This requirement was enacted after we booked this trip . The reason given by Viking is that these are vouchers from a previously booked trip (during the COVID pandemic). Four excursions that I wanted are already sold out. Viking Cruises cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev (Kyiv, Ukraine), Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's conflict with Ukraine. The whole experience was a disaster. We feel we should get the $3,494 dollars refunded to us. Confirmation attached. Europe is experiencing unprecedented drought and heat conditions. If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. Cruise delayed because of COVID. After contacting viking to inform the situation, Viking booked another flight for us. I checked with many countries and all their restrictions have been dropped. River boats are unique because they can float in just five to six feet of water. 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. My experience with Viking River Cruises is that if they cancel, they will either refund your money or give you a voucher in excess of the cruise value for you to rebook. We could not wash, shower, not wash our hands and NOT able to flush toilets! Disembark on May 1 2023 they required us to pay us in full in August 2022 which we did. We appreciate you sharing your experience, Marie, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. It was not a condition of completing this trip. We booked a cruise, paid the full booking amount. . Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher Bookings with more than 30 persons Conference bookings made by Customers Service and Sales Department Bookings paid by invoice by companies Companies with annual agreements Bookings with more than 5 hotel rooms The specific conditions that apply to your booking can be found in your . We booked a river cruise (Danube) for March 2022. 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. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. By. Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Any help to resolve this matter will be greatly appreciated. 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. Viking Cruises is a cruise line providing river and ocean cruises, with operations based in Basel, Switzerland. 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. That's our policy. Ships might be able to pass through a tricky spot, like Kaub, today but not tomorrow, or cant this week but can next week. 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. Learn to how to find the cheapest awards. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. 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. Princess Cruises | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. We also carry about 500 tons of water, that is ballast and fresh water for the guests.. 2. 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. 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. 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. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. The problem with river cruises is that they are affected by both high and low water levels. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. To go on the cruise people do not have to supply a negative covid test so you still go on the cruise in theory even if you have covid. This also had the water turned off and was unable to flush. 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. 140 complaints closed in the last 12 months. I appreciate the time. 05 Aug 2022. Withholding of monies and shore excursion booking system failure. Its infuriating and disrespectful. Do your homework and always make informed decisions. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. What does Viking do Nothing. Because Viking issued a voucher , insurance denied the claim as the voucher was considered a refund The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. He lied. We were never verbally informed when booking that the actual voucher would expire even if we rebooked again. The first thing that I noticed when I boarded is that all river ships are built to similar dimensions. Our ships have a very low draftabout five feet, he explained. Enrollment required. Check here before booking an award fare. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. 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. We called our AAA travel agent and she notified Viking on September 17,2022, we were scheduled to leave on September 22,2022. They will charge you a lot of money but would not care for you at the end of the day.The places I saw needed much to be desiredI was told that at the airport someone will help us until we boarded our plane. 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. 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. We will be again canceling our trip. We would appreciate any help you can provide in helping us to get the rest of our money back. Weve taken note of your feedback and if you'd like discuss your trip further and welcome you to email TellUs@vikingcruises.com with your booking information. We are not asking for anything other than our money back. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. 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 two most popular are the Rhine and the Danube. 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. Viking Ocean Cruises has sailings listed for June, 2021. 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." Scenic. Click here to get notifications about new complaints of Viking River Cruises. 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. Norwegian Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. We used our voucher prior to the expiration of the voucher, to book a cruise for March of 2023. **** said he would monitor the schedule and will alert us the very day it comes out. 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. Their ad is wonderful but after all is said and done it is all crap. Viking has lost four loyal customers with 10 past cruises between us. The couple shore excursions we went on were lame and horrible. We are unable to meet VRC health requirements to participate in one of their cruises. Due to my cancellations, Viking held onto $8,000 of my Funds for about two years. We are cancelling our river cruise due to viking's heavy handed covid vaccine requirement. Cruise was not very happy because this was a Christmas Market cruise and many of the markets were closed or food only due to the dates. It was our first river cruise it was 23 days Bucharest to Amsterdam with Viking . There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. We did not see ANY of Spain. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). The bottom line is, we have ********* at VRC. 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. This allowed Viking to retain the majority of our payment since We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. 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". Some years, low water levels caused disruptions as early as June and some years as late as October. This is insulting and is clearly bait and switch type behavior. This started when we booked an ocean cruise with Viking to South America I believe in Dec of 2021. All other passages from ******* for the same Antarctica cruise with Viking Octantis got their boarding passes with no problem. When we got this schedule yesterday, we asked her ********** if she could rearrange things to take this cruise. We booked a river cruise from Istanbul to Venice. This was not the case. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. Karin Price Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. The first five miles of headwaters have completely dried up. I also booked this trip years ago when there was . At the time we did we also asked that trip insurance be added. Scheduled and rescheduled elder family care and pet sitting services. We paid for Travel Protection The drought category in England has reached the most severe designation of severe drought. Find out how we combat fake reviews. Recent updates have been made to cancellation schedules and refund guidelines for various cruise lines. #7. Booked a trip just before covid hit which had to be canceled for obvious reasons. US. Winston Folkers. Pharaohs & Pyramids. Then before the departure, Viking cancelled operations and offered us vouchers for future cruises. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 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. Viking Cruises has ceased all operations in Russia this year in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Viking booked the hotels for these excursions. We have a very good rain forecast for this Thursday/Friday, and fairly heavy rains coming, so [the situation] might change.. I contacted Trip Mate and was told the vouchers were not covered and that I needed to contact Viking because they handled vouchers. 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. . Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary . Since the ships are nearly identical, if you do transfer to another ship, you should be in a similar stateroom as the original ship. BBB is here to help. Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. The area is protected and thats where you have the low water issues. Should you wish to change your reservation, you can choose which policy works best for you: Vikings Risk-Free Guarantee or standard cancellation policy. Viking Mississippi is one of Viking's largest river ships, measuring 450 feet (137 meters) long and weighing approximately 5,000 gross tons. I have always liked Viking cruises and have been on 13, counting the one I am currently on. Rather than focusing on the number of complaints, BBB considers how frequently and effectively those complaints are resolved. After an However, I believe the policy is rather onerous. If you are booked on a river cruise for later this year, do not make any snap decisions. Should your cruise be canceled, the cruise line will also offer compensation. 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! The key dimensions of the Avalon Vista are: River boats are built in such a way that for bridge clearance, the mast, pilot house, and sun shades can be lowered. 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! 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. SA. She and her husband Ed recently took an 8-day cruise on the Viking Venus off the . Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works Multiple tests were run, including a Covid test, which came back positive. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. We booked a January 2021 cruise. An apology is not good enough. Cannot recommend whatsoever - there are better cruise lines who deliver & care about providing a decent level of customer experience - avoid them if you can. Subscribe to Apple News. More details in attachment. Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers are transferable, so that you have the flexibility to gift them to a loved one. But our plea was denied. The next indicator of river flow problems is the Thames River in England. 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. We are not asking for a refund for the vouchers but to simply have them reissued to be used toward another cruise. 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. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. But this is one American that will never sail with this awful company ever again. Thats because the weight of the cargo such vessels carry affects their draft (the distance between the ships bottom and the water line). ), We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. This may involve the cruise line putting you up in one or more hotels and paying for restaurant meals. It's also a classic cruise itinerary. Well guide you through the process. Viking's move follows announcements from other cruise operators saying they are . One of the most popular rivers, the Rhine has river levels falling fast. Feb 1, 2023. It is the standard architecture that gives the river boat some leeway with rising and falling river levels. We accepted the vouchers in good faith. Subscribe to RSS Viking collects 3 fares for a 2 person room. by Steve CaseLast updated September 6, 2022. Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We were given misinformation by their employee, to which their supervisor stated that verbal statements do not count. We called Viking and there is nothing that they will do to be able to use the over $7,000 paid for the trip. 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. 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. Heres what you need to know. We also paid Port Tax for Honduras even though they chose not to book and pay to use the pier there. Then in Philadelphia I won't be booking any future cruise with them. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. Other viking customers from ******* on the same cruise were also booked the same flight. On February 1, the shore excursion booking system opened up for the ocean segment of my trip. Seems the generous cancellation risk free ended 30 June and despite booking direct with Viking no mention of the changes was made. was 4 units wide . When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. They are just taking the thousands of dollars we gave them from us and we are getting nothing in return. "Given recent developments and the developing conflict in Ukraine,. I purchased a cruise for my wife and myself then Covid hit. 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. Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. In May, Viking canceled that cruise. Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. 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. Submit a complaint and get your issue resolved. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. The cruise line announced the return of select itineraries in Portugal, France and . Viking is probably the most unsympathetic/unprofessional company I have ever experienced. Vikings inability to resolve an issue with their on line booking. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Story Update (September 5, 2022) Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. Key West was on the itinerary but Viking told us 5 months before they would not be docking. 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. 4. After many failed conversations with Viking Cruise customer service reps to obtain reassurance that we will automatically receive a refund when our cruise vouchers expire on 2/18/23, two years after the email from Viking dated 2/17/21 notifying us that our second cruise was cancelled. 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. In June, there were places along the Po that completely dried up. We want our money back since we will never met the requirements to sail and we never agree to those requirements, Our booking number is XXXXXXX and is associated with ********************* ********. 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. On December 9, 2019 we booked********************************* and paid ********* March 11, 2020 that cruise canceled by Viking due to COVID. service we should have received at least a partial refund . Under our flexible deposit policy, qualified guests can cancel their booking before final payment due date and receive deposit back in the form of a future cruise voucher. Does anyone know if Trip Mate customers have or are considering a class action suit against the company for fraud? The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends. This complaint has been resolved automatically due to user's inactivity. Most all other cruise lines have dropped this mandate. I want Viking to honour its Guest Cancellation Schedule and reimburse the $15,640.19 (Canadian) my husband and I paid for the We appreciate you sharing your experience, Sandy JJ, although we regret to hear of the events you've described here. Many passengers were distressed by the lack of fresh water. Thu 13 Jan 2022 01.00 EST Last modified on Thu 13 Jan 2022 18.22 EST. All Mekong River cruises through Vietnam and Cambodia have been suspended until November 30. . 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. 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. At Viking, your experience means the world to us. These hotels are Marriott and hilton properties that have such rooms. 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. Very disappointing. coach. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. "But its clear that river cruising is not going away anytime soon.". Viking is bringing back river cruises to Europe in July. Disappointed with Viking Cruises cancellation policy. We asked to transfer the trip to my son and grandson, but transferring the tickets is not allowed. 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. I ask if I could have the number to her managers boss she said no. Viking Celebrates Start Of Inaugural Season In North America's Great Lakes Read More May 17, 2022 Newest Ocean Ship In Viking's Award-Winning Fleet Named By The Countess Of Carnarvon Of Highclere Castle Read More May 12, 2022 Viking Takes Delivery of Newest Ocean Ship Read More April 25, 2022 Viking allows those who book the most expensive rooms to book first. 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. I am writing about booking number 7045921 sailed Jan.12 2023. A *** incentive ********** was offered and accepted by us to use toward future booking. Just realized that the cruise booked was from Antwerp to Amsterdam. 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. That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything was fine and we rebooked for Jan 2022. 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. 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. Now I see all this advertisement that waives ar fares , deposits and other things we paid for Horrible company in terms of customer service. I have contacted Watcdog BBC who are interested. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. 2023 Trustpilot, Inc. All rights reserved. Sure we were free but that's no excuse. The cruise line offered her future cruise vouchers worth 125 percent of her fare. The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. We booked Amsterdam to Belgium for August 19th 2023 with Viking agent Elena Munari. The draft is the amount of vessel that is below the water line. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. We booked a river cruise with Viking which we cancelled due to Covid and received travel vouchers from Viking for the amount of the trip. Many passengers were still on board at this time and were unable to flush toilets or wash their hands. With this terrible 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. Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. 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. 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. Why? It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. 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 My family of 4 has booked a Viking cruise with a pre and post cruise excursion. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. We were issued the vouchers that had an expiration date October 2022. . "The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority," a Viking representative told Travel Market Report. over night stay we got back to Cincinnati the next day. We were being reimbursed for the cash amount paid but not the amount of the vouchers. By doing investigation on this subject and timeline of events revealed that we are not alone in this situation. Viking Plans A Robust 2021 2022 Cruise Season Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond.
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