You Can Now Book Your Viking Mississippi River Cruise from St. Louis

Viking River cruises from St. Louis on the Mississippi.Rendering courtesy of Viking

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI-- Viking Cruises announced this week that bookings are open for sailings on the Mississippi, onboard the ship of the same name. The unique ship will cruise between New Orleans and St. Paul, MN, on a 15-day route, but shorter segments are available, including an 8-day option from St. Louis to St. Paul. Let's dig into the details about the ship, what you can expect from Viking if you've never sailed with the European cruise line.

Viking's history

Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans, and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture, and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests The Thinking Person's Cruise® in contrast to mainstream cruises.

The company has spent most of its 24 years in operation expanding it fleet, which now includes 76 owned and chartered river ships, five ocean-going ships. Ships under construction in addition to the Mississippi, include three ocean ships, a purpose-built river ship for Vietnam, and two expedition ships.

Hurdles to operating exclusively in U.S. waters

The challenge for any cruise line hoping to cruise U.S. rivers is the Passenger Vessel Safety Act (PVSA) which restricts the transportation of passengers exclusively between two U.S. ports to vessels smaller than 5 tons unless those ships are owned by U.S. citizens and (this is the big one) built in the U.S. The ship must also operate under all applicable U.S. laws (not those of another country), including employment laws.

Viking will operate its U.S. river fleet under charter from a U.S. company, Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO), which is currently building the first ship in Louisiana.

How many ships will Viking eventually have in the U.S.?

Viking has an option with ECO for eight more ships, according to Houma Today, the local newspaper in Houma Louisiana, where one of ECO's shipyards is located. The paper estimates those will generate eight to 10 years of work for the shipbuilder.

Because of that, it would be logical for someone used to cruising on the mainstream ocean cruise lines that operate out of U.S. ports to be concerned about exactly which ship they are booking their 2024 cruise on. The line's website is showing these cruises as taking place onboard the first ship, Viking Mississippi, but there is always the possibility that could change before your cruise finally rolls around.

If that happens you will be notified, but the thing to know about Viking is that their business model is to build ships that are essentially identical, with the exception of fabrics and color schemes. They started that process with their famous "longboats" that sail the rivers of the world and continued the same shipbuilding scheme with their indistinguishable ocean-going vessels.

Cruises to and from St. Louis

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 $4,400 per person.

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.

Deluxe Veranda Stateroom on Viking Mississippi.Rendering courtesy of Viking

The ship

Mississippi has been described as a "longboat on steroids." The ships that Viking cruises on European rivers are long, fairly narrow, and flat, with wheelhouses that can be lowered hydraulically to squeeze the ship below bridges.

Renderings of the U.S.-built ship show the 5-story-high ship as somewhat of a blend of the company's longboats and its ocean-going vessels-- with popular features from each. The ship will carry 386 passengers in 193 all-outside staterooms. Its European river ships average 190 passengers and the Viking Ocean ships carry 930 passengers.

According to the company:

"The new state-of-the-art Viking Mississippi is inspired by Viking's award-winning river and ocean ships and will feature clean Scandinavian design, as well as public spaces that are familiar to guests but that have been reimagined for Mississippi River voyages. Purpose-built for the Mississippi and currently under construction in Louisiana, the five-deck ship's cutting-edge design, expansive windows and comfortable amenities will make it the most modern cruise ship in the region."

Staterooms will range in size from 268 square feet (which is fairly large for a cruise ship cabin) to suites of 1,024 square feet. All staterooms feature a private veranda or French balcony, king-size bed with luxury linens, large flat-screen interactive TV, mini-bar, large glass-enclosed shower, heated bathroom floor (which Viking is famous for) and 24-hour room service.

Similar to Viking's ocean ships, Viking Mississippi will have a glass-backed pool experience at the aft, allowing guests to take a dip while fully surrounded by their destination. The ship will also feature a full Promenade deck on Deck 1, allowing guests to circle the ship to fully enjoy the surroundings as the ship is underway.

Find more details about the staterooms here.

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

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