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

Keep a watchful eye on the river this month and you might get a glimpse of a shiny new vessel docked in downtown St. Paul. Viking Cruises is set to arrive with one of its newest ships, the Viking Mississippi. The five-deck cruise ship accommodates 386 guests in 193 staterooms and marks the first time Viking will offer river cruises in the U.S.

“We invented the concept of modern river cruising when we got our start 23 years ago—first on the rivers of Russia and in Europe,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking. “Since then, many people have come to appreciate the unique exploration that comes with river cruising—but currently there are very few options to do so on American rivers. Our guests are curious travelers, and they continue to tell us that the Mississippi is the river they most want to sail with us. No other waterway has played such an important role in America’s history, commerce, and culture.”

According to Viking, its boat will be the largest and most modern cruise ship on the river, sailing between New Orleans and St. Paul. The international cruise company is making a major commitment to tourism along the river, with the new cruises expected to bring more than 5,800 guests to the region in 2022 and 17,600-plus during the first full sailing season in 2023.

Cruises start at $3,999. Scheduled ports of call currently include seven states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. vikingrivercruises.com