Viking Cruise Lines to Start Docking in Hannibal in 2021-22

If you think Hannibal plays host to a lot of river cruise ships in the summer and fall, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

At the official opening of the Shinn Lane roundabout Wednesday, Hannibal Mayor James Hark announced that Viking River Cruises will start making regular stops in Hannibal as soon as late 2021.

Viking had announced it was coming to town in 2015, but told city officials last November that it had put its plans to cruise the Mississippi on hold.

Mayor Hark announced that Viking now plans to build six cruise ships that will each make 19 river excursions between July and October, starting in late 2021 or early 2022.

Each Viking cruise ship would carry up to 338 passengers with a crew of 120.

This will be in addition to the 30 or so cruise ship stops in Hannibal by American Cruise Lines and the American Steamboat Company.