America's own river cruise: antebellum mansions, Civil War battlefields and Creole kitchens, at a paddle-wheel pace. Two lines own the river, and the weeklong lower-Mississippi loop is the easiest of them.
The route at a glance
The classic week is roundtrip from New Orleans, seven nights. American Cruise Lines' Highlights of the Mississippi sailing runs upriver through Oak Alley Plantation, Baton Rouge, Natchez, Vicksburg and St. Francisville before returning to New Orleans - plantation rows, battlefield parks, blues and jazz, and long flat walking towns where the ship docks in the middle of it all. Viking's weeklong options include Heartland of America between St. Louis and St. Paul on the upper river, and lower-river segments between Memphis and New Orleans. Seasons run almost year-round, with spring and fall the most comfortable.
Who this route suits
Best for American history and music travelers, first-time river cruisers who want to stay domestic, and mature travelers who prefer a slow pace with no sea days and no jet lag. Both Viking and American Cruise Lines draw an adults, largely 60-plus crowd and include drinks at meals. Less ideal for anyone wanting glamour or big production entertainment - evenings are lectures, a house band and conversation - and travelers from outside the US should weigh whether a week of domestic Americana justifies the transatlantic flight.
What it costs
Weeklong Mississippi fares start around $3,300 per person on Viking and about $3,800 on American Cruise Lines, whose price includes a pre-cruise hotel night that Viking does not. In practice, peak spring and fall dates commonly price at $5,000 to $6,000 per person for the week. American includes cocktails and wine throughout; Viking includes beer and wine at meals. Both lines discount around wave season and Black Friday, so timing the booking matters as much as picking the date.
The five-minute version
- Seven nights, roundtrip New Orleans or upper-river St. Louis to St. Paul.
- Plantations, battlefields, blues and jazz; flat walking, dock-side towns.
- Adults-leaning ships, slow pace, no sea days, no jet lag for US travelers.
- From about $3,300 (Viking) or $3,800 with hotel (American); $5,000-6,000 is typical.
- Comparing US rivers? See the Columbia and Snake rivers in seven days, or the Nile in seven days for the classic overseas river.