Booking choice: The General Jackson lunch or dinner cruise, from $112 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
In 2026 the General Jackson runs two regular shows: Nashville LIVE!, a midday cruise that debuted in March, and Southern Nights, an evening cruise that debuted in February. The Viator ticket covers either, with pickup from select downtown hotels.
Here is how they differ, and which one suits which kind of trip.
The quick answer
Pick lunch for a lighter, 2.5-hour daytime cruise with an eight-piece country band and the river in daylight. Pick dinner for a 3-hour evening with singers, dancers and a full band, and the skyline lit up on the way back. Both leave from the Opry Mills dock and cost the same on Viator.
How do the lunch and dinner cruises compare?
Lunch is shorter, earlier and country-focused; dinner is longer, later and a bigger production.
| Nashville LIVE! (lunch) | Southern Nights (dinner) | |
|---|---|---|
| Boarding | 11:15 am (early boarding 11 am) | 6:15 pm (early boarding 6 pm) |
| Departs | 12 pm | 7 pm |
| Back at the dock | About 2:30 pm | About 9:45 to 10 pm |
| Hotel pickup | In the lobby by 10:30 am | In the lobby by 5:30 pm |
| Show | Eight-piece band, 75 years of country hits | Vocalists, dancers and a full live band |
| On the river | Daylight views | Sunset or dark, lit-up skyline |
| Viator price | From $112 | From $112 |
Know your time slot? Lunch and dinner are the same ticket, with pickup from downtown.
Check dates for the General Jackson lunch or dinner cruiseWhat is the Nashville LIVE! lunch show?
An eight-piece showband working through 75 years of country hits on fiddle, piano, mandolin and guitar.
It is the more straightforward of the two shows: a tight band and a country songbook, which suits anyone who came to Nashville for the music. Guests regularly single out the musicians as the best part of the day.
What is the Southern Nights dinner show?
A bigger production with vocalists and dancers backed by a full live band, running about 3 hours in all.
Guests who took the evening cruise praise the singers and the energy of the show, and the view of the downtown skyline lit up on the way back. It is the one to pick for a birthday, an anniversary or a first night in town.
What is on the lunch and dinner menus?
Lunch is a Southern plate with Tennessee Whiskey charred chicken and smoked pork; dinner has a carving station, chicken, mac and cheese and cheesecake.
- Lunch: Yukon Gold potato salad, Tennessee Whiskey charred chicken, 12-hour applewood smoked pork, and a warm orchard fruit crisp.
- Dinner: a carving station, sun-dried tomato spring chicken, whipped gold potatoes, Southern baked mac and cheese, and salted toffee crunch cheesecake.
Guests' views on the food are mixed: some call it delicious, others average. Nobody books it for the menu alone.
Which cruise has the better views?
Dinner, if the skyline matters to you; lunch, if you want to see the river banks and spend time on deck in daylight.
The boat docks by Opry Mills, and the downtown skyline is the highlight of the route. After dark it is lit up; in daylight you see more of the wooded banks along the way. One lunch guest noted they could not see much, so do not expect a sightseeing tour.
Want the river itself, with commentary? The narrated cruise spends two hours on the water with a captain's history of the city.
Explore the narrated river cruiseWhich is better with kids or older travelers?
Lunch: it starts and finishes in daylight, is half an hour shorter, and pickup is mid-morning.
Evening pickup is at 5:30 pm and you are back at the dock around 10 pm, which is a long evening for young children. Strollers are allowed, and there are ramps and an elevator between several decks.
Are there holiday and special cruises?
Yes: in the holiday season the regular shows give way to A Nashville Christmas at midday and the Showboat Holiday Spectacular in the evening.
The operator also runs specialty sailings in 2026, such as a Murder Mystery cruise, Yacht Rock, a Fall Foliage cruise on the open Hurricane Deck, Halloween Fun, a Tribute to the King on December 29 and a New Year's Eve four-course dinner. These are booked with the operator; check what your Viator date covers before you buy.
So which should you book?
Book lunch to keep your evening free for Broadway or the Opry; book dinner if the cruise is your big night out.
- First trip, want the music: lunch, then the Opry next door in the evening.
- Special occasion: dinner.
- Kids along: lunch.
- Short on time: lunch, or the one-hour double-decker city tour instead.
What each ticket includes and costs is in General Jackson tickets and prices.
Decided on a time? Check your date for the lunch or dinner cruise, cancellable up to 24 hours before.
Check dates for the General Jackson lunch or dinner cruiseFrequently asked questions
How long is the General Jackson lunch cruise?
About 2.5 hours: boarding from 11:15 am, departure at 12 pm, back around 2:30 pm. With hotel pickup at 10:30 am, allow about 4 hours.
How long is the dinner cruise?
About 3 hours: boarding from 6:15 pm, departure at 7 pm, back around 9:45 to 10 pm.
Is the dinner cruise more expensive than lunch?
Not on Viator: both are the same package, from $112 per adult.
Is the meal plated or a buffet?
The operator describes a plated Southern lunch; the dinner menu includes a carving station. One guest described the food as buffet style, so expect a mix.
Ready to book
Choose your cruise
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
General Jackson Showboat Lunch or Dinner Cruise
- Cruise ticket on the General Jackson Showboat (lunch at 12 pm or dinner at 7 pm)
- Plated Southern lunch or dinner in the Victorian Theater
- Live show: country hits at lunch, a band, singers and dancers at dinner
Grand Ole Opry House Backstage Tour
Backstage at the Opry before or after the boat
