A Busy Day At The Port Of St. Louis

mPowers
Oct 7
2 min read

Updated: Oct 9

IT WAS A PERFECT AUTUMN DAY!

The weather was warm, but without the humidity that St. Louis is famous - or notorious, for having. The sky was blue with a few clouds wafting by; the sun was bright. It was a perfect afternoon for walking down to the riverfront.

Lo and behold, there was not one, but two passenger-carrying vessels docked on the levee:

American Cruise Lines American Serenade

Viking Cruises Viking Mississippi.

These riverboats are a far cry from the classically styled rivrboats of yore - what with their furnishings fully reflecting a bygone era.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL

American Cruise Lines still has a small fleet of paddlewheelers. And while their outward appeances reflect the history of river travel, their interior trappings are decidedly more modern than what one would find on the Delta, Mississippi, and American Queens - especially in the staterooms. Public areas reflect American riverboat heritage without being too obvious about it.

The paddlewheelers are very similar to the modern small ships internally, such as the vessel that graced St. Louis' shore on October 3, 2025.

A unique feature of the Serenade is the way her bow opens by lifting up so that a gangway can be extended to the shore.

A VIKING ON AMERICAN WATERS

Viking brings its Nordic, European flair to Mississippi River cruising. The company was founded on the premise of sailing small ships particularly suited to sailing the rivers throughout the European Union.

In 2013, the company deployed oceangoing newbuilds designed for worldwide itineraries with a minimum guest age of 18 years old.

Viking's ocean cruise division leans heavily on the nostalgia of the for Royal Viking Line (RVL) of the 1970s and 1980s. In fact, their first three seagoing ships were named in honor of the RVL predecessors (Star, Sky, and Sea).

Viking's founder was, in fact, was RVL's CEO from 1980-84, per Wikipedia. No need to cite a reference, though, as the Viking/RVL connection was a forgone conclusion due to some similarities in visual cues between both line's ocean ships.

WHY DOES THIS EVEN MATTER?

Well, as you understand the tie-in with the past, you are better able to understand how Viking approaches river cruises in America.

Just as RVL was an upscale cruise line for its time, so is today's Viking. And the line has blended that ethos into its American river cruises. The vibe is strongly Scandinavian in decor - very luxurious, indeed.

Take a virtual step aboard these vessels to learn more about American waterway cruising. It's important not to restrict the focus to the Mississippi River since American Cruise Lines cruises a variety of waterways.

Watch these quick videos that cover all the American Cruise Lines vessels and the destinations they serve.

https://www.youtube.com/@americancruiselines/playlists