Viking River Mississippi River Bound?

I so hope this is true!

http://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Viking-River-Cruises-may-be-Mississippi-bound/

Viking sales model is to double their fares and offer half price cruises.

Prices are already established on the Mississippi River by boats already cruising on inland rivers.

Will be interesting if Viking offers prices half of the existing cruise boats on the Mississippi or not.

To operate on the American waters I would be willing to bet that Viking will have to pay their employees the US going union scale wages. That will be a new adventure for Viking. It will be interesting to see how employees on Viking boats in other countries react to Viking's US union pay scale vs what they are being paid in their foriegn country.

Will be really interested in seeing how Viking prices their US river cruises and how Viking's foreign based employees react thereto.

Also another thing to consider is that on the Mississippi River south of Baton Rouge, Louisiana ocean going freighters and tankers ply those waters. Those large vessels make for some large waves which the Viking boats do not experience in other country inland waters.

Another thing is how the Viking boats will handle the Mississippi River during the Spring high water season. During a real high flood year the water passing New Orleans can be near or exceed one billion cubic feet of water per second if I remember the US Corp of Engineers data correctly. Now that is a current the Viking boats certainly are not use to. Really will make turning around very interesting as well as going up river against that powerful current. Once again will be interesting to follow.

Bottom line they will have to meet the US Coast Guard regulations and US Maritime Law on all levels before they will be given permission to sail.

Once again will be interesting to follow.

Well said, Steamboatin!

Viking has to follow the Passenger Vessel Service Act plus the Merchant Marine Act (aka Jones Act) meaning

- the vessel has to be US flagged

- the vessel has to be built by a US ship yard

- the vessel has to be US owned

- the vessel has to have US crew (or permanent residents) meaning they have to pay union scale wages

There are currently two boats on the Mississippi river system:

- the steamer American Queen (American Queen Steamboat Company)

- the MV Queen of the Mississippi (American Cruise Lines)

American Cruise Lines is building a second boat for the Mississippi river system. So maybe by next year there will be 3 vessels. In the heydays of river cruising we had four boats (Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen, American Queen and River Explorer by RiverBarge).

I don´t think Viking will be able to offer the cruises for the same price as they do with the European river cruises.

I don´t have a clue which ship yard will be able to built a river cruise ship (American Cruise Lines owns its own ship yard).

So it will be really interesting to see how Viking is working this out!

steamboats

All excellent points and wondered about the logistics myself but will leave it to the experts to figure out. It would be an interesting differentiation of product being offered now and also provide an introduction to Viking for a large market of North American customers who might not opt to fly to Europe or Asia to try a river cruise. If they could conjure up a great product that people hear positive reports about at a reasonable price, even if they just broke even, could provide larger benefits though additional Viking cruises booked by repeating passengers down line.

Just as a matter of interest Viking won't be the first on American rivers. Tauck lease the American Queen for cruises under their name.

Just as a matter of interest Viking won't be the first on American rivers. Tauck lease the American Queen for cruises under their name.

If using a ship like those used in Europe it would provide a different experience. Here is an update:

http://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/With-Longship-plan-for-the-US-Viking-goes-against-current/

Interesting article! But Viking should remember that along the Mississippi river there are only a few thrilling cities (like New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, the Twin Cities). In between there are very nice little towns and villages (like St. Francisville, Hannibal, LaCrosse, Winona or Red Wing) or even just a plantation home (like Oak Alley or Houmas House). You might not need a paddlewheel but you might need the Mark Twain nostalgia. Actually the Queen of the Mississippi is not driven by her paddlewheel but has screws. Also the American Queen has additional Z-drives to support the paddlewheel. So with some destinations even Americans might never have heard of the "paddlewheel" adds an attraction to the trip. I bet most won´t take a trip from St. Louis to St. Paul just to see Red Wing or Alton.

Viking is also used to have floating docks or docking facilities. Not every landing along the Mississippi river (and I keep it simple and leave out the Ohio river and tributaries) has this. Many landings have a sloping landing where you need a flat bottom boat to run the bow aground and cover the distance between to boat and dry land with a stage (river term, you can call it gangway). As an example St. Louis has such a sloping landing which is made out of bricks (same stuff in Cincinnati). So has Vicksburg or Natchez.

So I highly suggest Viking to do their homework. They can build a Mississippi river boat longer and wider than the European longships (locks are wider and longer in the US). They can also build them higher. But you need a stage to get your pax onshore with dry feet.

steamboats

Interesting article! But Viking should remember that along the Mississippi river there are only a few thrilling cities (like New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, the Twin Cities). In between there are very nice little towns and villages (like St. Francisville, Hannibal, LaCrosse, Winona or Red Wing) or even just a plantation home (like Oak Alley or Houmas House). You might not need a paddlewheel but you might need the Mark Twain nostalgia. Actually the Queen of the Mississippi is not driven by her paddlewheel but has screws. Also the American Queen has additional Z-drives to support the paddlewheel. So with some destinations even Americans might never have heard of the "paddlewheel" adds an attraction to the trip. I bet most won´t take a trip from St. Louis to St. Paul just to see Red Wing or Alton.

 

Viking is also used to have floating docks or docking facilities. Not every landing along the Mississippi river (and I keep it simple and leave out the Ohio river and tributaries) has this. Many landings have a sloping landing where you need a flat bottom boat to run the bow aground and cover the distance between to boat and dry land with a stage (river term, you can call it gangway). As an example St. Louis has such a sloping landing which is made out of bricks (same stuff in Cincinnati). So has Vicksburg or Natchez.

 

So I highly suggest Viking to do their homework. They can build a Mississippi river boat longer and wider than the European longships (locks are wider and longer in the US). They can also build them higher. But you need a stage to get your pax onshore with dry feet.

 

steamboats

You bring up some great points. It will be interesting to see what comes of this. Regarding all of the little towns, my parents were form LaCrosse so I know it well. As a child we'd go up by train every summer. It is a beautiful part of the country and would always enjoy going up to Grandad Bluff, the views were awesome. My cousins and I would get dropped off at the Mississippi, float down the river on little blow up rafts, and get picked up downstream. Probably wouldn't even consider doing that today!

LaCrosse did a great job on their Riverfront Park and they do have a nice landing area there. It´s also each time sort of an event when the boats are coming. The passengers are greeted by music and locals dressed in historic costumes. The newspaper boy usually get the main attention :D!

steamboats