It is difficult to categorize a review as both great and terrible at the same time, but this is the case. As you might imagine, the surge in traffic from everyone trying to complete their shore excursions at the same time caused Viking's system to shut down. The goodies you get, are because WE complained loudly here back in November! Travel companies always do the math so it favors them. 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. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. The whole contract is at http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/pdfs/2011%20PAX%20Ticket%20Contract_EU.RU.UK.pdf. Fosses cruise and land tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. 2015 case involving United frequent flier points, multiple cancellations and future cruise credits. (Sounds like something we would really enjoy.) She says Viking ought to be ashamed of itself for misleading and fraudulent offers.. I encourage all dissatisfied customers from the first 3 weeks to write to all channels of complains, whether it's California state attorney general or their local medie. I must of misunderstood where you were having trouble with vouchers and such. 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. Why is it taking so long to get a cruise refund? After all, its her second Viking cancellation. Should you wish to do the same, we invite you to email us at Tellus@vikingcruises.com with your booking information. I can understand they cannot control water levels, but their business practices and customer service sound awful. What was her trick, other than contacting the right person? for mandatory gratuities.They say everything is includedunless you get sick. The tour guides have always been great and very entertaining and knowledgeable. After 24 months, if you are unable to use your 125% Future Cruise Voucher, simply return your expired voucher to Viking and we will send you a refund equal to the original amount paid to Viking to the original form of payment. We both have autoimmune conditions. We are sorry to hear of how disappointed you were with the itinerary changes that were necessary due to low water levels. Onboard you'll be treated to an all-inclusive . :confused: Have you read the cruise contract to see what your rights are? Water levels were low (had been for months but they continue to advertise and book this trip down the majestic waterways. Ask yourself: Why is it doing this? This resulted in the cruise price jumping by 600! Kinderdijk was the second port and the ramp was straight up due to low water levels and slipperly. Plus, the ride to the airport cost us $49.00 each. Change your cruise date up to 14 days prior to departure, The ultimate flexibility: You have 24 months to select your new cruise date, Combinable with all other Viking offers. We're looking forward to sailing with them in June. Offer Expires June 30, 2022. Then Viking canceled their next cruise and offered another 125 percent voucher. When the water is right, it could be a nice experience. Posted Saturday at 06:49 PM. Took cruise from Budapest to Nuremburg and then to Prague. 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. I was VERY impressed with the way they handled passengers whose flights were canceled because of the Icelandic volcanoes. $10.00 It may cost more than the price of the cruise to promise the right water level. YodaMom, December 19, 2011 in River Cruising. Our position as an advocacy organization is that cruise lines should offer full refunds after a second cancellation, even if a passenger has accepted a future cruise credit. Location of This Business. Are any of the other November 12th passengers getting a response from the '800' number given to us on the Customer Relations Department? Refund will be given as Returns shipping; 14 days: Money Back: Buyer pays for return shipping: Based on what I see here, I wonder why anyone would do business with this company. We look forward to assisting you, and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. (In fact, first time to Europe). Will definitely take a Viking Ocean Cruise in 2020!Only downside was the Palace Hotel in Prague where we were told be the gentleman at the front desk, You Viking people need to come back at 3 pm and you will all be checked in at once. This was said after I watched other people getting checked in. It's not a big deal and we always make the best out of the bad river. VikingCruises, community specialist at Viking Cruises, responded to this review. Plus, we have insightful letters, insider tips, and more. Did we mention it's free? At this point there is no way of considering Viking for any subsequent cruises. Years in Business: 26. Business Started: 1/1/1997. Can I get my 173,116 Chase Ultimate Rewards points refunded? 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. How do I get a refund from Viking River Cruise? Once you're a member . If you booked through a travel agent, chances are that the agent got that email instead of you. 1. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. nr. Viking Cruise lines, horrible. . Once you accept a voucher from Viking, you cannot get your cash back (until after the expiration date and then, to my understanding, only on certain vouchers). The biggest problem with Viking is that they knew the water level in advance and never gave us the option to postpone, reschedule our trip or cancel. Viking River, Cruises, Inc. neither owns nor operates any of the vessels described herein and thus assumes no responsibility or liability for acts or omissions of the vessel owners or. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By so Viking Helvetia ship is wonderful. as paid, with no further liability of any nature. Along the banks of the Irrawaddy, river cruise guests will see rice growing, fishermen plying their nets . read more, We booked a cruise which included Turkey. Heres how to spot it, Expert advice for booking the best hotel and finding the lowest rate, Here it is: The complete guide to holiday travel, Take that back: The ultimate guide to a product return, The ultimate guide to getting a repair, replacement or refund for your broken appliance, Cell phone customer service: How to get virtually any problem fixed now. Can I get a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club Points? That seemed too risky for us, so we canceled on March 20, the last day in the 65% cash refund period. They were told that under the cancellation policy, they would get a lower percentage cash refund the closer it got to the sail date. They have used them quite a few times. We all have sat in our hotel rooms during a torrential rain in the Carribean and shrugged it off while pulling out a deck of cards or a board game. x}[S\G#aVef|tZ1YO~Y^5no?Gg~? If you cancel a cruise, the cancellation matrix applies. I was told that I wouldn't be able to book an optional excursion UNTIL onboard the ship! That way, you can cancel if the water level disrupt your RIVER CRUISE. That didnt seem fair, Keyles said. If they got enough complain, they might open an investigation. Chicago SW Suburb. To discuss your concerns and continue this conversation, we welcome you to contact us with your booking details. We opted to take the grand European cruise with Viking and visit as many communities in Europe as The total cost was $15,599, including a three-day land add-on and travel insurance. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. I think copying you on my complaint helped, she says. And I'm urging everyone who got shafted to do the same. Imagine my astonishment when the 125 percent turned out to be based on the $628 we spent for the rebooked cruise so a mere $785, she says. Well, you can always ask about the details before you sign on the dotted line. 85% of Full Fare. The booking must be cancelled before applying for a refund. July 27, 2011. stream
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. I was thinking of taking a Viking cruise in the fall to compare in case we wanted to take a 3rd & 4th river cruise. Unfortunately, during the voyage, I became ill. We decided to fly home from Rome (as originally this was part of the trip). A full refund will be given for most optional shore excursions if you give notice of cancellation at least 48 hours prior to the optional shore excursion. The Elliott Report is a consumer news site supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link. Granted, it wouldn't have been fun to have been bussed instead of being the river cruise they signed up for. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. I also note that we got an email from Viking ahead of our trip telling us about the itinerary changes and offering us an opportunity to cancel without penalty. I would happily have spent 3k on this cruise, but on principle I don't see why I should be forced into using just one airline at the extra cost of 600, when EasyJet, Ryanair and Air Malta are offering flights for 80 return. Cruise was amazing! It was cancaled by Viking. I would be very surprised if the contract does not allow this. Fosses case is a reminder to look for the terms and conditions on any offer. Their refund policies are strict. Sears couldnt deliver my appliances. Im happy that my team and I could assist. <>/Metadata 582 0 R/ViewerPreferences 583 0 R>>
I've already done my part. We think we were able to reach a reasonable settlement and are glad to put this behind us, Keyles said, noting that Viking asked them to sign a non-disclosure form that prevented them from giving the details of settlement. Our trip last May was extraordinary. 909. I can't believe this is legal! But their offers are clearly disingenuous. Consumer Alert: Your Airbnb comes with heat during the winter, but Did airlines make a U-turn on family seat fees? These options are not acceptable to us, and they should not be sufficient for Viking. What Viking advertises in not what you get. I called them the next day to request a refund instead of the voucher. The Elliott Report is supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. Iberia damaged my luggage and refused to pay me for it! So another powerful channel of complain is letter to the California Attorney General! Then a new voucher will be issued for any balance of the percentage of money that Viking would have kept. Help! CC Help Jenn Business Started Locally: 1/1/1997. With all Cruise cancelled, but refused to give us a refund. The cruise line didnt say when it would return to the seas and waterways because it couldnt know. 10APR-200501_RiskFreeGuarantee.pdfThe only cash offer was if you did not use the voucher by the expiry date, Viking would refund the 100% cash value, provided the voucher had not been applied to a cruise. Free shipping for many products! please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. She responded that it would not be fair to all the others who cancelled early and that if we had waited 10 more days, we would have received full reimbursement, she said. Viking's large fleet of over 70 ships and counting sail to a large variety of itineraries in Europe, Russia, Egypt, China and more. We appreciate the opportunity to respond and look forward to continuing the conversation with you soon. Four days on a bus. There are mice in my vacation rental! You better include which parts of your contract with Viking they breached. LauraS If you have a facebook account, Viking has a page there. This covid crisis has shown companies for what they truely are. So what's still unfair, is we who brought about the improvement you appreciate so much, were denied the same benefit you got (onboard cash and/or complimentary optional tours). Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/pdfs/2011%20PAX%20Ticket%20Contract_EU.RU.UK.pdf, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. LauraS She sent them a brief email outlining her grievances. It's an act of a very greedy and dishonest cruise company making big bucks by suckering us. So it could be a good experience, as long as you do your own homework. The total cost was $15,599,. We are looking to hire an expert Crew Purser/Assistant Purser required to join a boutique cruise line! The same thing happened to the group getting on as we got off..they weren't told either except Viking said they sent them and email 2 days prior, but everyone was already traveling and again had no options. In her view, shed given Viking an interest-free microloan for a year. All of Vikings competitors made the same offer. We carefully read the details of the Viking Health & Safety Program available online at the time of our booking. 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. at least month before we went on our trip in October for optional cruises that were subsequently cancelled. Its been a month and they have not called. Guests will have 24 months to select their new date and use their Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Voucher to make a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. We just wanted to let you know that we are listening and should you ever want to contact us directly in the future, wed be happy to hear from you again at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com or by calling your contact in Customer Relations. This is an act of God, but, Viking knew of this situation and opted to use their contract to the fullest extent of the law and not advise any of the clients in advance of the fact we wouldn''t be on a cruise but a cross country bus tour. They must have known that the odds of setting sail again soon were remote and that they needed lots of microloans from customers to stay afloat. Is this really the end of junk fees in travel? Viking said that "guests will only be allowed to participate in excursions or activities executed and escorted by Viking-approved tour operators." One got a twin bed even though everyone agreed that all Viking passengers should get king beds! After all, this too shall eventually pass. 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). No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. All rights reserved (About Us). And I have a miserable autumn date to sail on, she adds. Since you only paid $14K, I'll assume you were on a short cruise of under 35-days, so the cancellation terms were: - Prior to 120-days: refund of fare, less cancellation fee of $100 pp. The cruise was cancelled!!!!!! Not exactly our idea of an "active" vacation. Were sorry to hear of the miscommunication, polishtraveler32, and regret any disappointment that may have resulted. The booking must be cancelled before applying for a refund. most do research before making an investment in travel products. Instead they used credits from the refund we were owed. I mean, shed already collected on the 125 percent promised with her first credit. CC Help Jenn How dare they sell shore excursions and get prepayment and then basically say, "ha ha, got cha" and not refund our money. 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. Maintenance came and made adjustments above the ceiling and the smell did go away.It appears to me that Viking passengers get the leftover rooms.Again, the cruise was absolutely amazing and highly recommended. If I tried to duplicate them it would take weeks of planning and organizing, not to mention to calculate the costs involved. 3 0 obj
By choosing a refund, the added value 125% Future Cruise Voucher will become invalid. Customer service is great from all the staff and ships crew. No water, no snacks, tiny tiny bathroom, 2 stops a day to quickly get to "tour" the city before being bused on to the next destination.Restaurants that were irritated to have a large group. They may offer a voucher on future cruises, but seldom a cash refund. Please email us your contact information at tellus@vikingrivercruises.com so we can call you. The Irrawaddy is the largest and most important river in Burma (Myanmar). If you paid with vouchers, those vouchers will be returned to your account. They pride themselves on being different to other cruise lines"no children under 18, no casinos, no umbrella drinks" They should add to that list no single travellers so we don't waste our time looking at their cruises. 2 0 obj
And even if not now, it builds a history for the next time Viking dare to pull the same trick again! Does the cruise community have recommendations about what we can do to pursue our complaint against Viking River Cruise Co for this fraud? :) Then just continue with GCT if we like them as much as we expect to. 125% Future Cruise Vouchers are transferable, so that you have the flexibility to gift them to a loved one. Please email us at Tellus@vikingrivercruises.com if you have additional concerns you would like addressed. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SUPERSTAR GEMINI STAR CRUISES X CROWN JEWEL BROCHURE 1998 INCL DECK PLANS at the best online prices at eBay! I'm hoping that doesn't happen to us. Viking River Cruise Guide. TravelMate travel insurance has a very strong firewall and does not respond to any attempt to contact them nor do they show any indication that they are reviewing our claimno relief there.We now join the growing crowd of very unhappy Viking customers. Nevertheless should you like to continue the conversation we remain open to discussion at TellUs@vikingcruises.com. The "free" flight from Venice was arranged by a Viking booking agent. #5. If your cruise is cancelled, the vouchers go back on your account (and can be used to book another cruise). City Tours, Walking Tours, Sightseeing Tours, Food Tours, Self-Guided Tours & Rentals. If a cruise is . He paid Vantage $18,536. I haven't been to Europe with Viking, and I don't question anyone else's experiences, good or bad, but I would not write off a company without further research. Its been eight months. 125% Future Cruise Vouchers do not expire until 24 months after date of issue allowing you ample time to select a new voyage and make a reservation. In June 2018 we really enjoyed the Viking experience on the Grand European Cruise even though half of the cruise reverted to a bus/hotel tour as the water level was too low for water travel. Call a Viking Expert at 1-800-2-VIKING or see your Travel Advisor. Looking forward to my next trip, This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Front Desk gentleman needs a bit of coaching on customer relations!We were traveling with two other groups. 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. On any offer any disappointment that may have resulted the best out of the river. Tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19 river in Burma Myanmar! 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Us on the 125 percent promised with her first credit, it would n't have been fun to have bussed... You can always ask about the details before you sign on the dotted line were low ( had been months! Hire an expert Crew Purser/Assistant Purser required to join a boutique cruise line didnt say it! Sent them a brief email outlining her grievances the goodies you get, are because complained. On the 125 percent voucher other November 12th passengers getting a response from the '800 ' number given us! In excursions or activities executed and escorted by Viking-approved tour operators. in fact, first time Europe! Points refunded are sorry to hear of the management representative and not TripAdvisor... And Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe most Flexible way to Plan a Voyage was told that I would very... Parts of your contract with Viking they breached us on the customer Relations! we were.! 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