The 15 Best Cruises with Live Music in the World

1.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise with Dinner Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7,533 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58Our pick

Board at Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for a three-hour evening aboard the Steamboat Natchez, or its sister vessel, the City of New Orleans. Enjoy calliope music, narration, Mississippi views, and live jazz by the Dukes of Dixieland. Add a buffet of gumbo, fried chicken, crawfish étouffée, and bread pudding.

“Very romantic boat ride and meal. Food was a full buffet and tasted great! Waistress was attentive and welcoming. The views of the city and bridge were spectacular and magical. Easy access via streetcar as well”

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2.Budapest Danube Cruise and Dinner Options, Live Music and Dance

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7,428 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $54

Spend an evening on the Danube with views of Parliament, Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge, and Gellért Hill. Choose a buffet dinner, wine-and-food pairing, or gulyás with mini lángos. Live Hungarian music and folklore dancing keep the 90-minute cruise lively.

“The food was good. The entertainment was good with friendly people. The boat was terrible if you wanted to take pictures you had to walk back and forth through the boat to get each side. You also were not allowed to go upstairs to get an overall total view.”

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3.3-Course-Dinner Cruise on the Seine with live music

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7,248 reviews · 2h 30m · from $135

Board a glass-roofed Bateaux Parisiens boat at the Eiffel Tower for a 150-minute Seine cruise, an à-la-carte dinner, wine or Champagne depending on your package, and live singing. Choose central, panoramic, window, or front seating, with vegetarian dishes available on request.

“This was an exceptional activity. Five star from start to finish. A must do for everyone.”

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4.Sunset or Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 6,030 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $51

Board Xclusive Yachts in Dubai Marina for a 90-minute sunset or evening cruise past Ain Dubai, JBR, and Dubai Harbour. You get an international buffet, live pasta and noodle stations, unlimited drinks, and live music, with attentive staff such as Oliver, Stan, and Deejay helping set the mood.

“Really enjoyed the sunset cruise, lovely views outside the marina as the sun went down. Having drinks included was a nice bonus and would like to give a shoutout to our waiter Stan, lovely and promt service. My only suggestion would be maybe removing a couple of tables at the front of the boat to allow people to take some pictures without disturbing people trying to eat. Would definitely recommend this cruise and was a great end to our anniversary.”

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5.New Orleans Steamboat Natchez Jazz Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,334 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $43

Board the Steamboat Natchez at 400 Toulouse Street in the French Quarter for a two-hour Mississippi River cruise. Enjoy live jazz by the Steamboat Stompers, commentary from the captain and crew, views of the port and Chalmette Battlefield, and an optional Southern-style buffet lunch.

“The boat was nice, unfortunately was pretty cold so everyone packed inside. The band was mediocre at best. There was a narrator that provided some interesting insights about the surrounding area and history.”

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6.Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,548 reviews · 2 hours · from $58

Board the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS at 6pm for a 7pm to 9pm Mississippi River cruise. Hear live jazz by the Grammy-nominated Dukes of Dixieland, listen to captain’s narration, explore four decks, and add a Creole dinner buffet if you want a full evening out.

“We had a lovely dinner. The service great and the experience was terrific.”

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7.Daytime Steamboat Jazz Cruise + Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4,164 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Spend two hours aboard the Riverboat CITY of NEW ORLEANS, the current stand-in for the Steamboat NATCHEZ. Hear live jazz from the Steamboat Stompers, listen to the captain’s narration, explore four decks and the engine room, and add a plated Creole lunch if you want catfish, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and bread pudding.

“We totally enjoyed Kendall, who was our driver and tour guide. He was knowledgeable and well versed in New Orleans History, especially the cemetery tour. It was so pleasant to see a tour guide who really cared about New Orleans and it's history. We learned a lot, especially that Kendall is a great asset to your company. He was personable, caring and very kind hearted. It was such a great tour, we wished it could go on longer. Kendall was not only our tour guide, but he took us back to our hotel and saved us the cost of a taxi. Kudo's to Kendall!”

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8.4-Course Dinner Cruise on Seine River with Live Music

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,827 reviews · 2h 30m · from $153

Spend 150 minutes aboard a Bateaux Mouches dinner boat from Port de la Conférence. Expect a four-course French meal, piano and violin music, wine or Champagne, and views of the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower. Choose the Excellence option for priority window seating.

“The overall experience was excellent and I highly recommend for anyone in Paris for a romantic evening or even just with friends. The food was very good. The wine was ok. The champagne was good. I feel for non-english speakers, the start-instructions (going to the main room not the boat) were confusing, given that I had to assist some. The boat also left port very late, or at least a lot later than expected, we had finished our entree way before we left. But then the pace was fine after that anyway, just stressed me out a bit at the beginning. Especially being an evening cruise, the views were spectacular…”

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9.Key West Sunset Sail with Open Bar, Live Music and Hors D’oeuvres

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,559 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $79

Board Sebago’s spacious catamaran at 205 Elizabeth Street for a two-hour Key West sunset sail. Expect live local music, peel-and-eat shrimp, wine, sangria, beer, cocktails, and soft drinks as you pass Mallory Square, Fort Zachary Taylor, and Sunset Key. Bring a sweater and arrive 30 minutes early.

“Very well done. Great attitude from the crew which made for a great rise in morale for all the guests.”

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10.Sunset Catamaran Cruise with Live Music

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3,024 reviews · 1.5 - 2.5 hours · from $33

Board the 78-foot Catamaran Orsom for a 1.5 to 2.5-hour roundtrip along Barcelona’s coast. You’ll watch the sun set over the skyline, hear live jazz, and relax on the nets above the water. Drinks are sold onboard, but food and beverages are not included.

“Watching the sunset was a perfect end to our holiday! We loved the jazz music and the sangria on board was delicious and reasonably priced.”

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11.Dubai Marina Dinner Cruise with Live Music & Open Bar

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,780 reviews · from $47

Cruise Dubai Marina for about 90 minutes aboard a glass-sided boat with private seating, an international buffet, pasta station, live acoustic music, and unlimited drinks. Choose sunset or evening sailing, then enjoy views of JBR, Bluewaters Island, and the illuminated skyline.

“It was a really lovely evening, good food and live music. We thoroughly enjoyed it! Everything went smoothly.”

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12.Gourmet Dinner Cruise on Seine River with Live Music

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,531 reviews · 2 - 4 hours · from $69

Cruise the Seine aboard Le Diamant Bleu for a three-course dinner, live singer-guitarist music, and a DJ set. You’ll pass Notre-Dame, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Pont Alexandre III, and the Eiffel Tower, with time on the upper deck for photos. Vegetarian and vegan meals require 48 hours’ notice.

“Was very smooth and comfortable on the cruise. food was delicious and entertainment was very enjoyable - Anastasia was great at engaging the crowd! Views from the top were spectacular - perfect timing to view the Eiffel Tower ‘sparkle’. Would definitely recommend this tour.”

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13.Candlelit Dinner River Cruise with Live Music

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,154 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $129

Spend 2.5 hours on Budapest’s Danube with a welcome drink, four-course dinner, live Hungarian music, and clear views through retractable windows. You’ll pass Parliament, Buda Castle, Gellért Hill, Margaret Island, and three illuminated bridges aboard a modern Legenda City Cruises boat.

“it would be better to improve the signs on site, and clearer information on the reservation as per the name of the boat and which dock to arrive at.”

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14.Dinner Cruise with Live Music and Folk Dance Show

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2,090 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $93

Board at Akadémia 2 ponton for a 1.5-hour evening cruise with a warm Hungarian buffet, welcome drink, Rajkó Folk Orchestra musicians, cimbalom, and folk dancing. You will pass Parliament, Chain Bridge, Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, Gellért Hill, and more. There is no sightseeing guide, just music and views.

“it was very nice, the food was delicious and the show was amazing!”

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15.Alangka Luxury Buffet Dinner Cruise With Live Music

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,811 reviews · 2 hours · from $31Best value

Meet at ICONSIAM Pier 4 for a two-hour evening cruise with a Thai and international seafood buffet, live music, singers, and traditional Thai dance. From the open deck, you can see Wat Arun, the Grand Palace, bridges, and Bangkok’s lights, with tea, coffee, and water included.

“Amazing customer service with a good buffet and gorgeous spot to view the fireworks next to iconsiam. Loved it had lots of fun”

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