The even occurred in February of 2023. The Ship: Superb! Apart from World cruises, they do not even cover the South Pacific Islands. Im so hoping youre right! Experiment! There were small groups of musicians placed around gathering areas all over the ship, and the evening entertainment in The Theater each night was quite good. Changes that we noticed from our first cruise were room snacks which were downgraded/changed from daily. 1-10 of 1,475 Viking Ocean Viking Sea Cruise Reviews. We chose their Chasing Northern Lights sailing on the Viking Venus. Viking booked the hotels for these excursions. This is a work policy that covers me for work or personal travel. Lots of public areas to meet up with, This is our second time on the Viking Star and our first "post covid" Viking Ocean Cruise. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. Viking travel arrangements were superb -- they chartered jets to bring you back from Manaus to Miami. Such a lot of lost opportunity for Viking down under. Weve taken note of your feedback and while we understand you have already been in contact with our team, if you'd like discuss this matter further we welcome you to email TellUs@vikingcruises.com with your booking information. Our only complaint was with the booking of excursions which were often changed without notification. I expect to see future World Cruises with different itineraries. 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. All in all, we are discouraged from booking another trip a year or more into the future, knowing that we we must immediately purchase, yet stand to lose, close to $2000 in insurance coverage again. Most serious was putting soft-boiled eggs under the. After many failed conversations with Viking Cruise customer service reps to obtain reassurance that we will automatically receive a refund when our cruise vouchers expire on 2/18/23, two years after the email from Viking dated 2/17/21 notifying us that our second cruise was cancelled. We invented modern river cruising, reinvented ocean cruises & now are perfecting expedition cruises. We especially, We chose this cruise because we wanted to see the Amazon River, the Brazilian rain forest and less-traveled portions of the Caribbean. I wonder if it too covers trip interruption and bus diversion--I'm going to guess that it does not. We found this itinerary that checked both boxes! That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything was fine and we rebooked for Jan 2022. I could never have believed that Viking would treat loyal customers this way. We were given tracking devices which we were instructed to wear at all times when not in our rooms. 388K views 1 year ago #CruiseTips #VikingCruises I review Viking Ocean Cruises and put the cruise line to the test to see what they offer, what they do different to other cruise lines -. No materials from this website may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way. Review for Viking Orion to Alaska. We enjoyed Viking's care from the airport to the ship and back again. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. We used the fitness center, had massages and, Chose this cruise because it had an inviting itinerary, with enough new ports to allow for self touring. That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything . It is time for Viking to do the same and act like a cruise line instead of a medical facility. Because we were given a voucher, we can not get out money back. 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. Powered by Invision Community. Beautiful Cruise. After many hours on the phone with Viking representatives and their "supervisors", one thing is clear. Thank you for sharing your comments here, Spwest. Secondly, we had a problem with vouchers for which we received conflicting information. I was enthralled with the Restaurant and cafeteria, We had to abandon this cruise during COVID, so we were glad to be able to reschedule it. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. Booking 6819824. Review for .css-nczv9q{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;color:inherit;font-weight:500;}.css-nczv9q:hover,.css-nczv9q[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-nczv9q:focus-visible,.css-nczv9q[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}Viking Sea to Caribbean - All. We chose this cruise for a few reasons. Menu. Helpful . Same tour repeated each year, no deviations. Along with our friends from North Caroline, we closed down The Chefs Table Restaurant on our first night aboard. Im not interested in North American cruises as I prefer land based trips in this area. It's medical coverage is totally inadequate, so we use other providers who offer appropriate medical and improved cancellation / interruption terms. Viking Neptune, 121 day from L.A to London. Helpful. The only issue we had were the specialty dining rooms. To travelers that may be as unfamiliar with the coverage as we were, we would advise the following: We will be again canceling our trip. Helpful. This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback. My wife and I went onto a Viking cruise in November 2022 for about 10 days. Three cheers for Viking. 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. Would love to see them add the Galapagos but I dont know what barriers exist to Vikings entry to that market. Please DO NOT add attachments that contain your or other peoples personal information, if you dont want it to be visible to the public. 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. Login. Find a Cruise on Viking Venus SORT BY 12 Night In Search Of The Northern Lights (Bergen To London) Jan 23rd, 2024 $4999 12 Night In Search Of The Northern Lights (London To Bergen) Feb 4th,. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics, Beautiful ship, wonderful ports and sights, Too Much COVID Concerns to Enjoy the Cruise. I expect to see future World Cruises with different itineraries. Most of the food was good. 2. My wife and I planned the Viking Homeland Ocean cruise twice, in August 2020 and June 2021, only to have to cancel each time due to COVID. Me neither. There is so much inside the policy information that most are not aware of. The ship was impeccably clean with a comforting decor. Part B is a list of Travel Insurance Benefits underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company, and including a list of post-departure benefits such as trip interruption, medical expenses, evacuation, etc. 2-5 Cruises Age 70s. We have been waiting patiently for two years for a refund, relying on the We had planned a trip in 2021 and when Viking changed their requirements we chose to cancel our trip. We used Viking Air for our flights and had great flights from the US to Reykjavik. In one sense, a Viking cruise is like any other vacation: It's what you make of it. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. We booked the Iceland and Norway cruise in 2020, but were unable to go. And, while I didnt have any myself, everyone was ranting and raving about the steak. longterm, 20 hours ago in Viking Ocean. We paid for the trip and had trip insurance. Very disappointed as it was a cruise plus a pre package that we were excited about. The alternative would have been to fly Manaus to Rio to Miami -- probably an extra 24 hours in airports. In the World Cafe, signs did not always match the food. Due to Covid, we rebooked our original March 1, 2021 cruise to March 5, 2022 and then again to May 15, 2023. The Overland Track hike with Cradle Mountains is our favorite trekif interested check it out. 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. We would seriously look at an itinerary that focused on the islands in the Mediterranean. Lectures and destination information. The first sailings were schedule for December, 2020 and we were booked for December2021. Originally booked in 2020, paid in full. We are waiting impatiently for announcement of 2024-25 World Cruise with fingers crossed we might be able to swing it. I for one have no interest in the Carribean. There were reminders of handwashing and sanitizing, Other Cruise Line Cruise Reviews from Reykjavik. They are amazing. Another . NEVER BUY A VIKING CRUISE VOUCHER We will be sailing with a different cruise line and will not be back to Viking. Now I see all this advertisement that waives ar fares , deposits and other things we paid for Horrible company in terms of customer service. We ate there 4 times in 2 weeks. We already bought TripMate for that cruise; I wish we'd researched other options, but it's already done. We have or by the end of the year, done most of what Viking has to offer. Viking Ocean Cruises provide Freyja shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body-wash, replenished daily; frequent cruisers say that the high-quality products are one of the best perks of every trip. It not the ones they have, it the ones they don't have. The eventually dropped the whole itinerary. Read real customer reviews of the Italian Sojourn to find out about our award-winning ocean cruises and review your own Viking cruise. Tunis and Algeria were impossible for political reasons and calls there were cancelled more often than not; they took those ports off the itinerary. Viking Ocean seems to run in grooves in the ocean. Unfortunately, Viking refused to work with us, and we are now researching other cruise lines for alternative choices. My bag is still missing and I will request (!) Just realized that the cruise booked was from Antwerp to Amsterdam. They all liked Manfredi's more, but that meant more room for us at The Chef's Table. Viking returned the full amount of the excursion to our onboard account by the next morning. Viking cruises - its company's promises are NOT reliable - buyer's beware. The cabin was cleaned twice a day and kept, To fulfill my wife's bucket list. First of all, we had the opportunity to see the lights 4 times. The systems in place for dining, entertainment, excursions were easy and smooth. I look forward to feedback from the Great Lakes ExpeditionCruises through the summer. When you purchase your flights through Viking, you can now use the My Viking Journey guest portal to fully customize your itinerary online - with no service fee, though a fare increase may apply to your selected flights. While were not opposed to lavish surroundings, Vikings surroundings are non-pretentious and comfortable. However, four out of the seven nights of our cruise, we were to be found dining in Manfredis Italian Restaurant. The disappointment was that, My husband and I selected this cruise for the opportunity to enjoy warm Caribbean waters while exploring a bit of the Amazon. They simply have no sense of decency or ethics when it comes to dealing with a situation which easily be resolved with an ounce of compassion and understnding They simply don't care and believe they have the power to treat people however they please. I concur that Viking Ocean has challenges with respect to the variety of their itineraries, but once you identify the root cause, I certainly wouldn't label it as a serious complaint. We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical of a vaccine status made us cancel again. Not one thing but some flowers in the rain and unsafe steps and more Booking number 7141933 That's bad in summer. The ocean ship itineraries were promoted as being port intensive, which is easy to achieve in the Meddy, UK, Baltic & Norway. 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. I cant imagine relying on a cruise ship to get me around. This allowed Viking to retain the majority of our payment since We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. Thanks; I went ahead with the AIG policy. Second was the itinerary. My then developed a nearly fatal lung condition and could not travel. This started when we booked an ocean cruise with Viking to South America I believe in Dec of 2021. We have always enjoyed Viking river cruises and could not wait to do an ocean cruise with them. I suspect the landscape there will remind me of parts of NZ. When it comes to size, even the smallest cabins on Viking's ocean ships are large by cruise ship standards at 270 square feet, and the largest suites measure nearly 1,500 square feet. Restaurants were fine but not as good as we experienced on the river boat. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Best Viking Excursion in Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Back from my first Viking cruise: reflections, Curious why many more Seward to Van cruises than Van to Seward. I want to take more Viking Ocean cruises, but I want to try new places. I am extremely disappointed that a once in a lifetime trip I have been looking forward to for two years is now marred before we even get on the ship. 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. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. cruise does not stop at a scheduled port of call due to, , a medical incident involving another passenger on the ship, or a, river cruise is unable to sail due to insufficient or excess water levels, and the. That said, we are sorry to Get expert advice, insider tips and more. 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. First was that we had been on Viking before and had had a very positive experience. Reviewed January 24, 2022 via mobile . Even the cruises in SE Asia & Aus/NZ follow this same standard. The ship was beautiful, clean and the staff tremendous. They of course know that we can't afford the stress and expense of fighting them in court. Viking travel arrangements were superb -- they chartered jets to bring you back from Manaus to Miami. Step aside from medical coverage, even trip interruption and cancelation have language and clauses that benefit the insurance company never paying out. This account has been claimed by Viking River Cruises customer service / representatives through our verification process. The company left an official comment to this complaint. Also the prospect of seeing Devil's Island was intriguing. Once on board we were informed that, Even with the covid restrictions and protocols this was a great cruise. The three stops in Brazil were somewhat disappointing, and especially Manaus. The variety of pasta dishes kept us coming back. Viking Cruises Customer Reviews Overall Rating 4.4 Accommodations 4.6 Itinerary 4.3 Professional Staff 4.6 Repeat with Operator 4.3 Value for Money 4.2 We Are Committed To: Award-winning Service Low Prices Client Satisfaction Call Us For a Free Quote at 1-800-627-3753 Guaranteed Low Prices on Viking Cruises My policy does cover medical evacuation, but I could not get the insurance company to write a letter stating that it would cover medical evacuation because until a medical emergency happened, and the claim was investigated to see if it met coverage under the policy, they would not just state, that I had that coverage. I complained initially that I was not given a direct flight. I took a Viking Ocean cruise Viking Homelands and Fjords in April 2022. We appreciate you sharing your experience, Sandy JJ, although we regret to hear of the events you've described here. Desired outcome: 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. Its infuriating and disrespectful. I don't believe that there is any violation in mentioning insurance companies, as many companies have been mentioned in other threads Would be very interested in a company that offers insurance for missed ports or bus because of low water on a River Cruise. Viking River Cruises reviews & complaints 546 complaints 311 resolved 235 unresolved File a complaint Table of contents Claimed Follow Share Complaints Profile Resolved Resolved Resolved "Holland Belgium August 19, 2023" Resolved "Viking Iberian Explorer Cruise" Resolved "Refusal to honor its cancellation policy" Resolved Resolved #3 in Best Viking Ocean Cruises #3 in. Read hundreds of Viking Ocean Cruise Reviews by cruisers just like you. An apology is not good enough. Part refund, at least 25%. 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. Viking Ocean Cruises appeal to active and intellectual adults who are interested in learning about the history and culture of the destinations they visit. Hopefully they will add some new itineraries in the next few years. Fabulous Cruising in the Caribbean with Viking! View deals, rates and port information. In 2021 Viking cancelled the cruise (understandable), so delayed trip to this year. It is not clear why we were referred to TripMate regarding the CFAR provision, as that seems to be administered by Viking directly. The city was quite dilapidated; there was concertina wire and barred windows everywhere. This complaint has been resolved automatically due to user's inactivity. Started August 27, 2021, By Up until now, we would sing the praises of Viking Cruise Lines to our friends and neighbors, and were enthusiastically looking forward to finally taking this trip. 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. Not your fault but took 5 flights, 1 whole day in airport, 1 whole night and 2 hotels to get to the ship 3 1/2 days late. Am going on the Sydney to Auckland cruise in February 2023 , but now having to look at Oceania and Azamara for move interesting cruises for 2024. Ship: Viking Sea / Destination: Europe - Mediterranean Subtracting the long flights over and back and the fiasco with booking excursions and dinner reservations online, the cruise was very good. We felt safe sailing with Viking during this pandemic. - 120 days to 90 days: refund of fare, less cancellation fee of 15%. Simply make the simple changes to the hotel reservations so that one of the rooms includes two beds. 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. Been to all these Mexican resort areas on land vacations. Part refund, at least 25%. Viking does things right ! Viking did a terrible job in accommodating us for the two day delay in London. We welcome luxury travelers of all ages! We could not get a negative covid test in time for Just returned from Classis Panama Canal Cruise (11-21 February 2023) on the last day, running water for the shower, hand basins and toilets had been turned off from 5am to when we left the ship at 10.30am. Even their world cruises follow the same grooves! Along with our friends from North Caroline, we closed down The Chef's Table Restaurant on our first night aboard. Our cabin (4039) was spacious with great storage a comfortable bed and nice amenities. Nice groves (Northern Europe, UK, Med, some Asia) but grooves non-the-less. Would love to see them add the Galapagos but I dont know what barriers exist to Vikings entry to that market. , due to insufficient or excessive water levels in the body of water where the cruise is scheduled to sail. . How often does a port get skipped on the British Isles Explorer? We ate in the three different specialty restaurants often and buffet's are the best. I have contacted Watcdog BBC who are interested. The World Cafe, Embarkation and disembarkation were flawless. We had never sailed on Viking before. I had a nice time and met some wonderful people on board. Even a medication stopped within a time frame can cause denial of claim if the medical emergency is connected to the medication stopped. Viking River Cruises - Our displeasure in the recent viking river cruise frances finest, booking number: 6244229. Viking Star is flagged in Norway and registered in Bergen. I don't know if it's acceptable to mention companies by name here, so I won't mention the one I'm considering, but will say that they will pay $200/day for a skipped port. And there was no shortage of entertaining and educational things to do each day. Though, it was easy to adjust the restaurants when we were on board. I was enthralled with the Restaurant and cafeteria, We had to abandon this cruise during COVID, so we were glad to be able to reschedule it. This will surely increase the credibility of your complaint. Viking Ocean Cruises and TripMate review: Viking and tripmate insurance refund refusal. Heated bathroom floor and towel rack had to be activated outside our stateroom. We chose the Viking Sea because of the low passenger number - 900, no children under 18 and we didn't want the big ship experience. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. Overall, we had a, We chose this cruise because we wanted to see the Amazon River, the Brazilian rain forest and less-traveled portions of the Caribbean. I'll suggest they have further room to continue growing the ocean brand. Review for Viking Jupiter to Norwegian Fjords. LauraS We chose a PV (Penthouse Veranda) level cabin which enabled us to grab the excursions we wanted right off the bat, as well as getting priority for restaurant reservations. 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. Thank you, Guysdolls66, for sharing your experience with us. Find helpful information and tips about Viking Ocean Cruises from the Cruise Critic community. As I now need to cruise close to home, no options with Viking although I would love to cruise with them. Vikings Health & Safety Protocols are simply above and beyond what most cruise lines are currently doing. The Viking ship and personnel are among the best if not the best. We wore masks in the public areas of the ship, on buses, and any time (which was rare) that we were indoors. 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. An expedition cruise to Antarctica is high on my list. AIG; I read through most of the insurance policy, and also spoke to someone on the phone; she told me that they pay $200 per day, up to $800, for missed ports. airfare $2198 Other complaints can be found by web search. All I got was 'you must pay in full for your trip before booking extras'. I emailed and complained asking for the entire amount be refunded to me. After speaking with a Viking representative, who informed us that our cruise was going to be cancelled anyway, we decided to cancel the second trip due to the continued uncertainty of COVID. Search Close. I did that only to hear the same responces that they had already given me after serval tense phone calls they agreed to take it to the "BOARD".. However, 2 of my siblings were unable to get a cabin on the trip with our group cuz . However, the industry has changed substantially since those days. If the. Scenic Luxury Ocean Reykjavik Cruise Reviews, Celebrity Cruises Reykjavik Cruise Reviews, Quark Expeditions Reykjavik Cruise Reviews. We did the Australia/New Zealand itinerary. Thank you. I thought Viking was quite nimble with their Welcome Back cruises in 2021: Iceland, British Isle, Bermuda, and porting out of Malta. We loved the small ship with only 900 people. I want to take more Viking Ocean cruises, but I want to try new places. By Roaming Boomers is the Internets preeminent online resource for luxury boomer travelers. Search. Viking never bothered to get us seat assignments for our return flight . I was surprised by the decor. The text appears: #1 on the oceans. Beautiful West Indies. We choose this specifically to see the Northern Lightswhich we did! We hear of staffing issues on Octanis on the west coast. 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. Submit a complaint and get your issue resolved. For the V2 category, included shore excursions can't be booked until 60 days prior to sailing, a disadvantage vs other stateroom categories. Your email address will not be published. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. These hotels are Marriott and hilton properties that have such rooms. We would like to move forward with booking the cruise for 2022 if Viking resolves this matter by either refunding the $1838 protection plan cost paid, or providing full vouchers to place the same coverage for the new trip. Wouldnt that booking choice make it clear to Viking that pre and post excursion bookings would also require separate beds?

Hart Brand Canned Food Expiration Dates, Richard Flanagan Obituary, Monopoly Plus Change Player Names, Curling Clubs In Florida, Articles V