Heres what you need to know. The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends. Royal Caribbean International | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. My husband and I booked with Viking in December 2019 for the Rhine Getaway Cruise for December 2020. Later after giving our deposit (another $8,000) we found out that ******** become a requirement to sail.My husband and I, both for health reasons can not get the vaccines and Viking to this time has been holding our money ($11,367.50) for 3 years (going to the 4th) even when we have requested several times and even hired an attorney to get our money back.When we booked the 2nd cruise, no one told us that we will loose our chance to get a refund. We accepted the vouchers in good faith. The cruise line offered her future cruise vouchers worth 125 percent of her fare. When we got this schedule yesterday, we asked her ********** if she could rearrange things to take this cruise. 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. Because of COVID, we had to cancel the cruise, and received a voucher from Viking. Verification can help ensure real people write reviews about real companies. Viking has refused. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) I had insurance and filed a claim. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. Viking, please give an explanation. My bag didn't make it. 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 ********************* ********. Just return on our river cruise . 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. Also lost out on the cruise vouchers. 23. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. 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. was 4 units wide . 2022 is now cancelled and will be replaced with new roundtrip voyages from Southampton to the Caribbean via the Canary Islands and New York. It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. Oceania officials said Russian and Ukrainian ports would be removed from 2022 itineraries, while Viking River Cruises canceled . Booking 6819824. 1. Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher On April 7, Virgin Voyages updated its advisory that all regular Scarlet Lady cruises are canceled through September 17, 2021. Our trip was canceled and a voucher was issued. 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. My family of 4 has booked a Viking cruise with a pre and post cruise excursion. In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. They refuse to accept the fact that they changed the terms of the contract. It's a human right to have access to fresh water and clean sanitation. This was our second cruise, I would have to say our first one was wonderful, this one was not bad. . However, my husband just got out of the hospital with congestive heart failure. Desired outcome: "You might see some cities you might not have expected to see and you might miss some you wanted to see. passengers asked if ports on the new itinerary may close and if there's a chance the cruise could be canceled while underway. I asked the captain how deep the ship would be if it sank. However, I believe the policy is rather onerous. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. Virgin Voyages. Other ships were docked at the pier. As a consequence all water amenities, main pool, infinity pool, jacuzzi and spa were closed for the whole of the cruise! This insurance company is worthless and doesn't live up to the stated reimbursements as advertised in its' brochure. The cruise line said it was evaluating 2022 itineraries that visit Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. At the time we did we also asked that trip insurance be added. Due to my cancellations, Viking held onto $8,000 of my Funds for about two years. Here is a message that appears on the Viking River Cruise webpage: The cruise line may elect to cancel your cruise. Pharaohs & Pyramids. We have one ship starting in Amsterdam and one ship starting in BaselIf they cannot pass Kaub [the critically low water point on the Rhine], then [the passengers] all disembark on either side," he explained. These levels can swing widely both up and down. Because Viking issued a voucher , insurance denied the claim as the voucher was considered a refund 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. By March 2020 Viking announced cancellations due to covid, with an additional 25% for a future booking. Should your cruise be canceled, the cruise line will also offer compensation. Voyages offering the excursion to Floriade 2022 operate between July 16 and August 27, 2022 aboard River Empress. If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. Feb 1, 2023. An apology is not good enough. We would appreciate any help you can provide in helping us to get the rest of our money back. Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. This site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. I was never informed that the vaccine would be required to sail and that our money would not be eligible for a refund. Editor in Chief This account has been claimed by Viking River Cruises customer service / representatives through our verification process. Scheduled and rescheduled elder family care and pet sitting services. Recent updates have been made to cancellation schedules and refund guidelines for various cruise lines. I have three times tried to contact Viking, by phone, email, and chat. They refuse to let us rebook with the voucher and actually suggested if we want to rebook we would have to pay them all over again. By Alyssa Lukpat and Ceylan Yeginsu. That is all it took, I was hooked. Then before the departure, Viking cancelled operations and offered us vouchers for future cruises. 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. What? We have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. 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. They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called . 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 . We rebooked our trip but Viking canceled it again and another voucher was issued. They can go up, they can go down, rain can come in.. This would mean that river cruise lines could face severe disruptions . 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. We then Our Viking cruise embarkation was delayed by 2 days, shortening our trip from 12 to 10 days. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. 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. The Rhine River is more sensitive in terms of river flow because it lacks the dams that are on the Danube River. Applies primarily to to bookings with the following content. The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. These hotels are Marriott and hilton properties that have such rooms. After contacting viking to inform the situation, Viking booked another flight for us. 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. Story Update (September 5, 2022) Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. 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. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. 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. My experience with Viking River Cruises is that if they cancel, they will either refund your money or . Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have canceled several trips as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc with the cruise . It is time for Viking to do the same and act like a cruise line instead of a medical facility. On February 1, the shore excursion booking system opened up for the ocean segment of my trip. 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. 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. In November 2020, we rebooked, the Cities of Antiquity and Holy Land Cruise, scheduled for Nov-Dec 2022, paying the additional fare. Editorial disclaimer: 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. Do not book with Viking Cruises ,they turned my cancelled trip into vouchers with expiration dates that I never knew about. Part refund, at least 25%. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. Viking changed their policy after they took all our money, lured us into taking now worthless vouchers. Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher This is insulting and is clearly bait and switch type behavior. Not every river cruise line takes the same stance. The photo is from my first premium, international award flight in 2012. Tauck says it deals with compensation on a case-by-case basis. Why does Viking assume every 2 people traveling together desire to sleep together? Related: Booking your first river cruise? Then in Philadelphia My travel agent claims they have a credit agreement with Viking, so it shouldn't have made a difference. We paid 529+40 USD purchasing fees each for the tickets. We paid for the trip and had trip insurance. Submit a complaint and get your issue resolved. Unlike ocean cruising, river cruising has a lot of fluctuations in water levels. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. Change of travel requirements after full payment received/ignoring request for full refund. No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. 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! 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. This met the 11/30 deadline for a "risk free guarantee" enabling change of plans up to 24 hours before sailing. Viking has lost four loyal customers with 10 past cruises between us. Well guide you through the process. Refund or partial credit. Holland America Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. Viking is probably the most unsympathetic/unprofessional company I have ever experienced. 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. scott@travelcodex.com, For updates: But there is nothing we can do, your vouchers have expired'. BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPGs cruise newsletter. Fosse's cruise and land tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19. "But its clear that river cruising is not going away anytime soon.". This 'placeholder booking' means nothing he assured us. I won't be booking any future cruise with them. 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. An insult! It is February 1st today and I went online to book excursions for a trip almost 3 months from now. Refund on premium air payments that we did not receive in premiumservice. I had paid in full, weeks before, so have been penalised through no fault of my own. We purchased Travel Protection Insurance. If you happen to be in the same position there is a group forming to file a class action law suit against Viking. As compensation we have been offered a derisory 200 voucher towards a future cruise. We also paid Port Tax for Honduras even though they chose not to book and pay to use the pier there. 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. It turns out that for the most part, if the ship sank, we would be high and dry standing on the sun deck. 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. (I doubt theyll get that right). Norse Atlantic Airways to Launch NY-Rome Flights. The vaccinations mean nothing anyway. Viking booked the hotels for these excursions. One of the most popular rivers, the Rhine has river levels falling fast. Call to book now: 1-800-207-7286. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks.