3:55 PM EDT, Fri October 7, 2022, In this Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, photo, the Viking Mississippi cruise ship docks at the Port of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. The cruise line said it was evaluating 2022 itineraries that visit Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. Oceania Cruises confirmed it would also remove Russian and Ukrainian ports from its 2022 itineraries. "We have over 500 Ukrainian crew onboard our ships today and understandably they are extremely concerned and anxious about their loved ones at home.". Among 10 different itineraries on the Rhine River alone, offerings range from a seven-night Rhine Getaway from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, to a 22-night European Sojourn from Amsterdam to Bucharest, Romania. "Guests will enjoy these unique and rarely visited destinations and immersive shore excursions to take in the rich cultures and breathtaking vistas of the Baltic.". Applies primarily to to bookings with the following content. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. We are cancelling our river cruise due to viking's heavy handed covid vaccine requirement. Have a credit card with sufficient funds to buy last-minute tickets if needed. The company also operates river trips on the Nile in Egypt and the Mekong in Southeast Asia, and it just began river trips on the Mississippi River. MSC Cruises doesn't have plans to cancel, either. First, tell us WHERE YOU LIVE if that info isn't in your profile! Viking has a particularly large footprint when it comes to European river itineraries, with a wide range of sailings on nearly every European river of any note, from the Douro in Portugal to (until recently) the Volga in Russia. Know the flight rules--nowadays I arrive three hours in advance for domestic and four for international--if all goes well, great, I can sit in the airport and read, but if not, I have ample time to make adjustments. Viking also offers Antarctica sailings that combine a visit to the White Continent with stops in the Falkland Islands, Uruguay and Brazil. You were never going to make that flight as booked and if you did it would have been dumb luck. Viking Cruises announced that it will resume limited voyages in the UK in May. he was given 60 days to accept or decline the offer. NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHER We will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. At the moment, every day starts with guests leaving a test tube of saliva outside their door for . Trovato said about 300 passengers were on board and those that he talked to all had a good attitude about the situation. With Russia's invasion of Ukraine creating an active war zone in the Baltic, Viking River Cruises, Atlas Ocean Voyages, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Oceania Cruises all canceled port stops or . Almost 250 cruises were set to sail throughout the first month of 2022, but this ongoing rise in COVID-19 cases could continue to cause further cancellations. The lines most popular route in the region, Viking Homelands, is a two-week-long, one-way trip between Bergen and Stockholm that combines several days of exploring the fjord region of Norways west coast with more-typical Baltic cruise destinations such as St. Petersburg, Russia, and Helsinki. We were given a schedule issued by Viking for "Transfers from the Hague Hotel to Amsterdam Airport" before departing the riverboat. This gives you the ability to cancel your cruise with at least 48 hours' notice and you'll receive a 100% Future Cruise . "We are notifying our guests and travel partners of this decision and our new plans to visit additional Scandinavian ports in its place. "Counseling has been made available to them and ships Captains and management are obviously in daily communication with them to offer assistance as needed.". Winner of Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2022, Cond Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards 2021, and Cond Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards 2022. In the Mediterranean, the lines main hubs are Barcelona; Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) and Venice, Italy; Piraeus (the port for Athens), Greece; and Istanbul. Princess Cruises has the first big ship in to St Petersburg on April 29, .css-hghiur{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-medium);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;cursor:pointer;color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);}.css-hghiur:focus-visible,.css-hghiur[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-hghiur:hover,.css-hghiur[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;}Enchanted Princess. more, Reply to: Nightmare experience returning home from Viking Cruise. CA. The first 6 Longships were launched in 2012 and collectively won "Best New River Ship" award. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-113594443', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');airlines or transfer companies. Though part of the United Kingdom, these archipelagos have ties to Norwegian and Viking history. Planning a cruise? This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. We lost too much time due to Viking errors to make Delta0071 scheduled for 8:20am. The stops will vary, the company said, with five sailings that would have visited St. Petersburg instead calling on Baltic ports such as Riga, Latvia; Klaipeda, Lithuania; and Visby, Sweden. As a frequent traveller and Platinum Medallion client of SkyTeam (Delta, KLM etc.) Nightmare experience returning home from Viking Cruise, Re: Nightmare experience returning home from Viking Cruise. Scenic. Remember, you chose Viking for the high quality cruise, not the air. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Viking River Cruises The line is canceling all 2022 departures of its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary. We reviewed Andersens letters and emails to Viking, and we asked the company to review his complaint. Select South America and Antarctica itineraries have been canceled through February 2022. None of its main competitors among river lines catering to North Americans, which include Avalon Waterways, Uniworld and AmaWaterways, have anywhere near that number of vessels. Thats been pointed out to you above and despite the resultant stress your actual delay was thirty minutes (oh, dear, God) for a flight which was cancelled, and although you were not notified the rebooked flight was fifteen minutes later. Viking's move follows announcements from other cruise operators saying they are . We cancelled three Royal Caribbean cruises during the COVID period, and received a full cash refund for each, he said, noting that its highly unlikely he and his companion will ever be able to use the vouchers because of her health. The statement confirmed the line had made "all communication channels" open to crew so they can get hold of their families as well as allowing to leave the ships if they need to get home. According to the latest annual list produced by Norwegian financial magazine Kapital, Hagen has seen his personal wealth drop from $6.28 billion down to an estimated $2.1 billion in the space of a . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration maintains a drought information website. Instead, the ship will sail itineraries in the Caribbean. Demand direct, non-stop flights that depart from the closest airport to your home if possible. Viking is a newcomer to cruises to Antarctica, but the destination is a big growth area for . I believe the fact Viking is willing to give me vouchers worth twice the value of my requested cash refund indicates they recognize that they have done something wrong.. Animals have been brought here to graze for around 2,000 years. For instance, a merciless heat wave baked Europe this past summer, and the continents fabled waterways fell to shockingly low levels. All sailings booked by January 31, 2022, scheduled to depart by April 30, 2022, are included in the Cruise With Confidence program. Viking offers several Antarctic itineraries, with the typical trip starting with a night at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before a flight to Ushuaia, Argentina, to board one of the two expedition ships for an 11-night cruise to Antarctica and back. Our team is actively monitoring the situation and is in close contact with our field offices in the region. One thing that isn't clear to me is if you must use all of the voucher on a single cruise. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. It's a tough time to be flying, as anything can and may go wrong. This is an outrageous amount and shows Viking's poor customer treatment. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Related: First look at Viking's stylish new Nile River ship. The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP). Did you encounter any technical issues? Thursday wasnt the first time the Viking ship ran into low-water trouble on this voyage. I want to tip only a few how much should I tip? Viking Ra and Osiris are scheduled to resume service in Egypt in August. You can certainly file your suit and Viking will probably do a nice thing and perhaps give you a future free or discounted (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Viking Ocean Ships Currently Sailing: Viking Jupiter Viking Orion Viking Mars Viking Neptune Viking Saturn Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Venus Vikings entire river fleet of over 75 ships is also actively sailing. Viking Ocean Cruises Is NOT All I Thought It Was Tips For Travellers 355K subscribers Join Subscribe 3.4K Share Save 144K views 9 months ago #VikingCruises #VikingOceanCruises Returning to. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics, Cruise Lines Alter Russia Itineraries, Provide Aid Due to Ukraine Conflict, a general discussion about the wellbeing of crewmembers. You can then suggest your flights by paying the Custom Air fee and perhaps next time you will get better flights, but there is never a guarantee. "With unrest in Eastern Europe, we have adjusted our voyages,"President Alberto Aliberti said in a statement. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. As for not getting your Premium seats, since it is a small cabin it is entirely possibly it was fully booked so you were given what seats were still available. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. Related: The 3 types of Viking ships, explained. How much are alcoholic drinks? 10 more were launched in 2013, and additional 18 launched in 2014 (including 2 smaller ships purpose-built for Douro River in Portugal). A longer version of the trip features 13 nights on board one of the ships and extra days in Antarctica. over 30 years I have traveled most European Rivers and you always find the various company's will get you to your destination by the cheapest route be that making multiple transfers when you now you can get a direct flight and that is what I regularly do, be it costs me more money and more often than not a nights hotel both ways as well. "Our company was founded in Rotterdam around the mission of helping immigrants find a better life. I am very surprised that you were not aware of this, as it is usually included in your flight info or when you receive a flight reminder the day before the flight. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP). A few weeks ago I flew Scotland to Cairo via London. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Coronavirus: Updated Cruise Ship Policies and Cancellations Because of COVID-19 (2021), Foreign Office Eases Travel Exemption for 67 Countries, Paving Way for European Cruises, Rolling Out the Deals: Why Now Might Be a Great Time to Book a Cruise, Galveston Port Director Says Disney Cruise Line to Limit Capacity, Enforce Embarkation Arrival Times, Costa Cruises Becomes First Carnival Corp. Learn more. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-113596118', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cruise Carol has not even read her contract. Plus Ups are excluded. He was ultimately offered more vouchers with an extended booking deadline, emails show. It also happened to a Florida man whose trip with his wife was also canceled because of the pandemic. Whilst Air Viking should have held your hand they are also not responsible for wiping your backside, you should have raised concerns rather than walking blindly into a situation which was easily avoidable. "We are receiving messages from guests asking about our crew who come from Ukraine," wrote Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley on his Facebook page. It turns out the vouchers, worth $14,960 for his partner, were non-transferrable. These are all the cruise vessels. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises have canceled several trips as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc with the cruise . 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. Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Not only does the California-based company offer ocean cruises in almost every corner of the world, it also offers river cruises on many of the worlds major rivers. Follow her on Twitter at @KPMueller. Together, the two ships are already making waves in the market for Antarctica cruises, in part because they have several new and unusual features. Your contact Ts&Cs says when things go sideways, they will reschedule you. Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Plus, your own feed of TPG content. Nightmare experience returning home from Viking Cruise May 10, 2022, 12:33 PM Save We are filing a breach contract suit with Viking River Cruises for the following: 1. The Viking Mississippi can hold up to 386 guests and was built in 2022, according to the company's website. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that allows passengers to transfer to two of each ships exploratory vessels while still in the protected interior of the ship. "To. It's also advisable to sign up for alerts from the airline you are flying and also have their app on your phone. 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. The company's Black Sea river voyages will not resume until the spring but are so far unaffected. I was grateful I was arriving at my destination at least on the day promised. Yes, you are angry with Viking about the air and transfers, but how was the cruise? The ship -- which will dock in Rotterdam for three months -- will house up to 1,500 refugees as part of a larger committment from the Dutch govermnet to house 50,000 people fleeing their homeland. St. Louis is forecast to get light showers next Wednesday and Thursday. You may have well received the cancellation notice directly and been able to work out an alternate flight before you even reached the airport. I have had international flights cancelled last minute a few times, have had to overnight at the airport, buy other arrangements last minute, encountered unhelpful staff, had my luggage rerouted, etc. so once the premier seats are gone, you often get left with what's leftover. General information will be listed below, with details of any affected departures. #16. Another cruise company, Viking Cruises, has canceled all cruises departing from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary for 2022 and is "evaluating itineraries that call in Russia in 2022 . Many, notably, use the relatively small but famously scenic Norwegian city of Bergen (population 286,000) as a gateway, something no other line is doing. Do not accept a cheap flight if the connections are tight. When Andersen was finally ready to travel, his partner, because of deteriorating health, was unable to go. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. They book the one that are cheapest for them. Chairman Micky Arison released the following statement via Twitter over the weekend: "We are in the process of securing alternate itineraries for our cruise ships before announcing our future plans. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. The Rhine River is one of Europes most crucial trade routes and a wildly popular cruise itinerary replete with fairytale castles and stunning views. Viking got its start in 1997 when founder Torstein Hagen bought four pre-owned Russian river ships and started up sailings in the country, and in normal years, at least the line is the major player in Russian river cruises aimed at North Americans. A Viking Ocean ship sails in Croatia. Published on March 17, 2021. You should receive a refund for the difference in fare between the two. She verified that Viking had been notified that our 8:05am flight to Frankfurt had been cancelled. It makes sense that the company would charge more for a single traveler. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. That allows for unusual variations on the typical Baltic Sea or Norwegian fjords cruise. Meanwhile, Scenic Group, the parent company of Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises, confirmed it had cancelled all 2022 Russia river cruises. Updated We just sat on the ship, still got our meals, but we just couldnt do our excursions., This wasnt Viking Cruises fault, it was Mother Nature. Trovato said. Right now there are flights being cancelled daily (read some of the posts on the Air Travel forum) , largely due to staff shortages. What should you order for the best food on board? I do not see anything in their terms and conditions that would indicate that additional expenses would be incurred if one person was not able to take the trip but the second one did, he said. MSC said it has been in touch with alternative ports such as Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallinn, and will communicate itinerary changes to travel advisors and customers as soon as possible. Perhaps in the future try booking you own flights, even if it costs a bit more (we did for our trip last month). When Andersen asked repeatedly why he was charged the $9,898 in the first place, the representative ignored the question, emails show. How do I even get started picking a cruise? They were offered vouchers, but when the wife died, Viking wouldnt allow for a refund. Complaints about Vikings charges, vouchers and lack of cash refunds is not new, based on consumer complaints. 2023 Cable News Network. Azamara has dropped all Ukraine and Russia ports from upcoming Azamara Journey sailings beginning in June 2022. 2. At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. Viking traditionally operates voyages on a single itinerary between Moscow and St. Petersburg that involves travel on the Volga, Neva and Svir rivers. Check here before booking an award fare. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. Among ocean cruise destinations, Viking has a major presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which it considers its home turf. Jan 26, 2023 01:33pm. If you are tech savvy, get text notifications for all your flights in advance online, and double and triple check. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. "Black Sea Sights & Turkish Delights" calls in at Odessa, Ukraine, and Sochi, Russia in May and September; both these cruises will be replaced with Greece and Turkey port calls. 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 text appears: onwards, Destination-focused journeys on all seven continents, Click this link to navigate to the Find A Cruise page, Call a Viking Expert, or see your Travel Agent, Call a Viking Expert, or see your Travel Agent 138 747. Even when cruise lines advertise "Free Air", there is a cost involved that they have figured into the price of the cruise and if the flights you have requested come in above that amount, you won't necessarily be given those flights. Others had to change itineraries while some river ships had to cancel voyages altogether. Date of experience: February 18, 2023 He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. Unusually low water levels along the Mississippi River have caused sections of the river to be closed, impacting all northbound and southbound shipping traffic, the statement said. Then COVID hit and the trip had to be delayed. We couldnt find anything either. Viking has grown into a major player in Mediterranean sailings, with more than 30 distinct itineraries that include stops in the region. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. 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 . Cruises - Very disappointed with Viking River Cruises - Reservation # 2672768 We were supposed to do a river cruise and ended up doing a motor coach tour due to low river levels. Believe me, you didn't miss much on that aspect of the flight. When we asked while onboard the riverboat if we could change to a direct flight, we were told that it would cost each of us an additional $3,200.00. However, youll find Vikings seven ocean ships everywhere from North America to Asia and Australia. As Sunny has said, that's why many people will book their own flights instead of dong their air thru the tour company or cruise line. As you feel entitled to compensation for your emotionally destructive experience here is some free advice off the hourly rate, Both parties must be reasonable and act in good faith, both the driver and (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Per Vikings terms and conditions, his partner would be refunded half the cost of her trip in voucher form. (Updated 11:49 a..m. EDT) -- The Russia-Ukraine war has prompted a growing number of cruise lines to cancel itineraries that include stops in and around Russian ports of call, and to provide aid to Ukrainian refugees in the form of shelter aboard out-of-service cruise ships. Make sure your cell phone will work in different countries if you need to make calls. MSC Cruises had four ships due to call in at St. Petersburg this year, with the first -- MSC Preziosa (May 7) and MSC Grandiosa -- occuring as early as May 7.