Viking Cruises. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Courtesy Sheila Davies. The draft is the amount of vessel that is below the water line. Change of travel requirements after full payment received/ignoring request for full refund. 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. We paid some #10,000 for premium air. He lied. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. Viking Mississippi is one of Viking's largest river ships, measuring 450 feet (137 meters) long and weighing approximately 5,000 gross tons. These conditions include: Lately, Europe has seen temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). ************************************* Cruises that was set to sail in April 2020. 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. The ship can welcome up to 386 passengers, and. You could tear down the house and build a dam there, but that is not what is going to happen.. Why all other passages under the same situation had no such problem were not explained by Viking. Thanks for reaching out, Itom, although we regret to learn of your experience with booking excursions. Viking River Cruises Viking Rolf (Photo: Viking River Cruises) The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, A beginners guide to picking a cruise line, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Later after giving our deposit (another $8,000) we found out that ******** become a requirement to sail.My husband and I, both for health reasons can not get the vaccines and Viking to this time has been holding our money ($11,367.50) for 3 years (going to the 4th) even when we have requested several times and even hired an attorney to get our money back.When we booked the 2nd cruise, no one told us that we will loose our chance to get a refund. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. Don't sail Viking unless you are guaranteed of going on the trip. 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. Cannot recommend whatsoever - there are better cruise lines who deliver & care about providing a decent level of customer experience - avoid them if you can. More details in attachment. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. 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. Vikings' policy allows no refund under the circumstances (i.e. That is why Viking is offering a limited-time offerthe most flexible of any cruise lineso that you can plan your voyage with peace of mind. Vikings inability to resolve an issue with their on line booking. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. A place on the excursion I tried to book. In 2021, the cruise line plans to launch their seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. We booked a Viking River Cruise with AAA travel in August of 2019 for $14,497 for two people which excludes the insurance cost. Cruise delayed because of COVID. In November 2020, we rebooked, the Cities of Antiquity and Holy Land Cruise, scheduled for Nov-Dec 2022, paying the additional fare. 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. 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. No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. However, you wont be entirely out of luck if your itinerary changes once you arrive at your ship. Sheila Davies is a retired gas industry professional based in Northumberland, England. This site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. But now some of those waterway dreams seem set to run aground. If the level is too low, the vessel may run aground or need an alternative docking arrangement. We then Our Viking cruise embarkation was delayed by 2 days, shortening our trip from 12 to 10 days. 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. Expected weather conditions during the cruise. This made it impossible to catch the next flight from ***** to buenos Aries. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. "But its clear that river cruising is not going away anytime soon.". We did not see ANY of Spain. We are not asking for anything other than our money back. I was told to claim on my travel insurance if I had any.I had to send three emails to receive a response and cancellation certificate from Viking Cruises. In the case of low water, the crew can dump the ballast water and reduce the freshwater to 60 tons (two days worth), and just refill as needed. What? 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. In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. Viking Cruise recommends that their customers insure their travel & trip with Trip Mate Travel Insurance. We paid for the trip and had trip insurance. Labeled Verified, theyre about genuine experiences.Learn more about other kinds of reviews. Desired outcome: BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. My only hope now is for someone to cancel what I want.About time to give my loyalty to another cruise line. Fraud and deception! Guests and travel advisors with affected departures have been notified. Viking Cruises is a cruise line providing river and ocean cruises, with operations based in Basel, Switzerland. I am extremely disappointed that a once in a lifetime trip I have been looking forward to for two years is now marred before we even get on the ship. Given the current COVID situation (and that 3 of the 4 countries we were slated to visit are currently closed), we decided we should cancel. (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business. Our ships have a very low draftabout five feet, he explained. 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. We accepted and paid an additional insurance premium. At no point when we rebooked using our vouchers, were we told the vouchers were not covered under the insurance plan. Scheduled and rescheduled elder family care and pet sitting services. Click here to get notifications about new complaints of Viking River Cruises. Viking Ocean Ships Currently Sailing: Viking Jupiter Viking Orion Viking Mars Viking Neptune Viking Saturn Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Venus Vikings entire river fleet of over 75 ships is also actively sailing. Viking Plans A Robust 2021 2022 Cruise Season Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. Thu 13 Jan 2022 01.00 EST Last modified on Thu 13 Jan 2022 18.22 EST. On the next British Airways flight from London to Philadelphia, The This cruise has been sold out for weeks so if Viking reinstates the voucher, the cabin could be resold. Guests have the option to transfer their reservation to 2022; receive a 100% future cruise credit . Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. The whole point of purchasing trip insurance, especially in this time of Covid, was to protect ourselves in the event of a last minute emergency. Most river cruise lines do not allow guests to cancel pre-cruise without penalty except for in the most extreme circumstances. coach. 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. - Refusal to honor its cancellation policy, Viking trip shortened due to weather, no refund. 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". It was not a condition of completing this trip. View all of our Luxury Cruise sailings and offers. She is scheduled to start ************ this week. 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 used these to book on cruise OJUXXXXXX Booking Number XXXXXXX. This guarantee is combinable with all other Viking offers available. we went to our connecting American Airlines flight with our Boarding Thanks for reaching out, M Mulmech., although we regret to learn of your disappointment with your hotel arrangements. Global warming is indeed having an effect on European rivers. You dont cruise in Egypt in June/July because its too hot. Published: Aug. 08, 2022, 9:30 a.m. Richard Andersen booked a fully-paid Viking cruise with his partner but it was canceled because of COVID. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. They offered us a voucher for 125% or a cash refund. Water levels are unpredictable and can vary day by day, depending on what the weather brings. Dozens of cruises have been cancelled and some ports in the Caribbean and South America are turning ships away from making . 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. Submit a complaint and get your issue resolved. They can go up, they can go down, rain can come in.. Booking your first river cruise? The Rhine River is more sensitive in terms of river flow because it lacks the dams that are on the Danube River. SA. 2023 Trustpilot, Inc. All rights reserved. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. It is the standard architecture that gives the river boat some leeway with rising and falling river levels. Now I see all this advertisement that waives ar fares , deposits and other things we paid for Horrible company in terms of customer service. The dream vacation I have waited for 8 years has gone down the drain. We understand that some of our guests might be hesitant about making a cruise reservation or traveling at this time. The Po River flows 400 miles across the top of Italy from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. 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. Withholding of monies and shore excursion booking system failure. 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. Really, what is a big deal here? 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. We feel we should get the $3,494 dollars refunded to us. The line confirmed the steps to TTG on Wednesday (2 March) and said it was "deeply opposed" to the . Voyages offering the excursion to Floriade 2022 operate between July 16 and August 27, 2022 aboard River Empress. An apology is not good enough. Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers are transferable, so that you have the flexibility to gift them to a loved one. #7. These levels can swing widely both up and down. Viking allows those who book the most expensive rooms to book first. Posted September 18, 2021. We were treated like animals. 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? Just realized that the cruise booked was from Antwerp to Amsterdam. Viking already runs a number of river cruises. I thought that Viking was reputable, so I put too much faith in them. Coach would have been better. The trip was for 2021 but was also cancelled and moved to September 22, 2022.On September 16,2022 *********************** and shattered his knee-cap and needed surgery. There are critical points, like the one on the Rhine River, right in the Rhine Gorge, Schreiner explained. Read full review of Viking River Cruises Related: Booking your first river cruise? Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While we may have to make changes to some of our itineraries and have had to cancel a few voyages, impacted guests and travel partners have and will receive transparent updates and the opportunity to re-book onto another sailing, shared Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of Uniworld, in an email to TPG. January 27, 2018. A *** incentive ********** was offered and accepted by us to use toward future booking. How is this hard? This happened 52 days before sailing. Not a problem for him at all. Viking is probably the most unsympathetic/unprofessional company I have ever experienced. There is rock on the bottom; theres also this little house in the middle of the river. When I called to cancel they said we did not purchase the insurance. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. 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. The cruise line offered her future cruise vouchers worth 125 percent of her fare. We will not be booking with Viking again. They are just taking the thousands of dollars we gave them from us and we are getting nothing in return. After contacting viking to inform the situation, Viking booked another flight for us. My family of 4 has booked a Viking cruise with a pre and post cruise excursion. We have rescheduled 2x as we refuse to get the Covid vaccine and Viking will not allow boarding if you are not 100% vaccinated. They said they did. Any help to resolve this matter will be greatly appreciated. The dire news youre reading about low water levels in Europe now, especially along the Rhine River, mostly concerns the cargo shipping industry in Europe. On top of that, they are asking for me to pay additional same $ 9,000. amount for me to go on this journey alone! We will be again canceling our trip. We are cancelling our river cruise due to viking's heavy handed covid vaccine requirement. Water levels on the Rhine River are set to fall close to the point where the river cannot hold ships anymore. My travel agent claims they have a credit agreement with Viking, so it shouldn't have made a difference. I contacted Trip Mate and was told the vouchers were not covered and that I needed to contact Viking because they handled vouchers. You can see why people are worried. What? Viking has responded to his passing by cancelling the nearly $9,000 I paid for my husbands share of the trip. These hotels are Marriott and hilton properties that have such rooms. Find the right card for you. We paid for trip insurance assuming that it would cover this situation but buying trip insurance through Viking seems to cover much less than most trip insurance policies. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and theyll be displayed as long as an account is active. I purchased a cruise for my wife and myself then Covid hit. Jan 26, 2023 01:33pm. What does Viking do Nothing. AMA Waterways | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. We would appreciate any help you can provide in helping us to get the rest of our money back. I was told Viking doesnt own the hotel and the hotel will not let me make a change since Viking handled the booking. Schreiner gives an example of two identical sister ships, AmaLucia and AmaSiena, that both sail the Rhine. *Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. Cannot go on a cruise if not jabbed even to countries which have no covid requirements any more. Their ad is wonderful but after all is said and done it is all crap. There are no uniform river flows and water levels are unpredictable. Maximum capacities of 164 passengers and 47 crew. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. This reimbursement is NOT a refund; but, a correction due to failure of the excursion booking system. Disappointed with Viking Cruises cancellation policy. Then before the departure, Viking cancelled operations and offered us vouchers for future cruises. Guests and travel agents on impacted departures are in the process of being notified. Before you decide to. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. This complaint was posted by a verified customer. 1. Viking has lost four loyal customers with 10 past cruises between us. Our trip was canceled and a voucher was issued. Passengers from across the country say they've. Ships might be able to pass through a tricky spot, like Kaub, today but not tomorrow, or cant this week but can next week. ComplaintsBoard.com is a leading complaint resolution website on the Internet. After 5 minutes she came back and said the manager said nothing they could do but charge a 50 percent fee for canceling. Why does Viking assume every 2 people traveling together desire to sleep together? Utter and total joke. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. 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. If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. I was sailing aboard the Avalon Vista two months ago on a cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland along the Rhine River. ******************************************************************************************************************************** We were looking for the same cruise we originally booked but for 2024. We again purchased Vikings trip insurance through Trip Mate to cover the cost of the trip. Its infuriating and disrespectful. If the whole itinerary is changed, youll get to sail the new itinerary and receive a 100% future cruise credit to book another cruise. $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. Another factor that should be considered is trip insurance. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. 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. Desired outcome: 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." Viking Ocean Cruises. Check with your cruise line on current cruising conditions and what you can expect from them. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. This was told to me by two separate employees. We were given misinformation by their employee, to which their supervisor stated that verbal statements do not count. We are not asking for a refund for the vouchers but to simply have them reissued to be used toward another cruise. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. We will never try Viking again! Just return on our river cruise . The couple shore excursions we went on were lame and horrible. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. It is obvious to the casual observer that VRC is not in financial distress as they have added ships to their fleet and the CEO is listed a a billionaire. Refund or partial credit. Not enough for the money hungry cruise line. An apology is not good enough. If you have a question or would like to make a press inquiry, please contact: Scott Mackenzie At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. On the other end, river boats are built with a shallow draft of about six feet deep to avoid hitting the river bottom. This they **** said he would monitor the schedule and will alert us the very day it comes out. I was never informed that the vaccine would be required to sail and that our money would not be eligible for a refund. Service representative escalated our complaint that we were misinformed, tricked, lied to, defrauded - because we cannot sail on that date, we are not healthy and can't sail in the fall or 2023! Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. Desired outcome: Some years, low water levels caused disruptions as early as June and some years as late as October. Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. Here is a message that appears on the Viking River Cruise webpage: The cruise line may elect to cancel your cruise. 2023, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., separately incorporated Better Business Bureau organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico and BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Inc. All rights reserved. Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for. They have a working relationship with Lufthansa but insist the flight has nothing to do with them, That is a strong cop out. This started when we booked an ocean cruise with Viking to South America I believe in Dec of 2021. For those who arrange their own flights, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of cruise embarkation or hotel check-in, whichever is first. 12/21- 12/28/2022 Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher Very disappointing. My bag didn't make it. This was a question that I asked myself before booking my Rhine River cruise. 2022. All I got was 'you must pay in full for your trip before booking extras'. Had a planned eastern European river cruise starting mid-October for over a year. We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. After many failed conversations with Viking Cruise customer service reps to obtain reassurance that we will automatically receive Booking number 7141933 Many passengers were distressed by the lack of fresh water. It was too windy and not safe so decided not to try to use their tender. Heres what you need to know. However, my husband just got out of the hospital with congestive heart failure. Our longtime Cruise Specialists Voyage Host, Tom Mullen, shares his thoughts from the last few days of the voyage, which took place January 5 to February 6, 2022. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. I encourage all Americans to do the same. Oceania officials said Russian and Ukrainian ports would be removed from 2022 itineraries, while Viking River Cruises canceled . On the last day, all running water was turned off until we left the ship. 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. And rebooked the following summer My travel partner , my sister, died 6 months before our trip that next summer die to COVID. If have a river cruise planned for the end of the summer or the fall, should you be concerned? He made the commissions, we will not sail and lose 14,000 dollars. Seems the generous cancellation risk free ended 30 June and despite booking direct with Viking no mention of the changes was made. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. Customers should not be treated this way. Viking collects 3 fares for a 2 person room. Viking booked the hotels for these excursions. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. The vaccinations mean nothing anyway. Verification can help ensure real people write reviews about real companies. The food was excellent. I am truly an "out-of-the-box" traveler which has enriched my travel experiences. 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. Originally booked in 2020, paid in full. . We were being reimbursed for the cash amount paid but not the amount of the vouchers. Steve is a life-long avgeek and a points and miles player. We booked a 14 day cruise with extra days upon arrival in ****** and departure in **** in ****. ***. For more than 15 years we have helped nearly 50000 customers resolve their issues and will never stop striving to ensure further improvements on our platform for a better communication between companies and customers. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. Jan. 17, 2022. Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking.