I recently purchased three tickets for the Chicago Lake and River Architecture Tour by Wendella for my daughter, myself and my mother that utilizes a walker due to limited mobility. Wendella cruises CAN be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) friendly but it takes some preparation ahead of time that I will detail in the review below. First, here is some information provided by Wendella once you book your tour:
"Guests are required to arrive at the dock specified on your ticket at least 30 minutes early, as the boarding process includes a security screening, as well as a checking-in procedure. Boarding generally begins 15 minutes before departure. The boat leaves promptly at the departure time, and we cannot hold the boat past the departure time if you are running late.
Seating is general admission and is based on a first-come, first-served basis. We suggest arriving 30 minutes prior to your departure time to line up early if you have a preferred seat.
All bags will be screened prior to boarding the vessel.
The closest address to our Michigan Avenue Dock is 400 N Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 (near the Wrigley Building). From there you can check in with a dock employee who can direct you to the boarding area. For further directions click here.
Please note that our Michigan Avenue dock has many stairs. If you need an ADA accessible dock, please call us at 312-337-1446 and let us know immediately (before your departure day) so we can make sure you are booked on a tour leaving from the accessible dock."
That last line is important. I had to call to confirm that the time I booked was ADA friendly and sure enough the time we booked was not at an ADA accessible dock. We had to book a tour that was a half an hour later in order to get to use the ADA accessible dock. The instructions on how to best get to the dock were given to me by phone and I'll try to recreate those here:
1. ITS EASIEST TO PARK IN THE TRUMP TOWER. Downtown Chicago is beyond busy and if you want to minimize the distance you have to travel with your party, simply park in Trump Tower.
2. From there take the elevators within trump tower down to the main level and exit the building.
3. Head towards Wabash, Ave and take the ramp towards the bridge that crosses the Chicago River. You will notice a glass Elevator.
4. Take the glass elevator to level "LL2" and exit straight to the outside walkway.
5. From this walkway, proceed away from Wabash Ave and the boat will be in your left about 200 feet.
6. Whatever you do, GO EARLY!!! I arrived 45 minutes before departure but by the time I was able to park, get every situated and physically be in line....we had 5 minutes to spare.
PROS of the tour:
1. Our tour guide Phyllis - SUPER KNOWLEDGABLE about the history of Chicago and its architecture. She was an absolute treat and is a local treasure
2. The Captain - Rodney - very helpful in assisting my mother onto the ship and always took an extra second to checkup on us.
3. The length of our tour was about 1 hour and 40 minutes. I think our was a little longer than most because it was Memorial Day Weekend and traffic in and out of the barriers between the river and Lake Michigan were BUSY
4. Assortment of drink and food options at a fair price. I was able to enjoy an ice cold adult beverage and some snacks at a reasonable price.
CONS of the tour:
1. Despite our best efforts, we arrived shortly before departure so sitting was limited. If you want your pick of seating you have to get there early
2. Restrooms - While the restrooms were clean, the lines for the restrooms can be long. We snuck into one rather quickly, but I observed longer lines that can take up valuable time when you are trying to enjoy the view. My advice, utilize the restrooms before you embark or after the tour is over
3. Weather - Personally, the weather when we went was BEAUTIFUL, but according to the tour guide, it was the first dry Saturday they had in months. Just be mindful of the weather and plan accordingly.
This was my second river/lake tour and will not be my last. It was my first with a guest requiring ADA friendly accommodations, so I wanted to share my experience in the hope that it can help someone in the future. Overall, great experience!