The 13 Best Steamboat & River Cruises in New Orleans

1.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7,533 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58Our pick

Board the Steamboat Natchez at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for a 3-hour evening on the Mississippi. Enjoy a calliope concert, narration, city views, and live jazz from the Dukes of Dixieland. Add a Southern buffet with gumbo, crawfish etouffee, fried chicken, and bread pudding.

“The dinner cruise was wonderful from several standpoints. The food and service were great. I am an engineer and the ship itself was fascinating to me. We cruised on a very cold night so we had to stay inside to avoid the weather. I want to do the cruise again in warm weather to enjoy the night views along the river. Highly recommend”

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2.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,334 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43Best value

Board the Steamboat Natchez at Toulouse Street for a two-hour Mississippi River cruise with live jazz by the Steamboat Stompers, onboard narration, and views toward Chalmette Battlefield. Add the Southern-style buffet if you want red beans and rice, jambalaya, fried fish, and bread pudding.

“Everything was very smooth. I walked over in ~8 minutes from my Q&C Hotel. I went on a 55 degree January weekday and the boat was nowhere near full which was nice and spacious with plenty of seating. The narration was well done and had some jokes. The band was okay a nice addition. The lunch was very tasty and for $20 extra a great deal in New Orleans. They will provide you 2nds if you ask. I recommend getting first meal because the boat does not leave port for the first 45 minutes which is boring otherwise. 2nd meal you will miss most the scenery. The ride is 45…”

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3.Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,548 reviews · 2 hours · from $58

Board at 6pm for a 7pm to 9pm Mississippi River cruise aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS. Hear live jazz from the Grammy-nominated Dukes of Dixieland, listen to the captain’s narration, explore four decks, and add a Creole buffet dinner if you wish.

“This was such a fun, relaxing, and educational experience. The staff was super friendly and engaging, the jazz band was great and had fun with the crowd, and I loved getting to hear a little bit of history and facts about the buildings and sites we saw down the river. I think reminders or announcements that there are bars on all the levels would help. The third floor’s bar had continuously long lines, but the bottom floor’s bar was empty. That’s an easy fix with reminders and signage. Loved the experience overall!!”

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4.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,164 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Spend two hours on the Mississippi aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS, currently filling in for the Steamboat NATCHEZ. Hear the Steamboat Stompers, listen to live narration, inspect four decks and the paddle wheel, and add a plated Creole lunch if you want catfish, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and bread pudding.

“Steam organ the jaz band and the narrators I felt safe and the ride was very informative I would definitely recommend this tour”

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5.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Historic Mississippi River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,948 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $47

Spend about 2.5 hours aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen, with live history commentary, city and river views, and a guided visit to Chalmette Battlefield. Food and drinks cost extra. Guides may include Charles, Dr. Lauren, or Dr. Tarantino.

“We had an awesome time. Learned a lot, the food was great. The battlefield area is beautiful. Wish we could've stayed there a little longer.”

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6.Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Dinner Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,469 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $107

Board the Creole Queen at 1 Poydras Street for a 7 p.m. Mississippi River cruise with live jazz, optional Creole buffet, and city views from the promenade deck. Expect a friendly, festive evening, but arrive early because the boat leaves promptly and narration is not provided.

“We throughly enjoyed the meal, music and experience cruising on the river in an old style river boat”

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7.Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 1,112 reviews · 2h 30m · from $47

Take a 150-minute English-language cruise aboard the Creole Queen from Canal Street to Chalmette Battlefield. Hear local stories from guides such as Charles and Dr. Lauren, enjoy Mississippi views, and choose an optional buffet of Creole and Cajun dishes.

“The food was served up quickly and hot. The musicians were first rate. We enjoyed getting to see the mechanical works. Overall a good experience for our family group of eleven.”

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8.Sunday Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Brunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 470 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Spend two hours on the Mississippi aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS, or the Steamboat NATCHEZ when scheduled. Expect live jazz by the Steamboat Stompers, captain’s narration, four decks to explore, and an optional Creole brunch with gumbo, shrimp and grits, biscuits, and king cake.

“I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the buffet. It was Easter Sunday and we really enjoyed the options that were offered to us. Usually buffets are quite disappointing but this one was quite good.”

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9.New Orleans City Tour and Steamboat Natchez Harbor Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 446 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88

Spend about six and a half hours seeing New Orleans by narrated coach and paddle wheeler. Visit Jackson Square, St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, City Park, and the Garden District, then hear live jazz on the Mississippi. Guides such as Harris, Robert, and Katherine are known for adding local detail.

“Excellent from start to finish. Our guide, Robert, was fantastic and the Beignets were amazing! The Mississippi steamer was a highlight. Highly recommend this tour.”

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10.Creole Queen Weekend Morning Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 139 reviews · 1h 30m · from $44

Cruise the Mississippi aboard the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen while the Muddy Mississippi Band plays live jazz. Choose a cruise-only ticket or add a Creole brunch with gumbo, shrimp and grits, bread pudding, and more. Expect skyline views, Jackson Square from the water, and a relaxed weekend morning.

“Delicious brunch….fantastic jazz musicians….what more could we want???”

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11.Freaky Tiki Boat Bayou Tour: Near New Orleans with Bathrooms

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 97 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) Top rated

Cruise Bayou Bienvenue for 1 hour 45 minutes on a party boat with bathrooms, music, BYOB drinks, and a chance to see alligators and other wildlife. Captains such as Rodney Daingerfield, Pip, Ben, and Barry mix local history with a lively group atmosphere. Private bookings suit birthdays and pre-wedding parties.

“Captain daddy and soon to be captain big mama were fabulous. We had a blast from start to finish. It went so fast. I couldn’t believe it. Waste all gators we danced we laughed. We learned some of the history… Could not have asked for a better experience!”

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12.City Tour & Steamboat Daytime Jazz Cruise Combo

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 73 reviews · 6 hours - 390 minutes · from $104

Combine a two-hour Mississippi cruise aboard the Riverboat CITY OF NEW ORLEANS with a three-hour Gray Line city tour. Hear live jazz and captain’s narration, visit St. Louis Cemetery #3, pause at City Park, and stroll the Garden District with an English-speaking guide.

“There was no courtesy or civility from those that work there. For ticket taking, they simply took the ticket. NO welcome aboard I am here to assist you, just "give me the ticket". Again there is no "put whatever items in your hand down remove your shades if you would like to, to take a picture", just quick snap a picture. NO please pose for the picture, just a snap of the picture. The male taking a picture of me, has the nerve to get an ATTITUDE, after he has snapped a picture of me with a water in my hand a purse in the other hand and shades on,…”

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13.BYOB Tiki Boat Bayou Party and Wildlife Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 26 reviews · 1h 45m · from $85

You’ll spend 105 minutes on a covered, motorized tiki boat cruising Bayou Bienvenue and the Bayou Sauvage area. Bring your own drinks, use the Bluetooth music system, watch for alligators and birds, and enjoy an easygoing party led by an English-speaking captain and first mate.

“Freaky Tiki was the best! Got to feed the alligators and pulled up next to another boat and partied with them as well. Definitely will do it again!”

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