{"id":15564,"date":"2015-04-02T09:50:08","date_gmt":"2015-04-02T15:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/?page_id=15564"},"modified":"2023-07-14T09:09:19","modified_gmt":"2023-07-14T13:09:19","slug":"cruises-on-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/articles-america-river-cruises\/cruises-on-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruises on the Mississippi River"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cruises on the Mississippi River<\/h1>\n

Mississippi River cruise<\/strong> itineraries are usually separated into the Upper and Lower part of the river. The Upper Mississippi<\/strong> is generally considered to be between St. Louis, Missouri<\/strong>\u00a0and St. Paul, Minnesota<\/strong>; and the Lower Mississippi is between Memphis, Tennessee<\/strong>\u00a0and New Orleans, Louisiana<\/strong>. Cruises are sometimes combined with other waterways, such as the Ohio River and the Tennessee River.<\/p>\n

Since the weather tends to be warmer in the southeastern United States, travel on the Lower Mississippi is available during most of the year; while cruises on the Upper Mississippi are more seasonal and usually only available between June and October.<\/p>\n

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American Queen Steamboat Company is offering some quick, easy voyages from New Orleans aboard American Duchess to ring in this year – and next. Photo courtesy of American Queen Steamboat Company<\/p><\/div>\n

About the Mississippi River<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Mississippi River is is one of the longest rivers in the world\u00a0and\u00a0the second longest river in the United States after the Missouri River. From northern Minnesota, the Mississippi flows for 2,340 miles and\u00a0passes through or borders 10 different states before reaching its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n

The Mississippi River has 12\u00a0tributaries. With regard to river cruises, the Ohio River<\/strong> is its major tributary. The two rivers actually meet twice – in Cairo, IL where the\u00a0mouth of the Ohio River is located and also near Paducah, KY.<\/p>\n

Cruising the Upper Mississippi River<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Upper Mississippi. Courtesy of American Queen Steamboat Company<\/p><\/div>\n

As previously mentioned, cruises on the Upper Mississippi are seasonal and only available between June and October, which means options are more limited.\u00a0Average itinerary length is usually eight to nine days. And the most common itineraries are between St. Louis, MO and St. Paul, MN.<\/p>\n

There are also a few cruises available between St. Louis and Ottawa, IL (Chicago), St. Louis and Memphis and round-trip from Red Wing, MN (Minneapolis).\u00a0Some packages combine travel on the Mississippi with the Ohio River and may include travel to cities, such as Pittsburgh, Louisville, KY and Cincinnati ,OH. However, most of the cruise is on the Ohio River and not the Mississippi. So for those travelers looking for a Mississippi River cruise, these may not be the best option.<\/p>\n

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The\u00a0Cumberland River<\/strong> is another waterway that is sometimes combined with a Mississippi River cruise. This river is indirectly connected to the Mississippi through the Ohio River. Nashville and Clarksville, TN are located on the Cumberland River and are featured in a couple of itineraries. These cruises are between St. Louis and Nashville and an equal amount of time is spent on the Cumberland and Mississippi Rivers.<\/p>\n

Cruising the Lower Mississippi River<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Lower Mississippi. Courtesy of American Queen Steamboat Company<\/p><\/div>\n

There are also several itineraries available on the Lower Mississippi between Memphis and New Orleans. These cruises are typically between 8 and 9 days long.\u00a0 There are also 5- to 6-day packages that are round trip from New Orleans.<\/p>\n

Unlike the Upper Mississippi, cruises on the Lower Mississippi are available throughout most of the year, with the exception of mid-January thru late February. And similar to cruises in Europe, there are themed itineraries available during the winter holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve\/Day.<\/p>\n

In addition to Upper Mississippi and Lower Mississippi River cruises, there are a couple of itineraries available each year that combine both. These cruises are between New Orleans and St. Paul, MN and are 16 to 22\u00a0 days long.<\/p>\n

Prominent cities often visited on a\u00a0Mississippi River cruise include:<\/p>\n