Viking River Cruises
Viking Mississippi
- Cruises
- 15
- From
- $3,699
Ship comparison
Viking Mississippi vs Viking Polaris
Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Polaris
- Cruises
- 31
- From
- $7,999
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Viking Mississippi is a small Viking River Cruises ship carrying 386 passengers, in service since 2022. Viking Polaris is a small Viking Ocean Cruises ship carrying 378 passengers, in service since 2022.
Choose Viking Mississippi if you want a more family-friendly ship, a lower starting fare or more culture: it outscores Viking Polaris for family friendly (5.0 vs 2.0) and cultural (7.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and its cruises start from $3,699 (vs $7,999).
Choose Viking Polaris if you want more space per passenger, a better-rated spa and gym or more adventure and nature: it outscores Viking Mississippi for spa & fitness (10.0 vs 5.0) and adventure & nature (10.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has 79.8 gross tons per passenger (vs 25.9).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Viking Mississippi | Viking Polaris | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Viking River Cruises | Viking Ocean Cruises |
| Ship size | Small | Small |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2022 | 2022 |
| Gross tonnage | 10,000 | 30,150 |
| Passengers | 386 | 378 |
| Crew | 150 | 260 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 2.6 | 1.5 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 25.9 | 79.8 (better) |
| Cabins | — | 189 |
| Decks | 5 | 7 |
| Length | 374 ft | 665 ft |
| Beam | 36 ft | 79 ft |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 7 / 10 | 10 / 10 (better) |
| Cruises on sale | 15 | 31 |
| Upcoming sailings | 102 | 112 |
| Cruise lengths | 7 to 21 nights | 7 to 80 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $3,699 (better) | $7,999 |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Viking Mississippi leads on 2 of the ten, Viking Polaris on 7, with 1 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Viking River Cruises
Viking Mississippi
The 386-passenger Viking Mississippi, which launched in August 2022, brings the Viking brand as the top river cruise outfit in the world to Mississippi river cruising.
Sailing now
15 cruises on sale, from $3,699.
About Viking Mississippi Plan my cruise on Viking Mississippi
Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Polaris
Viking Polaris debuted in August 2022 with sailings from Norway to the Arctic. Polaris is the second expedition cruise ship introduced by Viking Cruises under its new Viking Expeditions brand, following Viking Octantis.
Sailing now
31 cruises on sale, from $7,999.
Questions
Viking Mississippi or Viking Polaris?
Which is bigger, Viking Mississippi or Viking Polaris?
Viking Polaris is bigger at 30,150 gross tons, against 10,000 gross tons for Viking Mississippi. Viking Mississippi carries 386 passengers and Viking Polaris carries 378.
Which ship is newer, Viking Mississippi or Viking Polaris?
Both made their maiden voyage in 2022.
Which has more space per passenger?
Viking Polaris, with 79.8 gross tons per passenger against 25.9 on Viking Mississippi. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Viking Polaris, with one crew member for every 1.5 passengers against one for every 2.6 on Viking Mississippi.
Which is better for families?
Viking Mississippi scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 5.0 out of 10, against 2.0 for Viking Polaris.
Still deciding?
Tell us what matters and we will match the sailing
Send your dates, budget and who is travelling, and our partner travel agency will come back to you about Viking Mississippi, Viking Polaris or a ship that suits you better.