Today, the Mississippi River cruise traffic is approximately 32,500 passengers sailing with American Cruise Line and the American Queen Steamboat Company, according to the 2015-2016 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.
After years of ups and down, the market seems to have stabilized with new and refurbished vessels. That may all change, however, with Viking River Cruises announced plans to introduce six new river vessels on the Mississippi over three years, starting in late 2017.
Pending the size of Viking’s river vessels, they could more than double or even triple the river capacity over three years, assuming that each of the new river vessels carry at least 200 passengers and sail 40 cruises each year.
In addition, American Cruise Line has announced plans to build more riverboats, although the brand also operates on the Columbia and Snake Rivers of the Pacific Northwest.
About the Annual Report:
The Cruise Industry News Annual Report is the only book of its kind, presenting the worldwide cruise industry through 2025 in 350+ pages. Statistics are independently researched. See a preview of last year’s edition by clicking here.
The report covers everything from new ships on order to supply-and-demand scenarios from 1987 through 2021+. Plus there is a future outlook, complete growth projections for each cruise line, regional market reports, and detailed ship deployment by region and market, covering all the cruise lines.
