Paddlewheeler Creole Queen — Local services in New Orleans

We were told it would be an architectural journey through the history of New Orleans by boat. It wasn't. It was informative in the way a second grader informs you about their favorite dinosaur.

Positives: It was generally a relaxing ride. The staff was nice and helpful. The historian did her best with the material she had to work with.

The paddle boat was nice enough, and, while Im sure the on board narrator/historian was more than knowledgeable about the area's history, it was white washed to the lowest common denominator.

The boat takes you five miles from the French Quarter to the site of the Battle of New Orleans, the town of Chalmette. For the most part its a love letter to the infamous genocidal general and president, Andrew Jackson - skipping over all of the native killing and inventing germ warfare. They showed no interest in even addressing who were the natives of the area, or that there even WERE natives in the area. History began when Europeans arrived. I do not wish to lay this at the feet of the historian, who I would expect would have much greater knowledge of the area and its history - but this is so sanitized to make a terrible human being into a great man, alluding to how wonderful it was that he "saved the union" from the English, and allowed for the continued western expansion and the Christian slanted promise of Manifest Destiny. USA USA RA RA RA.

There were some other brief notations about certain buildings along the east bank, but nothing of note on the west, either to or fro. The historian was supposed to have made her rounds throughout the boat on the way back to New Orleans, to answer any questions to individual passengers, but we didn't see her.

Again, I don't want to put this at her feet. The bloody history of the area, and the awful truth of Jackson doesn't make for a pleasant ride. This being the south, and one of the poorest and poorly educated states in the US - its not surprising that the presentation is simple, one dimensional, focusing on the greatness of the American Experiment and how Brave and Strong jackson was to have won the battle, and almost single handedly saved the expanding union!

Im not sure what I would change, because, as I wrote above, any nuanced or factual information on Jackson would cause people to clutch their pearls. They don't go but five miles from port and wait an hour before heading back. Maybe if they gave more information on the native people of the area, maybe some idea of their history and what remnants there might be, or discussing more of the buildings up and down the river of the area - but this is a convenient way to save energy for the boat as well - to spend half of the tour just sitting at...

We did both the "Historic" (afternoon) and the "Dinner Jazz" (evening) cruises on different days. Both were very well done, pleasant, and enjoyable, even with our teenagers along. :) The Historic cruise was informative and Charles, the narrator/guide, was easy to listen to and kept our attention as he walked us through the relevant history and sights and then brought the Battle of New Orleans to life for us at the battlefield. We did not have lunch on this cruise because of the departure time. We ended up sitting inside for the entire cruise, however, because there was inadequate outdoor seating for everyone. The view out the windows was fine, but I would have preferred to be outside. The "Dinner Jazz" cruise was noticeably different: there was a small jazz combo playing on the upper deck and they were pretty good. The dinner was fabulous (although admittedly a bit pricey) and included a seafood pasta dish I really liked (and now I'm trying to figure out how to duplicate it, even though I usually don't really like such things) and numerous other items that were also quite good, along with "the best bread pudding I've ever had," according to my wife (and it was really good). The staff were friendly, helpful, kind, and responsive throughout. Due to COVID concerns, the staff would fill your plate for you as you went around the buffet; I would have preferred to do it myself, but this system worked adequately well. For the dinner cruise, there was more seating available than in the afternoon, and so after dinner we were able to get all four of us settled in an excellent place on the upper deck near the bow to watch the river go by and the sun set -- and the rain clouds and lightning come in. The storm barely affected us, however, because we were in the covered area of the upper deck and, in fact, I really enjoyed watching the rain falling on the river and the city. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen. My only wish would have been for each cruise to be longer since we were having such...

On July 21, 2023 I went on the noon historic cruise. The heat was unbearable and I was mad because I wanted to go on the jazz cruise but this cruise was definitely worth it. The cruise was informative and kind of life changing. Captain Charles is so knowledgeable and did such a great job. The one topic I cannot stop thinking about is Hurricane Katrina. The reality of the events will make you mad and cry. Very emotional. I was furious hearing about the lack protection, the carelessness from those who should’ve stepped in to protect their people was inexcusable. It broke my heart and also warmed by heart when Captain Charles told us how Canada and China stepped in to provide aide before our own country did. Captain Charles explained how Canada crossed the lines without permission and no one knew they were coming. That speaks a lot when other countries step in to do whatever is necessary to help. I see why everyone loves Canada. Captain Charles also told us about alt General Honore who stepped in and evacuated those stranded at the super dome. Lt General Honore also cut down on the crime. Lt General Honore is definitely a hero. He stepped in and did what no one else could. I pray their are more women and men in this country like him that can step in during disastrous events and take care of the people first. History is so important, please don’t let anything or anyone keep you from learning the truth. History is how we can move forward and be better. Lastly, remember to always vote. Voting for local officials is just as if not more important. Remember the people you vote into office will be the ones responsible for making decisions that directly impact your...