7 Best Dinner Cruises In Chicago, Illinois - Updated 2024

Priyanjali
Priyanjali 
Updated
| 4 min read

A glittering combination of finance, food, and frolic, Chicago is ideal for all kinds of travellers. With an ever-growing space of cultural opportunities, business, and recreation, Chicago is very much the hub and the heart of the American Midwest. While the city’s architecture, culture, and business scenes are already well established, the food scene is equally formidable. Right from top-notch fine-dining restaurants to humble hole-in-the-walls, there’s just about everything. Elevating the dining experience in Chicago are the dinner cruises you can book yourself on. Check out these best dinner cruises in Chicago, Illinois, and make it a party, not just for your aesthetic senses, but also for your tummies. To extend your enjoyment of these cruises, there are Vrbo vacation rentals and lakefront hotels that you can book nearby.

1. Relish crackling meals amidst cracker surroundings (from USD 136.0)

Another one of the Spirit dinner cruises, this one also offers the best of Chicago’s skyline and food scene. Also about three hours long, this dinner cruise offers a lavish buffet, relaxing atmosphere, and memorable experience. Also, if you happen to be hitching one on Wednesday or Saturday evening, stay along for the spectacular fireworks that light up the sky and take the top-class experience up by another notch. This cruise gives off the wonder of a restaurant with a view while on the move in the water.

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Chicago Buffet Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan

Duration: 2 to 3 hours

286 reviews

2. Dine underneath starlit skies (from USD 136.0)

Club the best of nosh, class, and breathtaking views, and you have yourself an unparalleled experience that the Spirit of Chicago Sunset Dinner Cruise with Buffet provides. Savour the best of fine cooking, buffet style and live music, overlooking Chicago’s stunning skyline and Lake Michigan’s boundless beauty here. This one plies every Wednesday and Saturday evenings, so plan your outing accordingly.

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Chicago Buffet Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan

Duration: 2 to 3 hours

286 reviews

3. Savour gourmet meals and Chicago's landscape (from USD 131.0)

Another equally stunning option is Chicago’s Odyssey dinner cruise, which plies through Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. You have the option of choosing whichever one you like, depending on how extravagant you’re looking to make your affair. Each cruise trip is about three hours long wherein you get to enjoy a three-course gourmet meal prepared by top-end chefs in a plush setting. Once dinner is through, head up to the cruise’s deck for some coffee and nibbles, overlooking Chicago’s landmarks. You can also participate in the cruise party and jive to some DJ music as well!

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Chicago Gourmet Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

275 reviews

4. Make your New Year's Eve a star-studded affair

Posted by Spirit Of Chicago on Tuesday, 21 November 2017

If Spirit’s dinner cruises are an experience, so are Odyssey’s and especially if it’s their New Year’s Eve Fireworks Dinner Cruise. Split into three packages, you can go in for their basic New Year’s Eve, Gold New Year’s Eve, or Platinum New Year’s Eve’s package and make it a memorable experience for yourself. While delicious food, entertainment, open bar, a guaranteed table, and fireworks’ show are certain things you’ll get across the board, the platinum package will fetch you a bottle of champagne per couple, window-facing table, and many other such fancier additions as well. Head to their website and make your reservations well in time before the cruise gets booked out! Ring in the New Year admiring the fireworks and the lovely atmosphere around!

Odyssey on the Chicago River

Website: Odyssey on the Chicago River

Opening hours: December 31st: 8:30pm onwards

Price: 280 - 390 USD

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5. Celebrate the Independence Day in style

july 4th fireworks
Source: Pexels

If New Year’s Eve is a celebration, so is the 4th of July. Catch the best of the evening’s fireworks shows and classy hospitality in the July 4th Fireworks Elegant Dinner Cruise on Chicago River. A three-hour dinner cruise ride, you can go in for any of the three packages – platinum, gold, or silver – depending on how lavish you want your evening to be. Check out their website for further details and book accordingly.

July 4th Fireworks Elegant Dinner Cruise on Chicago River

Address: Navy Pier 600 East Grand Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 United States

Website: July 4th Fireworks Elegant Dinner Cruise on Chicago River

Opening hours: July 4th: 7:30pm onwards

Price: 310 USD onwards

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6. Experience a luxurious affair for Christmas

Posted by Odyssey Cruises Chicago on Tuesday, 19 March 2019

Another equally celebratory time is Christmas, which is celebrated with much gaiety and joy across the world. While in Chicago, make it an unforgettable evening ringing in Christmas by reserving a spot for your loved one and yourself in Odyssey’s Lakefront Christmas Eve Dinner Cruise. You’ll sail upon Lake Michigan for two hours, amid live carol singing and be treated with a sumptuous three-course holiday dinner in the best of the American ambiance. Once done with the fare, you can also hit up the dance floor and make the night worth remembering for years!

Lakefront Christmas Eve Dinner Cruise

Website: Lakefront Christmas Eve Dinner Cruise

Opening hours: December 24th: 7pm - 9pm

Price: 110 USD onwards

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7. Enjoy a buffet meal with formidable views (from USD 108.0)

Setup in a scenic setting amid Chicago’s towering buildings and the picturesque waterfront is the Spirit’s three-hour long dinner cruise, which combines the best of culinary as well as an aesthetic experience. The dinner course offers three-course meals, which you have the luxury to pace as per your choice. You can start off with drinks and enjoy them while savouring amazing views from the cruise restaurant’s windows, followed by a romantic, candle-lit dinner. If dinner’s done, but you’re not through, hop on over to their outdoor patio deck and break a leg to some pulsating beats of the DJ. Amplifying the overall experience is ambient music and great service on this dinner cruise.

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Chicago: 3-Hour 3-Course Buffet Dinner Cruise

36 reviews

Best of the best

Nothing provides a classier and more romantic experience than an evening at dinner cruises. And, even more so if it’s a city as stunning as Chicago and a waterfront as magnificent as that of Lake Michigan. While most of the dinner cruises in Chicago ply throughout the year, some are reserved for special events and may even feature live music. So, dazzle your partner and take them out for one of these dinner cruises. Here’s a list of the best dinner cruises in Chicago, Illinois, that you can use.

For more dining options, check out the diverse variety of restaurants in the city, from French and fancy to sushi and 24-hour spots.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Priyanjali, a writer and traveler, identifies as a self-proclaimed aesthete dedicated to achieving fulfillment in her personal and professional life. Her skill lies in transforming intangible...Read more

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