Viking’s 2023 sailings for its Mississippi river cruises are now on sale, following a surge in demand.

The company’s first custom vessel, Viking Mississippi, will debut in August 2022 and will sail voyages on the Lower and Upper Mississippi river, between New Orleans and St. Paul.

Scheduled ports of call in 2022 include Louisiana (Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans and St. Francisville); Mississippi (Natchez and Vicksburg); Tennessee (Memphis); Missouri (Hannibal, St. Louis); Iowa (Burlington, Dubuque and Davenport); Wisconsin (La Crosse); and Minnesota (Red Wing, St. Paul).

Strong demand has led Viking to open additional 2023 sailing dates sooner than originally expected.

Viking chairman Torstein Hagen said: “We are very pleased at the initial response and support we have received from guests and community partners along the Mississippi river.

“Like me, many travellers are planning ahead for when we will once again be exploring the world in comfort – to exotic destinations as well as those closer to home. We look forward to welcoming guests as we bring modern river cruising to the Mississippi river in 2022.”

Viking expects to take more than 5,800 guests to the region in 2022 and more than 17,600 during the first full sailing season in 2023.

Speaking earlier this year at the announcement of the new ship, Hagen said: “We invented the concept of modern river cruising when we got our start 23 years ago – first on the rivers of Russia and then in Europe.

“Since then, many people have come to appreciate the unique exploration that comes with river cruising—but currently there are very few options to do so on American rivers.

“Our guests are curious travellers, and they continue to tell us that the Mississippi is the river they most want to sail with us. No other waterway has played such an important role in America’s history, commerce and culture.”