(CNN) — A Viking river cruiser heading north up the Mississippi River cannot complete its journey due to low water levels, according to a company statement Thursday.
“Abnormally low water levels along the Mississippi River have caused sections of the river to be closed, affecting all northbound and southbound marine traffic,” the statement said.
“The closures have caused delays that will prevent the viking mississippi to complete the navigation in progress and reach Saint-Paul [Minnesota] for her next scheduled departure on October 15,” the statement read.
The cruise line said customers were notified of the issue, although they did not provide details on the number of passengers affected.
Mississippi River caught in growing drought
The ship isn’t the only one having trouble on America’s First River.
Under drought conditions, low water levels along the Mississippi have forced several barges to run aground over the past week, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday.
Drought and Abnormal Drought “continue to develop and intensify from the Plains to the Mississippi River Basin, and have now extended farther into the Midwest and Southeast. Low water levels are impacting barge traffic on the Mississippi River during harvest, a crucial time,” the NOAA website says.
European summer replay?
The Mississippi River situation has unfolded in other parts of the world this year.
The Rhine is one of Europe’s most crucial trade routes – and a hugely popular cruising route filled with fairytale castles and breathtaking views. These cruises have taken a hit.
Some river cruise ships were able to lighten the load and carry on. Others had to change routes while some river vessels had to cancel their voyages altogether.
And now those same decisions are revisited on America’s mightiest river.
Top image: The Viking Mississippi cruise ship docks in Dubuque, Iowa on Sept. 6, 2022, while the river was still passable for the ship. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP)
