The 14 Best Riverboat 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 at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for an evening on a traditional paddlewheel riverboat. Explore the ship, hear its calliope, and cruise the Mississippi with live jazz from the Dukes of Dixieland or another scheduled New Orleans jazz act. Add a Southern-style buffet dinner, with Creole dishes and vegetarian choices available.

“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

Cruise the Mississippi for about two hours aboard the Steamboat Natchez, or its sister vessel when the Natchez is away. You’ll hear live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, get river commentary from the captain, and pass the Chalmette Battlefield. Add a buffet lunch with Louisiana dishes, or buy drinks and snacks on board.

“Great fun and a must do activity in New Orleans. Easy to access and music and food delicious. Booking is easy and confirmed by email with vouchers .”

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3.Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

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

Board in the French Quarter for a two-hour evening cruise on the Mississippi. Expect live New Orleans jazz, captain’s narration, indoor and outdoor decks, and bars serving drinks for purchase. A Creole buffet is available with the dinner option. The boat may be the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS or Steamboat NATCHEZ, depending on the date.

“Great tour, beautiful scenery, great jazz music. My only regret is that i didn’t purchase the diner on the boat; i didn’t have time to dine in town prior. Otherwise great little adventure.”

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4.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

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

Board the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS at the French Quarter waterfront for a two-hour Mississippi cruise with live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, a calliope concert before boarding, and narration about New Orleans and the river. You can roam the decks and add a plated Creole lunch. The Natchez is currently off duty, so its sister vessel is filling in.

“loved narration and historical fact sharing. loved the veiw from the water. loved you could get food and drinks”

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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 two and a half hours aboard the Creole Queen, with a narrated Mississippi River ride and a guided stop at Chalmette Battlefield. Guides have included Dr. Lauren, Dr. Tarantino, Charles, and Michael, though the speaker varies by departure. You’ll pass New Orleans landmarks, hear about the Battle of New Orleans, and find food and drinks for purchase onboard.

“We had a wonderful day. Boat was fun and food was great. Everybody on the boat made us feel like family.”

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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 St for a two-hour evening cruise on the Mississippi. Live jazz plays as you pass the New Orleans waterfront, with an optional Creole buffet served in a Victorian-style dining room. Bring your confirmation for ticket redemption, arrive early, and pack a layer for the promenade deck.

“It was a chilly evening in New Orleans when we took this river cruise, but there was plenty of space inside where it was warm, the live music was great & the food exceeded our expectations! It would have been nice to sit up top & enjoy the lights more, but that is obviously outside the control of the riverboat folks. Given how windy & cold it was, I think every one of us enjoyed our time more than we were expecting as we were thinking about this excursion during the day. Great job, would recommend & would do it again.”

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7.Creole Queen History Cruise with Optional Lunch

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

Board the Creole Queen at the Riverwalk/Canal Street Dock for a 150-minute Mississippi River trip, with a local narrator and a one-hour stop at Chalmette Battlefield. Guides have included Charles and Dr. Lauren T. Choose the optional buffet for Creole dishes, or buy drinks at the onboard cash bar. The boat is wheelchair accessible, but the battlefield is not.

“Need bigger sign, it was hard to find. Make it easier for the handicapped. We took my blind aunt and we loved it after we got on boat but it was tough getting to the boat.”

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8.Sunday Jazz Brunch Cruise in New Orleans

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 889 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

Board at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for a two-hour Mississippi River cruise with live jazz and shoreline narration. Choose the buffet brunch option for dishes such as gumbo, shrimp and grits, French toast, and bread pudding. You can listen from the indoor cabin or stroll the decks; drinks beyond coffee and tea cost extra.

“Anyone booking this trip should know to make sure you book brunch. The food was amazing and the waiters were very helpful and exciting.. The musical was great and the knowledge of the Mississippi river was surprising.”

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9.VIP Jazz Dinner Cruise with Private Tour and Open Bar Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 838 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $190

Board at Toulouse Street for Champagne, a reserved seat near the Dukes of Dixieland, and a guided tour of the riverboat with its captain. Then cruise the Mississippi for two hours with jazz, a Louisiana-style buffet, and an optional open bar. VIP hosts have included Marlon, Alex, and Brittany, though assignments can vary.

“VIP well worth the extra money. Marlon was the best guide we have ever had and we were extremely well taken care. The private boat tour was amazing. Simply an awesome experience!”

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10.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, depending on the date, the Steamboat NATCHEZ. Hear live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, listen to the captain’s narration, and take in the city from four decks. Choose the optional Creole brunch buffet, with dishes such as gumbo, shrimp and grits, and cinnamon rolls.

“The buffet was excellent, views were incredible, and steamboat was lovely.”

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11.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 coach and riverboat. A guide leads you past the French Quarter, Jackson Square, a historic cemetery, City Park and Garden District mansions, then you cruise the Mississippi with narration and jazz. The buffet costs extra, and a sister boat may replace the Natchez.

“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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12.Creole Queen Weekend Morning Jazz Cruise

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

Board the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen at the Riverwalk/Canal Street Dock for a Mississippi River cruise with live music from the Muddy Mississippi Band. Add a brunch featuring gumbo, barbecue shrimp and grits, French toast and bread pudding. Cocktails are available for purchase; the boat is wheelchair accessible.

“Lovely breakfast and trip down the river. Music was perfect. Very enjoyable. I’ve been to New Orleans several times but this was my first time on the water. A new perspective was great. Just as advertised.”

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13.City Tour & Steamboat Daytime Jazz Cruise Combo

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

Spend the day on the Mississippi aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS, with live jazz and a captain’s narration, then tour New Orleans by bus and on foot. The route includes St. Louis Cemetery #3, free time in City Park, and a guided Garden District stroll. Guides Harris, Stacey, Bob, Jane, and Ryan have all led tours.

“Ryan on the grey line was an awesome tour guide. The river boat was a very nice ride, and while the lunch (which we thought was included with our purchase but apparently was not) was not outstanding it tasted pretty good and was reasonably priced. There was plenty of sitting space and places to get drinks. They do not explain to you to buy your lunch at the bar and then go sit in dining area. Signs on the tables tell you to wait for someone to escort you, after waiting for about 10 minutes we were told just to show the ticket and walk ourselves up after we purchased…”

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14.Creole Queen Weekend Jazz Brunch Cruise on the Mississippi River

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 6 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $80

Board the Creole Queen at 11 a.m. for a weekend brunch cruise from New Orleans. Expect a Creole-style buffet, live jazz, and about 90 minutes on the Mississippi, with the full outing lasting roughly two and a half hours. Food and music are included; alcoholic drinks and soda cost extra.

“Great short tour, food was good, music was awesome. This tour is good to take during day time as you can see the different buildings. At night all you can see is lights.”

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