We’re a boating family, so there’s never a question about what to give our moms for Mother’s Day. A yacht cruise. It’s our moms’ favorite way to spend an afternoon.

Want to give your mom (wife, girlfriend, SigO, daughter, daughter-in-law, grandma) something truly special this year? It doesn’t get much better than a Free Spirit Yacht Cruise Mother’s Day Cruise.

Three hours of pure bliss, relaxing a luxury yacht cruising Lake Michigan, soaking in our magnificent Chicago skyline, sipping mimosas and Bloody Marys and enjoying a scrumptious buffet lunch. Add chocolates for every mom and a raffle for a special “We Love You, Mom” bouquet, and you’ve got a Mother’s Day to remember.

Want more info or want to purchase tickets? Head over here. These book up very fast…especially after a long, cold winter and spring…so don’t wait too long!

Who’s ready for summer? Besides us!

We know it’s a tad cold out, but we’ve already started getting calls asking about open cruises (can you believe!). So we want to share what we’ve got planned for 2013.

Back by hugely popular demand, our Merlot & Massage Cruise will be on June 18^th.

2-1/2 hours of pampering, relaxing, enjoying a yummy light buffet and hanging out with your friends. It’s the ultimate tranquil treat. But it books up fast (hint: don’t wait to buy your tickets).

Equally high on our clients’ lists of Chicago Summer Must Do’s is our annual Mother’s Day Cruise. This year, it falls on Sunday, May 12^th.  Want to give your mom (wife, daughter, significant other) something truly special? It’s hard to top an afternoon on our luxurious Free Spirit yacht. Just think: 3 hours with family (or friends) basking in the view of our glorious Chicago skyline, enjoying mimosas and a delicious brunch buffet. This cruise fills up quickly as well, so check with the rest of the family and book fast.

And here’s a shameless plug…..speaking of booking up fast, we book private charters all year long…both corporate (office parties, client entertaining) and celebrations (weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, bachelorette parties, showers). If you’ve got a date in mind for a private charter, call us…..before someone else books your date.

To check dates, give us a call at 708.361.2220.

We’re excited to welcome you aboard in 2013!

We probably say it every year, but this summer flew by awfully fast.

Probably cause this was a super season for yacht charters. Those sweltering 90 and 100 degree days are just a whole lot cooler out on Lake Michigan. So Joe and I and our crews were happy campers (well….cruisers).

If you didn’t get a chance to hang out on Lake Michigan, you still have a little time before the snow hits. And if you were meaning to book a charter but never quite got around to it, you’ll be happy to know there are still a few openings before season officially ends.

Free Spirit cruises through mid-October. You just might be able to squeeze in a fun family gathering, a get together with friends, or a company charter before the boats go to bed for the winter.

To check dates, give us a call at 708.361.2220 or email info@freespiritcruises.com.

Love aerial acrobatics, daredevil performances and parachute jumpers? Then you don’t want to miss headliners like the U.S. Navy Blue Angels  • U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights • U.S. Navy Parachute Team Leap Frogs at The 2012 Air & Water Show.

And if you want the best viewing spot on Lake Michigan, we’ve got one charter open. But you need to move fast! Our cozy and intimate Gypsy Spirit luxury yacht is available for charter on Sunday, August 19^th (yep, we’re all booked on Saturday). The Gypsy holds up to 50 people, so gather up your most fun friends…. or poll the team at your office… to see who’s in for 4 hours of spectacular aerial viewing on Lake Michigan. You’ll enjoy an amazing buffet, icy cold beverages and a show you’ll talk about for years to come!

Check out the video from last year’s show.

See what our clients say about the Air & Water Show Charters…..

“My wife and I are avid Air Show fans and 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! …our Free Spirit experience exceeded our expectations in value & service. We plan to take advantage of this Chicago Gem in the very near future.”

Jim & Cheryl Tepper

We also have a few Wednesday Night Fireworks Charters available.

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To charter the Gypsy Spirit for the Air & Water Show or book a Wednesday Night Fireworks Charter, call us at 708.361.2220 or email: angela@freespiritcruises.com

Yes, we’re talking about our annual summer hit, the have-we-died-and-gone-to-heaven Merlot and Massage Cruise. Probably the most talked about Free Spirit Yacht cruise we do all year.

And why not? Who doesn’t crave 2-1/2 hours of soothing, relaxing, oh-so-indulgent R&R. The ultimate tranquil treat. And especially fun if you come with a few of your best gal pals.

You’ll enjoy deliciously soothing chair, hand and foot massages from Lincoln Park Massage Spa, one of Chicago’s top rated massage salons. Dine on a scrumptious light buffet with a wine, beer and soda bar. And soak in Chicago’s spectacular skyline from a Lake Michigan vantage point – on a luxury yacht. Best view ever!

We’re almost sold out, so don’t wait to sign up. And tell your best friends so they can join you.

Merlot and Massage Cruise
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
5:30 – 8p

$60/person

Book reservations now!  Merlot and Massage Cruise Details.

Questions? Reach us 708.361.2220 or email: angela@freespiritcruises.com

And yes, we do offer private Merlot & Massage Cruises if you’d like to book one for your office outing or Girls Night Out party.

We’ve received some Yelp! reviews that make us think they’re about another company. Especially when the feedback we’re used to getting is more like: “I cannot thank you enough for such an amazing event. It was incredible, and we intend to make it an annual party!”

Free Spirit Yacht Cruises has a large corporate clientele and many charter with us year after year. Happily a great deal of people feel their Free Spirit experience was exceptional and have shared feedback with us.

We had been cruising along….receiving praise and positive feedback from happy clients for years. And then the storm hit! Literally.

2011 was a turbulent year with economic uncertainty, crazy weather patterns (including very choppy waves) and a few unhappy yacht charter guests. But as service providers, even one unhappy customer is too much.

It’s disheartening to know that we have had people on our yacht charters who were not happy with our service. And although we know that you can’t make everyone happy all of the time, we still hate to hear it.

Our response:

“It is our goal to provide an excellent experience to all of our charter guests. We extend our deepest apologies to the unhappy charter guests who had a bad experience with Free Spirit Yacht Cruises. To all who have sent us feedback, we thank you. We will evaluate your comments to build a company that serves you better.”

In light of our 2011 charter season, we have created a safety page to help ensure you have a safe and happy cruise experience.

We’re crossing our fingers as we say this. Cause we all know how tricky Chicago weather can be.

But so far, the Winter of 2011 has not been too bad. Yes, we’ve escaped a bit down in Florida….and it was lovely to be out on a boat though it wasn’t like being aboard a Free Spirit yacht on Lake Michigan. But we’re home, staying warm inside and busy getting ready for the holidays.

Speaking of holidays, we’ve got the perfect gift for family, friends and colleagues. Enough with the sox and scarves and mittens! Give something truly special this year. Something to look forward to. A gift of relaxation and fun. Yes, we’re talking gift certificates for our Merlot & Massage Cruises.

Who wouldn’t love a 2-1/2 hour cruise, relaxing on a Free Spirit luxury yacht, cruising Lake Michigan, dining on a scrumptious light buffet, drinking wonderful wine and enjoying soothing hand, foot and chair massages from Chicago’s Lincoln Park Massage Spa?

We’ve got two dates to choose from (or pick both): Tues, June 5, 2012 or Tues, June 19, 2012.

If you’ve never enjoyed one of these cruises, check out the video and see what you’re missing.

To watch it, get more info and purchase gift certificates, click here.

In the meantime, Happy Holidays to you and yours from all of us at Free Spirit Yacht Cruises.

Today’s weather forecast: sun and 70’s for the next week. No kidding! We can’t believe it either.

Unusual to have such fabulous fall weather in our windy city. And windy it was this summer. Not to mention rainy and cool. So this is a treat!

We’re delighted to have a week of glorious “what city are we really in?” weather. Especially since we’re busy with corporate charters all week.

Tonight, the Lincoln Park Chamber is hosting their annual cruise. This weekend, we’ve got a business group in from China for their first Lake Michigan cruise. And there are a few other corporate charters sprinkled into the mix.

Wherever you are this week….on land or sea (well…lake), get out and enjoy the sun and warm temps.

And good luck to the runners who are doing the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. We’re cheering for you!

Happy fall, All!

Summer may be over but look outside. This is the kind of weather that gets Chicagoans through the rest of the year. The forecast: bright little sun icons all week. Not a rain cloud in sight!

So if you’ve been thinking of a Last Hurrah before that white stuff falls, this may be the perfect opportunity. And if you can take advantage of our September Specials on the Gypsy Spirit (Monday or Tuesday nights – save $100/hr.), all the better. September is a fabulous month to cruise Lake Michigan.

Thought we’d share some recent feedback from our corporate charter clients:

“I cannot thank you enough for such an amazing event.  It was incredible and we intend to make it an annual party!”

Dayre Lashnits
New York Stock Exchange

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“I wanted to let you know that everyone had a fantastic time yesterday.  Everything was great, especially the food.  I want to thank you and your staff for a wonderful cruise.”

Gloria Linda Williams
The Boeing Company

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“Our group from Bain & Company thanks you for a wonderful evening on Friday 8/19!”

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From Joe and I and our entire crew, thank you for this wonderful feedback! It’s what makes our work worthwhile…..seeing guests relax, unwind and enjoy the spectacular Chicago skyline as we cruise on Lake Michigan.

If your staff could use a Last Hurrah, call us. Or click here for more info or to book a charter for your group.

Not sure what happened to August. It certainly flew by. Hard to believe it’s Labor Day weekend already.

We’ve been busy running charters….day and night cruises….for the past two weeks straight. So we haven’t had a chance to blog much less notice that summer is drawing to a close.

But before the season officially ends, we want to let you know that we’re offering a special September charter rate on our cozy, luxurious Gypsy Spirit yacht.

Book a cruise on a Monday or Tuesday night in September and save $100/hour off our standard rate. No kidding!

It’s our way of celebrating Labor Day this year by helping you treat your employees to a fab Fall charter.

September is beautiful out on Lake Michigan. In fact, some of our corporate clients only book in the Fall.

So take advantage of the end-of-season savings. Click here for more info or to book a charter for your group.

In the meantime, we wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.

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In case you haven’t heard what our corporate clients say about our cruises:

“Our company truly enjoyed the cruise. Your hospitality, crew and food were fantastic.  Thank you for a wonderful event!”

Debbie Panzica, ICCNexergy