The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.

Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.

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Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.

Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.

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Cruise the Lower Mississippi River from New Orleans to Memphis

Cruise the Lower Mississippi River from New Orleans to Memphis: free sample chapter

Read the first chapter free. No email or account required.

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Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; facts checked on the dates shown. We may earn a commission from links; it never changes what we recommend.

Things change. We checked what we could on 2026-10-10. Several official cruise-line pages would not open for our checker, so where a fact comes from memory or from the line's general approach, we say "typically" and name the page to confirm. Confirm fares, fees, packages, itineraries and policies on the line's official page or in your booking and the line's app before you sail.

Cover block

Promise: Know where the pier is, what the ship tour is versus what you can do on your own, and when you must be back, in all eight ports and days.
Typical length: 8 days, 7 nights, New Orleans to Memphis or the reverse.
Best months: Spring and fall; summer is hot and humid and hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 (as of 2026-10-10; confirm on the National Hurricane Center page).
Budget band: Fixed items we verified are small: Vicksburg National Military Park admission is $20 per private vehicle or $10 per person on foot or bike for ages 16 and up (checked Oct 10, 2026); National Civil Rights Museum admission is $25 adult (checked Oct 10, 2026). The fare, flights, hotel and tips are your blanks in Chapter 8.
Best for: Curious adults who want Southern history, music and food, and do not need a big ship.

At a glance

Eight days, one ship, about eight ports of call, almost no sea days; most days you dock in the morning.
You will hear about slavery on the River Road; choose a tour that tells it directly. We recommend Whitney Plantation.
Book Whitney and the Civil Rights Museum before you leave home.
Check whether the hotel night is in your fare; it differs by line.
Water levels can reorder the route; keep your flight home flexible.
Memphis debarkation morning is the tight spot for flights.