Testimonials
Fundraiser “You guys knock it out of the park every single time. You should be so proud of the level of service you provide to your clients. From initial pitch, sell, planning, and executing-everything is flawless. At this point I feel like I am working with family. Colleen and Marc are two of my favorite people to work with, the bar staff is so friendly and accommodating, Captain Eric and the rest of the crew were always close by to help with questions, and everything in between was perfect. Beyond the customer service, the boat itself is gorgeous. I told my team; if we had no décor, no signage, nothing, we could still walk on that boat and it would look like we spent all day putting it together.”
Sarah K., Habitat for Humanity
8/19/16, AD II
Wedding Anniversary “Absolutely highest quality service and experience by the Anita Dee team! From the initial proposal request months in advance to the event date, Marc and Colleen are amazing. They went above and beyond to ensure all our special personalization was accommodated as well as provided wonderful suggestions to make the event even more special. The entire onboard staff was fabulous! They made all the guests feel comfortable and welcome throughout the cruise, truly made for a memorable event.”
Sharon G.
7/2/16, AD I
Social Event “We could not have been more happy with our experience with Anita Dee. From initial booking to the end of the cruise our experience was phenomenal. Leading up to the event working with Colleen was a joy. She was super helpful and responsive. On the day of the actual event the crew made the night run smoothly and were very helpful and always kept us in the loop on things when we asked questions. The boat fit our needs perfectly and everyone had a great time. This was our most successful year yet, and most fun which is 100% because we booked with Anita Dee II. We will be booking with you guys again! Thanks for everything.”
Anonymous
8/27/16, AD II
Corporate “The Anita Dee is a great venue for a client outing. This is our 2nd time on the boat and could not have had a better time. The boat is fantastic, clean, easy to access, and very well organized. The 2nd level bar was a great addition to the boat and makes for a great client outing. There is plenty of space outside and inside for guests to move around and the boat is big enough to make the trip along the river or lakefront extremely smooth and comfortable. Everything from booking thru the cruise, the staff make everything extremely easy. Druing the cruise the crew and staff do anything to make it a wonderful experience. We plan on booking the Anita Dee for events in the future.”
Jay P., XL Catlin
9/8/16, AD I
Corporate “World class customer experience! The 2 hours we spent on the Anita Dee I were spectacular. The views from the Chicago River and Lake Michigan were incredible! Really enjoyed the ease of doing business with you folks. We can’t wait until next year! One of our customers on the cruise summed it up best: “This is a home-run!”
Anonymous
6/21/16, AD I
College Formal “Anita Dee was great to work with, they really made sure that everything ran smoothly for the event. They are also very affordable compared to other charters in the area. The sales staff and event coordinator were in constant contact with us even for the smallest details. Anita Dee’s accommodations in addition to the enthusiasm of the staff really contributed to the success of my fraternity’s formal. I would contact them again for future events.”
Anonymous
5/6/16, AD I
Corporate “Your staff, from the Captain and First Mate to the Deckhands were all wonderful. They are friendly, fun, and professional! They accommodated changes in leaving the dock at a later time to accommodate some of our guests and were always easy to find and very helpful. Your bartenders were friendly, professional and made great drinks. Service was excellent and working with Colleen is always an absolute pleasure!”
Kelly S., Illinois Coal Association
8/8/16, AD II
Corporate “We had a great time on the boat. Our guests enjoyed it so much! It was also a great experience working with all of the people at Anita Dee. Marc is so efficient, direct and right on point. That’s the reason we chose the company in the first place. Colleen our event coordinator was very detailed. She made sure everything we requested was taken care of. Our captain and all staff on the boat were very friendly! I will be sure to choose Anita Dee for future events!”
Anonymous
9/10/16, AD I
Post Prom “The people were very understanding and helpful through the whole process. There was great communication between us. I never felt pressured or annoyed when talking to or emailing them. Overall a great service and company!”
Tara G., Whiting HS
5/1/16, AD I
Sangeet “The Anita Dee II was the perfect place for our Sangeet prior to our wedding! Everyone loved the event and it was definitely one of the highlights of our weekend. The staff made the entire experience seamless and everything was easy to arrange/set up.”
Vignesh P.
5/21/16, AD II
Corporate “Just wanted to let you know what a great time we had on the Anita Dee I on Friday! Your team was professional from start to finish and greatly efficient. I was told by my people that this was the best outing we ever had. A lot of credit goes to your team. Please extend my thanks to Colleen Chahbazi, Captain Ryan, and his entire crew.”
Anonymous
8/12/16, AD I
College Formal “Overall great company to work with. They provided a great night on the water throughout Chicago and we could not have had a better company to do it with. Extremely helpful and on top of things with planning which made it easier for us to have this event. Amazing time and I’d highly recommend them to others, thank you!”
Dominic S., DePaul Rowing Team
6/5/16, AD I
Corporate “This was our second year on the ADI and it suits our needs perfectly. The size, accommodations, staff, and attention to detail in ensuring our event met and exceeded all of our needs was incredible. You guys are truly a first class operation!”
Megan M., Hovey Energy
8/19/16, AD I
Graduation Party “All of the staff were very helpful and friendly! This was a great event-the boat staff and caterers were fabulous. Will recommend to friends!”
Amy R., Northwestern Medical
5/19/16, AD II
Corporate “We held a company celebration on the Anita Dee I. The captain and crew were attentive and accommodating and the vessel was perfect and clean. It could not have been better! We hope to be able to sail on the Anita Dee I again!”
Deborah D. Davis Staffing, Inc.
8/20/16, AD I
Corporate “Anita Dee was a great choice for our event, the team said it was the best outing yet! I knew that by choosing you everything would go smoothly and it went above and beyond!”
Anonymous
7/13/16, AD I
Birthday Party “The yacht was clean and inviting and everyone was simply awesome. I can’t say enough about how attentive and helpful the staff was. Everyone was willing to help and tailored our event around us. I was extremely pleased. I will definitely be doing business with Anita Dee again. I will also tell everyone I know that the experience was exceptional and they should use Anita Dee as well.”
Tiffany S.
9/23/16, AD I
Family Reunion “When we embarked on planning a family reunion event, we endeavored to host an experience for our guests. Anita Dee Yacht Charters brought that plan to life. At this time, we would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation for the event on July 18, 2015. The cruise was magical and enjoyed by all.
The committee wanted to be sure to express how grateful we are for the captain. As one member put it: “the captain was on point!” All of the assistance that was required was readily available. The captain and crew were extremely personable and accommodating. Access to everything was free and flowing. Most of all, a nice touch was added by offering complimentary wine to our guests upon boarding.
The experience we planned for was outstanding and left a lasting impression on the family for years to come! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Darrell M.
07/18/15, Anita Dee II
Bachelorette Party “I absolutely loved booking through Anita Dee for my bachelorette party! I found out about Anita Dee through Yelp and reached out. When pricing was too expensive, your director of sales reached out to make it work for my budget. This was huge and made our experience that much better. We had so much fun and my out of town guests absolutely LOVED the views of Chicago. We loved doing both the lake & river views and would recommend that to anyone considering. I would give this a 10 outta 10 :)”
Ashley S.
06/20/15, Anita Dee I
Class Party “The entire staff (event coordinator, sales rep) and crew was extremely friendly, helpful, and professional. We chose Anita Dee for their competitive prices but there was definitely no compromises in the quality of the services we received. My emails and questions were answered quickly and I was definitely impressed with their attention to detail. Despite less than optimal weather the night of our event, all of the guests had a great time…tons of compliments! The crew and bar staff were a pleasure to work with. It was one of the best class parties we have had in the last few years and definitely something we would do again. I would highly recommend Anita Dee!”
Sarah C. , Loyola School of Medicine
06/26/15, Anita Dee I
Corporate “Our experience was top notch. After a long day of meetings this was a great way for our folks to enjoy the beautiful sites of the city. The weather was perfect and a great time was had by all. I hired Jerry the Docent to do an architectural tour. He is very knowledgeable and added a fun and educational spin to our event. The caterers were great to work with as well. In addition to perfect weather, the evening was topped by a beautiful sunset. Thank you for making the event so special.”
07/28/15, Anita Dee I
Sorority Outing “Anita Dee is a wonderful company that I would not hesitate to work with again. After having tried to work with nearly 5 other companies, I finally found Anita Dee. From the first phone call to the trip itself, the entire staff was wonderful and made my experience a breeze. The time, size and price were all just right and on the day of, the event went without a hitch. What I loved was that the sales representative and event coordinator explained everything in depth so I was left with no questions. Having never rented a private charter before, I was worried I wouldn’t know what to do but the Anita Dee staff ensured that planning the trip ran smoothly. On the day of our trip, the Captain and Crew were really fun and easy to work with. Everything was efficient and thorough. My group was impressed and pleased! We will absolutely sail with Anita Dee in the future.”
Chloe L., Delta Zeta Sorority DePaul University
09/27/15, Anita Dee I
Corporate “Everyone was incredibly kind. I loved working with everyone! Cpt. Ryan was super and Chris and Steve were holding things down on the deck, very thoughtful and ready to do whatever was needed to have a blast. Samm and Greg were awesome behind the bar! So grateful for them all. We would absolutely have our next boat trip on the Anita Dee I!”
Abby P., Red Frog Events
9/1/15, Anita Dee I
Corporate “The staff were very friendly and accommodating, making every effort to provide an enjoyable experience. A member of the crew graciously played DJ via a Pandora station. The Frank Sinatra/Brat Pack station was well received!
I would like to point out the assistance of Marc Barrile, our sales representative. I had initial concerns that 3 hours on the lake would seem long. Marc cleverly suggested that we have 2 hours on the lake and a final hour back at dock. This agenda worked out perfectly. Those that wanted to disembark could do so, while others could remain onboard for the final hour. A thanks also goes to Colleen Chahbazi for all her help in day to day logistics leading up to the event.
Lastly, the great majority of our guests were in attendance at a conference at McCormick Place. Rather than having my guests find means to get to the yacht’s home dock, or contracting a shuttle, the option of boarding at McCormick Place was well worth the extra expense.”
Kim R., FireHost
4/14/15, Anita Dee II
Corporate “Everyone did an excellent job, was very professional. Our group of 60 had a great time, staff was always available checking to make sure everything was OK. The catering service prepared a very nice meal, with lots of variety and food was excellent. Everyone enjoyed seeing the city from both the Lake side and thru the canals. View at night with all of the city lights was very impressive, exceeded everyone’s expectations. Job well done.”
Larry C., NAALBF
4/22/15, AD I
School Outing “Your staff were amazing, kind, helpful, and beyond courteous. This was the perfect event. Thank you for all of your help in making it happen. We look forward to coming back.”
Hana B.
5/27/15, Anita Dee II
School Staff Outing “The food provided by the catering service was delicious. The staff provided by the caterer was great as well. Everyone was very helpful, friendly and very professional. The sales representative was very attentive to our needs during the preparation process and strived to accommodate all of our requests. I look forward to planning another outing with the staff at Roosevelt School in the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. Thank you for working with us and making sure that our experience is a memorable one. We appreciate your service!”
Roosevelt School
6/5/15, Anita Dee I
Social Event “Thanks for everything! We had a fantastic time! Your crew was wonderful and so very helpful. The boat was beautiful and everything was perfect. And my husband was completely surprised! Be sure I will recommend your company to any and all. Thank you so very much for helping me pull off an amazing night full of beautiful memories.”
Corporate Event “We have held an event aboard the Anita Dee II the last four of six years. Every staff member is courteous and helpful. After departing, we needed to return to the dock to pick up some additional guests. The captain Eric, was able to return to dock, pick up the guests then proceed with the evening. All of the ships crew and bar staff were outstanding.”
Tony M., Champion Packaging
10/24/15, AD II
Formal “Overall, the event was exactly what I was hoping for. Even days after the event, I had classmates telling me how fun the yacht cruise was. Definitely recommend Anita Dee to the incoming 4th year medical school class at Midwestern University for their graduation week!”
Jessica C.
5/19/14, Anita Dee II
Corporate “We had a wonderful time aboard the Anita Dee! The Staff & Crew was extremely attentive, courteous and accommodating during set up and throughout the duration of the event. We could not have been happier with our experience!”
Anonymous
7/15/16, AD II
Corporate “Our staff enjoyed the experience the Anita Dee II had to offer. It was great that we could have our awards ceremony on the 2nd level then use the observation deck. There was plenty of room on both levels for our ENTIRE team of 120 to be on the same deck at the same time. A very nice experience. Hopefully we will “sail” again on the Anita Dee II next year. It was an impressive corporate event.”
Anonymous
8/10/16, AD II
“The overall experience aboard the Anita Dee II exceed my expectation and my guest. The staff was very respectful, helpful and most of all responding to any needs that was ask from me or my guest. I applaud the professionalism actions the staff manage to handle a guest of 300 plus partying drinking people in a respectable manner. The Anita Dee II should be proud to have employees that work so hard and pride them selves to serve their guest with a (smile). The staff customer service skills were excellent. Again the Captain,Mate and the deckhands made my party an success and I would like to thank each and every one aboard. I would definite share my experience with my family,friends and co-workers to use your charter lines for their events in the future.”
Satisfied customer
Rickey R.Robinson
“Anita Dee Yacht Charters is an exceptional choice for corporate event planning in the Chicago area. The entire staff is totally devoted to delivering the highest quality gala and cruise. Winpak Portion Packaging celebrated the opening of its third manufacturing facility in North America with an Open House in Sauk Village, Illinois in September 2012. Customers and executives arrived from throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe for this important event. It was essential that every detail be perfect. The culmination of this milestone day was a dinner cruise aboard the Anita Dee II…and what a spectacular event it was…high end, classy, and above all, fun! From my first contact I knew that I had found the perfect partner to ensure this event would be first class. The staff made certain that the evening was orchestrated perfectly and our customers and employees praised the evening as the finest corporate event that they could remember attending. The Anita Dee team worked with me every step of the way and their advice and recommendations were invaluable. I highly recommend Anita Dee Yacht Charters for any social event you are planning…personal or corporate. It will be outstanding in every way!!”
Diane Terroni
Winpak Portion Packaging, Inc.
Newtown, Pennsylvania
“Anita Dee Yacht Charters has been a valued partner of CBS Radio for two years now. We have worked together to create a Gameday cruise for our White Sox Radio clients and also for our Bears Radio clients. Those cruises went so smoothly, and were so highly appreciated by the people who were on them, that the Anita Dee Tailgate Cruises then came to life! Each home game that the Bears play, Anita Dee is hosting an upscale, once in a lifetime cruise for diehard Bears fans. I have worked very closely with the Anita Dee team to bring these cruises to life and I have to say that they are AWESOME to work with! They are devoted to delivering the best possible event and they are committed to following through on the execution in order to do so. They are always open to new ideas and they run a smooth event come show time! It’s evident in the first minutes of working with Anita Dee that the entire staff is behind everything they do, thus creating an environment for the people on board to enjoy reaping the benefits. I recommend Anita Dee to my colleagues, my family and also ALL of my clients for events and sightseeing opportunities. I feel lucky to have developed a business relationship as well as a friendship with the Anita Dee Family!”
Ashley Strid
CBS Radio Account Executive
WEDDING TESTIMONIALS
“We were blown away by the customer service of the Anita Dee staff. From Colleen responding so quickly to every email and providing us with whatever we needed to the First Mate clearing the downstairs for the Bride to walk through and updating us on every move the boat was making, everything went perfectly! The whole night was smooth sailing (literally and figuratively) and our guests were stunned by the views of the city. We are still receiving messages about how this wedding was the best wedding they’ve ever been to. My aunt says it ranked up there with her trip to the Grand Canyon, that’s how incredible the views were. We couldn’t have picked a better weekend and better company to work with. Unlike so many other weddings where people say it was a whirlwind and they can’t remember what happened this night is still fresh in our minds and will be for many years to come.”
Alex & Jake
9/3/16, AD I
Wedding “I held my wedding reception on the Anita Dee II on June 27, 2015. My fiance and I looked at many different venues in both Michigan and in Chicago and could not be happier that we chose the Anita Dee II for our reception venue.
The Anita Dee Staff are wonderful. We first met the director of Marketing/Business Development back in September to discuss using the yacht as our wedding ceremony and reception venue. Marc was wonderful. He made sure that this venue would be perfect for what I wanted without pressuring me into a contract. I really liked this as many other venues tried to pressure me into signing a contract the day that I toured the venue. Marc held my date and made sure that I had time to make sure this was the perfect location for our venue. Marc was also very responsive to all of my questions and concerns. Marc provided me with a list of preferred vendors to use on the yacht and ALL of the recommendations were great. I liked that I did not have to use these vendors. However, almost all of my vendors were from the preferred vendor list provided by the Anita Dee II.
During my wedding planning process, I decided to just have my reception on the yacht and have my wedding in a nearby church as this was important to my family. The Anita Dee staff made this change very easy. As my wedding approached, I was contacted by my event coordinator from the yacht, Colleen. Colleen was AMAZING! She answered all of my questions and allowed me to the yacht numerous times prior to the wedding to go over the details of my wedding. On the day of the wedding she was right there making sure everything was perfect and did EVERYTHING that was asked of her. Whether it was for the yacht to change course or to assist me in the bridal suite, she was right there making sure things were perfect.
I would HIGHLY recommend the Anita Dee II for a wedding or any other type of event. The yacht is beautiful and the staff are great!”
Brandi M.
6/27/15, Anita Dee II
“The Anita Dee II is by far the best yacht to rent for any event. My wife and I had such an incredible experience working with the staff throughout the whole process. They may not be the cheapest on the lake but they are the BEST! Working with Marc and Colleen truly shows why they’re the best. Having their recommendations from the initial set up all the way thru the event made our wedding incredible. Every one of our guests raved about how awesome the night was and how great the catering from Beyond Events and the whole experience was.”
Chris M.
7/9/16, AD II
“We had a magical Saturday evening wedding on an amazing yacht with a beautiful sunset, gorgeous views of the city most haven’t seen that way before, spectacular fireworks display and some of the best crew possible. Colleen and (captain) Eric were both great. Colleen was so helpful returning emails and answering any and all questions we had leading up to the day of. She is just the best at what she does!! So much appreciation goes to her. The bartenders were fantastic and friendly. So many guests said this was the best wedding they had ever been to, and genuinely meant it! If you want to have an evening of fun that no one will ever forget (or top), this is your venue!
Anonymous
7/16/16, AD II
“From the consultation on, Anita Dee has always felt like the right choice for us and on our wedding day these feelings were beyond confirmed.
More than just being a unique and special idea for a wedding, Anita Dee yacht was truly a dream realized and all thanks to a coordinated and expert staff. Every bit of care was taken to insure our comfort and give us, the couple, the forefront of customizing our wedding. Even our furbaby was allowed aboard for the wedding day!
Many thanks to Anita Dee for the wedding we’ve always dreamed of and that everyone should have!”
Val & Saied
7/30/16, AD I
“I had my wedding aboard the Anita Dee II yacht this past Saturday, 9/3/16. My guests can not stop complimenting my wedding. The weather was beautiful and the fireworks at the end put the icing on the cake. The staff was great and easy to work with. Our event coordinator was super helpful. I don’t even know what we would do without her. The bustles on my dress broke and she searched the entire boat for safety pins which she found! It allowed me to continue having fun and not worry about holding my dress. All together everyone had a blast and my guests will cherish this event for a long time!”
Jodie R.
9/3/16, AD II
Wedding Reception “Your staff did an excellent job with my wedding reception. Very friendly staff, very quick response to my questions ahead of time. The ship looked wonderful, and the staff did a very nice job directing my guests on board ahead of my arrival. Very attentive Sales Rep, Event Coordinator, Ship’s Crew, and Bar Staff. I could not have had any better service.”
Matthew C.
4/18/15, Anita Dee I
Wedding “I would like to extend my gratitude for the excellent job you and your staff did at our daughter’s wedding this past Saturday. During the afternoon and extending into Sunday, I received numerous comments praising the professionalism of your staff and the quality of your service. The captain did an excellent job with the ceremony and went above and beyond in meeting with Shawn and Ashley on Sunday to finalize the wedding papers. I could not be happier with the outcome of this special day. Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!”
Michael C.
5/31/14, Anita Dee II
Wedding “This was a unique and fun venue that our guests loved! My daughter’s ceremony and reception were held on the Anita Dee II and we have had so many positive comments from everyone. Working with Colleen was wonderful and the staff were all very professional. We had a evening wedding and I was concerned because there was an afternoon wedding. However, the turnover was smooth. We were also very fortunate to have wonderful weather and Sat night fireworks which made the evening very special. For a relaxing and unique summer wedding this is certainly a venue to consider.”
Kathy W.
6/22/13, Anita Dee II
“I wanted to thank you all for the wonderful experience we had aboard the Anita Dee II for our Wedding Reception. Everything was more wonderful than we could have imagined. You were so helpful throughout the entire process, answering all my questions quickly and with so much patience! Being allowed to visit the bridge was a special treat for my husband and I as we met on a ship and had some of our first conversations on the bridge. You’re entire crew took such wonderful care of us, our families, and all of our guests. We are so happy we had our reception aboard the Anita Dee and hope to see you all again soon!”
Mr. & Mrs. Colin Little