What to Expect on a Mississippi River Cruise
From LoveToKnow Cruises
Knowing what to expect on a Mississippi River cruise can help interested passengers decide if this unique type of river cruise is right for their next vacation. Unlike traditional cruise vacations, sailings on the Mississippi River are more intimate and laid back than island hopping on modern megaliners.
Cruising the Mississippi River
A cruise along the Mississippi River is a unique, enchanting experience very unlike the more popular oceangoing cruises. Like all river cruises, a Mississippi River voyage offers passengers a more intimate cultural experience and a close up view of local art, history, and culture. At the same time, however, this type of cruise is not always right for every passenger. Understanding what to expect on a Mississippi cruise, as well as what not to expect, can help novice travelers understand what a river cruise vacation may entail.
What to Expect on a Mississippi River Cruise
Like all types of cruises, a Mississippi cruise has great food, stunning entertainment, and intriguing ports of call. The details of these cruises, however, are quite a bit different from Bahamas cruises or other Caribbean cruise destinations.
- Ships: Very few ships offer voyages along the Mississippi River, and those that do are smaller and less luxurious than modern megaliners. Steamboats are a nostalgic way to see the Mississippi River, and day and dinner cruises on ferries are other options. Even the largest ships have fewer on board amenities, and gym and spa facilities in particular are often much smaller or entirely absent.
- Excursions: Organized cruise shore excursions are a great way to see different ports of call. On a Mississippi cruise, however, the excursions will not be for snorkeling, dolphin encounters, or party boats. Instead, the most popular tours visit museums, historic homes, Civil War sites, and cultural centers.
- Food: Fine dining is a key element of all cruises, even on the Mississippi River, and the cruise ship menus rely heavily on regional cuisine and specialties. Ettoufee, gumbo, seafood, barbeque, Creole dishes, cobblers, and pies are popular treats.
Paddleboats are a nostalic way to cruise the Mississippi River. - Music: Entertainment is another key element of all cruises, on a Mississippi sailing passengers will be entertained with gospel, country, blues, jazz, swing, ragtime, and other Southern selections, often performed by local bands and specialty musicians.
- Activities: Instead of crazy contests, the cruise activities on river cruises are generally less active and more cultural. Regional history lectures, wildlife specialist presentations, cooking classes, literature discussions, and art appreciation of local artists may be offered.
- Ports of Call: By definition, a Mississippi cruise will not visit foreign countries. Instead, passengers may visit key cities along the river such as St. Louis and New Orleans, as well as smaller towns near sites of interest.
- Wildlife: On larger cruises, the only time passengers see wildlife is if they choose a shore excursion to a zoo or with some form of wildlife encounter. In contrast, along the mighty Mississippi passengers may pass close by alligators, turtles, snakes, and a wide range of beautiful birds as the ship sails leisurely along the river.
- Passengers: While large cruise lines offer a range of activities for families and younger guests, Mississippi cruises are popular with older passengers. Because of the more leisurely pace of the cruise and the cultural focus, many river cruise passengers are over the age of 50, and few children’s programs are available, if any.
- Length: Mississippi River voyages used to span from three to 12 days or longer, but economic hardship has forced many sailings to be delayed or canceled. Today, day trips are still available from a limited number of lines, or charter cruises may be able to be arranged to suit a passenger’s travel plans.
What Not to Expect on a Mississippi Cruise
There are many things common to the largest cruise ships that passengers won’t find on Mississippi River boat cruises, including:
- Belly flop, hairy chest, or sexy leg contests
- Children’s programs and babysitting services
- European spa treatments
- International cuisine menus
- Rock and roll dance parties
- Ice carving or towel folding demonstrations
- Waterslides and miniature golf courses
- Thousands of passengers on a single ship
Is the Mississippi Right for Me?
Understanding what to expect on a Mississippi River cruise can help novice river cruise passengers decide if this type of specialty sailing is right for them. Passengers who enjoy a laid back, slow paced itinerary that focuses on the history and culture of the sailing region will likely enjoy a Mississippi cruise, whereas passengers who eagerly anticipate energetic activities and widely varied ports of call may prefer to plan a different cruise itinerary.
A Mississippi River cruise is a memorable, unique vacation for the right person. By understanding what to expect on this type of itinerary, prospective guests can easily decide if it is the right type of cruise for them.
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