Viking Cruises Strikes A Pose In The Port Of Dubuque

Did anyone else notice the super big, super fancy cruise ships docked in Dubuque on Tuesday!? Massive and beautiful, Viking Cruises made its first Dubuque stop on Tuesday (9/6) morning and docked at the American Trust River’s Edge Plaza. It was a planned stop; part of Viking’s maiden voyage on the Mississippi River. The cruise left St. Paul, Minnesota on Saturday and will end in St. Louis on Saturday, September 10th. The ship docked at around 6am and passengers were slated to leave again after an approximate 12 hour stay.

The Mississippi River Cruise Ship is 450 feet long, with five decks, and can accommodate 386 guests in 193 rooms. The working crew consists of about 148.

According to an article from the Telegraph Herald, Dubuque officials held a ribbon cutting for the Viking vessel following the ship’s arrival and docking. Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh gifted the ship’s crew a book focused on the history of Dubuque in the 19th century. Cory Burke, the Viking boat’s captain, then gave Cavanagh a model replica of the ship. The captained noted that guests planned to spend the day visiting Dubuque site’s, including the River Museum, Field of Dreams, and the Dubuque Museum of Art.

Viking Cruise’s first stop in Dubuque came after months of delays and had originally announced the river cruises would start in June. Viking is expected to make four other sold-out cruise stops in Dubuque this fall.

According to the Viking website, a cruise set to embark up the river from Hannibal, Missouri with a stop in Dubuque, before ending in St. Paul, Minnesota range in price from $5,299 to $11,999. Other cruises, including one from St. Paul to New Orleans, are currently planned to stop in Dubuque September 20th, October 12^th, and October 18^th, with cruise prices ranging from $12,999 to $28,999.

Additional details on Vikings website, say that the new state-of-the-art Viking Mississippi Cruiser is inspired by their river and ocean ships and feature Scandinavian designs, as well as public spaces that are familiar to guests but reimagined for Mississippi River voyages. The cutting-edge design features expansive windows and comfortable amenities, making it the largest and most modern ship in the region. In addition, the Viking Mississippi was designed as an environmentally considerate vessel and is equipped with a variety of measures to maximize energy efficiency and emissions. This includes a diesel-electric hybrid system; it features eight small load-sharing generators. It also uses a state-of-the-art propulsion system, which reduces vibration for a smoother ride and a highly advanced exhaust scrubbing system, which is said to significantly reduce sound and emissions.