Mississippi River Cruise Itineraries
Viking River Cruises America’s Great River
Cruise from St. Paul down to New Orleans on Viking’s 15-day America’s Great River itinerary aboard the 193-stateroom Viking Mississippi, a ship designed just for this river. The journey starts in St. Paul, where guests can explore the Twin Cities, before heading to Red Wing, where they’ll learn about the country’s national bird at the National Eagle Center. Then, it’s on to La Crosse, Wisconsin Dubuque, Quad Cities, and Burlington, Iowa and Hannibal, Missouri, the childhood home and inspiration of author Mark Twain. The next stop is St. Louis, Missouri, with attractions like the Gateway Arch National Park and the Anheuser-Busch brewery. In the latter part of the trip, guests can enjoy scenic cruising along the Lower Mississippi and stops in Memphis, Tennessee Vicksburg and Natchez, Mississippi and Baton Rouge, Louisiana before finally arriving in New Orleans.
American Queen Voyages New Orleans to Memphis
American Cruise Lines Upper Mississippi River Cruise
This eight-day cruise starts in St. Louis and sails to St. Paul along the Upper Mississippi. Stops along the way include Hannibal, Missouri Fort Madison, Davenport, and Dubuque, Iowa and Winona and Red Wing, Minnesota. Several ships cruise this route, including American Melody, inaugurated in 2021, and the upcoming American Symphony. These new sister ships offer large rooms and suites with contemporary furnishings and an upscale feel.
The Service By All Involved Was First Class All The Way
We were very impressed by the personal service we received by the staff and everyone involved. The trip was very nice from a sightseeing perspective, interesting from a historical perspective and very relaxing overall. Plus the food was plentiful and excellent. We highly recommend this cruise to everyone!
Denny F Morgan Hill, California
About Queen Of The Mississippi Paddle Steamer Cruise
We have a great selection of The Americas & Canada Holidays and Tours that can be tailored to your needs. Contact our experts via live chat, email or telephone with your requirements and let us put together your perfect itinerary.
This trip is one of our Bucket List Tours which we have carefully compiled. These are our top suggestions for an unforgettable trip of a lifetime. Flexible tours, durations and dates that can be tailored to your specific needs. Looking for a trip of a lifetime? We have access to a plethora of worldwide destinations, some not even listed on our site yet, with escorted tours and excursions included. Get in touch with our experts with your requirements and let them tailor your perfect holiday of a lifetime.
Unlike the old ship, on the new Queen of the Mississippi, the crew quarters are located on Deck 1 while Deck 5 houses balcony staterooms and suites.
Most cabins are with private balconies, so passengers can enjoy alfresco in-cabin dining. Traditionally, American Cruise Line serves local food, focusing on Cajun and Creole cuisine.
The new riverboat also features small and large lounges, library, showroom, card room, putting green, complimentary self-service launderette, 3 PC terminals and free WiFi access.
8-Night Queen Of The Mississippi Sample Itineraries
Lower & Upper Mississippi Queen Of The Mississippi Cruises
Day 1: Memphis, Tennessee
Bars
Dining
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Mississippi River Cruise Lines
There are three main cruise lines that offer itineraries along the Mississippi River: Viking River Cruises, American Queen Voyages, and American Cruise Lines. Viking is known for its luxury river, ocean, and expedition cruises to incredible destinations around the world, and the Mississippi itineraries are a newer addition to its wide range of river cruises, offered aboard the new Viking Mississippi ship. American Queen Voyages offers several cruises along the Mississippi on paddle wheel steamboats like the American Queen.
American Cruise Lines has both new, modern riverboats and paddle wheelers, so you can choose your ideal sailing experience depending on your itinerary. These cruise lines all offer similar itineraries along the river, so we recommend looking into the ships and amenities on board and finding what’s included in the rate to help make your decision.
Steamboats Of The Mississippi
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Reaching The End Of Our Mississippi River Cruise In St Paul
A riverboat cruise is generally a slow-moving event, but it hardly seemed as if a week had passed as Queen of the Mississippi tied up in St. Paul, MN to bring our weeklong cruise to an end.
All in all, the voyage went flawlessly. Meals were tasty, plentiful and well presented and the Queens officers and crew were invariably friendly and efficient. As a veteran of more than 40 cruises, I will tell you unequivocally that ACL is among the best in the business of small ship cruising.
Following the customary hugs and farewells, we made a beeline for the St. Paul Farmers Market. Wed heard this was the best place to be on a Saturday morning in St. Paul. Founded in 1853 and featuring more than 300 vendors, its one of the nations oldest and largest public markets. We had a great time there, wandering about and making photos.
Mississippi River Cruise Tips
Prepare for small towns. Itineraries might incorporate major cities like New Orleans and Memphis as cornerstones, but your experience will also focus on smaller towns along the way.
Related:
Prepare for calm waters. Inland waterways are much calmer than those on ocean-based trips, which is great news if you’re prone to seasickness.
Listen up. Because of the short distances between ports, full days of river cruising are rare. However, when you spend time sailing, there is usually commentary from a “riverlorian” over the public address system explaining some of the sights you pass.
Mother Nature rules. The same way a hurricane might force an oceangoing cruise ship to change course, bad weather on the rivers can alter itineraries. In particular, heavy rain and droughts can make or break a river trip. For instance, one year’s drought along the Mississippi River kept waters so low that riverboats couldn’t sail upriver, and operators had to push some of their Upper Mississippi sailings onto the Ohio. Another year, too much rain flooded the river, making it impossible for riverboats to get under bridges and forcing the closing of several locks. The result was the same as during the drought. Boats scheduled to sail the Upper Mississippi were diverted onto the Ohio.
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Take A Sightseeing Dining History Or Holiday Ride On A Louisiana Paddlewheeler
Theres nothing quite like rollin down the river in Louisiana, watching city skylines and natural areas slowly pass by from the comfort of your floating paradise.
Paddle wheelers and riverboats offer a nostalgic way to explore the area and one thats gaining popularity among a new wave of travelers looking to experience a slice of Americas past, when riverboats regularly plied our countrys water carrying both passengers and freight. Today, Louisiana riverboats are all about fun and exploration, but exactly how you choose to cruise is up to you! At ports of call in New Orleans and other Louisiana river towns, you can hop aboard to see the sights, dine and dance, learn and love, get a taste of river life, roll the dice or just relax.
Most Louisiana riverboats host a variety of tours featuring different themes and destinations. Its a lot to digest so weve pulled together this handy roundup of just a few experiences that await.
Absolutely Perfect In All Ways
My Friend and I went on the Riverboat Twilight and it was the most perfect/awesome adventure! From reserving our trip to our final walk to our car after the two day cruise, all was perfect! Staff are amazing, from the Captain to the servers, to the musical entertainers. The food is suburb and generous! Everything is very well organized, from our luggage/hotel in Dubuque/seating for meals, free shuttles in Dubuque, etc! The scenery and info along the way from the captain was wonderful! This was an absolutely perfect two day cruise, and we are going again in Mid October as we loved it so much!!.
Karen V Pella, Iowa
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Wonderful Relaxing Two Days
Extremely enjoyable trip. The cruise itself was delightful as you slowly moved up and down the river enjoying the wildlife and listening to the Captain explain the view and history. Unless you are a very big eater you have to be selective as they feed you FIVE times a day. Not only is the food plentiful but it is also very good. The Grand Resort in Dubuque was a nice stay as we had a view of the river. There was adequate time to explore some of the sights In Dubuque. I think we will do this trip again in the future.
Ron S. Tipton, Iowa
Cruising The Mississippi River Aboard The Queen Of The Mississippi
My vessel of choice for the 7-day Mississippi River cruise was American Cruise Lines Queen of the Mississippi. Its a gleaming white five-deck 150-passenger replica of a 19th-century steamboat. Theyre the ones that routinely churned up and down the river, transporting both freight and passengers.
ACL proclaims itself an All-American line, utilizing American crews and U.S.-built ships. Our was built in 2012 by a company-owned shipyard in Maryland.
Beneath her antique veneer and authentic paddlewheel, the Queen of the Mississippi is a thoroughly modern craft. It also features 78 cabins in seven categories, 65 of which have private balconies.
They range in size from a 600-square-foot owners suite to single cabins at 210 square feet.
Standard double cabins measure a commodious 304 square feet larger than most cruise ship staterooms. Each cabin has a satellite flat-screen TV/DVD, Keurig coffeemaker, wireless Internet access and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Public areas include six lounges, ranging from a cozy library to the spacious Magnolia Lounge. The Magnolia is home to most presentations and entertainment. Its also where youll find a complimentary Happy Hour, a popular ACL tradition offered on all of its vessels.
Up top, theres a sun deck, exercise equipment and a casual café. The Dining Salon is large enough to accommodate all 150 passengers at a single seating.
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About La Crosse Queen Cruises
Cruise back in time and explore the Upper Mississippi with us! The La Crosse Queenis a modern-day replica of the grand river boats that plied the Mississippi River in the early 1900s. Cruising out of La Crosse, Wisconsin, she is one of the few authentic Mississippi River paddlewheel river boats still in operation in the United States today. In keeping with early traditions, she was built with sternwheels that are her only means of propulsion.
The La Crosse Queen has a split sternwheel, and each half is run by a twin diesel engine that powers hydraulic motors, which turn the paddles. The split paddlewheel gives the Queen greater maneuverability and dependability. This is in contrast to most Mississippi River paddlewheelers in operation today that have a free wheeling paddlewheel at the stern of the boat for visual effect, but have traditional screw-type engines hidden for their real means of propulsion.
The La Crosse Queen is U.S. Coast Guard inspected for safety and is licensed to carry up to 149 passengers.
Golden Age Of Steamboats
The historical roots of the prototypical Mississippi steamboat, or Western Rivers steamboat, can be traced to designs by easterners like Oliver Evans, John Fitch, Daniel French, Robert Fulton, Nicholas Roosevelt, James Rumsey, and John Stevens. In the span of six years, the evolution of the prototypical Mississippi steamboat was well underway, as seen by the introduction of the first vessels:
Kate Adams,
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Highlights Of The Mississippi River
A Mississippi River cruise offers the rare opportunity to sail through America’s heartland on the worlds #1 river cruise line. Explore picturesque towns and boom cities take in views of pastoral farms and towering bluffs and immerse yourself in the region’s rich history and culture with an included excursion in every port. Here are a few highlights Viking reveals to you:
- Festive French Quarter and Creole cuisine in New Orleans
- Cajun heritage in Baton Rouge
- Civil War history at Vicksburg National Military Park
- Memphis BBQ, Graceland and appreciation of the Delta Blues
- Steamboat sailings with diverse wildlife sightings
- Up close look at Americas national symbol, the bald eagle
- Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the pioneering spirit of the Midwest
- Norwegian cultural experience at Vesterheim
- Intricate locks and dams of the Upper Mississippi
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Dinner & Dancing On The Mighty Mississippi
Enjoy a night of dinner and dancing on this cruise on the Mighty Mississippi. Indulge in a delicious buffet and share a wonderful dinner with your family or friends, then enjoy live music from the dance floor or the deck.
Once on board, you are escorted to your table, then you are free to roam the boat until the captain announces that dinner is ready. After dinner, you are free to dance or sit back and enjoy the music. Live entertainment is included on our Dinner Cruises. It may be The Rivermen playing modern jazz , or you might get to enjoy the music of Tim Hart , or Adam Ledbetter and David Damm . Listen or dance to their favorite tunes and they have been known to take a request or two. And you never know when a crew member or two may step up on the stage and join in.
Its a fun night of music for the young and the young at heart! You never know when members of the crew might take up a mic and sing you a song. Our dancefloor is available after dinner if you are so inclined, or you can choose to dance under the stars on the outer decks .
A cruise aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat is great for family events. Whether you are a visitor or resident of Hannibal, our unique riverboat experience makes a wonderful memory for you to take home with you! Were looking forward to having you on board!
Inclusions & Highlights:
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Enjoying An Additional Night
Rather than rushing off to the airport, wed booked a night at the 1910 Saint Paul Hotel.
After a long walk around the city we settled in that afternoon at the castle-like Landmark Center. We watched the St. Paul Civic Symphony Orchestra rehearse a performance of Beethovens Ninth Symphony.
That evening, as we sat down for a light dinner at the hotels lobby bar, we heard a familiar voice. It belonged to our riverloarian/entertainer from the Queen, JoAnn Funk. JoAnn made it home to St. Paul just in time for her regular Saturday night gig at the hotel. It was a fitting finale to a wonderful week cruising the Mississippi River.
American Queen On The Mississippi
The lower stretch of the Mississippi, from carefree New Orleans to vibrant Memphis, is the river of legends. Ol’ Man River has been celebrated in print, song and film for generations. Control of the Mississippi was the key strategic goal of the Civil War and even today is the lifeblood of commerce in the Old South. This is the river of centuries-old shaded oak trees, elegant antebellum plantations, cobblestone streets and Victorian mansions. Hear the river’s music in blues, jazz, zydeco and rock ‘n’ roll and savour its diversity with a host of distinctive Creole and Cajun culinary delights.
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Dinner & Dancing River Cruises
River cruises take on an even more romantic feel as the sun goes down, with evening dinner and dancing tours that make for a great date night with someone special or a perfect, floating backdrop for a celebration with family and friends.
In New Orleans, the deluxe 800-passenger paddle wheeler Creole Queen offers a daily Mississippi River Dinner Jazz Cruise with live music and a lavish Creole feast. After dinner, you can enjoy a signature Louisiana cocktail and take a stroll on the deck or a spin on the dance floor.
The renovated 2,500-passenger Riverboat Louis Armstrong operates as a floating jazz club and restaurant, with three interior levels and an open air deck that offers the best views from the river. Fun fact: The boats name was inspired by the jazz greats own life story. Too young to play trumpet in the city’s bars, Armstrong instead played on the docks near where steamboats stopped along the Mississippi River, eventually making his way on board.