Some students may have a negative yacht-ittude about the post-prom cruise option, but for others, it truly seizes the spirit of the night.

Last year there were about 700 Prom attendees, and just under 400 rode on the Odyssey cruise after midnight. This year, students will board the Spirit of Chicago’s cruise. The multimillion-dollar renovation of Spirit’s cruises will make the event an especially pleasant one, says Nichole Boyd, Director of Student Activities.

The Spirit cruise will leave Navy Pier at midnight, cover the majestic lakefront, and return at 2 a.m. Students can dine, dance and enjoy rooftop and interior decks. Despite all its offers, some students prefer to spend their evenings elsewhere.

“You have to stay on until so late,” says Mason Kirkpatrick, senior. “We shouldn’t be forced to pay for a boat that many people don’t want to go on.”

Even students who plan on riding on the cruise are dubious of its value.

“I’m expecting it to be very fun but I’m skeptical because I feel like people will get tired,” says Carlton Jones, senior.

The fee for riding on the boat is already included in the initial prom fee of $110, so traveling on the Spirit cruise is certainly “cost-efficient, and provides a unique option for students,” Boyd says.

“It’s big and has a lot of space,” says Savannah Norfleet, junior. “Also, you can wear whatever you want and be completely comfortable.”

Prom is expensive, and the cruise only adds to the price, but “if students want to change the structure, the proper place to have that discussion would be the senior class board,” Boyd says. She wishes seniors would realize that they are in charge of the decision-making.

This year the Spirit will cruise through Lake Michigan and provide an optimal opportunity for students. To board or not to board? That is the question.