Paddlewheeler Creole Queen

We had a wonderful time on the creole queen. We actually took it for both the jazz tour and the historic cruise. We enjoyed the jazz music and food for a peaceful end to a long day of tours. The historic cruise was a great way to learn more about New Orleans. Charles was an amazing host. The battlefield was actually closed due to Presidents’ Day and Charles still came off the boat to narrated the story to us! He has a great sense of humor and is an amazing storyteller.

We took the history cruise down to the battlefield. The ride was enjoyable, the food was tasty, the hurricane was delicious. But the real treat was the narration. Charles was very entertaining and informative. When we got to the battlefield there was usually a park ranger to give the history, but I'm honestly glad they weren't available because Charles took over and, despite his voice trying to give out, it was a wonderful explanation. On the way back Charles gave a very heartfelt description of the Katrina Hurricane disaster as well, which I am glad was included. The speakers throughout the boat were very clear, which I had been worried about. I am definitely planning to bring visitors there in the future! One request: there were a few times where Charles was clearly quoting something, like a poem, and I wish he'd said the source

Another one of those tours where I thought I would be bored but 2 1/2 hours later I was pleasantly surprised! The captain entertained us with his melodic storytelling about what we were seeing on the shore. But the best one was his “podcast” style story that he reported on about the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina striking the area in 2005. This guy was good. The boat trip was excellent but the stories we heard were the best! Highly recommend !

We've just taken the afternoon historic cruise, which was excellent. The crew were all very polite and extremely professional. The steamer was lovely and the food was very tasty even for mass catering, I especially enjoyed the gumbo. Thoroughly enjoyed the historic stop off at the Chalmette Battlefield, who knew there was a Battle of New Orleans between the UK and US. Highlight was the narrator, Charles. He delivered his talks with deliberate pauses, melodic storytelling and well placed humour, even when relaying the horrors and resilience of the folx of New Orleans during hurricane Katrina. Well worth the money and time. Fabulous!

We took the afternoon historic trip that included a 1 hour stop at Chalmette Battlegrounds. Nice boat, friendly staff, good hurricane drinks! The best part was the narrator, I believe her name was Dr. Lauren Tarantino... she was the best! She was fun, had great stories and information all along the trip! I could tell she was passionate about New Orleans history and I could have listened to her all day! The stop at the battlegrounds is only an hour and honestly we felt rushed.. there is a small museum and gift shop and not really enough time to take it all in, but it's still worth it all the same if it's your only way or chance to get there...especially if you are a history buff!

My husband and I planned a date weekend, and he chose the Creole Queen as an activity for us. We live about 2 hours west, but the Hubs is from New Orleans originally and had not been on a paddle wheeler since elementary school field trips 45 years ago. I have to admit that I was skeptical, but we had a fantastic time! You can take a photo before going on board and we ended up buying ours because it was actually a really good one! The drinks were great and though we didn't try the food, it looked really good, too. The interior of the ship could use a refurb, but all in all, there was AC and great music, and it was clean and comfortable. All of the employees were kind and helpful. The views and the narration of New Orleans and War of 1812 were terrific! We went to the Chalmette Battlefield and learned so much. I am from Louisiana, and I learned new things and gained such an appreciation for the significance of the battle in American history. Shout out to Dr. Lauren Tarantino, our shipboard history narrator and the park rangers! Y'all are awesome! The photo opportunities are endless! The whole trip was just an extraordinary way to see New Orleans and learn about it in a very entertaining way. Definitely recommend and adding to my out of state guests' itinerary!

What a better way to get a little taste of the Mighty Mississippi. The Creole Queen was a stunning surprise, and with the Historian narrating our tour, it added a special depth to the outing. The vessel itself was fully equipped with all the creature comforts you would need, and was able to accommodate those in mobility assist devices. With ample outside seating, as well as fully enclosed, they had plenty of room for everyone, while still not feeling crowded.

We definitely enjoyed our historic cruise and visit to the battlefield. Our kids loved seeing the paddle wheel and the atmosphere felt comfortable. Charles the narrator of historic events did a great job. He has a good voice for a narrator and kept it interesting. The historic narration went in two parts: prior to the battlefield it was about the Battle of New Orleans and after the battlefield visit it was about Hurricane Katrina. You have the option to skip the Hurricane Katrina narration by staying inside. That part is only broadcast outside. You get about an hour at the battlefield, but please don’t count on the park ranger tour guides. They met us and basically just told us to go to the visitor center. That’s not the cruise company’s fault. We didn’t order the buffet and so I’m not basing this review on it, but if we had ordered the buffet this wouldn’t be a 5-star review. It looked mediocre. The buffet consisted of Caesar salad, seasoned rice, pasta, a couple other dishes, and bread pudding for desert. I wouldn’t pay for it.