At 104 days out before final payment was due, we had to either lose our entire deposit of $2K+ or get a voucher. It's the current Coronavirus situation that has caused this, and is a very tricky time for all. Indulge in complimentary programming on a flat-screen LCD TV with an easy-to-use remote. 48 cases confirmed from a sailing Dec. 11 on. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. I used to tell friends that Viking takes care of its passengers, they have proven me wrong. Viking Neptune is a new ship that will join the fleet in 2022. Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. The logistics of booking a trip that included an extensive itinerary that Viking covers would have been impossible to do on my own. In mid-July 2020, Viking Ocean announced the companys Viking World Cruise 2021-2022 planned for MS Viking Star. "In Abadki [a popular rental spot] the water level is 50 centimeters [20 inches] lower than the minimum required," she says. The ships will sail everywhere from Antarctica to the Great Lakes to Ireland and Norway. Here you can compare all Viking cruise ships and their itineraries, destinations, and departures dates. WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BOOKINGS? My Viking Cruise is canceled Now What? "Some stations [there] have been closed for about a month, as ships cannot moor due to the low water level," says a representative of the Hungary Tourist Board. New alerts are pouring in every day. On September 12, 2023, departs Longitudinal World Cruise II . Viking is bringing back river cruises to Europe in July. Vikings move follows announcements from other cruise operators saying they are monitoring the situation, with Saga and Atlas voyages among those to have altered sailings. For more than 15 years we have helped nearly 50000 customers resolve their issues and will never stop striving to ensure further improvements on our platform for a better communication between companies and customers. 'If it's like this next year, I'll retire'. Whether Russia river cruises restart in 2024 will depend on how the situation in Ukraine unfolds over the coming months. For those who've already booked, she makes regular calls to the river cruise lines checking the conditions. My second Viking Cruise was with my husband, Todd and we sailed on the 8-day Danube Waltz Cruise with stops in Passau , Linz, Melk, Vienna , Bratislava , and Budapest . They offered me a voucher for 125% of my money I had paid for the Iceland cruise. Guests will enjoy these unique and rarely visited destinations and immersive shore excursions to take in the rich cultures and breathtaking vistas of the Baltic.. 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. What to Expect On Your Journey Widget Content Not that that prevents problems. After four days my son and his wife worked around the clock to help me get back to the U.S. while I felt helpless in the Bulgarian hospital for 10 days.I had trip insurance from a very reputable company. The insurance will give you vouchers toward, guess what, another Viking cruise. Theyll refund the vouched amount to you. Needless to say, my response did not include any of these qualities.. 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, rebooking opportunities and other options. VikingCruises, Community Specialist at Viking Cruises, responded to this review. Our Veranda Suite was large and kept spotlessly clean by our housekeeper, Evi. Local News | It may not be as romantic, but it's effective. In this Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, photo, the Viking Mississippi cruise ship docks at the Port of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. The sailings start at $54,995 per person (or $49,995 for the World Journeys cruise), based on double occupancy. more. 3. If there's a problem on one side of the river, guests can transfer to the other ship. But while the cruise companies may have foreseen this, clients haven't. 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 . That trip was cancelled do to covid, and we were assured by Viking that everything was fine and we rebooked for Jan 2022. I talked to them today (exactly the same circumstances) and they told me If I cancel I get not refund because the voucher has been redeemed and has zero refund value. All three companies said they are working to confirm replacement ports and will advise impacted guests and travel advisers as soon as possible.. Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary . The numbers of COVID-19 cases reported on cruise ships are stacking up again: At least 50 cases of COVID -19 on Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas. Second man charged with 2021 murder outside St. Paul Saloon In fact, Weeden believes that Rhine cruises "will be a thing of the past" before too long. 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. The river still "looks large and majestic -- it doesn't really give the image of a dried-up river," she says. St. Louis Park man killed cousin, local chef outside St. Paul funeral reception, charges say Very disappointed in Viking.In October 2019, while on our second Viking World Cruise, Viking announced and gave first opportunity to those on our cruise to be the first to travel to Antarctica on their brand new expedition ship. And if all else fails, they use the boat as a hotel, and bus travelers to their destinations each day. Viking did a superb job of cleaning as well as keeping everything as normal as possible. "We've had droughts before, but this low -- never. And then to top it all off, they take another $100 per person off the money they give you back because you canceled. Additionally, Viking highly recommends, but no longer requires, a pre-departure COVID-19 testunless one is required by the destination. There are also some Viking people here to do staff training, and some other Viking people with unknown functions that are not crew. Prochilo says that many river cruise boats are specifically built with flatter hulls to deal with low water levels. 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. We rebooked for 2022 on 11/30/2020. Viking Cruises has cancelled all 2022 departures on its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. These are all the cruise ships Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity have postponed. We give you our exclusive bonus offers, plus all qualifying cruise line offers, plus all of the cruise line loyalty program benefits. Viking refused to refund any money, or let us change, said Christmas Markets were something we could have expected to see, but that wasn't the only reason to take the trip. Four of us experienced the Viking "Chateaux, rivers and Wines" river cruise. On your scheduled departure, we must operate at a reduced capacity as we continue to ramp up service. I even took a picture at night showing the lighting from the ceiling. Fares started from USD 45000 per person with double occupancy. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged . Tisza borders the Hortobgy National Park, a landscape of plains and wetlands, that has UNESCO World Heritage status. "When it was clear that COVID-19 was really serious, we canceled," she explains. They'll also look beyond rivers. Although there are "no problems" on the Austrian stretch, authorities told CNN last Friday, the situation in Hungary -- perhaps the most famous part of the Danube -- is more concerning. She's not alone. A ship might leave a destination a couple of hours early, for example. So glad I was talked into that scam. Book your next cruise for great fares and valuable benefits! As you may be aware, due to circumstances beyond our control, construction of the custom-built Viking Mississippi was delayed, impacting the ships delivery date and the preparations necessary to welcome guests on board, reads a Sept. 8 letter from Viking to a California-based passenger who opted for a full refund. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The 138-day itinerary visits ports in 28 countries with overnights in 11 port cities. Danube River Cruises. Itineraries include voyages to the Antarctica, the Arctic and the Great Lakes in North America. But, if youd rather have a refund for your canceled cruise, you need to request it from Viking before August 24, 2020. 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. Viking Neptune itinerary program was announced by VIKING OCEAN in late-December 2020. Guests and their travel agents on impacted departures have been notified directly by Viking Guest Services. And she's not taking any chances -- watching the water levels drop on the Rhine over the past month has made her advise would-be bookers to wait till next year. Also Check: How Cold Is Alaska Cruise In July. "I'm also advising them to cruise earlier in the season as the river levels don't seem to be a problem if traveling in May or June versus July or August," she says. The first Viking River Cruise I took was the Rhine Christmas Market Cruise with my sister. The luxury river cruise line, Scenic, scrapped all of its 2022 Russia cruises. For 25 years, we have always had the highest standards for health and cleanliness, and our protocol enhancements make Viking even safer. Uefa moved footballs Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris and Formula One cancelled the Russian grand prix, which is reportedly potentially set to move to Turkey. The Tisza lake cross-swimming event scheduled for the 13th of August was canceled.". When my travel agent called to verify the booking would push everything as initially booked she was told that ALL the perks we had received would no longer be provided. Guests and travel agents on impacted departures are in the process of being notified. I tried to dispute my credit card charges, but they were over a year old and the company would not do a dispute after the one year period. Passengers have said their consolation letter or on-board experience seems to raise the possibility of all three.