Viking to Introduce Mississippi Cruises in 2022
by Jessica Montevago
V2-3
Viking River Cruises will start cruising the Mississippi River August 2022, between New Orleans and St. Paul, sailing across seven states.
The itinerary will include ports of call such as Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans and St. Francisville, Louisiana; Natchez and Vicksburg, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; Hannibal and St. Louis, Missouri; Burlington, Dubuque and Davenport, Iowa; La Crosse, Wisconsin; and Red Wing and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Viking will sail the itinerary on a five-deck ship, currently under construction in Louisiana, that will accommodate 386 guests across 193 staterooms, ranging from 268 square feet to 1,024 square feet. All staterooms will have a private veranda or French balcony, king-size bed with luxury linens, large glass-enclosed shower, heated bathroom floors and 24-hour room service. Suites will have two rooms and a full-size veranda off the sitting room.
In addition to the main dining room there will be two al fresco options, the River Cafe and the Aquavit Terrace on the top deck, serving casual American barbecue. There will also be a two-story Explorers’ Lounge and a 360-degree promenade deck, plus a sun terrace with an infinity plunge pool at the aft.
On Viking’s Mississippi River itineraries, guests may also choose to take a guided kayaking trip in the Louisiana bayou, visit a working farm in Quad Cities or immerse themselves in Cajun culture during a Privileged Access excursion to the Rural Life Museum of Louisiana State University.
Voyages for the inaugural 2022-2023 season are already on sale for Viking’s past guests and bookings will open to the general public on April 15.
Earlier this year, Viking announced it was launching its first expedition ships, Viking Octantis in January 2022, sailing voyages to Antarctica and then North America’s Great Lakes, and Viking Polaris in August 2022, sailing to Antarctica and the Arctic. The three new ships join the more than 60 new river cruise ships and six ocean ships Viking has introduced in the last eight years.
