Bookings made by September 30, 2020, receive USD 2000 pp in shore excursion credit plus USD 1000 pp in OBC . What common spaces are there on the Viking Mississippi? Just to throw in another aspect: the "Viking way" as it has been illustrated by the previous posts is not how Viking does it in the UK. They applied the refund to my balance but said I would still get it back on my Credit Card in the 21 Business Days. "Update: Cruise Lines Cancel Ukraine and Russia Calls." Should you wish to change your reservation, you can choose which policy works best for you: Vikings Risk-Free Guarantee or standard cancellation policy. The start of this story began in April 2021 when Viking CANCELED my July cruise to Norway and Iceland. There are also some Viking people here to do staff training, and some other Viking people with unknown functions that are not crew. hb```a`` B@V 3G c?!xa 3a9>_X9ZU,%3$En_' In 2021, the cruise line plans to launch their seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus. But, again, this policy of full payment due with a very short time frame is costing us money we should have. ", "Norwegian Cruise Cancels Sailings to Russia, Ukraine Ports. In mid-July 2020, Viking Ocean announced the companys Viking World Cruise 2021-2022 planned for MS Viking Star. Viking River CruisesOf the lines that have so far made changes, Vikings have been the most extensive, canceling its entire season of Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary. Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works. Even though the service is great on the ships as many thousand past cruisers can attest. I had the same experience as you, and personally, I don't feel like playing "agent roulette". They wouldnt even monitor cancellations and put us first in line to consider whether we could fill the vacancy.. Viking Neptune itinerary program was announced by VIKING OCEAN in late-December 2020. I had one situation where I got SBC for paying at booking for a cruise 11 months out. I see that the Viking Vali left Amsterdam, probably as scheduled, and has passed through the Rhine Gorge today. "Updates on Current Sailings." https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/24/slovakia-becomes-the-second-european-country-to-go-into-lockdown-as-covid-cases-surge, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. Unlike some other cruise line FCCs, these are fully transferable so if you decide not to use it yourself, you can give it to someone else. Europe's Drought: Will It End River Cruises? - Out Traveler Any time there's a heat wave in Europe, especially if coupled with lighter-than-average spring snow melt or rainfall, you can end up with low water in certain parts of . 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. He Tweets with manic intensity at @FrederickMelo. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. I called immediately and was given very little information, only that we could reschedule for the trip during 2023 or 2024 with a 110 percent credit, said Richard Pletcher, who is in his 70s. 6 Russian stops on Viking's ocean itineraries will be modified, and impacted guests and travel advisors will be notified. Our top priority is always the well-being of our guests, our crew and the communities we visit, the company wrote in a statement earlier this month. Fully refunded were also all prepurchased through Viking packages and services. Can you please provide the docking location? On your scheduled departure, we must operate at a reduced capacity as we continue to ramp up service. Award-winning Viking Longships. Speaking of lighting, the bathroom lighting was spectacular. "Cruise Lines Alter Russia Itineraries, Cancel Ports Due to Ukraine Conflict." Travel Weekly. 2023-2025 RIVER CRUISE AND AIR SAVINGS: Offer applies to bookings made from April 1-30, 2023. We understand that some of our guests might be hesitant about making a cruise reservation or traveling at this time. We are still awaiting a decision by Tauck on our Brussels to Amsterdam cruise December 13-20. 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. Viking River Cruise Postponed Again????? - Cruise Critic Community I want the same policy from every agent.period! The new ship is currently scheduled to start operations with a Viking World Cruise 2022-2023. Viking has made an official announcement on there Web Site Itineraries Affected by Temporary Suspension of OperationsUpdated April 6, 2021 On March 11, 2020, Viking was the first cruise line to suspend operations of our river and ocean cruises. Booking a cruise should not be like buying a car where your negotiating skills determine when you pay in full. By I did end my post by wondering if it made a difference that we had a TA dealing with Viking for us. Just return your expired voucher to Viking. You can read the original investigation below. Wasserman originally wanted to transfer the cruise to his step-daughter, but the company would not allow it, he said. Couple fights to get full cash refund on $15K Viking River Cruise 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 . And do some shopping in small towns. This guarantee is combinable with all other Viking offers available. This has always been Vikings ambition and will remain so. It would be real interesting to see a movement by their customers against refusing to make full payment 1 and 2 years in advance. Special Cruise Savings | Viking River Cruises In this Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, photo, the Viking Mississippi cruise ship docks at the Port of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. 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. 0 How long did they tell you it would be before you actually received your refund? Vali has 3 days in Austria. This policy in itself is really really pushing me away from Viking, and we had really been eyeing them up for an Australian cruise. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. | 4 We canceled our Viking Oberammergau cruise for September the week that our final payment was due. Applies primarily to bookings containing 1-30 persons and bookings with conference made online and where none. I also explained that to move the same cruise to next year, or beyond, is going to cost me approx $2000 more than my current value. I hope you can enjoy the remaining stops and Christmas markets to the full, as well as the great service on the ship. Then in 2022, they expect the debut of two new expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. With today's news of Slovakia being in lockdown for the next two weeks, one has to wonder if the lines that haven't already cancelled the season should cancel the season. Cruise Industry News. If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email [email protected], Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM, PT. But thoseshould be the rare exception rather than the rule. Re: Viking River Cruise cancelling. States further updates from the Chairman in December. Sober home operators oppose regulations in MN House bill, state officials say changes necessary $25 Deposit offer available on all 2023-2025 Viking River Cruises. Has Viking Cancelled Any 2022 Cruises - CruiseInfoClub.com Just my humble opinion. I think that was the air plus? that we paid for to have a say in our flights. We will be doing the Rhine in December on Crystal. Review of Viking Cruises. I believe Crystal's Rhine cruises are still a go. Not yet, I am trying to get in touch with my Agent right now. We hope that the flexibility provided by this guarantee truly puts your mind at ease when it comes to the decision of whether or not to travel. Viking is monitoring the situation and evaluating other itineraries that call in Russia this year, which the line says will require modifications. countries, Click this link to navigate to the Find A Cruise page, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Are you just speculating, or have you read something? Viking River Cruises : does not do the right thing when things go wron. Rivers; Oceans; Expeditions; Complimentary Brochures; Call Viking at 1-800-304-9616 or Contact Your Travel Advisor. Has anyone cancelled their Viking River cruise? By Thank you for this. | 5 Fortunately for us we booked last November and can cancel up to 24 hours before the cruise and get 100% FCC. @Glammee if you are on board, have a splendid time. I was looking forward to it. 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. With many Christmas markets closed, river cruise lines cancel sailings But to be honest, at this point in time, I would prefer it if tourists from outside of Europe did not come at all. I could see tying your full payment to receiving a scaled amount of OBC or FCC, but to hold my money with nothing back in return is akin to using the inside of your mattress as a savings account. If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email [email protected], Monday Friday, 6:00 AM 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM 4:00 PM, PT. Calls to St. Petersburg will be replaced by destinations in Finland and Estonia. TripSavvy uses only high-quality, trusted sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. mostly closed. It's been mentioned on these boards that there was a period that Viking tried to hold the line on payment within 30 days of booking but the pushback was fierce. Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. MSC Cruises, which had four ships scheduled to call in St. Petersburg beginning this May, announced it had suspended all Russian stops and was in negotiations for possible alternative options, including Stockholm, Helsinki, and Tallinn. In April 2020, the Eagan couple paid $18,800 to reserve a luxury cruise from St. Paul to New Orleans, which would have been their sixth voyage with Viking, an international cruise giant based in Switzerland. All three companies said they are working to confirm replacement ports and will advise impacted guests and travel advisers as soon as possible.. 733 0 obj <> endobj Signature destinations include Central America, Panama Canal transit, USA West Coast, Hawaii, Transpacific crossing to New Zealand and Australia, Asia, Middle East, Suez Canal transit to Europe and the UK. Terms & Conditions - Viking Cruises - My Viking Journey TA's have no problem getting better terms. @californiagirland @clojacks, did you folks use a travel agent or were you dealing with Viking on your own? The river cruise lines will tell you that low water levels are rare, and that few sailings are altered due to water levels - but the truth is the risk is always present. 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. Cruise Critic. Featured review. I just got off of the phone with Viking. Now we will wait and see. Needless to say, my response did not include any of these qualities.. PDF BOOKING CONDITIONS - Viking River Cruises So May 20th now. Our cruise is not until November 2020 and the current FCC/cancel for full refund policy does not apply to us. My second cruise to China was a bit more complicated. Itineraries include voyages to the Antarctica, the Arctic and the Great Lakes in North America. The Travel Protection Plan includes a non-insurance . It may be that you folks unfortunately booked during that period. 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. Entire boat trips planned from St. Paul in July and August were canceled this summer, and interior work aboard the ship has apparently continued right through the first departure from St. Paul toward St. Louis, Mo., on Sept. 3. I hope not. "But when we bring travelers to another country, we also bring their dollarsdollars that would support Putin's aggression. Viking River Cruises. Further details can be found here. | 1 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 . Additionally, Viking highly recommends, but no longer requires, a pre-departure COVID-19 testunless one is required by the destination. After six decades of arts education, founder of St. Paul-based ArtStart to retire The Blankenships have accepted an offer that allows an extended sail by date. I am glad I don't have anything booked but do know some who do and wish the cruise lines would just cancel. Also Check: Do Alaskan Cruises Have Pools. Rejuvenate in a king-size bed with a soft duvet and goose-down pillows. However, due to ongoing travel restrictions in Europe and the USA, as well as Canadas and Australias ban on cruise shipping, Viking canceled the entire 2020 program in mid-August. Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers are transferable, so that you have the flexibility to gift them to a loved one. Up front they say they want their $$ 1+ years ahead, but they somewhat readily move final payments up. March 17, 2022. A resident of Hamline-Midway, he is married to a Frogtown woman. Our money was refunded by Tuesday. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings also announced that they would remove Russian and Ukrainian ports from 2022 itineraries across their brands, including Norwegian, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas. Every other line we have cruisedhas a printed policy that is adhered to by anyone booking a cruise. Atlas Ocean VoyagesVisits to St. Petersburg have been dropped from Atlas summer Baltic itineraries. Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! Viking River Cruises has chosen to modify the itineraries of river voyages that include Austria. And we were really excited about going back and seeing it again. The Pletchers arent the only couple who have been bumped from Vikings new Mississippi River cruises at the last minute. There was worse news to come. Neither does my Viking agent. Another record in daily infections reported today by Reuters. Viking OCEANs product was introduced in May 2015 with the launch of its first vessel MV Viking Star. as I mentioned, the earliest we would be able to cruise if we don't end up doing our Oct '20 one is fall of '21, if there are any left, and at that point, Viking will have held my whole full payment for over 2 years. The company is also allowing him the option to transfer the cruise to someone else, according to Wasserman. 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. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. Poseidon Expeditions Cancels 2022 Russia, North Pole Programs. As far as I know river cruises on the Rhine are still on. Just wanted to add the Cruise Critic editorial team is working hard to try to get answers from all the major river cruise operators now that Austria has gone into lockdown and Germany may follow. "The ship emptied the pool to lighten the load and we . Read Also: Which Cruise Line Is Best For Kids. Have not cancelled the Cruise yet. New Viking Ocean Cruise Ships: Viking Venus - Launched in 2021, the Viking Venus accommodates 930 passengers and features a variety of staterooms, including suites with balconies. Airfare does not have to be . I'm afraid they won't cancel and we'll end up floating for days on end We are literally are in the same boat as you. Will the drought in Europe affect your river cruise vacation? to halt operationsSerenade of the SeasSymphony of the SeasJewel of the Seas Vision of the Seaslater added its Independence of the Seas, We regret having to cancel our guests long-awaited vacations and appreciate their loyalty and understanding. All except $100 future cruise credit each. Culinary delights in Lyon, France. On February 24, Viking River Cruises cancelled all its 2022 departures with Ukraine river itineraries, and on 1 March, it also ceased all operations in Russia. While Austria is locked down, ships will sail through the country and skip port calls there. %PDF-1.6 % River cruise lines cancel Russian Volga river cruises in support of Viking continues to reinvent cruises and next year will be no different. That $300 was not given as FCC but simply lost. Will Viking River Cruises Be Cancelled? - River Cruising - Cruise 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. Historic Wittenberg, home to Martin Luther. In many cases, you can cancel on your own and get most, if not all, of your money back but with caveats. I am glad to have a wide choice of operators in Europe other than Viking and I hope it stays that way. My third cruise was with my mom, Penny and we sailed on the 11 -day Passage to Eastern Europe Viking Danube Cruise. For the Danube, I fully agree with you purrlinda. Also Check: How Much Is The Alaskan Cruise. Ward 1 convention ends in walk-out, no endorsement after grueling 9 1/2 hours Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. Not a big deal but it felt like a win on my part. Given recent developments and the developing conflict in Ukraine, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all 2022 departures of our Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary. Question is, will we (Germany) be next? 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. Simply click on the name of your cruise line below to get the details. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. The river is busy-ish, German and international ships. The voyage starts from Port Everglades on December 24, 2021, and ends in London City England. In 2013, the company launched its new brand Viking Ocean Cruises. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. We are also on the 11/25 sailing on the Vali. Powered by Invision Community. 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. We were kind of excited about going with them because were close friends, Alvie Blankenship said. Reservation changes under the Risk-Free Guarantee will be reimbursed in the form of a Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Voucher in the amount of 100% of all monies paid to Viking. If not worse in a time when the markets were growing. When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. The page you were looking for may have moved, been deleted or does not exist. The line said it was also evaluating 2022 itineraries that call in Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. Yesterday 8 countys in Bavaria were over 1,000, today its 10 - which means the stricter lockdown with closed hotels and restaurants. Richard and Jean Pletcher hoped to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in style. Notification must be received as follows: For those with flights arranged by Viking, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of flight departure. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. I just did not see it in hercancellation confirmation email and thought it was lost. On September 12, 2023, departs Longitudinal World Cruise II . Special savings plus Free airfare valid on select 2024 departures. CruiseMapper provides you with free of charge schedules with listed cheapest ticket prices per person per itinerary. 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. Not that that prevents problems. When will Viking make the next cancellation announcement? countries, 11 days The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. I didnt want to ante up that large amount of cash knowing that it could not happen as planned. The 65-day itinerary visits 29 ports departs from Buenos Aires Argentina, visits the Antarctic Peninsula, continues northward around Cape Horn, along South Americas coast , passes through Panama Canal, then up to Mexico, Florida USA, NYC New York, Canada and via St Lawrence River to Ontario and via Detroit MI, ending in Milwaukee WI. Recommended Reading: Where Do Cruise Ships Dock In Crete. Just wanted to add the Cruise Critic editorial team is working hard to try to get answers from all the major river cruise operators now that Austria has gone into lockdown and Germany may follow.