That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. return trip Munich to EWR Schreiners advice is simple: Just go. This site is for entertainment purposes only. took the call and told us that schedule wouldn't be available most likely till January 2023. 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. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. Viking Cruises. 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 have taken note of your feedback. We booked a Viking cruise from Venice to Athens in late 2020 for September 2021. We are older and don't want to keep rescheduling this with the hopes of one day being permitted to board their ship. Any help to resolve this matter will be greatly appreciated. But there is nothing we can do, your vouchers have expired'. BBB is here to help. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. SPRING SALE Special Fares Reduced Airfare Dates: Availability: Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. The climate in Europe is changing and not for the better. Read full review of Viking River Cruises 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'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. I contacted Viking and was told the vouchers were not refundable because we had not cancelled at least 2 weeks prior to departure. 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 ********************* ********. Why? However, you wont be entirely out of luck if your itinerary changes once you arrive at your ship. 2022 is now cancelled and will be replaced with new roundtrip voyages from Southampton to the Caribbean via the Canary Islands and New York. As compensation we have been offered a derisory 200 voucher towards a future cruise. By. Guests and travel advisors with affected departures have been notified. Refund or partial credit. 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. . The US gov has basically declared the "plandemic" over and all other mandates have been drop but Viking still won't change their policy. We are not asking for anything other than our money back. An apology is not good enough. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. These conditions include: Lately, Europe has seen temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). I hope this is something you can help with. This was our second cruise, I would have to say our first one was wonderful, this one was not bad. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. Anybody got any idea what do I do? However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. 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. What does Viking do Nothing. For Further Assistance If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email customerrelations@vikingcruises.com, Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM, PT. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Viking suggested that I should talk to my travel insurance company to reimburse the cost of additional airfare cost. It turns out that during the second half of the cruise, we were in a heat wave, experiencing very hot temperatures. Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. One of the most popular rivers, the Rhine has river levels falling fast. Then in Philadelphia 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. 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. Information provided by various external sources. Viking Venus : cruise round Med and on to Israel.This was a wonderful itinerary , a beautiful ship , excellent food and service. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). I was aware that cruise lines' cash flow issues and accepted the voucher. Viking Plans A Robust 2021 2022 Cruise Season Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. Holland America Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Call a Viking Expert at 0800 319 66 60 or see your Travel Advisor. I am writing about booking number 7045921 sailed Jan.12 2023. Claim your profile to access Trustpilots free business tools and connect with customers. Refund on premium air payments that we did not receive in premiumservice. An insult! My family of 4 has booked a Viking cruise with a pre and post cruise excursion. It's been three years now that Viking has held my family's money hostage because we don't wish to take the jab. 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. 05 Aug 2022. We booked a Viking River Cruise with AAA travel in August of 2019 for $14,497 for two people which excludes the insurance cost. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. We called Viking and there is nothing that they will do to be able to use the over $7,000 paid for the trip. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. Their ad is wonderful but after all is said and done it is all crap. Viking River Cruises has left an official reply on this complaint. #7. 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. We booked a river cruise from Istanbul to Venice. I had to cancel due to ill health and provided over five months notice. 2022. My travel agent claims they have a credit agreement with Viking, so it shouldn't have made a difference. The whole experience was a disaster. The photo is from my first premium, international award flight in 2012. Not one thing but some flowers in the rain and unsafe steps and more Booking number 7141933 Europe is now seeing the same kind of climate change conditions that are affecting the Western United States. Voyages offering the excursion to Floriade 2022 operate between July 16 and August 27, 2022 aboard River Empress. On 12/20/20 Viking cancelled this cruise. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. I am going to seek legal advice to, but this ridiculous policy has added hugely to my grieving. 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. You could tear down the house and build a dam there, but that is not what is going to happen.. Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. We are cancelling our river cruise due to viking's heavy handed covid vaccine requirement. This complaint has been resolved automatically due to user's inactivity. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) That is all it took, I was hooked. Viking Ocean Cruises. Cannot recommend whatsoever - there are better cruise lines who deliver & care about providing a decent level of customer experience - avoid them if you can. Global warming is indeed having an effect on European rivers. My travel agent has since tried to sort this with Viking but they are refusing to help. This meant I was unable to book any excursions or drinks package, despite trying as soon as they were released. We feel we should get the $3,494 dollars refunded to us. Viking River Cruises Viking Rolf (Photo: Viking River Cruises) 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. ST PAUL, Minn. There's been a lot of fanfare surrounding America's Great River cruise operated by Viking Cruises. . 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. Published on May 21, 2021. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. She is scheduled to start ************ this week. This may involve the cruise line putting you up in one or more hotels and paying for restaurant meals. 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.. Should you have any lingering questions ahead of your voyage, we welcome you to call our Service Specialists at [protected] where we would be happy to assist where possible. "You might see some cities you might not have expected to see and you might miss some you wanted to see. Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary . If the whole itinerary is changed, youll get to sail the new itinerary and receive a 100% future cruise credit to book another cruise. Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. Where the European rivers have locks and dams to control water levels, ships can still sail problem-free. The Po River flows 400 miles across the top of Italy from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. 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. My experience with Viking River Cruises is that if they cancel, they will either refund your money or . 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. From now through March 31, 2022, Viking is offering special rates starting at $599 (not including airfare) on all 2022 and 2023 departures. was 4 units wide . By the time I could ring Viking, the excursion was sold out and the drinks package price had increased. Call to book now: 1-800-207-7286. It will take of the expiring vouchers and the booking can be changed with no problem whatsoever once a schedule for 2024 becomes available. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. I'm with Robin (see below). That is why Viking is offering a limited-time offerthe most flexible of any cruise lineso that you can plan your voyage with peace of mind. Heres what you need to know. Thats because the weight of the cargo such vessels carry affects their draft (the distance between the ships bottom and the water line). As a result, river levels are falling to critical levels. 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 Alyssa Lukpat and Ceylan Yeginsu. Any comments Viking? ***. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. In Europe, we dont cruise in January, February and into early March because its too cold, he explained. We rebooked our trip but Viking canceled it again and another voucher was issued. These two rivers are the most popular routes in European river cruising. The trip was more expensive so we paid with our vouchers as well as cash. We would appreciate any help you can provide in helping us to get the rest of our money back. My only hope now is for someone to cancel what I want.About time to give my loyalty to another cruise line. 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." Withholding of monies and shore excursion booking system failure. 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". Labeled Verified, theyre about genuine experiences.Learn more about other kinds of reviews. We will not be booking with Viking again. Booking # XXXXXXX 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. 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. Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for. After checking cancellation conditions online which indicates $200 up to a certain date I booked a river cruise for 2024 the deposit was $2000pp. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. Is it cheaper to stay out in the bay and use your own tender? Many passengers were still on board at this time and were unable to flush toilets or wash their hands. We booked a river cruise (Danube) for March 2022. On 9/12/21 we realized the 2022 sailing impractical and cancelled for cruise credits (#s XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX) Viking is bringing back river cruises to Europe in July. Dozens of cruises have been cancelled and some ports in the Caribbean and South America are turning ships away from making . This complaint was posted by a verified customer. They refuse. It goes against our guidelines to offer incentives for reviews. By. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have canceled several trips as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc with the cruise . For the cabin on the cruise, we indicated separate beds for their cabin. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. For every day that is altered, AmaWaterways guests will get 50% of the daily rate they paid as a future cruise credit. 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 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. Telling us that a voucher has no cash value is a shoddy business practice at best. Bad cruise experience, shore excursions, bad weather bad handling, cold food, etc. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. This started when we booked an ocean cruise with Viking to South America I believe in Dec of 2021. However, I believe the policy is rather onerous. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. They also issued non refundable vouchers for our port excursions. Later after giving our deposit (another $8,000) we found out that ******** become a requirement to sail.My husband and I, both for health reasons can not get the vaccines and Viking to this time has been holding our money ($11,367.50) for 3 years (going to the 4th) even when we have requested several times and even hired an attorney to get our money back.When we booked the 2nd cruise, no one told us that we will loose our chance to get a refund. Don't sail Viking unless you are guaranteed of going on the trip. I even requested they review the phone call and they refused. Because Viking issued a voucher , insurance denied the claim as the voucher was considered a refund I have always liked Viking cruises and have been on 13, counting the one I am currently on. Expected weather conditions during the cruise. Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business. Heres what you need to know. The couple shore excursions we went on were lame and horrible. Maximum capacities of 164 passengers and 47 crew. 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. An apology is not good enough. Not at all, according to Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder AmaWaterways as long as youre willing to be a little bit flexible. What? More details in attachment. 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. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. 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. Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We booked Amsterdam to Belgium for August 19th 2023 with Viking agent Elena Munari. 12/21- 12/28/2022 Ocean cruise ships usually have at least 25 feet or more or more of draft which would preclude them from river cruising. We booked a cruise, paid the full booking amount. But it is for us. Key West was on the itinerary but Viking told us 5 months before they would not be docking. Then before the departure, Viking cancelled operations and offered us vouchers for future cruises. River boats are unique because they can float in just five to six feet of water. 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. Should you have any lingering questions ahead of your voyage, we welcome you to call our Service Specialists at [protected] where we would be happy to assist where possible. Regent Seven Seas Cruises was the cruise line forced to change the most stops planned for Russia, which included visits to the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and St. Petersburg, as well as Odessa, Ukraine. Editor in Chief Confirmation attached. 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! The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. London was on an older plane with 3 seats on the left and right. Enrollment required. I asked the captain how deep the ship would be if it sank. I appreciate the time. On the next British Airways flight from London to Philadelphia, The Refund on premium air payments that we did not receive in premiumservice. "Given recent developments and the developing conflict in Ukraine,. I told a member of staff about this and was directed to use a toilet on the top deck. We rebooked the trip for 10/12-10/23/22. "Given recent developments and the developing conflict in Ukraine,. On November 26, 2021 when speaking with VRC representative we were informed that out ********* is in the form of a voucher and has no cash value and cannot be refunded. SA. 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. The Viking Ocean Cruises 2022 Grand Polynesia Voyage has come to a triumphant completion in Los Angeles. Should you wish to change your reservation, you can choose which policy works best for you: Vikings Risk-Free Guarantee or standard cancellation policy. There is rock on the bottom; theres also this little house in the middle of the river. They have a working relationship with Lufthansa but insist the flight has nothing to do with them, That is a strong cop out. Having trip insurance may pay you in full depending on your coverage. Viking, please give an explanation. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. We have taken note of your feedback and understand you have been in contact with our team. This would mean that river cruise lines could face severe disruptions . The draft is the amount of vessel that is below the water line. But due to a serious health issue we along with our Drs said that it was not feasible for us to go. Viking Ocean Ships Currently Sailing: Viking Jupiter Viking Orion Viking Mars Viking Neptune Viking Saturn Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Venus Weve been cruising since March with no issues until August, said Schreiner. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. coach. Not for the voucher amount. I could sail on another cruise line for a lot less money. We are told now that change is not possible at all because vouchers have expired. We purchased Travel Protection Insurance. We again purchased Vikings trip insurance through Trip Mate to cover the cost of the trip. 12 reviews. This is known as ship swapping. 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 Cruise recommends that their customers insure their travel & trip with Trip Mate Travel Insurance. In the same cabin. I purchased two of each of the following through ACH: I am extremely disappointed that a once in a lifetime trip I have been looking forward to for two years is now marred before we even get on the ship. Booking number: *******. 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. 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. Desired outcome: In November 2020, we rebooked, the Cities of Antiquity and Holy Land Cruise, scheduled for Nov-Dec 2022, paying the additional fare. 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. Norse Atlantic Airways to Launch NY-Rome Flights. Because of the positive test result as well as his need for further dr evaluation, we had no choice but to cancel the trip. We could not wash, shower, not wash our hands and NOT able to flush toilets! I contacted Trip Mate and was told the vouchers were not covered and that I needed to contact Viking because they handled vouchers. I booked the flight through Viking to a Christmas market river cruise. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. I ask if I could have the number to her managers boss she said no. Subscribe to Apple News. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. This requirement was enacted after we booked this trip . The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. The Rhine River is more sensitive in terms of river flow because it lacks the dams that are on the Danube River. Passengers from across the country say they've. 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. While we may have to make changes to some of our itineraries and have had to cancel a few voyages, impacted guests and travel partners have and will receive transparent updates and the opportunity to re-book onto another sailing, shared Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of Uniworld, in an email to TPG. "We will not cancel any cruises," said Shreiner. Booking 6819824. Just realized that the cruise booked was from Antwerp to Amsterdam. This is an awful company to deal with. by Steve CaseLast updated September 6, 2022. 23. Before you decide to. It is February 1st today and I went online to book excursions for a trip almost 3 months from now. If water levels are low, cargo ships cannot carry their normal loads of freight. We also carry about 500 tons of water, that is ballast and fresh water for the guests.. Not every river cruise line takes the same stance. Cailey Rizzo. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. At the other end of the Po, ocean water has flooded the last 12 miles of the river damaging crops and contaminating drinking water. Find out how we combat fake reviews. . Viking's river cruises are aboard Viking Longships and have a maximum of 190 guests. passengers asked if ports on the new itinerary may close and if there's a chance the cruise could be canceled while underway. Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Beware of Viking excursion policies. We had not received any response from Viking about 10 days. Schreiner does not hold with that assertion because river cruise lines simply adjust their schedules year after year for optimal weather conditions. In fact, how a business responds to customer complaints is one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating. Only in very rare circumstances are the sailings canceled outright. We were never verbally informed when booking that the actual voucher would expire even if we rebooked again. Booked a trip just before covid hit which had to be canceled for obvious reasons. We appreciate you sharing your experience, Trevor, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. Booking your first river cruise? The first thing that I noticed when I boarded is that all river ships are built to similar dimensions. Another point that travelers should understand is that when the news reports low water levels, its not that an entire river has dried up and is impassable. It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. Viking Cruises has ceased all operations in Russia this year in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AMA Waterways | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. The even occurred in February of 2023. Thu 13 Jan 2022 01.00 EST Last modified on Thu 13 Jan 2022 18.22 EST. We were issued the vouchers that had an expiration date October 2022. 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. I am truly an "out-of-the-box" traveler which has enriched my travel experiences. We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical of a vaccine status made us cancel again. Learn more. They offered us a voucher for 125% or a cash refund. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. Why? The next indicator of river flow problems is the Thames River in England. He made the commissions, we will not sail and lose 14,000 dollars. Another factor that should be considered is trip insurance. The departure flight from ******* was delayed due to the storm. Vikings' policy allows no refund under the circumstances (i.e. The first five miles of headwaters have completely dried up. We appreciate you sharing your experience, Marie, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. 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. 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. We called our AAA travel agent and she notified Viking on September 17,2022, we were scheduled to leave on September 22,2022.