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coach. We only wanted our money to be applied to another cruise in 2023. We have taken note of your feedback. We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. It is a basic human right to be able to have access to flushing toilets and handwasting facilities. More details in attachment. Not every river cruise line takes the same stance. I want Viking to honour its Guest Cancellation Schedule and reimburse the $15,640.19 (Canadian) my husband and I paid for the Italian Sojourn cruise scheduled for May 15, 2023. Seems the generous cancellation risk free ended 30 June and despite booking direct with Viking no mention of the changes was made. Taking over the Hilton in Taupo NZ, they were obnoxious. 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. Labeled Verified, theyre about genuine experiences.Learn more about other kinds of reviews. On the last day, all running water was turned off until we left the ship. Beware of Viking excursion policies. We again purchased Vikings trip insurance through Trip Mate to cover the cost of the trip. Any comments Viking? The Po River flows 400 miles across the top of Italy from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. Italy is in the worst drought in over 70 years. We booked a January 2021 cruise. Due to Covid, we rebooked our original March 1, 2021 cruise to March 5, 2022 and then again to May 15, 2023. But this is one American that will never sail with this awful company ever again. We hope that the flexibility provided by this guarantee truly puts your mind at ease when it comes to the decision of whether or not to travel. We could not get a negative covid test in time for Just returned from Classis Panama Canal Cruise (11-21 February 2023) on the last day, running water for the shower, hand basins and toilets had been turned off from 5am to when we left the ship at 10.30am. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Where the European rivers have locks and dams to control water levels, ships can still sail problem-free. That' our policy,. "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. The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. This 'placeholder booking' means nothing he assured us. We have rescheduled 2x as we refuse to get the Covid vaccine and Viking will not allow boarding if you are not 100% vaccinated. Why? Anybody got any idea what do I do? Passengers from across the country say they've. Viking is probably the most unsympathetic/unprofessional company I have ever experienced. This may involve the cruise line putting you up in one or more hotels and paying for restaurant meals. We then Our Viking cruise embarkation was delayed by 2 days, shortening our trip from 12 to 10 days. 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. Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher Related: Booking your first river cruise? 2) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation between March 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021; 3) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation between May 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021; 4) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation prior to April 30, 2020. These two rivers are the most popular routes in European river cruising. Really, what is a big deal here? This was not the case. Do not book with Viking Cruises ,they turned my cancelled trip into vouchers with expiration dates that I never knew about. The Viking Ocean Cruises 2022 Grand Polynesia Voyage has come to a triumphant completion in Los Angeles. 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. Not for the voucher amount. Only in very rare circumstances are the sailings canceled outright. 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. Very disappointing. 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. The Rhine River in general is not that deep. I encourage all Americans to do the same. Call to book now: 1-800-207-7286. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. 05 Aug 2022. 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. 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. Mind you, my cruise cost over $27,000. . Subscribe to Apple News. Share. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. On top of that, they are asking for me to pay additional same $ 9,000. amount for me to go on this journey alone! Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. We booked a river cruise (Danube) for March 2022. Call a Viking Expert at 0800 319 66 60 or see your Travel Advisor. A river level that is too high or too low can affect an otherwise great cruising experience. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. The US gov has basically declared the "plandemic" over and all other mandates have been drop but Viking still won't change their policy. Because Viking issued a voucher , insurance denied the claim as the voucher was considered a refund $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. NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHERWe will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. The cruise line said it was evaluating 2022 itineraries that visit Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. He will call us immediately - he said. Reservation changes under the Risk-Free Guarantee will be reimbursed in the form of a Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Voucher in the amount of 100% of all monies paid to Viking. We have one ship starting in Amsterdam and one ship starting in BaselIf they cannot pass Kaub [the critically low water point on the Rhine], then [the passengers] all disembark on either side," he explained. 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. We also paid Port Tax for Honduras even though they chose not to book and pay to use the pier there. View all of our Luxury Cruise sailings and offers. 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. Courtesy Sheila Davies. Viking have done this every year since 2012, knowing they are unable to dock there but still taking Port Tax from every passenger. I was never informed that the vaccine would be required to sail and that our money would not be eligible for a refund. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. That is all it took, I was hooked. "But its clear that river cruising is not going away anytime soon.". They feature elegant Scandinavian design, spacious staterooms with large verandas, and both indoor and al . Like other river cruise lines, weve dealt successfully with low-water situations in the past, and we have a variety of strategies that we can deploy as necessary. They offered us a 150 dollar non refundable credit to be used onboard. Many passengers were distressed by the lack of fresh water. ), We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. 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. 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." The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. Viking is not a good company to work with. What? 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. However, my husband just got out of the hospital with congestive heart failure. At no point when we rebooked using our vouchers, were we told the vouchers were not covered under the insurance plan. 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. The flight from Amman Jordan to Why all other passages under the same situation had no such problem were not explained by Viking. 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.. Read full review of Viking River Cruises Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. The booking # is *******. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. 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. 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. Desired outcome: The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) #6339759. "The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority," a Viking representative told Travel Market Report. Utter and total joke. The line confirmed the steps to TTG on Wednesday (2 March) and said it was "deeply opposed" to the . On July 10th, 2022 my husband called Viking to inquire when the schedule becomes available. 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. Cailey Rizzo. SPRING SALE Special Fares Reduced Airfare Dates: Availability: Business Section was crowded 8 units wide while first class just in front 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. Ocean cruise ships usually have at least 25 feet or more or more of draft which would preclude them from river cruising. Like most cruise lines, Viking canceled all of its sailings during the pandemic. Due to my cancellations, Viking held onto $8,000 of my Funds for about two years. 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. We booked a Viking cruise from Venice to Athens in late 2020 for September 2021. I was told Viking doesnt own the hotel and the hotel will not let me make a change since Viking handled the booking. We also ensure all reviews are published without moderation. Other viking customers from ******* on the same cruise were also booked the same flight. But it is for us. 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. The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. I appreciate the time. 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. 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 draft is the amount of vessel that is below the water line. This site is for entertainment purposes only. 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. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. Since the ships are nearly identical, if you do transfer to another ship, you should be in a similar stateroom as the original ship. Viking suggested that I should talk to my travel insurance company to reimburse the cost of additional airfare cost. 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. 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. 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. Key West was on the itinerary but Viking told us 5 months before they would not be docking. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. Only in very rare circumstances are the sailings canceled outright. It, along with the Viking Sky, is classified as a small ship, with 465 staterooms, capable of carrying 930 guests. 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. The difference between what they gave us as a credit for a 2023 cruise (which we booked so we didn't lose all of our money) and what we originally paid is $3,494 dollars. The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. 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. Not every river cruise line takes the same stance. Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for. This is an awful company to deal with. Information provided by various external sources. But all was not lost. They also issued non refundable vouchers for our port excursions. The 13-city cruise was supposed to take passengers between St. Paul and New . I won't be booking any future cruise with them. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. Cannot go on a cruise if not jabbed even to countries which have no covid requirements any more. Thu 13 Jan 2022 01.00 EST Last modified on Thu 13 Jan 2022 18.22 EST. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. To date we have sent a certified *** ****** ***** letter to VRC and had no response. We also carry about 500 tons of water, that is ballast and fresh water for the guests.. "Given recent developments and the developing conflict in Ukraine,. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. 488 total complaints in the last 3 years. Had a planned eastern European river cruise starting mid-October for over a year. You dont cruise in Egypt in June/July because its too hot. 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. Thanks for reaching out, M Mulmech., although we regret to learn of your disappointment with your hotel arrangements. 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. My family of 4 has booked a Viking cruise with a pre and post cruise excursion. . Please Note: 1) Terms & Conditions for Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers can be found here. What? Heres what you need to know. Expires March 31, 2023. 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. We are not asking for anything other than our money back. We did not see ANY of Spain. It turns out that during the second half of the cruise, we were in a heat wave, experiencing very hot temperatures. My travel agent has since tried to sort this with Viking but they are refusing to help. Its not an American company so they feel like they can treat Americans any way they want. By. After a further communication with Viking, the second answer was because the flights were on a promotion deal, any delay or cancellation was not covered by Viking. The bottom line is, we have ********* at VRC. 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. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. I had to cancel due to ill health and provided over five months notice. But due to a serious health issue we along with our Drs said that it was not feasible for us to go. 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. Cruises beginning in 2009, this is not the first error and being loyal Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers are transferable, so that you have the flexibility to gift them to a loved one. By the time I could ring Viking, the excursion was sold out and the drinks package price had increased. Thanks for reaching out, Itom, although we regret to learn of your experience with booking excursions. Rather than focusing on the number of complaints, BBB considers how frequently and effectively those complaints are resolved. The low draft and the adjustability of the ballast allow the ships to navigate through sections of the river where the water levels are not very deep. There are critical points, like the one on the Rhine River, right in the Rhine Gorge, Schreiner explained. Vikings' policy allows no refund under the circumstances (i.e. Viking River Cruises 548 complaints 314 resolved 234 unresolved File a complaint to Viking River Cruises Viking River Cruises contacts (added by reviewer) Phone number +1 800 304 9616 Address 5700 Canoga Ave, California United States Website www.vikingrivercruises.com Category Cruise Lines View full information Most discussed complaints 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. 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. Submitting a response indicates a willingness to work with customers to make things right. The only problem was it WAS VERY NOISY, couldnt get a full night sleep due the engine and the bed shaking.We will go back to the other suites.The staff was great! An insult! This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Cruise delayed because of COVID. took the call and told us that schedule wouldn't be available most likely till January 2023. It's been three years now that Viking has held my family's money hostage because we don't wish to take the jab. This is our third time to book a trip, and in 2023, the medical requirement is still in place. Water levels are unpredictable and can vary day by day, depending on what the weather brings. We were given the option of a voucher or cash We were running between the airlines at ***** to find out what was going on, very frustrating. Some years, low water levels caused disruptions as early as June and some years as late as October. Verification can help ensure real people write reviews about real companies. The first thing that I noticed when I boarded is that all river ships are built to similar dimensions. They just decided to keep our hard earning money. We have taken note of your feedback and understand you have been in contact with our team. We booked a cruise, paid the full booking amount. 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? Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. On February 1, the shore excursion booking system opened up for the ocean segment of my trip. The even occurred in February of 2023. Then in Philadelphia Viking has responded to his passing by cancelling the nearly $9,000 I paid for my husbands share of the trip. On the next British Airways flight from London to Philadelphia, The Viking will not honor this request. I also booked this trip years ago when there was . Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. 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. Desired outcome: Learn to how to find the cheapest awards. Weve been cruising since March with no issues until August, said Schreiner. . If you search Viking the risk free still pops up you have to read the fine print to realise its all over so be aware. However, I believe the policy is rather onerous. Booking 6819824. They may run multiple ships back-to-back where you would transfer to another ship where the river is having navigational issues. Contact your Sales Agent or our Customer Service department online, via email, or by phone at 1-800-427-8473 and ask about potential opportunities for flexible cancellation policies, rebooking opportunities and other options. 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 Unlike other river cruise lines, however, were very fortunate that we also operate numerous land tours throughout the region, so we have a fantastic network of local supplier-partners that we can leverage as necessary should alternate arrangements become necessary.. 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. ST PAUL, Minn. There's been a lot of fanfare surrounding America's Great River cruise operated by Viking Cruises. 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. Maybe 10 years from now we cruise the Danube and Rhine in January/February/March and we stop in the summertime because August is too hot and there are low water areas., We dont know what the future will bring, he continued. Wouldnt that booking choice make it clear to Viking that pre and post excursion bookings would also require separate beds? All I got was 'you must pay in full for your trip before booking extras'. Viking Cruise recommends that their customers insure their travel & trip with Trip Mate Travel Insurance. 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. The cruise lines plan their itineraries to mitigate this risk. This was a question that I asked myself before booking my Rhine River cruise. Schreiner gives an example of two identical sister ships, AmaLucia and AmaSiena, that both sail the Rhine. - Refusal to honor its cancellation policy, Viking trip shortened due to weather, no refund. 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. I have always liked Viking cruises and have been on 13, counting the one I am currently on. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. I contacted Viking and was told the vouchers were not refundable because we had not cancelled at least 2 weeks prior to departure. Booking number: *******. Thank you. 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. Well guide you through the process. If the whole itinerary is changed, youll get to sail the new itinerary and receive a 100% future cruise credit to book another cruise. It's a human right to have access to fresh water and clean sanitation. Bad cruise experience, shore excursions, bad weather bad handling, cold food, etc. The couple shore excursions we went on were lame and horrible. "You might see some cities you might not have expected to see and you might miss some you wanted to see. "They disembark in the morning, they go on the shore excursion, and they come back on the other side on the sister ship.