Viking River Cruises, Inc. | Complaints | Better Business Bureau Profile Think 3 times before booking with Viking!!! "They disembark in the morning, they go on the shore excursion, and they come back on the other side on the sister ship. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Cruise Line Travel Requirements - Cruises.com . 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. 1. River cruise cancellation fears loom as Rhine threatens closure We were running between the airlines at ***** to find out what was going on, very frustrating. 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. In June, there were places along the Po that completely dried up. 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. A place on the excursion I tried to book. Media Center - Press Releases - Viking Cruises Obviously a 2 week notice was impossible in our situation. Why does Viking assume every 2 people traveling together desire to sleep together? However, I believe the policy is rather onerous. Most all other cruise lines have dropped this mandate. 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. Viking Mississippi is one of Viking's largest river ships, measuring 450 feet (137 meters) long and weighing approximately 5,000 gross tons. Maximum capacities of 164 passengers and 47 crew. Pharaohs & Pyramids. Europe's Drought: Will It End River Cruises? - Out Traveler 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. 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. Oceania officials said Russian and Ukrainian ports would be removed from 2022 itineraries, while Viking River Cruises canceled . Because of the positive test result as well as his need for further dr evaluation, we had no choice but to cancel the trip. If the whole itinerary is changed, youll get to sail the new itinerary and receive a 100% future cruise credit to book another cruise. 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. European Cruise River Levels Are Falling To Critical Levels - Travel Codex The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. The first example of river distress is the Po River in Northern Italy. 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. How the Coronavirus Might Impact My Upcoming Viking River Cruise, Update: My Viking River Cruise And Their Coronavirus Response, Reivew: Nile River Cruise on the Grand Princess Amwaj. No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. Thank you. We would appreciate any help you can provide in helping us to get the rest of our money back. On 9/12/21 we realized the 2022 sailing impractical and cancelled for cruise credits (#s XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX) Cancellation conditions 2. On July 10th, 2022 my husband called Viking to inquire when the schedule becomes available. Disappointed with Viking Cruises cancellation policy. They have a working relationship with Lufthansa but insist the flight has nothing to do with them, That is a strong cop out. Cruise lines scrap Russian, Ukrainian ports from 2022 itineraries I explain ship swapping in the section: What Happens If Your Cruise Is Affected By Water Level? Viking's 2022 World Cruise Sold Out so Quickly, It's Offering - Leisure Call a Viking Expert at 0800 319 66 60 or see your Travel Advisor. Viking Neptune is a new ship that will join the fleet in 2022. Vikings inability to resolve an issue with their on line booking. 1. 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. 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. 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. These hotels are Marriott and hilton properties that have such rooms. Business Section was crowded 8 units wide while first class just in front We have rescheduled 2x as we refuse to get the Covid vaccine and Viking will not allow boarding if you are not 100% vaccinated. For that reason, the Rhine River is feeling greater effects of river flow and sooner than compared with the Danube. We will be again canceling our trip. The trip was more expensive so we paid with our vouchers as well as cash. The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends. Scheduled and rescheduled elder family care and pet sitting services. You dont cruise in Egypt in June/July because its too hot. **** called finally, apologized and said that he 'misread the rules', misunderstood the rules and this isn't a big deal (his attitude). SA. 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.. On 12/20/20 Viking cancelled this cruise. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. That's our policy. In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. I won't be booking any future cruise with them. 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." Recent updates have been made to cancellation schedules and refund guidelines for various cruise lines. Courtesy Sheila Davies. 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. It will take of the expiring vouchers and the booking can be changed with no problem whatsoever once a schedule for 2024 becomes available. Viking Cruises has ceased all operations in Russia this year in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Like most cruise lines, Viking canceled all of its sailings during the pandemic. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. 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. Unlike ocean cruising, river cruising has a lot of fluctuations in water levels. 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. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. 488 total complaints in the last 3 years. NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHERWe will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. I'm with Robin (see below). But our plea was denied. Not impressed and wi never book another trip with this company. She and her husband Ed recently took an 8-day cruise on the Viking Venus off the . 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. With many Christmas markets closed, river cruise lines cancel sailings Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. Viking Cruise Offers 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. 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. As compensation we have been offered a derisory 200 voucher towards a future cruise. Heres what you need to know. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. Many passengers were distressed by the lack of fresh water. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. RHINE GETAWAY. Because of COVID, we had to cancel the cruise, and received a voucher from Viking. Viking Cruises, and Other Lines, Changes Plans Because of Ukraine News Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. She is scheduled to start ************ this week. Its not an American company so they feel like they can treat Americans any way they want. The even occurred in February of 2023. Virgin Voyages. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. Viking changed their policy after they took all our money, lured us into taking now worthless vouchers. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. We opted for the voucher. 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. Published on May 21, 2021. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Customers should not be treated this way. But now some of those waterway dreams seem set to run aground. We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. On 10/12 as our plane was taxiing for departure, my husband suffered a medical emergency. Don't sail Viking unless you are guaranteed of going on the trip. The US gov has basically declared the "plandemic" over and all other mandates have been drop but Viking still won't change their policy. Not for the voucher amount. BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes. The other typical plan is to put the passengers on buses to get around the affected areas. 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. 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. River Cruises Respond to Austrian Lockdown, Impact on Sailings All I want if a refund for our primary payment so we can sail on a ship that does not require the vaccine since we can not get it. Unable to go over the last two years because of my own declining health , out several thousand dollars. We used our voucher prior to the expiration of the voucher, to book a cruise for March of 2023. I was never informed that the vaccine would be required to sail and that our money would not be eligible for a refund. passengers asked if ports on the new itinerary may close and if there's a chance the cruise could be canceled while underway. At this point we feel it's discrimination and want our money refunded. 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. This is known as ship swapping. Not every river cruise line takes the same stance. Now I see all this advertisement that waives ar fares , deposits and other things we paid for Horrible company in terms of customer service. Thu 13 Jan 2022 01.00 EST Last modified on Thu 13 Jan 2022 18.22 EST. Norse Atlantic Airways to Launch NY-Rome Flights. 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. This allowed Viking to retain the majority of our payment since We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher 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. Many passengers were still on board at this time and were unable to flush toilets or wash their hands. Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. Please DO NOT add attachments that contain your or other peoples personal information, if you dont want it to be visible to the public. Desired outcome: My Trip - Updates on Current Sailings - Viking River Cruises Steve is a life-long avgeek and a points and miles player. But this is one American that will never sail with this awful company ever again. 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 ********************* ********. We will not be booking with Viking again. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. . 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. We called our AAA travel agent and she notified Viking on September 17,2022, we were scheduled to leave on September 22,2022. It's been three years now that Viking has held my family's money hostage because we don't wish to take the jab. We would much rather be able to post how considerate Viking has been (as well as how much we enjoyed the cruise!) Want all money refunded. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. 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