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Twin Cities

Local News | Viking Mississippi cancels some cruise…

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Local news | viking mississippi cancels some cruise passengers four days ahead of departure.

Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Passengers from across the country say they've received letters from the cruise company informing them their reservation, paid for more than two years in advance, had been canceled just days ahead of departure. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Richard and Jean Pletcher hoped to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in style. In April 2020, the Eagan couple paid $18,800 to reserve a luxury cruise from St. Paul to New Orleans , which would have been their sixth voyage with Viking, an international cruise giant based in Switzerland.

Little more than a week ago, just four days before the first trip of the Viking Mississippi from the Mississippi River’s headwaters to its mouth, the company informed them by mail that their reservation had been canceled. The 386-passenger ship, custom-built for the river, departed St. Paul’s Lambert’s Landing as planned, but the Pletchers were not aboard it. There was worse news to come.

“I called immediately and was given very little information, only that we could reschedule for the trip during 2023 or 2024 with a 110 percent credit,” said Richard Pletcher, who is in his 70s. “When I called just to inquire about this, I was told the first available trip was actually in 2025, because everything earlier was fully booked.”

In other words, “Viking wanted to keep our money for three more years, after already having it for almost two years,” said Pletcher, who instead demanded a full refund. “Asking for our understanding, loyalty and continued support. Needless to say, my response did not include any of these qualities.”

The Pletchers aren’t the only couple who have been bumped from Viking’s new Mississippi River cruises at the last minute.

Passengers from across the country say they’ve received letters from the cruise company informing them their reservation, paid for more than two years in advance, had been canceled just days ahead of departure. The letters offered limited explanation except to say that the company wants to ensure its voyages are top quality, and challenging circumstances mean that the Viking Mississippi must sail at reduced capacity.

Entire boat trips planned from St. Paul in July and August were canceled this summer, and interior work aboard the ship has apparently continued right through the first departure from St. Paul toward St. Louis, Mo., on Sept. 3 .

It’s unclear how many reservations have been terminated with days to spare, but a Facebook community page created by a ticket-holder on July 1 — “Viking Mississippi Cruise” — has drawn dozens of comments, many of them from worried or unhappy reservation-holders. Others said their trips were roughly half full, carrying about 200 passengers.

Calls to Viking for comment were not returned this week.

SOURCE OF DELAYS LIKELY A PERFECT STORM

Whether the company is primarily struggling with the national labor shortage, delayed staff trainings or physical considerations such as supply chain issues impacting particular staterooms remains unclear. Passengers have said their consolation letter or on-board experience seems to raise the possibility of all three.

“We are currently on this ship,” wrote passenger Dean Siddons on the Facebook page, during a trip to St. Paul on Sept. 15. “There are numerous ship repair/maintenance people onboard and they are taking up rooms. There are also some Viking people here to do staff training, and some other Viking people with unknown functions that are not crew. None of these would normally be on the ship. So some of the rooms are unavailable for these reasons.”

Viking, which had once planned to debut its new cruise ship in 2017, delayed the launch five years while it worked through federal regulatory challenges under the Jones Act, otherwise known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. The law requires vessels traveling between U.S. ports to carry U.S. crews and to be U.S.-owned, U.S.-registered and U.S.-built.

Even after appeasing the U.S. Maritime Administration by leasing a charter from Louisiana-based Edison Chouest, Viking had to deal with federal appeals filed by competing cruise companies. Some media outlets along the river corridor have pointed to likely supply chain challenges.

“As you may be aware, due to circumstances beyond our control, construction of the custom-built Viking Mississippi was delayed, impacting the ship’s delivery date and the preparations necessary to welcome guests on board,” reads a Sept. 8 letter from Viking to a California-based passenger who opted for a full refund.

“The ship has now begun sailing with her first guests, but we are still putting the finishing touches on the overall experience and refining the itinerary,” the letter continues. “On your scheduled departure, we must operate at a reduced capacity as we continue to ramp up service. Unfortunately, this means that some staterooms need to be cancelled, and we are contacting you today because yours is among them.”

A FINAL VOYAGE

Bumped customers have been offered full refunds or vouchers equivalent to 110 percent of what they’ve already paid so they can book at later dates. Passengers have called the latter easier said than done as trips fill up years in advance. The prospect of waiting until 2025 to board a Viking cruise strikes some elderly passengers as iffy if not unlikely given their age.

“When I inquired about how we go about rescheduling a trip in the future, if we even want to, the response was to check everyday and maybe there would be a cancellation,” Richard Pletcher said. “They wouldn’t even monitor cancellations and put us first in line to consider whether we could fill the vacancy.”

Catherine Frohnert and her husband, both in their 80s, booked their Viking trip on the Mississippi River in 2019 and paid for it in early 2020, only to learn this month that their reservation from New Orleans to St. Paul had been canceled. Frohnert, a world traveler who is Irish by birth but has lived in the U.S. most of her life, had planned to fly to New Orleans and travel back to Minnesota by water for what she assumed would be her final voyage. Rescheduling a trip three years from now sounds unlikely to her.

“I was looking forward to it. I read all the books of Mark Twain,” said Frohnert, a former St. Paul resident who now lives in Rochester, Minn. “Over the 56 years we’ve lived in America, mostly Minnesota, we have traveled to over 85 countries.”

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Tribune News Service

American Queen Voyages, which made stops via the Mississippi River in St. Paul, ends operations

S T. PAUL, Minn. — The American Queen Voyages cruise company, which traveled the rivers, lakes and oceans of North America from Canada to Mexico, has ceased operation and canceled all scheduled cruises as its parent company, the Hornblower Group, files for bankruptcy.

Unless a buyer sets her back in sail, the company’s departure from the industry ends the decades-long run of the six-deck American Queen, believed to be the largest steam paddle-wheeler ever built on the Mississippi River.

“Despite great efforts by our team, crew and partners, American Queen Voyages (AQV) unfortunately has been unable to rebound from the effects of the pandemic,” reads a notice on the company’s website. “The overnight cruise industry was especially affected by changes in travel preferences and, as a result, AQV has become financially unsustainable.”

The cruise company had an on-again, off-again romance with Minnesota’s capital city, disappearing for four years before resuming visits in 2012 . The company last deboarded in St. Paul in 2019, according to St. Paul Parks and Recreation officials, though a longstanding employee said the final capital city voyage of the American Queen occurred on Oct. 4, 2015, according to his log.

After that, “they might have used a different boat,” said Mark Veum, a retired Roseville engineering officer who worked the American Queen’s engine room off and on from 2006 to 2022.

Even when the ship — christened in 1995 with capacity for 600 guests and crew — stopped in Red Wing instead of St. Paul, shuttle excursions brought passengers into the capital city. “There were tours all over the place,” Veum said.

Some cruise and travel industry publications called the company’s closure little surprise after years of reported turmoil, including service and payment issues.

The Signature Travel Network stopped selling tickets for the cruise line in March 2023, then resumed once commissions had been paid, according to Travel Weekly.

Other cruise companies have found Minnesota’s relatively chilly waters more inviting.

Viking River Cruises debuted Mississippi River trips from St. Paul to New Orleans in the fall of 2022 , and multiple cruise companies service Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes. American Cruise Lines also sails the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Red Wing or St. Paul.

©2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at twincities.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The American Queen's stern paddlewheel is powered by a genuine steam plant, moving the riverboat along at a cruising speed of 8 mph.

StarTribune

Viking mississippi cruise passengers hit by cancellations, viking runs aground.

Viking River Cruises has begun its grand tours between St. Paul and New Orleans aboard the Viking Mississippi , but not without some rookie-season challenges. The all-new ship, which had been expected in St. Paul in July , did not debut here until Sept. 3 . Reports have circulated on social media of Viking canceling reservations on short notice (including for the Oct. 15-29 sailing), while some of the ship's 193 staterooms have been unavailable.

In a statement issued to the Star Tribune, Viking confirmed that some of the ship's first scheduled departures were canceled this summer, and that the luxury vessel is temporarily operating below its capacity of 386 guests. The $12,999 full-river itinerary is sold out through 2024, leaving grounded passengers unable to rebook anytime soon.

Customers could give Viking time to work out the new-ship kinks and book a 2023 cruise on its eight-day St. Paul-to-St. Louis itinerary — half the length, a third of the fare (from $4,499) and arguably the more scenic half of the river. The mid-tier American Queen Voyages also sails these routes, and recently announced a 23-day cruise from Pittsburgh to Red Wing on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, starting at around $7,000.

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Canada drops restrictions

Americans can travel to Canada without sweating over the COVID-19 entry restrictions that have been in place since the start of the pandemic, according to information from the Public Health Agency of Canada. As of Oct. 1, travelers will not be required to provide proof of vaccination, undergo testing, carry out quarantine or isolation requirements or report any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arriving in Canada. Travelers will also no longer be required to undergo health checks for travel on air and rail, or wear masks on planes and trains.

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Strib nabs silver

The Star Tribune's travel coverage was declared second-best among newspapers in the Society of American Travel Writers' 2021-22 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition, recently announced in Bogotá, Colombia. "The print product is stunning, with bold design, wonderful typography and lead photos that command attention. The experience is so pleasant that reading is a joy," judges noted of the Strib's entry . "The Iceland and The Dakotas packages are produced with the vision and service that readers seek. Online, the guide to fall colors , using maps, photography and excellent typography, is a great example of how the Star Tribune also serves its readers well online." The New York Times took first place, and the Washington Post claimed bronze.

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has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

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Mississippi River cruises in flux a decade after industry’s return

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has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

A decade after the Mississippi River’s overnight cruise industry’s comeback, the three companies running the river are expanding itineraries, adjusting their fleets to meet fluctuating demand and eyeing new customer bases, all while river towns make moves to support the industry’s return to the waterway.

For a few hours on a balmy evening just before Memorial Day, hundreds of cruise-goers sprawled across Tunica, Mississippi. Some crossed the gangway and made a right for a Mississippi River museum; others headed inland for a brief stop at the casinos that put the area on the map.

They’re passengers on the American Queen, making a final pitstop on a seven-day cruise that started in New Orleans. In Tunica, a town with about 1,000 people, river cruises bring a significant customer base to the area, and it’s one of many river towns welcoming the business of overnight cruises.

When the American Queen docks at Greenbelt Park in Memphis the next morning — one of 94 boats set to dock in the city this year, up from 57 dockings five years ago — many of the 300-odd passengers headed out to explore the city.

Visit Natchez in a 2019 benefit-cost analysis determined total direct benefits for the Natchez River Cruise Docking Facility Project would be $167,726,440 vs. a project cost of $10,186,124.

Between the three overnight cruise lines on the Mississippi River — American Queen Voyages, American Cruise Lines and, as of last year, Viking — the industry has an estimated $100 million annual economic impact in Memphis, according to Kevin Kane, president and CEO of Memphis Tourism. That figure has tripled since 2016, according to the Memphis River Parks Partnership, a nonprofit that manages 250 acres of riverfront parkland.

Kane said the cruises’ affluent customer bases present a lot of opportunity for the city. The cruises attract a crowd who are mostly retired, wealthy and well-traveled. Many employees on board the American Queen described their audience as older people who have already been on river cruises and want to check the Mississippi River off their lists.

has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

Tickets for a seven-day Mississippi River cruise with American Queen Voyages start around $4,000, and their most expensive cabins cost about $10,000 per person. Caribbean cruises can cost as little as $500 because ocean cruise lines rely on a high volume of passengers; the biggest ocean liner can hold 7,600 passengers at maximum capacity, while the biggest Mississippi River vessel holds just over 400 guests.

Memphis is putting $36 million toward its docking infrastructure to accommodate more cruises — the most recent development in a contentious, and sometimes tumultuous, investment in river tourism. Currently, one boat can dock at Beale Street Landing at a time; after the planned expansion, which is expected to begin by year-end, it’ll accommodate two.

The city also accommodates riverboats a few miles upriver at Greenbelt Park, where crews have to tie off to trees on the riverbank. To refill water, they have to run a hose more than 100 feet to a hydrant on the street, there’s nowhere to offload trash and there’s no shaded area for passengers waiting on transportation. With the city’s planned renovation, a new dock at Greenbelt Park will allow three boats to dock simultaneously between the two sites.

The American Queen was originally slated to dock at Beale Street Landing on Memorial Day, but ongoing construction forced it to reroute to Greenbelt Park.

“The current docking situation at Greenbelt Park is sorely lacking and is not an acceptable arrival experience for passengers,” said George Abbott, director of external affairs for Memphis River Parks Partnership.

Abbott said the preference for Beale Street Landing creates competition over the most favorable dates to arrive and depart from Memphis.

“We really feel we’re only a couple years away from having one or multiple vessels docked here literally almost every day, year round,” Kane said.

Memphis is one of many Mississippi River cities bolstering its docking infrastructure to welcome more cruises, and the cruise companies have invested money in towns to gain preferred docking rights. Cruise lines are jockeying for prime spots as the number of boats docking has expanded in the decade since overnight cruises returned to the river.

But dock expansion in Memphis has been contentious from the jump. Plans to construct Beale Street Landing started in the early 2000s and dragged on through three mayoral administrations, nearly doubling its initial budget. In that time, Hurricane Katrina hit, the river’s overnight cruise industry collapsed, federal funds dried up and many questioned the investment.

In 2001, the company that built the American Queen went bankrupt. It returned under different ownership but shuttered in 2008 alongside its only other competitor, just as Memphis broke ground on Beale Street Landing. For the first time in nearly two centuries, there was no overnight cruise on the Mississippi River.

Then, in 2012, a new company — now called American Queen Voyages — brought overnight cruises back to the Mississippi and headquartered in Memphis. It named Priscilla Presley the godmother of the American Queen, and after she christened it in Memphis, the boat set sail on its trip upriver, heralding another era of Mississippi River cruising.

Last year, Viking announced a cruise on the river, which signaled to many, including Kane, that overnight cruises on the Big Muddy are here to stay.

Captain Robert De Luca’s history with the American Queen dates back more than two decades, when he was second mate on the boat. He later piloted it before being promoted to captain, but after the industry collapsed in 2008, he left to pilot towboats instead.

When he returned to the American Queen last year after more than a decade away, he noticed changes in the customer base. During his welcome aboard, he asks first-timers to raise their hands; more hands go up today than did early in his career.

The number of passengers has changed, too. De Luca recalled times when there was a waitlist to ride the American Queen; as recently as 2016, the company reported 95% occupancy . On the lower Mississippi, De Luca said the boats tend to be about three-quarters full, but the numbers taper off on the upper river.

American Queen Voyages launched in 2012 with one boat. It later added two more to meet demand before retiring its smallest boat late last year.

“We were kind of competing against each other, almost, not filling up our own boats,” De Luca said of the company’s decision to retire its smallest boat. “When that business does hit, we’re ready.”

In late June 2023, the company announced plans to scrap its Great Lakes itineraries and sell the two boats it bought in 2019. The company characterized it as a move to refocus on its core river cruises. Its pivot away from the Great Lakes comes a year after Viking doubled its capacity in the region.

American Cruises Lines has five boats in its Mississippi River fleet, and three of those were added in the past three years. Its vessels are smaller, holding about half as many passengers as the American Queen — the biggest on the river by passenger capacity — and about half as many passengers as the Viking Mississippi — the biggest on the river by vessel size.

As American Cruise Lines expands the size of its fleet on the Mississippi, it’s also launching a 60-day cruise next fall. The $50,000 tour covers the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the West, followed by a cruise along the entire length of the Mississippi River and a final stint on the Hudson River, with flights included between the departure points.

As the two mainstays on the river adjust itineraries and fleets to meet fluctuating demand, Viking launched its first tours of the Mississippi River last September.

“Viking is a well-established cruise line, and they felt that they were really missing a strong opportunity for affluent travelers on river cruises,” Kane said.

But some of the businesses that have historically benefited from river tourism said that despite the upward trend since the industry returned in 2012, it hasn’t returned to pre-Hurricane Katrina levels.

Jay Schexnaydre, operations manager at the Laura Plantation, a stop included on two of the cruise lines’ itineraries between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, said the number of visitors from river cruises is lower than it was before the industry collapsed. When he started working at the Laura Plantation in 2001, he estimated that up to 150 cruise passengers would visit from each boat. Now, he places that number at 20 or 30 visitors, on average.

Schexnaydre has his own theories about why fewer cruise-goers turn up to the museum. Perhaps repeat passengers are opting to visit a different site this time around, or changing attitudes toward critical history drive fewer people to the Laura Plantation, which was the first of its kind in Louisiana to highlight the stories of enslaved people.

“It’s a certain kind of nostalgia for people who grew up with Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and the mighty Mississippi,” Schexnaydre said. “But the younger people — they don’t have that nostalgia for the river.”

This story, the last in a three-part series, published in partnership with the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, part of Mississippi Today, is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk , an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America , funded by the Walton Family Foundation.

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by Keely Brewer, The Daily Memphian, Mississippi Today July 13, 2023

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Low river levels cause docking difficulty for the Viking Mississippi. Crews are working to get a gang plank out of mud near Vicksburg, Miss. (Jean Thornton, Facebook)

Viking Cruise on Mississippi River facing delays, docking issues due to low water

ST. LOUIS – The unusually low water level on the Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in mud and sand, resulting in delays for shippers, recreational boaters and even passengers on a cruise line.

What You Need To Know

Low water levels on the mississippi river are causing barges to get stuck in mud, causing delays for shippers, recreational boater and the viking cruise line the viking cruise was halted near vicksburg, miss. earlier this week the viking ship was originally supposed to launch from new orleans on saturday, but the water there was so low that the launch was moved to baton rouge, louisiana another passenger said docking had been an issue. the gang plank was stuck in the mud in vicksburg last week. .

The Viking Mississippi, which began voyages between St. Paul and New Orleans in September, has experienced delays and there are reports it even had to cancel a future tour due to the low river levels. 

Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard said at least eight barges were grounded at one point between Louisiana and Mississippi. The groundings halted river traffic in both directions for days to clear the grounded barges and dredge the channel to deepen it, preventing future groundings.

The stoppage also brought a halt to a Viking cruise ship with about 350 passengers on board, said R. Thomas Berner, a Penn State professor emeritus of journalism and American studies, and one of the passengers.

The Viking ship was originally supposed to launch from New Orleans on Saturday, but the water there was so low that the launch was moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Berner said.

By Tuesday, the ship was halted near Vicksburg, Mississippi, due to the backup caused by the grounding. It wasn't near a dock so passengers couldn't leave. The ship's crew kept people entertained as much as possible with music, games and other activities.

“Some of us are taking naps,” Berner joked.

The stuck barges were freed midday Tuesday. Berner said the cruise ship restarted Tuesday night. It's due to arrive in St. Paul on Oct. 15. The 15-day voyage includes 11 stops with one in St. Louis and another in Hannibal, Mo.

has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

Since then, there have been reports circulating on social media that the cruise ship is not completing the trip up the Mississippi past Memphis and a future voyage has been canceled for later in October. Spectrum News reached out to Viking but has not received a response.

One passenger who was on the previous two-week cruise told Spectrum News the river levels posed some serious docking challenges. Jean Thornton posted pictures on Facebook showing how low the water was in Vicksburg. She said all tours in Vicksburg were moved from the morning to the afternoon because the crew spent hours pulling the gang plank from the mud.  

Jean Thornton also posted from Baton Rouge, explaining that the ship was supposed to dock next to the USS Kidd but instead, the only way passengers could disembark safely was through the Hollywood Casino boat. She was able to complete the cruise, which ended last Friday. Thornton added the crew was excellent and very accomodating.

Nearly all of the Mississippi River basin, from Minnesota through Louisiana, has seen below-normal rainfall since late August. The basin from St. Louis south has been largely dry for three months, according to the National Weather Service.

The forecast for much of the Mississippi River basin calls for continued dry weather in the near future. 

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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  • River Cruising

Views, pro and con, on the new Viking Mississippi River Cruises.

janetcbl

By janetcbl , September 24, 2022 in River Cruising

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Cool Cruiser

Would people who have been on the new Viking Mississippi River cruises please comment, pro and con, on their experiences. We are booked on this in 2023 and I have questions whether this cruise is up to the usual Viking cruise standards. Thanks!

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Jim Avery

You are correct, it is very quiet.  Even over on the River Cruises forum.  Not a peep... 🍸

5,000+ Club

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/regions/north-america-river-cruises/

Here is a well written review. I found it on CC under Members Review: North America River cruise review.

Thanks

  • 3 weeks later...

We sailed September 10-17 (St Louis to St Paul  w/pre & post stay)

On disembarkation day, we were scheduled for a Panoramic Twin Cities excursion w/hotel transfer (as part of the $699pp post stay package)

The tour was scheduled 8:30 to Noon and we were to tour St Paul & Minneapolis. During the tour, the guide announced that the driver was contacted by Viking and asked to return to the ship to transport other passengers so our tour would be cut short. We did not get to Minneapolis and were dropped at the hotel at 10:45am. The hotel was not expecting our group of 26 until Noon and the people at the Viking desk were in the midst of getting all the pre-stay people checked out and onto buses to go to the ship. (to add salt to the wound, 2 empty buses sat at the hotel for over an hour as all of the pre-stay hotel guests went to the boat on 1 bus)

While we were on the tour, the guide said he was in no rush as his afternoon tour had been canceled. This was our first "hint" that the optional tour we booked (and re-confirmed with the shore excursion manager on board on Thursday)  to the Minneapolis Institute of Art & Sculpture Garden 1:00-5:00 pm ($69 each originally paid from my checking account/which was refunded - then paid with Shipboard Credit) was canceled. The representatives at the Viking Desk at the Hotel St Paul had no information on an optional afternoon tour so we were told to assume it was canceled.

Viking charged this tour to our SBC so the amount we had left at the end of the cruise did not cover all the gratuities and my credit card was charged the balance due on gratuities.  This  charge needs to be refunded because the SBC for the canceled tour would have covered the gratuities.

At no time during the cruise was the on-board information on the TV or the Viking Voyager app (on our phone) accurate or up-to date which made it nearly impossible to keep track of SBC or excursions (every single one was altered) 

Embarkation Day - Viking asked us to do comfort check-in on-line before we departed. Yet, everyone stood in the same LONG line to get to the check-in. Despite having our boarding pass in hand, photo uploaded, and credit card registered, the employee checking us in redid the entire process. 

We visited guest services at least 3x on embarkation day --

Explorer Suite 300 had no hairdryer, no batteries in the safe, vanity lights not working, heated floor not working, anti-fog mirrors not working, bathroom outlet was replaced 2x during our cruise. It was finally determined that there was an electrical issue in the bathroom that could not be fixed without ripping up our bathroom floor.

There was ONE small drawer in the bathroom for storage. There was no place in the shower to put shampoo, soap, etc....not a shelf, or cut-out, or even a caddy hanging around the shower head.

We had to request towels, do not disturb sign, room service menu, glasses for beverages (and when the glasses weren't changed, we had to request clean glasses daily)

The curtains in the LR area were not installed properly on the rods and it was almost impossible to open/close them in order to have a view out the front of the ship.

The table on our balcony was extremely wobbly (enough that a beverage was not safe on the table top)

The first time we tried room service for breakfast (bc we had an early excursion) we chose the 7:30-7:45am delivery. At 8am we called guest services (everything goes thru guest services - it's the only extension on the phone) and breakfast came shortly thereafter (with a few items missing)

The forward elevator was out of service except for day 5 when they took a part from one of the 2 mid-ship elevators to see if that's what was wrong with the forward elevator.

Whenever you ordered a cocktail from the beverage menu in the bar,  the bartenders (who were wonderful - there were only 2) had to check the ingredients to make sure they had everything to make the cocktail. No Aquavit, no lemonade, no diet coke after day 4, and most of the wines in the Silver Spirits package were unavailable. One evening, the Food/Beverage manager brought me the wine menu and told me he had personally marked the available wines. I made a selection and he returned to tell me, he made a mistake, it wasn't available.

For the most part, the staff is severely undertrained and they are struggling to do their best.

When we ate in the restaurant, at every dinner, something was forgotten (a soup, a side, etc...) 

When we ate upstairs at the Cafe (buffet) it was difficult to get their attention so we could get water, coffee, beverage....

Outside of the restaurant, there was an electronic board with the dinner menu posted. EVERY night, the menu we were given once seated did NOT match the posted menu on the board. So if we made our decision to eat in the restaurant (sit-down) based on the posted menu, instead of the upstairs buffet, we were often disappointed.

Friday night we went to dinner at 7pm (restaurant hours were 6-8:30) and they were already out of the soup.

Excursions/Time in Port:

Mon 9/12 - Burlington IA - port canceled/excursion refunded to SBC 

Tues 9/13 - Quad Cities (8am-12:30) our morning excursion was changed to 9am and reduced from 3.5 hours to 2.25 hours/our afternoon excursion was canceled and refunded to SBC 

Wed 9/14 Dubuque IA (8am-12:30) - our original all-day excursion was canceled ( refunded to SBC and  balance refunded to my checking account)

We made new selections that were charged to our SBC 

Thurs 9/15 - La Crosse WI (12:30-4:30pm) we were originally scheduled to be there in the morning, so our excursion was changed 3x from 9am, then 12:30, finally 1:00pm. The excursion was shortened from 3 hours to 2 hours.

*even though 4:30 was back on board time; they had a special performer from 3:30-4:15/ we missed it*

Fri 9/16 - Red Wing MN (1-7pm)  we were originally scheduled to be there in the morning, so our morning excursion was canceled. The optional tour we had selected for the afternoon was changed from $99 pp to "included." The money was refunded to my checking account.

* they told us we would arrive at 1pm; but the boat docked at 9am - it was good that we could get off and explore on our own  before  our afternoon tour; but ultimately there was no need to cancel the morning excursions.*

Based on the the very short durations in port &constantly changing port times; it is clear that Viking isn't prepared to navigate the Mississippi.

We had 230 guests on our sailing (386 is total capacity). When they sail at full capacity, the common areas are going to be overcrowded. As it was, it was a challenge to find a seat in the Living Room for programs, in the Cafe for breakfast/lunch and one evening we had to wait for a dinner table (even a sharing table)

It is obvious there are "workers" on board; we saw them every day in the cafe eating breakfast and at dinner either upstairs at the buffet or in the restaurant.

Overrall, a very disappointing trip. Viking did not live up to their reputation.

In hindsight, I wish they had canceled us until the boat is finished and they figure out how to navigate the Mississippi. 

Sounds like a very "unique" cruise.

If you have not done it already, you need to contact Customer Relations and explain how dissatisfied you are.

TY...Customer Relations was contacted immediately upon our return home. 

CurlerRob

2 hours ago, MrMarvin said: TY...Customer Relations was contacted immediately upon our return home.   

Thank you for such a calm and professional review of what was clearly a highly disappointing experience - so nice to see this versus some of the reactions that people post on CC.

I would expect that providing Viking with your document and details will result in a satisfactory result - hopefully you'll be able to take the time to update us when you have some resolution. 🍺 🥌

5 hours ago, MrMarvin said: Embarkation Day - Viking asked us to do comfort check-in on-line before we departed. Yet, everyone stood in the same LONG line to get to the check-in. Despite having our boarding pass in hand, photo uploaded, and credit card registered, the employee checking us in redid the entire process. 

Your entire review is super disappointing to hear but the above reflects our experience on our Viking Ocean voyage last year.  We did all the online pre boarding requirements - inputting vaccine info, credit card, etc but at check in we had to sit in a room with the other embarking passengers (this was Feb 2022 when Omicron was a big concern and Viking was testing daily) and wait for our turn to approach the desk and then wait once more as the employees retyped in all our info.

Marykatesmom

Your review was a clear eyed and even keeled. Thank you for simply explaining your difficulties.

Front page of our local paper today , St Paul Pioneer Press: Viking Mississippi has canceled all upper Miss cruises for the season, due to orders from Coast Guard.

Water level too low in various channels. They will still do the  Lower Miss. river cruises from New Orleans to Memphis the rest of the year.  

It turned out  Viking Miss River cruises was beset by various factors that was a disaster for most of the folks who had booked this first year of sailing, years ago. 

I hope we see the Viking ship in St. Paul come early summer of 2023, the ice should out by then and hopefully no major flooding of the river. 

  • 1 yr Host Jazzbeau changed the title to Views, pro and con, on the new Viking Mississippi River Cruises.

steamboats

@MrMarvin  thanks for your balanced review! Sounds like they really had a rough start and weren´t well prepared.

60,000+ Club

WOW......thanks for sharing your experience on here........if rating a cruise 1-10.......I would say this was a 1 😮 ............so sorry you had so many negative things that seemed to happen every day!

lagunalinda

In March, 2020, Viking offered my husband and me the opportunity for priority booking being repeat guests on a Mississippi River Cruise on the new Viking Mississippi for October 15-29, 2022. We were very excited as we had been wanting to do this cruise and on a new Viking river boat, what could be better? We looked forward with great anticipation during the pandemic. In mid -September of this year, we received our luggage tags and cabin assignment; our long- awaited Mississippi River Cruise was almost here! Wrong!!! On September 26, we received a very standard, non-personable email from Richard Marnell, Executive VP for Viking Cruises, stating that some of the cabins on the Viking Mississippi had not been completed, and ours was one of them. Therefore, we would not be sailing! We were offered 100% refund of all monies paid for this cruise or 110% credit on any future Viking Cruise good through 2024. Much to our dissatisfaction all Viking Mississippi River cruises are completely booked through 2024, so the credit wouldn't be valid for this cruise. Why in the world would the boat be sailing when it wasn't completed??? Surely, Viking knew the cabins wouldn't be complete and be able to give us more than 2 weeks notice before the cruise! On September 27, we contacted our Viking agent and requested a full refund which we received in 20 business days. On September 30, I sent an email to Harold Seebacher, SVP of Viking Passenger Operations River Cruises, explaining our misfortune of our cruise being canceled and felt the whole situation could have been handled in a much more customer friendly manner. It doesn't appear that Viking really cares about or gives priority to repeat guests. This would have been our 4th cruise with Viking, and we have another cruise booked with them in 2023. To date, I have not received a response from Mr. Seebacher. Again, very poor customer service! In the meantime, we learned that our friends who were 1st time Viking guests were offered 125% credit when their river cruise was cancelled 2 years ago due to the pandemic, and passengers on the October 1 Viking Mississippi cruise received a full refund plus 25% on any future Viking cruise when the boat couldn't operate due to the low water level of the river. We fail to understand why we weren't offered 25% credit on a future cruise. I sent an email to Viking Guest Services on October 18 requesting a 25% credit and was immediately denied by Mariana Fiel. Why does Viking give 10% credit to some and 25% to others ???We will definitely not be booking any future cruises with Viking! There are other cruise companies that operate on the Mississippi and Great Lakes that have new ships, so we will take our business to them.

  • 4 weeks later...

Our November 19-26 Viking Mississippi River cruise just ended this morning and we can not wait to get home.  Just like the European Airline SABENA - such a bad experience, never again!

We were originally booked on the June 25th New Orleans to Memphis cruise, that was canceled 2 weeks before departure, because the ship and crew were not ready.  We were offered a 110% cruise credit, which applied to this Nov. 19-26 cruise. The only room available was Explorer Suite #362, which is in the very rear of the ship.  Once we arrived in Memphis to start our “cruise”, we were informed the river was closed in Rosedale, MS so Viking was going to bus us to Vicksburg, MS where we would board the ship.  This meant instead of us cruising 305 nautical miles, we would only cruise 150 nautical miles, or 50% of the river we signed up for.  We found the Explorer Suite to be very nice, u til the ship began to cruise on the evening of day 3.  Just as soon as the ship began to move, we experienced violently shaking of the entire suite.  We, along with our bed, the pocket door to the bathroom, lamp shades, ceiling and sides of the cabin shake from 10pm to 4am.  When we complained to Guest Service in the morning, they said they could do nothing about it.  They said the cruise was fully booked and we could not be moved.  This violent shaking occurred on 3 other occasions, as the ship traveled.  Always at night, from 3 to 6 hours at a time.  At breakfast this morning, our wait staff attendant said there were 332 passengers onboard, and not a fully booked cruise as stated by Guest Services.  Our suite cost us $16,800 or $2400 a day. We wrote Corporate Guest Services twice during our cruise and no one contacted us.  Hence, last night we filed a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  Booking the Explorer suites at the rear of the ship is fraudulent knowing this vibration issue has existed since the first cruises in September. Guest Services, the housekeeping staff and the wait staff all know of this problem.  So please, please, please, DO NOT book an Explorer suite at the rear of the ship. Other comments: we ordered room service for 8:30 am one morning and by 9:10am it had not arrived.  Both the Restaurant and Cafe closed at 9am, so we had to scramble to get breakfast that morning. In Vicksburg they arranged for shuttles every 30 minutes into and out of town.  We toured a Civil War and Coca-Cola museum from 1-2:15pm.  We walked over to the bus shuttle location at 2:20pm, anticipating getting on the 2:30pm shuttle.  It did not show.  Nor did the 3pm or 3:30pm shuttles.  Our group grew from 6 people to over 60 by the time a shuttle showed up at 3:40pm.  The driver could only take 50 passengers, so he left the remaining 10 to catch the next shuttle.  It was a very cool and windy day. 

The ship looks amazing, but having lived my entire life in Iowa and Minnesota within an hour (and currently a 10 minute walk) of the Mississippi River, I can not begin to fathom paying what Viking is charging for this cruise. It's much more (twice?) than what we paid to do a river cruise from Nuremberg to Luxembourg, including upgraded (but not DeltaOne) airfare both directions. 

You are correct.  The price they charge leaves you to believe everything is going to high end, with excellent customer service and amenities.  That is not the case on this Viking Mississippi ship.  The food, service and cruising is no where near the quality of European river cruises.  Based on my experience this past week, please avoid being sucked into Viking’s marketing propaganda.  High price …. very poor value. 

Host Jazzbeau

Host Jazzbeau

1 hour ago, mrredman said: You are correct.  The price they charge leaves you to believe everything is going to high end, with excellent customer service and amenities.  That is not the case on this Viking Mississippi ship.  The food, service and cruising is no where near the quality of European river cruises.  Based on my experience this past week, please avoid being sucked into Viking’s marketing propaganda.  High price …. very poor value. 

So we have three or four Vikings:  Ocean (high price, high value); European River (medium price, medium value), and American River (high price, poor value).  And also Viking Expedition (high price, ??? value).

chengkp75

Having worked the Mississippi River from NOLA to Paducah, KY, I can say that the majority of the vibrations are due to the extreme low water levels.  With the propellers nearer to the bottom of the river, there is a significant "reflection wave" of the wake off the bottom that strikes the hull, causing the vibration.

As for cost, if anyone thought the US operations were going to be comparable in cost to the European river cruises, that was a forlorn hope from the beginning, due to the US flag requirements.

pontac

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said: that was a forlorn hope from the beginning, due to the US flag requirements.

Indeed, they had to have boats built in the US (so the steam engine didn't explode) and employ US crew.

All the same, this European that has been on the European rivers so many times intends repaying the compliment so many Americans make in coming on European river cruises by making the trans-Atlantic crossing and cruising US waters.

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said: Having worked the Mississippi River from NOLA to Paducah, KY, I can say that the majority of the vibrations are due to the extreme low water levels.  With the propellers nearer to the bottom of the river, there is a significant "reflection wave" of the wake off the bottom that strikes the hull, causing the vibration.   As for cost, if anyone thought the US operations were going to be comparable in cost to the European river cruises, that was a forlorn hope from the beginning, due to the US flag requirements.

So why is it that Viking continues to operate this cruise, fully knowing those passengers in the very rear of the ship will be unable to sleep while the ship is in motion?  We had 332 passengers on our trip and were not given the opportunity to move our room because Guest Services said the cruise was “fully booked”. Full capacity is 386, which means 27 other staterooms were open.  Unexcuseable!

27 minutes ago, mrredman said: So why is it that Viking continues to operate this cruise, fully knowing those passengers in the very rear of the ship will be unable to sleep while the ship is in motion?  We had 332 passengers on our trip and were not given the opportunity to move our room because Guest Services said the cruise was “fully booked”. Full capacity is 386, which means 27 other staterooms were open.  Unexcuseable!

I don't comment on Guest Relations problems, as this is not in my wheelhouse.

CPT Trips

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said: I don't comment on Guest Relations problems, as this is not in my wheelhouse.

They permit you “upstairs?” 😉 🙄

Haha

1 hour ago, CPT Trips said: They permit you “upstairs?” 😉 🙄

Wouldn’t surprise me if chengkp75 was captaining! Go Mariners!

gnome12

4 hours ago, mrredman said: We had 332 passengers on our trip and were not given the opportunity to move our room because Guest Services said the cruise was “fully booked”. Full capacity is 386, which means 27 other staterooms were open.  Unexcuseable!

Not every cabin has 2 passengers in it. 

2 hours ago, CPT Trips said: They permit you “upstairs?” 😉 🙄

When I was Staff Chief, my responsibility was everything  outside  the engine room, so I spent nearly all my time in the hotel.

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Mississippi Viking cruises delayed by supply chain issues; additional tour guides needed in Burlington

The maiden voyage of a five-deck, 193-room Mississippi River cruise ship has been delayed by supply chain issues, resulting in two fewer dockings in Burlington this year.

Luxury river cruise ship Viking Mississippi had been set to dock twice in Burlington next month, once on July 18 after departing from New Orleans and again on July 28 on its way back down river from St. Paul, Minnesota, but the city now will not welcome its first Viking guests until Aug. 15.

"But of course, that could change," said Chris Gram, program director of the Greater Burlington Convention and Visitors Bureau.

More: Iowa river towns buzz with excitement as Viking cruise ship prepares for summer excursions

A spokesperson for Viking Cruises referred questions about the delay to an update posted to the company's website .

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, construction of the Viking Mississippi has been slightly delayed," Viking said in the update. "Therefore, select early departures of Viking Mississippi’s first season have been cancelled. Guests on affected sailings and their Travel Advisors have been notified directly by Viking Customer Relations."

The spokesperson did not respond to a subsequent request for comment.

Gram, who has been working closely with Viking representatives to coordinate tours that will be available to passengers in Burlington, said construction of the ship is largely finished.

"It's actually just the supply chain issues on the amenities, so the boat is done and it's beautiful," Gram said. "It's literally just the little doodads that have to go into the boat to make it luxurious before they can do the sea trial to make it river-worthy."

More: How the COVID pandemic and semiconductor shortage have shaped southeast Iowa's automotive market

Burlington is among 14 cities in which the ship will dock along its 2,350-mile America's Great River cruise from New Orleans to St. Paul, Minnesota, and among seven stops along its 2,340-mile America's Heartland cruise from St. Paul to St. Louis.

At each of those stops, guests will be offered excursions.

In Burlington, they will be able to choose from among six:

Historic Burlington consists of a 3.5-hour motor coach tour whose visits will include Mosquito Park, the Garrett-Phelps House Museum and Snake Alley;

Art Around Burlington , a 3.5-hour excursion featuring Cecile Houel's art studio and the Art Center of Burlington;

Flavors of the Midwest , a 5.5-hour excursion whose stops will include Parkside Brewing Co., Lindon Wines, Wildlife Lakes Elk Farm and The Drake;

Old Fort Madison , a 2.5-hour excursion that will take passengers to the upper Mississippi River Valley's oldest military garrison in Fort Madison as well as a cemetery where 22 soldiers and an unknown number of civilians are buried;

Hinterland Dairy , a 3.5-hour excursion to a family-owned and -operated dairy farm in Donnellson; and

Historic Nauvoo, a three-hour, 45-minute excursion to Nauvoo, Illinois, where Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints founder Joseph Smith and his followers settled in 1839.

Leading those excursions will be tour guides, but more are needed.

"Right now, I believe I have just enough, which is scary, because not everybody's going to be available every single night and day and things happen," Gram said, explaining he hopes to hire an additional seven or eight guides.

Tour guides are paid $15 per hour and should expect to work from 7:30 a.m. to anywhere between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. on docking days.

"I understand folks might be a little bit weary," Gram said of the shortage of tour guides, explaining he believes some people may think they don't know enough about the area. "I wish I could talk to those folks because one, for the excursions for which we need a tour guide, we provide the script. We've got everything you need, and there are several excursions where we don't even need a tour guide. They just need an escort. We need somebody who goes on the motor coach and travels to the art center and really does nothing other than introduce themselves and answer questions."

Viking guests will not be limited to the areas included in the excursion packages and may opt instead to wander around the downtown area or check out other Greater Burlington area attractions.

More: Downtown Burlington welcomed the arrival of these 8 new businesses in 2021

More: Electric scooters offer new transportation option around Burlington

Once off the ship, Viking guests will be greeted by volunteers at the Port of Burlington Welcome Center.

Additional volunteers will be stationed throughout the downtown area to answer questions, and "Two Rivers Bank and Trust has very graciously agreed to allow their employees to volunteer at an informational table kind of right as they push downtown right at their office there," Gram said.

More: From citizen greeter to tour guide, Jerry Johnson is a cheerleader of Burlington's Jefferson Street

Gram said he believes he has enough volunteers signed on to accommodate Viking's visitors, though operations will be reviewed after each docking.

"Everything that Viking does is guest-driven, meaning the planning that we're doing really is only for the first docking," Gram said. "Once they get here and experience what we've got to offer, the guest is going to give Viking feedback, and then Viking and us will coordinate on making it even better for the second docking and then the third docking (and so on)."

Due to the delay, Viking is expected to make a total of eight stops in Burlington this year, the last of which will be in October, as opposed to the 10 stops that had initially been planned.

Those interested in becoming a tour guide may contact Gram by phone at (319) 752-8731 or by email at [email protected].

Michaele Niehaus covers business, development, environment and agriculture for The Hawk Eye. She can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Burlington to see 2 fewer Viking Mississippi dockings in 2022

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Viking cruise ship can’t finish voyage because Mississippi River is too low

has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

By Amanda Watts, Sara Smart, David Williams and Forrest Brown, CNN

A Viking river cruise ship heading north up the Mississippi River can’t finish its voyage because of low water levels, according to a statement from the company on Thursday.

“Unusually low water levels along the Mississippi River have caused sections of the river to be closed, impacting all northbound and southbound shipping traffic,” the statement said.

“The closures have caused delays that will prevent the Viking Mississippi from completing the sailing underway and from reaching St. Paul [Minnesota] for her next scheduled departure on October 15,” the statement said.

The cruise line said guests have been notified of the issue, though they did not provide details on how many passengers have been affected.

The Viking Mississippi can hold up to 386 guests and was built in 2022, according to the company’s website. Viking was advertising a 15-day trip in October from St. Paul to New Orleans starting at $12,999.

Passenger’s account

Thursday wasn’t the first time the Viking ship ran into low-water trouble on this voyage.

Tom Trovato and his wife, Trish, were among those on the cruise when the ship came to a halt in the middle of the Mississippi River. Trovato, who lives in Phoenix, told CNN the ship was stopped on Monday evening after a barge hit the bottom of the river and blocked all water traffic through the area.

“We were caught in the middle of it,” Trovato said. “We were stopped for about 24 hours with no movement.”

Trovato said about 300 passengers were on board and those that he talked to all had a good attitude about the situation.

“It’s like nothing happened,” he said. “We just sat on the ship, still got our meals, but we just couldn’t do our excursions.”

“This wasn’t Viking Cruises fault, it was Mother Nature.” Trovato said. “It is what it is.”

The cruise passed under the bridge in Greenville, Mississippi, that crosses into Arkansas on Thursday. A short time later, passengers were informed that the cruise was canceled, Trovato said.

The ship was docked in an area just north of Greenville, which is about 150 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.

Passengers disembarked in groups on Friday and then were placed on a two-hour bus ride to Memphis to catch their flights home, he said.

This was the Trovato’s fourth Viking river cruise.

CNN Travel emailed Viking for confirmation of the ship’s location and other details, but Viking said Friday afternoon that it was still unable to provide further comment at this time.

Mississippi River caught in growing drought

The Viking Mississippi isn’t the only vessel facing problems on the United States’ premier river.

Amid drought conditions, low water levels along the Mississippi have forced several barges to run aground over the past week, the US Coast Guard said Tuesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintains a drought information website. Its most current report said almost 53% of the lower 48 US states are in a drought. Much of the West is in some state of drought.

Drought and abnormal dryness “continue to develop and intensify from the Plains through the Mississippi River Basin, and have now extended further into the Midwest and Southeast. Low water levels are impacting barge traffic on the Mississippi River during the harvest, a crucial time,” NOAA’s site said.

CNN Weather forecasts on Friday afternoon don’t point to much relief in sight either in key cities along the river through October 15: No rain is expected in Minneapolis. Memphis has morning showers expected for one day. St. Louis is forecast to get light showers next Wednesday and Thursday.

Extreme weather has taken lives and messed up travel plans across the United State this summer and fall: Wildfires threatened Yosemite National Park; flash flooding crippled normally bone-dry Death Valley National Park; and Hurricane Ian impacted tourist sites in hard-hit Florida and the Carolinas.

Replay of Europe’s summer?

The Mississippi River situation has played out in other parts of the world this year.

For instance, a merciless heat wave baked Europe this past summer, and the continent’s fabled waterways fell to shockingly low levels .

The Rhine River is one of Europe’s most crucial trade routes — and a wildly popular cruise itinerary replete with fairytale castles and stunning views. Those cruises took a hit.

Some river cruise ships were able to lighten the load and carry on. Others had to change itineraries while some river ships had to cancel voyages altogether.

And now those same decisions are being revisited on America’s mightiest river.

The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Top image: The Viking Mississippi cruise ship docks in Dubuque, Iowa, on September 6, 2022, when the river was still passable for the ship. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP)

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  • CruiseMapper
  • Viking Cruises

Viking Mississippi

Viking Mississippi cruise ship

Cruise line Viking Cruises

  • New Orleans (Port NOLA Louisiana)
  • Memphis TN (Tennessee)
  • Minneapolis-Saint Paul (Minnesota)

Viking Mississippi last position

Viking Mississippi last location was at Gulf of Mexico (coordinates 30.75166 N / -91.39666 W) cruising en route to BR_LA. The AIS position was reported 8 hours ago.

Current itinerary of Viking Mississippi

Viking Mississippi current cruise is 7 days, one-way from New Orleans to Memphis TN . The itinerary starts on 02 Mar, 2024 and ends on 09 Mar, 2024 .

Specifications of Viking Mississippi

  •   Itineraries
  •   Review
  •   Wiki

Viking Mississippi Itineraries

Viking mississippi review, review of viking mississippi.

The 2022-built Viking Mississippi cruise ship is the first of all 6 (planned) boats built and registered in the USA ( flag-state ). The vessels are also all American crewed. The boat Viking Mississippi operates on the Lower and Upper Mississippi, with departures from homeports NOLA-New Orleans , Memphis TN , St Louis MO , and Minneapolis-Saint Paul MN .

The shipbuilder (and shipowner) is ECO Shipyards - a fully-owned subsidiary of Edison Chouest Offshore (1960-founded as "Edison Chouest Boat Rentals" marine corporation). The ship is operated under charter by the subsidiary company Viking USA LLC via the new brand Viking River Cruises USA .

Viking Mississippi cruise ship (Mississippi River, USA)

The vessel is currently USA-flagged (MMSI number 368261120).

Officially inaugurated in September 2022, Viking Mississippi has max passenger capacity 386. Each of the Viking's USA riverboats is a large-sized newbuild vessel ( building cost ~USD 90-100 million per unit), each with 5 decks (4 with cabins), all-balcony staterooms (193), Lido Deck (with an aft-located Sundeck and infinity pool), bow ramp (for passenger landings).

Viking's competitors on the US river cruising market are the companies American Cruise Lines and American Queen Voyages/Steamboat Company (AQSC) .

Decks and Cabins

Viking Mississippi staterooms (193 total) are on 4 decks (out of 5 total) , all with balconies and grouped in 13 cabin grades. All staterooms (except 8x handicap cabins with French Balconies) are with Outside Balconies (step-out verandas). French Balcony staterooms are ADA cabins (wheelchair-accessible), with larger bathrooms and convenient midship location (near the Atrium's lifts). All cabin balconies are fitted with 2 deckchairs and 1 low table. Balcony access is via side-sliding, floor-ceiling glass doors. French Balcony cabins are with floor-ceiling windows, slide-opening to a railing.

Standard (complimentary) cabin amenities include King-size double bed (Viking Explorer Bed, convertible to twins), premium quality linens, luxury pillows, 42-inch smart HDTV with infotainment system (interactive LCDTV with satellite reception, intuitive remote, Internet, complimentary on-demand movies, ship info channel, real-time bow camera "View From the Bridge"), 110/120 V power outlets (USA-standard) with USB charging ports, dimmer lighting (LED), phone (direct-dial), minibar (refrigerator with complimentary soft drinks, bottled water, snacks / stocked once per cruise), spacious wardrobe (slide-opening, with hangers and drawers), mirrored dressing table with chair, 1 coffee table with 2 armchairs, electronic safe box (in the closet), purified water (refilled daily), free Wi-Fi, en-suite bathroom (WC-toilet, single-sink vanity, glass shower, heated floor, anti-fog mirror, hairdryer, plush bathrobes and slippers, premium toiletries - by Freyja), individually-controlled air-conditioning, 24-hour room service, dedicated cabin steward, twice-daily housekeeping service.

All categories above V-Veranda Stateroom additionally receive as perks binoculars (in-cabin use only), coffee making machine, MARIUS (traditional Norwegian) wool blankets. PV-Penthouse Veranda and all suites additionally receive once-daily replenished minibar (complimentary alcoholic drinks, sodas, bottled water, snacks). PV cabins get complimentary pressing and shoeshine services, while all suites also get complimentary laundry service and Welcome Gift (bottle of champagne upon boarding). All Suites are with two TVs (1x in the living room, 1x in the bedroom) and large bathrooms (with double-sink vanities).

ES-Explorer Suite (the ship's largest accommodation) is a 2-room suite with the separate bedroom-living room, walk-in closet (mirrored dressing table with chair), dining area (2-seat table), lounge area (3-seater sofa, 2 armchairs, low table), large bathroom (with spa bathtub), wraparound aft-facing balcony with outdoor seating (2 deckchairs with low table) and a double daybed. Explorer Suite cruise prices are also inclusive of "Silver Spirits Beverage Package" (Viking Cruises' alcohol-inclusive unlimited drink package). TS-Terrace Suite is also a 2-room cabin. PV-PS-TS staterooms have 2-seater couches in their lounge areas.

Viking Mississippi riverboat's boarding/embarkation time is fixed (at 11 AM) but cabin access times (room entry) differ by stateroom grade.

  • PV-Veranda (3 PM)
  • FB-French Balcony and DV-Deluxe Veranda (2 PM)
  • PV-Penthouse Veranda (1 PM)
  • PS-Penthouse Junior Suite, TS-Terrace Suite and ES-Explorer Suite (11 AM) - which means cabin access is immediately after boarding).

Shipboard facilities and amenities

MS Viking Mississippi riverboat represents a new design inland passenger vessel that is totally different from all currently available on the US market cruise ships. The boat is traditionally large-sized but with a 90% glass-enclosed superstructure. All staterooms and public venues are with floor-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows.

Viking Mississippi riverboat (Aquavit Terrace)

Of all the 5 passenger-accessible decks, 4 are with staterooms. Each cabin deck has a launderette (laundry room with self-service laundromats). Of the riverboat's three Lifts (glass-door elevators), two are in the Atrium (midship) and one is located forward-portside. The elevators access all decks (1-5). All decks are also interlinked via stairs (forward, midship and aft).

Viking Mississippi riverboat (Explorers Lounge)

Signature venues on Viking Mississippi include the trademarked and available on all Viking cruise ships (Longships and ocean liners) Explorers' Lounge (2-deck Bar Lounge) with Bow Terrace (outdoor seating), The Living Room (indoor Lounge with Library), The Restaurant (Dining Room) with Galley (Kitchen), River Cafe (indoor-outdoor Lido restaurant and bar lounge), Aquavit Terrace (indoor-outdoor lounge with BBQ area), Sun Terrace (outdoor lounge with sundeck and swimming pool / Infinity Plunge Pool), Promenade Deck (full-circling Deck 1).

Viking USA river cruise itineraries

Viking River Cruises USA officially started operations with MS Viking Mississippi with the maiden voyage in 2022 (8-day "America’s Heartland" itinerary from St Paul MN to St Louis MO/departing from Saint Paul on September 3rd).

Viking USA's bookings opened in 2020 - on March 31st (for past customers) and on April 16th (for the general public).

Currently, the company offers 4 itineraries.

The above-listed prices are only indicative and based on double occupancy. The following video highlights Viking Cruises' Mississippi River shore excursion experiences.

The next itinerary map shows all visited river ports and in which US state.are they located.

The Viking Mississippi itinerary program offers to visit seven US states - Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Viking Mississippi - user reviews and comments

Photos of viking mississippi.

Viking Mississippi cruise ship (Mississippi River, USA)

Viking Mississippi ship related cruise news

Viking River Cruises kicks off stops in Greenville (Mississippi)

Viking River Cruises kicks off stops in Greenville (Mississippi)

Viking River Cruises USA will commence stops in Greenville (Mississippi) this Friday, February 24th, bringing thousands of vacationers over a period...

Mississippi RIver's largest cruise ship ever debuts in June 2023

Mississippi RIver's largest cruise ship ever debuts in June 2023

The largest cruise ship to ever sail on the Mississippi River is scheduled to set sail after June 2023. Viking Mississippi is a large riverboat that...

Viking river cruise ship Viking Mississippi ends voyage earlier due to low water levels

Viking river cruise ship Viking Mississippi ends voyage earlier due to low water levels

A Viking River Cruises' ship that was sailing up the Mississippi River was halted on Thursday, October 6, after low water levels forced the ship to...

Viking Mississippi ship makes first-ever call at La Crosse’s Riverside Park WI

Viking Mississippi ship makes first-ever call at La Crosse’s Riverside Park WI

As part of her maiden voyage, the 450-ft-long Viking Mississippi cruise ship arrived at La Crosse’s Riverside Park (Wisconsin) in the early...

Viking Mississippi ship departs from downtown St. Paul on inaugural cruise

Viking Mississippi ship departs from downtown St. Paul on inaugural cruise

On Saturday, September 3, a 386-passenger luxury river cruise ship (custom-built for the Mississippi River) docked at Lambert’s Landing in...

Viking Mississippi floated out at Edison Chouest shipyard in Houma (Louisiana)

Viking Mississippi floated out at Edison Chouest shipyard in Houma (Louisiana)

The new riverboat being constructed for Viking River Cruises USA was floated out on Monday, March 7, at Edison Chouest Offshore's LaShip...

Davenport IA (Iowa, Quad Cities) to increase cruise shipping traffic in 2022

Davenport IA (Iowa, Quad Cities) to increase cruise shipping traffic in 2022

Davenport IA (Iowa USA) is making a million-dollar investment in a riverside park which is part of an effort to get ready for an anticipated increase...

Viking announces new 2024 sailings of its Mississippi River cruises

Viking announces new 2024 sailings of its Mississippi River cruises

Viking Cruises opened for booking the new 2024 Mississippi River voyages. The company's first (under charter) vessel Viking Mississippi is scheduled...

Viking and American Cruise Lines to make waterfront improvements in Vicksburg Mississippi

Viking and American Cruise Lines to make waterfront improvements in Vicksburg Mississippi

Two cruise companies that offer Mississippi River voyages can start making developments to the waterfront in Vicksburg MS (Mississippi). The city's...

Viking announced the Itinerary of its first Holiday-themed Mississippi River Cruise

Viking announced the Itinerary of its first Holiday-themed Mississippi River Cruise

Viking's new travel brand Viking River Cruises USA released details of its holiday-themed voyages on Mississippi River. Scheduled to launch in...

  •   show more news

Other Viking Cruises cruise ships

  • MS RheinGalaxie Eventschiff
  • Viking Aegir
  • Viking Alruna
  • Viking Alsvin
  • Viking Astrild
  • Viking Atla
  • Viking Aton
  • Viking Baldur
  • Viking Bestla
  • Viking Beyla
  • Viking Bragi
  • Viking Buri
  • Viking Delling
  • Viking Egdir
  • Viking Egil
  • Viking Einar
  • Viking Eistla
  • Viking Embla
  • Viking Emerald
  • Viking Fjorgyn
  • Viking Forseti
  • Viking Freya
  • Viking Gefjon
  • Viking Gersemi
  • Viking Gullveig
  • Viking Gymir
  • Viking Hathor
  • Viking Heimdal
  • Viking Helgrim
  • Viking Hemming
  • Viking Herja
  • Viking Hermod
  • Viking Hervor
  • Viking Hild
  • Viking Hlin
  • Viking Idun
  • Viking Ingvi
  • Viking Jarl
  • Viking Jupiter
  • Viking Kadlin
  • Viking Kara
  • Viking Kari
  • Viking Kvasir
  • Viking Legend
  • Viking Lofn
  • Viking Magni
  • Viking Mani
  • Viking Mars
  • Viking Mekong
  • Viking Mimir
  • Viking Modi
  • Viking Neptune
  • Viking Njord
  • Viking Octantis
  • Viking Odin
  • Viking Orion
  • Viking Osfrid
  • Viking Osiris
  • Viking Polaris
  • Viking Prestige
  • Viking Radgrid
  • Viking Rinda
  • Viking Rolf
  • Viking Rurik
  • Viking Saigon
  • Viking Saturn
  • Viking Sigrun
  • Viking Sigyn
  • Viking Skadi
  • Viking Skaga
  • Viking Skirnir
  • Viking Star
  • Viking Tialfi
  • Viking Tonle
  • Viking Torgil
  • Viking Ullur
  • Viking Vali
  • Viking Vela
  • Viking Venus
  • Viking Vesta
  • Viking Vidar
  • Viking Vilhjalm
  • Viking Vili
  • Zhao Shang Yi Dun-Viking Sun

Viking Mississippi Wiki

In 2015 was officially announced Viking's plan to enter USA's river cruising market by chartering newbuild ships for year-round operations on Mississippi River. However, the process was slowed due to issues regarding the so-called "Jones Act" (Merchant Marine Act from 1920). It imposes restrictions on where USA-based ships can navigate and how to be staffed.

In October 2018 was announced as a potential start-up (with Mississippi-based boats) the year 2021. By 2027, Viking plans to increase its annual passenger river shipping capacity to 100,000+ (compared to 2018's 50,600) by deploying six Viking riverboats in the USA. The 7-night/8-day itineraries include roundtrips from New Orleans , as well as one-ways between New Orleans and Memphis TN , and between St Louis MO and Minneapolis-Saint Paul MN .

Viking Mississippi was constructed at the Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) Shipyards-owned company LaShip Shipyard (Houma, Louisiana USA). Due to strong demand, bookings for Viking's 2023-2024 itinerary program opened on July 2, 2020. Viking's Mississippi River year-round deployment is expected to bring 7500+ passengers in 2022 and 17600+ tourists during the full 2023 season.

Viking River Cruises USA ship

Viking Mississippi was launched/floated out from drydock on March 7, 2022. The ceremony was led by godmother/madrina Dionne Chouest (Edison Chouest Offshore's General Counsel).

Inaugural cruise itineraries 2022

Next tables show the riverboat's inaugural itineraries (by theme) as call ports and USD pricing per person (double-occupancy balcony cabin rates).

(MAIDEN VOYAGE/2022) 7-day St Louis to St Paul - priced from USD 4790 pp

14-day from St Paul to Port NOLA (New Orleans)

7-day from New Orleans to Memphis (USD 6990 pp)

(Southern Celebration) 7-day roundtrip from New Orleans (USD 4290 pp)

Note: You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.

Great Lakes cruise business -- and Cleveland’s port -- take a hit with American Queen shutdown

  • Published: Mar. 01, 2024, 9:34 a.m.

Ocean Navigator arrives at Cleveland port, May 11, 2022

The Ocean Navigator docked in Cleveland in 2022. The ship, part of American Queen Voyages, won't be sailing in 2024. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

  • Susan Glaser, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The nascent cruise industry in Cleveland will take a hit this summer as one of the major players in Great Lakes cruising is going out of business.

American Queen Voyages announced last week that it was shutting down. The company, based in Fort Lauderdale, operated both the Ocean Navigator and Ocean Voyager, sister ships carrying 202 passengers each, which spent their summers in recent years crisscrossing the Great Lakes.

Last year, the two ships made as many as 30 stops in Cleveland – far more than any other cruise line.

Dave Gutheil, chief commercial officer with the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, said that while the two American Queen ships will be missed in the region, Great Lakes cruising – and Cleveland’s port of call – are still strong.

“The number of calls will be down,” he said. “But we’re hoping that the number of passengers per call will be up.”

In 2023, eight ships made a total of 48 stops in Cleveland, bringing 8,100 visitors to town, primarily for daytime tours of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and other Northeast Ohio attractions.

It was the port’s busiest year for cruise ships since the resurgence of Great Lakes cruising a decade or so ago.

This year, the port is expecting 26 cruise ships to stop in Cleveland, starting May 26.

Because several of the ships coming are larger than the Navigator and Voyager, the number of overall passengers shouldn’t drop too much, Gutheil said.

Among those with planned stops in Cleveland: Both the Viking Polaris and the Viking Octantis, with room for 378 passengers each, ships with the well-known Viking Cruises brand, best known for its upscale European river cruises.

Viking made its first stop in Cleveland last year, and plans 10 stops in the summer of 2024.

Also on the schedule for Cleveland’s port, which sits just west of Cleveland Browns Stadium in downtown:

  • The Pearl Mist , an all-balcony small ship that accommodates a maximum of 210 passengers.
  • Ponant’s luxurious Le Bellot, with an underwater lounge and room for 184 passengers, sailing a Toronto-Chicago itinerary that’s part of several late-summer Tauck tour s.
  • MS Hamburg, operated by German-based Plantours , which was built in 1997 and is the oldest and largest ship in the Great Lakes, with room for 420 passengers.

Gutheil added that he and others who promote Great Lakes cruising are pursuing other cruise lines to come to the region, as well.

“I’m still optimistic for the future of cruising in the Great Lakes,” he said. “There are still lines out there looking for new places to go. The Great Lakes is still virgin territory.”

Many Great Lakes passengers, Gutheil noted, have never been to the Midwest, haven’t seen Niagara Falls or toured the Rock Hall. “They’re excited and have a good time when they come through,” he said.

Viking Polaris makes maiden voyage to Cleveland,June 13,2023

The new 378-guest Viking Polaris ship arrives in Cleveland for its inaugural visit as part of the new “Great Lakes Collection” itinerary. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

The two Voyager ships were among the first to buy into this new era of Great Lakes cruising. The two were formerly part of Victory Cruise Lines, which started sailing in the Great Lakes in 2016.

Victory Cruise Lines was purchased by American Queen Steamboat Company in 2019, which changed its name to American Queen Voyages in 2021.

American Queen Voyages was perhaps best known for its domestic river cruises on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and other inland waterways. American Queen owns numerous other ships, including the American Queen, built in 1995 as a replica of a classic Mississippi River paddle-wheeler.

Last year, American Queen said it planned to discontinue its Great Lakes sailings in 2024, to concentrate on its river cruise business. Then, in late February, American Queen’s parent company, Hornblower Group, announced that it was shutting down the entire cruise line and putting it up for sale, as part of a bankruptcy filing.

“Despite our best efforts, demand for overnight cruises has not recovered following the pandemic, and AQV has become financially unsustainable,” the company said on its website. “We thank you for your support and deeply regret any inconvenience this causes you.”

Booked passengers are directed to aqvrefunds.com for refund information.

Touring Viking Polaris, the cruise line’s newest Great Lakes ship, now stopping in Cleveland (photos)

Viking Cruises coming to Cleveland next month, as busiest ever Great Lakes cruising season gets under way

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  • Expeditions

Press Release

Viking expedition team announces discovery of new penguin colony in antarctica, new chinstrap penguin colony recorded following survey at astrolabe island by viking and oceanites.

Los Angeles (March 5, 2024) – Viking® ( www.viking.com ) today announced its expedition team supported the discovery of a new colony of chinstrap penguins not previously known to science on Diaz Rock, near Astrolabe Island, in Antarctica. The finding took place in January 2024 when Viking’s expedition vessel, the Viking Octantis ® , visited Astrolabe Island, a three-mile-long island, located in the Bransfield Strait of the Trinity Peninsula in Antarctica. Astrolabe Island is home to a colony of chinstrap penguins that had not been surveyed since 1987. During the visit, Viking’s scientific partner, Oceanites , the leading field research entity in Antarctic penguin monitoring, conducted a visual and thermal aerial survey. The fieldwork documented the first survey in nearly 40 years of the known chinstrap penguin colony of Astrolabe Island and in the process, discovered the additional colony on Diaz Rock. Oceanites will share additional details from the survey in a scientific paper to follow in due course.

Today’s announcement is an example of Viking’s commitment that every expedition voyage on the Viking Octantis and her identical sister ship, the Viking Polaris ®, should provide opportunities for meaningful scientific discovery. The findings also come one year after Viking published its first scientific paper in Polar Research , the scientific journal of the Norwegian Polar Institute, following its expedition team’s encounters with rare giant phantom jellyfish in Antarctica.

“With our third season in Antarctica underway, we are pleased to have supported another significant scientific development that will allow for further understanding of the region,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "From the thoughtful design of our expedition vessels, each with a well-appointed Science Lab, to our partnerships with some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, our intention has always been to provide our guests and scientists with opportunities for meaningful discovery during each voyage. We look forward to supporting other critical research opportunities on future voyages.”

Viking Expedition Team & Scientific Partners

Viking has created the world’s leading scientific enrichment environment in an expedition setting with the help of partnerships with esteemed academic institutions. During each expedition, visiting researchers from partner institutions are part of the multidisciplinary 36-person expedition team. This group of experts leads guests through meaningful scientific research, providing guiding and interpretation during shore excursions and delivering world-class lectures.

For 30 years, Oceanites, an American not-for-profit field research entity, has led on Antarctic penguin monitoring. As scientific partners, Viking supports the fieldwork of Oceanites through mobilizing teams of penguin researchers on its Antarctic expedition voyages and providing thermal cameras.

“The Antarctic peninsula is well-traveled and explored, and it is not often we find a new penguin colony,” said Dr. Grant Humphries, Director of Science at Oceanites. “Our partnership with Viking opened a new opportunity to not only count the chinstrap penguins on Astrolabe Island for the first time since the 1980s, but it also allowed us to locate and map a colony of chinstrap penguins previously unknown to us. This work will allow us to get a better understanding of how Antarctic penguin population dynamics are shifting in an ever-changing world.”

“Viking’s expedition vessels continue to showcase the potential of reimagined ‘ships of opportunity’ and the research capabilities available for scientific efforts,” said Dr. Damon Stanwell-Smith, Head of Science and Sustainability at Viking. “With scientists from our partner organizations on board, like Oceanites, we can conduct real, meaningful research in the regions. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Oceanites and other science partners to bring more findings forward in the future.”

In addition to Oceanites, Viking’s other scientific partners include:

  • The University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI): Scientists from SPRI undertake fieldwork on board Viking’s expedition ships and join voyages to share expertise with guests. Cambridge University’s SPRI played a significant role in developing the scientific enrichment program for Viking Expeditions. Specialists from the Institute were also consulted in the development of The Science Lab on Viking’s expedition vessels; the 380-square-foot lab is comprehensively appointed with wet and dry laboratory facilities and supports a broad range of research. Julian Dowdeswell, Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Cambridge, and former director of SPRI, serves as the Chair of the Viking Research Advisory Group, a consortium of scientific leaders from Viking’s partner institutions who have been actively involved in overseeing the field research being undertaken on board.

    In 2022, Viking announced the Viking Polar Marine Geoscience Fund which endows the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) with its first-ever fully funded professorship—the Viking Chair of Polar Marine Geoscience. This post enables the development of new lines of research into the behavior of polar environments, including polar ice sheets, sea ice and ocean circulation.

  • The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ornithologists are regularly on board Viking’s expedition vessels, undertaking post-doctoral research on new observation methods and providing guest advice and interaction.
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL): Conducts innovative research on the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and coastal regions to provide information for resource use and management decisions that lead to safe and sustainable ecosystems, ecosystem services, and human communities. Viking’s expedition ships have been designated official NOAA / US National Weather Service weather balloon stations, from which regular launches are undertaken.
  • Norwegian Institute of Water Research (NIVA): Scientists from NIVA are engaged in cross-disciplinary research programs on water-related issues. On Viking’s expedition ships, NIVA “FerryBox system” of automated oceanographic instruments are installed to sample the marine and freshwater regions where the vessels sail, to provide continuous information about chlorophyll, oxygen, temperature, salinity, microplastic presence and complementary meteorological data.
  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego: Viking hosts Fjord Phyto, a NASA-funded program of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, that provides the opportunity for guests to engage in research and public education through novel citizen science sampling of polar phytoplankton, for genetic population analyses.
  • The IUCN Species Survival Commission Species Monitoring Specialist Group: Viking coordinates with this international group of experts to develop marine biodiversity monitoring systems that enable Viking expedition vessels to collect valuable species population data.
  • Norwegian Polar Institute: The permitting authority for Viking’s Norwegian flagged expedition vessels, who review and approve all of Viking’s expedition and science activities in Antarctica.

Viking Expeditions

Viking offers destination-focused expeditions in Antarctica, the Arctic and North America’s Great Lakes, with an expedition fleet that includes the Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris . Designed for discovery by the same team that designed the award-winning Viking Longships ® and ocean ships, the 378-guest vessels are specifically built for expeditions, at an ideal size for safety, comfort and to support an unrivalled range of activities in remote destinations. With more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels, guests are as close as possible to the most magnificent scenery on earth.

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Burgeoning Mississippi riverboat industry grapples with increasing threats of flooding, drought

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The American Queen docks in Tunica, Mississippi, May 28, 2023, for a final stop before docking in Memphis on Memorial Day.

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This story from the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk was originally published in July 2023.

As demand for overnight river cruises on the Mississippi increases, the industry also faces increasing climate threats. Recent years have seen wild swings between heavy rainfall and severe drought, making the river tougher to navigate.

Low water levels forced cancellations last year, and climate experts fear that may happen again as it shapes up to be another dry summer, according to experts during a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) webinar Thursday, July 6.

The most intense drought conditions are happening in the Midwest, throughout the upper Mississippi River basin, during what should be the rainiest season. Worsening drought upriver is raising red flags for the lower Mississippi, which relies on the Ohio River basin for about 60 percent of its flow. At St. Louis, the Mississippi River is about 10 feet below average for this time of year, with months to go until fall, its typical low season. Low river levels could bring a cascade of challenges for ships on the Mississippi River. “Their docks may be affected, and they may not be able to get to them,” said Anna Wolverton, the NOAA liaison to the Army Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Valley Division.

Last fall was a perfect storm of weather conditions: lower-than-normal rainfall, higher-than-normal temperatures and a longer-than-usual La Niña, which causes drier, warmer weather. This year could shape up to be the same, according to NOAA forecasters.

Viking launched its first Mississippi River cruise last September — a business venture that many saw as a vote of confidence in overnight cruises on the Big Muddy a decade after the industry’s return. But within a month of Viking’s debut, drought created trouble for companies that rely on the waterway.

Viking Mississippi set sail from New Orleans on Oct. 1 with hundreds of passengers on board. The two-week tour was supposed to end in St. Paul, Minnesota, but within a few days, barges were stranded on sandbars because of low water levels, and Viking’s boat was stuck for an entire day, waiting for the green light to continue upriver.

But Viking had to call off the rest of the cruise. It docked just north of Greenville, Mississippi, and bussed passengers about three hours north to Memphis to fly home. Because the boat couldn’t continue upriver, it had to cancel its next trip, too, which was supposed to set sail from St. Paul for a trip downriver.

For barges, the key to continuing along the river was to decrease cargo and reduce the number of barges in each tow. With a lighter load, the odds of running aground a sandbar were much lower. Even then, some shippers turned to rail — a less efficient and more expensive method — to get cargo downriver, but cruise companies can’t detour and provide passengers with the same experience.

So last year, the three companies on the river — American Queen Voyages, American Cruises Lines and the newcomer, Viking — had to adjust itineraries, offer refunds and, in some cases, cancel tours altogether.

In the past century, the watershed has oscillated between very dry and very wet, which many Earth scientists believe to be the result of rising global temperatures. The National Integrated Drought Information System — NOAA’s drought monitoring branch — reports that annual lows are getting lower on the Mississippi. It’s one of the ways that “climate change rears its ugly head,” according to Dorian Burnette, a professor who studies extreme weather events at the University of Memphis.

“If it’s dry, it’s gonna get drier. If it’s wet, it’s gonna get wetter,” Burnette said.

The Mississippi River’s flow can be slow to respond to changes, since the watershed drains more than 40 percent of the continental United States. It takes about three months for water that leaves Lake Itasca, the river’s primary source, to reach the Gulf of Mexico.

Over that period of time last fall, the river fell 20 feet, making it a flash drought. The National Weather Service has long provided flash flood warnings, but flash droughts are less understood and, as a result, not predicted with the same level of accuracy.

Cindy D’Aoust, president of American Queen Voyages, said that’s just part of the business. “Operating riverboats means that adjustments to itineraries are continually made due to river flow and changing river levels,” D’Aoust said.  

Related: Mississippi River cruises take hit as American Queen shuts down

Robert De Luca, captain of the American Queen, said he’s seen the lingering effects of last year’s drought. “It definitely affected our business,” De Luca said. “To this day, we’re still trying to recover from that.”

Riverboat pilots must constantly adapt to the river as it fluctuates. In Memphis, when the river falls below seven feet — still above what the National Weather Service considers to be “low” — De Luca said the American Queen has to land a few miles upriver of Beale Street Landing at Greenbelt Park. Boats have to tie off to trees on the riverbank at Greenbelt Park, there’s no shaded area for passengers and crews have to run a hose to a hydrant more than 100 feet away to refill water.

The cruise lines are always developing contingency plans to keep up with a constantly changing river, but D’Aoust said the deviations last fall were unprecedented. At the time, Burnette and two other Earth scientists at the University of Memphis described the “dramatic plunge in water levels as a preview of a climate-altered future.”

For the shipping industry, Burnette said the future could involve more dredging to keep the river navigable, or adopting new water management practices. As the frequency and intensity of low-water events increase, Burnette said the industries that rely on the waterway must adapt.

For cruises, that could mean building itineraries around new seasonal weather patterns, but he sees the most room for improvement in forecasting.

Editor’s note: American Queen Voyages allowed a Daily Memphian reporter to stay on board free of charge to report this series. The company had no prior review of the stories.

This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk , an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America , funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Sign up to republish stories like this one for free .

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IMAGES

  1. Viking cruise ship can't finish voyage: Mississippi River is too low

    has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

  2. Viking Mississippi cruise passengers hit by cancellations

    has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

  3. Viking River Cruise Sails the Mississippi Between New Orleans and St

    has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

  4. Viking Mississippi ship makes first-ever call at La Crosse’s Riverside

    has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

  5. What to expect from Viking's new Mississippi River ship

    has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

  6. Cruise the Viking Mississippi in 2022 & 2023

    has viking cancelled mississippi river cruises

COMMENTS

  1. Mississippi River cruises take hit as American Queen shuts down

    Their confidence was boosted when Viking Cruises launched a Mississippi River itinerary in 2022, bringing a third company to the river. ... American Queen has canceled all future cruises and is ...

  2. Viking cruise ship can't finish voyage because Mississippi River is too

    A Viking river cruise ship heading north up the Mississippi River can't finish its voyage because of low water levels, according to a statement from the company on Thursday. "Unusually low ...

  3. Viking Mississippi cancels some cruise passengers four days ahead of

    Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Passengers from across the country say they've ...

  4. American Queen Voyages, which made stops via the Mississippi River in

    Viking River Cruises debuted Mississippi River trips from St. Paul to New Orleans in the fall of 2022, and multiple cruise companies service Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes.

  5. Viking Mississippi cancels Oct. 15 cruise due to low river levels

    ST PAUL, Minn. — There's been a lot of fanfare surrounding America's Great River cruise operated by Viking Cruises. The 13-city cruise was supposed to take passengers between St. Paul and New ...

  6. A classic Mississippi River cruise line has abruptly shut down

    Meanwhile, luxury line Viking River Cruises will embark on its third summer/fall season aboard the 386-passenger Viking Mississippi, the largest cruise ship on the waterway.

  7. Despite American Queen's shutdown, U.S. river cruising keeps rolling

    The American Jazz river cruise ship in Natchez, Mississippi. Photo Credit: EWY Media/Shutterstock ... while newcomer Viking Mississippi adds fresh options to the market with its 386-passenger ...

  8. Viking river cruise ship Viking Mississippi ends voyage earlier due to

    The affected vessel was Viking Mississippi, a boat that has 193 staterooms for up to 386 passengers and claims to be the "first truly modern cruise ship in the region." The river's low water levels have been caused by light rainfall levels in the region since August. More than 84% of the state of Mississippi is currently experiencing abnormally ...

  9. Viking cruise ship cancels Louisiana trip due to low water level on

    The Viking cruise ship, which was supposed to launch from New Orleans, has canceled its two-week trip on the Mississippi River due to low water levels south of St. Louis.. Lack of rainfall in ...

  10. Viking Mississippi cruise passengers hit by cancellations

    Viking runs aground. Viking River Cruises has begun its grand tours between St. Paul and New Orleans aboard the Viking Mississippi, but not without some rookie-season challenges.The all-new ship ...

  11. Mississippi River cruises in flux decade after comeback

    Between the three overnight cruise lines on the Mississippi River — American Queen Voyages, American Cruise Lines and, as of last year, Viking — the industry has an estimated $100 million annual economic impact in Memphis, according to Kevin Kane, president and CEO of Memphis Tourism. ... Viking launched its first tours of the Mississippi ...

  12. Viking Announces Additional Sailings for Mississippi River Cruises

    Los Angeles (April 20, 2021) - Viking® (www.viking.com) announced today that new 2024 sailings of its Mississippi River cruises are now on sale.The Viking Mississippi, will debut in August 2022 and will sail voyages on the Lower and Upper Mississippi River, between New Orleans and St. Paul. Viking's first river cruises in the U.S. had been highly anticipated when they were officially ...

  13. Cruise Canceled Due to Low Water Levels

    Modified Date: Oct 9, 2022. Photo Credit: William A. Morgan / Shutterstock. Viking Mississippi, the newest ship in Viking's river cruises fleet, has had to cancel mid-way through her current ...

  14. Low river levels forces cancelation of St. Paul-New Orleans Viking

    Passengers on a Viking river cruise from New Orleans to St. Paul found their trip shortened due to Mississippi River levels, while travelers booked on the return journey have seen it canceled.. The river is at its lowest point in 10 years after prolonged summer droughts, and this has been having a knock-on effect on shipping traffic.

  15. American Queen Voyages shuts down, ending its Mississippi cruises

    All future cruises consisting of the American Queen, American Duchess and American Countess are canceled and refunds are available on the business's website. ... Viking Mississippi River cruise ship is nearly complete. The ship touched water for the first time this week. MN Travel. Watch: Viking Octantis cruise ship returns to Duluth harbor ...

  16. Viking Mississippi cruise facing delays with low rivers

    The Viking Mississippi, which began voyages between St. Paul and New Orleans in September, has experienced delays and there are reports it even had to cancel a future tour due to the low river levels. Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard said at least eight barges were grounded at one point between Louisiana and Mississippi.

  17. Views, pro and con, on the new Viking Mississippi River Cruises

    Front page of our local paper today , St Paul Pioneer Press: Viking Mississippi has canceled all upper Miss cruises for the season, due to orders from Coast Guard. Water level too low in various channels. They will still do the Lower Miss. river cruises from New Orleans to Memphis the rest of the year.

  18. Viking cruise ship can't finish voyage because Mississippi River is too

    Dave Kettering/AP/FILE. A Viking river cruise ship heading north up the Mississippi River can't finish its voyage because of low water levels, according to a statement from the company on Thursday ...

  19. Updates on Current Sailings

    If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email [email protected], Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM, PT. This page contains the most up to date information and details of any departures affected by any sort of disruption.

  20. Viking cruise ship postpones sail in St. Louis

    Therefore, select early departures of Viking Mississippi's first season have been canceled. Guests on affected sailings and their Travel Advisors have been notified directly by Viking Customer ...

  21. Expert Review of Viking Mississippi River Cruise Ship

    103 reviews. Viking Helgi. 69 reviews. Viking Legend. 138 reviews. Viking Emerald. 295 reviews. Check out Cruise Critic's expert review of the Viking Mississippi river cruise ship for the best ...

  22. Viking cancels ocean and river cruises through May 31

    The premium travel company Viking Cruises announced it had cancelled scheduled departures through to May 31, 2021, noting that impacted clients and their travel advisors had been notified directly by the customer relations team of the company. The cancellations affect both Viking's OCEAN and RIVER fleets.. Viking claims to be the first passenger shipping company to temporarily suspend ...

  23. Mississippi Viking cruises delayed by supply chain issues; additional

    Luxury river cruise ship Viking Mississippi had been set to dock twice in Burlington next month, once on July 18 after departing from New Orleans and again on July 28 on its way back down river ...

  24. Viking cruise ship can't finish voyage because Mississippi River ...

    AP Dave Kettering/AP/FILE A Viking river cruise ship heading north up the Mississippi River can't finish its voyage because of low water levels. By CNN Newsource Published October 6, 2022 6:00 PM

  25. Viking Mississippi Itinerary, Current Position, Ship Review

    Current itinerary of Viking Mississippi. Viking Mississippi current cruise is 7 days, one-way from New Orleans to Memphis TN . The itinerary starts on 17 Feb, 2024 and ends on 24 Feb, 2024 . Date / Time. Port.

  26. Great Lakes cruise business -- and Cleveland's port -- take a hit with

    American Queen Voyages was perhaps best known for its domestic river cruises on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and other inland waterways. American Queen owns numerous other ships, including the ...

  27. Viking Expedition Team Announces Discovery of New ...

    Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 Readers' Choice Awards. Viking is also rated at the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure. No other travel company has simultaneously received the ...

  28. Riverboat industry grapples with threats of flooding, drought

    Viking launched its first Mississippi River cruise last September — a business venture that many saw as a vote of confidence in overnight cruises on the Big Muddy a decade after the industry's ...