Absolutely Perfect In All Ways
My Friend and I went on the Riverboat Twilight and it was the most perfect/awesome adventure! From reserving our trip to our final walk to our car after the two day cruise, all was perfect! Staff are amazing, from the Captain to the servers, to the musical entertainers. The food is suburb and generous! Everything is very well organized, from our luggage/hotel in Dubuque/seating for meals, free shuttles in Dubuque, etc! The scenery and info along the way from the captain was wonderful! This was an absolutely perfect two day cruise, and we are going again in Mid October as we loved it so much!!.
Karen V Pella, Iowa
Cruises On The Mississippi River
Launched in 2015, American Cruise Lines 150-passenger American Heritage is dedicated to Mississippi river cruises.
The most traveled Mississippi river cruises are between New Orleans and Memphis or St. Louis. There are also a few full-length New Orleans to St. Paul, Minnesota or reverse cruise each summer.
You can also journey east of the Mississippi river and cruise the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers.
If youre wondering if Mississippi river cruise ships have a casino, the answer is no. Overnight Mississippi river cruise ships do not have a casino.
However, an option would be to take a taxi from the ship if the port that you are at has a nearby casino. Just dont miss the boat!
Disclosure: I was a guest of American Cruise Lines aboard American Heritage. As always, all opinions are my own. It was a wonderful week and I heartily recommend this cruise.
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Im the editor and creator of CruiseMaven.com, a solo traveler cruising the world on waves and wheels, collecting recipes along the way. I hope my articles and photos entertain, advise and inspire you to travel the world without flying. Take a breathstop for a local meal and a glass of wine along the way.
Best Mississippi River Cruises For 2022
0Upper Mississippi River vs. Lower Mississippi River Upper Mississippi River Lower Mississippi River0Top Cruise Ports on the mighty Mississippi RiverWhere will your Mississippi River cruise take you? Mississippi River cruises immerse you in the culture and cuisine of the historic U.S. South. Here are some of the most popular cruise ports where our Adventure Life Mississippi River cruises dock: Get to Know VicksburgGet to Know Baton RougeGet to Know New Orleans0What’s it like to cruise the Mississippi River on the riverboats?American QueenAmerican Duchess American Countess
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Amtrak City Of New Orleans Train Back To New Orleans
Unlike everyone else on this cruise, I chose to ride overnight aboard Amtraks famed City of New Orleans train from Memphis to New Orleans. I reserved my roomette, and looked forward to a relaxing overnight, eating in the dining car and of course, a piping hot cup of train coffee.
Rather than a rush to the airport, this was a fabulous finale to a memorable week. I spent an overnight in New Orleans and picked up a rental car for the drive back to Florida.
En Path To Oak Alley Louisiana
American Heritage left New Orleans nicely earlier than dinner chimes have been heard. We have been heading upstream for a night port go to. Oak Alley, Louisiana.
Just a few hours into our Mississippi river cruise was our first port city Vacherie, Louisiana for a cease at Oak Alley Plantation. Aglow at sundown, the plantation was fairly a spectacular sight.
Perhaps it was the 300-year previous cover of stay oaks or the nice and cozy glow from the porch lights.
A night stroll alongside the 1/4 mile path from the ships gangway to the double-door plantation home entrance was a great way to stroll off dinner. Set Mr. Peabodys Wayback Machine to the yr 1837.
As soon as a rich sugar plantation, Oak Alley was constructed on the spine of slavery. Between 110 and 120 males, ladies and youngsters lived in bondage on the plantation. Virtually all Mississippi river cruises cease at Oak Alley.
Subsequent morning, any apparitions disappeared with the sunshine of day, or so I hoped. Tour guides in interval costume guided us by way of most of the rooms, chatting up the historical past and occasions from the plantations almost 200-year previous existence.
After the tour, and roasting within the warmth and humidity, everybody slowly sauntered again in the direction of the Mississippi river. Our awaiting air-conditioned ship was a welcome sight.
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Your Lower Mississippi Itinerary
Youll enjoy between six and 22 days of fabulous food, music, camaraderie, and relaxation. Sit on the deck of one of our gorgeous paddle wheelers. This fantastic mode of travel slows life down and allows you to soak up every ounce of beauty along this iconic body of water.
Consider just a few of our fabulous Mississippi cruises: New Orleans to Memphis.
If you arrive in New Orleans a few days before the cruise launches, you have the opportunity to fully explore and experience the wealth of cultural amenities that abound in the Big Easy, including:
The Garden District: A fabulous and historic neighborhood, filled with oak-lined boulevards, grand mansions, and, of course, lush gardens. Its also the location of the famed Lafayette Cemetery, which is the final resting place of several historical figures, including John Howard Ferguson, who was the defendant in the Supreme Courts Plessy v. Ferguson decision that established the separate but equal doctrine that was later overturned in the 1950s.
French Quarter: No trip to New Orleans is complete without at least a walk-through of the famous district. Here youll find Bourbon Street the beating heart of Mardis Gras and Jackson Square, where ceremonies marking the transfer of the Louisiana Purchase territory from France to the United States took place in 1803.
Along the way, youll visit several more fabulous locations, including Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the state capital and home to Louisiana State University.
The Best New Orleans Airboat Tours
Make your time in New Orleans a whole new kind of thrilling, while getting closer to nature, on these top airboat tours.
New Orleans sits near the Mississippi River delta, where a vast network of bayous, lakes and wetlands crisscross the fringes of America before succumbing to the Gulf of Mexico. With so much water around, sometimes the best, and often the only, way to get from one place to another is by boat. With sea levels on the rise, this method of transport will only become more necessary than ever. Some airboat tours ply the extensive network of waterways around the New Orleans, while others incorporate other sights into the tour. Here are our favorite five.
Swamp Tours South of New Orleans by Airboat
For a chance to spend two hours winding along the cypress-lined waterways of the Lafitte wetlands at Bayou Barataria, check out this popular ride from Airboat Adventures. Youll see plenty of wildlife along the way, including alligators , turtles, snakes and plenty of water birds, such as ibis, egrets and herons. These airboats are large, holding up to 30 people. The prices do not include transport to the dock from New Orleans, although this can be added onto your ticket. From $59 per person.
New Orleans High-Speed 16 Passenger Airboat Ride
New Orleans High Speed 6-9 Passenger Airboat Tour
Small-Group Swamp Tour by Airboat with New Orleans Pickup
Swamp Airboat, 2 Plantation Tours & Lunch from New Orleans
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Mississippi River Cruise From New Orleans To Memphis
It might be per week of grisly Civil Battle battlefield sights and tales, excursions of opulent plantations with their costumed glamour and turbulent previous. There have been strolls by way of a few of Americas cities that grew up alongside the river.
As well as, wed have an opportunity to bask in regional southern meals that included its French and subsequent Creole and Cajun affect.
Which Is The Best Company
Both companies appear to be well run and provide a memorable experience. According to US Today, both companies are solidly in the top ten.
Id feel comfortable booking with either company. Your decision may be influenced by the itinerary or being on a specific boat .
On a side note, if youre a Viking fan, the Viking Mississippi will be launched in August of 2022. This will also be a modern river boat hosting 386 guests.
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Choosing A Mississippi River Cruise Itinerary
Because it is so long, the Mississippi River is usually divided into three parts. Each segment typically takes a week, or you can combine them for a three-week cruise. The scenery along the river is generally prettier and the wildlife more prevalent the farther north you are on the river. All segments can be done in either direction.
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Keep in mind that sailing against the current slows the boat and generally means fewer ports or less time in port, but youll have more time to relax onboard.
Lower Mississippi : A weeklong sailing, which can run in either direction, this stretch of the river can include port stops like Oak Alley and Nottoway plantations, Baton Rouge and St. Francisville in Louisiana Natchez, Vicksburg and Greenville in Mississippi and Helena, Arkansas. The occasional New Orleans cruise, which can run from five to seven days, typically visits the same ports, minus Memphis.
Middle Mississippi : Also weeklong itineraries that can run in either direction, these sailings typically feature stops at New Madrid and Cape Girardeau, Missouri Paducah, Kentucky and Chester, Illinois. Memphis to St. Louis sailings feature more scenic sailing and fewer port stops than other Mississippi itineraries, and, as such, fewer of these itineraries are offered.
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How Much Does It Cost To Take A Mississippi River Cruise
For the ultimate experience, you could cruise all the way from Minnesota to New Orleans . The overall distance from headwaters to the gulf coast is 2,320 miles . Typically, the river is divided into three segments:
- Upper section between St. Louis and St. Paul
- Middle section between St. Paul and Memphis
- Lower section between Memphis and New Orleans
We fell in love with The Big Easy many years ago and vowed to return one day. For that reason, we worked out the average costs of some of the most popular river cruises on the lower Mississippi.
The itineraries vary and include some amazing sights such as Memphis, southern plantations, and Vicksburg.
Mississippi river cruises pricing will vary depending upon the time of year, reflecting peak and non-peak season rates. More dramatically impacting the fare is your cabin choice.
For instance, the American Queen offers basic inside cabins starting around $237 per night / person. These are much smaller than the ones with balconies.
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Mississippi River Cruise From New Orleans To Memphis Review And Photos
Note: Queen of the Mississippi was refurbished and renamed American Heritage in 2022.
My first Mississippi river cruise was a silly 20-minute boat ride aboard Liberty Belle at Disney World.
Based on my Huck Finn Disney ride, I really didnt know what to expect on a real Mississippi river cruise. But when I stepped onboard American Cruise LinesAmerican Heritage , the only similarity was the traditional big red paddle wheel.
The week ahead on the Mississippi would cruise through U.S. territory Ive never explored. The cities and towns wed see were totally new to me.
This post takes you along on my Mississippi River journey from New Orleans to Memphis. I hope to inspire you to get onboard and experience the controversial history, regional culture and delicious cuisine in this part of America.
Dinner & Dancing River Cruises
River cruises take on an even more romantic feel as the sun goes down, with evening dinner and dancing tours that make for a great date night with someone special or a perfect, floating backdrop for a celebration with family and friends.
In New Orleans, the deluxe 800-passenger paddle wheeler Creole Queen offers a daily Mississippi River Dinner Jazz Cruise with live music and a lavish Creole feast. After dinner, you can enjoy a signature Louisiana cocktail and take a stroll on the deck or a spin on the dance floor.
The renovated 2,500-passenger Riverboat Louis Armstrong operates as a floating jazz club and restaurant, with three interior levels and an open air deck that offers the best views from the river. Fun fact: The boats name was inspired by the jazz greats own life story. Too young to play trumpet in the city’s bars, Armstrong instead played on the docks near where steamboats stopped along the Mississippi River, eventually making his way on board.
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Mississippi River Cruise Lines
There are three main cruise lines that offer itineraries along the Mississippi River: Viking River Cruises, American Queen Voyages, and American Cruise Lines. Viking is known for its luxury river, ocean, and expedition cruises to incredible destinations around the world, and the Mississippi itineraries are a newer addition to its wide range of river cruises, offered aboard the new Viking Mississippi ship. American Queen Voyages offers several cruises along the Mississippi on paddle wheel steamboats like the American Queen.
American Cruise Lines has both new, modern riverboats and paddle wheelers, so you can choose your ideal sailing experience depending on your itinerary. These cruise lines all offer similar itineraries along the river, so we recommend looking into the ships and amenities on board and finding whats included in the rate to help make your decision.
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Welcome To The Riverboat Louis Armstrong
The name Louis Armstrong is synonymous with the history, music, soul and romance of the riverboat era. When Satchmo was in his teens and too young to play in the music clubs in New Orleans, he would go to the Mississippi River with his trumpet, hop on one of the steamers as a deckhand, and scurry to sneak among the jazz musicians for a chance to play with them. The rest is history!
In a City full of unique and spacious venues, The Riverboat Louis Armstrong is one of the newest and most unique – and one of the biggest – with a maximum of 2,500 allowed. Designed as a gaming boat that had been part of the Evansville, IN landscape for 20 years, The RLA is now a part of the New Orleans landscape and culture on the Mighty Mississippi. When not engaged in events, meetings or weddings, she is docked alongside Mardi Gras World and River City Venues. When chartering the boat, and for special events and concerts, she will be docked at Spanish Plaza, or can remain at the MGW dock when used in conjunction with the venue. The Riverboat does not cruise the Mississippi River, but remains dockside. The boat can cruise under special circumstances.
During the 2021 Satchmo Fest The Riverboat Louis Armstrong hosted a launch party to introduce the boat to the public and visitors to the city.
Please to view the event.
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The Best Of The Riverboat Cruises On The Mississippi
If you are looking for the best Mississippi River cruise, look no further. Join Road Scholar on this classic Mississippi River cruise where guests will board a magnificent paddlewheel riverboat and get a front-row seat to immerse themselves in the music, food, natural beauty and architectural grandeur of Dixie, historic Natchez and Vicksburg, and small river towns. Spend three days exploring the hustle and bustle of New Orleans, including a jazz show at the iconic Fritzels Jazz Club.
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Mississippi River Cruise Itinerary
- Oak Alley Plantation, Vacherie, Louisiana
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Vicksburg, Mississippi
- Memphis, Tennessee
The river cruise price ticket included a one-night pre-cruise keep at The Whitney Resort in New Orleans. This was very handy for the cruise line to choose up virtually all of their visitors from one location on the town to go to the port.
It additionally assured that everybody can be on board and checked in nicely earlier than sailaway time.
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Swamp People We Are The Real Swamp People
For well over 150 years, the swamp and bayous of Louisiana have been our familys home and backyard. For all of this time, we have trapped and hunted the fur-bearing animals that live in the marsh and swamp of Cajun Country.
We are family-owned and operated by three generations who still make their living in the swamp. Everything you see on TV about the swamp people, we still do today. We make a living hunting alligators, harvesting alligator eggs, hunting nutria, fishing crabs, catching fish, and trawling for shrimp in the bayous and lakes of Louisiana. Our family and our captains are all childhood friends who have grown up making their living in the same way.
The most valuable treasure we can ever leave our children and future generations is the love and knowledge we have for the swamp and marshes of Louisiana Cajun Country.
New Orleans Swamp Tours
Take a New Orleans swamp tour of the famous Honey Island Swamp by Cajun Encounters. Youll glide through gator territory on a small, flat-bottomed boat and hear all about the swamp and its natural inhabitants from our local, expert captains. We offer pickup services from many French Quarter hotels and visitor centers for your comfort and convenience. We have found the top experts in the field to give you an authentic tour of one of Americas most unique ecosystems. Many of our captains have lived on the water for most of their lives and have earned field degrees to give you the best experience possible.
Cajun Encounters is a proud member of the Louisiana Nature Conservancy, and we believe that we have a responsibility to protect the environment around us. Were dedicated to providing an intimate look at the swamp without impacting the environment or the many diverse species that live there. On every tour, youll have the chance to see alligators, wild boar, raccoons, snakes, owls, egrets, and more all in their natural habitat, and just a few feet from your boat!
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