My bag didn't make it. Find the right card for you. Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. Jan. 17, 2022. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Cannot recommend whatsoever - there are better cruise lines who deliver & care about providing a decent level of customer experience - avoid them if you can. 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. Having trip insurance may pay you in full depending on your coverage. We paid for Travel Protection $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. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. The trip was more expensive so we paid with our vouchers as well as cash. Crystal River Cruises has canceled its four remaining Crystal Ravel sailings this December. River boats are unique because they can float in just five to six feet of water. No partial refund was given and I lost the total deposit of $1000.I understand that the T&Cs outline the refund policy. If the level is too low, the vessel may run aground or need an alternative docking arrangement. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. The cruise line offered her future cruise vouchers worth 125 percent of her fare. If you want to cancel a cruise right now in October because of low water, I will tell you, Sorry, we dont know if theres low water in October, said Schreiner. NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHERWe will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. 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. In June, there were places along the Po that completely dried up. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. 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 . Cruises beginning in 2009, this is not the first error and being loyal Viking Cruises. Received most monies back but they held $1400 back which had to be used by 4/22.Just booked a $25000 trip with them and ask them to extend $1400 to July which they refused. SA. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. Royal Caribbean International | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. 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. Another factor that should be considered is trip insurance. Claim your profile to access Trustpilots free business tools and connect with customers. Well guide you through the process. On February 1, the shore excursion booking system opened up for the ocean segment of my trip. We called our AAA travel agent and she notified Viking on September 17,2022, we were scheduled to leave on September 22,2022. 4. The booking # is *******. Share. I encourage all Americans to do the same. When I asked to speak with a supervisor the "customer service" representative said "I am not allowed to transfer you - the supervisor will give you the same answer." Scheduled and rescheduled elder family care and pet sitting services. Thank you. 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. This 'placeholder booking' means nothing he assured us. Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. The food was excellent. "They disembark in the morning, they go on the shore excursion, and they come back on the other side on the sister ship. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. 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. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. 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. #VikingVictims. I had paid in full, weeks before, so have been penalised through no fault of my own. 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 The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. Check here before booking an award fare. Viking offered us to support the company and not get a refund if we accepted a voucher of 125% If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. It, along with the Viking Sky, is classified as a small ship, with 465 staterooms, capable of carrying 930 guests. You will be cruising, you will be enjoying," he said. over night stay we got back to Cincinnati the next day. by Steve CaseLast updated September 6, 2022. Guests have the option to transfer their reservation to 2022; receive a 100% future cruise credit . We are told now that change is not possible at all because vouchers have expired. **** said he would monitor the schedule and will alert us the very day it comes out. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. As a consequence all water amenities, main pool, infinity pool, jacuzzi and spa were closed for the whole of the cruise! It's been three years now that Viking has held my family's money hostage because we don't wish to take the jab. 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. Why all other passages under the same situation had no such problem were not explained by Viking. Where the European rivers have locks and dams to control water levels, ships can still sail problem-free. We were issued the vouchers that had an expiration date October 2022. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. Weve canceled one cruise on the Danube and have made a few mostly minor alterations to a small handful of cruises on the Rhine, a Tauck spokesman told TPG when asked about this years cruises. Viking's river cruises are aboard Viking Longships and have a maximum of 190 guests. We are older and don't want to keep rescheduling this with the hopes of one day being permitted to board their ship. Refund on premium air payments that we did not receive in premiumservice. The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends. Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for. The draft is the amount of vessel that is below the water line. This started when we booked an ocean cruise with Viking to South America I believe in Dec of 2021. You dont know a week or 10 days in advance what will happen with the water levels. 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. Want all money refunded. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. 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. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) I contacted Viking and was told the vouchers were not refundable because we had not cancelled at least 2 weeks prior to departure. It is February 1st today and I went online to book excursions for a trip almost 3 months from now. Not for the voucher amount. Viking suggested that I should talk to my travel insurance company to reimburse the cost of additional airfare cost. I hope this is something you can help with. Please view our privacy policy for details about the information we share with our partners. Princess Cruises | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Please Note: 1) Terms & Conditions for Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers can be found here. Do your homework and always make informed decisions. Learn more. This matter has not been properly escalated to the legal department.Our time is running off to recover our money and we can not travel due the vaccines requirements and the only absurd respond that we get is to transfer our vouchers.We are extremely disappointed of Viking Cruises after we decided to support the company. I explain ship swapping in the section: . My bag is still missing and I will request (!) Also lost out on the cruise vouchers. Voyages offering the excursion to Floriade 2022 operate between July 16 and August 27, 2022 aboard River Empress. The typical characteristics of river boats regardless of cruise line are about the same. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. My husband and I booked with Viking in December 2019 for the Rhine Getaway Cruise for December 2020. Viking Plans A Robust 2021 2022 Cruise Season Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Pharaohs & Pyramids. Thank you. We were treated like animals. Thats because the weight of the cargo such vessels carry affects their draft (the distance between the ships bottom and the water line). 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. Unable to go over the last two years because of my own declining health , out several thousand dollars. Why? River cruise lines do have contingency plans for dealing with river flow problems. If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. MVJ is locked for this specific cruise , and if you try to book the cruise (UK website) the first available Fjords cruise in now April 2022. Why didn't Viking pay to dock? The two most popular are the Rhine and the Danube. I have contacted Watcdog BBC who are interested. We did not see ANY of Spain. What? We had not received any response from Viking about 10 days. This site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. was 4 units wide . We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. 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. Europe has many rivers where cruise lines operate. 1. The departure flight from ******* was delayed due to the storm. We appreciate you sharing your experience, Marie, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. Viking is probably the most unsympathetic/unprofessional company I have ever experienced. See details. By. 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. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. Utter and total joke. 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. They can go up, they can go down, rain can come in.. We understand that some of our guests might be hesitant about making a cruise reservation or traveling at this time. Viking, please give an explanation. The first example of river distress is the Po River in Northern Italy. However, you wont be entirely out of luck if your itinerary changes once you arrive at your ship. 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. 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. Part refund, at least 25%. This requirement was enacted after we booked this trip . This is our third time to book a trip, and in 2023, the medical requirement is still in place. 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. Viking Cruises will test all guests and crew for COVID-19 with daily PCR testing when sailings resume, as part of the company's new Viking Health & Safety Program, the cruise line recently announced. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. I was sailing aboard the Avalon Vista two months ago on a cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland along the Rhine River. We then Our Viking cruise embarkation was delayed by 2 days, shortening our trip from 12 to 10 days. 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. 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 I checked with many countries and all their restrictions have been dropped. We were routed to resolution manager who was extremely obnoxious, rude, disrespectful, wasn't listening to the issue, saying 'yes, ok, sales rep make a mistake, mistakes do happen. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. We are unable to meet VRC health requirements to participate in one of their cruises. Key West was on the itinerary but Viking told us 5 months before they would not be docking. This they My travel agent has since tried to sort this with Viking but they are refusing to help. 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. It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. 3. The even occurred in February of 2023. I will never travel with Viking . Bad cruise experience, shore excursions, bad weather bad handling, cold food, etc. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. On 9/12/21 we realized the 2022 sailing impractical and cancelled for cruise credits (#s XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX) I had to cancel due to ill health and provided over five months notice. 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. Look at the Mekong you dont cruise in May, June, July and August because its too hot. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Viking River Cruises The line is canceling all 2022 departures of its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary. At this point we feel it's discrimination and want our money refunded. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have canceled several trips as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc with the cruise . 23. I purchased a cruise for my wife and myself then Covid hit. We are not asking for a refund for the vouchers but to simply have them reissued to be used toward another cruise. My experience with Viking River Cruises is that if they cancel, they will either refund your money or . Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. Story Update (September 5, 2022) Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. It's a human right to have access to fresh water and clean sanitation. If the whole itinerary is changed, youll get to sail the new itinerary and receive a 100% future cruise credit to book another cruise. #7. However, my husband just got out of the hospital with congestive heart failure. We have rescheduled 2x as we refuse to get the Covid vaccine and Viking will not allow boarding if you are not 100% vaccinated. Is it cheaper to stay out in the bay and use your own tender? Because we were given a voucher, we can not get out money back. This may involve the cruise line putting you up in one or more hotels and paying for restaurant meals. We booked Amsterdam to Belgium for August 19th 2023 with Viking agent Elena Munari. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. These levels can swing widely both up and down. We rebooked for 2022 on 11/30/2020. A river level that is too high or too low can affect an otherwise great cruising experience. Viking Cruises is a cruise line providing river and ocean cruises, with operations based in Basel, Switzerland. Some years, low water levels caused disruptions as early as June and some years as late as October. Not a problem for him at all. Taking over the Hilton in Taupo NZ, they were obnoxious. 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! 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. Labeled Verified, theyre about genuine experiences.Learn more about other kinds of reviews. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. But all was not lost. 140 complaints closed in the last 12 months. took the call and told us that schedule wouldn't be available most likely till January 2023. ST PAUL, Minn. There's been a lot of fanfare surrounding America's Great River cruise operated by Viking Cruises. Desired outcome: 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. 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. Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary . If you are booked on a river cruise for later this year, do not make any snap decisions. 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. We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. Because Viking issued a voucher , insurance denied the claim as the voucher was considered a refund The area is protected and thats where you have the low water issues. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. But this is one American that will never sail with this awful company ever again. Refund or partial credit. Dozens of cruises have been cancelled and some ports in the Caribbean and South America are turning ships away from making . 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. 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. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. 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. 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. Any help to resolve this matter will be greatly appreciated. Vikings' policy allows no refund under the circumstances (i.e. The US gov has basically declared the "plandemic" over and all other mandates have been drop but Viking still won't change their policy. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. We booked a river cruise (Danube) for March 2022. Because of the positive test result as well as his need for further dr evaluation, we had no choice but to cancel the trip. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. In the same cabin. 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. Winston Folkers. Read full review of Viking River Cruises Because these problem spots are well known, river cruise lines can find ways to mitigate the issues with savvy itinerary planning. BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Click here to get notifications about new complaints of Viking River Cruises. "The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority," a Viking representative told Travel Market Report. Norse Atlantic Airways to Launch NY-Rome Flights. 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! Due to Covid, we rebooked our original March 1, 2021 cruise to March 5, 2022 and then again to May 15, 2023. RHINE GETAWAY. She and her husband Ed recently took an 8-day cruise on the Viking Venus off the . On 11/22 we received an email from Trip Mate regarding the resolution of our claim. 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. 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? My husband surprised me with the explorer suite,the room was beautiful,the balcony was amazing. The cruise line announced the return of select itineraries in Portugal, France and . This was not the case. 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. Applies primarily to to bookings with the following content. 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. I am writing about booking number 7045921 sailed Jan.12 2023. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. After 5 Viking At Viking, your experience means the world to us. Most river cruise lines do not allow guests to cancel pre-cruise without penalty except for in the most extreme circumstances. 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.
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