If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. See details. Not every river cruise line takes the same stance. 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. Rather than focusing on the number of complaints, BBB considers how frequently and effectively those complaints are resolved. Desired outcome: Viking Plans A Robust 2021 2022 Cruise Season Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. I was told Viking doesnt own the hotel and the hotel will not let me make a change since Viking handled the booking. Viking Ocean Ships Currently Sailing: Viking Jupiter Viking Orion Viking Mars Viking Neptune Viking Saturn Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Venus Vikings entire river fleet of over 75 ships is also actively sailing. Viking's treatment of it's customers makes no sense.they combined two of my trips (without asking) into one "butterfly trip" which meant when I had to cancel the first, it cancelled the 2nd. Bad cruise experience, shore excursions, bad weather bad handling, cold food, etc. After 5 Viking Very disappointing. 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. However, the most important part of any cruise, for me is the excursion choice. We called Viking and there is nothing that they will do to be able to use the over $7,000 paid for the trip. I even requested they review the phone call and they refused. We booked a Viking cruise from Venice to Athens in late 2020 for September 2021. We booked a Viking River Cruise with AAA travel in August of 2019 for $14,497 for two people which excludes the insurance cost. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. I had insurance and filed a claim. . 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. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. My family of 4 has booked a Viking cruise with a pre and post cruise excursion. 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. We called our AAA travel agent and she notified Viking on September 17,2022, we were scheduled to leave on September 22,2022. The booking # is *******. What? 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. Its infuriating and disrespectful. My bag is still missing and I will request (!) the Lufthansa person told me I need to fill out the form required for returning Americans to USA and she was not helpful .I missed my flight and had to stay overnight to a dingy hotel in tears in a French country who doesn't really want to help you . Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher We were told that since we used vouchers we were not eligible for a refund per policy. ComplaintsBoard.com is a leading complaint resolution website on the Internet. The draft is the amount of vessel that is below the water line. Learn more. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. 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 five miles of headwaters have completely dried up. . We paid for trip insurance assuming that it would cover this situation but buying trip insurance through Viking seems to cover much less than most trip insurance policies. 12 reviews. 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 He was assertive and very confident, pushy and eager to make the booking. Share. The cruise lines plan their itineraries to mitigate this risk. Virgin Voyages. Viking Cruises. What? Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. By Alyssa Lukpat and Ceylan Yeginsu. 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 we were given a voucher, we can not get out money back. I have contacted Watcdog BBC who are interested. scott@travelcodex.com, For updates: Confirmation attached. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Then in Philadelphia Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. Fosse's cruise and land tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19. My husband and I were excited about our long awaited cruise next May. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. . Related: Booking your first river cruise? This account has been claimed by Viking River Cruises customer service / representatives through our verification process. The photo is from my first premium, international award flight in 2012. 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. However, you wont be entirely out of luck if your itinerary changes once you arrive at your ship. But all was not lost. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. The confirmation email said cancellation for any reason loss of deposit. From now through March 31, 2022, Viking is offering special rates starting at $599 (not including airfare) on all 2022 and 2023 departures. It's also a classic cruise itinerary. The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, A beginners guide to picking a cruise line, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. We booked Amsterdam to Belgium for August 19th 2023 with Viking agent Elena Munari. If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. 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. She is scheduled to start ************ this week. International Association of Better Business Bureaus. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. 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. Submit a complaint and get your issue resolved. In 2020 we were contacted via email and told that this cruise was also cancelled and we could book another cruise and receive a 125% credit toward a future cruise with a risk free guarantee and it said we could change our plans up to 24 hours before departure. We rebooked the trip for 10/12-10/23/22. Europe is experiencing unprecedented drought and heat conditions. They said they did not think we could get a refund as our money had been converted to a voucher and vouchers were not refundable with our insurance. We will not be booking with Viking again. 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). Viking collects 3 fares for a 2 person room. Multiple tests were run, including a Covid test, which came back positive. Call to book now: 1-800-207-7286. This complaint was posted by a verified customer. service we should have received at least a partial refund . I had to cancel due to ill health and provided over five months notice. 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. They refuse. But there is nothing we can do, your vouchers have expired'. I was sailing aboard the Avalon Vista two months ago on a cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland along the Rhine River. Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary . Feb 1, 2023. But it is for us. By doing investigation on this subject and timeline of events revealed that we are not alone in this situation. Part refund, at least 25%. Also lost out on the cruise vouchers. One of the most popular rivers, the Rhine has river levels falling fast. Then before the departure, Viking cancelled operations and offered us vouchers for future cruises. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. The only problem was it WAS VERY NOISY, couldnt get a full night sleep due the engine and the bed shaking.We will go back to the other suites.The staff was great! We also ensure all reviews are published without moderation. We booked a river cruise (Danube) for March 2022. We only wanted our money to be applied to another cruise in 2023. Desired outcome: This site is for entertainment purposes only. We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. My only hope now is for someone to cancel what I want.About time to give my loyalty to another cruise line. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. Refund on premium air payments that we did not receive in premiumservice. This also had the water turned off and was unable to flush. On the next British Airways flight from London to Philadelphia, The To go on the cruise people do not have to supply a negative covid test so you still go on the cruise in theory even if you have covid. Booking XXXXXXX. 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. The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. On 10/12 as our plane was taxiing for departure, my husband suffered a medical emergency. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. We have spent $25,000.00 including air far which we are also going to lose if not used by 12/31/2023. 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. ************************************* Cruises that was set to sail in April 2020. All Mekong River cruises through Vietnam and Cambodia have been suspended until November 30. . 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. 140 complaints closed in the last 12 months. 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. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Ocean cruise ships usually have at least 25 feet or more or more of draft which would preclude them from river cruising. I complained initially that I was not given a direct flight. When Viking informed me that the alternative flight was booked, I was not told that I had to pay the tickets myself in order to obtain the boarding pass. I asked the captain how deep the ship would be if it sank. We used our voucher prior to the expiration of the voucher, to book a cruise for March of 2023. However, I believe the policy is rather onerous. Viking has refused. At the other end of the Po, ocean water has flooded the last 12 miles of the river damaging crops and contaminating drinking water. We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. Planning a cruise? We were treated like animals. Winston Folkers. 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. This is insulting and is clearly bait and switch type behavior. A sales representative ******. Plus Ups are excluded. Learn to how to find the cheapest awards. A *** incentive ********** was offered and accepted by us to use toward future booking. It will take of the expiring vouchers and the booking can be changed with no problem whatsoever once a schedule for 2024 becomes available. As a consequence all water amenities, main pool, infinity pool, jacuzzi and spa were closed for the whole of the cruise! Does anyone know if Trip Mate customers have or are considering a class action suit against the company for fraud? Viking offered us to support the company and not get a refund if we accepted a voucher of 125% On the other end, river boats are built with a shallow draft of about six feet deep to avoid hitting the river bottom. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Royal Caribbean Group's Celebrity Cruises has canceled four sailings from March 26 through April 16 aboard the Celebrity Eclipse, which has yet to return to service, a spokesperson for the. Beware of Viking excursion policies. All other passages from ******* for the same Antarctica cruise with Viking Octantis got their boarding passes with no problem. Subscribe to Apple News. 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. Labeled Verified, theyre about genuine experiences.Learn more about other kinds of reviews. 3. 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. An apology is not good enough. South America & the Chilean Fjords - Ocean Cruise Dates & Pricing South America & the Chilean Fjords From $5,999 | 18 Days | 8 Guided Tours | 4 Countries Itinerary Dates & Pricing Resources For current fares, please call a Viking Expert: 1-866-984-5464 or Request a Quote today. That' our policy,. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. **** called finally, apologized and said that he 'misread the rules', misunderstood the rules and this isn't a big deal (his attitude). It turns out that for the most part, if the ship sank, we would be high and dry standing on the sun deck. The climate in Europe is changing and not for the better. You can see why people are worried. "We will not cancel any cruises," said Shreiner. Published: Aug. 08, 2022, 9:30 a.m. Richard Andersen booked a fully-paid Viking cruise with his partner but it was canceled because of COVID. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. Vikings inability to resolve an issue with their on line booking. Key West was on the itinerary but Viking told us 5 months before they would not be docking. This they Viking River Cruises The line is canceling all 2022 departures of its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary. Mind you, my cruise cost over $27,000. The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. The Po River flows 400 miles across the top of Italy from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for. Coach would have been better. We had not received any response from Viking about 10 days. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. If the level is too low, the vessel may run aground or need an alternative docking arrangement. them to clean my clothes again and every night I am on the cruise, Read full review of Viking River Cruises and 1 comment, 16 years' experience in successful complaint resolution, Each complaint is handled individually by highly qualified experts, Last but not least, all our services are absolutely free. Business Section was crowded 8 units wide while first class just in front Sure we were free but that's no excuse. We are not asking for a refund for the vouchers but to simply have them reissued to be used toward another cruise. 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. In the same cabin. Scenic. Many passengers were distressed by the lack of fresh water. The plane returned to the gate and he was transported to the local hospital. We rebooked our trip but Viking canceled it again and another voucher was issued. 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. Cannot recommend whatsoever - there are better cruise lines who deliver & care about providing a decent level of customer experience - avoid them if you can. 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. At Viking, your experience means the world to us. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. 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. When we got this schedule yesterday, we asked her ********** if she could rearrange things to take this cruise. Check with your cruise line on current cruising conditions and what you can expect from them. This matter has not been properly escalated to the legal department.Our time is running off to recover our money and we can not travel due the vaccines requirements and the only absurd respond that we get is to transfer our vouchers.We are extremely disappointed of Viking Cruises after we decided to support the company. Only in very rare circumstances are the sailings canceled outright. 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. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. This site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. The high annual fee is only worth it if youre taking full advantage of the cards benefits. We opted for the voucher. Should your cruise be canceled, the cruise line will also offer compensation. 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. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. 2023-2025 OCEAN CRUISE AND AIR SAVINGS: Offer applies to bookings made from March 1-31, 2023. This was told to me by two separate employees. Don't sail Viking unless you are guaranteed of going on the trip. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. A river level that is too high or too low can affect an otherwise great cruising experience. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. An apology is not good enough. I contact Viking customer relations, and was first told that the flight tickets were paid by Viking already. Tauck says it deals with compensation on a case-by-case basis. 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. "The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority," a Viking representative told Travel Market Report. *In Canada, trademark(s) of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, used under License. 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". Cancellation conditions 2. My husband surprised me with the explorer suite,the room was beautiful,the balcony was amazing. I used my airline mile and hotel points to travel well and cheap. Airfares vary on other gateways & departures. How could we?? 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. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. 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. They feature elegant Scandinavian design, spacious staterooms with large verandas, and both indoor and al . You will be cruising, you will be enjoying," he said. Viking Neptune is a new ship that will join the fleet in 2022. This was our second cruise, I would have to say our first one was wonderful, this one was not bad. A recent CNN article proclaimed that summer droughts like the current one, plus global warming, could signal a death knell for river cruises in the near future. This would mean that river cruise lines could face severe disruptions . There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. I want Viking to honour its Guest Cancellation Schedule and reimburse the $15,640.19 (Canadian) my husband and I paid for the Italian Sojourn cruise scheduled for May 15, 2023. No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. On 9/12/21 we realized the 2022 sailing impractical and cancelled for cruise credits (#s XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX)
All I got was 'you must pay in full for your trip before booking extras'. 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. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. 23. We are older and don't want to keep rescheduling this with the hopes of one day being permitted to board their ship. Having trip insurance may pay you in full depending on your coverage. We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical of a vaccine status made us cancel again. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. We rebooked for 2022 on 11/30/2020. I advised Viking that my wife and I could not get the vaccine ever and asked for a refund of our primary payment. Due to my cancellations, Viking held onto $8,000 of my Funds for about two years. Viking Cruise recommends that their customers insure their travel & trip with Trip Mate Travel Insurance. Poulsbo, Washington. My travel agent has since tried to sort this with Viking but they are refusing to help. Booked a trip just before covid hit which had to be canceled for obvious reasons. We booked a Viking River Cruise with AAA travel in August of 2019 for $14,497 for two people which excludes the insurance cost. 4. Scheduled and rescheduled elder family care and pet sitting services. Should you wish to change your reservation, you can choose which policy works best for you: Vikings Risk-Free Guarantee or standard cancellation policy. Thank you. 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.
Dbd Diversion Build,
Post Spacing Calculator,
Balistreri Family Tree Milwaukee,
Chiswick Business Park Companies,
Articles V
