ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA--The world-famous river cruise line is coming to the Mississippi, sailing between New Orleans and St. Paul starting in the summer of 2022. The line opened bookings as far out as 2024 this week, so it's time to pick your dates and your staterooms on this innovative new ship, currently being built in Louisiana.
Cruises to and from St. Paul
Starting in September 2022, the line will be offering an 8-day itinerary between St. Louis and St. Paul, with stops in Hannibal, Burlington, Iowa, the Quad Cities Area, Dubuque, La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Red Wing, Minnesota. The lowest available fares right now are in the range of $4,400per person.
The full route to New Orleans is a 15-day trip, with starting fares around $11,000 per person. All of 2022 and much of 2023 are already sold out.
Viking cruise fares include one excursion per port, WiFi onboard, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, specialty dining at no additional charge, and self-service launderettes. The line is famous for its onboard guest lecturers and cultural education.
How to pick your stateroom
Staterooms are located on decks 2-5. There are staircases at either end of the ship, double elevators in the center, and a single elevator forward. As opposed to booking ocean cruise ship cabins, where the center is the prized position for stability, a river ship won’t have stability issues. In fact, the most expensive suites onboard the U.S. Viking ships are found at the front and rear of the ship.
The only reason to book a centrally-located cabin is if you need the elevators for mobility issues. The main dining room is located on Deck One and the River Café casual dining option on Deck Five, so most of your cabin-to-meal treks will be no more than three decks-- or three flights of stairs.
Starting with Deck Two
You'll have a choice of four categories of staterooms. The self-serve launderette (no charge) is located in the center of the deck. All guests on this deck have access to the upper level of the Explorer's Lounge in the bow of the ship. This could be an ideal spot for viewing the scenery as the ship is underway.
Two Explorer Suites face the rear of the ship. They are both category ES2. They each occupy 657 square feet (including the rear-facing veranda) and come with numerous perks, including early access to your stateroom on embarkation day, and complimentary Silver Spirits Beverage Package, laundry, pressing, and shoe shine services as well as a welcome bottle of Champagne.
Sixteen Veranda Staterooms (Category V1) They are 268 square feet (including the veranda) and come with the least add-on perks of all categories, but that means they have the lowest price. There are eight in the rear of the ship and eight forward. Here's what they do offer:
- 11:00 AM embarkation
- 3:00 PM stateroom access
- King-size Viking Explorer Bed (with optional twin-bed configuration); luxury linens & pillows
- Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
- 42" flat-screen, interactive LCD TV with intuitive remote & complimentary Movies On Demand
- 110/120-volt US-standard outlets with USB ports
- Mini-bar with soft drinks, water & snacks; security safe; hairdryer
- Large private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated bathroom floor & anti-fog mirror
- Premium Freyja® toiletries; plush robes & slippers
- Purified water refilled daily
- Stateroom steward & twice-daily housekeeping
- 24-hour room service
- Spacious closet & drawers
Thirty-two Deluxe Veranda Staterooms (Category DV4) These are essentially the same cabin as a standard Veranda but come with access stateroom access at 2:00 PM, plus an in-room coffee maker and binoculars.
Four Penthouse Veranda Stateroom (Category PV2) These are centrally located (near the elevators) and are slightly larger at 336 sq feet. The added perks for these rooms include stateroom access at 1:00 PM on embarkation day and alcoholic beverages included in the daily replenishment of the in-suite minibar. There are also a complementary pressing and shoeshine service along with a welcome bottle of Champagne.
Deck Three
This is probably the most sought-after spot on the ship, offering eight categories of rooms. As with the other decks, there are two Explorer Suites (Category ES2) at the rear and two Penthouse Veranda Staterooms near the center. What's missing on this deck are any cabins in the basic Veranda category. Here's what's different:
Two Forward Explorer Suites (Category ES1) These are the primo suites on the ship. They are 1024 square feet each and come with all of the same perks as the ES2 suites.
Deluxe Veranda Staterooms (17 Category DV3 and 32 DV2) These are the same size and have the same perks as the DV4 category, but offer a better location (two floors up or down either way to meals and activities).
Two Penthouse Junior Suites (Category PS2) At 400 square feet, these offer more space, a second television, and 11:00 AM suite access on embarkation day.
Four French Balcony Staterooms (Category FB) These are 301 square feet but don’t offer step-out balconies, only sliding terrace doors. They come with the perks of a Deluxe Veranda Stateroom and are wheelchair accessible.
Two Terrace Suites (Category TS1) These sought-after suites are 425 square feet in size, have a balcony, but the unique thing they offer is a terrace door position directly beside the bed, allowing you to open the door and watch the scenery drift by from the bed. They have all the perks of the other suite categories, including 11:00 AM suite access on embarkation day.
Deck Four
This deck offers the pair of Explorer Suites (ES2) at the rear, four French Balcony Suites in the center, a pair of Terrace Suites near the front of the ship, twenty-nine Deluxe Veranda Staterooms (DV1), eighteen Penthouse Veranda Staterooms (PV 1), and a pair of Penthouse Junior Suites (PS2).
Overview:
To give you an overall recap, the cheapest cabins would be Veranda Staterooms (V1) on Deck 2. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these staterooms. They will have unobstructed views and are spacious and well-equipped. The only things you are missing out on in the cabin would be binoculars and a coffee maker that is available in the higher categories.
All suite categories come with alcoholic beverages stocked in the minibars. Stateroom categories are only stocked with water and soft drinks. Only the Explorer Suites come with the complimentary Silver Spirits Package. It's an added cost for all other categories.
All categories are able to board at 11:00 AM, but only suite guests have immediate access to their rooms. All others are allowed in their staterooms at 1:00, 2:00, or 3:00, based on the stateroom category.
Other News Break cruise stories you might enjoy:
The Christmas Cruise You Can Soon Take from Memphis
Cruises from Long Beach You Can Still Book for 2021
Silversea Bringing Luxury Expedition Cruising to the West Coast in 2022
Comments / 1