Low water levels prevent a Viking river cruise liner from completing its journey up the Mississippi River in the north, according to a statement released by the corporation on Thursday.
The statement claimed that extraordinarily low sea levels along the Mississippi River had forced the closure of several portions of the river, which had an effect on all marine traffic traveling both north and south.
The Viking Mississippi won't be able to finish the current voyage or get to St. Paul (Minnesota) in time for her next scheduled departure on October 15, according to the statement.
The cruise line stated that passengers had been informed of the problem, however they did not specify the number of people that have been impacted.
The Viking Mississippi was constructed in 2022 and has a maximum capacity of 386 guests, according to the business website. A 15-day cruise from St. Paul to New Orleans, starting at $12,999, was advertised by Viking in October.
Voyager's account
On this cruise, the Viking ship had encountered low-water issues previously, including on Thursday.
When the cruise ship came to a stop in the middle of the Mississippi River, Tim Taler and his wife Trixie were among the passengers. The ship was stopped on Monday evening after a barge impacted the river's bottom. The barge stopped all water traffic circulation through the region, according to Taler, a Phoenix resident.
Tim remarked, "We got caught in the center of it. We were stalled with no movement for approximately 24 hours."
About 300 passengers were on board, according to Taler, and everyone he spoke with seemed okay with the situation.
Photo taken by passenger Tim Taler outside the windows of the Viking Mississippi
"It's as though nothing ever occurred", he said. "We just couldn't go on our excursions, so we just sat on the ship and continued to eat our meals."
"Mother Nature, not Viking Cruises, was to blame," according to Taler. "It is what it is." On Thursday, the ship went beneath the bridge in Greenville, Mississippi, which connects to Arkansas. A short while later, guests received notice that the trip had been suspended, according to Taler.
Near Greenville, Tennessee - about 150 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee - the ship was moored. On Friday, he added, passengers exited in groups before being sent on a two-hour bus journey to Memphis to catch their planes home.
The Talers had already taken four Viking river tours before.
The ship's position and other information were requested by CNN Travel through email, but Viking responded on Friday afternoon that it was currently unable to make any additional comments.
Mississippi River hampered by increasing dryness
On the most important river in the United States, the Viking Mississippi is not the only ship having issues. Low water levels along the Mississippi have caused many vessels to run aground during the past week due to drought conditions, the US Coast Guard reported on Tuesday.
A webpage with drought-related information is kept up by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nearly 53% of the lower 48 US states, according to its most recent data, are experiencing a drought. Drought conditions exist throughout large portions of the West.
Exceptional dryness and drought "from the Plains to the Mississippi River Basin have now spread deeper into the Midwest and Southeast. The drought has continued to grow and aggravate. Low water levels during the important harvest are having an impact on barge movement on the Mississippi River," the NOAA website reported.
CNN says that in many riverside cities through October 15, the following weather predictions don't indicate much relief: Minneapolis shouldn't experience any rain. Morning rains are predicted for Memphis for one day. Light rains are expected to fall in St. Louis on Wednesday and Thursday.
This summer and fall, severe weather across the United States has claimed lives and disrupted vacation plans: wildfires endangered Yosemite National Park; flash flooding decimated Death Valley National Park; and Hurricane Ian affected tourism destinations in hard-hit Florida and the Carolinas.
Replay of the summer in Europe?
Other areas of the world have encountered the Mississippi River predicament this year.
For instance, this summer's ferocious heat wave burned Europe, causing the famed rivers of the continent to drop to alarmingly low levels.
One of Europe's most important transportation routes is the Rhine River, which is also a hugely popular cruise route full with picture-perfect castles and breathtaking scenery. Those cruises suffered.
Some river cruise ships managed to reduce their load and continue sailing. While some river ships had to completely cancel trips, others had to adjust their schedules.
On the nation's most powerful river, the same choices are currently being reviewed.
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