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Cellpic Sunday – The Steamboat Natchez

The Steamboat Natchez.

February 2024
New Orleans, Louisiana.

“They say the river is eternal. To me, it’s eternally new. As a steamboat man, I’ve seen in every light and all weathers. But, I’ve never lost my sense of wonder at its power and majesty, and it was it seems to touch something special in the American spirit. On the deck, with the big wheel turning, you can look across the water and back to the days when time was measured by the coming and going of packets and excursion boats, and those days are as close as the echo of the steam calliope. Maybe that’s what they mean by eternal.”
Clarke “Doc” Hawley, Captain, Steamer NATCHEZ, Retired.

After spending a couple of days in New Orleans, we departed on the Norwegian Breakaway in February 2024. As we navigated down the Mississippi toward the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, we met a passing steamboat—that’s right, an authentic steamboat. I’ve been on river cruises, riverboats complete with paddle wheels, but the ones we’ve been on aren’t powered by steam. The Natchez is unique in that it is the last authentic Steamboat on the Mississippi River.

According to their website here, the Steamboat Natchez offers a variety of cruises designed to showcase the beauty and culture of New Orleans from the Mississippi River. Daytime jazz cruises feature live music, while evening dinner jazz cruises add a culinary experience to the ambiance. Sunday brunch cruises provide a relaxed midday option featuring food and music. A cruise on the Natchez emphasizes the historic steamboat experience, some even featuring live calliope music and access to the engine room, allowing passengers to immerse themselves in the rich history of river travel.

OK, the website sold me. We are planning a visit to New Orleans in October and another cruise, this time on the Norwegian Escape. However, we will spend more time in New Orleans to savor the city’s atmosphere. We will undoubtedly take a cruise on the Natchez.

About the photo: As we left New Orleans late in the afternoon, I stood on our balcony and noticed the Natchez on her way back to the dock. My camera was still packed away in its bag, so I pulled my Samsung S23U out of my pocket and grabbed a few photos of the steamboat as it went by. The processing was straightforward; in Lightroom Classic, I adjusted the levels, made a slight crop, and then sent it to Luminar Neo for a final touch-up with Enhance AI.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rule is that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device. If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s also acceptable. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

31 comments

  13. Our trip on the Mississippi was taken further north near Memphis. I was amazed at the push boats pushing barges up and down the river. My mom always wanted to take a paddle boat cruise on the Mississippi but never did. To honor her, we took a short day cruise.

    Reply

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