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. 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. Photos: Major Cruise Lines Are Postponing Sailings Amid Covid At the time we did we also asked that trip insurance be added. Viking have done this every year since 2012, knowing they are unable to dock there but still taking Port Tax from every passenger. Most river cruise lines do not allow guests to cancel pre-cruise without penalty except for in the most extreme circumstances. Royal Caribbean Group's Celebrity Cruises has canceled four sailings from March 26 through April 16 aboard the Celebrity Eclipse, which has yet to return to service, a spokesperson for the. To date we have sent a certified *** ****** ***** letter to VRC and had no response. Water levels are unpredictable and can vary day by day, depending on what the weather brings. The key dimensions of the Avalon Vista are: River boats are built in such a way that for bridge clearance, the mast, pilot house, and sun shades can be lowered. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Not your fault but took 5 flights, 1 whole day in airport, 1 whole night and 2 hotels to get to the ship 3 1/2 days late. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. Breeze through security with CLEAR lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Cruise Canceled Due to Low Water Levels 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. I checked with many countries and all their restrictions have been dropped. Four excursions that I wanted are already sold out. An apology is not good enough. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. How could we?? This may involve the cruise line putting you up in one or more hotels and paying for restaurant meals. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Learn to how to find the cheapest awards. NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHERWe will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. I also called the insurance company and was told that to get a refund we had to notify them two weeks before the trip start date. The Rhine River is the main artery for German and Swiss transportation and also French, said Schreiner. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Call a Viking Expert at 0800 319 66 60 or see your Travel Advisor. We called our AAA travel agent and she notified Viking on September 17,2022, we were scheduled to leave on September 22,2022. In times of high water, river boats can reduce their height by: Another aspect of river cruising is how much water does the ship draft? BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. We purchased Travel Protection Insurance. Some years, low water levels caused disruptions as early as June and some years as late as October. Like most cruise lines, Viking canceled all of its sailings during the pandemic. Viking River Cruises: Reviews, Complaints, Customer Claims Want all money refunded. Desired outcome: Weve taken note of your feedback and while we understand you have already been in contact with our team, if you'd like discuss this matter further we welcome you to email TellUs@vikingcruises.com with your booking information. 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. However, as everyone knows, predicting the weather is not an exact science. Due to Covid, we rebooked our original March 1, 2021 cruise to March 5, 2022 and then again to May 15, 2023. Thats because the weight of the cargo such vessels carry affects their draft (the distance between the ships bottom and the water line). 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. This made it impossible to catch the next flight from ***** to buenos Aries. On 10/12 as our plane was taxiing for departure, my husband suffered a medical emergency. Dozens of cruises have been cancelled and some ports in the Caribbean and South America are turning ships away from making . We also carry about 500 tons of water, that is ballast and fresh water for the guests.. River flows are never static and are subject to fluctuations that are unpredictable. Refund on premium air payments that we did not receive in premiumservice. Part refund, at least 25%. Viking Cruises | Cruise Ship List - Delta Skymiles Cruises Desired outcome: TPG values it at $1,600. 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. Read full review of Viking River Cruises Thanks for reaching out, M Mulmech., although we regret to learn of your disappointment with your hotel arrangements. Booking # XXXXXXX Due to Covid pandemic our cruise got cancelled. I explain ship swapping in the section: . If the water issues are closer to the beginning or end of an itinerary, cruisers may have to spend a few days in hotels or bussing to destinations rather than sailing there. We booked a 14 day cruise with extra days upon arrival in ****** and departure in **** in ****. Business Section was crowded 8 units wide while first class just in front #1. They refuse to accept the fact that they changed the terms of the contract. The 13-city cruise was supposed to take passengers between St. Paul and New . Other ships were docked at the pier. This also had the water turned off and was unable to flush. This met the 11/30 deadline for a "risk free guarantee" enabling change of plans up to 24 hours before sailing. We booked a January 2021 cruise. This river begins in the Alps near the Italy-French border and is fed by snowmelt. They feature elegant Scandinavian design, spacious staterooms with large verandas, and both indoor and al . Cruises - Very disappointed with Viking River Cruises - Reservation # 2672768 We were supposed to do a river cruise and ended up doing a motor coach tour due to low river levels. . Viking has lost four loyal customers with 10 past cruises between us. There are critical points, like the one on the Rhine River, right in the Rhine Gorge, Schreiner explained. Viking Mississippi is one of Viking's largest river ships, measuring 450 feet (137 meters) long and weighing approximately 5,000 gross tons. It, along with the Viking Sky, is classified as a small ship, with 465 staterooms, capable of carrying 930 guests. 2022 is now cancelled and will be replaced with new roundtrip voyages from Southampton to the Caribbean via the Canary Islands and New York. We Vikings inability to resolve an issue with, Withholding of monies and shore excursion, Refusal to honor its cancellation policy, My bag is still missing and I will request. The food was awful , the service bad some waiters were very rude we were forced to do a lot of included tours or couldnt leave the ship . We have rescheduled 2x as we refuse to get the Covid vaccine and Viking will not allow boarding if you are not 100% vaccinated. . If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. 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. This meant I was unable to book any excursions or drinks package, despite trying as soon as they were released. On 9/12/21 we realized the 2022 sailing impractical and cancelled for cruise credits (#s XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX) Is it cheaper to stay out in the bay and use your own tender? On April 7, Virgin Voyages updated its advisory that all regular Scarlet Lady cruises are canceled through September 17, 2021. . 2022. Holland America Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. 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. If you are booked on a river cruise for later this year, do not make any snap decisions. Please DO NOT add attachments that contain your or other peoples personal information, if you dont want it to be visible to the public. This insurance company is worthless and doesn't live up to the stated reimbursements as advertised in its' brochure. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. Bookings with more than 30 persons Conference bookings made by Customers Service and Sales Department Bookings paid by invoice by companies Companies with annual agreements Bookings with more than 5 hotel rooms The specific conditions that apply to your booking can be found in your . Our flexible deposit policy applies to new reservations only made between 17 December 2022 to 31 March 2023 and is combinable with all other Viking offers available. On the last day, all running water was turned off until we left the ship. We rebooked yet again and we're told that we had to have the vaccine before we would be able to take our trip. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. Heres what you need to know. She really needs this positive experience to look forward to. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Then before the departure, Viking cancelled operations and offered us vouchers for future cruises. It is getting harder and harder to book excursions on Viking cruises, so I would advise anyone planning a cruise with them to think twice, if excursions are important to them. But this is one American that will never sail with this awful company ever again. The Rhine River in general is not that deep. At the other end of the Po, ocean water has flooded the last 12 miles of the river damaging crops and contaminating drinking water. The other typical plan is to put the passengers on buses to get around the affected areas. I have three times tried to contact Viking, by phone, email, and chat. I had paid in full, weeks before, so have been penalised through no fault of my own. Viking River Cruises is probably the best known European river cruising company, and has a wide range of river cruise options in Europe. By. Cruise Lines Planned Reopenings: The Complete List Viking Cruises' New Safety Protocols Include Daily COVID-19 Testing 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. For every day that is altered, AmaWaterways guests will get 50% of the daily rate they paid as a future cruise credit. The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. Should you have any lingering questions ahead of your voyage, we welcome you to call our Service Specialists at [protected] where we would be happy to assist where possible. Viking changed our flight schedule at very short notice. Each time I received a pro forma answer saying "it is company policy that future cruise credits have no cash value and cannot be refunded or exchanged once booked." They said they did. We said yes. You will, however, still get a vacation in Europe, even if its not the one you expected. What? Europe is experiencing unprecedented drought and heat conditions. The plane returned to the gate and he was transported to the local hospital. The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. Viking Plans A Robust 2021 2022 Cruise Season Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. As compensation we have been offered a derisory 200 voucher towards a future cruise. by Steve CaseLast updated September 6, 2022. At no point when we rebooked using our vouchers, were we told the vouchers were not covered under the insurance plan. If the region has had an excess of rain, raising the river greatly, the river ship may have problems clearing bridges and other obstacles. Feb 1, 2023. This guarantee is combinable with all other Viking offers available. ST PAUL, Minn. There's been a lot of fanfare surrounding America's Great River cruise operated by Viking Cruises. My husband surprised me with the explorer suite,the room was beautiful,the balcony was amazing. Cruise delayed because of COVID. Guests and travel advisors with affected departures have been notified. They have no intentions of giving my money back .Do I not have any rights? He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. I had insurance and filed a claim. They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called . Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. If you happen to be in the same position there is a group forming to file a class action law suit against Viking. 2. The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. No partial refund was given and I lost the total deposit of $1000.I understand that the T&Cs outline the refund policy. Expires March 31, 2023. Sandi. Many passengers were still on board at this time and were unable to flush toilets or wash their hands. 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. If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. As a consequence all water amenities, main pool, infinity pool, jacuzzi and spa were closed for the whole of the cruise! (I doubt theyll get that right). AMA Waterways | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Subscribe to Apple News. I will never travel with Viking . Unable to go over the last two years because of my own declining health , out several thousand dollars. It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. He lied. We only wanted our money to be applied to another cruise in 2023. She and her husband Ed recently took an 8-day cruise on the Viking Venus off the . I was sailing aboard the Avalon Vista two months ago on a cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland along the Rhine River. 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). Another point that travelers should understand is that when the news reports low water levels, its not that an entire river has dried up and is impassable. I purchased a cruise for my wife and myself then Covid hit. The first five miles of headwaters have completely dried up. Risk-Free Guarantee - Viking River Cruises Before you decide to. 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 In fact, how a business responds to customer complaints is one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating. We were being reimbursed for the cash amount paid but not the amount of the vouchers. 23. Because we were given a voucher, we can not get out money back. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. He replied "absolutely no way both medically and because ************ weakens her immune system!" 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. Their ad is wonderful but after all is said and done it is all crap. River Cruises Respond to Austrian Lockdown, Impact on Sailings After checking cancellation conditions online which indicates $200 up to a certain date I booked a river cruise for 2024 the deposit was $2000pp. 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. Really, what is a big deal here? I asked the captain how deep the ship would be if it sank. 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 ask if I could have the number to her managers boss she said no. Companies will need more ships to carry the same amount of cargo, increasing transportation costs all of which have a negative impact on the European economy. This was a question that I asked myself before booking my Rhine River cruise. It will take of the expiring vouchers and the booking can be changed with no problem whatsoever once a schedule for 2024 becomes available. (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business. 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. Special Cruise Savings | Viking Ocean Cruises One thing Amawaterways and many other river lines do is run two ships simultaneously on the same one-way itinerary, with one ship starting at one end and the other on the opposite end. Viking is probably the most unsympathetic/unprofessional company I have ever experienced. All other passages from ******* for the same Antarctica cruise with Viking Octantis got their boarding passes with no problem. Or, you might have a few port stops changed out for new ones, or spend more time than you prefer in busses or hotels, possibly with shorter visits to destinations that now require longer bus rides. Viking River Cruises has left an official reply on this complaint. The problem with river cruises is that they are affected by both high and low water levels. 4. is a travel editor for TPG, with a focus on cruise travel. Viking's 2022 World Cruise Sold Out so Quickly, It's Offering - Leisure We rebooked the trip for 10/12-10/23/22. It closely resembles one of Viking's highest rated world cruises in the past, Chairman Torstein Hagen said in a live webinar Sunday when passengers were notified of the change. By the time I could ring Viking, the excursion was sold out and the drinks package price had increased. I appreciate the time. 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. They can go up, they can go down, rain can come in.. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Any comments Viking? Here is a message that appears on the Viking River Cruise webpage: The cruise line may elect to cancel your cruise. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. passengers asked if ports on the new itinerary may close and if there's a chance the cruise could be canceled while underway. This happened 52 days before sailing. 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. We accepted the vouchers in good faith. On February 1, the shore excursion booking system opened up for the ocean segment of my trip. The cruise line offered her future cruise vouchers worth 125 percent of her fare. Then in Philadelphia , I am out the $3500 no matter what) and a friend who will take my place must pay her full share of the room as well! Viking Cruises has ceased all operations in Russia this year in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The typical characteristics of river boats regardless of cruise line are about the same. The drought category in England has reached the most severe designation of severe drought. This requirement was enacted after we booked this trip . Why all other passages under the same situation had no such problem were not explained by Viking. We promise not to send you any unrelated messages, Click here if youd like to unsubscribe from notifications about new complaints of Viking River Cruises. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. Viking River Cruises The line is canceling all 2022 departures of its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary. We were running between the airlines at ***** to find out what was going on, very frustrating. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. My Trip - Updates on Current Sailings - Viking River Cruises An insult! This allowed Viking to retain the majority of our payment since We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. Maximum capacities of 164 passengers and 47 crew. We opted for the voucher. #VikingVictims. 488 total complaints in the last 3 years. Since the ships are nearly identical, if you do transfer to another ship, you should be in a similar stateroom as the original ship. But all was not lost. If water levels are low, cargo ships cannot carry their normal loads of freight. When Viking informed me that the alternative flight was booked, I was not told that I had to pay the tickets myself in order to obtain the boarding pass. - Refusal to honor its cancellation policy, Viking trip shortened due to weather, no refund. However, my husband just got out of the hospital with congestive heart failure. Their luggage has been moved over automatically so by the time they arrive on the ship they have their luggage, and then they sail on the other ship back to the destination.. Desired outcome: We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. On 11/22 we received an email from Trip Mate regarding the resolution of our claim. They said they did not think we could get a refund as our money had been converted to a voucher and vouchers were not refundable with our insurance. We booked a Viking River Cruise with AAA travel in August of 2019 for $14,497 for two people which excludes the insurance cost. I also booked this trip years ago when there was not a vaccine mandate.They will not return my money of around $22000.00 They told me I did not need vaccinations for 2022 ,now I found out we do .We do not believe in the vaccinations and I told them that right out front. That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything was fine and we rebooked for Jan 2022. After 5 minutes she came back and said the manager said nothing they could do but charge a 50 percent fee for canceling. And rebooked the following summer My travel partner , my sister, died 6 months before our trip that next summer die to COVID. Viking Cruise Offers
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