[Judy Patsch]

A question was asked a few days ago about the status of the diesel electric paddlewheeler CREOLE QUEEN in New Orleans. Here it is: after several years of sitting idle save for a few charters, she began running some weekend dinner cruises and an occasional day charter. Otherwise she sat idle at either the Poydras or Canal St. dock. While I was in NOLA April 14-21, she began her new cruising arrangement with Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World. MG World is now located in the Robin Street Wharf, which has been remade from its DQ Co. headquarters days. Instead of tourists going across to Algiers on the West Bank to tour MG World, they now go to Robin St. Anyway, the CREOLE QUEEN is running a couple trips a day, starting at Canal Street, going downriver a bit, and ending up at Robin Street where the passengers tour the facility and get back via some other means. It's advertised as an hour harbor trip which includes the historic French Quarter. We watched her on the very first trip: she turned around right in Algiers Bend and headed back upriver with it appeared 10 or so pax aboard. They would have had to be on real slow bell to kill an hour on that short route. Later in the day, they passed by with a larger crowd, looked like at least 20, and they dropped further downriver, turning around near Mandeville Street Wharf. I imagine they'll refine the route as needed, but it reminded me of the few months the gambling boat FLAMINGO 'cruised'. She went from Poydras St. to just below the bend and back. The CREOLE QUEEN is still doing the dinner cruises on her regular route. Her sister boat, the CAJUN QUEEN,was sold and has been gone from NOLA for several years.