From all the turkeys at Free Spirit Yacht Cruises. 

Where do the Free Spirit and Gypsy Spirit go for the winter?  Captain Rich and Judy used to take them to Marco Island, Florida to charter and do some traveling.  The last year the Free Spirit made the trip was in 2004.   Now they go to Pier 11 in Dolton, IL. The Free Spirit stays in the water, because there isn’t a lift available to hoist the 70′ steel hull, which weighs 88 Gross Registered Tons.

The Gypsy Spirit’s 60′ aluminum hall gets lifted and dry docked.

We will be working on both yachts during the winter painting, varnishing and maintaining the Free Spirit and Gypsy Spirit to keep them in pristine condition for your special events in 2009.

Imagine Chicago was the theme of the 2008 Burnham Bash held on Friday,

October 3, 2008 at Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom.

Captain Joe couldn’t be coaxed into a tuxedo, so my mom (Dianne) and I went without him.  He missed a wonderful dinner (not to mention dancing) in a beautiful setting. 

The Silent Auction featured a fabulous array of vacation packages and excursions in the States and abroad, including a 3-hour afternoon Lake Michigan cruise on the Gypsy Spirit.

The Bash was hosted by The Chicago Convention & Tourist Bureau, Governor Blagojevich, Mayor Daly, John Patronski, Chairman of the Board and the Board of Directors of CCTB.

We had a great time.  

Despite overcast skies, the Free Spirit and the Gypsy Spirit were both busy this past Sunday as Bears fans enjoyed some afternoon cruising on Lake Michigan. Top a cruise off with a Bears win over the Eagles, and it makes for an almost perfect Chicago Sunday. 

This was the 2^nd year in a row for the group on the Free Spirit. And these guests did more than party prior to the big game. They contributed over $400 to help a child they know who is fighting cancer. 

Chicagoans have big hearts.

Some people think of us only for major events and large meetings. Nope, not so.

We have lots of small group charters. They love the cozy ambiance of our Gypsy Spirit (so do we!). The smaller boat holds up to 49 people but many of our group charters are far smaller.

For example, on August 12^th, we had an e-Women Network morning networking event. There were only twelve people, so the salon was a perfect place to host it. Marie Hale, Executive Managing Director of e-Women Network was the woman who put this together. Since it was a small group with a specific agenda, it was a great way to get to know what each of the women (and one male) did. There was a lot of sharing and business card passing and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  Here are a couple of photos from the meeting.                         

Keep Free Spirit Yacht Cruises in mind for your next business meeting, networking event or client appreciation cruise. Being out on a private yacht on Lake Michigan takes meetings to a whole different level. It’s peaceful and quiet and lends itself to creative brainstorming or just easy networking. 

Free Spirit Yachts were booked all weekend with private charters. But it looks like our decision to open up the Free Spirit for individual ticket purchases (for major Chicago events) was a good one. 

We’re still getting feedback on the Venetian Night Cruise…. which was a huge success!

This past weekend, on Saturday, August16^th, guests boarded the Free Spirit for the Air & Water Show. It was an awesome cruise!  Another picture perfect day. The buffet was yummy. There was a great mix of people chatting and having fun. And when it was over, people were asking about signing up for next year. 

Captain Joe positioned the boat perfectly for the finale. The Blue Angels came right towards us in formation and dispersed directly above us. Talk about cool!

Here’s feedback from one couple that are air show aficionados:

“My wife & I are avid Air Show fans & attend at least 15 shows per year throughout the country. Thanks to you & your Team’s outstanding hospitality, the Chicago Air & Water Show is now our favorite! The food was delicious, the staff was both courteous & attentive & Captain Joe expertly piloted the Free Spirit to some memorable vantage points!

In today’s climate of declining value & vanishing customer service, we were pleasantly surprised when our Free Spirit experience exceeded our expectations in value & service. We plan to take advantage of this Chicago Gem in the very near future.”

Sincerely,  Jim & Cheryl Tepper

Joe and I are overjoyed to get this type of feedback from our customers. It makes our work a pleasure.

Google

If you could pick a better place to work than here at Free Spirit Yacht Cruises, Google might be it (btw….they have some positions open here in Chicago).

We’ve all heard about how great it is to work at Google: casual atmosphere, smart fun people, free lunches and all the other amazing perks they offer employees.

So naturally, when it was time for a summer staff outing, what better place to have it than on a Free Spirit yacht cruise.  Which is just what the Chicago Googlers did!

Here’s feedback and photos from their charter on August 12, 2008 on the Gypsy Spirit:

“We had a fabulous time! The experience was totally turnkey - we just had to show up.  The boat is really well suited for entertaining clients - intimate & comfortable, yet spacious. The food & hospitality was perfecto! We’ll definitely come back!!” 

CR, Google

And we’ll happily welcome them back! 

No denying that working on a luxury yacht on Lake Michigan is a fabulous way to spend your summer.  But it’s not just about the boats and the parties. It’s the people we get to work with and seeing how much fun clients have when they book a charter for a private party.

For example, this week we were able to help out a group of thirty people whose private charter with another company fell through at the last minute.  In fact, it was so last minute that they were on the pier with nowhere to go. Although the Free Spirit and Gypsy Spirit yachts were both booked, we were able to get them on another boat and they had their outing.

The group was so happy. And we were just as happy to be able to help them out. That’s what Joe and I love about this business.  It’s a “feel good”.  Too bad our season couldn’t last longer!

Since the Free Spirit wasn’t booked for a private charter on Venetian Night this year, we decided to open ticket sales to individuals. What a great idea!

Seventy people enjoyed three hours of Lake Michigan yacht cruising, topped off by a spectacular fireworks display. Some couples visiting Chicago for the weekend. A father and daughter sharing a special summer visit.  More than a few Chicago residents viewing Venetian night for the first time.  And a large group of recent UW-Madison graduates who had recently moved to Chicago to begin their careers or job hunt.

People mixed and mingled and networked and ate and drank and had a wonderful time.  But once the fireworks started – other than WXRT’s synchronized music and the “oohs” and “ahs” that followed the one-more-amazing-than-the-next display, the ship was perfectly quiet.  Everyone was captivated by the incredibly beautiful lightshow and the fabulous summer evening.  In fact, “What a perfect night” was heard more than once as the evening progressed.

When the boat docked at 11:00pm, a number of happy guests were overheard talking about “doing this again soon”. 

To see more photos of Chicago’s 51^st Annual Venetian Night aboard the Free Spirit, click here. 

July 26th is Chicago’s 51st Annual Venetian Night, so we were surprised to discover that some Chicagoans don’t know about it (OK, they live in the suburbs).

If you’ve never seen it, here’s what you’re missing:

• a glorious parade of boats: somewhere between 30-35 ships, decked out with lights and other decorations, will sail between the Shedd Aquarium (Roosevelt Road) and the Chicago Yacht Club (Monroe St)
• a spectacular fireworks extravaganza at Monroe Harbor with customized music from WXRT- 93.1
• lots and lots of spectators (about 1/2 a million)

Start time is 8:00pm

Want a great place to view the festivities? We have one yacht open for a private charter.

If you’re interested in booking a private cruise, call Angela at 708.361.2220.