Creole Queen of my heart
Visit New Orleans and if you get the chance then do it at least twice. The first time you visit, just drink everything and the next time you visit, just tour everything.
We spent two weeks in the Crescent City, with our first week spent running all over the city at Tales of the Cocktail. Our second week consisted of doing more touring than a tourist. By the time we were due to leave, all we wanted was haggis, foot rubs and a bath in the North Sea. Ironically, half way through the second week, my energy had started to dwindle and I became a cross between the Grinch and the 7th less-than-cheery dwarf. Yet at the end of the second week, I felt like a local, y’all!
Both the end of our Big Easy trip and our very special blogging 6 month anniversary called for a celebration and we wanted to mark the event. Unfortunately Mark wasn’t around so we took a Dinner Jazz Cruise aboard the Creole Queen boat instead…
Rolling on the (Mississippi) River
Back home in the UK, many of us are guilty of the obligatory Proud Mary shimmy on the dance floor after a drink or 12. I have done the ‘wheels’ dance move to the Tina Turner tune countless times. Let me tell you, nothing and I mean nothing will prepare you for the moment where you are aboard a paddle-wheeler jazz boat rolling on the Mississippi River down in New Orleans near the house of the rising sun. My first impressions of the Creole Queen were already holding a straight flush and I knew I was on to a winner. Little did I know just how much of a lasting impression this bountiful boat would leave on Miss Me
Fun-Bo Gumbo
I did say it was a Dinner Jazz Cruise didn’t I? Upon boarding the classy cruise, we took to the eloquent dining room on the lower deck for a fist full of food. There was a good range of grub on the go for a 2 hour Jazz Cruise, mostly in the spirit of New Orleans.
If you ever get a chance to visit New Orleans and you are from the UK, you will be in for a culture shock. We are definitely a different field of fish than the Louisianan lovers, quite literally. Jambalaya, Gumbo and a showcase of seafood are on offer in every eatery. The Creole Queen was no different and had all of these famed foods available. Ironically, after spending 2 weeks in New Orleans, we hadn’t actually tried gumbo yet. This was down to pure fear and a case of sticking to what we knew. I eat a lot of pizza while I found my feet. Gumbo is a saucy devil and you either love it or you hate it. It wasn’t my cup of tea but it didn’t stop me eating it. Dessert was bread pudding, rivalling my grannys but drowned in whisky sauce.
Sun-sational
The Creole Queen Paddle-wheeler Boat offers two regular cruises. The daytime cruise mostly focuses on the history of New Orleans and stops at the Chalmette Battlefield. There is an option to include lunch and if you take the earlier morning cruise then you can wangle a bottomless mimosa for $10. You better bet this is in la schedule for our next trip. The other option was an evening Jazz Cruise.
In this case, I couldn’t of been more delighted that we picked the Dinner Jazz Cruise. We were at sleeping point and needed a chilled out, final hurrah. If you are keen on seeing the most outrageously incredible sunset over the Mississippi River, you need to get decked. Perched on the deck of the Creole Queen taking in the piercing orange sun and pink backdrop over the New Orleans skyline could put a tear in a bricks eye. It was that typical movie moment where the older couples had their arms round each other lovingly and the younger ones were taking romantic ‘selfies.’ Worlds apart.
And all that jazz
Even the least toe tapping of toe tappers would tap a toe at these tunes. The in house/boat band were lifting the spirits out of the source with their catchy ensembles.
Scott doesn’t do too well at the old dancing malarkey and my feet were fragile. However, there happened to be a Latin and line dancing group of divas from New York on our trip and at one point they were dancing right in front of us. Scott didn’t really know what to do with himself but I was loving it large. Instead of rolling on the river, they were wiggling on the water and it was superb entertainment. The banter was flowing back and forth between the band and the boogie crew which had everyone else on the boat feeling giddy.
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
– Louis Armstrong
It’s a classic isn’t it? Anybody with a half decent set of lugs has heard the raspy tones of Louis the legend let loose with this sweet melody. Not everybody has listened to a jazz band play this song on board a beautiful paddle-wheeler boat on the Mississippi River whilst taking in the twinkling lights of the New Orleans skyline. I thought to myself, what a wonderful world.
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Creole Queen
Miss V Claimer
I genuinely had a lump the size of Texas in my throat whilst writing this piece as I have such amazing memories on board the Creole Queen. We couldn’t of picked a better place to celebrate our blog birthday and the finale of our New Orleans trip.
We would like to thank Tico and Jill for hosting us on a complimentary basis, our trip was perfect. As per always, my opinions are mine, sometimes Scotts and never anyone elses. We love the Creole Queen and we hope you do to!
