I first encountered New Orleans through the pages of Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, Sula and the ragtime influenced notes that flowed from Louis Armstrong’s trumpet on my grandparents’ old Magnavox stereo. Playing in brass brands on New Orleans riverboats, Armstrong honed the gravel-voiced sound that would make him one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century.
Never having had an opportunity to cruise the Mississippi River on my previous visits to “The Big Easy,” I was super excited when I received an invitation to celebrate a friend’s birthday on the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen.
Built in the 1980’s with the allure of the 1850’s paddlewheelers, everything about our experience was authentic to riverboat tradition. Wearing sequin cocktail dresses, fringed jumpsuits and gold masquerade masks to commemorate the special occasion; we boarded the enormous 24-foot paddlewheel boat ready to “Laissez Bon Temps Rouler” (let the good times roll).
Pure NOLA, the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen Jazz Cruise offered us an “EXTRAordinary” opportunity to step back into the glamour and romance of the riverboat era. After a lavish Creole Buffet featuring yummy traditional Chicken & Sausage Gumbo and Louisiana Creole Jambalaya dishes in a classically adorned dining room setting, we jumped at the chance to dance the night away on the promenade deck to vibrant sounds of the Sullivan Dabney, Jr. and the Muzik Jazz Band. What’s New Orleans without music? The band covered everything from traditional ragtime jazz to Frankie Beverly and Maze’s “Before I Let Go” (my girl Bey’s version). Sipping classic New Orleans cocktails as the sweet Mississippi River breeze blew through my hair and the city skyline slid underneath a canopy of stars, I felt NOLA drifting into my soul.
Tucked away in one of America’s busiest ports (the Canal Street Dock along the Riverwalk), the Creole Queen offers just the right historical blend of Creole cuisine and entertainment for those wanting to know what it may have been like to travel during the Jazz Age when riverboats were all the rage and the ragtime sound bounced off of the crests of the mighty Mississippi.
“The rhythm of life is a jazz rhythm” – Langston Hughes
CRUISE DETAILS
Availability: Nightly
Inclusions: River Cruise, Jazz Entertainment, Optional Creole Buffet, Cash Bar, Taxes
Duration: 2.5 Hours
Cruise Times:
6:30pm - 7:00pm Boarding
7:00pm - 9:00pm Sails
