Mississippi Steamboatin in the Old South

• Itinerary
• Prices & Information

1. Home to New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
Life in the “Big Easy” blends legendary jazz, lacy architecture, laid-back “laissez-faire” lifestyle and world-renowned cuisine—Cajun to Creole, beignets to jambalaya! We board our steamboat at 7:30pm this evening. Extend your vacation with a hotel stay before or after your cruise. (2 Night stay in New Orleans for $225 pp.)

2. Oak Alley
OAK ALLEY PLANTATION, VACHERIE, LOUISIANA
Located in a peaceful area of grand Southern traditions, this community has several historic plantations.

Optional Shore Excursions:
•Oak Alley Plantation — Walk over the levee and down the oak-lined avenue to visit this lovely plantation house, an excellent example of Southern architecture that projects the lifestyle and wealth of 19th-century sugar planters. Scenes from Interview With The Vampire were filmed here.

•Laura: A Creole Plantation—One of the last remaining Creole plantations, built in 1805, it is the home of Br’er Rabbit and features 12 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The saga of the plantation is based on more than 5,000 pages of documentation.

•Cajun Swamp Tour — Learn about life in the wetlands. As you glide through the bayou you’ll enjoy the natural beauty of the Spanish moss-covered cypress and oaks; and, as seasonal conditions permit, you will see the abundant and varied wildlife that lives here.

3. St. Francisville
Peaceful and picturesque, this area is famous for its magnificent plantation homes.

Optional Shore Excursions:
•The Big House-You will visit two locations that are both aptly described by this American idiom. Your tour begins at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, where you will tour the extensive grounds while hearing tales of the notorious criminals who resided there. Then move to Greenwood Plantation with its 28 Doric columns, original detached kitchen, guides in period costumes and stately grounds that will transport you back in history.

•Rosedown and The Myrtles-Visit Rosedown, built in 1835; this luxurious plantation is home to both wild and formal gardens inspired by those of 18th-century France; and The Myrtles, one of America’s most haunted houses, where you’ll hear the tale of the murderous servant Chloe.

4. Steamboatin
Enjoy the passing scenery today and your beautiful steamboat ship!

5. Vicksburg
VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI
Here you can see one of the best-preserved Civil War battlefields in America, the Gray & Blue Naval Museum, & where Coca-Cola® was first bottled.

Optional Shore Excursions:
Battlefield and Siege Tour-Visit Vicksburg National Military Park, with its battlefields and monuments that commemorate this critical phase of the War Between the States. Then explore the gunboat U.S.S. Cairo, which was salvaged and reconstructed after 75 years on the bottom of the muddy river.

   
6. Natchez
High on a bluff, more than 500 lovingly preserved antebellum structures can still be seen here.

Optional Shore Excursions:
•Historic Homes—Natchez has more than 200 gracious antebellum homes. On this tour, you will visit 2 or 3 mansions.

•Music, Mistress and Marriage—Visit Frogmore Plantation where African Americans sang folksongs commonly referred to as spirituals. Early in the 1800s, slaves blended their own cultural songs with Christian hymns and Biblical characters taught to them by the mistresses of the plantations. Meet the mistress of both the 19th century plantation and a stately Natchez townhome to hear about the way of life from births to weddings. Join in the festivities and participate in a slave wedding.

•Historic Natchez Pageant—In celebration of the pre-Civil War era, the Natchez townspeople dress in lavish antebellum attire to perform this gala pageant. Note: Only available on select departures during Spring Pilgrimage.

  
7. Baton Rouge

The state capital, an important deep water port, was once the stomping grounds for some of the state’s most colorful political characters.

Optional Shore Excursions:
•Cajun Heritage TourLearn the history of the Acadians and about the hard-working, fun-loving Cajun people. Enjoy the festivities and experience the magnificent gardens and exhibits of 19th-century life at LSU’s Rural Life Museum.

•Anne Vidrine’s Cajun Fiddler Walking TourYour guide will take you on a tour of the most interesting locations in Baton Rouge and along the way entertain you with her fiddle.

•Baton Rouge, the Untold Story-You will be introduced to the many sides of Baton Rouge, from artisans and antiques to wild Louisiana politics.

•USS Kidd-Climb up the ladders and through the hatchways of this restored WWII Fletcher class destroyer. Visit the adjacent Nautical Center and the special exhibit on Claire Chennault and his WWII Flying Tigers.  

8. Baton Rouge/New Orleans-Home
Arrive back in New Orleans & fly home. Extend your vacation with a hotel stay before or after your cruise. (2 Night stay in New Orleans for $225 pp.)