If water levels fall, riverboats can have trouble sailing all the way to Budapest. This account has been claimed by Viking River Cruises customer service / representatives through our verification process. We paid some #10,000 for premium air. 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. River flows are never static and are subject to fluctuations that are unpredictable. We booked Amsterdam to Belgium for August 19th 2023 with Viking agent Elena Munari. On the last day, all running water was turned off until we left the ship. A longtime editor at Cruise Critic, Erica has also written for The Washington Post, Fodors and Lets Go travel guides, and numerous print and online cruise publications. 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. We accepted the vouchers in good faith. 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. That' our policy,. 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. They said they did. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50) The food was awful , the service bad some waiters were very rude we were forced to do a lot of included tours or couldnt leave the ship . Ocean cruise ships usually have at least 25 feet or more or more of draft which would preclude them from river cruising. 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. Obviously a 2 week notice was impossible in our situation. Telling us that a voucher has no cash value is a shoddy business practice at best. You dont know a week or 10 days in advance what will happen with the water levels. If ships have to lighten their loads to cross shallow water, fewer goods can be transported at once. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. On top of that, they are asking for me to pay additional same $ 9,000. amount for me to go on this journey alone! Thu 13 Jan 2022 01.00 EST Last modified on Thu 13 Jan 2022 18.22 EST. 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. However, I believe the policy is rather onerous. We paid 529+40 USD purchasing fees each for the tickets. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. My bag is still missing and I will request (!) 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. The whole point of purchasing trip insurance, especially in this time of Covid, was to protect ourselves in the event of a last minute emergency. As compensation we have been offered a derisory 200 voucher towards a future cruise. This they We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. It was not a condition of completing this trip. Since the ships are nearly identical, if you do transfer to another ship, you should be in a similar stateroom as the original ship. If the whole itinerary is changed, youll get to sail the new itinerary and receive a 100% future cruise credit to book another cruise. It also stated that if we were unable to use the voucher we could be refunded the original amount we paid to Viking. The line said it was also evaluating 2022 itineraries that call in Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. 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. Virgin Voyages. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity mentioned herein. The climate in Europe is changing and not for the better. Articles are of a general nature and should not be relied upon for individual circumstances. 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. 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 . It is February 1st today and I went online to book excursions for a trip almost 3 months from now. If you want to cancel a cruise right now in October because of low water, I will tell you, Sorry, we dont know if theres low water in October, said Schreiner. 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. This was a question that I asked myself before booking my Rhine River cruise. Maximum capacities of 164 passengers and 47 crew. It will take a lot for us to travel with you again. 1. Booked a trip just before covid hit which had to be canceled for obvious reasons. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. This may involve the cruise line putting you up in one or more hotels and paying for restaurant meals. Contact your Sales Agent or our Customer Service department online, via email, or by phone at 1-800-427-8473 and ask about potential opportunities for flexible cancellation policies, rebooking opportunities and other options. The dream vacation I have waited for 8 years has gone down the drain. Viking Venus : cruise round Med and on to Israel.This was a wonderful itinerary , a beautiful ship , excellent food and service. For every day that is altered, AmaWaterways guests will get 50% of the daily rate they paid as a future cruise credit. Thanks for reaching out, M Mulmech., although we regret to learn of your disappointment with your hotel arrangements. Booking your first river cruise? By the time I could ring Viking, the excursion was sold out and the drinks package price had increased. 2022 is now cancelled and will be replaced with new roundtrip voyages from Southampton to the Caribbean via the Canary Islands and New York. After an We will be again canceling our trip. This made it impossible to catch the next flight from ***** to buenos Aries. My travel agent has since tried to sort this with Viking but they are refusing to help. Special fares plus Free airfare valid on select 2023 departures of Eastern Seaboard Explorer and Canada & New England Scenic Shores. Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. I ask if I could have the number to her managers boss she said no. 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. Recent updates have been made to cancellation schedules and refund guidelines for various cruise lines. It, along with the Viking Sky, is classified as a small ship, with 465 staterooms, capable of carrying 930 guests. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. Jim. 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. The plane returned to the gate and he was transported to the local hospital. Looks like our September cruise to the Fjords is in the process of being cancelled! Schreiner gives an example of two identical sister ships, AmaLucia and AmaSiena, that both sail the Rhine. We purchased Travel Protection Insurance. We didn't get to see Honduras as Viking tried to use their own tender to get to shore. Due to Covid pandemic our cruise got cancelled. Not a problem for him at all. We missed 2 ports of call and 1/3 of our sites to see the auroras. Vikings' policy allows no refund under the circumstances (i.e. Find out how we combat fake reviews. Jan. 17, 2022. 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. #1. Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works This was really #6339759. More details in attachment. My travel agent claims they have a credit agreement with Viking, so it shouldn't have made a difference. They are just taking the thousands of dollars we gave them from us and we are getting nothing in return. An apology is not good enough. If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. Anybody got any idea what do I do? 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 . See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. "But its clear that river cruising is not going away anytime soon.". 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 purchased two of each of the following through ACH: Withholding of monies and shore excursion booking system failure. We are not asking for anything other than our money back. If have a river cruise planned for the end of the summer or the fall, should you be concerned? One of the most popular rivers, the Rhine has river levels falling fast. They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called . Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. No materials from this website may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Scheduled and rescheduled elder family care and pet sitting services. 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. This cruise has been sold out for weeks so if Viking reinstates the voucher, the cabin could be resold. Please DO NOT add attachments that contain your or other peoples personal information, if you dont want it to be visible to the public. Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Other ships were docked at the pier. Viking Ocean Ships Currently Sailing: Viking Jupiter Viking Orion Viking Mars Viking Neptune Viking Saturn Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Venus Viking have done this every year since 2012, knowing they are unable to dock there but still taking Port Tax from every passenger. $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. Cruise delayed because of COVID. Cailey Rizzo. The other typical plan is to put the passengers on buses to get around the affected areas. This 'placeholder booking' means nothing he assured us. By Alyssa Lukpat and Ceylan Yeginsu. If you voluntarily cancel your cruise you may only get a partial or no refund depending on how close to departure you cancel your cruise. Europe has many rivers where cruise lines operate. All I got was 'you must pay in full for your trip before booking extras'. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. 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. Utter and total joke. US. But it is for us. ***. we went to our connecting American Airlines flight with our Boarding Viking Cruises is a cruise line providing river and ocean cruises, with operations based in Basel, Switzerland. Other than the hassle of packing up in the middle of the cruise, travelers still get the full Rhine experience they paid for. The Rhine River in general is not that deep. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. It's a human right to have access to fresh water and clean sanitation. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. Some years, low water levels caused disruptions as early as June and some years as late as October. 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. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. He made the commissions, we will not sail and lose 14,000 dollars. "But this is not a problem at all" - he said, because all we need is to make a booking for any date, just as a placeholder. I am writing about booking number 7045921 sailed Jan.12 2023. Disembark on May 1 2023 they required us to pay us in full in August 2022 which we did. My bag didn't make it. The drought category in England has reached the most severe designation of severe drought. For that reason, the Rhine River is feeling greater effects of river flow and sooner than compared with the Danube. I had insurance and filed a claim. When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. Viking's river cruises are aboard Viking Longships and have a maximum of 190 guests. We booked a 14 day cruise with extra days upon arrival in ****** and departure in **** in ****. This content has not been approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. The reason given by Viking is that these are vouchers from a previously booked trip (during the COVID pandemic). At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. Poulsbo, Washington. The whole experience was a disaster. Share. My husband surprised me with the explorer suite,the room was beautiful,the balcony was amazing. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. This years summer drought in Europe could affect your upcoming river cruise, but its highly unlikely your cruise will be canceled outright. On February 1, the shore excursion booking system opened up for the ocean segment of my trip. When we got this schedule yesterday, we asked her ********** if she could rearrange things to take this cruise. Cancellation conditions 2. 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. After 5 minutes she came back and said the manager said nothing they could do but charge a 50 percent fee for canceling. 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. Should your cruise be canceled, the cruise line will also offer compensation. We appreciate you sharing your experience, Marie, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. Here is a message that appears on the Viking River Cruise webpage: The cruise line may elect to cancel your cruise. Because there was no time for a further delay, we paid the tickets to the airline. Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They will charge you a lot of money but would not care for you at the end of the day.The places I saw needed much to be desiredI was told that at the airport someone will help us until we boarded our plane. We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical of a vaccine status made us cancel again. Story Update (September 5, 2022) Viking river cruises have posted an advisory from Danube River cruises that ship swapping may occur. If the level is too low, the vessel may run aground or need an alternative docking arrangement. The river flows are falling so if you are booked for a cruise this year, check with your cruise line and obtain their current assessment of operating conditions. We rebooked yet again and we're told that we had to have the vaccine before we would be able to take our trip. Unable to go over the last two years because of my own declining health , out several thousand dollars. 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. Published on May 21, 2021. In this case, you will receive a full refund of your cruise fare. Holland America Cruise Line | Travel Requirements & Safety Protocols. 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. 23. For more than 15 years we have helped nearly 50000 customers resolve their issues and will never stop striving to ensure further improvements on our platform for a better communication between companies and customers. We rebooked our trip but Viking canceled it again and another voucher was issued. This insurance company is worthless and doesn't live up to the stated reimbursements as advertised in its' brochure. I could sail on another cruise line for a lot less money. 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. If the water issues are closer to the beginning or end of an itinerary, cruisers may have to spend a few days in hotels or bussing to destinations rather than sailing there. Heres what you need to know. I booked the flight through Viking to a Christmas market river cruise. 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. By doing investigation on this subject and timeline of events revealed that we are not alone in this situation. BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. 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. Viking suggested that I should talk to my travel insurance company to reimburse the cost of additional airfare cost. The river cruise lines will tell you that low water levels are rare, and that few sailings are altered due to water levels but the truth is the risk is always present. An insult! I asked the captain how deep the ship would be if it sank. I will never travel with Viking . The ship can welcome up to 386 passengers, and. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. About 20 poeple's bag on the flight didn't make it. Refund or partial credit. "Given recent developments and the developing conflict in Ukraine,. We have taken note of your feedback. This complaint has been resolved automatically due to user's inactivity. We said yes. Here's our experience with the Viking cancellation policy. TPG values it at $1,600. "The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority," a Viking representative told Travel Market Report. I purchased a cruise for my wife and myself then Covid hit. Many passengers were still on board at this time and were unable to flush toilets or wash their hands. We also paid Port Tax for Honduras even though they chose not to book and pay to use the pier there. It turns out that during the second half of the cruise, we were in a heat wave, experiencing very hot temperatures.
Clumsyalienn Sims 4 Clothes, Fayetteville, Nc Mugshots, Shooting In Pontiac Michigan Today, 1st Franklin Financial Payment Options, Articles V