TA's have no problem getting better terms. 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. Theyll refund the vouched amount to you. Review of Viking Cruises. The language barriers are real and the country is vast. 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. Every other line we have cruisedhas a printed policy that is adhered to by anyone booking a cruise. Today, 1/22/22 I contacted Viking Cruise lines about canceling a river cruise to France for this June, plenty of days before the cancellation date, and was told that I could not get ALL my money back. Our cruise was Sept 4. Travel Weekly. Posted November 19, 2020 (edited) Update now posted on Viking's website - all cancelled until end Jan 21 + other in later months due to regional issues. The 138-day itinerary visits ports in 28 countries with overnights in 11 port cities. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. They wouldnt even monitor cancellations and put us first in line to consider whether we could fill the vacancy.. It would be real interesting to see a movement by their customers against refusing to make full payment 1 and 2 years in advance. Can you please provide the docking location? I just got off of the phone with Viking. Aaron, so far its only Bavaria and Saxonia. I read all the books of Mark Twain, said Frohnert, a former St. Paul resident who now lives in Rochester, Minn. Over the 56 years weve lived in America, mostly Minnesota, we have traveled to over 85 countries., The only thing left that we wanted to do was to sail up the Mississippi, she continued. But, if youd rather have a refund for your canceled cruise, you need to request it from Viking before August 24, 2020. Astrid is the Senior Special Projects Editor at TripSavvy and has been with the site since 2016. 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. "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. You may also contact us by phone at 1-877-668-4546. Viking Neptune itinerary program was announced by VIKING OCEAN in late-December 2020. We will see. Sober home operators oppose regulations in MN House bill, state officials say changes necessary Viking Saturn will officially be named in New York on June 6 by its godmother, philanthropist and chairman of the Metropolitan Opera Ann Ziff. Fortunately I have many choices for river cruises and can speak with my wallet. For those who arrange their own flights, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of cruise embarkation or hotel check-in, whichever is first. Local News | That mountain hut in the Vosges mountains is getting more attractive by the day, though. Reuters. 15 days of eating, testing, visiting Christmas markets that are a regulated event with signs and barriers - when they are actually on - and not knowing if you will make it to Budapest on the ship you started in Amsterdam with, is not fun. 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. Payments can be made in My Viking Journey. We canceled our Viking Oberammergau cruise for September the week that our final payment was due. We were all set to fly to Prague in a few days to begin our trip from there to Berlin then London. 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. They then said it is 21 Business days. The Oberammergau play is being rescheduled for 2022. The testing requirement lifted on June 12, 2022. We are currently on this ship, wrote passenger Dean Siddons on the Facebook page, during a trip to St. Paul on Sept. 15. Yesterday 8 countys in Bavaria were over 1,000, today its 10 - which means the stricter lockdown with closed hotels and restaurants. We can always rebook. We, along with 188 other passengers anticipated our Viking River Cruise on the Idun departing Nuremberg on June 1. The . And do some shopping in small towns. I am falling behind with the news. They applied the refund to my balance but said I would still get it back on my Credit Card in the 21 Business Days. That $300 was not given as FCC but simply lost. TheViking Mississippiwas not located in the storms path at the time, and all guests and crew are safe. You will receive a 3.3% discount and there is no fee for this service. I had the same experience as you, and personally, I don't feel like playing "agent roulette". I understand what the written policy is stating, however this was the offer to us. Cruise Industry News. I think philosophically, its time for me to get MY money from them. Russia has banned UK airlines from its airspace in response to the UK doing the same for Russian carriers as part of a raft of sanctions slapped on Russia in response to its aggression in Ukraine. country, 12 days %%EOF The cruise lines should step up and just cancel the season. By ), Minnesota Senate passes bill to legalize recreational marijuana, 'Forever chemicals' exacerbate water issues in Lake Elmo, development still on pause, Charley Walters: Way too early to judge Vikings' pick of Jordan Addison, NFL draft: Vikings swap down, then up, to nab pair of LSU defenders, 'Smiley-face killer' theorist accused of St. Paul sex assault at time of Zamlen search, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Cruise lines want happy TA's as they can refer to them a lot of business. 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. @CincyAL, Viking "acts more like a bank" because some travelers LET THEM. For the Danube, I fully agree with you purrlinda. We had two ports of call, aka shore days, in Liverpool and Falmouth. Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link, Call a Viking Expert, or see your Travel Agent, Call a Viking Expert, or see your Travel Agent 138 747. Boarding the Atla in Regensburg on November 28. Passengers from across the country say theyve received letters from the cruise company informing them their reservation, paid for more than two years in advance, had been canceled just days ahead of departure. Neither does my Viking agent. Viking took care of all the details. Viking Elbe River Cruise Canceled. The cancellations add to the ripple effect Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused throughout the travel industry. And when travel is less complicated, we are ready to resume operations and explore the world in comfort, again. So far, only one line -- Avalon Waterways -- has cancelled its Main and Danube voyages for the rest of the year. TripSavvy uses only high-quality, trusted sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. But thoseshould be the rare exception rather than the rule. At this time, our Mississippi River itineraries are operating as scheduled. Im hoping they cancel rather than making us make the call. Rescheduling a trip three years from now sounds unlikely to her. Cruise itself starts 11/25I just sent chat to Viking re: Austria in lockdown for ALL starting 22nd no activities or businesses will be open. mostly closed. Historic Wittenberg, home to Martin Luther. My take away is that it depends who you speak with and which supervisor is working the day you call. You are sailing towards snow , You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Others said their trips were roughly half full, carrying about 200 passengers. The voyage starts from Port Everglades on December 24, 2021, and ends in London City England. Most cruise lines have enacted extremely fair and lenient refund policies for the time being. 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. There was worse news to come. Theres a 24 month window to apply it to any river, ocean or expedition cruise. Poseidon Expeditions is the latest addition to this list after a March 17 statement announcing that seven polar voyages are canceled for the summer. "We have planned alternative ports and will communicate itinerary changes in the next few days to our guests and travel partners. Passengers have called the latter easier said than done as trips fill up years in advance. Viking said the news just came out and they are evaluating and to watch for email. According to Wasserman, they paid more than $12,000 for the cruise, including money for travel insurance. When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. 775 0 obj <>stream That is why Viking is offering a limited-time offerthe most flexible of any cruise lineso that you can plan your voyage with peace of mind. Viking Mississippi will be a brand new ship that is designed specifically to sail on the Mississippi River offering all of the great features their Longships have in Europe. Also Check: Do Alaskan Cruises Have Pools. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. The prospect of waiting until 2025 to board a Viking cruise strikes some elderly passengers as iffy if not unlikely given their age. 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. The elegant boulevards and grand monuments of Paris. Reviewed 15 August 2018 via mobile . We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. Thank you for this. 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. Both packages are priced from USD 50000 per person . Future Cruise Vouchers valued at 125% are available exclusively for those guests whose cruise was cancelled due to, or associated with, our suspended operations. Viking has had OUR money for over a year, and still hanging on to it. 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. And we were really excited about going back and seeing it again. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by the devastating tornadoes across Mississippi and Alabama. 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. Have not cancelled the Cruise yet. The logistics of booking a trip that included an extensive itinerary that Viking covers would have been impossible to do on my own. TA's have no problem getting better terms. Funky Fusion FoodsJ, November 19, 2021 in River Cruising. We are still waiting for Viking to "refund" OUR money to our credit card. The interest or growth potential of them requiring full payment that far in advance is financiallyimmoral. Forgot to use it? Weagreed to it before the world turned upside down. All three companies said they are working to confirm replacement ports and will advise impacted guests and travel advisers as soon as possible.. Catherine Frohnert and her husband, both in their 80s, booked their Viking trip on the Mississippi River in 2019 and paid for it in early 2020, only to learn this month that their reservation from New Orleans to St. Paul had been canceled. Also Check: How Much Is The Alaskan Cruise. We are booked on Viking Vali beginning in 2 days with extension in Amsterdam and at the end in Budapest. Rivers. air is received. Main downstream from Wrzburg, Rhine and especially Moselle are better places to be. He Tweets with manic intensity at @FrederickMelo. The line said it was also evaluating 2022 itineraries that call in Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. I think that Crystal canceled all remaining cruises - smart move as there isn't "enough" to see with VIE out of the game. Talked to Viking and they insist they were done. 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 . Richard and Jean Pletcher hoped to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in style. The ships will sail everywhere from Antarctica to the Great Lakes to Ireland and Norway. In 2023, celebrating the companys 25th anniversary, Viking EXPEDITIONS offers Longitudinal World Cruise I. I didnt want to ante up that large amount of cash knowing that it could not happen as planned. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. | 1 Not sure what to do now. 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. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. Future Cruise Vouchers valued at 125% are available exclusively for those guests whose cruise was cancelled due to, or associated with, our suspended operations. All bookings made by April 30, 2020, received Risk-Free Guarantee that allows penalty-free cruise cancellation up to 24 hours prior departure. 2023-2025 RIVER CRUISE AND AIR SAVINGS: Offer applies to bookings made from April 1-30, 2023. The itinerary was called Scenic British Isles. Well, I booked with Viking and had it transferred to my TA, that I have used for quite a few cruises. Just return your expired voucher to Viking. 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. In 2019 the parent company created the brand Viking Expeditions, with a newbuild fleet of two small-sized expedition vessels Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris , plus 2 more same-designed units. jAi It would be, quite frankly, ridiculous. Airfare does not have to be . Slovakia as well?! I chatted with a Viking agent yesterday to see if they might consider an approach like this for our Oct cruise. If you push back they provide better final payment dates. March 15, 2022. The final balance is due based on offer at The Oberammergau play is being rescheduled for 2022. Award-winning Viking Longships. I was angry last Wednesday.Related Articles A resident of Hamline-Midway, he is married to a Frogtown woman. Calls to St. Petersburg will be replaced by destinations in Finland and Estonia. How long did they tell you it would be before you actually received your refund? They said 21 days for refund. Recently I have tried to get the final payment pushed back a month or so no luck. Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine.