cruise in michigan city

Cruises in Muskegon, MI

Join us for an afternoon on the water or for a beautiful cruise into the sunset. Choose one of our cruises and experience the magnificence of Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake .

• Most Popular Cruise!
• Hour Glass 2 hours
• Tags All ages

Sunset Cruises

Experience a cruise while watching the sunset from the lake! Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages can be purchased on deck. Many cruises have live music. Check out the calendar for details!

• Hour Glass 1 hour & 30 minutes

Afternoon Cruises

Come enjoy an afternoon cruise around Muskegon Lake! Bring your friends and family for a relaxing voyage with amazing views.

• Tags 12 and up

Pigeon Hill Home Town Cruise

Enjoy a nice sunset and fun with friends on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan, plus craft beers from Pigeon Hill Brewing.

Flip Flop Parrot Head Cruise

The Aquastar and the Shoreline Parrot Heads are teaming up for an “Official” Parrot Head Cruise!

• Hour Glass 2 hours & 15 minutes

Blessing of the Boats

Enjoy the ceremonial washing of the lighthouse which marks the beginning of boating season. Boaters then cruise for the official blessing on the Aquastar.

unWINEd Wine Tasting Cruise

Spend some quality time out on the water enjoying the views while sampling some of four favorite wines! You will enjoy 5 samples of great wines, a beautiful sunset cruise and more!

Odd Side Ales Cruise

Odd Side Ales is bringing their special brews and the first one is on us. We expect to enjoy a beautiful sunset on either night.

Muskegon Civic Theatre Cabaret Cruise

Muskegon Civic Theatre is bringing the show to the Aquastar!

• Hour Glass 3 Hours

July Fireworks Cruise

There is nothing better than watching fireworks in July…except maybe watching them while you are on the water! Join us on the Aquastar for a special July Fireworks cruise on July 4th! This cruise ALWAYS sells out so get your tickets early!

Muskegon Channel Radio’s Full Moon Cruise

There is nothing better than enjoying a West Michigan Sunset and then a special Full Moon while you cruise on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan.

Polynesian Adventure Cruise

Listen to the sounds of the Hawaiian Islands while enjoying time out on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan as we take in some of the most spectacular sunsets in West Michigan.

Blues Cruise

There is nothing better than enjoying a West Michigan Sunset with smooth Blues music while you cruise on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan.

Christmas in July Sunset Cruise!

Come aboard our special Christmas in July cruise, where we bring the magic of the holiday season to the middle of summer!

Motown Cruise

FM 105’s DJ Willie Smith will be spinning all your favorite Motown hits, from The Jackson 5 to Martha and the Vandellas, creating a non-stop party atmosphere that will keep you on your feet all night long.

Whale Watching Cruise

Come aboard as we “watch” for whales and enjoy a few drinks and snacks from our bar while sailing into the sunset! Like we Michiganders say . . . No Salt. No Sharks. No Worries!

Yacht Rock Sunset Cruise

Join us on our Yacht Rock cruise with local legendary DJ Andy O’Riley! We are going to groove to the smooth sounds of 70s and 80s soft rock and test your knowledge with era trivia including prizes and giveaways! You’ll even get your own captain’s hat to keep!

Muskegon History Cruises

Catch some rays and gorgeous views from the boat! Local historian Brad Richards, known for his appearances on the former History Channel show “The Curse of Civil War Gold,” will be sharing captivating insights into Muskegon’s history and the Lumbertown era during an afternoon cruise.

Miss Michigan Cruise

The Aquastar is a fan and supporter of the Miss Michigan Scholarship fund. Come out for a beautiful afternoon cruising Muskegon Lake and getting to know the ladies who hope to represent our beautiful state.

Mariachi Cruise

Enjoy some time out on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan a beautiful sunset and fun with friends. Beautiful views! Great Music! Celebrate your heritage. Music by El Son de Mexico.

Reading Caravan Fundraiser

Come meet the team, support the Reading Caravan and enjoy a sunset cruise! Lumberjack player pictures and autographs available. 

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are available for purchase with credit/debit card on board.

White Lake History Cruises

TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE JUNE 12, 2024!

The White Lake Chamber of Commerce, working with the White Lake Area Historical Society takes you past 20 different sites with experts on board to tell you why they are important to the community.

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4th of July Cruise – Mackinaw City

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• Eastbound Lighthouse Cruise

Westbound Lighthouse Cruise

• Extended Eastbound Lighthouse Cruise
• Extended Westbound Lighthouse Cruise

Les Cheneaux Lighthouse Cruise

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Book a Shepler’s Westbound Lighthouse Cruise and remark at five spectacular Lake Michigan lighthouses while taking in the stunning coastline views of Wilderness State Park and beyond.  Learn lighthouse history and maritime lore via our expert guide with the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association.

A special highlight with this particular direction in 2024 is the opportunity to witness the lights at work and a Lake Michigan sunset during an evening tour from 7:00-10:00 p.m.  The only date this is offered is Thursday, July 11 th .

All Lighthouse Cruises depart from and return to Mackinaw City.

Click here to download full 2024 Cruise Schedule.

• 3 Hours, Restroom on Board

Included Lights:

• Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
• White Shoal
• Gray’s Reef
• Waugoshance
• St. Helena Island Lighthouse

Be sure to read important scheduled cruise FAQs on cancellations and refunds, updated concession stand details, parking, boarding, and other important information before purchasing tickets.

Adult: $79.00 Children (ages 5-12): $48.00 Children (under 5): Free

Please note: Cruise Terms and Conditions have been updated as of December 15, 2022.

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Cruise type, cruise dates, select tickets, what people are saying about this cruise:, other cruises you might like:, private charter cruises, cruise travel tips.

• Only trained service animals are permitted on Shepler’s cruises. • Outside food or beverages are not permitted. • Smoking is not allowed. • Passengers of all ages are required to have a ticket for boarding. Children under five are free of charge, but do require a ticket for boarding and must sit on a parent’s lap. A paid child’s seat is required for a seat. • Guests should plan to arrive one hour prior to departure time. • All cruises depart from Mackinaw City unless otherwise specified. • Guests departing on a Shepler’s cruise enjoy complimentary parking in our Day Lot (visit our Parking page for details).

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• Most Popular

CHAMPAGNE SUNSET CRUISE

Quick details.

• Hour Glass Duration: 2 hours

Enjoy Traverse City’s Wonderful Sunsets

Looking for the best views of the day? Then check out our Champagne Sunset Cruise. Enjoy breathtaking scenery of Traverse City’s wonderful sunset. As we leisurely sail past some of the most beautiful homes along Old Mission Peninsula, you can lay back in the nets and watch the sun disappear. Once it starts to set, everyone enjoys a complimentary glass of champagne and we toast various events such as birthdays, anniversaries, or whatever moves you!

The Nauti-Cat sails on West Grand Traverse Bay, and depending on the wind speed, the catamaran can reach 14 knots. There are two heads (restrooms) aboard. You are more than welcome to bring food aboard. If you want to feel like a part of the crew, we can put you to work raising the sails, jibing, tacking, and navigating.

While on the Nauti-Cat, you get the best view of Traverse City, so bring your camera because these photos will be unforgettable!

What Is Not Included?

• Snacks are not included, but you are welcome to bring your own food!
• You can purchase beer, wine, mixed drinks and soft drinks at our on-board bar with cash or a credit card.
• Please note that personal drink items are not allowed.

Meeting Location

• 615 E Front Street (Traverse City, MI)
• Directions: Click here

RELATED CRUISES

Happy hour cruise.

Get ready to soak up the sun and take the plunge on our happy hour cruise!

• Users All ages

Noon Cruise

The sun is at its highest during our Noon Cruise, making it a favorite for sun-bathing and relaxing!

We are now booking Cruises for the 2024 Season

• Most Popular

SUNSET CRUISE

Quick details.

• User Ages: Children $20; Infants are free
• Hour Glass Duration: 1.5 hours

Info Please note: We require at least 20 adults in order to run a trip. If we do not meet this requirement we will let you know 24 hours in advance to refund you or rebook.

Watch the Sunset Over the Lake!

This is our most popular excursion! When the weather gets warm, it becomes increasingly in demand. It provides spectacular viewing and beautiful photo opportunities. We cruise offshore on Lake Michigan or we will cruise the Manistee River and Manistee Lake.

If your booking is cancelled because we do not have the minimum amount of passengers (20) needed, we will help you rebook, get a gift card, or refund.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

• Hour Glass 1.5 hours
• User All ages

Grab your favorite beverage at the Princess Bar, make a song request, and join us for a cruise down the Scenic River Boardwalk in downtown Manistee and then out to view the beautiful Lake Michigan Shoreline.

• Friday, July 5th, 2024
• Hour Glass 2.5 hours

Fireworks and Sunset Cruise

Relaxing Sightseeing Cruise on Lake Michigan! This special 2.5 hour cruise starts at 8:30 and returns as the fireworks Finale lights up the Harbor.

• Hour Glass 2 hours

4th of July Cruise

Celebrate the 4th with a special 2 Hour sunset cruise on the Manistee waterfront. While the Manistee Fireworks will be displayed on July 5th, there will be plenty to see as the celebration gets started.

Step Aboard the Emita II, right in Michigan City!

A tour boat in Michigan City? Dig the Dunes had to get the scoop! We talked to Victor Tieri, the owner of Harbor Country Adventures, located in New Buffalo, MI. Harbor Country Adventures will be chartering the Emita II right out of Michigan City. Learn more, right here!

When will the boat tours start? Where will the boat be docked/people board? I hope to start tours the first week of June as I still have to move the boat back from Syracuse New York via the great lakes. The Erie Canal does not open for the season until May 18th so that is the earliest I can leave. The Emitta will be docked along Trail Creek in Michigan City right at Millennium Plaza.

How much will it cost? Prices will be $30 for adults and $16 for children.

How long is each tour and where will you go? Our daily Classic Lake tour will be 90 minutes during which we will give the passengers some light history of the area and the lake. We will be cruising along the lakeshore towards the Indiana Dunes. Our sunset cruise will be 2 hours.

Will you have lunch/dinner/sunset cruises? We will be offering a limited menu of Hamburgers, Grilled Chicken sandwiches, Hot dogs and a few Panini’s. We also will have a full bar with cocktails and beer. The sunset cruise will have either a DJ or a Acoustic act performing on the top deck weather permitting.

What is the minimum/maximum capacity for general tours? There is no minimum for tours and we will tour regardless of how many people are on board. The vessel can hold up to 150 passengers but I am thinking of capping it at 100 so everyone has plenty of room to take in the views.

What should someone do if they want to set up a private charter? Anyone interested in booking any sort of event can visit Harborcountryadventures.com or call us at 269-231-5867

Anything else you’d like to tell people? Harbor Country Adventures is very excited to also be moving our Sea Rocket tour boat to Michigan City from New Buffalo. We have been running tours in New Buffalo for 4 years and have taken thousands of people out for a view of the lake.

The Emita II is also available for private events and we are working with some of the best caterers in the area such as Bartlett’s Fish Camp and Great Lakes Catering.

We are also the number 1 wine tour company in Southwest Michigan and also provide luxury Limo bus rentals. Check out our website for more information!

Get the scoop! Sign up for the Dig the Dunes e-newsletter today!

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Facebook post from Caseville business owner causes controversy

CASEVILLE, Mich. (WNEM) - Social media was flooded after the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump, with many sending thoughts of prayer and concern, but many other posts were considered in poor taste.

A mid-Michigan business owner’s post about it created a firestorm of controversy, but he said he didn’t post it.

TV5’s James Felton spoke with Tom Carriveau, the owner of Explorer Charters in Caseville.

Saturday night, July 13, a Facebook post made from his account surfaced, stating the shooter missed his mark.

Carriveau said he didn’t do it, claiming he was hacked, and now he is working to clear his name after the Caseville Chamber of Commerce took action on his business.

“Our board unanimously voted to terminate Tom Carriveau’s membership with Explorer Charters as a chamber member,” said Steve Louwers, president of the Caseville Chamber of Commerce.

He said a Facebook post from the account of Tom Carriveau was a violation of the chamber’s by-laws, engaging in conduct unbecoming a charter member, and engaging in practices directly detrimental to the chamber or Caseville area.

He added that continued involvement with Carriveau would threaten the safety of, cause additional disruption, and create irreparable damages to the business community.

“I’m really, really feeling terrible about the whole situation. As 25 years as president of the chamber, I’ve never had this situation come up,” Louwers said.

As TV5 has reported, Trump was shot in the ear during an attempted assassination Saturday.

The post from Carriveau’s account laments the fact that the shot missed its target and stated the shooter would have done the world a service.

“We’re receiving a lot of negative emails and things, and basically we’re taking our stance as a chamber of commerce and letting people know that we don’t condone it,” Louwers said.

TV5 spoke with Carriveau off camera.

He said he left his phone at the public bathroom near the beach in Caseville around 10 p.m. on Saturday. He said he didn’t have security features set up on the phone. He said he went back and got the phone around 3 a.m. Sunday from the bathroom. TV5 checked with the city workers who said the bathroom isn’t locked.

Carriveau said hours later when he woke up, there were dozens of messages on his phone. That’s when he realized something was wrong. He’s taken the posts down.

Carriveau said it’s the most ridiculous thing he could do to a business he’s worked for years to build.

But Louwers said that won’t change what has happened.

“Tom is a hard worker. He’s a great man. And I feel really bad for him. I feel bad for the family. I also feel bad for the victims, and on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, we had to do what we had to do,” he said.

Carriveau said he’s received numerous cancellations since the Facebook post from his account went viral. During the half hour that Felton spoke with him, his cell phone rang the entire time.

He has the right to request a hearing to get his membership with the Caseville Chamber of Commerce reinstated. It’s not yet clear what he plans to do.

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Major global IT outage grounds flights, hits banks and businesses around the world

Coverage on this live blog has ended. Please click here for the latest updates.

What we know

• A major global IT outage industries across the world today with airlines, banks, shops and broadcasters affected.
• Major U.S. airlines grounded flights and there were global delays. United, American and Delta ordered a "global ground stop," said Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., a member of the House subcommittee on cybersecurity.
• Microsoft said it had fixed the issue , but problems still persist and blue error screens are appearing on public screens across the U.S. and beyond. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, in a statement Friday afternoon, said, “CrowdStrike released an update that began impacting IT systems globally."
• Texas-based Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike said the problem stemmed from a "defect found in a single content update for Windows."
• Alaska State Troopers said 911 services were down across the state, but later said they were functioning normally. New Hampshire also had temporary problems.

CrowdStrike says update ‘triggered a logic error’ that led to crashes

Phil Helsel

Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike said that a sensor configuration update to its Falcon platform “triggered a logic error” and led to computer crashes.

In a summary of technical details released by the company following a global outage that led to canceled flights and other disruptions, CrowdStrike said that “we are doing a thorough root cause analysis to determine how this logic flaw occurred.”

Falcon is a cloud-based system used to block cyberattacks. The company said that “sensor configuration updates” are part of its protection mechanism. It said it will update its findings as the root cause analysis continues.

Almost 3,000 flights canceled in or to U.S. amid global outage

There were almost 3,000 flights canceled within or into the United States today as airlines and the world grappled with a massive IT outage that scrambled schedules and scrubbed trips.

Major airlines like Delta, United and American said they experienced disruptions.

As of around 8 p.m. there had been 2,945 cancellations within, into, or out of the United States, according to flight tracking website FlightAware .

Los Angeles International Airport, which is already famous for its traffic gridlock, was among the nation's airports warning passengers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

But LAX ranked down the list of U.S. airports with the most cancellations. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, a major hub, topped the list of U.S. airports with cancellations, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport came in second, according to the website.

911 systems impacted by outage coming back to normal

After many 911 and nonemergency call centers in the Alaska were impacted by the global IT outage, 911 systems in the state were back to normal today, Alaska State Troopers said.

New Hampshire and Plano, Texas, were among the states and communities that had reported problems with 911 due to the outage, but have since said they were functioning normally.

Bettors suffer under global IT outage, too

Online sports gambling site BetMGM said that it was being affected by the global IT outage as well.

The website announced earlier today that it “is experiencing temporary issues due to global IT outages.”

“We are working hard to resolve this and will update customers when we are up and running. Thank you for your patience,” BetMGM said on social media platform X .

Its website was down this evening for what it said was planned maintenance.

Long lines into U.S. from Mexico as outage delays CBP processing

There were long lines of people trying to enter the United States from the Mexico border city of Ciudad Juarez after the global IT outage affected U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The U.S. agency said that the problem was processing delays due to outage, which has affected sectors of daily life from air travel to Starbucks mobile ordering services.

Video from Reuters showed long lines and signs leading up to the international bridge that warned drivers of extended waiting times.

CrowdStrike shares close down 11% after major outage hits businesses worldwide

Ryan Browne, CNBC

Cybersecurity firm  CrowdStrike  saw its shares plunge Friday, after a sofware update led to a major outage, affecting businesses across the world.

Shares of the company, which makes software to help firms manage their security in IT environments, opened down more than 14%, and closed down about 11%.

Microsoft, which also reported issues affecting its Azure cloud services and Microsoft 365 suite of apps, closed down just 0.74%.

Read the full story here.

FTC chair criticizes consolidation in tech, saying it creates fragile systems

Raquel Coronell Uribe

Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, seemed to refer to the CrowdStrike outage on X on Friday, saying that overreliance on too few vendors creates “fragile systems.”

“All too often these days, a single glitch results in a system-wide outage, affecting industries from healthcare and airlines to banks and auto-dealers,” Khan wrote. “Millions of people and businesses pay the price.”

Khan cited remarks she gave at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in March, noting that the country’s antitrust laws were passed to safeguard undue concentration of economic power.

Such concentration, Khan wrote on X, can concentrate risk, creating cascading effects like shortages. 

Senator asks Pentagon for briefing on outage

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., today asked the acting chief information officer of the Defense Department for a briefing by July 26 on the IT issue causing widespread disruptions across the U.S.

“A single point of failure in a cybersecurity strategy has proven time and time again to be a threat to our national security,” Schmitt wrote in a letter.

Schmitt called for a re-examination of cyber safeguards “across the board.”

A Defense Department spokesperson said it was aware of the issues and that personnel were monitoring their networks for possible impacts.

“For operational security reasons, we do not comment on the status of our network operations, information systems or operations to assess cyber threats,” the statement read.

Schmitt wrote a letter in June pressing the department for a strategy to ensure “robust cybersecurity practices.”

CrowdStrike on call headed into the weekend, warns of impostors

Kevin Collier

CrowdStrike has mobilized employees to help customers still affected by the glitch, CEO George Kurtz said in a blog post this afternoon.

“Nothing is more important to me than the trust and confidence that our customers and partners have put into CrowdStrike. As we resolve this incident, you have my commitment to provide full transparency on how this occurred and steps we’re taking to prevent anything like this from happening again,” Kurtz said.

He echoed CISA’s warning of hackers and scammers trying to exploit confusion over how to fix computers that froze due to the update.

“We know that adversaries and bad actors will try to exploit events like this. I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and ensure that you’re engaging with official CrowdStrike representatives,” Kurtz said.

Hospital surgery delays add to anxiety

Marina Kopf

Gary Baulos, 73, was scheduled for open-heart surgery today at Baptist Health hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. His daughter Alison Baulos said the surgery to clear eight blockages and repair an aneurysm was canceled due to the global technology outages.

“It reshuffles everything and leaves us with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty,” she said.

Alison said his father's surgery has not been rescheduled yet, but hopes it can be done on Monday.

“It’s kind of scary knowing that your loved one has this significant issue that warranted getting in right away,” she said. “And now you have to wait the weekend.”

In a statement to NBC News, Baptist Health said they’re “experiencing disruptions tied to the global CrowdStrike incident” and “have canceled some non-emergency procedures while we work to resolve the issue.”

Just 23% of all U.S. flights departing on time as of this afternoon

The nightmare scenario that began unfolding this morning at U.S. airports continued well into the afternoon, with less than a quarter of all domestic flights departing on time as of 4 p.m., according to real-time data from Anuvu, an aviation intelligence group.

Most affected was Endeavor Airlines, a regional carrier based in Minnesota, with 40% of all its flights canceled and effectively zero departing on time, according to Anuvu data.

Among major carriers, all flights for Delta, Spirit and United airlines were seeing delays, the data showed.

While other airlines, like Frontier, JetBlue and Southwest, were not directly affected by the global outage, issues at affected airports still resulted in delays for some of those carriers' flights.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has been directing affected passengers to FlightRights.gov to learn about which airlines cover meals and hotels and provide free rebooking.

Tesla temporarily halts production at some facilities

Lora Kolodny, CNBC

Electric vehicle maker  Tesla  temporarily halted production on lines at some of its manufacturing facilities Friday after an unprecedented IT outage impacted global operations due to system issues at cybersecurity firm  CrowdStrike .

According to correspondence obtained by CNBC, Tesla’s IT teams notified employees that there was a “windows host outage,” and different systems were affected including “servers, laptops and manufacturing devices.” The IT teams informed Tesla employees that they may see a “ blue screen ” on their various devices.

Tesla CEO  Elon Musk , who also owns social media platform X, posted several complaints about the CrowdStrike outages to his account, which has more than 190 million followers, throughout the morning.

Two Tesla employees who spoke with CNBC, but asked to remain unnamed because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the company, said that some manufacturing lines were slow to start on Friday morning, and others were temporarily halted in California and Nevada. They also said managers were telling some workers to prepare for canceled shifts or to go home early.

Business Insider , which first reported on the IT memo, wrote that workers in Tesla’s Texas vehicle assembly plant were sent home overnight in response to the outages as well.

As a key Tesla vendor,  Microsoft , scrambled to restore its apps and services Friday morning, CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a statement on X that an update from CrowdStrike on Thursday impacted global IT systems.

In replies to Nadella on X, Musk wrote that the outages had caused a “seizure” to the automotive supply chain, adding, “We just deleted CrowdStrike from all our systems, so no rollouts at all.” Employees confirmed that Tesla was using CrowdStrike as of Friday.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for further information.

Read more from CNBC

Starbucks baristas recovering from chaotic morning

Kat Tenbarge

With Starbucks' mobile order-ahead feature still unavailable , baristas have directed customers with handwritten signs to "plz come to walk-up."

A Starbucks barista in Washington, D.C., told CNBC that her store had to manually write out tickets for customers this morning, while an anonymous Starbucks supervisor posted "We are SUFFERING" on Reddit. "Mobile orders and deliveries were through the roof, drive thru was wrapped around the building and two accidents in our parking lot," the post continued.

Starbucks' foot traffic had returned to normal in three New York City locations NBC News visited on Friday afternoon. Four customers told NBC News they had no issues ordering in person. The chain continued ahead with a $3 drink deal between noon and 6 p.m.

At LAX, a line snakes out the door

Dana Griffin

Reporting from Los Angeles International Airport

People are pretty jovial at Los Angeles International Airport despite delays and cancellations that continue to snarl travel due to today's IT issues.

Some people said they had been waiting hours in an effort to change flights and find a way to their destination. The line to rebook for United Airlines is long, snaking out of the airport where United employees are handing out bottles of water.

Outage forces Texas and New York to close driver’s license offices

The Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas — The internet outages forced Texas to close all of its driver’s license offices across the state, and New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles couldn’t process transactions online and in its offices Friday morning.

The Texas Department of Public Safety operates driver’s license offices in most of the state’s 254 counties. The agency issues, renews and updates driver licenses or state ID cards and provides driver education courses.

The department said in a statement that “there is no current estimate” on when the offices will reopen.

In New York, the DMV said that by Friday afternoon, some systems had been restored and that it could begin performing online transactions. However, some in-person services were still offline.

At least three of its DMV offices closed for the day because of the outage, according to the agency’s website.

Hackers are trying to exploit CrowdStrike-led outage, feds say

The widespread outages aren't the result of a cyberattack, but hackers are actively trying to capitalize on the confusion, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said.

“CISA has observed threat actors taking advantage of this incident for phishing and other malicious activity,” an agency alert says . 

“CISA urges organizations and individuals to remain vigilant and only follow instructions from legitimate sources. CISA recommends organizations to remind their employees to avoid clicking on phishing emails or suspicious links,” it said.

How could a security update cripple computers around the world?

JoElla Carman

The software that caused Friday's global IT outage was part of a routine update process.

Computers that received the faulty update now won’t operate without being started in a special recovery mode. That means each computer must be fixed manually.

Courts in Massachusetts and New York are disrupted by the outage

BOSTON — Courts in Massachusetts and New York saw their operations disrupted Friday by the global internet outage.

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts judiciary said about half of its workstations were down while court transcription recording systems were not operating in a number of courthouses, resulting in delays in some court sessions.

Some court proceedings were also delayed in New York because of computer problems.

In Manhattan, a criminal court proceeding for Harvey Weinstein, who is charged with rape, started 90 minutes late because of disruptions to court and corrections computer systems.

In Southern California, Orange County Superior Court also reported technical issues.

51 hospitals affected by global IT outage in the west

Lindsay Good

Mirna Alsharif

A total of 51 hospitals under the Providence Southern California umbrella have been affected by the global IT outage in western states, according to the health care organization.

"Providence, like other organizations across the world, is impacted by the Crowdstrike outage," the organization said in a statement. "Our IT teams have been working overnight to respond to the issue and have restored key functionality in the Epic electronic health record so that nurses, physicians and other caregivers can access patient records and perform clinical documentation."

The organization said "other clinical applications and workstations continue to be impacted" despite the progress, but didn't specify what the applications and workstations are.

"Patient safety and access to care is always the top priority at Providence," the health organization said. "We will provide updates as new information becomes available."

Some of Starbucks' features impacted by outage

Janelle Griffith

Starbucks said it was among the companies impacted by the outage, resulting in a temporary outage of its mobile order ahead and pay features.

“We continue to welcome and serve customers in the vast majority of our stores and drive-thrus and are doing everything we can to bring all systems online as quickly as possible,” said Jaci Anderson, the company’s director of communications. “We apologize for any inconvenience.”

Nearly 4,300 flights canceled worldwide due to global IT outage, per Cirium

Nearly 4,300 flights have been canceled worldwide as of 12 p.m. E.T. due to the global IT outage, according to Cirium.

This equates to 3.9% of all scheduled flights globally. The figure is subject to change as the day progresses, Cirium said.

Microsoft 365 says all of its previously impacted apps and services have recovered

Microsoft 365 says it has completed its mitigation actions and its telemetry indicates all previously impacted Microsoft 365 apps and services have recovered.

“We’re entering a period of monitoring to ensure impact is fully resolved,” the company said.

Maricopa County, Arizona, says early voting for primaries impacted

The Maricopa County Elections Department in Arizona said the global IT outage is impacting some voting locations, as early voting in statewide primaries rolls out.

In a statement posted to X , the department directed voters to a web page to find out which polling places remain unaffected by the incident.

Early primary voting has been open for Grand Canyon states since July 3; Arizona's official primary election is Tuesday, July 30.

The state-level primaries will have a significant impact on the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and House: Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is squaring off against Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb for the opportunity to face Democrat Ruben Gallego to replace outgoing Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

Meanwhile, six Republicans — including former Senate candidate Blake Masters, are vying to replace retiring Republican Debbie Lesko in the state's 8th Congressional District.

Surgeries and doctor’s appointments canceled amid global IT outage

Erika Edwards

Several major U.S. hospitals were forced to cancel surgeries and doctor’s appointments amid the  global computer outage .

Hospital staffers in New York and Boston said they were unable to access some medical records or were having trouble figuring out where to send critically ill patients as several operating rooms had been shut down.

“Every day, we have a plan that’s mapped out really carefully so that we can plan our resources,” said one employee of an affected New York City hospital system. “That’s all blown up,” the staffer said, asking to not be identified because the person wasn’t authorized to speak on behalf of the health care system.

Microsoft CEO makes first remarks on outage

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella released the company's first statement about the outage early Friday afternoon, saying: “CrowdStrike released an update that began impacting IT systems globally. We are aware of this issue and are working closely with CrowdStrike and across the industry to provide customers technical guidance and support to safely bring their systems back online.”

Just like in 2016, post GOP convention travel hit by major outage

Ben Kamisar

Journalists and Republicans leaving Milwaukee after this week's Republican National Convention may have a feeling of déjà vu if their travel plans are interrupted by this global outage.

It's the second in-person GOP convention in a row (2016 and 2024, since 2020 was largely virtual) that ended with a major transportation-related outage.

Southwest reported a "technology outage" on July 20, 2016 , the second to last day of the convention in Cleveland. The company ultimately said more than 2,000 flights were delayed or cancelled. But while the outage happened midweek, travelers were still feeling some effects of it days later and this reporter had to drive colleagues with cancelled flights home from Cleveland.

Tired travelers cope ... and drink

Kevin Breuninger, CNBC

Reporting from JFK International Airport in New York

Travelers stuck this morning at JFK Airport in New York met the delays with resignation, weariness and a need to hit the bar.

Colby Black, 45, took the delays in stride, even though he wasn’t sure when his rescheduled flight to Los Angeles would take off. It was originally set to depart at 6 a.m.

“I’m just tired. I want to sleep,” said Black, who woke up at 3 a.m. “But otherwise, yeah, it happens.”

One mother said she hadn’t slept the night before, just so she and her infant son could get to JFK on time.

“I’m still up, running on no sleep,” she said as she was seated on a barstool beside a heavy pour of chilled white wine. She wasn’t originally planning to order a preflight drink.

“Hell no. I got to the airport at 4 o'clock this morning,” she said.

Watch U.S. air traffic ebb and flow as IT issues rippled through system

Tom Costello

Video from the airline tracker Flightradar24 shows how U.S. air travel was scaled back dramatically in the early morning hours, as airlines and airports scrambled to deal with IT issues related to a security bug.

Microsoft’s ‘Blue Screen of Death’ makes a return to computers around the world

Elizabeth Chuck

An image that has instilled panic in computer users for decades popped up on screens worldwide today: the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death.”

Appearing everywhere from Macy’s flagship store in New York City to  airports in India , the Blue Screen of Death has long prompted groans and frantic questions of “Did my work save?” It’s a Microsoft Windows error screen indicative of a system crash — meaning a computer issue has resulted in the operating system no longer being able to run safely.

An unwanted sight that has become so widely known over its more than 30-year existence, it’s sometimes referred to by its acronym, BSoD. Today, the blue screen taunted millions globally amid a  widespread technology outage  that halted flights, knocked broadcasters off the air and disconnected some emergency phone lines. Texas-based cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said early today that the outage was the result of a “defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts,” not a cyberattack, and that a fix had been deployed.

CrowdStrike CEO releases updated statement

Victoria Feng

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz released an updated statement on X, assuring customers that this was not a "security or cyber incident," and that their information is still protected.

"We are working with all impacted customers to ensure that systems are back up and they can deliver the services their customers are counting on," Kurtz added.

He said that he would provide updates via his X account, LinkedIn and the CrowdStrike website.

Steve Kopack

The Federal Aviation Administration says it is aware of reports of a systems outage causing disruptions in service, including 911.

“We’re working closely with other federal agencies to provide assistance and determine the extent of these service disruptions,” the FAA said.

Airlines must take care of passengers impacted by global IT outage, Buttigieg says

Speaking on CNBC, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is “tracking all the various impacts hitting different forms of transportation.”

Buttigieg said the agency has reminded airlines as they deal with the outage of their “responsibilities to take care of passengers if they experience major delays.”

Buttigieg also said public transit systems are running normally despite the ongoing global IT outage, but some consumers might encounter websites that are down or ticketing systems with minor problems.

“This wasn’t a cyberattack,” he said but the agency will continue to work with infrastructure and transportation providers to ensure they properly maintain their cyber defenses.

Chicago Department of Aviation monitoring global IT outage

The Chicago Department of Aviation is monitoring the global IT outage that has impacted air travel nationwide, it said in a statement.

"CDA officials are working diligently with federal and airline partners at both O’Hare and Midway International Airports to restore operations as swiftly as possible," the department said. "The CDA is committed to providing all necessary assistance to our passengers during this time."

The CDA encouraged anyone flying out of Chicago airports today to check their flight status before making the trip to the airport. 

Long lines but 'a snowball's chance' in Atlanta's airport

Charlie Gile

Reporting from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

The ticketing line at Spirit Airlines in Atlanta is hundreds of people long as travelers try to get information about flights. 

One traveler near the front says she waited for over four hours. Employees calling out specific flight numbers had to shout over the crowd to be heard. When asked if she was confident about leaving Atlanta today, one woman in line said, “A snowball’s chance.”

Orange County Fire Authority says its responses to emergencies were uninterrupted

The Orange County Fire Authority in California said the outage had temporarily affected some of its internal systems, but that its responses to emergency incidents were uninterrupted, and its 78 fire stations did not experience any delays in service.

“Our IT team continues to monitor the situation,” the fire authority said.

What we know about the global Microsoft outage

Alexander Smith

A routine software update caused  cascading chaos today that has engulfed global businesses from airports and banks to retail and law enforcement.

It wasn’t a cyberattack, but was caused by one of the world’s largest cybersecurity companies deploying a flawed update while trying to keep its customers safe from hackers.

CrowdStrike, a  cybersecurity company  based in Austin, Texas, that’s widely used by businesses and government agencies that run on Microsoft computers, said that a defect in one of its updates for computers running the Windows operating system had caused the issue. The result was arguably the largest global information technology outage in history. 

Fed says critical systems 'operating normally'

Leslie Picker, CNBC

The Federal Reserve is out with an assurance that its systems are working amid the global tech outage.

“Critical Federal Reserve Systems are operating normally. We are monitoring the situation and working closely with industry and other government agencies to assess the situation,” the central bank said in a statement to CNBC.

RNC attendees look for a way out of Milwaukee

Freddie Tunnard

Reporting from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

Hello from the Milwaukee Airport, which is a mix of politicians, red hats and police officers.

Some officers from North Carolina seem to have been here for a while — one of them is sleeping on the floor. One of the airlines just announced that it is bringing out a snack cart.  

It’s crowded but quiet here, and the general vibe I would say is pretty tired — I would imagine most of these people were up past midnight watching former President Donald Trump’s speech. Most of the seats at the gates are occupied (as is a lot of the floor) with weary travelers.

FlightAware, which tracks airline operations, said this morning that 40 flights had been canceled, with another 65 delayed.

FedEx experiencing 'substantial disruptions'

FedEx says it has experienced “substantial disruptions” throughout its networks due to the global IT outage .

The company said contingency plans have been activated to mitigate impact, but delays are possible for packages that have a delivery commitment of today.

FedEx advised customers to check its service alerts page for updates and to track shipments on its website, fedex.com.

Biden has been briefed on the CrowdStrike outage

A White House official said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the outage and his team is in touch with CrowdStrike and impacted entities. His team is engaged across the interagency to get sector by sector updates throughout the day, and is standing by to provide assistance, the official said.

The president was also briefed on the drone attack overnight in Tel Aviv.

Hospitals across the U.S. are canceling operations

Patrick Smith Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

Hospitals and medical centers across the United States are turning patients away in the the wake of the global IT problems today.

The Harris Health Quentin Mease Health Center in Houston said it was canceling all elective procedures and outpatient care, while Mass General Brigham in Boston canceled "all previously scheduled non-urgent surgeries, procedures, and medical visits are cancelled today."

The Boston hospital said in a statement: "A major worldwide software outage has affected many of our systems at Mass General Brigham, as well as many major businesses across the country."

Mass General assured the public that "we continue to care for all patients currently receiving care in our hospitals."

The University of Miami Health System said its facilities were open but warned that there would be delays due to computers records being unavailable.

Meet CrowdStrike, the company at the heart of the global tech outage

A fault with an update issued by cybersecurity company  CrowdStrike  led to a cascading effect among global IT systems today, with industries ranging from banking to airlines facing outages.

Banks and health care providers saw their services disrupted and TV broadcasters went offline as businesses worldwide grappled with the ongoing outage. Air travel has been hit hard, too, with  planes grounded  and services delayed.

So what happened, exactly? CNBC takes a look.

Read the full article here from CNBC .

Nigel Chiwaya

The IT outages that are affecting businesses across the world have caused more than half of flights delayed or canceled by 8 a.m. ET across the United States, according to data from FlightAware.

Photos: From Bangkok to Berlin, outages cause airport chaos

Max Butterworth

An airline employee holds up a sign informing travelers as they line up at the check-in counters of the Hong Kong International Airport this morning.

Crowds build up at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.

An employee at Berlin Airport speaks tries to update passengers as widespread outages caused mass confusion.

CrowdStrike CEO apologizes but warns recovery 'could be some time'

Mithil Aggarwal

George Kurtz, president and CEO of CrowdStrike, the company at the center of today's enormous IT outages, says the problems could persist for some time yet.

"It could be some time for some systems that just automatically won’t recover," Kurtz told NBC's "TODAY" show this morning.

Kurtz said the company was "deeply sorry for the impact that we've caused to customers, to travelers, to anyone affected by this," adding the issue has been fixed on their end.

"Many of the customers are rebooting the system, and it’s coming up, and it’ll be operational because we fixed it on our end," he said. "We’re just trying to sort out where the negative interaction was," he said of the faulty update that affected Windows PCs.

Getting services back up and running won't be easy, experts warn

The Microsoft cloud computing outages that left airports, shops and broadcasters without services will not be easily fixed, tech experts have warned.

Fixing the issues may involve a manual effort on the part of users, Omer Grossman, CIO at cybersecurity firm CyberArk, told CNBC.

“It turns out that because the endpoints have crashed — the Blue Screen of Death — they cannot be updated remotely and this the problem must be solved manually, endpoint by endpoint. This is expected to be a process that will take days,” he said.

The global IT outage is having a “profound impact,” and nothing similar has ever been seen before, Satnam Narang, senior staff researcher at Tenable, told CNBC today.

“It’s very far reaching and we’re still just in the beginnings of this right now,” he said. Companies and organizations were trying to deal with the impact of the issues, as attempts were being made to resolve it, which would take time, according to Narang.

“We’ve never seen anything like this before, it’s very unprecedented.”

Morning commuters face disruption from IT outage

Commuters riding the bus and train services in New York will have to listen closely to station announcements after the MTA's systems were taken offline due to the outage.

The "train and bus service is unaffected," Metropolitan Transportation Authority said this morning in a statement.

Washington's transit agency, WMATA, said the train's start time of 5 a.m. was delayed and commuters could experience more delays on its buses and trains.

Early morning passengers faced with blue screens at Newark

Travelers walk past a departures board displaying a blue error screen in Newark International Airport this morning.

New Hampshire 911 services back online after outage

The New Hampshire Department of Safety said its 911 service was back online early today after an interruption related to the global outage of Microsoft cloud computing services that began around 1 a.m. ET.

"911 server system has been fully restored and emergency calls to 911 are being processed normally," the department's division of emergency services and communications said in an update, which confirmed the service was back as of 3 a.m.

It said the cause of the outage was under investigation but the department was "aware of information technology outages reported nationwide." The department also urged people not to see if 911 is working with "test calls."

Major computer outage could impact 911 services but ‘is not a cyberattack’

Brian Cheung

NBC News’ business and data correspondent Brian Cheung explains that CrowdStrike is deploying a fix that caused computer outages worldwide. He said people should not try calling 911 to test the system.

American passenger's flight from Japan canceled, lounge is full and baggage delayed

Reporting from Hong Kong

When Patricia Sweeney arrived at gate 133 of Tokyo's Haneda Airport, her American Airlines flight bound for New York was nowhere to be found. It was first delayed by an hour, then canceled.

"I'm upset but taking it in strides," said Sweeney, who lives in Brooklyn and works in finance and was on a business trip. Another American Airlines flight next to her gate was also canceled. "You could just hear a roar of the passengers," she said. "People are not happy."

As she waited for updates from the airline, Sweeney went to the business class lounge which was overcrowded with other affected passengers.

"I told the hotel I had stayed at to rebook a room. But they said they had a system outage," she said over the phone while waiting for her baggage. The hotel rebooked her manually.

While Sweeney was offered a flight for tomorrow morning by the airline, she said a representative later told her that it's still not confirmed.

Chaos for retail and banking worldwide

The outage happened while most stores in the United States were closed for the night. But it has been wreaking havoc elsewhere.

In Britain, grocery chain Waitrose put up signs in some of its outlets warning customers it was only accepting cash.

“All card-readers have failed this morning!” read a handwritten message in one branch in Petersfield, southern England “Sorry for any inconvenience caused!”

In Australia and New Zealand, scores of people posted on social media that they were locked out of their online bank accounts.

“We’re aware of issues currently impacting many banks and businesses across NZ,” the state-owned Kiwibank said on X, replying to a number of users reporting problems. “Our teams are working to resolve the access issues impacting our app and internet banking at the moment, and we hope to have this resolved shortly.”

CrowdStrike shares tank 15% in premarket after major outage hits businesses worldwide

Cybersecurity firm  CrowdStrike  saw its shares plunge today, after an update led to a major outage impacting businesses across the world.

Shares of the company, which makes software to help firms manage their security in IT environments, tanked 15% in U.S. premarket trading.

Microsoft , which also reported issues affecting its Azure cloud services and Microsoft 365 suite of apps, fell 2% in premarket trading.

NBC News special report on global outage failures

Watch the full special report on a massive global technical outage tied to CrowdStrike. This cybersecurity provider has knocked critical computer infrastructure offline nationwide and worldwide. 

Heath care providers report problems with patient services

Carlo Angerer

Reporting from MAINZ, Germany

A university hospital system in northern Germany has cancelled elective procedures and all outpatient services today due to the IT outage. University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, with its locations in Kiel and Lübeck, says its patient care and emergency services are not affected.

The British National Health Service said the outage was causing "disruption in the majority of GP practices," referring to the general practitioners who act as a first point of contact to access most health services in the U.K.

These family doctors can't access the appointment and patient record system, an NHS spokesperson said, adding that receptionists would be "using paper patient records and handwritten prescriptions,"

CrowdStrike CEO blames content update 'defect' for widespread outages

It was not a cyberattack but a faulty update, said George Kurtz, chief executive of CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity company being held responsible for today's tech outage.

"CrowdStrike is actively working with customers impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts," he said.

"The issue has been identified, isolated and a fix has been deployed," added in a post on X. He said customers were impacted by a defective update that affected PCs running Microsoft's Windows operating system.

"This is not a security incident or cyberattack," he said.

"We further recommend organizations ensure they’re communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels," Kurtz said, adding, "Our team is fully mobilized to ensure the security and stability of CrowdStrike customers."

Microsoft: Outages caused by 'storage incident' and Crowdstrike cybersecurity update

This morning's enormous tech outage was caused, in part, by a "storage incident" that impacted a number of Microsoft's Azure cloud services, which powers everything from banks to airport handling systems.

The issue has been mitigated, Microsoft said in a statement , but the company is still "in the process of validating recovery," of the affected services.

Microsoft said another issue is the "CrowdStrike Falcon agent," a cybersecurity platform used by businesses globally that is separate from Microsoft, that was causing the "blue screen of death," on PCs running the Windows operating system.

"We can confirm the affected update has been pulled by CrowdStrike," it said.

CrowdStrike said in a statement on Reddit , that its engineering team had reverted the software updates affecting the issue, and outlined a temporary technical workaround.

Blue Windows error screens seen everywhere from Macy's to LAX

Reporting from LONDON

The all-too-familiar Windows error screen — often dubbed the "blue screen of death" by some weary users — could seen on public screens across the United States this morning.

A big screen outside Macy's at Herald Square in New York showed the blue screen and a "Recovery" message, as did terminals at LAX Airport and Minneapolis- St. Paul Airport.

The blue screen curse struck across the world too, with social media users posting photos from London, New Delhi and Istanbul.

Major airports hit by widespread hourlong delays

Some of the world's busiest airports have been hit with average departure delays of more than an hour, data from the flight-tracking platform flightradar24 showed.

Amsterdam's Schipol Airport was experiencing average delays of 75 minutes, with 88% of its flights delayed today. Dozens of flights have been delayed with an average of nearly 50 minutes in both Barcelona and Rome.

Major airports in India, including in the capital city of New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai are topping charts with delays of up to an hour.

At one of the world’s busiest cargo hubs, Memphis International Airport in Tennessee, 97% flights have been delayed with average delay of an hour.

Airports affected worldwide, from Berlin to Hong Kong

Airports worldwide are advising passengers to arrive earlier for their flights as airlines scramble to check-in passengers manually.

"The affected airlines have switched to manual check-in to continue serving passengers," Hong Kong's airport authority said in a statement , adding it had activated its "emergency response mechanism."

India's New Delhi airport said "some of its services" had been impacted, while Germany's Berlin airport warned of check-in delays. Some airlines at Singapore's Changi airport are also checking-in passengers manually, the airport said in a post on X.

Delays were reported by two of Australia's biggest airports, in Sydney and Melbourne.

British broadcaster Sky News back on air after outage

The British broadcaster Sky News, NBC's partner in the U.K., was back on air early today after 9.30 a.m. (4.30 a.m. ET) after being taken offline by the ongoing issues related to Microsoft cloud services.

The broadcaster's business presenter, Ian King, said this morning was "the biggest IT outage the world has ever seen."

Local businesses affected in Australian capital, Canberra

A sign notifies customers of a temporary closure due to IT issues at a Liquor store in Canberra, Australia, today.

House cybersecurity member says airlines have ordered a "global ground stop"

Three major U.S. airlines, United, American and Delta, have all ordered global ground stops, according to a senior Democratic member of the House Cybersecurity Committee.

Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said on X that the airlines had not issued statements to this effect so far and he urged them to do so.

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Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell won’t be preaching to the choir in his RNC speech

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DETROIT — Michiganders earned five spots on the Republican National Convention stage this week in Milwaukee.

One of them is Pastor Lorenzo Sewell , who, to the outside observer, would be the winner in a game of “Which one of these speakers does not belong?”

The other four are exactly who you’d expect at a Republican convention: There’s Rep. John James, who’s running for re-election. Then there’s former Rep. Mike Rogers, now running for Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s soon-to-be vacant seat. There’s would-be politician Perry Johnson, who has spent millions on Republican politics but is yet to see his name on a ballot. And there’s Benjamin Joseph, a Macomb County business owner.

The odd man out is the 43-year-old black pastor from Detroit’s east side.

Sewell isn’t the typical Republican voter, much less RNC speaker — yet he’s got a prime speaking slot at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Thursday, the final night of convention festivities.

“The city of Detroit has been on an epic decline for 60 years,” Sewell told The Post ahead of his speech. “Throw in Flint, Saginaw, Pontiac. Forget the identity politics, forget the virtue signaling. At the end of the day, if you are a black American in those cities, your kids can’t read, they can’t write, they can’t do math.”

Sewell says he will use the speech to “talk about how the Democrats have taken us for granted and talk about how the Republican Party is going to put us in a position where we can make black America great again.”

Sewell drew national headlines last month for hosting Trump at his 180Church in Detroit.

“President Obama never came to the ’hood, so-to-speak, right? President Joe Biden, he went to the big NAACP dinner, but he never came to the ’hood. So thank you,” Sewell said at the time . 

Sewell snagged the RNC speaking opportunity, he says, by asking for it.

After hosting Trump at his church, Sewell got blowback from the black community. Some people, including his friends, asked how he could do such a thing. One day, a friend Sewell plays basketball with challenged him: If the Republicans aren’t exploiting you, they’ll have you come to Milwaukee, site of the convention.

Challenge accepted. Sewell made the call, asking Trump’s team for an opportunity. Suffice to say he got one, and tonight he’ll be on stage to make an impact.

Sewell’s speech will help wrap up a convention full of overtures to black voters. On opening night we heard from Michigan black Rep. John James and biracial rapper Amber Rose.

Some Republicans, such as The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh, met Rose’s speech with outrage, questioning the political value of giving her a platform.

Walsh tweeted : “The RNC gives a primetime speaking slot to a pro-abortion feminist and self-proclaimed slut with a face tattoo whose only claim to fame is having sex with rappers. Truly an embarrassment. Not a single voter will be mobilized by this person.”

Democratic pundit Van Jones had a different take on CNN that night.

“That was probably the most dangerous speech for the Democratic coalition,” Jones said. “That is a young woman of color. She is describing the experience that a lot of people have — feeling that maybe, if you’re around too many liberals, you might get criticized too much or you might not be able to speak your mind, and she spoke to it really well.”

He added: “To the extent that these guys are trying to bust up our coalition, that was a bunker buster right there.”

In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden, won 92% of the black vote. Republicans believe they can win black votes at rates not seen since before the civil-rights movement.

Sewell, for his part, saw no problem with Republicans having Rose speak.

“Prophet Elijah, he was fed by a dirty bird,” Sewell said, referring to a story from 1 Kings. “Do you think when that raven came to him and fed him, do you think he cared that it was a dirty bird? Only thing he cared about was, he needed sustenance for his soul. So it is with the Republican Party. They need someone like Amber Rose.”

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Customized Experiences<

We understand that each event is unique. That's why our staff is committed to personalizing your occasion, offering flexible options to suit your specific needs.

Every cruise season, we're here to assist you in planning an amazing and memorable experience. Let the Detroit Princess be the backdrop to your next great event, where the beauty of Downtown Detroit adds to your special day. Contact us to start planning today!

- Captain Scott

Come see the best views of Detroit!

Check out our upcoming cruises!

Lunch cruise, sunset dinner cruise, sunset dj dinner cruise., join us aboard.

Buy tickets for a cruise or create your own party!.

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Now Open The Butterfly House at Navy Pier

Walk through this immersive exhibit in a safe, family friendly environment with hundreds of live butterflies from all over the world.

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Unforgettable views. Unparalleled experiences.

Cruises & Tours

Explore chicago by land, water or air.

Whether you’re in town for just one day or are a life-long resident, cruises and tours of Chicago are a great way to see the sights, discover something new, or treat yourself to an unforgettable experience.

From laid-back sightseeing cruises and elegant dining cruises to heart-pumping thrill rides to upscale private charters, Lake Michigan and Chicago River cruises departing from Navy Pier offer a memorable experience for all.

Our Cruises & Tours

City Cruises

Experience Chicago from the water! Enjoy a meal cruise with chef-prepared dishes, live DJ, and stunning views. Or, take a Seadog speedboat ride for an architecture tour or a lakefront speedboat adventure.

Tall Ship Windy

Tall Ship Windy at Navy Pier offers educational boat tours, storytelling, student trips, concert sails, and architectural tours. Enjoy the Chicago skyline aboard our tall ship!

Shoreline Sightseeing

Discover Chicago’s iconic architecture from our fleet of touring vessels and water taxis. Our guided tours offer captivating stories from knowledgeable guides. Choose your tour, relax, and enjoy the skyline!

Groups And Private Charters

Perfect for corporate outings and special occasions, group cruises and private charters offer unforgettable experiences for up to 800 guests.

Bicycle Tours

Bike & Roll Chicago allows guests to rent bicycles for a fun experience on the lakefront.

Cruise & Tour Types

Shoreline Architecture River Tours

Take Shoreline’s award-winning 75-minute Architecture River Tour to discover Chicago’s renowned landmarks as presented by our expert and entertaining guides. You’ll learn how Chicago rose...

City Cruises – Premier Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan dinner cruises are the perfect setting for celebrating with friends, connecting with colleagues, or a romantic evening. Odyssey Lake Michigan dinner cruises are...

City Cruises – Premier Lunch Cruise on Lake Michigan

A two-hour Lake Michigan lunch cruise is the perfect way to enjoy time with family or the company of great friends. Retreat from a busy...

City Cruises – Signature Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan

Celebrate a special occasion, host a group event or share a romantic evening aboard Spirit of Chicago. Great for parties of all sizes, a Spirit...

City Cruises – Spirit of Chicago Dinner Cruise

Catch the Chicago skyline at sunset during the most beautiful time of the year, and join us for a fun, laid-back, 2-hour cruise. Spirit's Lakefront...

City Cruises – Odyssey Lake Michigan Dinner Cruises

Odyssey Lake Michigan presents special prix fixe dinner cruises, offering guests the opportunity to try one of Chicago’s most unique dining experiences at an incredible...

City Cruises – Spirit of Chicago Brunch Cruises

Whether you’re a native Chicagoan, newcomer, or just visiting, a Spirit of Chicago brunch cruise is the perfect weekend outing. See well-known Chicago attractions from...

City Cruises – Signature Lunch Cruise on Lake Michigan

With the sunshine reflecting off the lakefront, there’s no better place to enjoy an afternoon in Chicago than aboard a lunch cruise. Departing from Navy...

City Cruises – Seadog River and Lake Architecture Tour

Enjoy Chicago’s iconic skyline with an exciting architecture cruise on the Chicago River. Departing from Navy Pier, this 75-minute narrated cruise is the best way...

City Cruises – Seadog Lakefront Speedboat Tour

Our Lakefront Speedboat Tour is the best way to view Chicago from the lake, combining an exciting speedboat ride along the shoreline with informative and...

City Cruises – Seadog Extreme Thrill Rides

With exhilarating high speeds and full 360° spins, this jet-propelled ride blasts off to start and splashes down to stop. Experience full throttle slalom runs,...

City Cruises – Odyssey Lake Michigan Brunch Cruise

This two-hour brunch cruise on Odyssey Lake Michigan, departing from Navy Pier, is ideal for capping off an incredible weekend. Enjoy a delicious menu stocked...

City Cruises – Odyssey Lake Michigan Groups

Host a truly unforgettable event on Lake Michigan. Book your group aboard one of Odyssey's regularly scheduled lunch or dinner cruises, or have an event...

Shoreline Sightseeing Group Tours

Adventures are meant to be shared. Turn your next family gathering or corporate outing into an awesome adventure by booking with Shoreline. We offer special...

City Cruises – Chicago Elite Private Events

It's your yacht. Let our professional event planners create a custom event just for your group aboard the Chicago Elite. With two fully enClosed ,...

City Cruises – Seadog Groups

Planning a special outing for your group? Charter Seadog for an event everyone will enjoy! With the ability to travel both the lake and river,...

Shoreline Sightseeing Water Taxis

Shoreline Sightseeing’s water taxis are a great way to get around town. Starting in May and running through September, our water taxi service offers fast...

City Cruises – Spirit of Chicago Group Cruises

Host an event unlike any other in the city! Book your group aboard one of Spirit’s regularly scheduled lunch, brunch, cocktail or dinner cruises, or...

City Cruises – Premier Brunch Cruise on Lake Michigan

Experience the city’s most unique floating event venue! City Cruises offers all-inclusive packages, chef-prepared menus, full bar options, and entertainment customized to fit your needs—all...

City Cruises – Signature Brunch Cruise on Lake Michigan

Shoreline Skyline Lake Tours

Shoreline’s 40-minute Skyline Lake Tour offers a relaxing way to experience the panoramic of the city’s famed skyline as seen from majestic Lake Michigan. The...

Tall Ship Windy Chicago Skyline Sail

Tall Ship Windy is closed for the season and will reopen in May 2024. Visit the Tall Ship Windy website to stay up to date...

Tall Ship Windy Private Charters & Weddings in Chicago

A Beautiful Stage for Your Event Set sail on Windy for weddings, parties, corporate functions, reunions, church outings, tour groups, team building and more! Windy...