Viking Mississippi river cruise ship review: Viking’s first Big Muddy vessel

You might not expect to find odes to Norse gods or traditional Norwegian costumes as decor on a ship that sails the Mississippi — a waterway known staunchly for breeding Americana through the likes of Mark Twain and John Deere. But Viking Mississippi, Viking Cruises' first river ship to sail in the U.S., melds the two cultures perfectly.

The line's Norwegian roots are even more fitting when you consider that Minnesota — one of the states I visited on a recent sailing aboard the ship — is a hub for Scandinavian culture. (Where do you think the Minnesota Vikings got their name, after all?)

Itineraries on the five-deck, 386-passenger Viking vessel feature the charm of sleepy but welcoming U.S. towns blended with the ambience you'd expect to find on a Europe river cruise — great food, excellent service and elegant design and decor.

The list of what's special about these voyages is lengthy. Here's some of what I liked and didn't, along with everything else you need to know about what to expect from a sailing on this lovely river ship.

Overview of Viking Mississippi river cruises

Viking Mississippi began offering U.S.-based river cruises in 2022. On board, you can expect comfortable cabins and a level of service that, frankly, blew me away. Food options are somewhat limited, as there are only two places to dine, but the dishes themselves ranged from generally impressive to standout.

As is the case with most river cruises, sailings with Viking aren't cheap, with fares starting from several thousand dollars per person. However, the line includes a lot in its fares, from Wi-Fi to beer and wine with lunch and dinner, as well as one free excursion in each port.

Beyond the nearly seamless crossover from onboard experience to shore excursions, Viking has also found a way to integrate optional precruise and postcruise stays into the passenger journey. If you're like most of Viking Mississippi's passengers, when you book a voyage, you're not just getting a sailing. You're also in for two relaxing days precruise and postcruise in your embarkation and disembarkation port cities.

By tacking on extra time (for an additional cost), cruisers can explore their starting and ending cities in more depth. Although travelers can opt to skip the before and after add-ons, hardly anyone does.

For example, my 12-day America's Heartland itinerary began with a two-night precruise stay in St. Louis before a transfer to Alton, Illinois, where I boarded the vessel for the trip north. After Alton, the itinerary had me visiting Hannibal, Missouri; Burlington, Iowa; Quad Cities, Iowa; Dubuque, Iowa; La Crosse, Wisconsin; and Red Wing, Minnesota, before transferring to St. Paul, Minnesota, for a two-night postcruise stay.

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What I found was a delightful journey that was both relaxing and slow-paced yet, somehow, more rigorous than many ocean cruises on which I've sailed. After all, there are no "sea" days on the river, so downtime can be scarce.

It's worth noting that U.S. river cruise passengers skew a bit older than they do on ocean sailings and river voyages in other countries. That's even more true on Viking Mississippi because Viking ships don't allow anyone younger than 18 years of age to sail. The majority of passengers on my cruise were in their 70s, and they were a mix of both avid world travelers and people who prefer to vacation domestically.

What I loved about Viking Mississippi

Smart, elegant design

If you're hoping for a classic paddlewheel boat, be warned: That's not what you'll get with Viking Mississippi. But what the ship lacks in turn-of-the-20th-century aesthetics it more than makes up for with its timeless, classy decor and thoughtful, comfortable design.

Rather than the over-the-top decadence that was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Viking Mississippi employs understated, neutral designs and hues that are a hallmark of the Viking brand. The ship's decor features light woods; white or tan upholstery, bedding and light fixtures; and blue or orange carpet or pillow accents to add some color.

Take, for example, The Living Room — a gathering space with plenty of comfy sofas and chairs with soft pillows. It serves as a serene yet centrally located space for passengers to listen to music, play board games or read. (If you haven't brought books of your own, there's a well-stocked library that's larger than most of the ones you'll find on oceangoing vessels.)

The Living Room also hosts daily briefings given by the cruise director with regard to the next day's schedule.

Meanwhile, the two-deck Explorers' Lounge offers a presentation space with seating and a podium (used for trivia and destination-focused lectures) on its upper level and lounge space with seating and Paps Bar on the lower level, complete with outdoor access to The Bow, a place for alfresco dining and great views. In those spaces, passengers are likely to appreciate large glass windows and a constellation design reminiscent of Norse ties to astronomy.

Other nods to Scandinavian culture include divider slats in The Restaurant, the ship's main dining room, made to resemble the oars from Viking ships of yore. In The Living Room, decorative wooden ceiling elements are meant to be guitar frets that, when played, turn into Norse music, and the nearby library is stocked with titles relevant to Norwegian culture. Scandinavian art adorns hallways and lounges, and in a corner of Deck 1, midship, stands a pair of Norwegian folk costumes.

However, the heavy focus on Norse design doesn't blur the fact that the ship sails on the Mississippi. Just look to the vessel's stairwells for proof. What you'll find are giant maps of the river, along with excerpts from the pages of Mark Twain's famed novels about legendary characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

In addition to the decorative elements that add to cruiser comfort on Viking Mississippi, structural and mechanical considerations include a redesigned bow shape and energy-efficient propulsion system, both of which cut down on vibrations during river sailings.

Excellent service

Two years prior to my Mississippi River voyage with Viking, I sailed the Ohio River with a different river cruise line. Given the lackluster service during my Ohio cruise, I set the bar fairly low before boarding Viking Mississippi. As it turns out, I didn't need to; I was pleasantly surprised to find that service throughout was friendly and attentive, with the crew going above and beyond to drastically exceed my expectations.

After boarding, we were not allowed to access our cabins for a few hours while the stewards finished tidying up from the previous guests. The crew offered to hold guest luggage and deliver bags to passengers' rooms later in the day. I wanted to head ashore, but I knew I'd need my backpack again as soon as I returned to the ship. When I mentioned it to a member of the guest services staff, she offered to keep it behind the front desk for me.

Bartenders and waitstaff called me by name and were eager to swap stories with me about our pets and which shows are worth watching on Netflix. My room steward was quick to replenish my cabin's complimentary snacks and drinks, whether I requested them or not. And, one evening during dinner at the River Cafe (the ship's buffet venue), a waiter overheard my excitement over the dessert counter's homemade coconut ice cream and brought me a dish without my even asking for it — complete with a scoop of chocolate. (He assured me it would taste like a Mounds bar, and, to my immense delight, it did.)

But the excellent care Viking's staff gives to passengers isn't just limited to the onboard experience. Crew members wait at the gangway to dole out cold water before and after excursions, help passengers figure out how to find points of interest when they venture out on their own in town, offer cold towels when travelers return to the ship and ensure a seamless handoff of both cruisers and luggage during precruise and postcruise land-based extensions.

Local guides meet passengers at the airport and point the way to Viking's hotel transfers. At the hotel, a group of guides is available at a Viking information table in the lobby to answer traveler questions, pass out information packets and organize excursion sign-ups. For postcruise add-ons, the crew gathers up everyone's large bags the night before disembarkation, loads them onto trucks and makes sure they're delivered to the designated hotels and distributed to the appropriate guest rooms.

Free tours

As part of its complimentary offerings, Viking Mississippi has one free shore excursion in each port of call, as well as several additional tour selections that are available for an added fee. I assumed there would be a marked difference between the quality of the free tours versus the for-fee ones, but that didn't seem to be true, based on my experience.

Rather than indicating the level of an excursion's quality, the extra cost seemed to come in for activities — like a visit to the Field of Dreams from Dubuque or a tour of the John Deere Pavilion and family mansions out of Quad Cities — that were located farther from the port area (which meant a longer bus ride and more fuel) and which had admission fees. The tours that came with a cost also accommodated slightly fewer people to create a more intimate experience. Free excursions tended to be city overviews and historical tours, either on motor coaches or on foot, led by local guides.

Overall, I was pleased with the excursions I selected. Free ones included an overview tour of historic Burlington and a walking tour of La Crosse. Ever a fan of old buildings, I particularly enjoyed the Burlington tour, during which we visited the Des Moines County Heritage Center Museum, a former library with gorgeous mosaic floors, a grand staircase and a sizable collection of fossilized crinoids — animals that resemble plants and date back 490 million years. We also toured the Garrett-Phelps House Museum, a historic home in Burlington located next to Snake Alley, dubbed "The crookedest street in the world" by Robert L. Ripley of Ripley's Believe It or Not!

I also tested out three pay-to-play tours that piqued my interest. A visit to the John Deere Pavilion and former family homestead meant more old-house fun and a slew of giant shiny machines — the largest of which will set a farmer back $1.4 million. I also checked out the Freedom Center African American Life History Project, which tells the story of formerly enslaved people and notable members of the Black community in Hannibal, and the former homes of the people after whom Mark Twain molded the characters of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher.

Perhaps the excursion I most enjoyed was a visit to the actual Field of Dreams, where the Kevin Costner film of the same name was filmed. It included a tour of the adjacent home, a chance to take photos on the field and stories from a former professional baseball player who was cast as one of the ghost players in the movie.

Passengers must sign up for tours, including the free ones, in advance. Tickets are delivered to cruisers' cabins each night for the next day's excursions. Your ticket will note whether you should bring along the QuietVox speakers and headphones provided in each room.

What I didn't love about Viking Mississippi

Waits and lag times

Although most of the cruise experience was terrific and transitions from shore to ship and back were largely seamless, I experienced some long wait times worth noting.

During check-in, which takes place on the ship, the line snaked from the desk on board the vessel around the guest services desk, out the door, along the deck and onto the shore. It was similar when I checked in at both the precruise and postcruise hotels. I waited about 20 to 30 minutes each time.

It's a minor niggle, but given how upscale the rest of the experience felt, long lines seemed incongruous. I also wonder what would have happened if passengers had to stand outside in inclement weather. It seems like the check-in issues could be easily resolved by better staggering passenger arrival times or by using smaller vehicles for transportation instead of charter buses.

Additionally, I had to wait a long time between when I checked in and when cabins were available. I boarded the ship a little after 11 a.m.; at check-in, I was told my room wouldn't be ready until around 4 p.m. That's a long time for passengers who want to nap, freshen up or unpack their luggage before dinner.

At my postcruise hotel, I was lucky enough to snag a room that was ready immediately, but a friend who was also on the trip wasn't so lucky. She had to wait a couple of hours for access to hers and ended up storing some of her belongings in my room. (Even though the ship's crew transported our large bags to the hotel for us, many passengers still brought carry-ons with them.) Seven hours after I arrived at the hotel, my larger suitcase still hadn't arrived at my room. I called the front desk and was told I'd have to go downstairs to ask someone at the Viking desk. They took me to a back room where some of the luggage was still waiting, and I grabbed it and took it up to my room myself.

Finally, I often experienced an inexplicable lag in timing between meal courses in The Restaurant. The waitstaff was aware of it and apologized several times. However, the food delivery issues hadn't improved by the end of my sailing.

Congestion

Likely related to the issues of long wait times and lines was congestion. Passengers confused the guest services desk with the check-in table, which led to queues in odd places. Nightly happy hour hors d'oeuvres were set up in the lobby instead of in the nearby Explorers' Lounge, which would have been a better spot. The result was a crowded gangway area.

The Living Room lounge area, where the cruise director gave nightly briefings, didn't have enough space for everyone. Some of the briefings became standing-room-only events. The addition of even a dozen more chairs would go a long way to make the talks more comfortable for the many passengers with mobility concerns who could not stand for the entire briefing.

Viking Mississippi cabins and suites

Viking's ships — both river and ocean — feature a balcony in every cabin, which sets the line apart from its competition in terms of accommodations. On Viking Mississippi, some rooms have French balconies with windows that open but without any outdoor space for sitting. They still offer passengers access to fresh air.

A step up from the French balcony-style cabins (301 square feet) are standard balcony cabins, called Penthouse Verandas (336 square feet) and Deluxe Verandas (268 square feet). These types of rooms have full balconies. There are also three types of true two-room suites — Penthouse Junior Suites (400 square feet), Terrace Suites (425 square feet) and Explorer Suites (657 to 1,024 square feet) — which are rare in the river cruise sector.

Regardless of the type of balcony passengers have, they'll want to exercise caution in the summer months on the Mississippi when mayflies and other creepy crawlies — which love the ship's bright white exterior — are rampant. If you want to sit outside at night, turn off your interior cabin lights or close the curtain when you're out there so as not to draw them to the light.

Starting with the Penthouse Veranda category, passengers receive additional perks like complimentary shoeshines, laundry service and minibar alcohol. Explorer Suites, which have the most amenities, are the only cabin category to include a beverage package in its fares. These are also the only cabins that have access to room service dining, which is free.

All accommodations come with a king-size bed that can be converted to two twins, as well as luxury linens. I slept better on Viking Mississippi than I had in a long time.

Additionally, rooms are outfitted with safes, hair dryers, telephones, QuietVox speakers with earpieces for passengers to take on excursions, lint brushes, life jackets, coffee makers, robes and slippers, minifridges with free soda and snacks refilled as needed, filtered water replenished daily, umbrellas, binoculars and individual climate controls.

Each cabin's 42-inch TV is equipped with complimentary on-demand movies, ship information, music channels and more.

All accommodations receive twice-daily room cleaning. All rooms are outfitted with doorbells, which is a nice touch so room stewards can ring before they come in to tidy up.

I was booked in a Deluxe Veranda, which offered the above amenities, as well as a desk/vanity with a chair and a large mirror, two small bedside tables with the most shallow drawers I've ever seen, two reading lamps on either side of the bed, a dresser built into the wall with drawers for clothes, a coffee table and two plush sitting chairs instead of a sofa.

Overall, the room had great storage capacity. I didn't even use half of the drawers. I did not care for the closet design, though, which is the kind where you can only access one side at a time via doors that slide from left to right, rather than opening outward. Inside, the closets had room for hanging both short and long items, plus shelving and drawers.

While my cabin possessed ample lighting and plenty of both 110-volt North American and USB/USB-C outlets, it wasn't very soundproof. I also would have liked some additional hooks for hanging items to dry. The only two available were on the back of the bathroom door.

I truly liked the bathroom setup in my cabin. It was spacious, with a sizable vanity and an enclosed shower with great water pressure. Freyja products that smell lovely are in every cabin and include shampoo, conditioner, lotion and shower gel. My bathroom also had a shower cap and a vanity kit. Bring any toiletries you need; many of the small towns the ship visits don't have stores where you can buy even basic necessities without access to a car.

I was initially annoyed to see that the shelving on either side of the bathroom vanity didn't hold much, but that was only until I discovered two large drawers for storing toiletries. I liked that they kept my stuff tidy and out of sight. The bed has plenty of room underneath to store luggage.

In general, river cruises aren't ideal for passengers who use wheelchairs, and Viking states that wheelchairs brought on board cannot exceed 22 inches in width. However, nine of Viking Mississippi's 193 cabins — including eight French Balcony cabins and one Explorer Suite — are accessible. Configurations vary. Elevators, most corridors and public areas are also wheelchair accessible. Call the line for more details: 1-855-884-5464.

Viking Mississippi restaurants and bars

With just five decks, Viking Mississippi is too small to offer an abundance of food options on board. That means the ones that exist need to be pretty great — and on this ship, they are.

Restaurants and food

Cruisers can choose to dine at no charge for breakfast, lunch and dinner at either the casual River Cafe buffet on Deck 5 or at The Restaurant, the main waiter-served dining room on Deck 1. Both are bright, airy and welcoming with plenty of seating. The latter is a bit dressier for dinner and doesn't allow shorts, jeans, sleeveless shirts for men or baseball caps. Passengers do not need reservations to dine at either place.

Hours for mealtimes are limited, with hours for breakfast and lunch varying based on the day's schedule.

Generally, the River Cafe will be open from 6 or 6:30 a.m. for continental breakfast, which runs for 3 1/2 hours. Regular hot breakfast — which usually includes eggs, bacon, hash browns and other dishes — begins a half-hour later.

Lunch typically begins between 11 and 11:30 a.m. in the River Cafe and lasts about three hours. Dinner is always from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. During both meals, you can expect to find a variety of self-serve items, such as salad ingredients, sushi, chicken, fish, vegetables, meat and cheese slices. A dessert counter sweetens your meal with cake, pie, cookies and ice cream. (Whatever you do, don't miss the homemade coconut ice cream. Adding a scoop of chocolate will make it taste like a Mounds bar.)

Feeling like a burger, hot dog or some pulled pork? You won't want to miss The Grill, an open-air counter that's part of the Aquavit Terrace, the River Cafe's outdoor seating area. Place your order, and grab a table to enjoy your meal alfresco.

At the River Cafe, Viking Mississippi used to have an outpost for Mamsen's, a counter found on Viking's ocean ships that serves up dishes with a Norwegian flair, such as pea soup and waffles with brown cheese. Although it's still listed on some of the onboard signage, I was sad to learn it was removed to make more space for additional seating.

The service inside the River Cafe was friendly and attentive. Waitstaff stopped by all tables to take drink orders, and they were quick to clear away dirty dishes. That wasn't the case on the Aquavit Terrace. One morning, as I walked around looking for an outdoor place to sit for breakfast, I noticed several tables with dirty dishes. I ended up sitting at a dirty table but in a clean spot where the place setting hadn't yet been used.

In terms of food quality, The Restaurant was my favorite of the dining venues. It opens at 7 a.m. each morning and serves breakfast for 90 minutes to two hours, depending on the day's schedule. The meals weren't excessively lengthy, but on more than one occasion, I had to wait for an inexplicably long time between courses.

In The Restaurant, the left side of the menu features items that change daily, while the right side offers always-available selections, such as shrimp cocktail, Caesar salad, salmon, New York strip steak, chicken and creme brulee. I liked the Indian chickpea curry that was served one night, as well as the crab beignets they whipped up as an appetizer on another. For breakfast, you can't go wrong with one of the freshly made omelets.

Food can be hard to find during off-hours, but snacks are available between meals. Every afternoon from about 3 to 5 p.m., delicious pizza is available in the River Cafe. From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. daily, the dining staff put out predinner appetizers near the entrance to the Explorers' Lounge. Selections might include fruit, finger sandwiches and bruschetta. Cookies are available between mealtimes in the River Cafe near the coffee machines.

Room service dining is only available for passengers booked in Explorer Suites.

If you opt to book precruise and postcruise land stays for your sailing, know that the only meal included in the price is breakfast, which is often a Sterno-style setup of eggs, sausage and cubed potatoes. You'll be responsible for finding and paying for your own lunch and dinner during those extensions.

Bars

Paps is a bar in the center of the first floor of the Explorers' Lounge. It's a great place for socializing or for postdinner drinks, and the bartenders are fantastic.

The only other bar on board is the River Cafe bar, which is more of a place to grab a drink during a meal than a gathering place. It feels crowded and hectic during peak dining times.

No bar exists in The Living Room, but bar menus are on the tables, and the crew will stop by to take your order.

Both bars offer nearly identical menus. The only difference is that each venue has its own small selection of locally inspired cocktails mixed in with the standard offerings. House wines and beer are free with meals. Other wines and cocktails up to $14 are free with a Silver Spirits beverage package.

Viking Mississippi entertainment

Due to its size, Viking Mississippi's entertainment and activities are limited. The focus is on live entertainment, as well as demonstrations and lectures that focus on enrichment, often tying into the locations the ship is visiting.

Activities

On my sailing, the daily schedule included activities like trivia, a drink demonstration where passengers learned about the history of the mint julep cocktail, whiskey tastings and lectures by a resident destination expert who talked about topics like bald eagles and the Great American Steamboat Race. They were well researched and delivered and often drew small crowds to the Explorers' Lounge.

The vessel has no spa, salon, fitness center or casino, but there is a walking/jogging track around the outer deck. Six laps equal 1 mile. There is also a lovely pool that faces out over the ship's wake, aft on Deck 5. Fair warning: Although the deck plans refer to it as a "plunge pool," it's only about 3 feet deep, so don't plan on jumping in. A built-in bench allows passengers to sit and soak as they take in the views.

A small Viking logowear gift corner near the guest services desk provides opportunities for onboard shopping. It sells mainly Helly Hansen-branded cold-weather gear like sweaters, jackets and backpacks. Purchases are charged to passengers' onboard accounts. Each person must link a credit card to their account to cover their onboard bill.

Shows

Viking Mississippi does not have a theater. Instead, performances — which begin in the evening and run until later in the night, following dinner — take place in the middle of The Living Room. On my voyage, house band The Trio put on nightly shows, and local performers came on board in various ports to sing jazz and ragtime and to play classical harp.

Although the performances were often well attended, they rarely felt crowded. The location of the setup was awkward, though, because it's impossible to walk from one end of the ship to the other on Deck 1 without passing through The Living Room. That means you're walking in front of anyone watching the shows.

Viking Mississippi itineraries and pricing

Viking Mississippi was built specifically for voyages along the Mississippi River, and that's the only place the ship sails. When booking, cruisers can choose from a selection of more than 10 different itineraries that cover both the Upper and Lower Mississippi, as well as combinations of the two.

Sailings start at $3,499 per person for an eight-day Mississippi Delta Explorer itinerary that offers six free tours and sails from New Orleans to Memphis. Fares start from $19,999 per person for a 22-day, 16-tour Grand Mississippi Voyage that combines the Upper and Lower Mississippi and sails from New Orleans to St. Paul.

Regardless of the specific itinerary you select, you'll visit historic U.S. landmarks and tiny towns that house some of the nation's most iconic brands. You'll also sail through several of the river's locks that the ship will have to clear in order to make its way.

Pricing includes free Wi-Fi, beer and wine with meals, at least one excursion in each port and transfers from the airport to the hotel if you're flying in the day your sailing departs. You can add a precruise or postcruise land extension for an extra fee. The price includes transfers, hotel accommodations and free breakfast each morning.

You'll pay extra for gratuities, cocktails (unless you have the Silver Spirits package), flights, additional excursions and lunch and dinner during any land-based stays you add on.

My itinerary included eight days on Viking Mississippi, two days precruise in St. Louis and two days postcruise in St. Paul. The transitions from the land-based tour to the cruise and vice versa need a bit of work, particularly with waits to check in and luggage delivery times.

What to know before you go

Required documents

Because Viking Mississippi travels only along U.S. waterways, a passport isn't required. Passengers are able to sail with a valid government-issued photo ID like a driver's license (no birth certificate is necessary).

In addition to identification, you'll need to check in online prior to your sailing and print out your boarding pass. You can also preregister a credit card for any onboard purchases. If you're unable to do so before you embark, you'll be able to set up your account once you're on the vessel.

Viking will send you any other necessary travel documents via standard mail, along with both printed luggage tags and leather luggage tags that you should attach to your bags so they can easily be brought to you.

Gratuities

Passengers who do not prepay gratuities will see a charge of $20 added to their onboard accounts each day. Shore excursion staff and those who oversee precruise and postcruise land tour extensions are not included in the daily or prepaid gratuity amounts. For those people, Viking recommends $2 per person, per excursion or transfer for bus drivers and $5 per person, per excursion for guides.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is provided to all passengers on board for free. On my Upper Mississippi sailing, it was fast, reliable and free from connectivity problems.

Because your voyage will be entirely in the U.S., you can also use your regular cellular data plan as usual without having to worry about switching your phone to airplane mode when you're on the ship. Note, however, that some places are remote and might not have consistent mobile service.

Carry-on drinks policy

Passengers are allowed to bring both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages on board in whatever quantities they wish. The drinks may be consumed in any area of the ship without a corkage fee.

Smoking policy

Smoking is not allowed on Viking Mississippi, except in a designated outdoor area on Deck 1, aft. Smoking of any kind is also not allowed in cabins or on cabin balconies.

Laundry

Viking Mississippi has three complimentary self-service launderettes, found on decks 2, 3 and 4, midship. Each has two washers, two dryers, free soap packets and an ironing board.

Passengers can also choose to send clothing out for washing and pressing for a per-item fee. Items picked up before 9 a.m. are returned by 7 p.m. the following day. Same-day service (picked up by 9 a.m. and returned by 7 p.m. that evening) is available for a 50% surcharge.

Electrical outlets

If there's one thing Viking Mississippi's cabins have plenty of, it's places to plug in. My standard balcony cabin had 12 110-volt North American outlets — two in the bathroom, two by each side of the bed, two in an alcove in the entryway by the Nespresso machine and four at the desk/vanity. Two of the 12 are taken up by the Nespresso machine and the QuietVox boxes.

There were also four USB and four USB-C ports — one on each side of the bed and two in the base of the lamp on the vanity.

I couldn't find any 220-volt European-style outlets in my cabin; if you're traveling from abroad (other than Canada), bring adapters and converters.

Currency

The currency used on board is the dollar. All onboard purchases, such as alcohol, shore excursions and merchandise from the ship's shop, are completed electronically.

Drinking age

Because it sails within the U.S., Viking Mississippi's drinking age is 21. Passengers who have reached that age receive complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner. Cocktails can be purchased a la carte, or passengers can opt to buy a Silver Spirits package that covers all but the most top-shelf liquors.

Juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water are available for free around the clock. Room stewards refill in-cabin water carafes as needed.

Dress code

The dress code during the day is casual but not sloppy. Passengers should plan to dress comfortably, particularly if they're going on shore excursions that might involve walking. Suggested attire includes shorts or slacks with T-shirts or collared shirts and sturdy, comfortable walking shoes.

At night, passengers can wear whatever they would like to the River Cafe buffet. To eat in The Restaurant, cruisers are asked to refrain from wearing shorts, jeans, clothing with holes, cutoff sleeves and baseball caps. Some women might wish to wear skirts or dresses, but you'll find most passengers wearing slacks with collared or button-down shirts.

Bottom line

The Viking Mississippi experience provides a lovely mix of the Americana that springs from the sleepy towns along the Mississippi and the onboard elegance of a Europe river cruise. The vessel is modern and well appointed, offering luxurious comforts as passengers sail along the country's second-longest river.

If you're looking for a way to check a few of the Midwestern states off your "been there" list, this is a fantastic way to do it without having to take a road trip or plan the logistics yourself. The ship provides a terrific opportunity to explore smaller, less-traveled places, where time often seems to stop.

Swirl that together with excellent service, food that's a cut above what you'd find on most oceangoing ships and comfortable, upscale accommodations, lounges and bars, and you've got the makings of a relaxing, educational journey.

Want to learn more about Viking and Mississippi river cruises? We've got you covered with these stories.

• The ultimate guide to Viking cruise ships and itineraries
• The best destinations you can visit on a Viking cruise ship
• Viking Explorer Society cruise loyalty program: Everything you need to know
• The 3 types of Viking cruise ships, explained
• Viking cruise cabins and suites: A guide to everything you want to know