After your cruise
A post-cruise stay gives you more freedom than embarkation day because you are not working backward from a ship departure. Use the time you have left in New Orleans to choose one city experience or, with a full day, a longer Louisiana excursion.
Mississippi River cruises on the authentic Steamboat Natchez or Riverboat City of New Orleans cost $45 to $55 for daytime sightseeing or $90 to $105 for evening dinner cruises with live jazz. Departures board at the Toulouse Street Wharf behind Jackson Square, cruising 2 hours along the historic New Orleans harbor with live steam engine viewing and calliope music.
How to decide
Current tour options
Schedules, live pricing, pickup details, eligibility and availability are confirmed during booking and can change by operator and departure.
Operated by Southern Style Tours
From $50/ person
Good fit: first-time visitors
A comprehensive overview of New Orleans covering the French Quarter, Garden District, and more.
Operated by New Orleans Steamboat Company
Flat rate: $44/ adult
Enjoy a relaxing daytime cruise on the Mississippi River with live jazz.
Operated by Ragin Cajun Tours
From $35/ person
Good fit: a calmer, shaded swamp ride
A covered tour-boat experience offered through Ragin Cajun Tours.
Representative image: Oak Alley Plantation. Tour selection may include Oak Alley or Laura Plantation.
Operated by Southern Style Tours
From $67/ person
Good fit: a longer day trip
Journey outside the city to explore historic Louisiana plantations and learn their complex history.
Quick answers
If you only have the hours before a flight, choose a city-based experience with a predictable end time. If you are staying overnight or have a full extra day, river, swamp and plantation options become much easier to plan around.
Only when your flight is late enough to leave a large buffer for the full tour, return traffic, luggage and airport check-in. Do not judge the fit by boat time alone; use the full door-to-door commitment.
Luggage arrangements depend on your hotel, transportation provider or storage service. Resolve that before booking a timed tour so bag handling does not become the reason you miss a departure or flight.
