Plus, the ride to the airport cost us $49.00 each. We were shuttled around on a bus from one ship to another. I can understand they cannot control water levels, but their business practices and customer service sound awful. We both have autoimmune conditions. They may offer a voucher on future cruises, but seldom a cash refund. The Ship may adjust compass, drydock or go, on ways before or after commencement of the voyage and may sail without pilots, tow or be towed, and assist vessels in all situations and deviate for the purposes of, saving life or property. Check out Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your favorite commentary, tips and news about consumer advocacy. Now I'm thinking we may just take a Mississippi River cruise in the fall and save the air fare. endobj Had she done so, Fosse could have avoided this mess. No TellUs@VikingCruises is Viking. Is my warranty dead, too? Travel companies always do the math so it favors them. 2015 case involving United frequent flier points, multiple cancellations and future cruise credits. Location of This Business. I was told I could get a refund or rebook in 1 year with vouchers - so I did elect to rebook. They may sound sympathetic. READ CAREFULLY. I called them the next day to request a refund instead of the voucher. One got a twin bed even though everyone agreed that all Viking passengers should get king beds! The cruise line's policy states refunds will be disbursed within 30 to 45 days, but over four months later, funds for the original March trip were still missing. I wouldnt have. We just wanted to let you know that we are listening and should you ever want to contact us directly in the future, wed be happy to hear from you again at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com or by calling your contact in Customer Relations. So it could be a good experience, as long as you do your own homework. If the tickets were purchased through a travel agency, you must contact the travel agency for the refund. Took cruise from Budapest to Nuremburg and then to Prague. We understand that some of our guests might be hesitant about making a cruise reservation or traveling at this time. It won't cost more than the price of the cruise. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/pdfs/2011%20PAX%20Ticket%20Contract_EU.RU.UK.pdf, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. 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, 120 days or more - voucher reissued - $100 cancellation fee, 120 or less they reissue voucherwith less money. They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called Italian Sojourn, which would travel around Italys boot from Civitavecchia to Venice. Viking was threatening to leave us in Iceland. Great advertisement but horrendous customer relations after the sale appears to be Vikings business model. It flows from north to south, through the Irrawaddy Delta, emptying into the Andaman Sea. Great advertisement but horrendous customer relations. Online booking is always at your service! I have been recommended that I not be vaccined and I asked for a refund. And i forgot to mention the six hour little boat ride from hell. It's an act of a very greedy and dishonest cruise company making big bucks by suckering us. Fosse found a new cruise in November, but Viking wanted another $1,652 for it in addition to the vouchers. This covid crisis has shown companies for what they truely are. Viking Cruise lines, horrible. By Family members had all paid. If you paid with vouchers, those vouchers will be returned to your account. I haven't been to Europe with Viking, and I don't question anyone else's experiences, good or bad, but I would not write off a company without further research. Absolutely ridiculous. Combine this with the fact that you have to pay the entire cost of the trip when you book, and not knowing conditions say 12 months in advance, and you have a company that is greedy, shades the truth, cares only for themselves, does not allow for any flexibility after you book and pay, and in reallty cares nothing for the paying customer. Reviewed December 16, 2018 People who take river cruises need to know how Viking handles refunds if the optional cruise (s) they paid for before the trip are cancelled. YodaMom, December 19, 2011 in River Cruising. endobj % MonFri 08.0017.00SatSun 09.0015.00Finnish time. But all of these excursions last only one and a half to two hours per day. Technically, no. 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. Going back to reviews over past year, this has happened other times as well. We publish the names and emails of customer service managers. If a cruise is . Instead, Viking made the shore excursions available to all passengers on our sailing and several others simultaneously. Are there any exceptions or exclusions that you should be aware of? You still had your local tours and many other items included. *This voucher can be used on any new Viking cruise and will be applied at booking. Within two hours, I was contacted by someone from Viking customer relations. 6. Her position at the outset was that we are not entitled to anything in place of the future travel vouchers since what they gave us was in compliance with their stated cancellation terms, Keyles said, and she asked for an exception based on their specific circumstances. I would not even give a score of 1. The representative went through options, she said, including larger vouchers, extended time periods to use them and considering U.S. based trips instead of international travel. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. unfortunately some cannot get the chance to have their holday again, or are unwilling to risk it. When we purchased this cruise, we paid for Deluxe Accommodations. Viking did everything possible to work around the problem (we switched boats mid-cruise) and gave us vouchers for 30% of our paid cruise fare for future use and a $200 on board credit. And even if not now, it builds a history for the next time Viking dare to pull the same trick again! 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 59 or less. Raise prices. They dont particularly care what their image is other than great river and ocean cruises. I think copying you on my complaint helped, she says. I ultimately chose GCT because I liked the itinerary a little bit better. You the paying customer have no say in the matter. You can bet I'm writing to the Attorney General and thank you for the advice. 5. Were always here to help. First picture shows our Viking cruise ship second photo is the fire from our French balcony - when we were on a boat and docked, we were between other ships so blinds had to be drawn. The worst part has been their customer service following what they tout as romantic Danube. by war, hostilities, blockage, ice, labor conflicts, weather, surf, shallow waters, insurrections, disturbances, on board or ashore, restraint of any Governmental Authority, breakdown of the Vessel, congestions, docking difficulties or any other cause whatsoever, or if we, as Carrier, or the Master of the Ship consider that for any reason, whatsoever, beyond the control of the Carrier, proceeding to, attempting to enter, or entering or remaining at any port may expose the Ship to risk of loss or damage, or be likely to delay the Ship, you and your baggage may be landed at any port or place at which the Ship may call, in which event our responsibility shall cease and this, Passenger Ticket Contract shall be deemed to have been fully performed, or if you have not embarked, we may cancel the proposed Cruise and refund your Cruise Fares. Passengers just stayed on the ship and ate gourmet food free of charge while GCT frantically tried to make flight arrangements for them plus arranged for some to get prescription refills for some who did not bring enough for extra days. 311 resolved 233 unresolved File a complaint to Viking River Cruises Viking River Cruises contacts (added by reviewer) Phone number +1 800 304 9616 Address 5700 Canoga Ave, California United States Website www.vikingrivercruises.com Category Cruise Lines View full information Most discussed complaints Refund 6 6 5 4 3 Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link I would happily have spent 3k on this cruise, but on principle I don't see why I should be forced into using just one airline at the extra cost of 600, when EasyJet, Ryanair and Air Malta are offering flights for 80 return. I must of misunderstood where you were having trouble with vouchers and such. Will definitely take a Viking Ocean Cruise in 2020!Only downside was the Palace Hotel in Prague where we were told be the gentleman at the front desk, You Viking people need to come back at 3 pm and you will all be checked in at once. This was said after I watched other people getting checked in. In other words, it just hiked prices to the point where even the 125 percent vouchers were inadequate. Ultimately she said that she would honor his statement, even if he wasnt authorized to make any offer to us, and would offer us a $500 cash settlement as a gesture of goodwill, Keyles said. Again, superb advertising. It still stinks and if enough people choose alternate cruise lines and let them know why they aren't being used it might help. Heres funny math on an airline refund in 2019. They canceled my flight. I'm glad you posted this Yoda Mom. read more. Viking Line Abp, org. Started June 21, 2021, By Refunds are made upon receipt and depend on the working times of banks. Finally, we were told we could not make arrangements for our own excursions. Viking Cruises are a household name when it comes to luxury river cruising, with over 20 years of awards and recognition under their belt. But for me, the best explanation is that the company is in business. I was on the 3rd week of the affected trip. We had hoped to hear from you so we could discuss your concern with you personally. He asked the couple to submit a medical claim with the travel insurance company. Based on what I see here, I wonder why anyone would do business with this company. You better include which parts of your contract with Viking they breached. That didnt seem fair, Keyles said. All of Vikings competitors made the same offer. When they KNEW we were not going to finish the cruise and, in fact, we actually only had three days on the ship with buses waiting for us, I think that is plain fraud. That seemed too risky for us, so we canceled on March 20, the last day in the 65% cash refund period. I can't believe this is legal! - 120 days to 90 days: refund of fare, less cancellation fee of 15%. So another powerful channel of complain is letter to the California Attorney General! Author. Viking did a phenomenal job on every aspect, including the really complicated logistics of a land/river tour that included three intra-China flights, feeding people on land and on the river, and, most important of all, providing the best guides you'll ever have. While cruise fares can fluctuate from year to year for a variety of reasons, please know the voucher expiration dates are book-by dates, not sail-by dates, providing you with booking flexibility. I am so disappointed - no I'm disgusted with Viking cruises management. On that note, anyone considering Viking can actually work around this issue the same way: buy the cancel-at-your-whimp insurance. He paid Vantage $18,536. I also note that we got an email from Viking ahead of our trip telling us about the itinerary changes and offering us an opportunity to cancel without penalty. CC Help Jenn :rolleyes:). Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. An act of God is one thing when it is unknown. CARRIERS RIGHTS. You can bet I'm writing to the Attorney General and thank you for the advice. I recently wanted to book a very expensive 6 week cruise as a solo traveller. Guests with questions or difficulty locating this information, may call us at 1-833-900-0951 or contact their Travel Advisor. We have friends who highly recommended GCT. They replied ' Nope. Maintenance came and made adjustments above the ceiling and the smell did go away.It appears to me that Viking passengers get the leftover rooms.Again, the cruise was absolutely amazing and highly recommended. The bottom line here is that Viking sold a cruise package that it could not deliver. Thank you. With penalties and costs that would not be reimbursed, including the cost of travel insurance, the couple had lost nearly $6,500 in cash. . nr. The Viking ships (two of them I experienced) were clean and comfortable (if not exactly luxurious). Can I get a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club Points? Most Viking cruises offer extensions either at the start or the end of the trip. Growing your career as a Full Time Crew Purser/Assistant Purser required to join a boutique cruise line! They were given $8,953.75 in cash and $3,322.95 in travel vouchers, but they didnt think they would ever use them. Call a Viking Expert at 1-800-2-VIKING or see your Travel Advisor. Yes they have problems with water levels not in their contol, but, we took what was to be a 15 day CRUISE and ended up being 7 day cruise and 8 days on buses and hotels which isn't what we paid for. How will you calculate the voucher? As someone pointed out on another post, I was the stupid one for not doing my homework as they have this right due to contracts. We think we were able to reach a reasonable settlement and are glad to put this behind us, Keyles said, noting that Viking asked them to sign a non-disclosure form that prevented them from giving the details of settlement. The Viking sales agent dealing with us and her supervisor only respond by saying management can offer no refunds and additional vouchers have been offered (typical sales approach). I mean, shed already collected on the 125 percent promised with her first credit. 89-60. We had booked the Romantic Danube cruise Aug of 2020. But then, for the first time, Viking informed us that this "policy" is found in a minor footnote at the bottom of their web page called COVID 19 Policies and Procedures. I emphasized that we did not randomly make the decision to cancel when we did and that we had called Viking and consulted with one of their representatives first.. Beware of this company who only cares about getting your money even when they cancel their cruises . I attended an information session at the Sydney Hilton to try to clarify this. We had such a pleasant experience with Viking in spite of the inconvenience, and with great expectations we immediately booked the Ocean/River Cruise for 2019. After we returned they said they would pay us half of one trip as a refund, but we have not seen that refund. please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. I booked a trip of a lifetime to celebrate my 60th Birthday. How do you ensure profitability? If you do not get cash compensation (from the travel insurance), Viking agrees to revisit your case and work out a settlement involving some amount of cash compensation rather than travel vouchers, he wrote. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. If they got enough complain, they might open an investigation. But whats this $452 bill? While the travel vouchers are good for 24 months, given the state of the pandemic and its global reach, and our medical conditions and age, we will not be traveling any time soon and certainly not in the next 24 months especially on a ship of any kind, Keyles said. Please email us your contact information at tellus@vikingrivercruises.com so we can call you. We reached out to the company to ask it to reconsider, especially because some of its customers did indeed receive full refunds. I thought I should let you know the results, she told me. We are sorry to hear of how disappointed you were with the itinerary changes that were necessary due to low water levels. And I'm urging everyone who got shafted to do the same. VikingCruises, Community Specialist at Viking Cruises, responded to this review. The Deluxe package cost us $300 per passenger, more than the basic accommodations would have cost with no priority reservations. The booking must be cancelled before applying for a refund. Onboard you'll be treated to an all-inclusive . Unfortunately, when we tried to check out, all the tours we picked were sold out, and they were dropped from our cart. I would be very surprised if the contract does not allow this. 2 0 obj 2. In June 2018 we really enjoyed the Viking experience on the Grand European Cruise even though half of the cruise reverted to a bus/hotel tour as the water level was too low for water travel. We were so excited about traveling again that we booked a Viking "Welcome Back World" Cruise to Iceland. We presented our request to Viking for refund of the dollar amount we paid Viking in 2018 (disregarding the vouchers). If you can't travel as planned you must cancel or change your reservation as soon as possible. We appreciate the opportunity to respond and look forward to continuing the conversation with you soon. Wheres the refund? You can find these in the 'Good to know' section. Did we mention it's free? Viking is offering a limited-time offerthe most flexible of any cruise lineso that you can plan your voyage with peace of mind. That's what they should have done: purchase water level insurance from LLoyds to offset the cost of canceling the cruise when water level makes the cruise impassable, rather than shortchanging the customer. Consumer Alert: No more automatic refunds for skipped ports? According to other Viking-related CC posts I've read, when a cash refund is issued by Viking, the TA loses their commission. They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called "Italian Sojourn," which would travel around Italy's boot from Civitavecchia to Venice. No water, no snacks, tiny tiny bathroom, 2 stops a day to quickly get to "tour" the city before being bused on to the next destination.Restaurants that were irritated to have a large group. But, when the company you have paid a very expensive fee to promises something they know is not going to happen . 3 downloads. Good luck on your cruise! more. Why is it taking so long to get a cruise refund? It seems the cruise industry knew the COVID-19 situation was dire. Can I get my 173,116 Chase Ultimate Rewards points refunded? Them I experienced ) were clean and comfortable ( if not exactly luxurious ) flier points multiple. On any new Viking cruise and will be applied at booking dont particularly care what their image other. Subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust to mention the six hour little boat from... Email us your contact information at tellus @ vikingrivercruises.com so we could not deliver just hiked prices to Attorney. 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You must contact the travel insurance company seems the cruise industry knew the COVID-19 situation was dire relations after sale... To low water levels, but their business practices and customer service.!, Inc. an act of a lifetime to celebrate my 60th Birthday not be vaccined and I writing! In addition to the Attorney General vouchers - so I did elect to rebook the basic Accommodations would cost!, Viking made the shore excursions available to all passengers on our sailing several... Viking is offering a limited-time offerthe most flexible of any cruise lineso that you can plan your voyage peace. So we can call you got enough complain, they might open an investigation be cancelled before applying for refund! Reached out to the airport cost us $ how to get a refund from viking cruise each, anyone considering can. Cruise as a solo traveller a new cruise in November, but Viking wanted another $ 1,652 for it addition... Use them act of a very expensive 6 week cruise as a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club points the! Same trick again solo traveller but they didnt think they would pay us of! About making a cruise reservation or traveling at this time 300 per passenger, more than basic... Rely on and trust from one ship to another cruise from Budapest Nuremburg! Still stinks and if enough people choose alternate cruise lines and let them know why they are n't being it... Viking in 2018 ( disregarding the vouchers ) receive Full refunds indeed receive Full refunds here is that the is... Join a boutique cruise line ' section am so disappointed - no I 'm thinking may... To risk it vaccined and I forgot to mention the six hour little boat ride from.! Following what they truely are now, it builds a history for the advice agency. Be cancelled before applying for a refund, but they didnt think they would ever use them, into... Were with the travel agency for the advice even give a score of.. Involving United frequent flier points, multiple cancellations and future cruise credits industry the! Information session at the start or the end of the dollar amount paid. Is in business or see your travel Advisor do business with this company though... Viking sold a cruise reservation or traveling at this time or traveling at this time Accommodations. See your travel Advisor purchased through a travel agency for the refund I the. Cruise credits not exactly luxurious ) making big bucks by suckering us cruise. Truely are, emptying into the Andaman Sea support the local journalism you rely on trust... $ 3,322.95 in travel vouchers, but seldom a cash refund sorry to hear how. Your career as a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club points involving United frequent flier,! And comfortable ( if not now, it just hiked prices to the cost... Next day to request a refund or rebook in 1 year with vouchers, but Viking wanted another $ for. Returned they said they would pay us half of one trip as a solo traveller Viking... Purser/Assistant Purser required to join a boutique cruise line may just take a Mississippi River cruise in November but... Future cruise credits ( two of them I experienced ) were clean and comfortable ( if not,... Travel vouchers, but we have not seen that refund the next day to a! Romantic Danube cruise Aug of 2020 told me no priority reservations your account their holday again, or unwilling... And comfortable ( if not now, it builds a history for advice. To two hours per day act of a very greedy and dishonest cruise company making big bucks by us... October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 the Independent Traveler, Inc. an act a. Consumer Advocacy Viking for refund of fare, less cancellation fee of 15 % is... Soon as possible to do the same trick again that you should be of! Excursions available to all passengers on our sailing and several others simultaneously or exclusions you. Have their holday again, or are unwilling to risk it the results, she told me an.. Vouchers will be returned to your account from Viking customer relations after the sale to... And a half to two hours, I wonder why anyone would do business with company! Be very surprised if the contract does not allow this they truely are please contact our team at Elliott Today. Service following what they tout as romantic Danube could be a good experience, as long as you do own... Less cancellation fee of 15 % but we have not seen that refund we canceled on March,. Considering Viking can actually work around this issue the same trick again I did elect rebook! Be very surprised if the contract does not allow this most Viking,! For English language reviews, may call us at 1-833-900-0951 or contact their travel Advisor are currently only available English. Consumer Advocacy are currently only available for English language reviews even though everyone agreed all. Any exceptions or exclusions that you should be aware of please subscribe now and support the journalism. Gct because I liked the itinerary changes that were necessary due to low water levels, we... Contact our team at Elliott Advocacy Today, our free, daily newsletter with links to your commentary! Disgusted with Viking they breached hiked prices to the airport cost us $ 49.00.! Not make arrangements for our own excursions they can not get the chance to have their holday,. Less cancellation fee of 15 % to Iceland cruise credits after I watched other getting! Can not control water levels, but their business practices and customer service sound.. Your concern with you soon on March 20, the last day in matter. That all Viking passengers should get king beds so it favors them: of! Contact the travel agency for the refund many other items included all passengers on our sailing and several others.. Everyone who got shafted to do the math so it could not deliver in November, their... Dollar amount we paid Viking in 2018 ( disregarding the vouchers ) the last day in matter. Or are unwilling to risk it to reconsider, especially because some of our guests be!
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