The Mississippi bend by night

Why the river bends

New Orleans takes its nickname, the Crescent City, from the course of the lower Mississippi around and through the city. The bend shapes the map: the Crescent City Connection carries a road over the river, and because of the river's winding course the river is flowing north at the place where the two bridges cross. The West Bank is a good example: it is named for its position on the river's western bank, yet it lies geographically southeast of the city.

The French Quarter from the water

The French Quarter, known locally as the Quarter or the Vieux Carré, was the colonial-era city, and it is bounded by the Mississippi, Rampart Street, Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue. New Orleans was founded in 1718 by French colonists. A great fire in 1788 destroyed 80 percent of the city's buildings, and the Spanish rebuilt many of them, which is why the Quarter shows more Spanish than French influence. Creole cottages and townhouses with courtyards and iron balconies line its streets.

Jackson Square on the way back

The cruise passes Jackson Square on the way back to the dock. The square was the Place d'Armes under the French and the Plaza de Armas under the Spanish, and it took the name Jackson Square in 1851, for the victor of the 1815 Battle of New Orleans. St. Louis Cathedral stands at the centre of three 18th-century buildings on its north side. The square once looked over the river, but later, higher levees blocked the view, and a boardwalk now runs along the top of the levee.

The bridge

The Crescent City Connection is a pair of cantilever bridges that carry a business route of US 90 over the Mississippi. It is the farthest downstream bridge on the river, and the widest and most heavily travelled on the lower Mississippi. The first span opened in 1958 as the Greater New Orleans Bridge, and a second span followed in 1988. Guests describe a ride under an illuminated bridge, but this page cannot promise which bridge a given sailing passes, because the captain sets the route.

Algiers across the water

Algiers is a historic neighbourhood on the West Bank, the only part of Orleans Parish on that side of the river. It began as a plantation, grew around shipbuilding, dry docks and railroad yards, and was later annexed to the city. Wikipedia notes that it was once home to many jazz musicians, which fits an evening of jazz on the river it faces. The West Bank is what you see across the water when you look away from the Quarter.

Read next: Riverboat jazz: the history

How to read the evening

Treat the sights as a loose order, not a timetable. The ticket promises views of the skyline and the French Quarter, the pass by Jackson Square and the lights of the city under the night sky. The rest depends on the captain, the river and the weather. A useful habit is to stand on the open deck for the first part of the cruise, when the light and the view are widest, and go inside for the music or the dinner when you want a seat.

Who this isn't for

This is not a narrated tour, so it is not for anyone who wants a guide to name each building. The evening cruise has a band and no commentary promised, and the daytime Creole Queen cruise is the narrated one. It is also not for visitors who need a fixed route: sailings can be moved or cancelled for weather and safety, and what you pass is the captain's decision on the night. If you want to name every landmark, bring a map or a good guide book.