Are they giving you the option of a refund if you cancelled due to the itinerary change? Great to hear Viking allowed you to cancel via telephone; the booking contract stated they required it to be in writing. At Viking, your experience means the world to us. "Update: Cruise Lines Cancel Ukraine and Russia Calls. Germany is locking down for unvaccinated but stores etc. After all, this too shall eventually pass. Rejuvenate in a king-size bed with a soft duvet and goose-down pillows. If you go on Facebook, there are many people who were dumped. 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. The logistics of booking a trip that included an extensive itinerary that Viking covers would have been impossible to do on my own. Fortunately I have many choices for river cruises and can speak with my wallet. Special savings plus Free airfare valid on select 2024 departures. An additional four Arctic sailings have new itineraries. Atlas Ocean VoyagesVisits to St. Petersburg have been dropped from Atlas summer Baltic itineraries. Are there computers, or should I bring my laptop? "Our mission is to help Americans better know and understand our neighbors through travel," Steves wrote in a blog post from late February. Airfares vary on other gateways & departures. jAi Every other line we have cruisedhas a printed policy that is adhered to by anyone booking a cruise. The elegant boulevards and grand monuments of Paris. Some media outlets along the river corridor have pointed to likely supply chain challenges. "Cruise Lines Alter Russia Itineraries, Cancel Ports Due to Ukraine Conflict." With a fully paid trip,Id rather have my money refunded and all their CM trips for 2022 are booked except the week of Christmas. 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. The scenic route was a gentle way to ease back into cruising. We are booked on Viking Vali beginning in 2 days with extension in Amsterdam and at the end in Budapest. Further details can be found here. After six decades of arts education, founder of St. Paul-based ArtStart to retire I feel a TA may have more influence speaking to Viking, in that they represent MANY customers, while an individual calling for themselves represents a single customer. No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. Now we will wait and see. Calls to St. Petersburg will be replaced by destinations in Finland and Estonia. 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. But they did keep $300 total unrefunded - $100 each cancellation penalty plus $50 each air penalty. ", "Cruise Lines Cancel Scheduled Stops in Russia, Ukraine. March 15, 2022. I feel no loyalty to them. Should you wish to change your reservation, you can choose which policy works best for you: Vikings Risk-Free Guarantee or standard cancellation policy. Viking River CruisesOf the lines that have so far made changes, Vikings have been the most extensive, canceling its entire season of Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, cruise line after cruise line has altered itineraries with stops in Russian ports or canceled voyages entirely. Guests and their travel agents on impacted departures have been notified directly by Viking Guest Services. VIKING RIVER restarted in July 2021 , VIKINGs Egypt boat in August. On 11/19/2021 at 4:29 PM, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said: 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Special Event: Q&A with Rudi Schreiner, President, Co-Founder & Co-Owner - AmaWaterways River Cruises, Q&A with Avoya Travel: Learn How to Turn Your Passion into Success by Becoming an Independent Travel Advisor. In 2019 the parent company created the brand Viking Expeditions, with a newbuild fleet of two small-sized expedition vessels Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris , plus 2 more same-designed units. Forgot to use it? Then in 2022, they expect the debut of two new expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. Again, we were going to ask the TA to ask for a later final payment date, but it was offered to the TA before we had a chance to ask. https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/24/slovakia-becomes-the-second-european-country-to-go-into-lockdown-as-covid-cases-surge, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. hb```a`` B@V 3G c?!xa 3a9>_X9ZU,%3$En_' We had two ports of call, aka shore days, in Liverpool and Falmouth. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. I think philosophically, its time for me to get MY money from them. 2022 will be an exciting year for the cruise line as they launch two new ventures with voyages on the Mississippi River and their incredible new expedition cruise ships. So far, only one line -- Avalon Waterways -- has cancelled its Main and Danube voyages for the rest of the year. No mention of any waiting period, let alone a 21 day waiting period. 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. There are also some Viking people here to do staff training, and some other Viking people with unknown functions that are not crew. The luxury river cruise line, Scenic, scrapped all of its 2022 Russia cruises. 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. We canceled our Viking Oberammergau cruise for September the week that our final payment was due. Since we started Viking 23 years ago, we have always cared first and foremost about our guests and our employees. oIK=?d4E_%sn_R)=&[h@1'{[']q[0G/PIAG| D0Y1 0S.fv G2 L Orient Express Is Launching the World's Largest Luxury Superyacht, Hurtigruten's 'Northern Lights Promise' Ensures Every Cruiser Sees Auroras, What It's Like to Cruise Around French Polynesia on Windstar's Star Breeze, These Cruise Lines Will Require COVID-19 Vaccines To Sail, Despite What Cruise Lines Say, You Wont Be Setting Sail in May, My Favorite Luxury Cruise Line Is Setting Sail Again. 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. 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. Fairytale windmills of The . Recently I have tried to get the final payment pushed back a month or so no luck. All except $100 future cruise credit each. Where Are Norwegian Cruise Ships Registered, When Is The Best Month To Cruise To Alaska, How Much Are Drinks On Viking River Cruises, Do Mississippi River Cruises Have Casinos, Where Do Cruise Ships Dock In Reykjavik Iceland, What Cruise Line Goes Around Hawaiian Islands, announcements from other cruise operators, banned UK airlines from its airspace in response to the UK doing the same for Russian carriers, Crystal Cruises is reportedly shutting down US operations, Where Does Norwegian Cruise Lines Sail Out Of, Kings Bay Scenic Cruise From Crystal River, Are Gratuities Included On Viking River Cruises. This is one instance when having a TA can be helpful. 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. On your scheduled departure, we must operate at a reduced capacity as we continue to ramp up service. The Carnival Sunshine, part of Carnival Cruise Lines' Caribbean fleet. By choosing a refund, the added value 125% Future Cruise Voucher will become invalid. Also Check: Do Alaskan Cruises Have Pools. Our cruise was Sept 4. Sharkster, I believethat you were able to delay your full payment,but our experience was entirely different. Call a Viking Expert at 1-800-2-VIKING or see your Travel Advisor. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. Viking, which had once planned to debut its new cruise ship in 2017, delayed the launch five years while it worked through federal regulatory challenges under the Jones Act, otherwise known as the . Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. I wouldn't think so. I am glad I don't have anything booked but do know some who do and wish the cruise lines would just cancel. "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. We saw all of the major sites, including the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors and a sail on the Yangtze to the Three Gorges Dam. Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. Viking took care of all the details. Viking is still trying to figure out what they will do about rescheduling cruises for that year. How long did they tell you it would be before you actually received your refund? Bumped customers have been offered full refunds or vouchers equivalent to 110 percent of what theyve already paid so they can book at later dates. Viking Ocean Cruises Is NOT All I Thought It Was, Viking 360 Ship Tours: Explore our Ocean & River Vessels, Virtually. Not that that prevents problems. The . Re: Viking River Cruise cancelling. I am glad to have a wide choice of operators in Europe other than Viking and I hope it stays that way. :Crystal Cruises is reportedly shutting down US operations, With unrest in Eastern Europe, we have adjusted our voyages, President Alberto Aliberti said in a statement. This inconsistency of when full payment is due,as illustrated by theabove posts, is exasperatingto me. They said 21 days for refund. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BOOKINGS? Review of Viking Cruises. 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. Needless to say, my response did not include any of these qualities.. My take away is that it depends who you speak with and which supervisor is working the day you call. ), Minnesota syphilis infections up sharply last year, according to state data, Why hemp farmers worry about MN legalizing cannabis, Forever chemicals exacerbate water issues in Lake Elmo, development still on pause, Retiring Stillwater Area High School teacher, falcon expert Andy Weaver brought science to life, Gammelgrden Museum in Scandia marks 51st year, a luxury cruise from St. Paul to New Orleans, the first departure from St. Paul toward St. Louis, Mo., on Sept. 3, Five questions Wild must answer this offseason, Norman Quack's Chophouse closes its Stillwater location, For sale: A green thumb's house on Summit Avenue (with a conservatory! 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. 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. 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. @garlinn decided to cancel, which leaves another poster. 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. We are still waiting for Viking to "refund" OUR money to our credit card. "We have planned alternative ports and will communicate itinerary changes in the next few days to our guests and travel partners. 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. 2. 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. Future Cruise Vouchers valued at 125% are available exclusively for those guests whose cruise was cancelled due to, or associated with, our suspended operations. And when travel is less complicated, we are ready to resume operations and explore the world in comfort, again. 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. On both the Hamburg-to-Kiel itinerary, departing August 26, and the Kiel-roundtrip sailing, departing September 7, World Navigator will call at Kotka and Mariehamn, Finland instead. 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. None of these would normally be on the ship. The 136-day itinerary visits 56 ports in 27 countries, with 11 port city overnights and 3x new for Viking cruise ports . February 28, 2022. Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Vouchers are transferable, so that you have the flexibility to gift them to a loved one. "Updates on Current Sailings." We will be doing the Rhine in December on Crystal. To be covered by this guarantee, you must make a reservation on a 2022 voyage between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. Travel Weekly. By We understand that some of our guests might be hesitant about making a cruise reservation or traveling at this time. Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. I had the same experience as you, and personally, I don't feel like playing "agent roulette". But, if youd rather have a refund for your canceled cruise, you need to request it from Viking before August 24, 2020. Local News | 758 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<3B2B7E0F41F04746806E97F249047B35><0B2C10FC3CE5DD4FA2FE110046A04FF1>]/Index[733 43]/Info 732 0 R/Length 116/Prev 410459/Root 734 0 R/Size 776/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream This guarantee is combinable with all other Viking offers available. In mid-July 2020, Viking Ocean announced the companys Viking World Cruise 2021-2022 planned for MS Viking Star. I had that same happy feeling till the last day of my cruise.