NATCHEZ, Miss. – Viking has canceled its Mississippi River cruises and visits to Natchez for the next three weeks as its ship undergoes repairs after being wrecked by debris.
“Due to damage from substantial river debris to the Viking Mississippi’s propulsion system, the ship will undergo repairs requiring the cancellation of upcoming departures,” Viking said in a statement issued Monday.
The cruise company said it expects to resume its voyages Feb. 18, when it’s scheduled to depart New Orleans for an upriver cruise that’s set to stop in Natchez Feb. 22.
The 193-cabin luxury ship has been visiting Natchez since late September as Viking’s first Mississippi River riverboat began its New Orleans-St. Paul, Minn., round-trip route. The 386-passenger Viking Mississippi makes weekly dockings in Natchez and buses tourists to Longwood, Frogmore Plantation and other area attractions.
The ship is currently docked to be fixed at the Houma, La., navigation canal, according to Cruisemapper.com, which tracks the locations and routes of cruise ships throughout the world. Viking Mississippi was built last year at Edison Chouest Offshore’s LaShip shipyard in Houma.
Viking has been beset by delays and cancellations as it began its first operations on the Mississippi River. Its maiden voyage was initially set for June, but that was postponed until September. Soon thereafter, the Mississippi River’s low water forced it to temporarily halt voyages in October.
American Cruise Lines and the American Queen Steamboat Co. also bring riverboat passengers to tour Natchez, but they’ve been in a winter lull for docking here until February.
Comments