Very comfortable. Everyone had a great time and I highly recommend SunSea !

I coordinated my fiancée’s 30^th birthday party through SunSea. The boat was beautiful and accommodated our party of 30 quite comfortably. The crew was friendly. And Christina was a pleasure to work with for planning — very attentive and responsive to emails and phone calls.
From what I researched, the pricing is pretty standard (although it feels pricey). But based on time, boat, open bar, and food-​service, it worked out to around $ 75−80pp, which isn’t too bad.
Worth it for a large group or corporate event.

If you are looking to throw a party that your guests will never forget, book the SunSea now! I reserved the SunSea for my husband’s 30^th birthday bash, and our late-​night cruise was nothing short of incredible. Our group of 27 friends departed Burnham Harbor at 8:00 pm, and after cruising by Navy Pier, we drifted through the beautiful buildings of the Chicago River before retracing our steps back to the Harbor at 11:00 pm – in total, a «three-​hour tour.» It was the perfect amount of time.
The boat itself is perfect for large groups, with plenty of indoor and outdoor space for everyone to dance or socialize — no matter what the weather — not to mention tons of cushy seating for those who prefer to sit and admire the incomparable Chicago skyline. The boat is comprised of THREE levels, onto all of which the boat’s stereo system blasted music from our iPod playlist. Since I was a bit confused about the boat’s layout upon booking, here’s a detailed description:
— The main deck is divided into an indoor and outdoor space. Inside towards the back of the boat, there is a manned built-​in bar with 5 – 6 stools for seating plus TONS of cushy chairs and benches arranged in a living room style just behind it. Outside towards the front of the boat is the bow. This is where all us girls danced the night away and where we had a front row seat to the Chicago River on a long cushioned bench.
— Below the main deck lies the designated dining area where all the catered food is laid out. Nothing too fancy. This is also where the not one but TWO bathrooms are located. With a boat full of drinkers, this came in handy :)
— Up a ladder to the very top is the fly deck, a fully-​outdoor space consisting of a large center coffee table surrounded by a long, U-​shaped cushioned bench. Some of our guests never left this area, and there was no need to! After all, the crew had thoughtfully installed a fully-​stocked mini-​fridge up there, so guests could simply grab a beer whenever they needed one without having to descend the ladder to go to the main bar. Nice touch.
Contrary to what other Unilocalers have said, Captain Ted was a warm, welcoming host and very tolerant of our particularly rowdy bunch; he really seemed to love being part of the fun. Also, I would NOT recommend the boat for small children, as the ladder to the fly deck and narrow platforms alongside the bow could be dangerous. And the food (while admittedly overpriced) was great! Christina recommended just the right amount of food to order, and we loved that the chicken fingers and meatballs were kept nice and warm throughout the cruise.
All in all, a perfect night. Thank you, SunSea crew, for making my husband’s foray into his 30s unforgettable … and for helping me earn the title of «World’s Best Wife» among his friends :)

Have booked a few parties with this yacht and they were amazing. The captain is not «gruff» the man is awesome.
Don’t even think twice. The prices are fair and the staff is great. Booking at least two dates this summer!

That big boat, I’m not calling it a yacht, needs an overhaul. I felt like I stepped back in time to my grandmothers house in 1988. The bartender was kind, his daughter didn’t seem to enjoy being there and the captain was a dick. Sure, give hell about safety which was immediately understood but then he just stayed crabby. The food they provided was terrible so definitely bring your own. The chicken they bought from jewel then resold to us at a higher cost, even though it was dried out and chewy. I suppose it was enjoyable because of the company I was with but ultimately this boat was not impressive. Change the décor and the attitudes then burn those uniforms and try again next season.

Captain Ted and his crew were extremely couteous and nice! The ride itself didn’t leave anyone feeling sea sick. Very smooth! The food, especially the meatballs were delicious. You can bring your ipod or connect your phone to the stereo for your music endeavors! A well spent three hours with friends. Thanks Captain Ted, hope to see you and Sun Sea soon!

Twice my aunt has rented a yacht for big birthday blowouts. The boat we sailed on (I can never remember the name) has comfy quarters for quiet time and spacious common areas for socializing. The staff — er, crew, are always pretty nice, even if the captain seemed a bit gruff at times. Generally I think this was in the interest of safety, so said gruffness is forgivable.
It wasn’t a fancy pants cruise ship. Better for family parties with kids. However the passageways along the side of the boat are a bit narrow in some spots, not for the faint of heart when it comes to being lakebound.

I started planning my boyfriend’s 30^th birthday party with the SunSea 4 months in advance. We just had the party last night from 8−11PM. Christina B. was amazing with the event planning; she was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful in answering all of my questions. The rates for the yacht are pricey, but I did shop around in Chicago and the SunSea is very reasonable in comparison to other yachts in the area.
I went with their catering instead of paying the outside catering fee and dealing with bringing our own food, and everyone loved the food. The skirt steak sliders in particular recieved rave reviews! I really like the spinach and artichoke dip as well.
We had 39 Cubs and Sox fans all on one boat and there was plenty of room for all us! ;) The captain, the bartenders, and the galley attendents were all very polite, helpful, and friendly; the evening was a complete and total success from start to finish. Everyone enjoyed the fabulous views of Chicago and the fireworks. We felt like tourists in our own city, in a good way! It truly could not have gone any better.
Thank you to the SunSea!!!

Great time! See the lake, eat, drink and be merry!
This yacht is available for parties up to 40 people. You may rent it during the day or night. They have options of food and drink as you may bring your own or they will supply. I recommend renting the yacht on the evenings the fireworks at Navy Pier are scheduled for viewing.

All the comments below are have a positive experience… our’s not so much.
They are a family owned and operated company which explains the courteous staff, etc. But the boat is old (1974) which leads to many mechanical problems. They cancalled our cruise 1.5 hours before we were set to launch. I had 49 people coming aboard and they offered no alternative plan besides pay $ 1700 to enteratin on their boat… no thank you.

I organized up a company outing on the Sun Sea and we had a fabulous time. From beginning to end, the staff that I dealt with were extremely helpful and sweet. We had adults and small children on the yacht and it was a perfect environment for both. The yacht was spacious and allowed for people to chill inside or be out in the front enjoying the sun or up on top. We got some catered items and also brought our own food on. The staff helped with the preparations of our food too. Overall it was a great experience and our staff were extremely happy. Thank you.

I, as I’m sure many other Chicago Unilocalers, have very rare access to an awesome «private» boat ride on Lake Michigan — So, when my two best girls were planning my bachelorette party, a private yacht ride seemed appropriate for the occassion. WOW WEE!!! I loved EVERYTHING about this boat and 19 girls said it was the best bachelorette party they’d been to yet. This boat, although a bit older, is worth every cent. The crew of the ship is nothing but fantastic and you can’t beat the price. I highly highly suggest booking a smaller party on this boat in the near future. I think it can hold maybe 40 or 50 max? Not sure, you’ll have to call. I give SunSea 10,000 stars!!! BTW, we went on a Sat night cruise for the fireworks… magical :)

Went for a party here. It was my first private yacht party. The staff was great and made sure we had a great time. Yacht was very well maintained. We brought our food. It was one of a kind experience to ride on such a nice yacht enyoing the awesome Chicago Skyline, Shoreline and Wednesday night fireworks.

Have a boat party on the Chicago river! This is a great company to do it with and you’re guaranteed a great time, and beautiful scenary along the way!