Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. However, the most important part of any cruise, for me is the excursion choice. You will, however, still get a vacation in Europe, even if its not the one you expected. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. No materials from this website may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way. In June, there were places along the Po that completely dried up. Viking Mississippi is one of Viking's largest river ships, measuring 450 feet (137 meters) long and weighing approximately 5,000 gross tons. This is due to the cruise line planning on new summer UK domestic cruises for UK vaccinated residents only. Submit a complaint and get your issue resolved. One of the most popular rivers, the Rhine has river levels falling fast. #VikingVictims. Viking Neptune is a new ship that will join the fleet in 2022. Then they said (under the Risk Free Guarantee) we could have a voucher, but it would be a combined voucher which could only be used for one future trip. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. We never sign or agree to sail with vaccines passport as requirement.No one respond our emails or our attorney except a woman name ******************************* that behaves like an iron wall to talk to anyone else. Also lost out on the cruise vouchers. "But this is not a problem at all" - he said, because all we need is to make a booking for any date, just as a placeholder. Passes which had been canceled since BA flight had been late. Princess Cruises | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. Then in Philadelphia "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have canceled several trips as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc with the cruise . But our plea was denied. It turns out that for the most part, if the ship sank, we would be high and dry standing on the sun deck. The food was excellent. Viking changed their policy after they took all our money, lured us into taking now worthless vouchers. As a consequence all water amenities, main pool, infinity pool, jacuzzi and spa were closed for the whole of the cruise! This is why most lines are not offering flexible cancellation policies or waiving penalties for canceling a river cruise because theyre worried their itinerary will get disrupted due to low water levels. Oceania officials said Russian and Ukrainian ports would be removed from 2022 itineraries, while Viking River Cruises canceled . The Viking Ocean Cruises 2022 Grand Polynesia Voyage has come to a triumphant completion in Los Angeles. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. This site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. South America & the Chilean Fjords - Ocean Cruise Dates & Pricing South America & the Chilean Fjords From $5,999 | 18 Days | 8 Guided Tours | 4 Countries Itinerary Dates & Pricing Resources For current fares, please call a Viking Expert: 1-866-984-5464 or Request a Quote today. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. Review for Viking Osiris to Middle East Swirling Kilt 2-5 Cruises Age 60s Read More Sail Date: December 2022 Cabin Type: Suite with Veranda Helpful Christmas on the Mississippi Review for. Airfares vary on other gateways & departures. What? I thought that Viking was reputable, so I put too much faith in them. Viking is not a good company to work with. Ive asked that one room in the hotels have two separate beds for our two adult children who do not want to share a bed. Call to book now: 1-800-207-7286. I even requested they review the phone call and they refused. Desired outcome: They may run multiple ships back-to-back where you would transfer to another ship where the river is having navigational issues. If, however, we forfeit the ******* spent in anticipation of this vacation, Viking would loose us as customers, but as a sophisticated internet user, my wife will use her homebound time posting this saga on as many travel sites as possible. Viking Mississippi - As of January 23, 2023 Due to damage from substantial river debris to the Viking Mississippi 's propulsion system, the ship will undergo repairs requiring the cancellation of upcoming departures. Any comments Viking? This complaint has been resolved automatically due to user's inactivity. But it is for us. International Association of Better Business Bureaus. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. The climate in Europe is changing and not for the better. This met the 11/30 deadline for a "risk free guarantee" enabling change of plans up to 24 hours before sailing. Other ships were docked at the pier. Part refund, at least 25%. This they We appreciate you sharing your experience, Trevor, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. But this is one American that will never sail with this awful company ever again. We were given misinformation by their employee, to which their supervisor stated that verbal statements do not count. - Refusal to honor its cancellation policy, Viking trip shortened due to weather, no refund. Global warming is indeed having an effect on European rivers. We would never do a river cruise again, Paid for a cruise in Nov 2021 for an Oct 2022 cruise, 2 days before departure I broke both wrists, contacted Viking about a credit for for a future cruise - a very rude man said Viking would do nothing- they had my money for almost a year and basically told me "to bad". London was on an older plane with 3 seats on the left and right. My experience with Viking River Cruises is that if they cancel, they will either refund your money or . Editor in Chief He was assertive and very confident, pushy and eager to make the booking. Heres what you need to know about water levels on Europe rivers and what to expect if youre booked on a river cruise or considering booking one. Norwegian Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. In a statement issued to the Star Tribune, Viking confirmed that some of the ship's first scheduled departures were canceled this summer, and that the luxury vessel is temporarily operating. We have a very good rain forecast for this Thursday/Friday, and fairly heavy rains coming, so [the situation] might change.. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. We purchased Travel Protection Insurance. About 20 poeple's bag on the flight didn't make it. Enrollment required. After contacting viking to inform the situation, Viking booked another flight for us. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. Cancellation conditions 2. For the cabin on the cruise, we indicated separate beds for their cabin. Subscribe to RSS It was our first river cruise it was 23 days Bucharest to Amsterdam with Viking . They refuse to let us rebook with the voucher and actually suggested if we want to rebook we would have to pay them all over again. Holland America Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. When we arrived ************* to get our boarding pass, we were told that viking booked our tickets but did not pay for the tickets. In 2020 we were contacted via email and told that this cruise was also cancelled and we could book another cruise and receive a 125% credit toward a future cruise with a risk free guarantee and it said we could change our plans up to 24 hours before departure. It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. I ask if I could have the number to her managers boss she said no. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. This is insulting and is clearly bait and switch type behavior. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. ST PAUL, Minn. There's been a lot of fanfare surrounding America's Great River cruise operated by Viking Cruises. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. is a travel editor for TPG, with a focus on cruise travel. Rather than focusing on the number of complaints, BBB considers how frequently and effectively those complaints are resolved. Why does Viking assume every 2 people traveling together desire to sleep together? Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link, Change your cruise date up to 14 days prior to departure, The ultimate flexibility: You have 24 months to select your new cruise date, Combinable with all other Viking offers. Booking 6819824. We later booked a future cruise and then learned of the medical requirement which we are advised may be harmful to us because of pre-existing heart conditions. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. You dont know a week or 10 days in advance what will happen with the water levels. Anybody got any idea what do I do? However, as everyone knows, predicting the weather is not an exact science. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. Desired outcome: By. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. The guest services lady said well you can complain at the Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. Just as with ocean sailings, theres always a risk that weather and river/sea conditions can impact that itinerary, and cruisers must accept that itineraries cannot be set in stone. Viking Polaris Current cruise: 13 days, one-way from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso-Santiago Viking Expeditions Tracker Itineraries Deck plans Accidents Viking Neptune Current cruise: 137 days, one-way from Fort Lauderdale to London-Tilbury Viking Ocean Tracker Itineraries Deck plans Viking Mars Current cruise: 14 days, one-way from Sydney to Auckland Bad cruise experience, shore excursions, bad weather bad handling, cold food, etc. Like most cruise lines, Viking canceled all of its sailings during the pandemic. . It was too windy and not safe so decided not to try to use their tender. . Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating, My husband and I took an Antarctica cruise with Viking Octantis Dec 25 to Jan 7' as an all inclusive trip, all airfares and transportations were included . I asked to speak to a manager and was told by the person I talked to I could not but she would speak with one. An apology is not good enough. The other typical plan is to put the passengers on buses to get around the affected areas. Thanks for reaching out, M Mulmech., although we regret to learn of your disappointment with your hotel arrangements. 1. The US gov has basically declared the "plandemic" over and all other mandates have been drop but Viking still won't change their policy. Read full review of Viking River Cruises Water levels on the Rhine River are set to fall close to the point where the river cannot hold ships anymore. Last week, the cruise line cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary and said it was evaluating 2022 sailing that call in Russia. Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews. Maximum capacities of 164 passengers and 47 crew. We paid for the trip and had trip insurance. This meant I was unable to book any excursions or drinks package, despite trying as soon as they were released. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. ******************************************************************************************************************************** We were looking for the same cruise we originally booked but for 2024. It, along with the Viking Sky, is classified as a small ship, with 465 staterooms, capable of carrying 930 guests. "We will not cancel any cruises," said Shreiner. Do your homework and always make informed decisions. In order to catch the next flight from ************ to ******* to get to the cruise on time we had to pay the tickets ourselves. Find out how we combat fake reviews. My only hope now is for someone to cancel what I want.About time to give my loyalty to another cruise line. I paid my travel agent in full for my cruise well before the due date, but was unable to access online booking as Viking claim the payment wasn't made. I have three times tried to contact Viking, by phone, email, and chat. I have contacted Watcdog BBC who are interested. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. I hope this is something you can help with. Just got order from Doctor to cancel due to sudden onset of autoimmune kidney disease. The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. In fact, we specifically asked their travel consultant if the vouchers would be reissued if we had to cancel again and we were told they would. This requirement was enacted after we booked this trip . This would mean that river cruise lines could face severe disruptions . We would much rather be able to post how considerate Viking has been (as well as how much we enjoyed the cruise!) Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. Fosse's cruise and land tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19. We rebooked our trip but Viking canceled it again and another voucher was issued. Desired outcome: We were told that since we used vouchers we were not eligible for a refund per policy. Viking has cancelled all 2022 departures of its Russian river cruise itineraries and ceased all operations in the country for the remainder of the year. To date we have sent a certified *** ****** ***** letter to VRC and had no response. 2. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. I was sailing aboard the Avalon Vista two months ago on a cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland along the Rhine River. I was told I would have to pay full retail fare in addition to what had already Viking made an error and owes me reimbursement for charges made on February 1. We would appreciate any help you can provide in helping us to get the rest of our money back. My husband surprised me with the explorer suite,the room was beautiful,the balcony was amazing. In fact, everything we have come to expect from Viking exceptthere were apparently a few cases of a GI infection . Mind you, my cruise cost over $27,000. Notification must be received as follows: For those with flights arranged by Viking, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of flight departure. them to clean my clothes again and every night I am on the cruise, Read full review of Viking River Cruises and 1 comment, 16 years' experience in successful complaint resolution, Each complaint is handled individually by highly qualified experts, Last but not least, all our services are absolutely free. If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. We asked to transfer the trip to my son and grandson, but transferring the tickets is not allowed. . AAA travel called Viking many times to rectify this and in December we were finally told that they would give us a $10,000 dollar credit toward another cruise and a $1,500 dollar shipboard credit. Subscribe to Apple News. They will charge you a lot of money but would not care for you at the end of the day.The places I saw needed much to be desiredI was told that at the airport someone will help us until we boarded our plane. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. Planning a cruise? A weighted-down ship sinks lower in the water and therefore needs more distance from the water line to the river bottom to sail safely without scraping the riverbed. Just realized that the cruise booked was from Antwerp to Amsterdam. Then when operations started again, we decided to book a cruise to sail November 2021 At the time we booked, vaccines were not a requirement. Not impressed and wi never book another trip with this company. Due to Covid pandemic our cruise got cancelled. What does Viking do Nothing. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. In November ******************************************* She had major surgery December 12th. We booked the *********** cruise with Viking prior to COVID *****************. Viking already runs a number of river cruises. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) Viking offered us to support the company and not get a refund if we accepted a voucher of 125% We said yes. Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. we went to our connecting American Airlines flight with our Boarding It's a human right to have access to fresh water and clean sanitation. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. Booking number: *******. At no point when we rebooked using our vouchers, were we told the vouchers were not covered under the insurance plan. Viking's treatment of it's customers makes no sense.they combined two of my trips (without asking) into one "butterfly trip" which meant when I had to cancel the first, it cancelled the 2nd. Not at all, according to Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder AmaWaterways as long as youre willing to be a little bit flexible. In May, Viking canceled that cruise. On 10/12 as our plane was taxiing for departure, my husband suffered a medical emergency. Thank you. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. Crystal River Cruises has canceled its four remaining Crystal Ravel sailings this December. In Europe, we dont cruise in January, February and into early March because its too cold, he explained. The couple shore excursions we went on were lame and horrible. Trip value now ********** On 12 November 2020 we booked another cruise and added an additional ******** to bring our out of pocket total to ********** All transactions took place before before the rollout of a "vaccine", vaccine cards, a Presidential and CDC mandates. When Viking River Cruises canceled my cruise in 2021 for Covid, they gave me a cruise voucher for 125% and some optional packages as an incentive to rebook. Now I see all this advertisement that waives ar fares , deposits and other things we paid for Horrible company in terms of customer service. SPRING SALE Special Fares Reduced Airfare Dates: Availability: NEW! Should your cruise be canceled, the cruise line will also offer compensation. We were informed by the booking person at Viking that we could change the date as necessary for as long of period of time, even years down the road. A river level that is too high or too low can affect an otherwise great cruising experience. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, The best places to see cherry blossoms around the US this spring, Looking back: How my points and miles strategy has changed over the years, The best increased card offers to sign up for this March. Courtesy Sheila Davies. Another section of river that can be negatively affected by low water levels is the Danube, past the last lock in Slovakia heading downriver toward Hungary. Spoke to several people today, including a supervisor My husband and I were scheduled to leave for our Viking cruise around Spain on Jan. 11. She and her husband Ed recently took an 8-day cruise on the Viking Venus off the . Regent Seven Seas Cruises was the cruise line forced to change the most stops planned for Russia, which included visits to the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and St. Petersburg, as well as Odessa, Ukraine. Jan 26, 2023 01:33pm. And rebooked the following summer My travel partner , my sister, died 6 months before our trip that next summer die to COVID. Viking Plans A Robust 2021 2022 Cruise Season Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical of a vaccine status made us cancel again. This insurance company is worthless and doesn't live up to the stated reimbursements as advertised in its' brochure. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. Weve taken note of your feedback and if you'd like discuss your trip further and welcome you to email TellUs@vikingcruises.com with your booking information. The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. Experts are saying that the current drought in Europe could be the worst in 500 years, with water levels dropping, especially along the Rhine River. January 27, 2018. Then when operations started again, we decided to book a cruise to sail November 2021 At the time we booked, vaccines were not a requirement. Desired outcome: Please DO NOT add attachments that contain your or other peoples personal information, if you dont want it to be visible to the public. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. To go on the cruise people do not have to supply a negative covid test so you still go on the cruise in theory even if you have covid. How the Coronavirus Might Impact My Upcoming Viking River Cruise, Update: My Viking River Cruise And Their Coronavirus Response, Reivew: Nile River Cruise on the Grand Princess Amwaj. BBB is here to help. Sheila Davies is a retired gas industry professional based in Northumberland, England. 23. Call us at 800-454-0927 to speak to a Cruise Concierge today. At the other end of the Po, ocean water has flooded the last 12 miles of the river damaging crops and contaminating drinking water. In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. My experience with Viking River Cruises is that if they cancel, they will either refund your money or give you a voucher in excess of the cruise value for you to rebook. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. US. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. A recent CNN article proclaimed that summer droughts like the current one, plus global warming, could signal a death knell for river cruises in the near future. I took into account the following factors and then made an educated guess: Taking all of these factors into account, we booked for mid-June. Italy is in the worst drought in over 70 years. Tauck says it deals with compensation on a case-by-case basis. Schreiner says that the last time Europe experienced extremely low water levels, in 2018, the economic impact was around 5.4 million euros ($5.4 million). We have been waiting patiently for two years for a refund, relying on the We had planned a trip in 2021 and when Viking changed their requirements we chose to cancel our trip. Really, what is a big deal here? See details. We are not asking for a refund for the vouchers but to simply have them reissued to be used toward another cruise.
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