Viking Heart of the Delta

0
Price
From$6,299
Price
From$6,299
Full Name*
Email Address*
Your Enquiry*
Save To Wish List

Adding item to wishlist requires an account

2274

Why Book With Us?

  • Worry free planning
  • Exceptional knowledge
  • Family owned & operated
  • Superior value

Have a Question?

Don’t hesitate to give us a call. Our team of experts are happy to assist you in creating your next dream vacation.

1.800.800.7252

travel@lloydstravel.com

9 Days
Availability : November/December, 2023
New Orleans
Memphis
Tour Details
Viking Heart of the Delta

9 Days | 7 Guided Tours | 1 Country

Immerse yourself in history and heritage on this journey bookended by New Orleans and Memphis. Attend a Privileged Access Mississippi Delta blues experience in Greenville and be inspired by the stories of famed musicians and iconic civil rights heroes. Savor delicious Cajun and Creole cuisine, as well as Memphis’s famous barbecue. And stir your soul with the rhythms of Dixieland jazz, Delta blues and gospel.

New Orleans, Louisiana to Memphis, Tennessee 25 Nov – 03 Dec, 2023

Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana 17 – 25 Nov, 2023 & 01 – 09 Dec, 2023

Prices from $6,299 CAD per person for Verandah Stateroom

Airfare additional starting from $599 CAD per person

Departure Location

New Orleans

End Location

Memphis

Price Includes

  • One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call
  • Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
  • Alternative restaurant dining at no extra charge
  • 24-hour room service
  • Beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner
  • 24-hour specialty coffees, teas & bottled water
  • Ground transfers with Viking Air purchase
  • Port taxes & fees
  • Access to top-rated spa & state-of-the-art fitness center
  • Self-service launderettes

Price Excludes

  • Travel insurance
  • Any private expenses
  • Optional excursions
  • Visa's, if required

Tour Specialist

  • Deborah Charles
What to Expect

Your Ship: Viking Mississippi 

Hosting 386 guests in 193 all outside staterooms, the new state-of-the-art Viking Mississippi is inspired by our award-winning Viking Longships® and ocean ships and features clean Scandinavian design, as well as public spaces that are familiar to guests but that have been reimagined for Mississippi River voyages. Purpose-built for the Mississippi, the ship’s cutting-edge design, expansive windows and comfortable amenities make it the first truly modern cruise ship in the region.

  • Only 386 guests
  • Crew: 148
  • Length: 450 feet
  • Beam: 75 feet
  • Class: river ship
  • Year built: 2022
Highlights
  • Learn about local history during a tour of Natchez that visits the city’s top sights and historic homes.
  • Visit the Civil War site where the Battle of Vicksburg ended, turning the tide of the war in favor of the Union.
  • Learn about the life and times of iconic blues legend B.B. King at his namesake museum.
  • Explore Clarksdale, the home of the Delta blues, and tour Graceland, the legendary estate of Elvis Presley.
For more information on this tour, or help with booking, please contact your favourite Lloyds Travel Agent!
Itinerary

Day 1New Orleans, Louisiana

Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom. The birthplace of American jazz, New Orleans exudes a festive atmosphere along the balcony-lined Bourbon Street. Here, in the heart of the French Quarter, soulful rhythms lift the spirit, especially during the city’s Mardi Gras celebration. Founded by French colonists in 1718, New Orleans served as a territorial capital before the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Its distinctive St. Louis Cathedral—named for King Louis IX of France—is the oldest cathedral in the country. The city’s French, African and other influences flavor its vibrant culture and tantalizing Creole cuisine.

Day 2Darrow, Louisiana

The Lower Mississippi region is dotted with historic mansions; Darrow is the gateway to these grand homes, meticulously kept to preserve the memory of early Southern American history. Here, imposing houses share the riverscape with moss-draped oak trees and farm fields. It is easy to imagine steamboats and other vessels delivering supplies and materials to these stately front doors. Today, several properties are designated National Historic Landmarks for their architecture, their landscaping, and the contributions of those who maintained the houses and the lands.

Day 3Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge paints a historic picture on the eastern bank of the Mississippi. Its early success was due to its flood-free location upon the first natural bluff north of The Delta. French explorer Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville, named the city after a red-hued pole that marked the area’s tribal hunting grounds. Its cultural diversity—from its Cajun and Creole music and cuisine to its arts offerings—reflects the European immigrant settlers and the African people brought as slaves. The city boasts the tallest capitol building in the United States.

Day 4St. Francisville, Louisiana

Boasting more than 140 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, St. Francisville is set along one of the most historic bluffs of the Mississippi. The town is said to be “two miles long and two yards wide” because it was originally built on a narrow ridge overlooking the river. Founded in 1809, it is the oldest town in Louisiana’s Florida Parishes. Remarkably, many of St. Francisville’s structures are not its own; rather, they were moved upriver from Bayou Sara in the 1920s after the small settlement was destroyed by years of flooding.

Day 5Natchez, Mississippi

Natchez has one of the highest concentrations of historic Southern estates in the country. More than 200 perfectly preserved homes line its avenues. It is the oldest city on the Mississippi, established in 1716 by French colonists and named for the Natchez tribe who once called it home. With its ideal locale, the city became a crossroads among Native American and European cultures. Famously, Natchez was the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace, the overland route to Nashville that allowed traders to bypass the strong upriver currents. Today, it evokes small-town America.

Day 6Vicksburg, Mississippi

Located on a high bluff where the Yazoo River flows into the Mississippi, Vicksburg is the epitome of Southern heritage and charm. It was incorporated in 1825 and, with its prime locale on the Mississippi, grew into an important port. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln called it “the key to the South.” And it indeed proved to be the site of the conflict’s most pivotal battle, the Battle of Vicksburg, after which the Confederates surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. The Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the battle site’s rolling green fields and grand monuments.

Day 7Greenville, Mississippi

Greenville is Mississippi’s largest river port, set atop the highest point along the Mississippi River between Vicksburg and Memphis. Its rural setting belies a diverse artistic heritage. The Muppets creator Jim Henson was born here, and the city has been home to numerous authors, including noted historian Shelby Foote. Greenville is also steeped in the blues; famed songwriter W.C. Handy was inspired to popularize the genre after seeing pioneering musician Prince McCoy perform at a nearby dancehall and neighboring Indianola was the hometown of the legendary B.B. King.

Day 8Rosedale, Mississippi & Memphis, Tennessee

Rosedale is in Bolivar County, where the surrounding Delta region is known as “the land where the blues began.” The town was immortalized in Robert Johnson’s 1937 recording “Traveling Riverside Blues.” The song—as well as the rest of Johnson’s recorded repertoire—had a major influence on rock ’n’ roll; Cream incorporated the mention of Rosedale in their remake of another of Johnson’s classics, “Crossroads.” Today, the town has become associated with the legendary bluesman, and as such, features a commemorative marker in his honor on the historic Mississippi Blues Trail. After breakfast, disembark your ship and transfer to your destination.

Situated on the Chickasaw bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, Memphis is revered for its blues music and barbecue. Some of the most famed names in blues, including B.B. King, got their start in Memphis, and the city has a well-deserved reputation as the home of this classic American music genre. Memphis is also celebrated for its culinary heritage and is renowned for its traditional barbecue restaurants serving flavorful dry rub ribs. Rich in history and culture, Memphis’s many notable museums include the National Civil Rights Museum and Elvis Presley’s Graceland. Arrive and check in to your hotel.

Day 9Memphis, Tennessee

Situated on the Chickasaw bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, Memphis is revered for its blues music and barbecue. Some of the most famed names in blues, including B.B. King, got their start in Memphis, and the city has a well-deserved reputation as the home of this classic American music genre. Memphis is also celebrated for its culinary heritage and is renowned for its traditional barbecue restaurants serving flavorful dry rub ribs. Rich in history and culture, Memphis’s many notable museums include the National Civil Rights Museum and Elvis Presley’s Graceland. After breakfast, check out of your hotel and journey home.

Photos


Why Book With Us?

  • Worry free planning
  • Exceptional knowledge
  • Family owned & operated
  • Superior value


Have a Question?

Don’t hesitate to give us a call. Our team of experts are happy to assist you in creating your next dream vacation.

1.800.800.7252

travel@lloydstravel.com