Viking River Cruises - Cancelation of cruises - ComplaintsBoard.com Unfortunately, my husband unexpectedly passed away last month. over night stay we got back to Cincinnati the next day. we went to our connecting American Airlines flight with our Boarding Viking cruise voucher problem: Don't forget to read the fine print! 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. Call to book now: 1-800-207-7286. On the last day, all running water was turned off until we left the ship. Withholding of monies and shore excursion booking system failure. Special fares plus Free airfare valid on select 2023 departures of Eastern Seaboard Explorer and Canada & New England Scenic Shores. But it is for us. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. It is the standard architecture that gives the river boat some leeway with rising and falling river levels. By the time I could ring Viking, the excursion was sold out and the drinks package price had increased. 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. Viking Ocean Cruises. Royal Caribbean International | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating, My husband and I took an Antarctica cruise with Viking Octantis Dec 25 to Jan 7' as an all inclusive trip, all airfares and transportations were included . NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHERWe will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. Viking has responded to his passing by cancelling the nearly $9,000 I paid for my husbands share of the trip. Viking offered us to support the company and not get a refund if we accepted a voucher of 125% 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.. 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 am writing about booking number 7045921 sailed Jan.12 2023. We would appreciate any help you can provide in helping us to get the rest of our money back. Submitting a response indicates a willingness to work with customers to make things right. The first five miles of headwaters have completely dried up. We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical of a vaccine status made us cancel again. We used our voucher prior to the expiration of the voucher, to book a cruise for March of 2023. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). An apology is not good enough. 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 . Feb 1, 2023. Water levels are unpredictable and can vary day by day, depending on what the weather brings. Disappointed with Viking Cruises cancellation policy. #1. 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. This requirement was enacted after we booked this trip . This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. Steve is a life-long avgeek and a points and miles player. 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. Cailey Rizzo. About 20 poeple's bag on the flight didn't make it. My husband and I booked with Viking in December 2019 for the Rhine Getaway Cruise for December 2020. Unlike ocean cruising, river cruising has a lot of fluctuations in water levels. Viking Cruises | Cruise Ship List - Cruises Only We used these to book on cruise OJUXXXXXX Booking Number XXXXXXX. We booked a 14 day cruise with extra days upon arrival in ****** and departure in **** in ****. Europe's Drought: Will It End River Cruises? - Out Traveler No materials from this website may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way. Viking Announces Return of European River Cruises in July - Travel 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. 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. 2. 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. 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. By. In 2021, the cruise line plans to launch their seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus. I asked to speak to a manager and was told by the person I talked to I could not but she would speak with one. 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. After 5 minutes she came back and said the manager said nothing they could do but charge a 50 percent fee for canceling. Any comments Viking? Airfares vary on other gateways & departures. This 'placeholder booking' means nothing he assured us. Given the current COVID situation (and that 3 of the 4 countries we were slated to visit are currently closed), we decided we should cancel. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. Cruise Line Travel Requirements - Cruises.com Not enough for the money hungry cruise line. The trip was more expensive so we paid with our vouchers as well as cash. There are no uniform river flows and water levels are unpredictable. I advised Viking that my wife and I could not get the vaccine ever and asked for a refund of our primary payment. At best, youll do a ship swap mid-cruise, a slight inconvenience that will allow you to follow your planned itinerary. NEW! Europe is experiencing unprecedented drought and heat conditions. When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. January 27, 2018. Bad cruise experience, shore excursions, bad weather bad handling, cold food, etc. Cancellation conditions 2. I had insurance and filed a claim. During our Antarctica cruise, as suggested by the on board customer services, we submitted our request for the reimbursement with receipts. This river begins in the Alps near the Italy-French border and is fed by snowmelt. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. ******************************************************************************************************************************** We were looking for the same cruise we originally booked but for 2024. The reason given by Viking is that these are vouchers from a previously booked trip (during the COVID pandemic). They have no intentions of giving my money back .Do I not have any rights? River boats are unique because they can float in just five to six feet of water. 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. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. Learn more. Ocean cruise ships usually have at least 25 feet or more or more of draft which would preclude them from river cruising. The Viking Ocean Cruises 2022 Grand Polynesia Voyage has come to a triumphant completion in Los Angeles. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. A place on the excursion I tried to book. 4. We have rescheduled 2x as we refuse to get the Covid vaccine and Viking will not allow boarding if you are not 100% vaccinated. 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. On top of that, they are asking for me to pay additional same $ 9,000. amount for me to go on this journey alone! On 10/12 as our plane was taxiing for departure, my husband suffered a medical emergency. Is it cheaper to stay out in the bay and use your own tender? A river level that is too high or too low can affect an otherwise great cruising experience. For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPGs cruise newsletter. However, the most important part of any cruise, for me is the excursion choice. Europe is now seeing the same kind of climate change conditions that are affecting the Western United States. 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 ********************* ********. With many Christmas markets closed, river cruise lines cancel sailings Their ad is wonderful but after all is said and done it is all crap. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. 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. Premium Air. They refuse. We have taken note of your feedback. 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." If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. The problem with river cruises is that they are affected by both high and low water levels. Viking booked the hotels for these excursions. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. Telling us that a voucher has no cash value is a shoddy business practice at best. 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. Courtesy Sheila Davies. 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. Unfortunately, there are still cruises being cancelled in 2022 due to Covid-19 and the uncertainty surrounding it. It was not a condition of completing this trip. 2023, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., separately incorporated Better Business Bureau organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico and BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. It turns out that for the most part, if the ship sank, we would be high and dry standing on the sun deck. Viking Mississippi is one of Viking's largest river ships, measuring 450 feet (137 meters) long and weighing approximately 5,000 gross tons. The next indicator of river flow problems is the Thames River in England. Viking Cruises, and Other Lines, Changes Plans Because of Ukraine News Viking is not a good company to work with. 1. The Po River flows 400 miles across the top of Italy from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. This allowed Viking to retain the majority of our payment since We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. 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. Several Cruise Lines Cancel Scheduled Stops in Russia, Ukraine Posted May 4, 2021. service we should have received at least a partial refund . Viking cancels all Russian river cruise itineraries - TTG An apology is not good enough. Viking Mississippi cruise passengers hit by cancellations 2023-2025 OCEAN CRUISE AND AIR SAVINGS: Offer applies to bookings made from March 1-31, 2023. Viking River Cruises Viking Rolf (Photo: Viking River Cruises) #VikingVictims. Wouldnt that booking choice make it clear to Viking that pre and post excursion bookings would also require separate beds? It is getting harder and harder to book excursions on Viking cruises, so I would advise anyone planning a cruise with them to think twice, if excursions are important to them. We were issued the vouchers that had an expiration date October 2022. They also issued non refundable vouchers for our port excursions. 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. We called our AAA travel agent and she notified Viking on September 17,2022, we were scheduled to leave on September 22,2022. We opted for the voucher. 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. We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. This is why most lines are not offering flexible cancellation policies or waiving penalties for canceling a river cruise because theyre worried their itinerary will get disrupted due to low water levels. Heres what you need to know. Poulsbo, Washington. For the cabin on the cruise, we indicated separate beds for their cabin. Originally booked in 2020, paid in full. The vaccinations mean nothing anyway. After checking cancellation conditions online which indicates $200 up to a certain date I booked a river cruise for 2024 the deposit was $2000pp. 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. Learn to how to find the cheapest awards. In fact, we specifically asked their travel consultant if the vouchers would be reissued if we had to cancel again and we were told they would. Please Note: 1) Terms & Conditions for Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers can be found here. Guests and travel advisors with affected departures have been notified. Verification can help ensure real people write reviews about real companies. SPRING SALE Special Fares Reduced Airfare Dates: Availability: Claim your profile to access Trustpilots free business tools and connect with customers. This was really Sheila Davies is a retired gas industry professional based in Northumberland, England. 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. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. 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. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. This made it impossible to catch the next flight from ***** to buenos Aries. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. We rebooked the trip for 10/12-10/23/22. Thats because the weight of the cargo such vessels carry affects their draft (the distance between the ships bottom and the water line). We were being reimbursed for the cash amount paid but not the amount of the vouchers. View all of our Luxury Cruise sailings and offers. There are critical points, like the one on the Rhine River, right in the Rhine Gorge, Schreiner explained. Water levels on the Rhine River are set to fall close to the point where the river cannot hold ships anymore. . The cruise line announced the return of select itineraries in Portugal, France and . 12 reviews. 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. This is our third time to book a trip, and in 2023, the medical requirement is still in place. TPG values it at $1,600. For more than 15 years we have helped nearly 50000 customers resolve their issues and will never stop striving to ensure further improvements on our platform for a better communication between companies and customers. We missed 2 ports of call and 1/3 of our sites to see the auroras. 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. Viking's move follows announcements from other cruise operators saying they are . This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). 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. Why? coach. Share. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. All other passages from ******* for the same Antarctica cruise with Viking Octantis got their boarding passes with no problem. Viking Ocean Cruises has sailings listed for June, 2021. If, however, we forfeit the ******* spent in anticipation of this vacation, Viking would loose us as customers, but as a sophisticated internet user, my wife will use her homebound time posting this saga on as many travel sites as possible. 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. 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. That's our policy. Please view our privacy policy for details about the information we share with our partners. Posted September 18, 2021. We then Our Viking cruise embarkation was delayed by 2 days, shortening our trip from 12 to 10 days. I contacted Trip Mate and was told the vouchers were not covered and that I needed to contact Viking because they handled vouchers. These conditions include: Lately, Europe has seen temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). 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. Disassembling the shades on the sun deck. My Trip - Updates on Current Sailings - Viking River Cruises The drought category in England has reached the most severe designation of severe drought. The dream vacation I have waited for 8 years has gone down the drain. For that reason, the Rhine River is feeling greater effects of river flow and sooner than compared with the Danube. I even requested they review the phone call and they refused. 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. I won't be booking any future cruise with them. If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. Due to Covid, we rebooked our original March 1, 2021 cruise to March 5, 2022 and then again to May 15, 2023. Has Viking Cancelled Any 2022 Cruises - CruiseInfoClub.com Key West was on the itinerary but Viking told us 5 months before they would not be docking. The whole experience was a disaster. We booked a January 2021 cruise. 488 total complaints in the last 3 years. We asked to transfer the trip to my son and grandson, but transferring the tickets is not allowed. We did not see ANY of Spain. The Rhine River in general is not that deep. I encourage all Americans to do the same. On April 7, Virgin Voyages updated its advisory that all regular Scarlet Lady cruises are canceled through September 17, 2021. ***. 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. This years summer drought in Europe could affect your upcoming river cruise, but its highly unlikely your cruise will be canceled outright. 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. It's a human right to have access to fresh water and clean sanitation. Viking Cruises, and Other Lines, Changes Plans Because of Ukraine News Not impressed and wi never book another trip with this company. The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends. Refund or partial credit. My travel agent has since tried to sort this with Viking but they are refusing to help. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. We were given the option of a voucher or cash I appreciate the time. . Because these problem spots are well known, river cruise lines can find ways to mitigate the issues with savvy itinerary planning. Most all other cruise lines have dropped this mandate. I also called the insurance company and was told that to get a refund we had to notify them two weeks before the trip start date. 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. It turns out that during the second half of the cruise, we were in a heat wave, experiencing very hot temperatures. Plus Ups are excluded. The photo is from my first premium, international award flight in 2012. This is insulting and is clearly bait and switch type behavior. 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. More Cruises Canceled as Omicron Spreads - The New York Times But due to a serious health issue we along with our Drs said that it was not feasible for us to go. 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. If the region has had an excess of rain, raising the river greatly, the river ship may have problems clearing bridges and other obstacles. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. Dozens of cruises have been cancelled and some ports in the Caribbean and South America are turning ships away from making . They feature elegant Scandinavian design, spacious staterooms with large verandas, and both indoor and al . 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. Disembark on May 1 2023 they required us to pay us in full in August 2022 which we did. Review for Viking Osiris to Middle East Swirling Kilt 2-5 Cruises Age 60s Read More Sail Date: December 2022 Cabin Type: Suite with Veranda Helpful Christmas on the Mississippi Review for. This insurance company is worthless and doesn't live up to the stated reimbursements as advertised in its' brochure. You dont know a week or 10 days in advance what will happen with the water levels. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur.