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.

It never gets old. Seeing the night sky lit up with hundreds of sparkling, shimmering lights makes us look up in awe. Especially when we’re looking up from the deck of one of our luxury yachts cruising on Lake Michigan.

Granted, the Chicago sky has been lit up far too often this summer with all the lightning. We’ve all had enough of that!

But we’re talking about the man-made fireworks — the Wednesday and Saturday night Navy Pier fireworks shows. Spectacular. See for yourself.

Our Saturday night Fireworks Cruises are all filled. But there are still a few spots open for Wednesday night charters.

So if you love fireworks….and if a yacht cruise has been on your list of things to do this summer, call us while the Wednesday nights are still available.

You’ll thank us in December when you can look at the pictures you took from your charter.

Well you probably know where this is going….

with the weather channels talking about breaking heat records across the country, other than being inside sitting directly under the air-conditioner, there’s not a cooler place to be than out on Lake Michigan.

And nothing comes close to being out there on a luxury yacht…. lazing in comfort, sipping a cool drink, feet up, not a care in the world. But then if you’ve ever been on one of our Chicago boat charters, you know that!

Here’s a fun video we wanted to share while we’re talking yacht cruises. It’s time-lapsed, so you’ll see 3 hours of cruising in 3 minutes. Thanks to the terrific folks at Zacuto for sharing this with us. It was taken by one of their staff on their charter earlier this year.

For the record…..we cruise nice and slow. So you and your guests get plenty of time to enjoy the cool Lake Michigan breezes.

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend a summer afternoon or evening, call us about chartering one of our yachts for a party or a company outing. Best way ever to stay cool on a hot Chicago day!

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).

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 at the dock in Burnham Harbor 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!