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W I N T E R I S S U E 2 6
chicken, lobster mac and cheese, perfectly
seasoned gulf shrimp… the list goes on of
scrumptious foods of the South, influenced
by soul food, Cajun traditions and lots of
butter. The Viking chefs did a fantastic job of
surprising and delighting us each night with
locally inspired dishes. How to choose
between the pecan pie and red velvet
cheesecake? Impossible. Taste them both.
SMALL TOWN, HUGE WELCOME
It seemed as if every resident in Greenville,
Mississippi came out to meet and warmly
greet us, so excited were they to welcome
visitors to their town. The largest river port in
the state, its rural setting has spawned a
vibrant music and artistic heritage. Award-
winning singer-songwriter Steve Azar and his
band put on a spectacular show at the town's
visitor centre that had me and hundreds of
Viking guests clapping and swaying to the
beat. We feasted on delicious catfish, pulled
pork, coleslaw and banana pudding—all
included as part of the complimentary
shore excursion.
SPECTACULAR SUNSETS
Nothing prepared me for how gorgeous the
golden sunsets were on the Mississippi River,
the fourth-longest river in the world. My
favourite spot to take in the view was up on
Deck 5 at the Sun Terrace, relaxing on one of
the lounges, evening cocktail in hand. By the
time the sun disappeared from view each
night, I was ready to sit down for some hearty
American classics at the River Café.
GETTING THERE: The 8-day
Mississippi Delta Explorer takes
guests from New Orleans, Louisiana
to Memphis, Tennessee or in reverse.
LOUISIANA
MISSISSIPPI
New Orleans
St. Francisville
Darrow
Natchez
Vicksburg
TENNESSEE
Memphis
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
Greenville
Baton Rouge
Nashville
–
C r ui s e
••
O ve r night
VIEW
VOYAGE
From top: New Orleans
decorated for Mardi Gras;
Whitney Plantation.
