Editor’s Note: This is the third and final installment of our on-site look at Viking Mississippi’s “America’s Heartland” cruise. Our first story outlined the pre-cruise stay, St. Louis, Alton, IL, and Hannibal, MO, plus our balcony stateroom accommodations and The Living Room. Our second article covered different public spaces aboard plus shore options at three Iowa ports of call.
Sailing north on the Upper Mississippi River, Viking Mississippi calls at both La Crosse, WI, and Red Wing, MN, before the river vessel's “America’s Heartland” itinerary ends with a post-cruise stay in St. Paul, MN. One facet that Travel Agent liked on our late August cruise aboard this 386-passenger ship is that it serves up an intimate onboard feel in some ways yet, at other times, it feels a bit akin to a larger ocean vessel. For instance, guests have a robust choice of shore excursions, and in some ports guests opted for both morning and afternoon excursions—to see and do it all.
Bluffs and Locks
Nestled within the Coulee Region, the port destination of La Crosse, the county seat of La Crosse County, is home to about 53,000 people. We felt that this port of call for Viking Mississippi served up one of the prettiest areas of the Upper Mississippi. One top tour attraction is Grandad Bluff, a 600-foot-high perch overlooking the city, providing visitors with views of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. (For river cruisers calling at La Crosse, here's an online summary of that and other top attractions in the area.)
During our cruise, Viking Mississippi’s guests could actually choose from three “included” shore options, which was great diversity. During the two-hour “La Crosse by Foot” excursion, a guide led Viking's guests on a one-mile round-trip walk around the city to view 1860s to 1940s landmark buildings. Guests learned about the businesses that shaped the city and met some of the owners to hear their stories. Depending on specific time of the excursion (multiple departures were offered) guests either enjoyed a morning coffee and pastry at a bakery or an afternoon flight of locally crafted beers at brew pub.
A second included shore excursion, “River Town Discovery,” included a motorcoach ride to view historic landmarks and gorgeous scenery. This tour also stopped at the St. Rose Convent, where Viking's guests learned about the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and toured the 19th century Hixon House, the former home of lumber baron Gideon Hixon. Finally, guests had a bit of free time in La Crosse's downtown area.
Given Viking’s Norwegian heritage, many loyal repeat guests, though, chose the third included tour, the “Vesterheim Museum and Scenic Decorah” excursion. Exploring the impact of Norwegian immigrant life in the Midwest, guests visited the Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, situated amid the rolling hills of Decorah. Vesterheim comprises 12 historic buildings, a Folk Art School and library, not to mention some 33,000 artifacts.
Guests on this included tour also viewed the Norwegian Lutheran Bethania Church—relocated from North Dakota—and checked out the museum’s Heritage Park, home to an original mill, blacksmith shop and stove-wood house. After an included lunch, guests had some time for self-guided exploring around town.
More La Crosse, WI, Tours
One nifty move by Viking? It combined the elements of that Norwegian heritage tour with an added, hands-on artistic layer to create two different optional tours (each $129 per person). So, guests could choose a “Vesterheim Museum and Kroting Class." Using kroting, a Norwegian carving technique, guests created their own art piece with a Viking-exclusive design. Alternatively, guests could chose the optional “Vesterheim Museum and Solje Earring Class," during which they could make a silver- or gold-washed solje.
For a totally different type of four-plus-hour optional tour, some fellow Viking guests instead opted for the “Mysteries of the Ancient Mound Builders” ($99 per person) excursion. Boarding a Viking motorcoach, they ventured to Perrot State Park where they were met by Jim Gallagher, professor of archaeology at the University of Wisconsin. He then led them on a guided tour of earthworks—burial grounds, effigy grounds and ceremonial platforms—rom three major North American Indigenous cultures. Some date back nearly 2,000 years and have mysterious purposes.
Yet another optional excursion, the two-hour “Historic Homes Restoration” ($99 per person) excursion, provided a privileged access visit to the 19th century Hixon House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guests learned about the meticulous work involved in maintaining the home’s architectural heritage directly from Margaret Lichter, site manager and restoration curator.
Back Aboard Viking Mississippi
After returning to the ship, guests headed for the Living Room to listen to light tunes by the Viking Trio at 3:15 p.m. Since this was our last day prior to reaching the last destination, Red Wing, there was also a disembarkation briefing there at 5:30 p.m. by Chris, the cruise director.
At 6 p.m., Viking Mississippi's assistant cruise director Gabi, offered an enrichment talk in Deck 2's Explorers Lounge about “Eagles – Symbols of the Nation." That topic was perfect in advance of the ship's arrival in Red Wing, MN, the following day. We and many other guests had already booked a shore excursion from Red Wing to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN. On another evening, Gabi offered a talk about “The First Americans – the Peopling of the Mississippi River Valley.”
Evening Dining
Travel Agent dined each evening on the ship during our seven-night cruise. On Deck 5, the interior River Café and the adjacent outdoor Aquavit Terrace with a grill area are perfect for guests seeking a casual meal. Servers still circulate and bring drinks as requested. River Café has both hot and cold buffet areas brimming with salads, fruits, hot entrees, veggies, freshly baked biscuits and much more. One unexpected plus for some guests? It was discovering that fresh sushi is offered at the River Café's cold buffet in the evening. One fellow guest told us: "My wife and I loved that."
Those who prefer full table service and more hands-on service after a long day of exploring ashore instead can head for The Restaurant. During our cruise, seating at The Restaurant was quick and easy. We never waited more than one minute to be escorted. In The Restaurant, guests can order off both a Destination Menu and a Classic Menu of always available dishes. One culinary highlight for many Viking guests was the yummy selection of soups. Simply put, they were very tasty night after night. Guests talked repeatedly about that and couldn't wait to see what soup choice their neighbors at the next table ordered before making their own choice.
Here's a look at one evening's full menu choices. The Destination Menu had one small box with a lineup that included a Louisiana jumbo lump crab cake, a butter-broiled Chilean sea bass and vegetable bouillon. That said, also on the same menu, guests could order mushroom brie soup or a steakhouse wedge for a starter; slow-braised lamb shank or sundried tomato ravioli for the main entree; and a triple chocolate mousse cake or red velvet cake for dessert.
On the Classic Menu that same evening, starter choices included jumbo cocktail shrimp or Caesar salad. Main courses ranged from Angus New York strip steak to the chairman’s choice of Norwegian poached salmon or marinated beer and herb airline chicken breast. Sides were creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, cheddar grits or mixed vegetables. Desserts included a yummy crème brûlée and fromagerie.
One humorous discussion we had with a fellow traveler was use of the “herb airline chicken breast" wordage. We personally hadn’t heard that before and wondered about the “airline” reference. We're now duly educated that it's just a nickname for a particular type of chicken cut—a boneless breast with the first wing joint (the meaty part of the wing) still attached.
As for evening entertainment, Eddie Allen provided “River and Folk Music” at 7:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. on one evening in The Living Room (see our first article in this series for more about that gathering space). The Viking Trio were three excellent musicians providing light tunes prior to the daily briefing or often between 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
In our opinion, the best entertainment, though, was soulful singer Courtney Burton's vocals accompanied by the Viking Trio for timeless jazz classics during “The Ella Fitzgerald Songbook: An Evening of Gershwin, Porter and More.” That unfolded between 7:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. one night.
Service? While we've talked about that a bit in our first two articles, it's worth repeating that Viking's service throughout the ship was very good during our cruise. As the end of our voyage approached, the dining room servers seemed just as chipper and energetic as they were at the outset. But guests were also hugging certain servers as the voyage wound down, a clear sign they'd made "connections" and were sad to say goodbye. Separately, our cabin steward was also attentive throughout the voyage.
Ahoy, Red Wing
One plus for sailings on the Upper Mississippi River is the chance to view gorgeous scenery, plus river locks, barge traffic, leisure boat marinas and riverside destinations. Our last port of call was Red Wing, MN, set amid bluffs with a pretty harbor, dockside park with walkways, and a historic train station. We watched as two different Amtrak trains arrived at and departed from this station, revealing how life goes on every day along the "Mighty Mississippi."
In Red Wing, one included Viking shore excursion was “Historic Red Wing,” which included visits to the Pottery Museum of Red Wing and the Goodhue County History Center. However, we chose a different included tour with a wildlife bent—the half-day “Downtown Red Wing and the National Eagle Center Tour." It offered a scenic drive through Red Wing to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha.
That center has interactive exhibits, educational programming and, most notably, close-up viewing of several live American bald eagles. These are rescued birds that cannot be returned to the wild due to injuries. We certainly enjoyed gazing at these majestic raptors close up. Touring the facility, we also found the exhibits well-presented, informative and appealing to all ages. One wall chart compared golden eagles and bald eagles, while another area had a wall of Hollywood movie posters with eagles included in the artwork.
Plus, the National Eagle Center showcases a strong amount of historical detail focused on the affiliation of the U.S. military with eagles. And as eagles are sacred in native American cultures, a Cultural Connections Gallery displayed a few artifacts and shared tales of indigenous peoples, their relationships with eagles and the region's Dakota history.
In our drive through Red Wing on the return trip to the riverboat we passed the famous Red Wing Shoe Company, and the coach dropped off guests downtown for those who wanted to do a bit of shopping there or at other stores. It was just a short walk back to the ship.
Artistically focused guests on our cruise instead opted for the three-and-a-half-hour, optional “Red Wing Pottery Experience at the Pottery Museum” ($119) excursion. In 1861, a local potter and German immigrant discovered large, glacially deposited clay pit beds near the city. Soon, Red Wing Pottery and Red Wing Clayware began production and several of their historic pieces are on display at the pottery museum. On this Viking tour, a local artist explained the history and techniques for making self-glazed products, plus guests toured the kiln, watched demonstrations and received a hands-on pottery lesson. Another popular optional excursion was a half-day “Maiden Rock Apple Cidery Tour and Tasting” ($109).
Prior to our last night in Red Wing, Chris, the cruise director, hosted his final talk and disembarkation briefing. Guests were also treated to champagne for conversation and a toast to a highly successful journey and safe onward travels by the ship’s general manager, captain and officers. Viking Mississippi then overnighted at Red Wing, and guests disembarked the next morning.
Post-Cruise Stay in St. Paul
On Disembarkation Day, the River Café and Restaurant were both open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. for breakfast. Viking motorcoaches then transported guests to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport or, for most guests, to downtown St. Paul for a post-cruise, one- to three-night stay. We opted for one night at the upscale, historic St. Paul Hotel, a completely nonsmoking property.
Viking's desk in the lobby of the St. Paul Hotel was well-staffed; three or four people were on hand to assist the line's guests. We liked that the desk offered printed handouts, among them “Curated Restaurants: Our Top Picks” with short writeups on 18 different eateries, their hours, phone numbers and so on.
A separate handout offered details on the nearby Landmark Center with stunningly gorgeous architecture. Travelers could head over there (just across the street essentially) for Viking guest tours at several pre-set times. That handout also talked about other sites to explore in downtown St. Paul including the Historic Hamm Building, the Science Museum of Minnesota and the George Latimer Central Library. Guided library tours were offered to Viking guests, as well.
In St. Paul, Viking’s guests truly had a robust choice of shore excursions—12 that we counted. Among them were the “Walker Museum and Sculpture Garden” ($89); “A Full Day in Stillwater” ($199), one of Minnesota’s oldest towns; and the “Hmong Market” ($119), a look at the culture of Southeast Asia's Hmong people, some who ventured to Minnesota after the Vietnam War. Separately, a “St. Anthony Falls and Water Port,” ($119) tour took travelers to a local lock and dam and to learn about the twin cities’ local water supply. Many travelers opted for the “Brewery and Distillery Tasting” ($119) excursion, with stops for tastings at a brewery, spirits company and a second brewery.
High on the cultural immersion scale was a Viking privileged-access optional excursion, “An Evening at the American Swedish Institute” ($199), which celebrated Minnesota’s Nordic roots. Viking’s guests learned about Swedish culture via art, history and culinary experiences. They also took an after-hours tour through the historic Turnblad Mansion and explored a "Karin Larsson, Let the Hand Be Seen" exhibition, showcasing the works of the Swedish designer through her paintings, furniture and textiles. The evening ended with a new Nordic-style aquavit, dessert and cocktail tasting curated by FIKA Café, the institute’s café.
We opted for Viking's included "Panoramic St. Paul" tour. It included a visit to the fascinating Minnesota History Center, museum and library. This museum had something for everyone—from a dramatic view of a replica Curtis Model JN-4 (known as a "Jenny") hanging in the atrium to walk-through options for a Minneapolis streetcar, native American teepee, railroad car and prairie house.
The scenic tour via coach that followed also provided a sense of other spots around downtown St. Paul, including the cathedral, train station, market and Victorian-era residential district, before it ended with a quick tour and tasting at a local brewery. We could also spot Minneapolis' state capitol building in the distance.
The cuisine at The St. Paul Hotel was excellent, both for lunch and dinner. For lunch, we popped into the St. Paul Grill and can highly recommend the crab cake ($25.95), consisting of sweet, tender colossal blue crab with citrus tarragon aioli.
As for our accommodations, the room appointments were traditional in style, but also fresh. Our room was also amazingly spacious. The hotel also nicely provided a shower chair upon arrival. One tip? We'd suggest bringing your roller bag onboard the coach from the ship to the hotel, not putting it out for Viking crew the night before disembarkation to deliver automatically to the hotel. At the very least, don't put anything important, such as medication, in that.
Why? Given the hundred or more Viking guest suitcases that arrived at the St. Paul Hotel, the hotel's porters—who were also dealing with many other guests checking in and out—could not deliver them quickly. The hotel was doing its best with requests, but even so it was several hours before our roller bag arrived.
Overall, the hotel service was superb, though. Service by the front desk staff and restaurant servers was friendly, professional and helpful. One nice touch? The hotel's banquet manager was waiting in the hotel lobby at 3:45 a.m. on departure day to hand out boxed breakfasts for Viking's guests (including us) heading onto a 4 a.m. airport transfer by Viking motorcoach.
Those Viking motorcoach shuttles to the airport ran every hour on that morning through 9 a.m., so guests didn't need a reservation; they just showed up at the time they wished to depart.
Overall, we enjoyed both our pre- and post-cruise hotel stays in St. Louis and St. Paul, respectively. Plus, the cruise was a pleasant, relaxing experience. The onboard product was well-organized. Staff levels were good, too. As for the sights along the Upper Mississippi, we found those quite different than what we were accustomed to on the Lower Mississippi in Louisiana and Mississippi. So, if cruisers have "been there, done that" on American rivers, an Upper Mississippi river itinerary is one to consider.
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