By Bill Barth and Stephanie Klett
“He’s making a list and checking it twice. He’s gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.”
He, of course, is Santa Claus. The guy parents have been telling their kids about for generations, reminding them to be good little boys and girls so Santa will bring them toys for Christmas.
But how’s a kid supposed to know if he or she made the right list?
Now there’s an answer, part of Lake Geneva Cruise Lines’ annual Santa Cruise. We visited with Ellen Burling, general manager, to talk about the 2025 version of the popular lake tour.
She told us Santa Cruise began in 2017 with nothing more than an idea and concept. The company had the boats. The shoreline was a perfect place for decorating. The season suggested demand could be strong. Give it a try.
““When it first started we very much slapped it together, and I say that in a positive way,” Ellen laughed. “We had very little knowledge of exactly what we were doing. Our boats had never run in the winter so we didn’t really have a lot of things we have in place now.”
Today, she said, it’s a “well oiled machine” operating through January 3. High demand continues even after Christmas.
“We change the narration,” she told us, “to say Santa has done his thing and now he’s resting.”
The schedule can be found online (cruiselakegeneva.com) for booking. Two boats are deployed for Santa Cruise, the Lady of the Lake and the Grand Belle, each accommodating up to 175 passengers in enclosed, heated comfort.
Seats fill fast, so get busy if you want to reserve space. Ellen encourages customers to check out weekday opportunities because weekends are the most popular and book first. The company expects to set a new record attendance this year, with a slight increase to 35 days of cruising.
Here’s how the Santa Cruise and the whole experience comes together.
Lake Geneva Cruise Lines, a division of Gage Marine, operates Santa Cruise from the company’s Williams Bay winter harbor at 1 Liechty Drive. That’s convenient for patrons wishing to arrive early for dinner or drinks at Pier 290 but keep timing in mind to allow for making your scheduled cruise. The boats sail on time.
Upon arrival visitors first enter and receive their cruise tickets through the Christmas Tree Festival, which is an experience all its own. The hall is filled with beautiful decorations adding to the festive mood. It’s all for a good cause raising money for the 531 Fund (531fund.org), with proceeds directed toward six charities – Inspiration Ministries, Aurora Health Care Foundation, Norman B Barr Camp, SMILES, Walworth County Adult Special Olympics and Water Safety Patrol. The charities design themed booths with unique raffle prize packages. Participating guests place their raffle tickets with the booths for a chance to win.
It’s a big deal. Since Santa Cruise began the organization has raised $1 million for charity.
It’s a great experience and lots of fun. Trust us. We have done it all, with our kids and grandkids, and their wide eyes and smiles make the night. We have not, however, won a raffle package. Not for lack of trying – and we’ll give it a shot again this year.
Back to the cruise itself. When boarding is called, this is what to expect.
The boats are big, warm and comfortable with ample seating and windows all around for viewing. The ride leaves the pier for a route along Williams Bay park, then around Cedar Point and back, lasting about 40 minutes. Visible at intervals onshore are 30 elaborately decorated lighted displays, all erected by Gage Marine in cooperation with lakefront homeowners.
“It’s very generous of all those homeowners to let us do it,” Ellen said. “That partnership with all these homeowners has made this work. We have been very lucky.”
At Santa’s House (actually, it’s somebody’s boathouse), the man himself emerges to greet the kids. He’s holding – you guessed it – the “nice list” and he reads all the names. Magically, every child on the cruise hears Santa say their name.
Well, not quite magic. When parents book tickets they are asked to list their kids so Santa can add them. Here’s a cool touch. If a name is hard to pronounce, a staff member makes a phone call to be sure Santa gets it right. Our grandkids lit up like a Christmas tree when they heard their names.
“It’s such a unique experience,” Ellen said. “Because of the tour and the narration that goes along with it, it builds up to seeing Santa. The kids are waiting for Santa to read their name. It is so magical.”
And, yes, she said, now and then a parent has begged to have a kid on the naughty list.
“We just won’t,” Ellen said.
Spoken like a woman who has been making memories for people for 43 years. Ellen is a lifer with Lake Geneva Cruise Lines and loves making people happy. We asked her, well, what floats her boat and keeps her going.
“It is more than just my job,” she told us, pausing to gather her thoughts. “It’s providing a really wonderful memory and experience for all the people who come.”
The column is produced by the husband and wife team of Bill Barth and Stephanie Klett. Bill is the former Editor of the Beloit Daily News, and a member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame. Stephanie is the President and CEO of Visit Lake Geneva, and the former Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.
