America’s Great River

Learn about local history during a tour of Natchez that visits the city’s top sights. Discover timeless charms in one of the South’s oldest river cities, as you explore its grand antebellum architecture, compelling cultural heritage and unforgettable river views. Travel to the Stratton Chapel, stopping to view its collection of photographs documenting the early days of Natchez, before arriving at Magnolia Hall, where you will enjoy a guided tour of this opulent Greek Revival-style mansion. After time to explore, continue to the famed Natchez Bluff for sweeping panoramas of the Mississippi River—a viewpoint that has inspired generations with its commanding natural beauty. Learn about the city’s significant role in the Civil Rights Movement, where local leaders and citizens helped advance a more just and equitable future. After, return to your ship.

Uncover the history of two historic Southern homes while exploring their well-preserved grounds. Travel to the Frogmore Cotton Plantation and Gins, an early 19th-century plantation listed on the National Register of Historic Places that remains a working farm to this day. Here, you will gain insights into the contributions of West Africans and Europeans from the 1600s through the 1960s. Take a walk into the cotton fields and step inside an authentic cabin. Stop to view a rare National Register steam gin to contrast history against the computerized gin of today. At the National Historic Landmark-listed Longwood estate, step inside the largest octagonal house in the United States, an unfinished mansion known as “Nutt's Folly.” Here, you will join a guided tour of the first floor and discover why the opulent home was never completed.

Enjoy classical music and Southern cuisine at two historic homes in Natchez. Begin your journey at the Joseph Stone House with Joseph Britton Stone, a descendant of the original owner, who will guide you through the home and share insights into the estate’s ornate furniture, artwork and decor. In the home’s Music Room, attend a concert featuring classical music played on a 1903 Steinway grand piano. After, travel to the nearby Lansdowne Plantation, a stately Greek Revival-style mansion set on 120 acres and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Here, enjoy a specially prepared lunch featuring family-favorites hosted by a fifth-generation owner, directly descended from the home’s original builder, George Matthews Marshall. At the end of your time here, you will return to your ship.

Savor a meal of Southern-inspired soul food and enjoy an inspiring Privileged Access a cappella gospel performance. Begin with a panoramic tour to view the solemn Forks of the Road, a former auction site for enslaved persons. Stop at the Melrose, one of the best preserved Greek Revival estates in the South. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant featuring authentic Southern dishes, such as fried chicken, black-eyed peas, okra, biscuits and more, accompanied by a glass of regional muscadine wine and an a capella performance by a leader from the Zion Baptist church. After, walk to the Natchez Museum of African American Culture and History, where you will meet a local historian who will share stories about the history of Natchez, as well as insight into the town’s influential people. Your excursion complete, return to your ship.

Discover Natchez’s enduring architectural legacy during a panoramic drive and visit to Choctaw Hall. Called the “Jewel of the South,” Natchez’s pre-Civil War wealth can be seen in its many stunning examples of Greek Revival, Federal and Victorian-style buildings. Embark by motor coach on a narrated drive through the city, passing several of these historic estates en route to Ellicott Hill, a site deeply tied to the early formation of the United States. Here, learn about Andrew Ellicott, one of the nation’s foremost surveyors, who worked on defining U.S. boundaries following the American Revolution before continuing to Choctaw Hall, an embodiment of Italianate flair with its ornate brackets, distinctive cupola and intricate ironwork. Admire the swirling oval staircase and browse the many antiques on display, including the largest private porcelain collection in the US, then enjoy a local cocktail. Afterward, return to your ship.

Journey through culturally rich Natchez for high tea at an antebellum-era home. Enjoy an overview of the city’s storied past as you drive to Choctaw Hall. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your host, and guided through this wartime residence, built around 1836. Step inside the formal dining room for a festive-themed high tea. Sip tea from fine china cups and delight in an array of delicate finger sandwiches, fresh-baked scones and seasonal pastries. After, explore the home’s elegant interiors, including the cantilevered elliptical staircase that spirals from the entertainment level to the fourth floor. View what is reportedly the largest private collection of Jacob Petit porcelain in the U.S., alongside rare William IV and Early American Empire furniture. Admire views of the Mississippi River from the mansion’s heights, before returning to your ship.

Watch Chef Regina transform humble ingredients into biscuit perfection during a cooking demonstration. Drive by motor coach to the heart of Natchez to the King’s Tavern to meet Regina Charboneau, the renowned restaurateur, cookbook author, and Natchez’s beloved “Queen of Biscuits.” Upon arrival, step inside the warm, inviting kitchen and meet Chef Regina, who will share her hints and tips on creating the perfectly layered, flaky biscuit, using her famed tea towel method—a technique passed down through generations and refined by her French-influenced training. As the baking commences, Chef Regina will share insight into the culture of Natchez and Southern family traditions. Before departing, you will enjoy a tasting of her freshly baked creation, alongside a special gift: a printed tea towel detailing her recipe.

Discover historic Natchez on foot, a city celebrated for its antebellum architecture and river heritage. Meet your guide and drive to Stratton Chapel to view a curated collection of rare photographs that reveal Natchez’s early settlement and its role in driving the region’s river economy. From here, continue on foot and enjoy a guided tour of Magnolia Hall, an opulent Greek Revival mansion showcasing period furnishings, architectural craftmanship and stories of life in antebellum Natchez. Walk through downtown Natchez and pass preserved homes, including Rosalie Mansion, as you hear about life during the 19th century. As you arrive at Natchez Bluff, you will enjoy sweeping views over the Mississippi, pausing at the Proud to Take a Stand Monument, erected to honor citizens wrongfully imprisoned during the 1965 Civil Rights Movement. Finish your walk back at your awaiting ship.