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This is known as ship swapping. Virgin Voyages. 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. I booked the flight through Viking to a Christmas market river cruise. - Refusal to honor its cancellation policy, Viking trip shortened due to weather, no refund. In order to catch the next flight from ************ to ******* to get to the cruise on time we had to pay the tickets ourselves. We booked a cruise, paid the full booking amount. We will never try Viking again! We asked to transfer the trip to my son and grandson, but transferring the tickets is not allowed. Part refund, at least 25%. In the same cabin. We are told now that change is not possible at all because vouchers have expired. It's also a classic cruise itinerary. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. On April 7, Virgin Voyages updated its advisory that all regular Scarlet Lady cruises are canceled through September 17, 2021. In June, there were places along the Po that completely dried up. River flows are never static and are subject to fluctuations that are unpredictable. Had a planned eastern European river cruise starting mid-October for over a year. Desired outcome: 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. 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. What? Not impressed and wi never book another trip with this company. The Po River flows 400 miles across the top of Italy from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. We booked the *********** cruise with Viking prior to COVID *****************. I believe this policy and practice is clearly unfair and rather reckless. 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. Booking XXXXXXX. 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. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. They are just taking the thousands of dollars we gave them from us and we are getting nothing in return. 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. I have had the cruise booked for probably a year but only now would the allow me the opportunity to purchase the spoils. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. US. Part refund, at least 25%. Viking Cruises will test all guests and crew for COVID-19 with daily PCR testing when sailings resume, as part of the company's new Viking Health & Safety Program, the cruise line recently announced. It is the standard architecture that gives the river boat some leeway with rising and falling river levels. We could not wash, shower, not wash our hands and NOT able to flush toilets! This was really , 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! 05 Aug 2022. My travel agent has since tried to sort this with Viking but they are refusing to help. You dont know a week or 10 days in advance what will happen with the water levels. As compensation we have been offered a derisory 200 voucher towards a future cruise. Subscribe to Apple News. However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. 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. No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. This meant I was unable to book any excursions or drinks package, despite trying as soon as they were released. 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. Expires March 31, 2023. If you are booked on a river cruise for later this year, do not make any snap decisions. 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. Telling us that a voucher has no cash value is a shoddy business practice at best. Trip value now ********** On 12 November 2020 we booked another cruise and added an additional ******** to bring our out of pocket total to ********** All transactions took place before before the rollout of a "vaccine", vaccine cards, a Presidential and CDC mandates. By Alyssa Lukpat and Ceylan Yeginsu. Their luggage has been moved over automatically so by the time they arrive on the ship they have their luggage, and then they sail on the other ship back to the destination.. They have a working relationship with Lufthansa but insist the flight has nothing to do with them, That is a strong cop out. Heres what you need to know. He will call us immediately - he said. Guests have the option to transfer their reservation to 2022; receive a 100% future cruise credit . 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. The Rhine River is the main artery for German and Swiss transportation and also French, said Schreiner. My bag is still missing and I will request (!) The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Thu 13 Jan 2022 01.00 EST Last modified on Thu 13 Jan 2022 18.22 EST. This also had the water turned off and was unable to flush. RHINE GETAWAY. Think 3 times before booking with Viking!!! The booking # is *******. There are critical points, like the one on the Rhine River, right in the Rhine Gorge, Schreiner explained. Guests and travel agents on impacted departures are in the process of being notified. Not a problem for him at all. 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. I ask if I could have the number to her managers boss she said no. Schreiner does not hold with that assertion because river cruise lines simply adjust their schedules year after year for optimal weather conditions. 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. Viking has responded to his passing by cancelling the nearly $9,000 I paid for my husbands share of the trip. 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. Anybody got any idea what do I do? Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. The food was excellent. On December 9, 2019 we booked********************************* and paid ********* March 11, 2020 that cruise canceled by Viking due to COVID. ***. Viking Plans A Robust 2021 2022 Cruise Season Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. 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. Last week, the cruise line cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary and said it was evaluating 2022 sailing that call in Russia. We missed 2 ports of call and 1/3 of our sites to see the auroras. 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. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. Not every river cruise line takes the same stance. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. "But this is not a problem at all" - he said, because all we need is to make a booking for any date, just as a placeholder. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. We used our voucher prior to the expiration of the voucher, to book a cruise for March of 2023. 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 cruise has been sold out for weeks so if Viking reinstates the voucher, the cabin could be resold. **** said he would monitor the schedule and will alert us the very day it comes out. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. Information provided by various external sources. Utter and total joke. Princess Cruises | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Its infuriating and disrespectful. Viking has lost four loyal customers with 10 past cruises between us. I have three times tried to contact Viking, by phone, email, and chat. Posted September 18, 2021. over night stay we got back to Cincinnati the next day. Our ships have a very low draftabout five feet, he explained. I advised Viking that my wife and I could not get the vaccine ever and asked for a refund of our primary payment. (I doubt theyll get that right). We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. We were running between the airlines at ***** to find out what was going on, very frustrating. After many failed conversations with Viking Cruise customer service reps to obtain reassurance that we will automatically receive Booking number 7141933 Booking 6819824. service we should have received at least a partial refund . Karin Price Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. We were treated like animals. This was a question that I asked myself before booking my Rhine River cruise. passengers asked if ports on the new itinerary may close and if there's a chance the cruise could be canceled while underway. Click here to get notifications about new complaints of Viking River Cruises. I was told I would have to pay full retail fare in addition to what had already Viking made an error and owes me reimbursement for charges made on February 1. 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 . We were given the option of a voucher or cash Thank you. When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. I checked with many countries and all their restrictions have been dropped. 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. Thank you. I am writing about booking number 7045921 sailed Jan.12 2023. Looks like our September cruise to the Fjords is in the process of being cancelled! "Given recent developments and the developing conflict in Ukraine,. But there is nothing we can do, your vouchers have expired'. Story Update (September 5, 2022) Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. This site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. It is February 1st today and I went online to book excursions for a trip almost 3 months from now. My husband surprised me with the explorer suite,the room was beautiful,the balcony was amazing. Sheila Davies is a retired gas industry professional based in Northumberland, England. Confirmation attached. My bag didn't make it. It, along with the Viking Sky, is classified as a small ship, with 465 staterooms, capable of carrying 930 guests. Viking is bringing back river cruises to Europe in July. I could sail on another cruise line for a lot less money. It is time for Viking to do the same and act like a cruise line instead of a medical facility. Experts are saying that the current drought in Europe could be the worst in 500 years, with water levels dropping, especially along the Rhine River. It also stated that if we were unable to use the voucher we could be refunded the original amount we paid to Viking. 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 ********************* ********. An apology is not good enough. 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. Really, what is a big deal here? The other typical plan is to put the passengers on buses to get around the affected areas. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. It is a basic human right to be able to have access to flushing toilets and handwasting facilities. But all was not lost. Ships might be able to pass through a tricky spot, like Kaub, today but not tomorrow, or cant this week but can next week. Cruise delayed because of COVID. We are not asking for a refund for the vouchers but to simply have them reissued to be used toward another cruise. The whole point of purchasing trip insurance, especially in this time of Covid, was to protect ourselves in the event of a last minute emergency. Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers are transferable, so that you have the flexibility to gift them to a loved one. I also booked this trip years ago when there was . In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. They can go up, they can go down, rain can come in.. Planning a cruise? Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. We would much rather be able to post how considerate Viking has been (as well as how much we enjoyed the cruise!) Enrollment required. 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. SA. The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. 2) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation between March 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021; 3) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation between May 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021; 4) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation prior to April 30, 2020. Before you decide to. An apology is not good enough. Spoke to several people today, including a supervisor My husband and I were scheduled to leave for our Viking cruise around Spain on Jan. 11. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, The best places to see cherry blossoms around the US this spring, Looking back: How my points and miles strategy has changed over the years, The best increased card offers to sign up for this March. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. We paid for Travel Protection River boats are unique because they can float in just five to six feet of water. Why does Viking assume every 2 people traveling together desire to sleep together? Poulsbo, Washington. Not one thing but some flowers in the rain and unsafe steps and more Booking number 7141933 With this terrible The plane returned to the gate and he was transported to the local hospital. 2023-2025 OCEAN CRUISE AND AIR SAVINGS: Offer applies to bookings made from March 1-31, 2023. I used my airline mile and hotel points to travel well and cheap. After many failed conversations with Viking Cruise customer service reps to obtain reassurance that we will automatically receive a refund when our cruise vouchers expire on 2/18/23, two years after the email from Viking dated 2/17/21 notifying us that our second cruise was cancelled. By March 2020 Viking announced cancellations due to covid, with an additional 25% for a future booking. Disassembling the shades on the sun deck. TPG values it at $1,600. Obviously a 2 week notice was impossible in our situation. We booked a river cruise from Istanbul to Venice. One of the most popular rivers, the Rhine has river levels falling fast. He made the commissions, we will not sail and lose 14,000 dollars. As a consequence all water amenities, main pool, infinity pool, jacuzzi and spa were closed for the whole of the cruise! A place on the excursion I tried to book. 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. I asked the captain how deep the ship would be if it sank. This river begins in the Alps near the Italy-French border and is fed by snowmelt. Do not book with Viking Cruises ,they turned my cancelled trip into vouchers with expiration dates that I never knew about. 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. We paid some #10,000 for premium air. 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. You will, however, still get a vacation in Europe, even if its not the one you expected. Only in very rare circumstances are the sailings canceled outright. After checking cancellation conditions online which indicates $200 up to a certain date I booked a river cruise for 2024 the deposit was $2000pp. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. "Given recent developments and the developing conflict in Ukraine,. Here's our experience with the Viking cancellation policy. Viking Celebrates Start Of Inaugural Season In North America's Great Lakes Read More May 17, 2022 Newest Ocean Ship In Viking's Award-Winning Fleet Named By The Countess Of Carnarvon Of Highclere Castle Read More May 12, 2022 Viking Takes Delivery of Newest Ocean Ship Read More April 25, 2022 Companies can ask for reviews via automatic invitations. If you have a question or would like to make a press inquiry, please contact: Scott Mackenzie *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. We have taken note of your feedback. Well guide you through the process. Viking changed our flight schedule at very short notice. At the other end of the Po, ocean water has flooded the last 12 miles of the river damaging crops and contaminating drinking water. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. 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. Check with your cruise line on current cruising conditions and what you can expect from them. If you book a river cruise, you acknowledge that you might not get the exact itinerary you signed up for. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. There is rock on the bottom; theres also this little house in the middle of the river. Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. return trip Munich to EWR Pharaohs & Pyramids. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. They offered us a 150 dollar non refundable credit to be used onboard. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. The first five miles of headwaters have completely dried up. Cannot recommend whatsoever - there are better cruise lines who deliver & care about providing a decent level of customer experience - avoid them if you can. Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Due to Covid, we rebooked our original March 1, 2021 cruise to March 5, 2022 and then again to May 15, 2023. This made it impossible to catch the next flight from ***** to buenos Aries. 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". Do your homework and always make informed decisions. We Vikings inability to resolve an issue with, Withholding of monies and shore excursion, Refusal to honor its cancellation policy, My bag is still missing and I will request. For every day that is altered, AmaWaterways guests will get 50% of the daily rate they paid as a future cruise credit. The cruise lines plan their itineraries to mitigate this risk. Want all money refunded. 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 Our trip was canceled and a voucher was issued. We are unable to meet VRC health requirements to participate in one of their cruises. Call to book now: 1-800-207-7286. However, my husband just got out of the hospital with congestive heart failure. BBB is here to help. In May, Viking canceled that cruise. Voyages offering the excursion to Floriade 2022 operate between July 16 and August 27, 2022 aboard River Empress. Norse Atlantic Airways to Launch NY-Rome Flights. Posted May 4, 2021. 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. The dream vacation I have waited for 8 years has gone down the drain. Weve taken note of your feedback and if you'd like discuss your trip further and welcome you to email TellUs@vikingcruises.com with your booking information. I'm with Robin (see below). The reason given by Viking is that these are vouchers from a previously booked trip (during the COVID pandemic). Viking has refused. Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. How is this hard? We have a very good rain forecast for this Thursday/Friday, and fairly heavy rains coming, so [the situation] might change.. It's a human right to have access to fresh water and clean sanitation. These two rivers are the most popular routes in European river cruising. Most all other cruise lines have dropped this mandate. These hotels are Marriott and hilton properties that have such rooms. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. My experience with Viking River Cruises is that if they cancel, they will either refund your money or . The even occurred in February of 2023. How could we?? I was aware that cruise lines' cash flow issues and accepted the voucher. 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. 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. That's our policy. In fact, how a business responds to customer complaints is one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating. But due to a serious health issue we along with our Drs said that it was not feasible for us to go. This is our third time to book a trip, and in 2023, the medical requirement is still in place. However, you wont be entirely out of luck if your itinerary changes once you arrive at your ship. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. Look at the Mekong you dont cruise in May, June, July and August because its too hot. ******************************************************************************************************************************** We were looking for the same cruise we originally booked but for 2024. Viking allows those who book the most expensive rooms to book first. We were never verbally informed when booking that the actual voucher would expire even if we rebooked again. All other passages from ******* for the same Antarctica cruise with Viking Octantis got their boarding passes with no problem. 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. 1. This 'placeholder booking' means nothing he assured us. In Europe, we dont cruise in January, February and into early March because its too cold, he explained. All I got was 'you must pay in full for your trip before booking extras'. Italy is in the worst drought in over 70 years. $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. AMA Waterways | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. But now some of those waterway dreams seem set to run aground. To date we have sent a certified *** ****** ***** letter to VRC and had no response. I have always liked Viking cruises and have been on 13, counting the one I am currently on. If water levels are low, cargo ships cannot carry their normal loads of freight. You dont cruise in Egypt in June/July because its too hot. Business Section was crowded 8 units wide while first class just in front 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. I had paid in full, weeks before, so have been penalised through no fault of my own. Desired outcome: Submitting a response indicates a willingness to work with customers to make things right. Europe has many rivers where cruise lines operate. This site is for entertainment purposes only. 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. They feature elegant Scandinavian design, spacious staterooms with large verandas, and both indoor and al . Vikings inability to resolve an issue with their on line booking. AAA travel called Viking many times to rectify this and in December we were finally told that they would give us a $10,000 dollar credit toward another cruise and a $1,500 dollar shipboard credit. International Association of Better Business Bureaus. 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. Because of COVID, we had to cancel the cruise, and received a voucher from Viking. ST PAUL, Minn. There's been a lot of fanfare surrounding America's Great River cruise operated by Viking Cruises. Very disappointing. Customers should not be treated this way. 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. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have canceled several trips as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc with the cruise . I explain ship swapping in the section: What Happens If Your Cruise Is Affected By Water Level? Water levels on the Rhine River are set to fall close to the point where the river cannot hold ships anymore. In fact, everything we have come to expect from Viking exceptthere were apparently a few cases of a GI infection . The draft is the amount of vessel that is below the water line. The area is protected and thats where you have the low water issues. I had insurance and filed a claim.