Low Water Levels Cut Short Viking River Cruise
(CNN) – A Viking river cruise ship heading north up the Mississippi River can’t finish its voyage because of low water levels, according to a statement from the company on Thursday.“Unusually low water levels along the Mississippi River have caused sections of the river to be closed, impacting all northbound and southbound shipping traffic,” the statement said.“The closures have caused delays that will prevent the Viking Mississippi from completing the sailing underway and from reaching St.
Paul [Minnesota] for her next scheduled departure on October 15, the statement said.The cruise line said guests have been notified of the issue, though they did not provide details on how many passengers have been affected.The Viking Mississippi can hold up to 386 guests and was built in 2022, according to the company’s website.
Viking was advertising a 15-day trip in October from St. Paul to New Orleans starting at $12,999. Mississippi River caught in growing droughtThe ship isn’t the only one facing problems on the country’s premier river.Amid drought conditions, low water levels along the Mississippi have forced several barges to run aground over the past week, the U.S.
Coast Guard said Tuesday.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintains a drought information website. Its most current report said almost 53 percent of the lower 48 U.S.
