The five-deck, custom-built, made-in-America riverboat, launched in 2022, accommodates 386 passengers in 193 all-outside staterooms with private balconies. That makes it about twice the size of Viking’s European Longships, which accommodate 190 in 95 rooms.
But there are lots of similarities: No kids, no casinos, no formal nights, no art auctions or ship photographers.
There’s no room for spas or gyms aboard Viking’s riverboats – but they all offer outdoor walking/jogging promenades. To rack up a mile, you’ll circumnavigate the Viking Mississippi main deck six times; a mile requires about nine laps of the top deck on European Longships.
Most Viking passengers are 65+ and more than 80 percent are repeat customers. One of the big reasons so many come back: There’s no nickel and diming.
Aboard Viking Mississippi, there’s at least one included shore excursion at every port; shuttles into town are free. House wines, beer and soft drinks are complimentary at lunch and dinner; machine-brewed self-service specialty coffees are available 24/7. In-room pitchers of filtered water are replenished at least twice daily and bottled water is free to passengers as they depart for shore outings. WiFi is free and there’s no extra fee for dining at any of the ship’s restaurants. There’s a free self-service launderette on each of the riverboat’s three passenger decks; even detergent is provided at no cost.
A suggested gratuity of $20 per person, per day, is added to the onboard account statement passengers receive at the end of their cruise. It covers essentially all onboard service providers: housekeepers, porters, bartenders, dining staff, sommeliers and the concierge. (There’s one crewmember for every three passengers aboard ship.) Guests are encouraged to tip local guides and drivers separately ($2– $5) per excursion.
Ship Shape
The Viking Mississippi’s décor embraces Viking’s Scandinavian style: light woods, natural fabrics and clean lines that enhance connection to the world outdoors. Only here, there’s a nod to Southern gentility: Guests lounge in comfy rocking chairs. The ceiling in the Living Room mimics the frets of a guitar; light fixtures in the dining room are canoe shaped and room dividers resemble oars; there’s a massive Huck Finn mural fronting the main staircase.
The two-story Explorer’s Lounge, with floor-to-ceiling windows at the bow of the ship, is where passengers gather for daily enrichment talks; the bar there is a favorite pre-dinner happy hour hangout – complimentary appetizers included.
The main deck’s Living Room is where daily 5:30 p.m. briefings highlight the next day’s port of call. It’s also where passengers gather for nightly staged musical entertainment – with headliners imported from top onshore venues. There are usually two 45-minute shows each evening: at 7:15 and 8:45 p.m. The ship’s easy listening house band takes over after that.
The main deck includes a curated library and vinyl record collection for passengers’ use aboard ship. Readers can compare Mark Twain’s Mississippi journey to their own; they can browse William Faulkner, Pat Conroy, Alice Walker. They also can use the Living Room record player for an impromptu sock hop – and bop to tunes by Little Richard, Louis Armstrong, Dolly Parton.
There’s no traditional paddle wheel on this grand dame of the nation’s most storied river. Instead, there’s a narrow, infinity style plunge pool that stretches across the stern of the riverboat’s upper deck. It’s about three feet deep, kept at a constant 95-degrees – a great spot for stargazing at night.
Hungry?
There are two main dining options aboard the Viking Mississippi – and both win raves. The Restaurant, on Deck 1, is where traditional white-tablecloth, sit-down multi-course meals are served. The more casual River Café , on deck 5, includes a buffet and custom-designed grill-to-order station. The Café has an adjacent salad bar, dessert bar and raw bar where passengers can sample peel-and- eat gulf shrimp, oysters on the half shell, sushi and sashimi.
Both venues are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner – and the Café provides pizza for cruisers who miss lunch or crave an afternoon (2-4:30p.m.) snack.
The dinner menu at The Restaurant includes several “always available” Viking fan favorites such as poached Norwegian salmon and a 9-ounce Angus strip steak. There’s also a changing selection of daily destination specials: Think Cajun jambalaya, okra-thickened seafood gumbo, classic Creole wild mushroom etouffee, pan-seared (or fried) catfish and collard greens.
The River Café buffet often includes the same daily destination specials served in The Restaurant. Plus, it’s the place to go for live cooking: waffles, omelets and eggs-to-order at breakfast, beef or plant-based burgers and hotdogs sizzling on the grill at lunch, barbecued ribeye steaks, veal chops, pork ribs, chicken, salmon, even giant blackened prawns at dinner.
Both venues have floor-to-ceiling windows with scenic views of The Big Muddy. Weather permitting, Café patrons can dine outdoors on the top deck terrace. Ambiance in The Restaurant is quieter, more serene. Reservations are not required at either spot.
Cabins and Crew
Even the smallest Viking Mississippi staterooms (268 square feet) are comfortable, with king beds (that can be converted to two twins), cozy indoor seating for two, big-screen TVs, a desk that includes a mini-fridge stocked with soft drinks and snacks, replenished daily. The closet has motion-activated lighting. Coffee makers, bathrobes and slippers are provided.
Stateroom bathrooms have roomy glass-enclosed showers, anti-fog mirrors and are stocked with Viking’s Frejya Collection toiletries: shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. My favorite treat: heated bathroom flooring that made me feel rich and famous.
All staterooms have balconies; most with seating for two and a small table. It’s where I’d sit, after long adventure-filled days, snuggled in a warm blanket, listening to the rush of the Mighty River as we glided through the starlit darkness.
I don’t know exactly when or why that soft cuddly throw appeared one afternoon on the arm of my balcony chair. Somehow my room steward just knew to place it there. Bliss.
