On 10/12 as our plane was taxiing for departure, my husband suffered a medical emergency. She and her husband Ed recently took an 8-day cruise on the Viking Venus off the . However, the same problems do not affect river cruise ships. 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. Because of COVID, we had to cancel the cruise, and received a voucher from Viking. airfare $2198 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 . Sandi. If you are booked on a river cruise for later this year, do not make any snap decisions. took the call and told us that schedule wouldn't be available most likely till January 2023. They said they did. Vikings inability to resolve an issue with their on line booking. 12/21- 12/28/2022 This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. 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. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. The couple shore excursions we went on were lame and horrible. This was not the case. 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: A sales representative ******. We appreciate you sharing your experience, Trevor, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. You could tear down the house and build a dam there, but that is not what is going to happen.. return trip Munich to EWR 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. Really, what is a big deal here? service we should have received at least a partial refund . The typical characteristics of river boats regardless of cruise line are about the same. Most river cruise lines do not allow guests to cancel pre-cruise without penalty except for in the most extreme circumstances. We accepted and paid an additional insurance premium. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. ******************************************************************************************************************************** We were looking for the same cruise we originally booked but for 2024. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We are older and don't want to keep rescheduling this with the hopes of one day being permitted to board their ship. This years summer drought in Europe could affect your upcoming river cruise, but its highly unlikely your cruise will be canceled outright. The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. . Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. TPG values it at $1,600. There are critical points, like the one on the Rhine River, right in the Rhine Gorge, Schreiner explained. You will, however, still get a vacation in Europe, even if its not the one you expected. It turns out that for the most part, if the ship sank, we would be high and dry standing on the sun deck. Many passengers were distressed by the lack of fresh water. ComplaintsBoard.com is a leading complaint resolution website on the Internet. In fact, how a business responds to customer complaints is one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating. By the time I could ring Viking, the excursion was sold out and the drinks package price had increased. Poulsbo, Washington. Looks like our September cruise to the Fjords is in the process of being cancelled! Thank you. It's been three years now that Viking has held my family's money hostage because we don't wish to take the jab. Do not book with Viking Cruises ,they turned my cancelled trip into vouchers with expiration dates that I never knew about. Thanks for reaching out, Itom, although we regret to learn of your experience with booking excursions. I advised Viking that my wife and I could not get the vaccine ever and asked for a refund of our primary payment. Telling us that a voucher has no cash value is a shoddy business practice at best. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. The 13-city cruise was supposed to take passengers between St. Paul and New . 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. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. This was a question that I asked myself before booking my Rhine River cruise. #6339759. *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. 3. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. 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." 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 This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. This cruise has been sold out for weeks so if Viking reinstates the voucher, the cabin could be resold. It turns out that during the second half of the cruise, we were in a heat wave, experiencing very hot temperatures. Europe is now seeing the same kind of climate change conditions that are affecting the Western United States. Cannot go on a cruise if not jabbed even to countries which have no covid requirements any more. Ocean cruise ships usually have at least 25 feet or more or more of draft which would preclude them from river cruising. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. 1. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. Not enough for the money hungry cruise line. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. The river cruise lines will tell you that low water levels are rare, and that few sailings are altered due to water levels but the truth is the risk is always present. It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. I had insurance and filed a claim. The bottom line is, we have ********* at VRC. It is a basic human right to be able to have access to flushing toilets and handwasting facilities. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. 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. Weve been cruising since March with no issues until August, said Schreiner. They just decided to keep our hard earning money. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. Heres what you need to know about water levels on Europe rivers and what to expect if youre booked on a river cruise or considering booking one. 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 10/14, we filed a claim with Trip Mate. Booking XXXXXXX. If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. I won't be booking any future cruise with them. If you voluntarily cancel your cruise you may only get a partial or no refund depending on how close to departure you cancel your cruise. Related: Booking your first river cruise? Plus Ups are excluded. Cruise delayed because of COVID. Disembark on May 1 2023 they required us to pay us in full in August 2022 which we did. The guest services lady said well you can complain at the Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. Sure we were free but that's no excuse. 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. Due to Covid, we rebooked our original March 1, 2021 cruise to March 5, 2022 and then again to May 15, 2023. Regent Seven Seas Cruises was the cruise line forced to change the most stops planned for Russia, which included visits to the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and St. Petersburg, as well as Odessa, Ukraine. We used these to book on cruise OJUXXXXXX Booking Number XXXXXXX. Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for. The sailings. 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. Viking River Cruises The line is canceling all 2022 departures of its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary. It is time for Viking to do the same and act like a cruise line instead of a medical facility. 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. They also issued non refundable vouchers for our port excursions. SPRING SALE Special Fares Reduced Airfare Dates: Availability: They feature elegant Scandinavian design, spacious staterooms with large verandas, and both indoor and al . We booked a cruise, paid the full booking amount. Notification must be received as follows: For those with flights arranged by Viking, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of flight departure. Booking number: *******. My travel agent has since tried to sort this with Viking but they are refusing to help. Then they said (under the Risk Free Guarantee) we could have a voucher, but it would be a combined voucher which could only be used for one future trip. Like most cruise lines, Viking canceled all of its sailings during the pandemic. At this point we feel it's discrimination and want our money refunded. These conditions include: Lately, Europe has seen temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. We were issued the vouchers that had an expiration date October 2022. We also carry about 500 tons of water, that is ballast and fresh water for the guests.. 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.