Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Eventually, the representative acknowledged it was a single supplement charge, emails show. "Given recent events and the developing conflict in Ukraine, we have made the. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP). In another first for polar expedition cruise vessels, every cabin on both Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris has floor-to-ceiling glass walls that slide partially open from the top to create a balcony-like feel. Related: First look at Viking's stylish new Nile River ship. I do not see anything in their terms and conditions that would indicate that additional expenses would be incurred if one person was not able to take the trip but the second one did, he said. There is also a general discussion about the wellbeing of crewmembers, many who hail from Ukraine and Russia. "Counseling has been made available to them and ships Captains and management are obviously in daily communication with them to offer assistance as needed.". She and her husband Ed recently took an 8-day cruise on the Viking Venus off the . 2021-2022 Viking World Cruise Viking Ocean Cruises 16.6K subscribers Subscribe 147 14K views 2 years ago Experience the worldfrom a front-row seat. The text appears: #1 on the rivers. I don't think the suit is going to be as clear cut as the OP thinks. You may have well received the cancellation notice directly and been able to work out an alternate flight before you even reached the airport. Sheila Davies is a retired gas industry professional based in Northumberland, England. The line has announced that on all 24 calls in St. Petersburg will be replaced with other ports, which vary by itinerary, ranging from an overnight in Stockholm, and calls in Visby, Sweden and Gdansk, Poland. Viking has grown into a major player in Mediterranean sailings, with more than 30 distinct itineraries that include stops in the region. They did not breach your contract, you need to read it all. The start of this story began in April 2021 when Viking CANCELED my July cruise to Norway and Iceland. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Return flight from Cairo was running 3 hours late and when we got into London Heathrow we found people who had been waiting for days. The Viking Mississippi isnt the only vessel facing problems on the United States premier river. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. For Further Assistance 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. The trips include stops in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Canada. #16. Hurtigruten Expeditions: The line has one itinerary scheduled on MS Spitsbergen, which is due to call in at Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and the archipelago of Solovki in the White Sea. Among the rivers in Europe where Viking has a major presence are the Rhine, Main and Danube in Central Europe; the Seine, Rhone, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde in France; the Douro in Portugal; the Moselle and Elbe in Germany; and the Dnieper in Ukraine. Crystal Ravel will resume service in March 2022 for a spring. Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. When necessary, guests and their travel advisors will be notified directly and this page will be updated. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. In 2021, the cruise line plans to launch their seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus. Viking Cruises has ceased all operations in Russia this year in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "Our company was founded in Rotterdam around the mission of helping immigrants find a better life. In the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, Viking has canceled all Russia river sailings in 2022 and 2023. We reviewed Andersens letters and emails to Viking, and we asked the company to review his complaint. It's also advisable to sign up for alerts from the airline you are flying and also have their app on your phone. Nightmare experience returning home from Viking Cruise May 10, 2022, 12:33 PM Save We are filing a breach contract suit with Viking River Cruises for the following: 1. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged. Be prepared to encounter some chaos, and try not to let emotions dominate over cool, calm action. On February 28, the line announced it would no longer visit the city on any of its upcoming itineraries. At the moment, every day starts with guests leaving a test tube of saliva outside their door for . Unusually low water levels along the Mississippi River have caused sections of the river to be closed, impacting all northbound and southbound shipping traffic, the statement said. Perhaps in the future try booking you own flights, even if it costs a bit more (we did for our trip last month). Remember, you chose Viking for the high quality cruise, not the air. Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that allows passengers to transfer to two of each ships exploratory vessels while still in the protected interior of the ship. The half hour airport transfer delay less the fifteen minutes later flight is a resultant fifteen minute overall timeline delay, frankly, big deal. 5.By scheduling our ride to the airport for 5:30am for an 8:05am flight, Viking put us at risk for missing that reservation even if a driver had arrived on time to take us to Schiphol. All sailings booked by January 31, 2022, scheduled to depart by April 30, 2022, are included in the Cruise With Confidence program. Last week Regent Seven Seas Cruises significantly altered Seven Seas Mariner's world cruise on the eve of embarkation from San Francisco. Make sure your cell phone will work in different countries if you need to make calls. (Courtesy Richard Andersen). Viking has cancelled all 2022 departures of its Russian river cruise itineraries and ceased all operations in the country for the remainder of the year. The Centers for Disease Control Prevention Vessel Sanitation Program (CDC-VSP) reported that 118 passengers and crew on a recent voyage of the Viking Cruises . A Viking Ocean ship sails in Croatia. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call in Russia in 2022, which will require modifications," according to a Viking statement. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. Windstar Cruises has cancelled two itinerarises this sumemr with Russia port calls in the Black Sea and will replace St. Petersburg on its five Baltic cruises with a non-Russian port. On April 1, Holland America Line announced it would use the 1999-built Volendam to house refugees fleeing the conflict. This page contains the most up to date information on conditions that may affect your itinerary. Its most current report said almost 53% of the lower 48 US states are in a drought. Instead, in the most extreme cases, AmaWaterways will create a new itinerary. We were caught in the middle of it, Trovato said. Cruises - Very disappointed with Viking River Cruises - Reservation # 2672768 We were supposed to do a river cruise and ended up doing a motor coach tour due to low river levels. A friend is sailing with Viking next month and while she has had her initial flights for months, they have also been changed several time already. This photo was taken by passenger Tom Travato outside the windows of the Viking Mississippi cruise ship on October 4. Thus your argument is not reasonable and any compensation would be a gesture. Learn more. "We are currently evaluating itineraries that call. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Related: The ultimate guide to Viking ships and itineraries. 10 more were launched in 2013, and additional 18 launched in 2014 (including 2 smaller ships purpose-built for Douro River in Portugal). Did you encounter any technical issues? Plus Ups are excluded. All rights reserved (About Us). The pandemic has not ended, and some sailings have been cancelled due to too many Covid-19 cases onboard. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. Can I skip that expense? Another issue we have with Viking Air's service is that they scheduled a 3-legged flight for us to Atlanta when there are direct flights from Amsterdam to Atlanta every day. Select sailings will resume operation with sailings on May 22, May 29 and June 5, 2021 from Portsmouth, England. Nightmare experience returning home from Viking Cruise, Re: Nightmare experience returning home from Viking Cruise. View all of our Luxury Cruise sailings and offers. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. When Andersen was finally ready to travel, his partner, because of deteriorating health, was unable to go. Viking traditionally operates voyages on a single itinerary between Moscow and St. Petersburg that involves travel on the Volga, Neva and Svir rivers. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Some vendors may process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interest, which you can object to by managing your options below. Given the current COVID situation (and that 3 of the 4 countries we were slated to visit are currently closed), we decided we should cancel. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. You were never going to make that flight as booked and if you did it would have been dumb luck. Tips-- if you are not interested in details, get a very good travel agent who will triple check everything and hold your hand and can reach you easily with changes. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. Almost 250 cruises were set to sail throughout the first month of 2022, but this ongoing rise in COVID-19 cases could continue to cause further cancellations. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. After our inquiry, Andersen was contacted by someone in the companys customer relations department, but he spent several weeks playing phone and email tag before he could plead his case. We are currently evaluating itineraries that call in Russia in 2022, which will require modifications. Viking was advertising a 15-day trip in October from St. Paul to New Orleans starting . When he returned, he started to think about all the extra fees and the vouchers that were promised. Some river cruise ships were able to lighten the load and carry on. Not every river cruise line takes the same stance. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-113578769', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cruise line, my recollection is that you can request certain flights by paying extra for Custom Air (or a similar name), but I hardly think you can " demand direct, non-stop flights that depart from the closest airport to your home if possible." 3. Low water levels are impacting barge traffic on the Mississippi River during the harvest, a crucial time, NOAAs site said. Atlas Ocean Voyages will skip St. Petersburg for alternative ports in Finland and Estonia this summer. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. Just this year, the line began its first cruises to Antarctica with its first expedition ship a type of vessel built specifically for travel to remote, hard-to-reach places. Vikings Scandinavia and Northern Europe trips range widely in length from just seven nights to a whopping 28 nights. Viking Cruises cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev (Kyiv, Ukraine), Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russia's conflict with Ukraine. If you are concerned about the water level on your upcoming river cruise, do your due diligence before you take any action. over 30 years I have traveled most European Rivers and you always find the various company's will get you to your destination by the cheapest route be that making multiple transfers when you now you can get a direct flight and that is what I regularly do, be it costs me more money and more often than not a nights hotel both ways as well. I want to tip only a few how much should I tip? Also lost out on the cruise vouchers. They are for UK residents only. Andersen paid the fee with his credit card and took the trip solo in March. It, along with the Viking Sky, is classified as a small ship, with 465 staterooms, capable of carrying 930 guests. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-113573780', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flight #LH1003 leaving at 8:05 am. The 766-mile Rhine is one of Europe's most important trade routes, with container ships plying their way around its looping bends. Posted May 6, 2021. There are a number of threads on the Cruise Critic Message Boards discussing the ongoing situation, including on Celebrity Cruises, HAL and NCL. Packages, even expensive ones, are not guaranteed anything, really. began river trips on the Mississippi River, First look at Viking's stylish new Nile River ship, The ultimate guide to Viking ships and itineraries, The complete guide to Viking cabins and suites, The ultimate guide to Viking's loyalty program, added two new, 378-passenger expedition cruise vessels, The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship, A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines, 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly, 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Then there is Viking, which is a black hole for any money given them. Passengers wait to board the luxury cruise ship Viking Mississippi, berthed at Lambert's Landing in St. Paul, on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. CNN Weather forecasts on Friday afternoon dont point to much relief in sight either in key cities along the river through October 15: No rain is expected in Minneapolis. Azamara has dropped all Ukraine and Russia ports from upcoming Azamara Journey sailings beginning in June 2022. Can I remove the auto- gratuity? Air travel deserves its own expert attention. Here are the five best Viking cruise destinations where the line can truly offer you a memorable vacation. Viking Ocean Cruises Is NOT All I Thought It Was Tips For Travellers 355K subscribers Join Subscribe 3.4K Share Save 144K views 9 months ago #VikingCruises #VikingOceanCruises Returning to. Instead, the ship will sail itineraries in the Caribbean. The cruise line continues to operate its seven- and 10-night Rhine River sailings onboard Crystal Debussy through the end of the year. Viking River Cruises has canceled all 2022 departures from Kyiv and Bucharest, Romania. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. It happened to Richard Andersen, a 79-year-old Somerset man who has been fighting with Viking Cruise Lines since April. You can then suggest your flights by paying the Custom Air fee and perhaps next time you will get better flights, but there is never a guarantee. Among ocean cruise destinations, Viking has a major presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which it considers its home turf. If you are tech savvy, get text notifications for all your flights in advance online, and double and triple check. In all, the line accounts for about half of all river cruises taken by North Americans in the region. It is what it is.. A Viking Expedition ship sails in . Top image: The Viking Mississippi cruise ship docks in Dubuque, Iowa, on September 6, 2022, when the river was still passable for the ship. I was grateful I was arriving at my destination at least on the day promised. Fast-growing Viking has one of the most diverse arrays of itineraries of any cruise line. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. It also happened to a Florida man whose trip with his wife was also canceled because of the pandemic. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Select South America and Antarctica itineraries have been canceled through February 2022. The latter adds travel on the Main and Danube rivers to days on the Rhine. How do I even get started picking a cruise? He was ultimately offered more vouchers with an extended booking deadline, emails show. When Viking River Cruises canceled my cruise in 2021 for Covid, they gave me a cruise voucher for 125% and some optional packages as an incentive to rebook. Celebrity Silhouette is due into St. Petersburg on May 20. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. They book the one that are cheapest for them. Applies primarily to to bookings with the following content. Your contact Ts&Cs says when things go sideways, they will reschedule you. Viking Mississippi - As of January 23, 2023 Due to damage from substantial river debris to the Viking Mississippi 's propulsion system, the ship will undergo repairs requiring the cancellation of upcoming departures. It just amazes me that a large company, even one that is privately owned, would treat me the way I have been mistreated.. Unfortunately, there are still cruises being cancelled in 2022 due to Covid-19 and the uncertainty surrounding it. 'Cruising The Italian Lakes' we are training it from Edinburgh to Lake Como to avoid the chaos in the sky's. Viking is, quite simply, the giant of river cruising in Europe at least among lines that cater to English speakers. Sorry if the last leg ruin your cruise vacation into a Nightmare. 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 . Passengers from across the country say they've. The good news is that there are not the mass cancellations we saw in 2020. The text appears: #1 Rivers & Oceansagain. he was given 60 days to accept or decline the offer. So today were proud to be a small part of a similar mission for Ukrainians who have tragically been displaced.". 2. A Viking River ship sails in Budapest. You should receive a refund for the difference in fare between the two. Animals have been brought here to graze for around 2,000 years. We will update this story as we receive more information. We cancelled three Royal Caribbean cruises during the COVID period, and received a full cash refund for each, he said, noting that its highly unlikely he and his companion will ever be able to use the vouchers because of her health. Since we paid extra for Premium Class when we booked our flights with Viking Air, we are requesting a refund of Premium versus Economy Class seating. 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. The Viking Mississippi can hold up to 386 guests and was built in 2022, according to the company's website. Drought and abnormal dryness continue to develop and intensify from the Plains through the Mississippi River Basin, and have now extended further into the Midwest and Southeast. In between, Viking river ships visit the provincial capital of Uglich and the city of Yaroslavl. She did send Andersen the terms and conditions, but he said he couldnt find anything saying he should have been charged more. Viking has a particularly large footprint when it comes to European river itineraries, with a wide range of sailings on nearly every European river of any note, from the Douro in Portugal to (until recently) the Volga in Russia. (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? In some cases, an itinerary may be adjusted with certain destinations dropped and new ones added. Sister-brand Regent Seven Seas Cruises will remove all its planned stops in Russia, which include the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk,Murmansk andSt. Petersburg, as well as Odessa, Ukraine. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-113577067', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');cruise lines, the flights they include for free or at a reduced price will likely not be the most convenient or with the fewest legs. A Viking river cruise ship heading north up the Mississippi River cant finish its voyage because of low water levels, according to a statement from the company on Thursday. The move of Viking follows announcements from other cruise lines saying they are monitoring the situation, with Saga Cruises and Atlas Voyages among those who altered sailings. A Viking River ship sails in Budapest. (The company was founded by a Norwegian family.) Viking is a newcomer to cruises to Antarctica, but the destination is a big growth area for the line. . Sorry to hear - hopefully you are now recovering at home?? Check here before booking an award fare. For instance, a merciless heat wave baked Europe this past summer, and the continents fabled waterways fell to shockingly low levels. Andersen said hes taking more time to think about the offer, and he still wants to company to confirm what the terms and conditions say about a situation like his. They offered me a voucher for 125% of my . It also allowed some vouchers to be transferred to other family members, something that was important because its unclear if Andersens partner will be well enough to travel in the future. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. Viking officials indicated some ports don't want passengers exploring independently so an array of bubble excursions is being developed for those destinations. By Alyssa Lukpat and Ceylan Yeginsu. The trips include voyages focused specifically on the Western Mediterranean or Eastern Mediterranean and some that include stops across both areas. MSC said it has been in touch with alternative ports such as Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallinn, and will communicate itinerary changes to travel advisors and customers as soon as possible. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Viking River Cruises Confirms Itinerary Changes Viking River Cruises has canceled all 2022 departures from Kyiv and Bucharest, Romania. She verified that Viking had been notified that our 8:05am flight to Frankfurt had been cancelled. The ship was docked in an area just north of Greenville, which is about 150 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. "To. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. General information will be listed below, with details of any affected departures. She said that there was a 5:00pm flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta that we could try to take, but we would have to make that reservation ourselves. Tom Trovato and his wife, Trish, were among those on the cruise when the ship came to a halt in the middle of the Mississippi River. 2 Viking River Cruises canceled all Russian river cruises and its planned Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest routes this year due to the events. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. At least you now have some experience dealing with travel problems--perhaps you can wake-up a bit from the nightmare. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. We are cancelling our river cruise due to viking's heavy handed covid vaccine requirement. When we asked while onboard the riverboat if we could change to a direct flight, we were told that it would cost each of us an additional $3,200.00. These are all the cruise vessels. But when a cruise has already been paid in full, if one traveler cant make the trip, should the person who is still going be charged more especially when it doesnt appear anywhere in the fine print? Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, The best places to see cherry blossoms around the US this spring, Looking back: How my points and miles strategy has changed over the years, The best increased card offers to sign up for this March. No driver arrived to pick us up and take us to the airport.