• Rollin' down the river on a party cruise is one way to see a city.paddlewheeler image by wiladayvo from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
  
  Choose from all kinds of waterborne festivities on boats that range from luxury yachts to paddlewheelers. Celebrate holidays aboard or just book a memorable vacation evening. A party cruise on a river can be a surprisingly economical adventure or an all-out extravagance requiring formal attire.
  
  

St. John's River, Jacksonville

• The St. John's River is a high-energy party place in Jacksonville, Florida. Unlike quiet stretches of the river further downstate where you encounter manatees and alligators as you coast along under trees dripping with Spanish moss, the party boats at Jacksonville are all about DJs, dining and dancing. Cruise along the city skyline on a steamwheeler that holds 150 guests. Enjoy dinner in an air-conditioned salon and dancing under the stars on a canopied open deck. The boat is scheduled for regular party nights and can be chartered for private events. Reservations are necessary.
  
  River Cruises
  
  1840 Perry Place
  
  Jacksonville, Florida 32207
  
  904-306-2200
  
  jaxrivercruises.com
  
  

Hudson River, New York

• Spend New Year's Eve on the Yacht Manhattan on the Hudson River. See the famous Times Square fireworks without the jostle, waits and crowds. A 9 p.m. to midnight cruise on the river offers champagne, open wine bar, hors d'oeuvres and desserts. Cocktails may be purchased at the bar.
  
  See the sights from a heated and enclosed observation deck with fewer than 50 other guests, in formal attire. The Manhattan is a 1920s-style luxury yacht and a live jazz trio will keep things moving while you cruise past Battery Park City, Governor's Island, South Street Seaport, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and more.
  
  Classic Harbor Line
  
  Chelsea Piers, Suite 5912
  
  New York, NY 10011
  
  212.209.3370
  
  sail-nyc.com
  
  

Mississippi River, New Orleans

• A dinner-jazz cruise on the Mississippi will take you back in time on the Paddlewheeler Creole Queen out of New Orleans. The boat is a nostalgia trip with patterned wrought iron trim on the upper decks and plush Victorian ballrooms with parquet dance floors. A Creole buffet is served in the dining room and the old-fashioned Louisiana cypress bar is trimmed in brass. Cocktails are served on the promenade deck as the soft night air envelopes you and jazz drifts out across the seaport. You'll either be snapping your fingers to "Take the 'A' Train" or humming "Ol Man River" from the minute you board until three hours later when you disembark.
  
  The Paddlewheeler
  
  Creole Queen
  
  #1 Poydras Street
  
  Riverwalk Market Place,
  
  Box 39
  
  New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
  
  504-529-4567
  
  creolequeen.com