A Viking River Cruises' ship that was sailing up the Mississippi River was halted on Thursday, October 6, after low water levels forced the ship to end her voyage earlier than scheduled.
A statement from the company said that unusually low water levels along the Mississippi had "caused sections of the river to be closed, impacting all northbound and southbound shipping traffic."
"The closures have caused delays that will prevent the Viking Mississippi from completing the sailing underway and from reaching St Paul (Minnesota) for her next scheduled departure on October 15."
The affected vessel was Viking Mississippi, a boat that has 193 staterooms for up to 386 passengers and claims to be the "first truly modern cruise ship in the region."
The river's low water levels have been caused by light rainfall levels in the region since August. More than 84% of the state of Mississippi is currently experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
Viking Cruises said that customers had been notified but did not clarify whether or not they would be reimbursed/moved to another ship.
Viking Mississippi returned back to New Orleans (satellite AIS tracker) and the next scheduled voyage was canceled (departure October 15th, out of Saint Paul MN).