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"It's disappointing because St. Petersburg is one of the crown jewels of the Scandinavian itineraries," said Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, during the company's earnings call last Thursday. You can read the original investigation below. But, if youd rather have a refund for your canceled cruise, you need to request it from Viking before August 24, 2020. country, 12 days The 136-day itinerary visits 56 ports in 27 countries, with 11 port city overnights and 3x new for Viking cruise ports . 15 days of eating, testing, visiting Christmas markets that are a regulated event with signs and barriers - when they are actually on - and not knowing if you will make it to Budapest on the ship you started in Amsterdam with, is not fun. Just wanted to add the Cruise Critic editorial team is working hard to try to get answers from all the major river cruise operators now that Austria has gone into lockdown and Germany may follow. Viking River Cruises. Well, I booked with Viking and had it transferred to my TA, that I have used for quite a few cruises. If you have any questions regarding these Terms or the Passenger Ticket Contract, please advise us in writing at Viking River Cruises, Inc., 5700 Canoga Avenue, Suite 200, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Another record in daily infections reported today by Reuters. Now we will wait and see. Local News | The company is also allowing him the option to transfer the cruise to someone else, according to Wasserman. | 1 Special Cruise Savings | Viking River Cruises Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link, Call a Viking Expert, or see your Travel Agent, Call a Viking Expert, or see your Travel Agent 138 747. If you go on Facebook, there are many people who were dumped. My opinion has not changed, I think it would have been better to not let this cruise go ahead. According to Wasserman, they paid more than $12,000 for the cruise, including money for travel insurance. It would be, quite frankly, ridiculous. I called immediately and was given very little information, only that we could reschedule for the trip during 2023 or 2024 with a 110 percent credit, said Richard Pletcher, who is in his 70s. I understand your point. VIKING OCEAN restarted operations on May 22, 2021, with Viking Venus . In 2019 the parent company created the brand Viking Expeditions, with a newbuild fleet of two small-sized expedition vessels Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris , plus 2 more same-designed units. A friend is leaving to go on a Viking Rhine this weekend. Rescheduling a trip three years from now sounds unlikely to her. When I inquired about how we go about rescheduling a trip in the future, if we even want to, the response was to check everyday and maybe there would be a cancellation, Richard Pletcher said. Just return your expired voucher to Viking. Fortunately I have many choices for river cruises and can speak with my wallet. The couple has pictures in Paris, Vienna and places around the world. All affected bookings received a 125% refund in FCC with rebooking or 100% monetary refund. Risk-Free Guarantee - Viking River Cruises I had that same happy feeling till the last day of my cruise. My Trip - Updates on Current Sailings - Viking Cruises Has anyone cancelled their Viking River cruise? I read all the books of Mark Twain, said Frohnert, a former St. Paul resident who now lives in Rochester, Minn. Over the 56 years weve lived in America, mostly Minnesota, we have traveled to over 85 countries., The only thing left that we wanted to do was to sail up the Mississippi, she continued. Viking River CruisesOf the lines that have so far made changes, Vikings have been the most extensive, canceling its entire season of Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary. Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. Orient Express Is Launching the World's Largest Luxury Superyacht, Hurtigruten's 'Northern Lights Promise' Ensures Every Cruiser Sees Auroras, What It's Like to Cruise Around French Polynesia on Windstar's Star Breeze, These Cruise Lines Will Require COVID-19 Vaccines To Sail, Despite What Cruise Lines Say, You Wont Be Setting Sail in May, My Favorite Luxury Cruise Line Is Setting Sail Again. I realize it's too late if one already agreed to pay over a year in advance, but when booking future cruises with Viking, insist on a different final payment due date. Where Are Norwegian Cruise Ships Registered, When Is The Best Month To Cruise To Alaska, How Much Are Drinks On Viking River Cruises, Do Mississippi River Cruises Have Casinos, Where Do Cruise Ships Dock In Reykjavik Iceland, What Cruise Line Goes Around Hawaiian Islands, announcements from other cruise operators, banned UK airlines from its airspace in response to the UK doing the same for Russian carriers, Crystal Cruises is reportedly shutting down US operations, Where Does Norwegian Cruise Lines Sail Out Of, Kings Bay Scenic Cruise From Crystal River, Are Gratuities Included On Viking River Cruises. Call to book now: 1-800-304-9616. Poseidon Expeditions is the latest addition to this list after a March 17 statement announcing that seven polar voyages are canceled for the summer. Even though the service is great on the ships as many thousand past cruisers can attest. A few days ago we received a cryptic email from Viking that our itinerary might have changed and so here was a voucher for $499 for a future cruise . Viking Mississippi cancels some cruise passengers four days ahead of @garlinn decided to cancel, which leaves another poster. We saw all of the major sites, including the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors and a sail on the Yangtze to the Three Gorges Dam. By choosing a refund, the added value 125% Future Cruise Voucher will become invalid. We can always rebook. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. But to be honest, at this point in time, I would prefer it if tourists from outside of Europe did not come at all. 3. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. Our vaccine requirement for all guests and crew remains in placeand for the time being, our crew will keep testing as needed and will wear masks at all times. Will the drought in Europe affect your river cruise vacation? As of this afternoon, their Romantic Danube departure on the Viking Atla on December 5 has been modified with an extra day in Budapest, added day in Bratislava, and a scenic sailing day through Austria before reaching Passau and Regensburg so it seems like they are trying to find a way to operate. We canceled our Viking Oberammergau cruise for September the week that our final payment was due. Frohnert, a world traveler who is Irish by birth but has lived in the U.S. most of her life, had planned to fly to New Orleans and travel back to Minnesota by water for what she assumed would be her final voyage. It might just push us to get a cash refund now and look for someone else. We too were very unhappy with Vikings pay in full policywe paid in full 18 months before the cruise is scheduled to run. Read Also: What Does The Average Cruise Cost, Norwegian Cruise Line is removing planned stops in St. Petersburg from its 2022 sailings due to the escalated situation between Russia and Ukraine.. "We have planned alternative ports and will communicate itinerary changes in the next few days to our guests and travel partners. On 11/19/2021 at 4:29 PM, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said: 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. With many Christmas markets closed, river cruise lines cancel sailings 125% Future Cruise Vouchers can be applied to a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. There will be another and eighth ocean ship, Viking Mars. Im also still annoyed at Vikings policy that full payment is required so far in advance. Should you wish to change your reservation, you can choose which policy works best for you: Vikings Risk-Free Guarantee or standard cancellation policy. Applies primarily to bookings containing 1-30 persons and bookings with conference made online and where none. Airfare does not have to be . I realize that to this point Viking has offered a generous cancellation policycancelup to 24 hours prior and receive a 125% FCC. Harvey Wasserman and his wife Arleen have always loved to travel. Have not cancelled the Cruise yet. The voyage starts from Port Everglades on December 24, 2021, and ends in London City England. We were three couples booking at once and they held firm to the payment in full 30 days past initial deposit. After all, this too shall eventually pass. March 1, 2022. Review of Viking Cruises. 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. Recently I have tried to get the final payment pushed back a month or so no luck. I see that the Viking Vali left Amsterdam, probably as scheduled, and has passed through the Rhine Gorge today. I hope you can enjoy the remaining stops and Christmas markets to the full, as well as the great service on the ship. Here is a sample of what you will see on one of our European river cruises: Visits to Germany's charming wine-producing villages. A 121-day segment allows travellers to join the cruise ship in Los Angeles CA, from where the itinerary continues to Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, Asia and the Middle East, Europe ending in London-Greenwich, England UK. I chatted with a Viking agent yesterday to see if they might consider an approach like this for our Oct cruise. By The woman at Viking DID offer us 125% FCC. Viking is still trying to figure out what they will do about rescheduling cruises for that year. Culinary delights in Lyon, France. https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/24/slovakia-becomes-the-second-european-country-to-go-into-lockdown-as-covid-cases-surge, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. In this Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, photo, the Viking Mississippi cruise ship docks at the Port of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. Travel Weekly. So some of the rooms are unavailable for these reasons.. If not worse in a time when the markets were growing. The elegant boulevards and grand monuments of Paris. This cruise began in Budapest, Hungary and ended in Bucharest, Romania with visits to Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanasi, Vidin , Golubac, and Belgrade , Osijek , and Kalocsa . And Hungary? TripSavvy uses only high-quality, trusted sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. At Viking, your experience means the world to us. Poor Customer Service, Refund Policy due to Covid-19 - Review of Viking 2 Viking River Cruises canceled all Russian river cruises and its planned Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest routes this year due to the events. Walking to my stateroom the first day, the corridor was so peaceful with the soft lighting and easy and attractive decor. They also invited their good friends Deborah and Alvi Blankenship. We plan to go a few days early and then make our way to the ship. Little more than a week ago, just four days before the first trip of the Viking Mississippi from the Mississippi Rivers headwaters to its mouth, the company informed them by mail that their reservation had been canceled. Better to stay at home. Better to cancel what you have and do it next year. In the same post, the cruise line's holding company, Carnival Corporation, stood by Ukraine in light of the attacks, declaring, "We stand for peace.". Airfares vary on other gateways & departures. We will see. Journey with the world's #1 river cruise line. Departing on December 22, 2022, from Port Everglades , Viking World Voyage 2022 visits ports in Central America, follows Panama Canal transit and sailing up North Americas West Coast. Needless to say, my response did not include any of these qualities.. Fairytale windmills of The . Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. Read our. Funky Fusion FoodsJ, November 19, 2021 in River Cruising. Powered by Invision Community. A resident of Hamline-Midway, he is married to a Frogtown woman. Rejuvenate in a king-size bed with a soft duvet and goose-down pillows. Featured review. It may be that you folks unfortunately booked during that period. I had the same experience as you, and personally, I don't feel like playing "agent roulette". Future Cruise Vouchers valued at 125% are available exclusively for those guests whose cruise was cancelled due to, or associated with, our suspended operations. Shorter itinerary segments are also available for booking, including the 119-day Viking World Horizons 2022 that visits 49 ports in 22 countries. This inconsistency of when full payment is due,as illustrated by theabove posts, is exasperatingto me. When you look up the UK website you will notice the difference in setup but also in the small print. @Glammee if you are on board, have a splendid time. Then in 2022, they expect the debut of two new expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. Earlier in March, travel expert and television personality Rick Steves announced he would be canceling all Russian tours that his company, Rick Steves' Europe, had planned this year. The FCC is valid for 24 months , for any Viking cruise itinerary and fully transferable. Please Note: 1) Terms & Conditions for Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers can be found here. Uefa moved footballs Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris and Formula One cancelled the Russian grand prix, which is reportedly potentially set to move to Turkey. Europe's drought could signal the death of river cruising - CNN My angle was that I gave Viking $12000 in Sept of 19, for a cruise in Oct 20, that I might not be able to take until 21 or 22. Cruise lines want happy TA's as they can refer to them a lot of business. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings also announced that they would remove Russian and Ukrainian ports from 2022 itineraries across their brands, including Norwegian, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas. Fortunately for us we booked last November and can cancel up to 24 hours before the cruise and get 100% FCC. I did end my post by wondering if it made a difference that we had a TA dealing with Viking for us. Not sure what to do now. It is best for everyone. 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. Guests and their travel advisors on impacted departures have been notified directly by Viking customer relations. Will wait a bit longer before getting the credit card company involved. The Blankenships have accepted an offer that allows an extended sail by date. BOOKING AND SALE TERMS AND CONDITIONS - Viking Cruises You may also contact us by phone at 1-877-668-4546. And we were really excited about going back and seeing it again. My Trip - Travel Information - Viking River Cruises An additional four Arctic sailings have new itineraries. The letters offered limited explanation except to say that the company wants to ensure its voyages are top quality, and challenging circumstances mean that the Viking Mississippi must sail at reduced capacity. Cancellation conditions 1. Viking takes delivery of newest ocean ship | World of Cruising While Austria is locked down, ships will sail through the country and skip port calls there. However, we will continue to provide testing if a guest reports symptoms, requests a test, or if our Medical Team deems necessary. However, due to ongoing travel restrictions in Europe and the USA, as well as Canadas and Australias ban on cruise shipping, Viking canceled the entire 2020 program in mid-August. Viking, which had once planned to debut its new cruise ship in 2017, delayed the launch five years while it worked through federal regulatory challenges under the Jones Act, otherwise known as the . Best New Cruise Ships and Itineraries for Alaskan Cruise! The ship has now begun sailing with her first guests, but we are still putting the finishing touches on the overall experience and refining the itinerary, the letter continues. Yesterday 8 countys in Bavaria were over 1,000, today its 10 - which means the stricter lockdown with closed hotels and restaurants. :Crystal Cruises is reportedly shutting down US operations, With unrest in Eastern Europe, we have adjusted our voyages, President Alberto Aliberti said in a statement. The travel insurance was purchased with Tripmate through Viking, Wasserman said. If we cancel we have to take a FCCso disappointed as weve had this booked since January 2019. Learn what to expect if you decide to cancel your booked sailing, rather than waiting to see if your cruise line cancels it. Passengers have called the latter easier said than done as trips fill up years in advance. On June 10, 2022, the U.S. announced it is eliminating the COVID testing requirement for air travelers to enter the country. oIK=?d4E_%sn_R)=&[h@1'{[']q[0G/PIAG| D0Y1 0S.fv G2 L The line said it was also evaluating 2022 itineraries that call in Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. Couple fights to get full cash refund on $15K Viking River Cruise Sounds bad, here is one report: https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/24/slovakia-becomes-the-second-european-country-to-go-into-lockdown-as-covid-cases-surge. We traveled last October, and our TA was told, without even having to ask for it, that final payment was due in May, 5 months from departure. My Trip - Updates on Current Sailings - Viking River Cruises Also, what is the Viking "demise" you speak of? But, again, this policy of full payment due with a very short time frame is costing us money we should have. It's been observed again and again, despite what Viking initially tells you. 0 Are there computers, or should I bring my laptop? We are currently on this ship, wrote passenger Dean Siddons on the Facebook page, during a trip to St. Paul on Sept. 15. 758 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<3B2B7E0F41F04746806E97F249047B35><0B2C10FC3CE5DD4FA2FE110046A04FF1>]/Index[733 43]/Info 732 0 R/Length 116/Prev 410459/Root 734 0 R/Size 776/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream I would prefer a refund but can live with the FCC. The cruise company said they had already notified passengers and travel partners with affected departures. If this had been an oceancruise booked withone of the big lines for less than $5000 we would have probably waited. http://staging.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/china-merchants-closes-500m-financing-deal-for-two-viking-newbuilds.html, You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. Even more so I hope for North America that the choice of several operators with - for you - favourable terms and conditions will remain after this crisis is over. 125% Future Cruise Vouchers: The Ultimate in Flexibility and Value. "But when we bring travelers to another country, we also bring their dollarsdollars that would support Putin's aggression. Just to throw in another aspect: the "Viking way" as it has been illustrated by the previous posts is not how Viking does it in the UK. Posted November 19, 2020 (edited) Update now posted on Viking's website - all cancelled until end Jan 21 + other in later months due to regional issues. They applied the refund to my balance but said I would still get it back on my Credit Card in the 21 Business Days. CruiseMapper provides you with free of charge schedules with listed cheapest ticket prices per person per itinerary. I feel no loyalty to them. The same for their Grand European Tour. So when they got a brochure to take a 15-day Viking cruise through the Panama Canal and Central America, Wasserman said his wife couldnt resist. A booming business -- for now. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP) A Viking river cruise ship heading . Edited November 19, 2020 by Heidi13. Viking has made an official announcement on there Web Site Itineraries Affected by Temporary Suspension of OperationsUpdated April 6, 2021 On March 11, 2020, Viking was the first cruise line to suspend operations of our river and ocean cruises. Viking Ocean Cruises Is NOT All I Thought It Was, Viking 360 Ship Tours: Explore our Ocean & River Vessels, Virtually. Vikings expedition ships will have everything from zodiacs to two six person submarines . New Viking Ocean Cruise Ships: Viking Venus - Launched in 2021, the Viking Venus accommodates 930 passengers and features a variety of staterooms, including suites with balconies.