The short answer
Multi-day Mississippi River cruises typically cost from a few thousand dollars per person for a week up to well over $10,000 per person for the longest sailings or top suites. Advertised starting fares for a roughly eight-day trip with the main lines have been around $3,500 to $4,500 per person, and complete 22- to 23-day voyages can reach $12,000 to $15,000 or more. Short day cruises cost far less. Prices change with season and demand, so use these as rough ranges and check current fares.
Typical prices by trip length
| Trip | Rough price per person |
|---|---|
| Day or evening sightseeing cruise | Typically tens of dollars to over a hundred, depending on meals |
| 2-night regional steamboat trip | From the mid-hundreds of dollars on some operators |
| 7- to 10-night Lower or Upper Mississippi | Roughly $4,000 to $7,000 and up |
| 15-night voyages | Often $8,000 to $13,000 |
| 22- to 23-night full river voyages | Often $12,000 to $15,000 or more |
These figures come from published starting fares and travel-industry ranges, and they are per person based on two people sharing a cabin. Exact amounts vary widely. For example, one agency’s group listing for a nine-day Lower Mississippi sailing priced standard balcony rooms at about $6,000 per person and the top suite above $10,000.
What changes the price
- Cabin type. Balcony cabins cost more than window cabins, and suites cost most.
- Season. Peak spring and fall dates and holiday sailings generally cost more.
- Cruise line and ship. Newer or more upscale ships carry higher fares.
- Itinerary length and route. Longer trips and sailings with more included excursions cost more.
- How early you book. Early-booking or last-minute promotions can lower fares.
What is usually included, and what is not
On several river lines, the fare covers more than an ocean cruise would. American Cruise Lines, for example, has advertised inclusions such as meals, onboard drinks, gratuities, Wi-Fi, a pre-cruise hotel night and most shore excursions. Viking has listed items such as beer and wine with meals, a shore excursion at each port and Wi-Fi; our guide to what Viking includes has more. Always confirm the current inclusions before comparing fares, because they change.
Costs that are often not included:
- Airfare to and from the ship
- Optional or premium shore excursions
- Travel insurance
- Extra hotel nights before or after
- Spa or specialty items
When you compare lines, add these to the base fare to get a true total.
Solo travelers
A cabin booked by one person usually costs more than the per-person price of a shared cabin. Some lines offer dedicated single cabins at a smaller premium. One group listing, for example, priced a single balcony room at about $7,600 compared with about $6,000 per person for a standard shared balcony. Single cabins tend to sell out first.
Shorter and cheaper options
If a week-long trip is outside your budget, consider:
- Day cruises from cities such as New Orleans or St. Louis, which last a couple of hours.
- Short overnight steamboat trips on the upper river, which have been advertised from a few hundred dollars per person including meals and lodging.
These won’t match a full river cruise, but they give a taste of the river. For what the longer trips look like, see our guide to Mississippi River cruises from New Orleans.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Travel in shoulder periods. See the best time of year for a Mississippi River cruise to weigh price against weather.
- Choose a shorter itinerary. Check how long Mississippi cruises take before picking.
- Look for early-booking offers and compare what is included.
- Ask a travel advisor about current promotions, noting that some earn commissions from cruise lines.
- Compare operators. The field changed after American Queen Voyages stopped operating, so fewer lines compete on the river than before.