Jazz cruise boarding and dock

Finding the boat

The ticket tells you to go straight to the ticket booth next to the boat, at the Riverwalk on the Poydras Street Dock. The operator gives its departure address as 1 Poydras Street. Keep your phone's map open as you approach, because the booth and the boat are the two landmarks to look for, and the address is the one the operator publishes.

At the ticket booth

Take your booking confirmation to the booth and board from there. The start time is in your confirmation, so this guide quotes none. Boarding opens ahead of the sailing, and arriving at the start of the boarding period gives you time to find the dining hall, the promenade deck and a place near the band. If your party has more than one booking, keep the confirmations together.

What to bring

Bring your confirmation and whatever you need for the deck. Neither the ticket nor the operator's page states a dress code, so choose what you would wear to a dinner out, and add a layer for the open deck. Cash is useful at the bar, since the operator describes the bar as a cash bar. No outside food or drink is allowed on board, so finish your own snack before you reach the dock.

What is not allowed

Weapons and sharp objects are not allowed. Pets are not allowed either, although assistance dogs are welcome; the operator suggests giving about a day's notice of a service animal but does not require it. Smoking is not allowed indoors. The ticket also bans outside food and drink. These rules are short and apply to the boat, so they are easy to follow, but they are the sort of detail that costs time at the gangway if you ignore them.

Weather and the river

Weather and safety can shift the sailing time or cancel the cruise, and the boat may stay moored when conditions on the river are poor. The operator says so, and so does the ticket. This is a river cruise, so conditions on the water decide the evening. Check your phone for messages from the booking before you leave your hotel, and read the cancellation terms on your confirmation. The GetYourGuide ticket includes free cancellation until a day before the cruise.

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Children and access

Under-sixes (aged five and younger) sail free on the ticket, which also carries a wheelchair-accessible mark. The operator's page lists service animals as welcome but says nothing further about access, so if a wheelchair user is in your party, confirm the arrangements with the booking page or the operator before the evening. The dining hall, the deck and the dock are three different spaces, and each can raise its own question about steps or space.

Who this isn't for

This guide is not for anyone expecting hotel transport. The ticket's inclusion list is a mix of included and excluded items, so this page makes no claim about a pickup; the boat is at the Riverwalk dock and you get yourself there. It is also not for travellers who want a fixed, guaranteed itinerary, because the route and the sailing can change with the river and the weather. Read your confirmation, and treat the dock details here as the plan.