The bottom line is, we have ********* at VRC. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. We have taken note of your feedback. Why all other passages under the same situation had no such problem were not explained by Viking. Maximum capacities of 164 passengers and 47 crew. *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. ), We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. - Refusal to honor its cancellation policy, Viking trip shortened due to weather, no refund. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. ************************************* Cruises that was set to sail in April 2020. Tauck says it deals with compensation on a case-by-case basis. 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. I contacted Viking and was told the vouchers were not refundable because we had not cancelled at least 2 weeks prior to departure. 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. I specifically mentioned this scenario when I used the voucher and we were told as long as it was 120 days before departure we could rebook using our voucher. River flows are never static and are subject to fluctuations that are unpredictable. Any comments Viking? We are unable to meet VRC health requirements to participate in one of their cruises. We were running between the airlines at ***** to find out what was going on, very frustrating. 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. 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. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. Is it cheaper to stay out in the bay and use your own tender? Beware of Viking excursion policies. Heres what you need to know. 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. Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews. 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. As a result, river levels are falling to critical levels. In 2020 we were contacted via email and told that this cruise was also cancelled and we could book another cruise and receive a 125% credit toward a future cruise with a risk free guarantee and it said we could change our plans up to 24 hours before departure. I won't be booking any future cruise with them. This would mean that river cruise lines could face severe disruptions . I told a member of staff about this and was directed to use a toilet on the top deck. South America & the Chilean Fjords - Ocean Cruise Dates & Pricing South America & the Chilean Fjords From $5,999 | 18 Days | 8 Guided Tours | 4 Countries Itinerary Dates & Pricing Resources For current fares, please call a Viking Expert: 1-866-984-5464 or Request a Quote today. We rebooked our trip but Viking canceled it again and another voucher was issued. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. They offered us a voucher for 125% or a cash refund. It is time for Viking to do the same and act like a cruise line instead of a medical facility. My experience with Viking River Cruises is that if they cancel, they will either refund your money or . 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. 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. "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. Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher If water levels are low, cargo ships cannot carry their normal loads of freight. It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. I have had the cruise booked for probably a year but only now would the allow me the opportunity to purchase the spoils. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. The cruise line said it was evaluating 2022 itineraries that visit Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. You will be cruising, you will be enjoying," he said. This was told to me by two separate employees. Customers should not be treated this way. 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. Other ships were docked at the pier. 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. Viking collects 3 fares for a 2 person room. The reason given by Viking is that these are vouchers from a previously booked trip (during the COVID pandemic). Jim. 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. Royal Caribbean International | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. For information about your specific voyage, please log onto MyVikingJourney.com. I explain ship swapping in the section: . Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. The typical characteristics of river boats regardless of cruise line are about the same. We were issued the vouchers that had an expiration date October 2022. Viking Mississippi is one of Viking's largest river ships, measuring 450 feet (137 meters) long and weighing approximately 5,000 gross tons. The Viking Ocean Cruises 2022 Grand Polynesia Voyage has come to a triumphant completion in Los Angeles. What? 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. By. Premium Air. #VikingVictims. Not a problem for him at all. 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. Guests will have 24 months to select their new date and use their Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Voucher to make a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. Four excursions that I wanted are already sold out. This they On the next British Airways flight from London to Philadelphia, The Very disappointing. The river flows are falling so if you are booked for a cruise this year, check with your cruise line and obtain their current assessment of operating conditions. That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything was fine and we rebooked for Jan 2022. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. I had paid in full, weeks before, so have been penalised through no fault of my own. Bad cruise experience, shore excursions, bad weather bad handling, cold food, etc. The departure flight from ******* was delayed due to the storm. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. It turns out that for the most part, if the ship sank, we would be high and dry standing on the sun deck. Originally booked in 2020, paid in full. Europe is now seeing the same kind of climate change conditions that are affecting the Western United States. Check with your cruise line on current cruising conditions and what you can expect from them. Holland America Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. 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). BBB is here to help. More details in attachment. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. We rebooked for 2022 on 11/30/2020. That' our policy,. I complained initially that I was not given a direct flight. 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. 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. I paid my travel agent in full for my cruise well before the due date, but was unable to access online booking as Viking claim the payment wasn't made. I appreciate the time. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. This was our second cruise, I would have to say our first one was wonderful, this one was not bad. Poulsbo, Washington. Withholding of monies and shore excursion booking system failure. An apology is not good enough. 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. Anybody got any idea what do I do? Had a planned eastern European river cruise starting mid-October for over a year. We are cancelling our river cruise due to viking's heavy handed covid vaccine requirement. We rebooked yet again and we're told that we had to have the vaccine before we would be able to take our trip. She is scheduled to start ************ this week. Viking Ocean Ships Currently Sailing: Viking Jupiter Viking Orion Viking Mars Viking Neptune Viking Saturn Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Venus In November 2020, we rebooked, the Cities of Antiquity and Holy Land Cruise, scheduled for Nov-Dec 2022, paying the additional fare. It will take of the expiring vouchers and the booking can be changed with no problem whatsoever once a schedule for 2024 becomes available. Booked a trip just before covid hit which had to be canceled for obvious reasons. 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. We booked a Viking River Cruise with AAA travel in August of 2019 for $14,497 for two people which excludes the insurance cost. 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. Disassembling the shades on the sun deck. We could not wash, shower, not wash our hands and NOT able to flush toilets! All Mekong River cruises through Vietnam and Cambodia have been suspended until November 30. . Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers are transferable, so that you have the flexibility to gift them to a loved one. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. 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. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. 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. Please DO NOT add attachments that contain your or other peoples personal information, if you dont want it to be visible to the public. 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. the Lufthansa person told me I need to fill out the form required for returning Americans to USA and she was not helpful .I missed my flight and had to stay overnight to a dingy hotel in tears in a French country who doesn't really want to help you . They feature elegant Scandinavian design, spacious staterooms with large verandas, and both indoor and al . 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 ST PAUL, Minn. There's been a lot of fanfare surrounding America's Great River cruise operated by Viking Cruises. 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. A *** incentive ********** was offered and accepted by us to use toward future booking. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. Please Note: 1) Terms & Conditions for Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers can be found here. 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. My only hope now is for someone to cancel what I want.About time to give my loyalty to another cruise line. 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. If the level is too low, the vessel may run aground or need an alternative docking arrangement. After many failed conversations with Viking Cruise customer service reps to obtain reassurance that we will automatically receive Booking number 7141933 Heres what you need to know. The cruise lines plan their itineraries to mitigate this risk. Any time theres a heat wave in Europe, especially if coupled with lighter-than-average spring snow melt or rainfall, you can end up with low water in certain parts of Europe. And rebooked the following summer My travel partner , my sister, died 6 months before our trip that next summer die to COVID. 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. In addition to requiring all guests and crew be fully vaccinated before setting foot on board the 930-passenger Viking Sky, the cruise line implemented a robust contact tracing system, daily PCR. 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 . Fraud and deception! 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. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. 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. scott@travelcodex.com, For updates: Winston Folkers. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. The cruise line announced the return of select itineraries in Portugal, France and . I am going to seek legal advice to, but this ridiculous policy has added hugely to my grieving. 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. Many passengers were distressed by the lack of fresh water. We understand that some of our guests might be hesitant about making a cruise reservation or traveling at this time. I asked the captain how deep the ship would be if it sank. You will, however, still get a vacation in Europe, even if its not the one you expected. All other passages from ******* for the same Antarctica cruise with Viking Octantis got their boarding passes with no problem. (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business. Viking have done this every year since 2012, knowing they are unable to dock there but still taking Port Tax from every passenger. Enrollment required. We booked the *********** cruise with Viking prior to COVID *****************. Should your cruise be canceled, the cruise line will also offer compensation. 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. 2. **** called finally, apologized and said that he 'misread the rules', misunderstood the rules and this isn't a big deal (his attitude). They also issued non refundable vouchers for our port excursions. NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHERWe will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. Not at all, according to Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder AmaWaterways as long as youre willing to be a little bit flexible. They refuse to accept the fact that they changed the terms of the contract. Published on May 21, 2021. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. Subscribe to Apple News. Disembark on May 1 2023 they required us to pay us in full in August 2022 which we did. 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. The cruise line offered her future cruise vouchers worth 125 percent of her fare. 488 total complaints in the last 3 years. 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. *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. Sandi. Viking Cruise recommends that their customers insure their travel & trip with Trip Mate Travel Insurance. 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. Viking has responded to his passing by cancelling the nearly $9,000 I paid for my husbands share of the trip. Booking your first river cruise? We booked a Viking cruise from Venice to Athens in late 2020 for September 2021. Viking Cruises cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev (Kyiv, Ukraine), Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's conflict with Ukraine. Story Update (September 5, 2022) Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur.