Views, pro and con, on the new Viking Mississippi River Cruises.

[Ryan208]

CocoChip, thanks for your thoughtful review. We just got off the Memphis to New Orleans cruise yesterday and agree with all you said. 

[ChrisB123]

Viking appears to realize and accept responsibility for a less than ideal cruise that so many wrote about. What was an 8 day cruise St. Louis to St. Paul will now be 12 days. We received an email stating that they knew there were problems and are working hard to correct them. It will now start with 2 nights stay at a St. Louis hotel and end the same in St. Paul. ( We will be getting this addition free as we paid well in advance .)  I appreciate their willingness to make the trip better. This is for me, a genealogy type trip. I had a large number of family that lived in St. Louis 100 years ago and would like to do a bit of a look see. I also love that there will be Norwegian history as I had family in the St. Paul area, also 100 years ago. The best of both worlds. 😁 Unfortunately, I don't see much written about this itinerary.

[boblerm]

I recently returned from the Memphis to New Orleans cruise, and have posted my review here

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=701254&et_cid=3672465&et_rid=271182289&et_referrer=&address=dXJ%2fsgj7xctYs4GPjyhRs1vU9Mqv%2bkxh 

 

In short, I largely agree with much that has been posted here; the service was a major problem, but

I rated the cruise 4 stars-  I gave it 1 star on service, and 5 stars on the other aspects of the cruise that are important to me, quality of cuisine, entertainment/ enrichment, and itinerary.  By the process of higher mathematics, this averages out to 4 stars. 😊

We did not have the cabin servicing issues that @planada did, our cabin attendant delivered wonderful service, and took care of all of our needs.

 

I have a little bit of a different perspective in regard to the itinerary change.  Here is the old and new itineraries:

 

 

We were given a precruise overnight in Memphis at the Sheraton, which wasn't the greatest choice, sure we would rather have been at the Peabody, but it was fine. On embarkation day, we had a choice of a visit to Graceland or the National Civil Rights Museum in the morning, prior to our trek to Rosedale.  IMO, both of these are must dos when visiting Memphis, but it is far easier to do the Civil Rights museum on your own and take the included Graceland tour as the Civil Rights Museum is in town, and Graceland is not.  The afternoon did entail a long ride, with a stop in between to check in and get our room keys.  It was convenient to be able to have our keys in advance so that we did not have to line up and do this upon boarding, but this could have been done at the hotel.  And we did arrive at the ship on the late side, no time to relax, have a drink, and get ready for dinner, the evening was rather rushed.

 

The other side of the coin is that substituting Greenville, MS for a day of cruising is a definite plus.  As others have pointed out, there is nothing to see while cruising the Mississippi, and our visit to Greenville was great.  We were treated to an amazing performance of country music and blues over a really nice barbecue lunch.  Afterwards, we could do a tour of the BB King museum, a city tour, or just go back to the ship to relax. So on balance, for me, this is a change for the better.

 

Happy to answer any questions.

 

Bob

[Treasure Hunter]

I am currently on the Viking Mississippi. It is a beautiful ship and the quality of the food served is very good. We are I. A deluxe veranda. We are finding it small and keep bumping into things.The walls are thin and you can hear your neighbors tv. The storage is not adequate for a 14 night cruise. I did a laundry in the new free machines and that was very nice. The ship is crowded and it is a blood sport getting into the dining room for dinner. People start lining up for dinner (6:30) by 5:50. Only the buffet is open for breakfast and it is a nightmare getting up and down for one thing after another. The weather is too hot to eat at the additional tables outside. So far the evening entertainment has been music ( some better than others). No professional lectures. We have had nice conversations with people from all over. So far many of the ports have seen better days. The cabins are kept clean and if you need something you have to be pro active. This is our first ( and last) Viking cruise. It is not luxury and a disappointment.

[boblerm]

On 6/27/2023 at 4:53 PM, Treasure Hunter said:

This is our first ( and last) Viking cruise. It is not luxury and a disappointment.

Our Viking Mississippi cruise was our first Viking experience as well, and we were also frustrated with many of the service issues.  But I have to say, that every single person that we encountered on the cruise were Viking veterans, and assured me that these issues were very atypical of their previous Viking experiences.

[Canal archive]

Such a pity as you would have thought that Viking would have really pulled out all the big guns especially for the American market. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

21 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

Such a pity as you would have thought that Viking would have really pulled out all the big guns especially for the American market. 

Viking is running into the PVSA with this endeavor.  The ships had to be built in the US, and they have to be staffed with US citizens or Green Card holders.  The staffing rule has undoubtedly raised costs, which may have affected the ship designs (to maximize revenue) and will also probably affect service.  I doubted that they would ever actually get this off the ground; I continue to doubt that they can do it well.  Their Great Lakes venture allows Viking to do it their way, and I expect they will be a great success there.

[Canal archive]

In this instance I applaud the United States and their regulations and Viking must have known  these were in place. Yes a challenging situation it will be interesting to see if they can work well with the system hopefully they will be able to because then other companies will be encouraged to get involved, competition competition competition.

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, Canal archive said:

In this instance I applaud the United States and their regulations and Viking must have known  these were in place. Yes a challenging situation it will be interesting to see if they can work well with the system hopefully they will be able to because then other companies will be encouraged to get involved, competition competition competition.

The staffing issue will not go away.  NCL originally had three ships licensed for Hawaii, but they pulled two out and cut their PVSA fleet to just Pride of America.  And even so it gets dinged for poor service (below even NCL's normal standards...)

[Canal archive]

Must admit after covid we have increasing staff issues, I won’t go further into that as it can get really political. Let’s just say that some industries attract wonderfully amazing staff and some don’t but when you look a bit more closely in many cases the management is ********************.

[steamboats]

8 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Viking must have known  these were in place. 

 

Of course they knew but they wanted some kind of exemption regarding the place of construction of the vessels but finally gave up and let them built in Louisiana. I think they did underestimate the problem - not just building the vessel in the US but also operate it.

 

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

The staffing issue will not go away.  NCL originally had three ships licensed for Hawaii, but they pulled two out and cut their PVSA fleet to just Pride of America.  And even so it gets dinged for poor service (below even NCL's normal standards...)

 

NCL had massive problems restaffing the Pride of America post covid. The restart had been rescheduled several times plus they only ran with a 50% capacity due to the lack of staff.

 

steamboats

[Canal archive]

It’s such a pity, many moons ago whilst on a memorable trip to New Orleans we went on a paddle wheeler day trip ‘wonderful’ (there’s a story to that as well) and promised ourselves at the time that we would return for a full cruise. Well family, world affairs and Covid got in the way of that so hopefully it will be sorted before I age out.

[Canal archive]

Just read the wonderful news that older Brits can now back pack through Aus and they've made it easier for their super youngsters to come here to work, all I can say is yippee.

[Treasure Hunter]

Currently on Viking Mississippi. Just passed and missed St Louis. Was told they couldn’t stop at the port due to currents, locks, loss of time due to traffic then they pull over and 22 people with covid are disembarked with luggage. They do not know what they are doing. Breakfast and lunch are buffet with everyone handling the same serving pieces. there is minimum entertainment ( a duo and the house band) for days on end. Tonight the dinner menu was one fish entree and cauliflower vegan. I had them make up a Caesar salad and shrimp from the appetizer. Most people are Viking loyalists from European cruises. I’m told that I have an attitude. I’m so bored I could throw myself overboard. 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

@Treasure Hunter so sorry that you are having a bad time. From your description I would be sitting in the bar crying in my beer…

[steamboats]

River cruises - also in Europe - are low key on entertainment. As on the Upper Miss the scenery is the main entertainment.

 

But no good food or no choice would be a bummer for me too!

 

steamboats

[Treasure Hunter]

It doesn’t help that the room next door blasts the tv starting at 5:45am. 

[CPT Trips]

4 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

It doesn’t help that the room next door blasts the tv starting at 5:45am. 

 Time for a conversation with the hotel manager. 

[boblerm]

19 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Just passed and missed St Louis. Was told they couldn’t stop at the port due to currents, locks, loss of time due to traffic then they pull over and 22 people with covid are disembarked with luggage. They do not know what they are doing.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but I am not sure how any of this is Viking's fault.

 

19 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

here is minimum entertainment ( a duo and the house band) for days on end.

This is a huge difference from the cruise that I took on the lower Mississippi.  On 6 out of 7 nights, we had fabulous local entertainment.

 

19 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:

Tonight the dinner menu was one fish entree and cauliflower vegan.

Again, a huge difference from my cruise.  Every evening, there were at least 5 entree choices for dinner.

[Treasure Hunter]

We don’t believe anything they tell us. 

[fsr44]

On 7/3/2023 at 4:24 PM, boblerm said:

Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but I am not sure how any of this is Viking's fault.

 

This is a huge difference from the cruise that I took on the lower Mississippi.  On 6 out of 7 nights, we had fabulous local entertainment.

 

Again, a huge difference from my cruise.  Every evening, there were at least 5 entree choices for dinner.

I agree.  think it’s fair to say that not all of us share the negative views posted.by Treasure Hunter  I am on this cruise now, and I don’t share these complaints.  We booked this trip years ago, before the ship was even completed.  When the negative reviews started to show up last year, I thought we had made a horrible mistake.  I started this trip very skeptical, and I have been completely won over.  Is it perfect? No, but I’ve yet to be on a sailing that is (30 years of cruising, mostly on Celebrity but also Viking River, Disney and, way back when, Delta Queen).  What I have found is food that exceeded my expectations, both in quality and variety.  The post that listed only two entree choices in the cafe was affirmatively misleading, and was greeted with much laughter at my table of four, who had enjoyed many of the other offerings that night. The staff is well trained, hard working and friendly.  The ship is beautifully designed, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the port visits.

 

I think the disparity in our views comes down to two issues: research and expectation.  Do your research before booking a River cruise and you will learn that water levels, River traffic, and timing are all fluid and beyond the ship’s control. Ports are subject to change here, just as ocean going vessels may skip a tender port if the water is too rough.  River boats are much smaller than ships, so there will be far fewer dining and entertainment options.  That said, the entertainment we have had was excellent, and generally poorly attended.  The view on the river, particularly the upper Mississippi, IS the entertainment,  if you enjoy a slow pace and a good book, this is for you.  If you need more stimulation than that, you’d probably be happier on an ocean cruise.  Personally, I want counting in Viking to entertain me.  Also, research explains why the price is so high (no argument there, this isn’t a bargain). The Jones Act and protectionist US laws require boats that cruise only within the US to hire US crews at US wages.  The difference between that and what the ocean lines pay for foreign workers is startling.  
 

As to expectation, this cruise has a much older demographic.  On a guess, I’d say the median age is about 75-77. And sadly, many of my fellow passengers are complaining about everything, all the time.  Water levels, the conduct of their neighboring passengers, the weather, the state of repair of small Mississippi towns is all laid at Viking’s door.  Given the cost of the trip, it’s hard not to think some of these folks are angling for a discount.  I wish them luck with that. 
 

For a number of us (I’m traveling with my spouse and another couple) this is the trip of a lifetime, and we’re having a wonderful time.  The upper Mississippi is more beautiful than I ever imagined and we have had breathtaking sunsets pretty much every night.  This cruise is not for everyone.  Do your research, adjust your expectations accordingly, and if this sounds like something you would enjoy, go for it.

[odblnt]

While you're in the upper Mississippi, could you post the daily itineraries? We are taking the St Louis to St Paul leg in late August and DW is wondering how much time we are going to be spending in each town. We do have our excursions picked out (including the ones we're paying for), but she is curious.

[Host Jazzbeau]

7 hours ago, fsr44 said:

What I have found is food that exceeded my expectations, both in quality and variety.  The post that listed only two entree choices in the cafe was affirmatively misleading, and was greeted with much laughter at my table of four, who had enjoyed many of the other offerings that night.

I was wondering if @Treasure Hunter is a vegetarian and was just ignoring the meat options.  That would certainly skew the experience from what I would have 'seen':  several meats and one fish [since I ignore the vegetarian ones...]

[Treasure Hunter]

No, what I wrote was accurate. However there was the always available salmon, steak ( tough and over salted , and chicken breast. ) we did have on this cruise one day a delicious prime roast beef at lunch. On the Fourth of July a sliced tenderloin. And many nights there is a raw bar with very big shrimp. 

[Treasure Hunter]

The meal I described was not in the cafe ( buffet on five) where 70% of the passengers chose to eat because they could return many times to pile their plates high but in the restaurant it took two hours to eat three courses. Believe me , I did my research. I am an adult reference librarian. And yes the upper Mississippi landscape is beautiful but Viking doesn’t offer just that cruise. Perhaps Viking could have done some research and not built a too large, too slow ( out of greed). Maybe skip a smaller port by planning ahead and not skip St. Louis. We scraped the bottom of the boat coming into Red Wing. And yes we met some great people that we plan to keep in Touch with. The field of dreams tour ( sold out before you board with many disappointed passengers) was memorable . I am trying to be fair . We have cruises over fifty times and traveled all over the world . Two American cruise line American River cruises were done better. You can’t make any comments to Viking loyalists. But if I’m the banker for a line for two years , I expect more.