What are the best river cruises on the Mississippi?
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 11 November 2026
These 3 river cruise lines sell a Mississippi sailing on their own websites, read 10 November 2026. Each card gives what the line says about it, with the ship, sailing, length, price or number where it names one, then why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.
What are the best river cruises on the Mississippi?
3 river cruise lines in the Uncompromised Travel table say on their own websites that they sell a Mississippi sailing.
Only 3 lines in the Uncompromised Travel river cruise lines table sell a Mississippi sailing on their own websites, read 10 November 2026; a line that sells this but did not say so on the pages read is not on this page.
American Cruise Lines
- Best for
- All-inclusive US river cruises with excursions
- Mississippi sailing
- Sells a Lower Mississippi River Cruise from Memphis to New Orleans of 9 days and 8 nights; it also sells the Complete Mississippi from New Orleans to St. Paul over 23 days and 22 nights. Its fares are published per person in US dollars.
- Why choose them
- Founded in 1972 by shipbuilder Charles A. Robertson with his wife Carol.
- Ask for
- Ask for the hotel night and transfer to the ship included on new bookings, plus the Featured shore excursion included in each port.
- Not the fit if
- you need a lift on every ship, as American Independence, American Star and American Spirit have limited lift access.
nicko cruises
- Best for
- River cruises for German-speaking travellers worldwide
- Mississippi sailing
- Sells cruises on the paddlewheeler AMERICAN SPLENDOR (180 passengers), with a departure on 21 February 2028 from €8,199 per person; its fares are often flight-inclusive, so ask what this one covers.
- Why choose them
- Sails a fleet of 22 ships and says it has been market leader for river cruises in Germany since 2007. Trustpilot (whole company): 3.2 out of 5 from 387 reviews, newest 5 November 2026. Read 10 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for a Single-Spezial departure, where the single supplement is cut by 50%.
- Not the fit if
- you want an English-only ship: most river ships run in German and English; CYRANO DE BERGERAC runs in French and German.
- Money protection
- Insurance certificate naming the insurer, required before any payment under its package travel terms.
- Website
- nicko-cruises.de
Viking
- Best for
- Europe, Nile and Mekong river voyages
- Mississippi sailing
- Sails Viking Mississippi, with 193 all-outside staterooms for 386 guests, to destinations from New Orleans to St. Paul.
- Why choose them
- Says it was voted #1 for Rivers in Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, the sixth consecutive year. Trustpilot (whole company): 1.7 out of 5 from 384 reviews, newest 10 November 2026. Read 10 November 2026.
- Ask for
- Ask for the Viking Inclusive Value fare, with one shore excursion in every port, or the current Special Solo Traveler Fares.
- Not the fit if
- you are travelling with children: Viking says its river ships have no children on board.
- Website
- vikingrivercruises.com
Who to contact first
Start with the 1 line on this page that publishes both a sailing price and their cancellation terms on their own websites, then add any other card that fits your dates and the sailing you want.
What to ask each one to set out in writing:
- What the fare includes, line by line: excursions, drinks, gratuities, wifi, flights, transfers and hotel nights before and after.
- The ship: how many guests it carries, the cabin size and whether it has a French balcony, a full balcony or a window.
- The deposit, when the balance is due, what you lose if you cancel and what the line does if low or high water changes the route.
- Which scheme or licence protects your money and what you need to walk on the excursions if mobility matters to you.
Mississippi river cruises: the questions people ask
What should I ask a river cruise line before booking?
What the fare includes, line by line; how many guests the ship carries and the size of the cabin; the deposit and what you lose if you cancel; what happens if low or high water changes the route; and which scheme protects your money.
Can I book with these lines directly?
Yes. Each card links the line's own website or enquiry page; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes and the cancellation scale.
Do these lines all sell the same kind of river cruise?
No. Each card names the sailing, ship or offer the line's own website gives; ship sizes, lengths, rivers and prices differ, so compare the cards before you ask for quotes.
What happens if the river is too low or too high to sail?
Ask each line in writing what it does when water levels change a sailing: a ship swap, a coach transfer, a refund or a credit.
Which of these have Trustpilot profiles?
2 of the 3: nicko cruises and Viking. Each card gives the TrustScore, the review count and the newest review date, read 10 November 2026.
Which of these publish their cancellation terms?
1 of the 3: nicko cruises. Ask each for the full scale in writing before you pay a deposit.
Where can I check these facts myself?
Each card links the pages of the line's own website its lines were read from, with the date they were read.
How were these lines chosen?
Each one is in the Uncompromised Travel river cruise lines table, built from the river cruise lines ChatGPT names most often. On its own website it sells a Mississippi sailing. A line is on the page because its published facts fit the question, never because it paid.
Is any company on this page paying to be here?
No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.
Read next
Companies are added at each update. Want to be the company this page features?
Built to answer the question in the main heading. What is shown: what each line published on its own website, read on 10 November 2026, with links to the pages read, with its Google and Trustpilot figures where the listing carries the line's own name, from the Uncompromised Travel river cruise lines table. Cards are in alphabetical order. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel. How this site earns · How we work.