viking river cruises cancelled 2022 viking river cruises cancelled 2022

Story Update (September 5, 2022) Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. 488 total complaints in the last 3 years. We were given the option of a voucher or cash 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. 2022 is now cancelled and will be replaced with new roundtrip voyages from Southampton to the Caribbean via the Canary Islands and New York. You can see why people are worried. Their ad is wonderful but after all is said and done it is all crap. For every day that is altered, AmaWaterways guests will get 50% of the daily rate they paid as a future cruise credit. Service representative escalated our complaint that we were misinformed, tricked, lied to, defrauded - because we cannot sail on that date, we are not healthy and can't sail in the fall or 2023! Other ships were docked at the pier. Guests and travel advisors with affected departures have been notified. How could we?? An apology is not good enough. Telling us that a voucher has no cash value is a shoddy business practice at best. 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. Seems the generous cancellation risk free ended 30 June and despite booking direct with Viking no mention of the changes was made. Cruises beginning in 2009, this is not the first error and being loyal 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. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. With this terrible What? There is rock on the bottom; theres also this little house in the middle of the river. It would seem to be a reasonable and simple request. International Association of Better Business Bureaus. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. It is obvious to the casual observer that VRC is not in financial distress as they have added ships to their fleet and the CEO is listed a a billionaire. Confirmation attached. Booking XXXXXXX. You dont cruise in Egypt in June/July because its too hot. We booked a 14 day cruise with extra days upon arrival in ****** and departure in **** in ****. We were running between the airlines at ***** to find out what was going on, very frustrating. We also carry about 500 tons of water, that is ballast and fresh water for the guests.. I purchased two of each of the following through ACH: The couple shore excursions we went on were lame and horrible. On December 9, 2019 we booked********************************* and paid ********* March 11, 2020 that cruise canceled by Viking due to COVID. We asked to transfer the trip to my son and grandson, but transferring the tickets is not allowed. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. I checked with many countries and all their restrictions have been dropped. Fosse's cruise and land tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19. However, as everyone knows, predicting the weather is not an exact science. Another factor that should be considered is trip insurance. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. The trip was for September 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. 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. Obviously a 2 week notice was impossible in our situation. Viking already runs a number of river cruises. Wouldnt that booking choice make it clear to Viking that pre and post excursion bookings would also require separate beds? On 9/12/21 we realized the 2022 sailing impractical and cancelled for cruise credits (#s XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX and XXXXXXXX) Read full review of Viking River Cruises We have been waiting patiently for two years for a refund, relying on the We had planned a trip in 2021 and when Viking changed their requirements we chose to cancel our trip. They have a working relationship with Lufthansa but insist the flight has nothing to do with them, That is a strong cop out. This meant I was unable to book any excursions or drinks package, despite trying as soon as they were released. Not at all, according to Rudi Schreiner, president and co-founder AmaWaterways as long as youre willing to be a little bit flexible. We are told now that change is not possible at all because vouchers have expired. About 20 poeple's bag on the flight didn't make it. Steve is a life-long avgeek and a points and miles player. Having trip insurance may pay you in full depending on your coverage. Expires March 31, 2023. 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. Note that complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. I purchased a cruise for my wife and myself then Covid hit. 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 We were routed to resolution manager who was extremely obnoxious, rude, disrespectful, wasn't listening to the issue, saying 'yes, ok, sales rep make a mistake, mistakes do happen. I appreciate the time. We used these to book on cruise OJUXXXXXX Booking Number XXXXXXX. 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". 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. 2. We are unable to meet VRC health requirements to participate in one of their cruises. The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends. RHINE GETAWAY. How is this hard? by Steve CaseLast updated September 6, 2022. Viking booked the hotels for these excursions. Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. 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. 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 have had to cancel our river cruise because of their ludicrous covid policy. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. Not for the voucher amount. I advised Viking that my wife and I could not get the vaccine ever and asked for a refund of our primary payment. Call to book now: 1-800-207-7286. Viking will not honor this request. Viking Venus : cruise round Med and on to Israel.This was a wonderful itinerary , a beautiful ship , excellent food and service. 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. Since the ships are nearly identical, if you do transfer to another ship, you should be in a similar stateroom as the original ship. The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. over night stay we got back to Cincinnati the next day. Winston Folkers. Viking's move follows announcements from other cruise operators saying they are . This was not the case. 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 climate in Europe is changing and not for the better. 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. Passes which had been canceled since BA flight had been late. If you book a river cruise, you acknowledge that you might not get the exact itinerary you signed up for. We could not wash, shower, not wash our hands and NOT able to flush toilets! For Further Assistance If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email customerrelations@vikingcruises.com, Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM, PT. 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. An insult! We used our voucher prior to the expiration of the voucher, to book a cruise for March of 2023. The flight from Amman Jordan to 2023-2025 OCEAN CRUISE AND AIR SAVINGS: Offer applies to bookings made from March 1-31, 2023. Poulsbo, Washington. London was on an older plane with 3 seats on the left and right. Viking Cruises cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev (Kyiv, Ukraine), Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's conflict with Ukraine. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. I also booked this trip years ago when there was not a vaccine mandate.They will not return my money of around $22000.00 They told me I did not need vaccinations for 2022 ,now I found out we do .We do not believe in the vaccinations and I told them that right out front. Unlike ocean cruising, river cruising has a lot of fluctuations in water levels. Please view our privacy policy for details about the information we share with our partners. Viking River Cruises has left an official reply on this complaint. They just decided to keep our hard earning money. Another section of river that can be negatively affected by low water levels is the Danube, past the last lock in Slovakia heading downriver toward Hungary. Viking Ocean Cruises has sailings listed for June, 2021. As a result, river levels are falling to critical levels. We booked the *********** cruise with Viking prior to COVID *****************. The cruise line said it was evaluating 2022 itineraries that visit Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. called Business since the middle seats were left vacant. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. #VikingVictims. We will never try Viking again! In November 2020, we rebooked, the Cities of Antiquity and Holy Land Cruise, scheduled for Nov-Dec 2022, paying the additional fare. Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher 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. When I called to cancel they said we did not purchase the insurance. Viking River Cruises is probably the best known European river cruising company, and has a wide range of river cruise options in Europe. We called Viking and there is nothing that they will do to be able to use the over $7,000 paid for the trip. 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. When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. Not impressed and wi never book another trip with this company. 1. #1. Cailey Rizzo. I told a member of staff about this and was directed to use a toilet on the top deck. Subscribe to RSS Our ships have a very low draftabout five feet, he explained. 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. BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. I never come across a big bunch of ignorant, geriatric, moronic a$$holes as this group I had came across today! 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. Booking number: *******. But this is one American that will never sail with this awful company ever again. Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. Global warming is indeed having an effect on European rivers. We appreciate you sharing your experience, Trevor, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. We paid for the trip and had trip insurance. Ive asked that one room in the hotels have two separate beds for our two adult children who do not want to share a bed. passengers asked if ports on the new itinerary may close and if there's a chance the cruise could be canceled while underway. The reason given by Viking is that these are vouchers from a previously booked trip (during the COVID pandemic). Jan. 17, 2022. 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. That' our policy,. 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. Viking collects 3 fares for a 2 person room. 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. Viking has lost four loyal customers with 10 past cruises between us. Related: Booking your first river cruise? This also had the water turned off and was unable to flush. Do not book with Viking Cruises ,they turned my cancelled trip into vouchers with expiration dates that I never knew about. I thought that Viking was reputable, so I put too much faith in them. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. Like most cruise lines, Viking canceled all of its sailings during the pandemic. This was really Beware of Viking excursion policies. This is an awful company to deal with. 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. Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. Thanks for reaching out, Itom, although we regret to learn of your experience with booking excursions. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. If the whole itinerary is changed, youll get to sail the new itinerary and receive a 100% future cruise credit to book another cruise. The trip was more expensive so we paid with our vouchers as well as cash. We are unable to meet their requirements and therefore want our funds returned to us. . Princess Cruises | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. We were given misinformation by their employee, to which their supervisor stated that verbal statements do not count. service we should have received at least a partial refund . We rebooked the trip for 10/12-10/23/22. Guests and travel agents on impacted departures are in the process of being notified. #7. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) return trip Munich to EWR Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. In the same cabin. I took into account the following factors and then made an educated guess: Taking all of these factors into account, we booked for mid-June. Viking Cruises is a cruise line providing river and ocean cruises, with operations based in Basel, Switzerland. . More details in attachment. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. This was a question that I asked myself before booking my Rhine River cruise. Do your homework and always make informed decisions. Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary . Planning a cruise? We feel we should get the $3,494 dollars refunded to us. What? coach. 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. We are older and don't want to keep rescheduling this with the hopes of one day being permitted to board their ship. 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. Desired outcome: . No materials from this website may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way. Unfortunately, there are still cruises being cancelled in 2022 due to Covid-19 and the uncertainty surrounding it. 1. Advertiser Disclosure: Some links to credit cards and other products on this website will earn an affiliate commission. By the time I could ring Viking, the excursion was sold out and the drinks package price had increased. 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. Why didn't Viking pay to dock? It also stated that if we were unable to use the voucher we could be refunded the original amount we paid to Viking. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. 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. I could sail on another cruise line for a lot less money. A place on the excursion I tried to book. Before you decide to. 12/21- 12/28/2022 But it is for us. Viking is not a good company to work with. It is a basic human right to be able to have access to flushing toilets and handwasting facilities. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. 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. On top of that, they are asking for me to pay additional same $ 9,000. amount for me to go on this journey alone! My only hope now is for someone to cancel what I want.About time to give my loyalty to another cruise line. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. Special fares plus Free airfare valid on select 2023 departures of Eastern Seaboard Explorer and Canada & New England Scenic Shores. Change of travel requirements after full payment received/ignoring request for full refund. Weve been cruising since March with no issues until August, said Schreiner. Feb 1, 2023. I had insurance and filed a claim. This complaint has been resolved automatically due to user's inactivity. took the call and told us that schedule wouldn't be available most likely till January 2023. As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. 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. That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything was fine and we rebooked for Jan 2022. Information provided by various external sources. In 2021, the cruise line plans to launch their seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus. Most all other cruise lines have dropped this mandate. After an 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 The food was excellent. The bottom line is, we have ********* at VRC.