It is advised to arrive early so as not to miss a moment of this wonderful cruise from beginning to end.  The Navy pier will be all astir as the musicians set out their instruments and crowds discover their companions and as if that were not enough, the crew of the ship will greet you warmly and your host will lead you to your private party while the photographer captures the moment on his recorder. One can but be impressed with the elegant décor of the dining deck that even has a climate controller or can walk out to the observation deck and also not miss out on a visit to the captain’s bridge.

Savour the freshly prepared three course meal complete with dessert and coffee as you wish or simply indulge in some wine as the soft music sets the ambience for the cruise. There’s more to the cruise than simply dinning. Get aboard the deck that serves the place of a dance floor and groove to the trendy tempo or even better still sway to and fro to some slow jazz as the case might be. The night and its activities wear on late into the night as Chicago appears like a dreamland in the distance and the hours just melt away upon the water without even you realizing that the cruise has ended. If a traveler is lucky to be there during summer, he or she can update his cruise to a firework cruise where the night will be ablaze with the electrifying sparkle of a thousand fireworks.

One needs not be stranded ashore when the cruise ends, as there is always some superb Chicago hotel downtown that guarantees absolute pampering on the mainland. The Peninsula Chicago  beckons with its plush interiors and its exquisite array of spacious rooms and suites with their large king size beds, marble bathrooms and so much more of five star luxuries to charm any fastidious traveler.  This is one hotel that goes beyond the title of being a mere Chicago five star hotel and grants the traveler with a feeling of being home away from home.