Open river, then locks
New Orleans to St. Paul, decoded The Mississippi
The Mississippi is two rivers under one name. Below St. Louis it runs open past plantation country and the Delta; above, a chain of locks carries you through river towns to St. Paul.
- 29 locksand dams on the upper river; the New Orleans routes have none
- 4 boarding citiesNew Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis (Viking has berthed at Alton) and St. Paul
- 386 guestson Viking Mississippi, all rooms outside; ACL's boats carry up to 180
- from $3,499Viking's 8-day New Orleans round trip, cruise-only, Fall Sale to 31 Oct 2026
The verdict
Choose the Mississippi for the history
Choose it if
- Travellers who want the lower river's history, from the River Road houses to Natchez and Memphis
- Anyone drawn to blues, soul and Civil War ground more than castles
- Guests happy on one large modern ship, or a smaller American boat
Look elsewhere if
- ×Anyone after castles and cathedral towns in daylight: the Rhine puts them there
- ×Travellers who want to compare several of our reviewed lines: only Viking sails here
- ×Anyone tied to one date: low water has cancelled a sailing before
The Mississippi is two rivers under one name: open water below St. Louis, a chain of locks above it.
Overview
What a Mississippi cruise is, and isn't
Most of the published routes run the lower river. New Orleans, the River Road houses, Natchez, Vicksburg and Memphis make a week that is history first and scenery second.
Go north of St. Louis and the trip changes. The river narrows into a lock-and-dam channel, the towns shrink, and the week becomes Hannibal, Dubuque and La Crosse.
Only Viking among our nine reviewed lines sails here, with one 386-guest ship. American Cruise Lines is the other operator, on boats of up to 180 guests, and we don't have a review page for it.
A note for readers who remember the paddlewheelers: American Queen Voyages ceased operating on 20 February 2024 and cancelled all its future cruises. Port NOLA's current list shows Viking and ACL as the two lines selling this river.
The lower river's history includes slavery. The lines' itinerary text says little about it; at Natchez, the National Park Service documents it on the ground.
The river
Five stretches of one river
- 01
New Orleans and the River Road (Darrow, St. Francisville, Baton Rouge)
The first days out of New Orleans are plantation country. Viking's 8-day Southern Charms calls at Darrow on day 2, St. Francisville on day 3, Natchez and Vicksburg, then Baton Rouge on day 6 for Cajun and Creole music and food. ACL names the houses instead: Oak Alley on day 3 and Houmas House on day 4 of its 23-day cruise. Neither line's itinerary says how its house visits treat slavery, so ask which tours cover the enslaved community before you book.
- 02
Natchez, Vicksburg and the Delta (Greenville)
The middle of the lower river. Viking calls Natchez the oldest city on the Mississippi and sends guests to Vicksburg National Military Park; its Odyssey adds Greenville and a Delta blues experience, then a scenic-sailing day before Memphis. ACL runs Natchez, Vicksburg, Greenville and Tunica on days 7 to 10. This is also the reach that closed in October 2022, between Tunica and Vicksburg.
- 03
Memphis to Cape Girardeau and St. Louis
Memphis is the natural split. Viking's Delta Explorer ends there, its Ohio and Cumberland routes start there, and its Odyssey stays two days for blues heritage and civil-rights history. North of it come Paducah, Cape Girardeau and two days in St. Louis, the Gateway Arch first, Forest Park second. Viking has berthed at Alton, Illinois, not in Missouri, so confirm the berth on your itinerary.
- 04
The Upper Mississippi: Alton to St. Paul (Hannibal, Quad Cities, Dubuque, La Crosse, Red Wing)
The lock-and-dam river. Viking's 8-day Heartland of America calls at Hannibal, Mark Twain's boyhood home, then Burlington, the Quad Cities, Dubuque's Cathedral Historic District, La Crosse for Norwegian heritage and cheese, and Red Wing for shoes and pottery. ACL uses Hannibal, Muscatine, Dubuque, Winona and Red Wing. The National Park Service counts 29 locks and dams on the upper river; which ones a given ship passes isn't published.
- 05
Spurs: the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee rivers
Both lines now sell routes that leave the Mississippi. Viking's new routes for 2027 are Mississippi & Ohio River Explorer, Bayous, Blues & Bluegrass, and Nashville, Memphis & the Cumberland. ACL sells Music Cities, the Ohio River and 16-day combinations to Huntsville and Nashville. We treat these as connectors, not Mississippi cruises, and keep them brief.
All 14 Mississippi places on our atlas, embarkation cities named. Open the Mississippi on the river map.
Itineraries
Six ways the lines sell it
Names differ by line. The shapes don't: every Mississippi product is a round trip from New Orleans or a one-way slice of the river.
New Orleans round trip, 8 days
Viking's New Orleans & Southern Charms and ACL's Highlights of the Mississippi, 8 days and 7 nights. The shortest way to reach the River Road houses, Natchez and Vicksburg without a one-way fare home.
Viking American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)
New Orleans to Memphis, 8–9 days
Viking's Mississippi Delta Explorer runs 8 days from New Orleans to Memphis; ACL's Lower Mississippi River Cruise runs 9 days from Memphis to New Orleans. Both add Greenville and the Delta blues stretch.
Viking American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)
New Orleans to St. Louis (Alton), 15 days
Viking's The Big Easy to the Gateway City. ACL doesn't list this slice; its choices are the 23-day full run and a 16-day Grand Heartland from St. Paul.
Viking American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)
Upper Mississippi, St. Louis (Alton) to St. Paul, 8 days
Viking's Heartland of America, the lock-and-dam stretch. ACL's counterpart is the 16-day Grand Heartland, sailing the other way.
Viking American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)
The full run, 15–23 days
Viking's 22-day Mississippi River Odyssey and 15-day America's Great River, and ACL's 23-day Complete Mississippi River Cruise. All are one-way, so you fly home from St. Paul or fly in to start there.
Viking American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)
Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee connectors, 8–16 days
Memphis to Louisville or Nashville on Viking; Music Cities, Ohio River and the 16-day combinations on ACL. Sold as separate cruises that happen to start on the Mississippi.
Viking American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)
Season
When to sail, and what 2022 showed
Lower river late January–early June and October–early December · upper river August–early September, as listed. Tap a month for what a sailing then is like.
Viking's lower-river sailings run in two windows: late January to early June, and October to early December. The listed 2027 Delta Explorer dates run 26 January to 1 June and 12 October to 7 December, with nothing listed in July, August or September.
The upper river is a summer and early-fall product. Heartland of America dates are listed for 24 August and 7 September 2027, and 25 July 2028, and ACL calls the upper river best from summer through early fall.
ACL's own guidance for the lower river is spring, fall, and November to December.
The low-water record is October 2022. A closure of roughly 184 miles between Tunica and Vicksburg stopped Viking Mississippi: Viking cancelled the cruise, and guests rode about two hours by bus to Memphis.
Neither line publishes a high-water refund or substitution rule. Viking's pages say only that itineraries and shore excursions are subject to change, so get the written policy before you book an autumn lower-river sailing.
No line publishes a flood month, summer temperatures or a hurricane-season policy, and we won't guess at them.
What the lines do when the river drops
- VikingIn October 2022 Viking cancelled a northbound voyage when sections of the river closed, and bused guests about two hours to Memphis.Source
- American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)In the same month ACL said its five riverboats stayed on schedule, crediting smaller, shallow-draft boats, while warning that changes remained possible; its Grand Heartland page says river conditions can change the itinerary.Source
Ship size and cabins
Viking Mississippi carries 386 guests in 193 all-outside staterooms, built in 2022. The standard Veranda room is 268 sq ft, suites run up to 1,024 sq ft, and the ship has a no-children policy. ACL's modern boats carry up to 180 guests; we don't have its stateroom sizes, so ask for them.
What it costs
Published fares, side by side
Lead fares from each line's own pages on 22 October 2026, per person. Viking's are cruise-only and tied to no departure date, and its Fall Sale ends 31 October 2026. ACL's Grand Heartland isn't shown because its only fares were for September 2026 sailings.
- VikingNew Orleans & Southern Charms, 8 days round trip New Orleans$3,499≈ $500 a night
from $3,499 pp cruise-only, double occupancy, US residents only; Fall Sale booking window ends 31 Oct 2026; as published 22 Oct 2026
- American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)Highlights of the Mississippi, 8 days round trip New Orleans$3,720≈ $531 a night
listed from $3,720, shown at $3,420 with the line's free-airfare offer, as published 22 Oct 2026
- VikingMississippi Delta Explorer, 8 days New Orleans to Memphis$4,199≈ $600 a night
from $4,199 pp cruise-only, no departure date, as published 22 Oct 2026
- American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)Lower Mississippi River Cruise, 9 days Memphis to New Orleans$4,295≈ $537 a night
listed from $4,295, as published 22 Oct 2026
- VikingHeartland of America, 8 days St. Louis (Alton) to St. Paul$6,499≈ $928 a night
from $6,499 pp cruise-only, no departure date, as published 22 Oct 2026
- VikingThe Big Easy to the Gateway City, 15 days New Orleans to St. Louis (Alton)$8,899≈ $636 a night
from $8,899 pp cruise-only, no departure date, as published 22 Oct 2026
- VikingAmerica's Great River, 15 days St. Paul to New Orleans$12,999≈ $928 a night
from $12,999 pp cruise-only, no departure date, as published 22 Oct 2026
- VikingMississippi River Odyssey, 22 days New Orleans to St. Paul$15,498≈ $738 a night
from $15,498 pp cruise-only, no departure date, as published 22 Oct 2026
- American Cruise Lines (not reviewed)Complete Mississippi River Cruise, 23 days New Orleans to St. Paul$15,890≈ $722 a night
listed from $15,890, as published 22 Oct 2026
ACL's Mississippi fares carry a 31 July 2026 offer window that has passed, so ask for the current fare. Lead fares per person as each line published them; the line under each bar keeps the line’s own wording. “A night” is our arithmetic: the lead fare divided by the trip’s nights (days minus one, hotel nights included where the package has them), before taxes and port charges. Your dates will price differently. That’s the job we do for free.
Nine rivers, side by side
Is this the right river? Compare before you choose.
The nine rivers we cover in full: five in Europe, two in Africa and Asia, and two in the United States. Each name opens its guide; the fare row is the lowest lead fare in each guide’s fare table, as the lines published them in October 2026.
| Danube | Rhine | Seine | Rhône & Saône | Douro | Nile | Mekong | You are hereMississippi | Columbia & Snake | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | First-timers and capital-city travellers | Scenery, castles and wine towns | Paris lovers and D-Day history | Wine lovers and Roman history | Port wine and small-ship intimacy | Temple lovers and ancient history | Angkor, delta villages and tiny ships | History and music from the deck | Wine, waterfalls and Lewis and Clark |
| The feel | Big cities, music, one vineyard valley in daylight | One dramatic gorge morning, then vineyards and cathedrals | Gentle river, Impressionist villages, Gothic Rouen | Vineyard valleys, big locks, papal and Roman towns | Terraced vineyards, deep dam locks, quiet quintas | Early temple mornings, Cairo hotels, few nights aboard | Sampan landings, markets, temples, a border crossed by river | Open river below St. Louis, locks above | Dam pools, Gorge falls, dry plateau, Hells Canyon |
| Season | Mar–Dec | Mar–Dec | Mar–Dec | Mar–Dec | Mar–Nov | Jan–Dec | Jan–Dec | Late Jan–early Dec | Mar–Nov |
| Start cities we cover | Budapest, Vienna, Passau, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Bucharest | Amsterdam, Basel, Frankfurt am Main, Trier & Remich | Paris | Lyon, Avignon | Porto | Cairo, Luxor | Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap | New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis | Portland |
| Lowest published lead fare | $1,999 | $2,599 | $2,899 | $2,899 | $4,426 | $5,099 | $3,279 | $3,499 | $3,725 |
| The catch | Late-summer low water and overnight lock bumps | August shallows at Kaub; Moselle single-chamber locks | Giverny's season and high water at Paris | The March lock closure below Lyon | Summer heat and a shorter season | Summer heat above 40 °C; flights inside Egypt | Two visas, year-round heat, the lake's low water | Low water: a 2022 closure cancelled a sailing | March lock closures; no published reroute policy |
Start cities
Where a Mississippi cruise begins
Four cities turn ships around, and we cover three: New Orleans and Memphis on the lower river, and St. Louis, where Viking has berthed across the water at Alton. St. Paul is the northern end of the upper river. Each city guide covers the berth, the airport run and the day before, with hotels alongside.
The night-before hotels, city by city: New Orleans · Memphis · St. Louis
Ports of call
Two calls worth the detail
Natchez for the oldest city on the river and the National Park Service sites, Vicksburg for the battlefield. Each stop page covers the typical call and what to ask your line before you go.
Before you book
Five questions worth asking about the Mississippi
The answers separate two sailings that look the same on paper. Tick the ones you care about and we’ll answer them for your dates.
Why trust this page
The Seabound standard
Sources, read at the source
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 22, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
Paid placements
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
Advisors, not a booking engine
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
Have us plan it
Find the Mississippi sailing built for you
Tell us the month, who is sailing and what you want from the week. We price the lines against each other, hotel nights and transfers included.
- Usually the same fare as booking direct, and our advice costs you nothing.
- We compare the lines on the Mississippi for your dates, side by side.
- Hotel nights, flights and transfers can go into the same plan.
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Quick answers
Mississippi river cruise questions
Is the Mississippi a one-way or a round-trip cruise?
Both. Viking sells an 8-day New Orleans round trip, one-ways from New Orleans to Memphis and to St. Louis (Alton), an 8-day St. Louis (Alton) to St. Paul sailing, and a 22-day run to St. Paul. ACL sells the 8-day round trip, the 9-day Memphis to New Orleans slice and the 23-day full run. Both advertise free airfare on some departures, so ask what it covers.
Why does Viking say 'St. Louis (Alton)'?
Because Viking has berthed at Alton, Illinois. A 2022 on-board report has guests staying at a St. Louis hotel with luggage trucked across the river to the ship. ACL also calls at Alton under a five-year agreement with the city. Confirm the berth on your own itinerary.
What happens when the river is too low or too high?
In October 2022 Viking cancelled a northbound voyage and bused guests about two hours to Memphis, while ACL kept its five shallow-draft boats on schedule. Neither line publishes a refund or substitution rule beyond 'subject to change', so ask for the written policy. Low water is the documented problem on this river; the lines publish nothing about high water.
How do the lines handle the history of slavery on the plantation tours?
Their itinerary text is thin on it. Viking describes historic estates; ACL names Oak Alley and Houmas House without describing the visit. The National Park Service is explicit at Natchez: Melrose recorded 22 enslaved people in 1860, and Forks of the Road marks what it calls the second busiest slave market in the Deep South. Ask which included tours cover the enslaved community, and consider adding the park sites.
Is American Queen Voyages still sailing?
No. After it stopped sailing, ACL bought several of its river vessels, and a trade report says two of them were being scrapped.
Which line should a first-time river cruiser look at?
Viking if you want one large modern ship — 386 guests, all rooms outside, no children — with one included excursion per port and beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch and dinner. ACL if you prefer a smaller boat of up to 180 guests, with a hotel stay and an all-in price covering cocktails, Wi-Fi, gratuities and one excursion per port, by its own account. We haven't sailed either line on this river, so the comparison rests on what each publishes.
How we checked this page 25 sources
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 22, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
- Viking: Mississippi itineraries and fares (US site)
- Viking Mississippi ship page (Australia site)
- Viking: New Orleans & Southern Charms (Australia site, day-by-day)
- Viking: New Orleans & Southern Charms (US site, inclusions and offers)
- Viking: Mississippi River Odyssey (Australia site, day-by-day)
- Viking Mississippi and Ohio River voyages 2027 (Business Wire, 18 Feb 2026)
- American Cruise Lines: Mississippi River cruises
- American Cruise Lines: Complete Mississippi River Cruise
- American Cruise Lines: Grand Heartland Cruise
- Cruise Industry News: ACL new itineraries (Sept 2025)
- TravelPulse: ACL launches new Mississippi itineraries
- Port NOLA: Cruise lines and itineraries
- Seatrade: American Queen Voyages ceases operations (20 Feb 2024)
- Travel Agent Central: the latest on the former American Queen Voyages ships
- Seatrade: Mississippi low-water issues impact some riverboat cruises (Oct 2022)
- WISH-TV: Viking cruise ship can't finish voyage because Mississippi River is too low (6 Oct 2022)
- Natchez Democrat: Sleek, new Viking Mississippi arrives in Natchez (29 Sep 2022)
- Travel Agent Central: On site, Viking Mississippi from St. Louis to Hannibal
- AAA Trip Canvas: Viking Mississippi Delta Explorer dates
- cruiseweb.com: Viking Heartland of America from St. Louis (Alton)
- NPS Mississippi National River & Recreation Area: River Facts
- US Army Corps St. Paul District: Navigation
- US Army Corps St. Paul District: Minneapolis locks closed to recreational vessels (21 Jun 2024)
- NPS Natchez National Historical Park: Places
- NWS Jackson: Historic Mississippi River flooding at Vicksburg (2011)