Premium Air. How could we?? For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPGs cruise newsletter. He lied. Obviously a 2 week notice was impossible in our situation. 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. More Cruises Canceled as Omicron Spreads - The New York Times Viking Ocean Cruises has sailings listed for June, 2021. Cruises beginning in 2009, this is not the first error and being loyal . This meant I was unable to book any excursions or drinks package, despite trying as soon as they were released. 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. Man finally takes fully-paid Viking cruise canceled by COVID - nj The even occurred in February of 2023. These conditions include: Lately, Europe has seen temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). 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 ********************* ********. This guarantee is combinable with all other Viking offers available. Cannot recommend whatsoever - there are better cruise lines who deliver & care about providing a decent level of customer experience - avoid them if you can. Tauck says it deals with compensation on a case-by-case basis. However, as everyone knows, predicting the weather is not an exact science. 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. SPRING SALE Special Fares Reduced Airfare Dates: Availability: Coach would have been better. For that reason, the Rhine River is feeling greater effects of river flow and sooner than compared with the Danube. AMA Waterways | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. 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. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. A longtime editor at Cruise Critic, Erica has also written for The Washington Post, Fodors and Lets Go travel guides, and numerous print and online cruise publications. . It, along with the Viking Sky, is classified as a small ship, with 465 staterooms, capable of carrying 930 guests. by Steve CaseLast updated September 6, 2022. What? Europe has many rivers where cruise lines operate. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) My bag didn't make it. Europe Is Reopening For Vaccinated Travelers: See It Via These Viking 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! Poulsbo, Washington. They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called . We used these to book on cruise OJUXXXXXX Booking Number XXXXXXX. 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. US. There is rock on the bottom; theres also this little house in the middle of the river. We are not asking for a refund for the vouchers but to simply have them reissued to be used toward another cruise. The cruise line offered her future cruise vouchers worth 125 percent of her fare. In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. At this point we feel it's discrimination and want our money refunded. Very disappointed with Viking River Cruises - Fodor's After checking cancellation conditions online which indicates $200 up to a certain date I booked a river cruise for 2024 the deposit was $2000pp. The departure flight from ******* was delayed due to the storm. #VikingVictims. Italy is in the worst drought in over 70 years. Not your fault but took 5 flights, 1 whole day in airport, 1 whole night and 2 hotels to get to the ship 3 1/2 days late. Reservation changes under the Risk-Free Guarantee will be reimbursed in the form of a Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Voucher in the amount of 100% of all monies paid to Viking. Virgin Voyages. However, you wont be entirely out of luck if your itinerary changes once you arrive at your ship. In fact, how a business responds to customer complaints is one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating. Not at all, according to Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder AmaWaterways as long as youre willing to be a little bit flexible. Most river cruise lines do not allow guests to cancel pre-cruise without penalty except for in the most extreme circumstances. Because Viking issued a voucher , insurance denied the claim as the voucher was considered a refund Airfares vary on other gateways & departures. 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. I have had the cruise booked for probably a year but only now would the allow me the opportunity to purchase the spoils. Viking Cruises cancels 2022 Black Sea and Kiev (Ukraine) sailings Mind you, my cruise cost over $27,000. Dozens of cruises have been cancelled and some ports in the Caribbean and South America are turning ships away from making . We are not asking for anything other than our money back. 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. Find the right card for you. 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. That' our policy,. The ship can welcome up to 386 passengers, and. The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. The whole experience was a disaster. Do not book with Viking Cruises ,they turned my cancelled trip into vouchers with expiration dates that I never knew about. #6339759. The trip was more expensive so we paid with our vouchers as well as cash. This was a question that I asked myself before booking my Rhine River cruise. Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. We booked a cruise, paid the full booking amount. 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. These levels can swing widely both up and down. Submitting a response indicates a willingness to work with customers to make things right. All I got was 'you must pay in full for your trip before booking extras'. Desired outcome: 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. Schreiners advice is simple: Just go. Viking Mississippi cruise passengers hit by cancellations As a result, river levels are falling to critical levels. Cruise delayed because of COVID. Really, what is a big deal here? One of the most popular rivers, the Rhine has river levels falling fast. On December 9, 2019 we booked********************************* and paid ********* March 11, 2020 that cruise canceled by Viking due to COVID. It's a human right to have access to fresh water and clean sanitation. I had to cancel due to ill health and provided over five months notice. 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. I advised Viking that my wife and I could not get the vaccine ever and asked for a refund of our primary payment. Viking Cruises has ceased all operations in Russia this year in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Desired outcome: We have rescheduled 2x as we refuse to get the Covid vaccine and Viking will not allow boarding if you are not 100% vaccinated. At the time we did we also asked that trip insurance be added. Norwegian Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Schreiner gives an example of two identical sister ships, AmaLucia and AmaSiena, that both sail the Rhine. I purchased two of each of the following through ACH: Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary . But this is one American that will never sail with this awful company ever again. If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. 1. 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. Many passengers were still on board at this time and were unable to flush toilets or wash their hands. 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. 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. Want all money refunded. If the level is too low, the vessel may run aground or need an alternative docking arrangement. We again purchased Vikings trip insurance through Trip Mate to cover the cost of the trip. "But its clear that river cruising is not going away anytime soon.". Jim. River cruise cancellation fears loom as Rhine threatens closure 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. Media Center - Press Releases - Viking Cruises 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. My only hope now is for someone to cancel what I want.About time to give my loyalty to another cruise line. "The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority," a Viking representative told Travel Market Report. At the other end of the Po, ocean water has flooded the last 12 miles of the river damaging crops and contaminating drinking water. Viking River Cruises Cancellation and Refund Policy That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything was fine and we rebooked for Jan 2022. Viking allows those who book the most expensive rooms to book first. 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). For information about your specific voyage, please log onto MyVikingJourney.com. The climate in Europe is changing and not for the better. They are just taking the thousands of dollars we gave them from us and we are getting nothing in return. We were treated like animals. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. Viking Neptune is a new ship that will join the fleet in 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. We will be again canceling our trip. My husband and I booked with Viking in December 2019 for the Rhine Getaway Cruise for December 2020. 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. 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. 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. View all of our Luxury Cruise sailings and offers. 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. Ive asked that one room in the hotels have two separate beds for our two adult children who do not want to share a bed. The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, A beginners guide to picking a cruise line, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. was 4 units wide . What It's Like Aboard an 8-Day Cruise With Viking River Cruises 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. Enrollment required. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. Schreiner does not hold with that assertion because river cruise lines simply adjust their schedules year after year for optimal weather conditions. If you are booked on a river cruise for later this year, do not make any snap decisions. 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. $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. Risk-Free Guarantee - Viking River Cruises The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. Thanks for reaching out, Itom, although we regret to learn of your experience with booking excursions. The vaccinations mean nothing anyway. Wanted us to travel with 3 flights via 2 countries, when we complained they hid behind T & Cs very sneaky & very poor customer service, they cited they couldnt absorb costs of a more direct flight routing. 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. 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." You can see why people are worried. Viking cruise voucher problem: Don't forget to read the fine print!

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