Wendella Tours & Cruises — Attraction in Chicago

Quite shocked and disappointed with the experience and unprofessional behavior of this company. The descriptions of each experience on their website is very unclear beyond "45 minute, 90 minute" and the additional details link, which is the same on every option, that just explains there are bathrooms, a full bar, and security procedures. I tried to research through Reddit/reviews to figure out what the difference was and everything just suggested the 90 min tour was worth it. The sunset cruise said it was 90 minutes so we booked thinking it was just the time of the architecture tour. When we boarded, the company had completely oversold the boat and there were not enough seats for everyone so about 25 of us were standing the whole time getting sprayed by water on the lower deck. The guide was wonderful, but the entire experience was just sitting out on the lake for an hour. When we got back we asked why there was no architecture explained on the tour and they said the sunset cruise is literally just a $60 ride to the lake to take a picture of the sunset behind the city. We were very disappointed and asked if we could possibly just do an exchange and come back the following day to experience the full river architecture tour because it was so unclear that there was no architecture tour included in this ticket. They told us to call corporate and they would be able to help. When I spoke to the woman on their corporate help line, I was absolutely appalled by her behavior. I explained what happened and she immediately started aggressively arguing with me that it was my fault for picking the wrong tour, which I completely understand, but explained to her that it was very unclear and we weren't asking for a refund we just wanted the experience that we paid for. She then proceeded to continuously berate myself and my friend reading the description over and over again and then yelled "I'm hanging up now" and refused to answer the phone when we called back. My advice: don't even waste your money or time here, spend the extra $10 to...

Where do I start about our magnificent Sunset Cruise. I purchased tickets for my Wife and I online, and we are so glad we did. We arrived early as per the instructions on the confirmation email from Wendella (probably too early at 6.10 pm for the 7.30 pm sailing time). However the Wendella pier entry staff at the top pf the stairs were friendly and told us we could start a queue for our sailing time despite us being so early. We were more than happy to do this as there was plenty of things going on around our location. Special mention for Samantha, one of the Wendella staff, who was kept very busy checking tickets and redirecting patrons to a secondary pier nearby for the 6.30pm sailing. I think better signage at this location would make for happier patrons. I saw a lot of unhappy people who attended where the Wendella Gazebo/signage is in place to find out this was the wrong point for their sailing. This is also the place shown on Google Maps for where the cruises sail from. I couldn't believe the number of family's who turn up at the last minute expecting to get on a boat, which is just about to sail. From the minute we boarded the vessel for our Sunset Cruise, we had such an incredible time. Our guide for the evening was very knowledgeable of the Chicago area, and I hope he doesn't mind me saying this, that I found him very funny. I did speak to him for a short time during the cruise to congratulate him on his knowledge of Chicago and his delivery of so much detail is such a short space of time. The views of the Chicago skyline as we sailed out through the Lock gate and into the open water were incredible. We were not disappointed by the Sunset and my wife took a number of great photographs, including one whereby she captured the sun through a gap in 2 tall buildings and it looked as though it was resting on a lower rooftop before slipping away for the evening. Thank you to all concerned. We will certainly enjoy showing friends and family the photographs on our return...

If you have not done a nighttime Wendella boat tour, but have been thinking about it, do it! Surprise your significant other with tickets or take your patient kids, take your mom, dad, go with a friend, whoever, just go! I'm not kidding, it is such an excellent tour. My first tour was the hour and a half tour. I went a few years ago with my husband, we loved it, but in this review, I'm just focusing on our most recent visit. I went for the 45 minute tour with my husband and 15 year old because we had less time. It was my son's favorite part of our trip. The tour is absolutely stunning. Viewing the architecture, restraunts, and big city life while riding along in the boat learning of the history is remarkable. It is really a sight to see, especially when looking back at the city once you're down by the Navy Pier. Jack was our tour guide, not to be confused with Elizabeth. He was great, funny, and very knowledgeable. He truly didn't skip a beat and kept the tour interesting. My husband also bought a beer in the lower deck. It was served in a sustainable, cooling cup. He really enjoyed that. This tour is truly something you have to experience for yourself. Photos won't do justice, and it is 100% worth the money. I would suggest getting to check in at least 30-45 minutes prior to your scheduled ticket time for a good seat. I also recommend hitting the shops in that area before the tour and grabbing Ghirardelli after the tour, which is right next door. It makes for a really nice night. I will definitely be doing the tour again in the future many more times to come over the years. It is also nice to experience with different loved ones. I would recommend this...