Things to do nearRiverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS - Official Site

The Mississippi River has been the lifeblood of New Orleans since the city's founding in the early eighteenth century, and paddlewheel steamboats have been a fixture on its waters since the early 1800s, carrying cargo, passengers, and the cultural currents of the American South. The Riverboat City of New Orleans continues that tradition as one of the city's most recognizable vessels, operating public cruises that blend sightseeing with the music and food that define the region.

Passengers can choose from daytime sightseeing cruises, which trace the broad curves of the lower Mississippi past working wharves, historic levees, and the Crescent City's low-lying skyline, or evening dinner and jazz cruises that transform the journey into a full sensory event. The boat's multiple decks offer different vantage points: the enclosed lower cabin provides comfortable seating and proximity to the dining service, while the open upper decks put you directly in the river air with unobstructed views in every direction.

Live jazz performances by local musicians are a hallmark of the evening cruises, rooted in the same improvisational tradition that has made New Orleans a pilgrimage site for music lovers for over a century. The slow pace of the cruise encourages conversation, reflection, and an appreciation for the sheer scale of the river, which widens dramatically as it moves toward the Gulf of Mexico. For anyone seeking to understand New Orleans beyond its streets and neighborhoods, a journey aboard the Riverboat City of New Orleans offers a perspective that is genuinely irreplaceable.