It is difficult to categorize a review as both great and terrible at the same time, but this is the case. most do research before making an investment in travel products. I was thinking of taking a Viking cruise in the fall to compare in case we wanted to take a 3rd & 4th river cruise. It's not a big deal and we always make the best out of the bad river. Needless to say, I won't be taking a Viking River Cruise. Cool Cruiser, if you are still considering Viking don't! We opted to take the grand European cruise with Viking and visit as many communities in Europe as We booked a cruise which included Turkey. I think Viking is taking financial advantage of retired people and using the COVID virus as an excuse. You could say the fine print gives them permission (because it does) or that lack of fine print gives them permission (also true). Like most cruise lines, Viking canceled all of its sailings during the pandemic. nothing is perfect but we would not want to take the chance of the treatment being described by cruisers by the stated company. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Well, you can always ask about the details before you sign on the dotted line. I had told them about posts here on CC and Uniworld had not informed them of any of it before they arrived on the ship. Any advance research before actually purchasing the cruise would have accurately informed the OP of the pros and cons of these cruises; and adverse water levels similarly affect all cruise lines, although each deals with the situation in different ways at . So Fosse had no way of knowing how they were calculating the percentage. If you dont see it, ask for it. Viking River. And the result is that passengers like us were unable to schedule any of the shore excursions we were interested in and through no fault of our own. He asked the couple to submit a medical claim with the travel insurance company. 909. It's not a big deal and we always make the best out of the bad river. endobj Did we mention it's free? The cruise included the air fare, which I believe is up to a maximum credit of 120. But Keyles wasnt ready to accept such an offer. Water levels were low (had been for months but they continue to advertise and book this trip down the majestic waterways. With all Cruise cancelled, but refused to give us a refund. Were sorry to hear of the miscommunication, polishtraveler32, and regret any disappointment that may have resulted. Refunds are made based on the cancellation conditions. Its been eight months. An act of God is one thing when it is unknown. stream Check out our directory. They canceled my flight. The Ship may adjust compass, drydock or go, on ways before or after commencement of the voyage and may sail without pilots, tow or be towed, and assist vessels in all situations and deviate for the purposes of, saving life or property. On 9/18/2021 at 12:41 PM, CCWineLover said: 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Absolutely ridiculous. No TellUs@VikingCruises is Viking. 0144983-8, PB 166, AX-22101 Mariehamn, land, Finland. - 120 days to 90 days: refund of fare, less cancellation fee of 15%. 125% Future Cruise Vouchers can be applied to a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. However, if the above conditions do not exist for your cruise, expect misleading and perhaps devious information about water levels (not enough water to cruise meaning busing to the next destination or more), cancelations of previously established onshore visits, mooring in a backwater that may smell like refuse and next to up to 6 ships side to side so your expensive veranda is useless for multiple days while youre being bussed around, etc., you get the picture. Viking REFUSED to give us a refund. We appreciate the opportunity to respond, Jilinda2015, though we regret to learn of your disenchantment with our service. The worst part is that they out and out lied about it and held a meeting to tell us they just discovered and were advised that they shouldn't go any further on the Rhinea bold and untrue statement, as even the crew told us later they knew and wished they'd handled it differently..same thing to the folks on the return trip. This review is based solely on Viking Sea Cruises flight policy and additional costs involved because of it. Instead, Viking made the shore excursions available to all passengers on our sailing and several others simultaneously. Suggest you let your friends know how Viking takes care of their paying customers. AND watch carefully of the water level prior to departure! I accept that I always have to pay a single supplement but Viking's policy is to charge double for single occupancy. And I'm urging everyone who got shafted to do the same. Any, such procedure shall be considered not to be a deviation but within the voyage herein intended as fully as if specifically described herein. Instead they provided hotels, buses and meals. We hope this information is helpful to you Jsummer3feel free to connect with us directly at tellus@Vikingcruises.com should you have any additional questions or concerns. And heres a 2015 case involving United frequent flier points. (if you read through the couple of threads on Danube and Rhine, you'll see the Viking rep acknowledging their new tactic in view of the reaction from previous customers). This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. CARRIERS RIGHTS. Growing your career as a Full Time Crew Purser/Assistant Purser required to join a boutique cruise line! Passenger tickets without cabin, Stockholm<>Turku, Information regarding the coronavirus situation, Breakfast at Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel, Gamla Stan Old Town has both grandeur and comfort in its streets, Norrmalm and stermalm shopping for pleasure, Sdermalm warmth and comfort in the heart of Stockholm, Delicious treat at Chokladfabriken caf-shop, Park Inn by Radisson Central Hotel Tallinn, StockholmHelsinki or vice versa, round trip, StockholmTurku or vice versa, round trip, HelsinkiTallinn or vice versa, round trip, Flavours from the Swedish Culinary Team's silver menu, Archipelago Spa & Wellness on Viking Glory, Family break is time for everyone to enjoy, Energy consumption and minimising emissions into the air, Data protection description: Feedback and Claims, Data protection description: Safety and Security, Conditions for the availability of vessels, Transport of weapons and ammunition on board, Key rights under Package Travel Directive EU 2015/2302. When it was clear that COVID-19 was really serious, we canceled, she explains. But does it have to? But why cant I get a refund? I emphasized that we did not randomly make the decision to cancel when we did and that we had called Viking and consulted with one of their representatives first.. And when travel is less complicated, we are ready to resume operations and explore the world in comfort, again. Viking refuses - saying it was paid with vouchers. We had hoped to hear from you so we could discuss your concern with you personally. The cabins on those 2 sure look nicer especially the beds. As we watched the COVID pandemic expand and followed the news about the cruise ship outbreaks, we knew we would not be going on our upcoming trip, Claire Keyles said. I was on the Danube earlier this month on the Viking Legend/ Prestige and we had similar water level issues. Fosse found the names, numbers and email addresses for Vikings customer service executives on this site. We had booked the Romantic Danube cruise Aug of 2020. Powered by Invision Community. Keyles said she expected it would not be approved because they were not sick at the time of the planned travel. We were still hopeful that we would take the cruise.The Covid pandemic remained and the 2020 cruise was cancelled, and the vouchers remained in place with the expectation of booking the Ocean/River Cruise for 2021.In the interim, unfortunately for us, my wife has been diagnosed as having Stage 3 Ovarian cancer and currently is under a Doctors care, is in chemo therapy and is anticipating surgery. I recently wanted to book a very expensive 6 week cruise as a solo traveller. 5700 Canoga Ave #200, Woodland Hills, CA 91367-6569. So it could be a good experience, as long as you do your own homework. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By Another couple on this trip are also having no luck. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. 2 0 obj Our trip last May was extraordinary. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. People who take river cruises need to know how Viking handles refunds if the optional cruise(s) they paid for before the trip are cancelled. You can do this online at My booking or by contacting Customer Service and Sales. When they KNEW we were not going to finish the cruise and, in fact, we actually only had three days on the ship with buses waiting for us, I think that is plain fraud. Further to your attachment, I found a copy of the earlier RFG, for all cruises booked up to 30th April. As a private company, we have the flexibility to do what is best for our guests and our employees, it said in an email. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for USN VS-29 FAREWELL CRUISE 2003 USS NIMITZ patch S-3 VIKING SQUADRON at the best online prices at eBay! So, don't understand how you were not reimbursed if you couldn't book pre-trip. This tour was our first and last river cruise at least with viking. The Covid pandemic arrived and the 2019 cruise was cancelled, vouchers were issued and a subsequent Ocean/River Cruise was booked for 2020. That would be your quickest way of making contact. Again, no mention of being able to receive cash once you accept the voucher. Free shipping for many products! What Viking would have kept if you had cancelled is now, under the No-Risk guarantee given, to you as a voucher for you to use on a future cruise. CC Help Jenn Our conversations with Viking were going nowhere until we reached out to you, she said. Business Started Locally: 1/1/1997. Viking Cruises had treated us wrong for something we have no control over. Please email us at Tellus@vikingrivercruises.com if you have additional concerns you would like addressed. Cash compensation would not necessarily cover the full amount owed and the travel insurance premium is not eligible for reimbursement in any event.. But whats this $452 bill? Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. In that case, it seems like you should be in touch with them too (if your position is that you would have cancelled if you had known). Can I get my 173,116 Chase Ultimate Rewards points refunded? I would not recommend Viking River Cruises to anyone. Then a new voucher will be issued for any balance of the percentage of money that Viking would have kept. Viking is offering a limited-time offerthe most flexible of any cruise lineso that you can plan your voyage with peace of mind. If you do not get cash compensation (from the travel insurance), Viking agrees to revisit your case and work out a settlement involving some amount of cash compensation rather than travel vouchers, he wrote. Or it could have fixed the problem quickly when she raised her concern. Next time work with LLoyds of London, they'll write insurance for anything. Their claim was denied and the couple let Viking know. Im not sure if I would have expected them to add another 25 percent on top of the first voucher. I would never rule out a cruise line because someone else had a problem. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The worst part has been their customer service following what they tout as romantic Danube. Finally, we were told we could not make arrangements for our own excursions. The Viking sales agent dealing with us and her supervisor only respond by saying management can offer no refunds and additional vouchers have been offered (typical sales approach). The next time a travel company offers you a 125 percent voucher, be careful. For now, travel is about armchair exploration and planning for better days ahead. Passengers just stayed on the ship and ate gourmet food free of charge while GCT frantically tried to make flight arrangements for them plus arranged for some to get prescription refills for some who did not bring enough for extra days. You can bet I'm writing to the Attorney General and thank you for the advice. read more. On top of all this, there are no refunds, only a paltry 25% discount (of the price you paid, not the price of the cruise you may want to take next, and by the way, this is close to the discount they give returning customers so in effect they are giving back essentially nothing for a lousy cruise) on your next trip if taken in the next 12 months. September 30, 2008. Viking cruise voucher problem: Dont forget to read the fine print! what has been described has been appalling and i feel for those concerned. The Fosses rebooked their cruise for this April. We both have autoimmune conditions. Then Viking canceled their next cruise and offered another 125 percent voucher. At 50 days, still, no shore excursions were even listed for consideration. Then what? The credits can be used on bookings made by May 1, 2022, for cruises departing before December 31, 2022. CC Help Jenn Exceptions to this payment policy apply for cruise tours more than 35 days, including Viking's World & Grand Cruises which require a 20% deposit of the Full Fare at time of booking the cruise tour. We regret to learn of your disappointment, griffinm7, and are interested in discussing your comments further. Unfortunately, during the voyage, I became ill. We decided to fly home from Rome (as originally this was part of the trip). The Elliott Report is a consumer news site supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. At Viking, your experience means the world to us. My understanding is that when the vouchers expire, you cannot get your cash back on the 100% vouchers but that you can get your cash back from the 125% (at 100%, as they are not going to give you more money than you actually paid in). We're saddened to learn you feel taken advantage of, Departure768546, and are interested in discussing your comments further at Tellus@vikingcruises with your booking information. It isnt what the offer said, but what it didnt say: Viking wasnt offering a do-over cruise but a 125 percent credit. I've already done my part. No refund, no pro-rated reimbursement for pre-paid services. Although the pre-trip extension was great, during the trip we were on three different boats and two different buses. I appealed twice and they still refused a refund. Ive waited a year for my river cruise refund. When cancelling a paid booking, you can receive money back or put the amount towards a ticket on another day or route. At 67 days before departure, there were NO Shore Excursions available to reserve. So we were back to having NO shore excursions. Plus, we have insightful letters, insider tips, and more. In all fairness, every other interaction for us at the Palace was great! Had there been, she could have answered the question, 125 percent of what?. <> Location of This Business. Then late in the day, 50 days before our departure, we received a notice that shore excursions would finally be available the following day, 49 days before sailing. Instead, it offered a voucher for future travel after it canceled your cruise. its a lot of money to spend and most want value for money. If you would like to discuss your concerns in more detail, please email your contact information to us at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com. OK, you didn't get your river cruise. They replied ' Nope. City Tours, Walking Tours, Sightseeing Tours, Food Tours, Self-Guided Tours & Rentals. Read (or re-read) post #24 above. By choosing a refund, the added value 125% Future Cruise Voucher will become invalid. Additional costs involved because of it on three different boats and two different.! Most want value for money the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of LLC. 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