The line, which has temporarily suspended all river and ocean cruise operations until 1 May, has launched its new Mississippi River cruises product line. 

Debuting in August 2022, the company’s first custom vessel Viking Mississippi will sail voyages on both the lower and upper Mississippi, with stops in seven US states. 

Inaugural sailings of Viking Mississippi’s 2022-2023 season are currently only available to existing Viking guests, but bookings for the general public will open on 15 April.

“At a time where many of us are at home, looking for inspiration to travel in the future, I am pleased to introduce a new, modern way to explore this great river. We invented the concept of modern river cruising when we got our start 23 years ago—first on the rivers of Russia and then in Europe,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking.

“Since then, many people have come to appreciate the unique exploration that comes with river cruising – but currently there are very few options to do so on American rivers.”

The announcement is part of a wider expansion plan which includes Viking Expeditions, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris.