Sure we were free but that's no excuse. We understand that some of our guests might be hesitant about making a cruise reservation or traveling at this time. Do your homework and always make informed decisions. It would seem to be a reasonable and simple request. Norwegian Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Booking 6819824. 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. This insurance company is worthless and doesn't live up to the stated reimbursements as advertised in its' brochure. 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. Heres what you need to know. 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. (I doubt theyll get that right). Where the European rivers have locks and dams to control water levels, ships can still sail problem-free. Special Cruise Savings | Viking Ocean Cruises 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 There are critical points, like the one on the Rhine River, right in the Rhine Gorge, Schreiner explained. Due to Covid pandemic our cruise got cancelled. This they Because these problem spots are well known, river cruise lines can find ways to mitigate the issues with savvy itinerary planning. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. Mind you, my cruise cost over $27,000. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 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). Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for. By. But now some of those waterway dreams seem set to run aground. It was too windy and not safe so decided not to try to use their tender. The bottom line is, we have ********* at VRC. Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. It's also a classic cruise itinerary. Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary . Check with your cruise line on current cruising conditions and what you can expect from them. ***. 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'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. On July 10th, 2022 my husband called Viking to inquire when the schedule becomes available. 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. We booked a Viking River Cruise with AAA travel in August of 2019 for $14,497 for two people which excludes the insurance cost. Crystal River Cruises has canceled its four remaining Crystal Ravel sailings this December. The Rhine River in general is not that deep. For that reason, the Rhine River is feeling greater effects of river flow and sooner than compared with the Danube. 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. Beware of Viking excursion policies. I won't be booking any future cruise with them. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. 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. Contact your Sales Agent or our Customer Service department online, via email, or by phone at 1-800-427-8473 and ask about potential opportunities for flexible cancellation policies, rebooking opportunities and other options. Viking is probably the most unsympathetic/unprofessional company I have ever experienced. Cruises - Very disappointed with Viking River Cruises - Reservation # 2672768 We were supposed to do a river cruise and ended up doing a motor coach tour due to low river levels. Water levels are unpredictable and can vary day by day, depending on what the weather brings. Refund on premium air payments that we did not receive in premiumservice. Think 3 times before booking with Viking!!! 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. 05 Aug 2022. I checked with many countries and all their restrictions have been dropped. Bad cruise experience, shore excursions, bad weather bad handling, cold food, etc. The line confirmed the steps to TTG on Wednesday (2 March) and said it was "deeply opposed" to the . Another factor that should be considered is trip insurance. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and theyll be displayed as long as an account is active. An apology is not good enough. Booking # XXXXXXX ), We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. In November ******************************************* She had major surgery December 12th. We had not received any response from Viking about 10 days. 2022. On 11/22 we received an email from Trip Mate regarding the resolution of our claim. Then before the departure, Viking cancelled operations and offered us vouchers for future cruises. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Europe Is Reopening For Vaccinated Travelers: See It Via These Viking Unable to go over the last two years because of my own declining health , out several thousand dollars. The cruise line announced the return of select itineraries in Portugal, France and . Cancellation conditions 2. Published on May 21, 2021. Viking refusing to refund given COVID risks! - Review of Viking Cruises In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. 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". Viking Cruise recommends that their customers insure their travel & trip with Trip Mate Travel Insurance. If you are booked on a river cruise for later this year, do not make any snap decisions. 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. passengers asked if ports on the new itinerary may close and if there's a chance the cruise could be canceled while underway. Applies primarily to to bookings with the following content. BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Viking Mississippi cancels some cruise passengers four days ahead of The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. Special fares plus Free airfare valid on select 2023 departures of Eastern Seaboard Explorer and Canada & New England Scenic Shores. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. Fraud and deception! Viking Cruises | Cruise Ship List - Cruises Only Poulsbo, Washington. Viking Cruises - Ships and Itineraries 2023, 2024, 2025 - CruiseMapper 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. ******************************************************************************************************************************** We were looking for the same cruise we originally booked but for 2024. Viking River Cruises Viking Rolf (Photo: Viking River Cruises) Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Disembark on May 1 2023 they required us to pay us in full in August 2022 which we did. . We missed 2 ports of call and 1/3 of our sites to see the auroras. I will never travel with Viking . In a statement issued to the Star Tribune, Viking confirmed that some of the ship's first scheduled departures were canceled this summer, and that the luxury vessel is temporarily operating. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Don't sail Viking unless you are guaranteed of going on the trip. Disappointed with Viking Cruises cancellation policy. It is February 1st today and I went online to book excursions for a trip almost 3 months from now. This is an awful company to deal with. Global warming is indeed having an effect on European rivers. Please DO NOT add attachments that contain your or other peoples personal information, if you dont want it to be visible to the public. After an *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. But our plea was denied. I ask if I could have the number to her managers boss she said no. I was sailing aboard the Avalon Vista two months ago on a cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland along the Rhine River. We were given the option of a voucher or cash Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. , I am out the $3500 no matter what) and a friend who will take my place must pay her full share of the room as well! The confirmation email said cancellation for any reason loss of deposit. Norse Atlantic Airways to Launch NY-Rome Flights. The food was awful , the service bad some waiters were very rude we were forced to do a lot of included tours or couldnt leave the ship . Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. AMA Waterways | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. 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. 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. Viking Cruises chairman: 'COVID is really behind us' - Fortune I'm with Robin (see below). She really needs this positive experience to look forward to. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. Here's our experience with the Viking cancellation policy. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. River flows are never static and are subject to fluctuations that are unpredictable.