Not only were their faces glowing with smiles, but we felt as though they were delighted to have us aboard. 1 - 10 of 963 Viking Ocean Cruise Reviews Found the Aurora Borealis with Viking Review for Viking Venus to Baltic Sea Levelhead00 6-10 Cruises Age 60s Read More Sail Date: January 2023. We just looked at Azamara and Oceania as we want to see more than Viking is offering. This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Part refund, at least 25%. Due to my cancellations, Viking held onto $8,000 of my Funds for about two years. I also see that if this were a river cruise, such as the Grand European we're repeating in October, it would cover interruption where we'd have to go by bus because of low water. Ed L wrote a review Feb 11. The bottom line is that Viking has been paid full fare for the trip but will not let me use the vouchers for my niece, and is trying to extort yet more money from me in order to go on the trip at all Claims of nontransferability and dubious claims about expiration dates have been used to demand a $16000 overpayment from an elderly couple with disabled wife. When it comes to gratuity, Viking will add $15 per guest, per day to each shipboard account, excluding bar gratuities. Same tour repeated each year, no deviations. 12/21- 12/28/2022 We are taking that cruise again this fall, and I doubt tripMate will give us anything if we have to get schlepped off onto buses. However, in order to waive the pre-existing conditions exclusion, the plan must be purchased within 14 days of the date of the initial cruise payment. Fabulous Cruising in the Caribbean with Viking. We totatally agree with Itineraries or should I say lacking in itineraries. Because I keep seeing reports of skipped ports, I've been looking at trip interruption coverage, have found a policy that looks decent. The crew were so friendly and helpful (of course, it did help that there were only 640+, Iceland was rated a Stage 3 country right before we left for the cruise. Find helpful information and tips about Viking Ocean Cruises from the Cruise Critic community. 4. Viking offered us to support the company and not get a refund if we accepted a voucher of 125% Most of the food was good. I booked the flight through Viking to a Christmas market river cruise. Itinerary for Viking Sea departing Jan. 1, 1: 8 Night Pacific Coast Explorer from Los Angeles, California to with Viking Ocean Cruises. Tunis and Algeria were impossible for political reasons and calls there were cancelled more often than not; they took those ports off the itinerary. My advice: DON'T. Or adding new ports in the Med to their line up. The World Cafe, Embarkation and disembarkation were flawless. We promise not to send you any unrelated messages, Click here if youd like to unsubscribe from notifications about new complaints of Viking River Cruises. The even occurred in February of 2023. 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. Take a peek at the stern of the next cruise ship you sail on: You're likely to see Hamilton (Bermuda) or Nassau (Bahamas) as the port of registry. NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHER We will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. Be interesting to see how the Mississippi cruises work. Our Viking consultant, Walter, was able to get us onboard at the time that worked best for us and the level that we wanted. Good luck!. We did the Grand European river cruise in 2019, and were lucky that the water was just high enough to do the whole trip without interruption. We arrived early in the morning so Viking picked us up and took us to a conference hall for breakfast and to wait until we could board our ship. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. Loved Tasmania! They are amazing. We did the Australia/New Zealand itinerary. Variety would increase Vikings market. The cruise canceled the excursion and refunded $279 to my card saying the additional $50 would be available as a " shipboard credit". Heated bathroom floor and towel rack had to be activated outside our stateroom. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. Welcome to Viking cruise reviews. . Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Fabulous Cruising in the Caribbean with Viking! We appreciate you sharing your experience, Trevor, although we regret to hear of your disappointment. CC Help Jenn Some of the excursions had to be canceled because of weather, but those we took were only OK. The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customers satisfaction. The text appears: #1 on the oceans. Oceania does a circle tour of Australia. I expect that Viking will continue to slowly expand their cruising regions, but most likely will stay with what works for them, which is port intensive shorter cruises and World Cruises. The Restaurant was good. Sail Date: November 2022. Both times, we were careful to follow cancellation terms which allowed a full refund up to 120 prior of embarking, and to purchase travel insurance, as recommended by the Viking representative, with Viking's partner, TripMate, including the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) provision. Just realized that the cruise booked was from Antwerp to Amsterdam. Why are they doing this>. 2-5 Cruises Age 60s. Nice groves (Northern Europe, UK, Med, some Asia) but grooves non-the-less. Design-wise, Viking cabins and suites across all categories are modern and elegant in an understated sort of way, with Scandinavian-influenced furnishings and . By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics, Beautiful ship, wonderful ports and sights, Too Much COVID Concerns to Enjoy the Cruise. We loved the small ship with only 900 people. They wanted to do Rome to Barcelona stopping at Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, Tunis, Algeria and Valencia; back to back with Iconic Med, people could choose a 1 week or 2 week adventure on the same ship sailing in circles between Barcelona and Rome. Refund or partial credit. Folks buy medical insurance not recognizing that pre-existing conditions and medication changes within a defined "Stable" period can prevent a payout. them to clean my clothes again and every night I am on the cruise, 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. I told them I needed more time.. gave me until this tuesday.. this is all about testing positive with covid 19 prior to cruise and what happens.. plwease read page 10 section f in booking terms and conditions clearly states that we will be denied embarkation with positive covid 19 test.. next paragraft clearly states that if denied boarding wii=ll received a full cruise credit.. William Forsythe [protected] [protected]@msn.com. return trip Munich to EWR I was told Viking doesnt own the hotel and the hotel will not let me make a change since Viking handled the booking. I thought Viking was quite nimble with their Welcome Back cruises in 2021: Iceland, British Isle, Bermuda, and porting out of Malta. Though, it was easy to adjust the restaurants when we were on board. The Viking ship and personnel are among the best if not the best. Reviewed January 24, 2022 via mobile . Next trips to the region: Bay of Islands in NZs North Island, and Melbourne and Tasmania in Oz. This also had the water turned off and was unable to flush. Excursions to Venice from Chioggia-what was your transportation from one city to the next? We have found NY Insurance Circular Letter No. Their ships always look new and are well maintained. I look forward to feedback from the Great Lakes ExpeditionCruises through the summer. Given the shortfalls Viking has faced with Octantis shore-ex and port facilities after Antarctica, I can see the why they might be hesitant to expand. Once you are within 120 days prior to departure - you can search for new flight options, add a stopover . The ship itself is beautiful. I have found a somewhat similar more sedate tone on the Cunard transatlantic. This allowed Viking to retain the majority of our payment since We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. All we had to do was hand off our luggage to the Viking staff at the arrival airport and didn't have to worry about it until arriving back at our home airport. Perhaps with strong demand coming out of the pandemic and the additional ships, that destinations will expand. Read hundreds of Viking Ocean Cruise Reviews by cruisers just like you. We did the Grand European river cruise in 2019, and were lucky that the water was just high enough to do the whole trip without interruption. We finally made it in 2022. Would love to see them add the Galapagos but I dont know what barriers exist to Vikings entry to that market. We chose their Chasing Northern Lights sailing on the Viking Venus. We paid for the trip and had trip insurance. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. We booked the Iceland and Norway cruise in 2020, but were unable to go. We enjoyed Viking's care from the airport to the ship and back again. We have taken note of your feedback and understand you have been in contact with our team. Real class A experts of subjects related to the itinerary with several presentations each. Does not even include The Milford Sounds. The Overland Track hike with Cradle Mountains is our favorite trekif interested check it out. #3 in Best Viking Ocean Cruises #3 in. 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. Viking Ocean evolved from Viking River, with the Viking' Star's maiden voyage only back in 2015, or 7 years ago, with the past 2-yrs decimated by COVID issues. Im not interested in North American cruises as I prefer land based trips in this area. A place on the excursion I tried to book. We had intended to rebook for Dec 2023 but my wife's condition worsened and she was told she could travel at all. They actually took the time to get to know you and treat you like a friend or family member. Powered by Invision Community. Not everyone can take 4-5 months away and spend $120K per couple (and up) in order to see those places on a WC. 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. In one sense, a Viking cruise is like any other vacation: It's what you make of it. And More Questions Answered. First of all, we had the opportunity to see the lights 4 times. We called Viking and there is nothing that they will do to be able to use the over $7,000 paid for the trip. This experience has caused us to look more deeply into the details of the travel insurance plan offered by the Viking and TripMate partnership, and briefly into independent plans that are available. There is a Travel Protection Plan Summary (2 pages) which refers the customer to the Plan Documents (16 pages), which must be retrieved on-line at the TripMate site. Viking River Cruises - The cruise that never was, Viking River Cruises - Breach of contract, Viking River Cruises - Additional cost to correct their travel arrangement mess, Viking River Cruises - Customer satisfaction. A drinks package at the original cost, when I first tried to book it. 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. Sure we were free but that's no excuse. Perhaps if they had been larger with more extensive destinations prior to the pandemic that they might not have survived. Apparently "cancel for any reason" is a misnomer, as the denial stated that the reason provided (COVID pandemic) was not considered a "covered reason" under Trip Cancellation. ComplaintsBoard.com is a leading complaint resolution website on the Internet. This is a work policy that covers me for work or personal travel. Explore the world in comfort with Viking. The service at all levels and from all departments was outstanding. Does this happen very often in summer months (we're going in July 2024)? Both countries are great places to travel independently. Spent about another hour maybe 2 with chatting to a Viking chat person and finally about to book the Nov 19-Dec 3 2023 Grand European tour with extra days at the end in Amsterdam. It was exactly what we were looking for. We found the Orion to be a delightful experience. Superb. Viking sails the rivers of Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt, and across the world's seas to Scandinavia, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean,. Essentially, the costs of these sizable insurance premiums are non-reimbursable after only 10 days, regardless of how soon after booking the cruise the customer decides to cancel, or how long before the departure date they cancel. Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. The buffet was good. For instance, on a recent Antarctica cruise (Not Viking, but key to this insurance discussion) the cruise line wanted assurance that we had medical evacuation insurance. Once on the ship, all the staff were friendly and willing to help. Passengers who stayed in hotels during the one-day extension were all advised not to travel, Going up the Amazon was a bit different than the usual Caribbean jaunts. Viking Star is flagged in Norway and registered in Bergen. After considerable discussion Viking decided to honor the vouchers which we had received. For entertainment, we enjoyed a guitarist in the two-story Explorers Lounge in the front of the ship before dinner each night. Me neither. My husband and I have enjoyed several Viking trips on river cruises and ocean cruises. That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything was fine and we rebooked for Jan 2022. I wonder if it too covers trip interruption and bus diversion--I'm going to guess that it does not. Started June 21, 2021, By This reimbursement is NOT a refund; but, a correction due to failure of the excursion booking system. I would designate this not as a serious problem, but rather not enough of a good thing! Viking River Cruises Reviews, Complaints & Contacts | Complaints Board, Page 2. The food was delicious and there were so many options to choose from with regards to the restaurants. We regret the 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. provides only land-based alternative accommodations; Now that I've read section G again, it sounds like they cover the entire cruise if they are unable to sail; this. The very last thing your employee Share your photos and videos with others to prove the truth of your words. Off the routine remote islands? Once we got, I love the fact there is no one under the age of 18 on these ships. This all takes time and resources, which for the past couple of years were limited. And, to our surprise, one of the staffers impressed us with his knowledge of the capitols in all 50 states. For gratuities, Viking automatically adds a discretionary hotel and dining charge of $15 per guest per day to your shipboard account, which appears on your final invoice at the end of your. Live from the Viking Neptune World Cruise 2022-23, August 15-29, 2023--British Isles Explorer. They came back with a goodwill gesture of a little less than 50% credit.. they wanted an answer right away.. Menu. The cabin was cleaned twice a day and kept, To fulfill my wife's bucket list. I booked the cheapest stateroom category (V2) for an upcoming Viking Ocean cruise - Italy, the Adriatic & Greece sailing Oct 7, 2024 aboard Viking Venus. Sail Date: August 2022. We look forward to reading your thoughts. They even arranged busses to take us to the airport at 3:00 A.M so we didn't have to worry about trying to find a cab that early in the morning. Date of experience: February 18, 2023 I tend to agree, and hope Viking will soon add some new stops. Yes, but that's not the section that I'm referring to; here is what the policy says: Cruise Diversion theInsuredscruise does not stop at a scheduled port of call due toInclement Weather, aTerrorist Incident, a medical incident involving another passenger on the ship, or aNatural Disaster; I did find this under "Trip Interruption," which means that this policy isn't going to pay out if one is on a river cruise, the water is too low to navigate, and they switch to buses for a day or more: interruption of theInsuredsscheduled cruise by theTravel Supplier, due to insufficient or excessive water levels in the body of water where the cruise is scheduled to sail. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. Featured review. Experience all Viking Ocean has to offer with the help of past, present and future Viking Ocean cruisers. 1 - 10 of 30 Viking Ocean Reykjavik Cruise Reviews. Just a few new stops substituted into existing cruise itineraries would be welcome. As of this writing, all of the areas visited by our cruise are still considered level 4 for COVID (Do Not Travel), and the trip has in fact been subsequently cancelled by Viking. Hence, their motto, explore the world in comfort.. About 20 poeple's bag on the flight didn't make it. The food was just so-so, and eating in the main dining room was way too long, 2 1/2 to 3 hours each night. Your kind words about our onboard staff, are truly a testament to their dedication to your comfort. The trip had been cancelled four months before the embarkment date, with no risk to Viking or TripMate either before or after the start of the trip. Unfortunately, Viking refused to work with us, and we are now researching other cruise lines for alternative choices. Three cheers for Viking. Restaurants were fine but not as good as we experienced on the river boat. Viking Venus is a beautiful ship inside and out. 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