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Toronto Cruises - Great Lakes Schooner Company
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TESTIMONIALS

Here are just a few examples of satisfied customers over the last few years that have enjoyed the beautiful vessels, professional services and high standards of Great Lakes Schooner Company. We have many more, if you would like to look at them or have any questions, please ask a sales manager.


To whom it may concern,

On behalf of the Ontario Public Service Pride Network (OPN), I am writing to
endorse the application of "Great Lakes Schooner Company and Cruise Toronto" for
standing as an affiliated organization of Pride Toronto and World Pride 2014.

The OPN has worked with Great Lakes Schooner Company in 2013 and 2014 to help
us plan and organize our Network's annual gala. Last year, we held a very successful
event on a tall ship in the harbour. It was a tremendous sight to have the Pride flag
flying high atop of the Kajama!

The Company has been very accommodating and supportive of our Network and our
community and, on behalf of the Ontario Public Service Pride Network; I am pleased
to support the Great Lake Schooner Company's application as an entity officially
affiliated with Pride Toronto and World Pride 2014.

Proudly yours,

Binh Lu
Chair, OPS Pride Network
www.ontario.ca/opspridenetwork


Shey

THANK YOU! I am so grateful for all your help planning these past 6 months. You always responded immediately to my emails. You answered all my questions and put my mind at ease when it was racing. I cannot tell you how thankful I am.

Also this Saturday the staff on the boat was beyond amazing. PLEASE let them know how much I appreciate all their hard work. The day went smoothly, flawlessly and was perfect. The coordinator, I cannot remember his name and I feel horrible, but he was soooo amazing! Please let him know as I do not think I thanked him properly during the day. I was just having so much fun. But I do want him to know he made a huge impact on making the day go so smoothly.

I will recommend the Great Lakes Schooner to anyone who asks! It was beyond perfect and so are the staff! THANK YOU!!!!

Wedding – Obsession – September 2013


Hi Anjalie,

With the warm and thorough guidance of the event coordinators and crew of Challenge, our daughter and son-in-law’s wedding reception last August was absolutely fantastic! Over the weeks of planning the staff thoughtfully and enthusiastically responded to every question we threw their way, offered excellent advice, and ensured that all of our special requests were carefully considered.  The day of the wedding arrived with fabulous weather conditions.  As our guests boarded Challenge, they were warmly greeted by the ship's crew and embarked upon a wonderful sailing experience they will never forget! Sincere thanks to Anjalie, Shey, and the Challenge Crew!

Wedding Reception – Challenge – August 2013


Hi Meag,

The crew was amazing – they were all friendly, customer-service oriented and accommodating.

The meal exceeded my expectations. The kebabs were wonderful and the pasta station was a hit.

I received wonderful feedback from the team who really enjoyed the afternoon aboard the Challenge.

Please pass along my sincerest thanks to the crew for helping to make the afternoon a memorable one.

Thanks,
Naomi   
TD Canada Trust – Challenge - July 2013


Shey and Meagan

Just wanted to send a quick note to thank you both so much for your help in planning our team appreciation day.  It was honestly the best night ever!!!  From our initial call with Shey to emailing to the cruise and then invoicing you guys have been so great!  You alleviated any stress that could’ve been caused with planning such an event for both Heather and me.

We thank you both so much and wish your company all the best – as you are truly amazing to work with.  Looking forward in seeing how we can cross paths again in the future.

Cheers,
Isobel
Pelmorex Media Inc – Challenge - July 2013


Hi Damian,

The boat cruise was excellent. Everyone had a great time, the captain and crew were friendly and helpful, and food was great. Majority of feedback I have received was that this was our best staff event yet and they would like to do the same thing again next year.
Thanks so much.

Courtney
Economical Insurance – Kajama – July 2013


It was a great success and I think everyone had a wonderful time.  Meag in the office was most helpful in advance of the cruise and Darren took very good care of us on the boat.  The DJ was great – great music and very accommodating in helping our entertainer with her music and performances.

The bar and food service were great – the food came out at staggered times over the course of the evening which was helpful and the bar staff and deck staff were attentive.
 The vessel is beautiful.  I was pleased that we had such good weather and were able to put up the sails.  The ship was clean and in good shape.

I would highly recommend Great Lakes Schooner and most certainly the Kajama to other groups and I know that we’re already thinking of a return visit next year.

Thanks for all of your help in making this evening a success!

Michael
Corporate Ontario - Kajama – June 2013


Hi there Damian and team!

I wanted to thank you for an amazing night! 

Damian… your team is so wonderful, professional, accommodating, calm, helpful, giving, and the list goes on!!!

They truly make our night the best.  It starts from you and giving us the date booked (we thank you!)  to Anjalie and all the organizing and patience and kind words… the Darren… always such a gentlemen and so helpful and always looks out for me… this is just wonderful. The men at the bar… rock too! They are so quick and professional as well, and never a long line up! The handle the masses!!!

And DJ Lynz!  Had us rocking all night… tunes were amazing, she always does a great job!!! The night could not have been amazing without the best music.

The entire team is so fantastic! Etc… and I just can’t say enough so THANK YOU ALL…!

Jodie
LCL Navigation – Obsession - June 2013


Hi Damian,

Thank you. Yes we had a fantastic time. Everyone enjoyed the food, the DJ/music and the ride and views of the harbor and island.

The crew were great and very helpful; from the welcome and safety intro, to the lunch service, to the general chats about the boat and cruise, they were very friendly and knowledgeable.

We were very happy with the food/drink selection and quality; there was plenty for everyone so no one was left hungry. I think several people took advantage of the cash bar as well. The desserts were also a welcome treat.

Service from the office was excellent. Meagan responded very quickly to all my requests and provided updated statements etc. Everything was delivered as requested so I have to thank you and her for your work to ensure it all went smoothly and according to plan.

The ship was very good. We ran our team building activity on the bow and it was great having the mic.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience and we are very happy with the service. Thank you and all your staff for providing us with a fun and memorable event. 

Cheers,
Moataz
Corporate – Challenge – June 2013


We would like to thank the entire staff of the Great Lakes Schooner Company for our absolutely outstanding wedding on Canada Day, aboard the tallship Kajama. Shey's planning and coordination skills are unmatched, and her thorough responsiveness to all of our queries made the wedding planning process stress-free. Shey's communication, organization, and planning skills ensured that everything flowed very smoothly.

Once our wedding day arrived, we were greeted by Darren and his crew aboard the Kajama--we cannot say enough about the exceptional, accommodating, and friendly service we received from Darren and his team throughout the evening. Most of our guests commented on the fact that it was "the best wedding they've ever been to," and many asked us to renew our vows every year on the same ship! The food was excellent, Hawk (the DJ) played all of our band requests, the bartender stocked up with all of our requested beverages, and the view of the skyline while sailing was spectacular. We think everyone should get married on the Kajama!

Once again, thank you for making our wedding so special, we had an incredible evening and a lifetime's worth of memories aboard the Kajama.

With warmest regards,
Jennifer & Robert Douglas
Married July 1, 2012


A Big Thanks!

Good Morning,

I wanted to share my gratitude and appreciation of a job well done by your crew and especially to Darrin. Also, thanks to the bar tenders for allowing me to dress them up in pirate gear. The boat itself is impressive and the show that is put on with the raising of the sails and the cannon really added to the experience. The food was great which in the past (on another boat) has been our largest complaint. The DJ also deserves a mention for a job well done. She was able to keep the atmosphere fun and upbeat the whole time (and allowed me the mic whenever needed).

Darrin was very accommodating and helpful (and frankly made me look good Happy Customer) as the word around the office is that yesterday was the best boat cruise ever!

Thanks and I will be sure to recommend the Kajama for future events.

Regards,

Erica
ACE INA Insurance
June 2012


April 20th, 2012

"Hi Shey,

Jade's Sweet 16 Birthday party was a blast. The weather was unbelievable. Darren, the captain and the crew were so amazing. They took care of every little detail to make this one of the most amazing parties ever. The kids were so well behaved. The music and food were fantastic. We could not have asked for a better party. The crew really outdid themselves. I would highly recommend this company for any special event.

Congratulations on a job well done."

Sincerely,
Lily


"This is Andrew here, from North Toronto Ski Club.  I would like to thank you for all the help with the organization of the event last Saturday night. I would also like you to extend our appreciation to the members of the crew. Everything was fantastic, from the food to the bar and DJ. We have been getting a lot of positive feedback over the past week.  We were all delighted that the night was such a great success.

Thanks again!!!"

Andrew Bell – North
Director of Special Socials
NTSC - (Toronto Ski Club – Obsession - September 2011)


"I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that our staff had an AWESOME time last night. Out of all the staff events that we have done this one was #1! Thank you and your team for your coordination, it was amazing!

Darren – He was so organized, friendly, and ensured that everything ran smoothly throughout the night. He constantly asked how things were going and he was very accommodating. Darren was awesome and his high level of service was noticed by many managers and owners of Sporting Life. Please thank Darren on behalf of myself and Sporting Life for his professionalism and high service standards.

DJ – our staff are still talking about how great the DJ was and how much they loved the music. I wasn’t expecting for people to get up and dance but they did and they had a great time! Even our shy staff members, were up moving around! That is a sign of a great DJ

The food was great – and there was a lot of it! The stations worked really well, I’m glad we went with that option. I loved the mocktails (it was funny that many of our staff thought they were alcoholic – so they were even more well received).

The rest of the staff was awesome as well (even though I didn’t get their names). The evening went smoothly and we had a great event that sets the bar for events to come!

Thank you again"

Rhonda Morris
Human Resources Manager - (Sporting Life – Kajama- August 2011)


"The service from your office was amazing, the captain and crew were amazing, the bar service and DJ and Food quality were all amazing!! I have had so many comments about the boat and how amazing it was and how much fun everyone had, they said it was the best cruise yet!!"

Candice – (Omni Way- Kajama- July 2011)


"Thank you so much we had great time.

Your staff was superb especially on boat Manager Mr. Darren was just extra super, he helped us every way he can to make this event more relaxing and more joyful by giving any help we needed I just want to thank him and appreciate him for all his great help and make the cruise more relaxing.

Your staff also was excellent including the Captain himself.

We are looking forward to do some bookings for our future dates.

Warmest Regards"

Satish Patel
FOGA President (FOGA- Trillium- August 2011)


"Thanks, yes it was a fantastic cruise.

Everyone on board was absolutely lovely - friendly and helpful when asked and unobtrusive at the right times as well. In particular I want to make note of Alex and Eric the bartenders and DJ Hawk who were all simply amazing. Captain Ryan and First Mate Rhys were also kind enough to let my husband steer for a bit which just made his day.

A big thank you to you and all of your team for making it such an excellent experience. We'll definitely be recommending you guys."

Freda (Wedding – Challenge - August 2011)


"You know when you have one of those nights out when the music is perfect and you can’t stop dancing? That’s what it was like the night of our cruise. He took our “play list” and accented it and totally hit the mood just right for our group. Everyone was commenting on how great the music was and how it made the night. You were totally right on how important the DJ is to the success of the party."

Jenn (CIBC- Challenge- June 2011)


"Thank You for making our wedding everything we could have imagined and more! The crew on board was excellent taking care of all our needs. The photographer was great – we are very pleased with our pictures"

Angela & Eric Lehman (Wedding Obsession - July 2011)


"Thank you so much for making our wedding everything we hoped it would be! Everything was perfect! You and your staff went above and beyond to make sure it was everything we wanted!"

Brandon & Jaclyn (Wedding- Kajama- Aug 2011)


"Staff in all areas on and off the boat was excellent. On the boat, Daniel was especially helpful and accommodating when I asked him to move microphones or make an announcement. You were able to accommodate us on the boat we wanted; the Kajama. It was very spacious and worked great for our number of guests. I heard really positive things about the food too. People were impressed at having a hot lunch on the boat."

Mary (TELUS – Kajama – September 2010)


"Everyone at Sovereign had a ball - it was so much fun, we loved the food & danced on the deck (embarrassingly the Macarena but in the fresh air it was hilarious). The staff said it was the best office party they had been to and even the weather didn't stop us it was pouring when we got there & as we left the harbour the sunshine came through for us"

Karen McConkey (Sovereign General Insurance - Challenge- September 2010)


"The best part was that it was totally stress free, everything was taken care of and we just had to show up 10 minutes before the guests. The crew was courteous, knowledgeable and efficient. It all went down so well. You should be proud of yourselves."

Joe and Karen (Bar mitzvah – Obsession III – June 2009)


"We would like to extend our thanks and compliments for a wonderful sailing experience. The beautiful and well maintained schooner, your staff, the food, and even the weather all contributed to making our annual cruise a night conducive to relaxing conversation and warm memories. I have received an inordinate number of calls and emails expressing enjoyment of the evening with a special emphasis on your staff. In our business of advertising and public relations one of our greatest selling features is our staff. Your staff exemplified all that we admire: professionalism, enthusiasm, affability and courtesy.

We look forward to sailing with you again next year.

Thank you,"

Jody Gale (Axmith McIntyre Wicht Ltd – Kajama – July 2009)


"We had such a wonderful time. In fact, it was almost beyond belief. The service was amazing! Where did you ever find Darren? He is amazing! He was so accommodating, easy- going and flexible with our requests. And the DJ – what a data-base of music he really knows how to feel the crowd. Everyone was absolutely fantastic. So we are in dreamland and can’t stop talking about the whole evening. I really thought I was in a movie being shot in the Caribbean. Thank You for bringing the beautiful weather. There was a positive aura from the moment I stepped onto the ship. So many people remarked over the course of the evening how extraordinary the whole evening was. When my brother came upstairs he said- “wow, it just never stops” in awe of the city lights, the warm summer breezes and view of the shoreline all around."

Sally & John (Wedding – Kajama June 2008)


"It surpassed my expectations! I was worried at 5pm when the storm was blowing across Toronto (!) – But the weather cleared and the evening couldn’t have been nicer. Your staff was outstanding. They felt like friends, they were so pleasant and accommodating. The staff was supportive and professional and wonderful hosts. The food was served in a timely fashion. And I must add, the food was excellent. The chocolate fountain was a smash hit – so nice of Latoya to organize that for me. The DJ was just perfect."

Gwen Morgan (Tridec – Diabetes Education Centre- Kajama- June 2007)


"Our silver wedding Anniversary will not be complete without conveying a very big thank you to you, Shey, Captain Ryan and his crew. Captain Ryan and his crew were superb. Very co operative and very professional. Made us feel like we were having a party at home with the glamour of The Challenge Boat and the beauty of the skyline of Toronto."

Loretta and Quinton (Anniversary – Challenge July 2007)


"What a great time by all! The weather was perfect! The staff and crew went out of their way to make everyone welcome and comfortable. Bartending was excellent and prices were very reasonable. The meal was delicious with adequate portions for everyone. The dJ was fantastic! An excellent mix of music that catered all age groups."

Kim Taylor (CHUG Conference Coordinator – Kajama –April 2007)


"Once again you guys amaze me !!! Thanks so much for all your help setting up a fantastic night. Working with you on the details was a breeze! Our clients have had nothing but great feedback from the service, the food, bar DJ captain etc. Your crew is professional, personable, efficient and amazing! They did your organization proud.

Let me know when the firework nights are for next year…. there’s talk of a 3rd annual cruise!!!"

Kathryn Totten (AGF Funds Inc, Toronto Dominion Bank Tower – Challenge July 2006)


"Things for Invatron went wonderful. Every part of the cruise was exceptional. The captain and crew did a wonderful job. The boat itself was extraordinary"

Lee-Anne (Invatron – Aug 2005 – Kajama)


"I should admit I received very professional and courteous service from everyone at the Great Lakes Schooner Company since the day we started looking in to an event. I would like to thank especially you for all your support to make this event a successful one."

Kumar (Aon Re Canada – Kajama – Aug 2005)


"Thanks for the great work you and your team did in launching our new brand aboard Challenge. A number of our clients have told us their experience on board demonstrated the same attention to detail we insist on in our own work – and that is to your credit.

All of us were able to relax and do some valuable networking without worrying about whether people were enjoying themselves.

Finally, thank you for insisting on the oyster bar. It was every bit as successful as you had told us it would be, providing a great focal point for the start of the evening and letting people know we cared enough to make the whole experience a memorable one."

Robert Brunet (President Click Media Inc – Challenge – August 2005)


"The party was an absolute success. The food was great and the crew was very professional and accommodating. Everyone loved the fact that there was enough wind to go full sail."

Gord Froner (LCBO – Challenge –September 2004)


"It was a smashing success! The crew was incredible. We’re fairly certain there is not another couple that had such a fantastic time at their own wedding. We are equally sure that it was due to the smooth sailing operation made possible by the Captain and crew of the Kajama.

The service we received went beyond our expectations. We were able to enjoy the company of our friends and family because marc made sure that everything was orchestrated beautifully. The crew was very accommodating and the captain was wonderful with the children on board!

One of the most convenient services provided was the decorations. You did a wonderful job making sure that the centerpieces were perfect. As well, the presentation of the cake and dessert on the upper deck was wonderful! Some of the compliments from our guests were:

“what an experience”

“It was wonderful to experience Toronto that way”

“The crew was fantastic and all had a great sense of humour”

“What a class act”

I would certainly recommend getting married aboard Kajama to anyone planning a wedding."

Gwen & Ray Christiansen (Wedding – Kajama - September 2004)


"I can only say that everything was perfect. Your team was amazing and dealing with you and Shawn was great. I always felt that I had full confidence that everything was taken care of and would go well."

Isabel (Hewitt Packard – Challenge August 2003)


"The cruise was wonderful. The service from your office was friendly and helpful. The captain and crew were really professional and also very friendly, as was the DJ. The food quality was also great!"

Amanda (Karlstorz – Kajama – September 2002)


"I was part of a wedding reception that was held on Challenge on July 28th 2001. Not only was I most impressed with the schooner, but with the service we received from your company. The staff on board was absolutely exceptional and bent over backwards to make sure everyone, especially the bride and groom were well taken care of. I’m in the sales business and understand the value behind such service."

Beth File (Wedding – Challenge – July 2001)


"Thank you very much for your help and support with our 2000 Economic Development Culture and Tourism Boat Cruise on Friday July 14th 2000. Everyone had a great time and there were lots of comments about the excellent food. You and your staff did an outstanding job."

Intiaz Ruffudeen (City of Toronto, Parks and Recreation – Trillium – July 2000)


"I must tell you that I was totally impressed with the staff on board. Shannon was fantastic! She was always available and couldn’t do enough for us. She is a terrific representative of your company. This is our first function as a group. We only started this part of the business in April; last year so everyone here is a new employee. You’d have never know it on the boat. They acted like they knew each other for years. Everyone was talking about it and those who hadn’t attended wish they had."

Isabel Smith (Sitel Corporation Canada – Challenge - August 1999)


"Just a note to thank you and your staff for another fabulous evening on July 1st. Our entire group had nothing but good words and compliments for the great evening. The atmosphere the meal and the extraordinary effort your crew put out to make sure we all had the best view possible of the fireworks was especially appreciated. You should be very proud of your crew; their professionalism and dedication to good service are outstanding."

Ann Denardis (Caterpillar – Challenge – June 1998)


"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff and crew once more for a perfect day on the lake. It could not have gone more smoothly, the food was sensational. I have taken the liberty of passing on your name to several friends. I hope they take up my glowing recommendation."

Michael Trent (Birthday Party – Challenge – July 1997)


"I would like to thank you and your staff for the superb job hosting our sales contest kick off cruise. The only thing that could have been better was the weather, but that didn’t stop our people from having a great time. Everyone here is still talking about the event and it’s all due to the staff and exceptional service you provided."

Norm Fry (Neon Products – Challenge – September 1996)

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