Viking set to enter Mississippi cruise market
Viking River Cruises will begin operating on the Mississippi River in 2015.
According to the Red Wing (Minnesota) Visitors and Convention Bureau, the company will build a five-deck 340-passenger ship, which will stop at the Port of Red Wing, 50 miles downriver from Minneapolis.
Viking chairman Tor Hagen has said for some time that the company will one day sail the Mississippi, but has not specified a date.
The Mississippi ship will be larger than the 190-passenger ships Viking is building for European river cruises.
River sailing in general is growing in popularity, and the Mississippi has attracted American Cruise Lines’ new 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippi, and the 436-passenger American Queen, refurbished by the American Queen Steamboat Company.
Viking River Cruises, meanwhile, has been aggressively expanding from its European river base.
It is launching an ocean cruise division, with orders for up to six vessels. In addition, it christened 10 new river ships in March and plans to launch 12 more in 2014.
By Cheryl Rosen
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season