I think philosophically, its time for me to get MY money from them. This is one instance when having a TA can be helpful. However we are talking a lot of money and there are so many unknowns right now. Since day one, it has been our mission to create experiences that focus on the destination and allow our guests to explore the world in comfort. For the Danube, I fully agree with you purrlinda. Itappears the rule at Viking is that if you are a TA or speak with the right person the policy is changed. According to Wasserman, they paid more than $12,000 for the cruise, including money for travel insurance. I would not bet on any river cruise line giving up that business "just" because the Covid infection rate is high. This guarantee is combinable with all other Viking offers available. Viking has had OUR money for over a year, and still hanging on to it. If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email customerrelations@vikingcruises.com, Monday Friday, 6:00 AM 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM 4:00 PM, PT. All three companies said they are working to confirm replacement ports and will advise impacted guests and travel advisers as soon as possible.. But, again, this policy of full payment due with a very short time frame is costing us money we should have. Our team is actively monitoring the situation and is in close contact with our field offices in the region. Itineraries include voyages to the Antarctica, the Arctic and the Great Lakes in North America. We did the Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands route with stops in Breisach, Heidelberg, Koblenz, Cologne , Strasbourg and Kinderdijk . Also Check: How Much Is The Alaskan Cruise. The letters offered limited explanation except to say that the company wants to ensure its voyages are top quality, and challenging circumstances mean that the Viking Mississippi must sail at reduced capacity. Get our travel tips Delivered to your inbox. Cruise lines want happy TA's as they can refer to them a lot of business. So I already received credit back for my deposit. hb```a`` B@V 3G c?!xa 3a9>_X9ZU,%3$En_' Menu. It's been observed again and again, despite what Viking initially tells you. The health and safety of all guests and crew at The Scenic Group continues to be at the forefront of all decisions, a spokesperson said. Guests and their travel advisors on impacted departures have been notified directly by Viking customer relations. In 2021, the cruise line plans to launch their seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus. Whether the company is primarily struggling with the national labor shortage, delayed staff trainings or physical considerations such as supply chain issues impacting particular staterooms remains unclear. I think that Crystal canceled all remaining cruises - smart move as there isn't "enough" to see with VIE out of the game. Are there computers, or should I bring my laptop? None of these would normally be on the ship. Weagreed to it before the world turned upside down. When I inquired about how we go about rescheduling a trip in the future, if we even want to, the response was to check everyday and maybe there would be a cancellation, Richard Pletcher said. Airfares vary on other gateways & departures. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BOOKINGS? Theyll refund the vouched amount to you. Here you can compare all Viking cruise ships and their itineraries, destinations, and departures dates. "But when we bring travelers to another country, we also bring their dollarsdollars that would support Putin's aggression. Viking River & Ocean Cruises | Cruise Ship & Fleet Overview So when they got a brochure to take a 15-day Viking cruise through the Panama Canal and Central America, Wasserman said his wife couldnt resist. Viking Elbe River Cruise Canceled. The first Viking River Cruise I took was the Rhine Christmas Market Cruise with my sister. Carnival announced via Twitter they will be swapping Russia out of all current cruise itineraries in the coming week "once alternative ports can be confirmed." (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP) A Viking river cruise ship heading . ", "Cruise Lines Alter Russia Itineraries, Cancel Ports Due to Ukraine Conflict. Its unclear how many reservations have been terminated with days to spare, but a Facebook community page created by a ticket-holder on July 1 Viking Mississippi Cruise has drawn dozens of comments, many of them from worried or unhappy reservation-holders. While Viking Neptune departs on December 23 , Viking Sky departs earlier , sailing in parallel with Neptune. Im also still annoyed at Vikings policy that full payment is required so far in advance. After six decades of arts education, founder of St. Paul-based ArtStart to retire The river is busy-ish, German and international ships. Aaron, so far its only Bavaria and Saxonia. Norwegian Cruise Line canceled a majority of its Baltic sailings on the Norwegian Getaway.Some cruise lines are forgoing modification and canceling their itineraries outright. We canceled our Viking Oberammergau cruise for September the week that our final payment was due. Historic Wittenberg, home to Martin Luther. Shorter itinerary segments are also available for booking, including the 119-day Viking World Horizons 2022 that visits 49 ports in 22 countries. Will Viking River Cruises Be Cancelled? - River Cruising - Cruise If you were booked on any of the canceled Viking river or ocean cruises in 2020, you are entitled to a 125% Future Cruise Voucher for whatever amount you have paid. If you push back they provide better final payment dates. For us that was a year prior to sailing. Cancellation/refund A Viking spokesperson said: The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, cruise line after cruise line has altered itineraries with stops in Russian ports or canceled voyages entirely. I just got off of the phone with Viking. Walking to my stateroom the first day, the corridor was so peaceful with the soft lighting and easy and attractive decor. "The terrible situation in Ukraine makes planned operations in Russian waters untenable, and we cannot support promoting these trips in any way for the 2022 season," said Angelica Vorea, founder and CEO of parent company Poseidon Arctic Voyages, Ltd. Carnival Cruise Line, Windstar, and Atlas Ocean Voyageswere some of the first big names to announce that they scrapped all stops in St. Petersburg. On 11/19/2021 at 4:29 PM, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said: 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. VIKING RIVER restarted in July 2021 , VIKINGs Egypt boat in August. 2023-2025 RIVER CRUISE AND AIR SAVINGS: Offer applies to bookings made from April 1-30, 2023. He spent nearly six years covering crime in the Dakota County courts before switching focus to the St. Paul mayor's office, city council, and all things neighborhood-related, from the city's churches to its parks and light rail. But, when I contacted Viking yesterday, it was through their chatbot, and the agent was unbending. Best New Cruise Ships and Itineraries for Alaskan Cruise! The law requires vessels traveling between U.S. ports to carry U.S. crews and to be U.S.-owned, U.S.-registered and U.S.-built. If it hadn't been a trip we really wanted to do, would not have done it. The sailing, a . I have to correct this mistake. If, or rather when, we cancel that one, if we take the FCC that the offer at that time to rebook something later, it's not inconceivable that they would have held our money for up to 3 years! Local News | The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority, a Viking representative told Travel Market Report. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. I tried doing as you said and they wouldnt budge. Sister brand Regent Seven Seas Cruises plans to remove the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and St. Petersburg, Russia, from its 2022 sailings, along with Odesa, Ukraine. Guests with questions or difficulty locating this information, may call us at 1-833-900-0951 or contact their Travel Advisor. Helen Prochilo of cruise specialist Promal Vacations calls European river cruising "the hottest thing we are selling this year." A little too hot: Although none of her clients have been affected yet, she says that among her fellow agents, one had a client's cruise canceled this week, and another had their itinerary adjusted. I checked with my TA after seeing that others were receiving FCC for their $200 or $300 cancellation penalties. Read our. And we were really excited about going back and seeing it again. ", "Cruise Lines Cancel Scheduled Stops in Russia, Ukraine. TheViking Mississippiwas not located in the storms path at the time, and all guests and crew are safe. We are still awaiting a decision by Tauck on our Brussels to Amsterdam cruise December 13-20. I would prefer a refund but can live with the FCC. Closer to home, Viking plans to build and launch their first ship to cruise the Mississippi river, Viking Mississippi. I realize it's too late if one already agreed to pay over a year in advance, but when booking future cruises with Viking, insist on a different final payment due date. We will be doing the Rhine in December on Crystal. If we cancel we have to take a FCCso disappointed as weve had this booked since January 2019. All bookings made by April 30, 2020, received Risk-Free Guarantee that allows penalty-free cruise cancellation up to 24 hours prior departure. Of course there are unexpected circumstances that may necessitate setting aside policy. The cruise turned into a very expensive and deceptive bus trip through Europe. Airfare does not have to be . As of this afternoon, their Romantic Danube departure on the Viking Atla on December 5 has been modified with an extra day in Budapest, added day in Bratislava, and a scenic sailing day through Austria before reaching Passau and Regensburg so it seems like they are trying to find a way to operate. Even after appeasing the U.S. Maritime Administration by leasing a charter from Louisiana-based Edison Chouest, Viking had to deal with federal appeals filed by competing cruise companies. Richard and Jean Pletcher hoped to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in style. When I transferred it to a TA the agency movedthe payment up 2 weeks not a big deal. That mountain hut in the Vosges mountains is getting more attractive by the day, though. Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link, 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. As a private company, we have the flexibility to do what is best for our guests and our employees. I would say that for yourselves you have made the right decision. Im just not sure what will happen to Viking if this hold on river cruises is prolonged. I had the same experience as you, and personally, I don't feel like playing "agent roulette". Just waiting to see what Germany does as well. My angle was that I gave Viking $12000 in Sept of 19, for a cruise in Oct 20, that I might not be able to take until 21 or 22. I hope not. We, along with 188 other passengers anticipated our Viking River Cruise on the Idun departing Nuremberg on June 1. Passengers have called the latter easier said than done as trips fill up years in advance. The 450-foot-long Viking Mississippi, the largest of Viking's global fleet of river ships, departed on its current sailing on Saturday, October 1. Reuters. 733 0 obj <> endobj hbbd```b``"WH R,>!"A$}&MP*%&H@q';bW2;?MLL9 n? The 138-day itinerary visits ports in 28 countries with overnights in 11 port cities. By Great to hear Viking allowed you to cancel via telephone; the booking contract stated they required it to be in writing. Reporter who fled Taliban now writes for fellow refugees in St. Paul CruiseMapper provides you with free of charge schedules with listed cheapest ticket prices per person per itinerary. Viking Elbe River Cruise Canceled - Reviews, Photos - Tripadvisor Local News | In 2013, the company launched its new brand Viking Ocean Cruises. Main downstream from Wrzburg, Rhine and especially Moselle are better places to be. Powered by Invision Community. When I called just to inquire about this, I was told the first available trip was actually in 2025, because everything earlier was fully booked., In other words, Viking wanted to keep our money for three more years, after already having it for almost two years, said Pletcher, who instead demanded a full refund. We can always rebook. Rescheduling a trip three years from now sounds unlikely to her. Viking OCEANs product was introduced in May 2015 with the launch of its first vessel MV Viking Star. We too were very unhappy with Vikings pay in full policywe paid in full 18 months before the cruise is scheduled to run. Better to cancel what you have and do it next year. March 17, 2022. Sounds bad, here is one report: https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/24/slovakia-becomes-the-second-european-country-to-go-into-lockdown-as-covid-cases-surge. They then said it is 21 Business days. With shutdown, 21 Cruise ship company's business days will go to the Summer We and two other couples travelling with us cancelled last Friday. Even more so I hope for North America that the choice of several operators with - for you - favourable terms and conditions will remain after this crisis is over. For anyone who has China on their bucket list, Viking offers a great way to see many of the major sites in one trip. Viking took care of all the details. Curiously, in August 2021, Viking OCEAN announced a double world cruise 2023-2024 with two ships sailing on an identical itinerary from Florida to the UK. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. Due to the Coronavirus crisis, Viking Cruises suspended passenger shipping operations fleetwide by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 12, 2020, through July 2021. I wouldn't think so. Special Cruise Savings | Viking River Cruises With three Viking River Cruises under my belt, I thought it was high time to share why this is one of my favorite companies to travel with. They saiid that they are going to make a decision in the next 24 hours and will email everybody as soon as they make a decision. The cancellations add to the ripple effect Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused throughout the travel industry. And Hungary? When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. I have never sailed Viking and don't have first hand opinions about them - though I think they are one of the lines that will weather the storm better due to paying for their ships in cash. The FCC is valid for 24 months , for any Viking cruise itinerary and fully transferable. 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 . She clarified that we did indeed get that as FCC also. Payments can be made in My Viking Journey. Slovakia as well?! Astrid is the Senior Special Projects Editor at TripSavvy and has been with the site since 2016. Every dollar paid for cruise, air, taxes, fees or surcharges can be paid by echeck, including regular-priced itineraries and airfare, any special offers or Viking Air Plus services. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. Recently I have tried to get the final payment pushed back a month or so no luck. In 2023, celebrating the companys 25th anniversary, Viking EXPEDITIONS offers Longitudinal World Cruise I. Sober home operators oppose regulations in MN House bill, state officials say changes necessary 2. Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary. This and the fact that the Christmas Markets have been cancelled for all 5 stops in Bavaria has made us decide to cancel the cruise. I am glad I don't have anything booked but do know some who do and wish the cruise lines would just cancel. As of June 10, 2022, select ocean voyages on the Viking Orion and expedition voyages on the Viking Octantis in the United States and Canada will continue to require a pre-departure COVID-19 test. Viking Neptunes World Cruise itinerary offers overnights in 11 ports, including Auckland New Zealand, Sydney NSW Australia, Benoa Bali Indonesia, Saigon Vietnam, Singapore, Yangon Burma, Colombo Sri Lanka, Mumbai India, Haifa Israel, Istanbul Turkey and London-Greenwich . Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works. Given recent events and the developing conflict in Ukraine, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all 2022 departures of our Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary. Wasserman originally wanted to transfer the cruise to his step-daughter, but the company would not allow it, he said. Three weeks ago, we did request refunds on all our extra excursions and these refunds have yet to show up on the credit card. In the same post, the cruise line's holding company, Carnival Corporation, stood by Ukraine in light of the attacks, declaring, "We stand for peace.". "It's disappointing because St. Petersburg is one of the crown jewels of the Scandinavian itineraries," said Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, during the company's earnings call last Thursday. UPDATE: Harvey Wasserman tells News 6 he has accepted an offer from Viking to refund his wifes portion of the cruise. My take away is that it depends who you speak with and which supervisor is working the day you call. Medieval Prague, "City of a Thousand Spires". Powered by Invision Community. Dreaming of and Planning for Future Travels with the Ultimate Flexibility and Value, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, After 24 months, if you are unable to use your. March 1, 2022. Spent over $13K for a Viking River Cruise and an extended stay in Paris. Here is a sample of what you will see on one of our European river cruises: Visits to Germany's charming wine-producing villages. Yesterday 8 countys in Bavaria were over 1,000, today its 10 - which means the stricter lockdown with closed hotels and restaurants. Needless to say, my response did not include any of these qualities.. Fortunately for us we booked last November and can cancel up to 24 hours before the cruise and get 100% FCC. The Blankenships have accepted an offer that allows an extended sail by date. The voyage starts from Port Everglades on December 24, 2021, and ends in London City England. Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! Funky Fusion FoodsJ, November 19, 2021 in River Cruising. Earlier in March, travel expert and television personality Rick Steves announced he would be canceling all Russian tours that his company, Rick Steves' Europe, had planned this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that such a measure is no longer necessary, citing that the pandemic has shifted to a new phase because of the effectiveness of vaccines, therapeutics and high rates of immunity at the population level in the U.S. The . Viking River Cruises. A few days ago we received a cryptic email from Viking that our itinerary might have changed and so here was a voucher for $499 for a future cruise . Is Viking still going to put you on a "no Christmas markets, sorry folks, Austria scenic sailing only, oops, skipping Bratislava, covid emergency in Hungary, disembark in Budapest, hope you have had a great time with Viking, no refund"-cruise? Please note that Viking is in the process of notifying guests about these changes to the Viking Health & Safety Program, as well as updating specific requirements for all voyages across documents channels, including on MyVikingJourney.com. Booking a cruise should not be like buying a car where your negotiating skills determine when you pay in full. 2) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation between March 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021; 3) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation between May 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021; 4) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation prior to April 30, 2020. Viking continues to reinvent cruises and next year will be no different. Viking River Cruises Cancellation and Refund Policy It may be that you folks unfortunately booked during that period. Russian stops on Viking's ocean itineraries will be modified, and impacted guests and travel advisors will be notified. Just my humble opinion. Travel Protection Plan | Viking River Cruises Bathrooms are superb, even at the lowest category, with glassed-in showers, sleek styling, plenty of storage, Freyja toiletries andthe biggest indulgence of allheated tile floors and towel racks.- Cruise Critic, You May Like: What Cruise Line Goes Around Hawaiian Islands. Viking River Cruises canceled all Russian river cruises and its planned Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest routes this year due to the events. "Our mission is to help Americans better know and understand our neighbors through travel," Steves wrote in a blog post from late February. When more than one cruise is booked, deposit and payment policies apply per Cruise Fare. jAi They wouldnt even monitor cancellations and put us first in line to consider whether we could fill the vacancy.. But they did keep $300 total unrefunded - $100 each cancellation penalty plus $50 each air penalty. Our money was refunded by Tuesday. I see that the Viking Vali left Amsterdam, probably as scheduled, and has passed through the Rhine Gorge today. 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.. Oceans; Expeditions; Meanwhile, sporting events were moved from Russia. Fares started from USD 45000 per person with double occupancy. Royal Caribbean Group released a statement canceling stops in St. Petersburg for summer 2022 sailings for all its brands, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silver Sea.
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