Viking Cruises

We did the Grand European Tour in October.

Overall we had an ok time, but I would never do this again. Maybe with a different company but our lovely 25th anniversary River cruise turned into ugly docking situations and bus rides.

Not worth the price.

Initially, I did thorough research and knew low water levels may be a problem so I purchased the very high priced trip insurance that allows you to cancel for any reason. Unfortunately Viking didnt let on there were issues before we boarded our plane. We arrived to be told that we wouldnt be boarding in Budapest at all, and our time in Budapest would be impacted by the need for the first of many bus trips to board. Water levels affected us one more time midway through the cruise and we had to swap ships, which resulted in a fellow passenger having their luggage lost.

We reserved a suite and I was so looking forward to having coffee on my balcony and a relaxing read out there every once in a while.

Well, imagine how shocked I was when most mornings you open your curtains and find you are staring directly into the cabin of another boat. They tie all the boats together next to each other to dock. So much for the view

Lastly, there was a problem at some point navigating through some locks overnight and we woke to find out we had reversed and sailed backwards to dock at a port that was behind us. To try to see the most scenic section of the river, a series of bus rides and smaller boats were lined up to try to get us there.

The ship wouldnt be able to make it before dark and we would miss it otherwise. My husband decided to go on this but I stayed back. I wouldnt say I often get car sick but I did on the buses and this was an extended day of bussing. No thanks.

Most of the logistical problems they had on our boat had nothing to do with water levels.

They struggled to meet the promised itineraries. The cruise director did a wonderful job and all the passengers adapted and tried to enjoy themselves, but it doesnt make me want to do it ever again.

They told us Viking would be contacting us to get some sort of compensation for the disastrous itinerary, but I heard nothing.

After a couple weeks I reached out to them myself. After explaining our disappointment in our anniversary vacation, they stated they would give us $1K credit for our next trip (um, Im sorry what next trip) and we would have to sign an NDA.

Keep in mind, the trip for both of us cost over $30K.

So clearly I signed nothing and I thought you all should know what could happen on these boats.

Wife and I started out on our 3rd Viking Cruise, having had a perfect river cruise in April 2019, and an "okay " ocean cruise in April 2023. This latest cruise would be the Christmas Markets cruise up the Danube, with 2 days in Prague, then 2 days in Nuremberg...before starting the river cruise.

We went all in on this cruise, Business Class round-trip air from Seattle to Prague, then Budapest back to Seattle, and one of the 2 Explorer Suites on the Viking Atla, which included private transportation and transfers, all part of the Explorer Suite services.

Once we landed in Prague, there was NO Viking rep to meet us, or transfer us to the Art Nueveau Palace hotel in Prague.

After waiting, we found our own transportation to the hotel.

No Viking rep to meet us at the hotel, so I called the Viking phone number, and they said they would send someone immediately...never showed up.

Two days later the Viking transportation was there to transfer us to the Le Meridian Grand hotel in Nuremberg, where we spent 2 days and nights, but NEVER saw a Viking rep again after that.

No one to transfer us to the Viking Atla in Regensburg...which was rerouted to Passau due to high water levels in the river. We called the Viking phone number again...and again they said they would have someone there immediately...but they never showed up.

We got our own transportation to Regensburg, waited at the port terminal, as instructed, then found out the boat was in Passau, but when we call the Viking phone number for the 3rd time, they told us to wait at the port terminal in Regensburg, and we would be shuttled to Passau.

Next day, we found out that the ship left Passau without us.

We flew home...and will NEVER again spend a dollar on a Viking Cruise.

We have been loyal Viking customers for over 5 years now having been on 4 ocean cruises, the last one being to Antarctica in March of this year. We got our good friends to go with us to Antarctica and even took our parents one year for an anniversary present on the British Isles cruise.

I never thought I would have any complaints against them until now.

We decided to book another cruise onboard our Antarctica trip in March (for the Arctic Northern Lights) the following Februrary (2024). We sat with the booking conceirge, picked our room and was even asked if we had planned on buying the trip insurance. As always, the answer was a "yes" but opted to pay for it when the balance of our voyage was due in 5 months. As we travel a lot for our work, when the invoice came in, a copy of the invoice along with the Travel Insurance brochure was included and I paid it in full.

In my haste, I thought the trip insurance was included.

Fast forward 6 weeks later after making my payment, my husband got a cancer diagnosis for a "high risk" cancer that needs treatment right away that will impede on our scheduled trip. I checked Viking's cruise calendar online and they showed availability on every trip after our scheduled trip. I called customer service and asked if I could simply move my date to about a month later. That's when I was informed I did not have the travel insurance I thought I did.

I tried to explain I wasn't asking for a cancellation but just to move the date to not impede on my husband's cancer treatment.

The customer care representative I spoke with was very "as a matter of fact" with me and told me that it "wasn't fair to the customers who bought the travel insurance". I tried to explain that I thought it was purchased and added to the invoice as we had included it on our onboard booking. It was my mistake for not looking closer at the invoice the date it was sent and paid but obviously my concern was just getting it paid that day. She proceeded to tell me that invoices are sent out regularly (which is not true), the most recent being 2 days prior which I explained I had to request online since it's not accessible through your Viking portal.

Only at the time of booking and the time of payment request was an invoice provided.

Since I was not able to move my dates, they would only allow me to cancel the trip entirely with a penalty of about 36% due to the timing being almost 90 days before departure. While I was able to recoup a little less then 2/3 of our trip cost, the issue was that if we were to rebook the same trip a month later, we would have had to do so after paying the penalty fee of cancelling.

This in my opinion is a huge fault in Viking's cancellation policy. First of all, the way the trip insurance is marketed and billed needs to be addressed as it needs to be more clear. With the plethora of emails we receive almost daily via mail and email for marketing, one would think that an email specifically to pay for this would be included somewhere in the necessary time frame as a gentle reminder if anything, since it is apparently done separately and not through booking with them.

It is almost as if they count on you to NOT get it by lack of information and/or any reminders. Second, they should allow your booking (invoice) be viewed from their portal so you know what you are paying for specifically and not having to search through emails to find. Everything in one place would be efficient. Lastly and most importantly, I feel that some instances should be dealt with on an individual basis and not with a boiler plate policy standard as I felt we were dealt with.

It makes no sense that we couldn't have just moved our dates to accommodate the necessary cancer treatment and still use the space available on a later cruise for the same trip.

I had even offered to upgrade our room, giving Viking more money for our trip just to accommodate the change for both of us but there was absolutely no room for any negotiation or consideration.

As such, I want Viking to know that they have lost a valued customer, one that would have continued to cruise with them every year, taking their friends and family with them. Is your cancellation policy such that we are not even valued as a continued return customer? Apparently so.

With that said, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take us off all of your marketing mail and email lists. If we continue to receive, I will continue to write bad reviews and complaints against you as now every time we receive, it feels like a "punch in the gut".

Disappointed, Genette and Kevin Simpkins

Wouldnt recommend Viking Cruise Line for a 3 hour tour to Gilligans Island. I have had some surgeries and while I can walk short distances with canes, I also use a mobility scooter.

Reading the information on Vikings website, I realized the old, heavy scooter I have been using for years was too large. Since it needed to be replaced anyway, I shopped around until I found one that fit the specifications as stated, and even though it comes apart into 4 pieces with the heaviest piece is only 30 pounds and there are 5 other healthy people to help carry it, they said NO!

The scooter was too heavy. Viking certainly doesnt cater to seniors.

After a series of mishaps from airline we get to out pre cruise and luggage had been lost the next day we called Viking after learning the airport found it and was told by Viking it would get delivered to hotel and if not then to the ship. Upon arrival to ship 3 days latter no bag.

Then called and was told by another representative it is not their job to find our luggage. Guest services said they made an attempt to call and no answer. My daughter calls from the states and having luggage delivered to a post trip hotel. The heart breaking thing is we have had very little clothes as we did have enough sense to half our luggage so if this did happen we would have something.

Plus room dirty and headboard peeling g for top notch ship. Sad!!

If you cancel a Viking trip at least 120 days before departure you received a 10O% refund. I did not learn that I have to have surgery and would be unable to travel until the 115th day before departure.

I immediately informed Viking that I wanted to rebook for a time when I would be well enough to travel. They would not deviate from their policy of retaining 20% of the cost of the trip. I told them doing so would prevent me from being able to afford to rebook, but they were unmoved. This was to be my 4th Viking cruise.

They have now lost two repeat customers over their insistence on retaining $1,200 - an amount which I am sure, is meaningless to them but very meaningful to someone on a fixed modest income who saves all year to be able to take these trips.

Their response? Sorry to see you go but thats our policy.

No doubt they will sell my room to someone else, suffer no financial damage, and to the contrary, will reap a windfall.

I will not travel on Viking again.

We had a large group of friends (22) that went on a Viking Greek Islands Cruise in 2022 and have a 15 day Mediterranean Cruise booked for October, 2024.

In our last cruise it was upsetting that a company that claims to care about the environment would hand out 1000s of disposable bottled water a day. They even handed them out on islands that banned disposable bottled water AND INSTRUCTED US TO HIDE THEM!

I have spoken to Viking twice about my concerns with a solution, but have not heard if Viking has made any changes. My suggestion is to provide a reusable, refillable water bottle with the Viking logo for each passenger in the cabin upon boarding and install bottle filling stations at each elevator, much like the ones in every airport in the US.

Please let me know if this suggestion has been considered or hopefully been implemented.

We live Viking and are hopeful that you will take this step to be better stewards of the environment.

Don't book with Viking unless your are only booking one cabin. They have no idea how to manage someone booking two or three rooms as I was.

I booked three cabins. First, I couldn't manage them online unless I opened three MyJourney accounts (ridiculous). Then, payment wasn't manageable because my name wasn't on the cabins. Duh, I'm not staying in every room, just paying for every room.

Cost me $600 to cancel, but well worth it to avoid the nightmare I was having with Customer Service and managing three cabins having to be under different names and payment options.

They need to come into the 21st Century with their IT department. And customer service brought me to tears out of frustration.

I used to think Viking was a dream trip, now I know...never taking a Viking cruise ever.

You NEVER get your money back if you change cruisesand they never tell you.

We had a cruise cancelled during COVID and received a future cruise credit. We booked another cruise the following year, but had to cancel due to a family health emergency.

We have taken several river cruises, and even an ocean cruise with Viking. When we called to cancel NO ONE at Viking told we would lose our money (almost $8000j and get no future cruise credit.

Despite several calls, emails, and intervention by our travel agent, Viking was unwilling to consider any option, other than our losing our money.

They are wonderful on the sales end, but we have learned through this experience, that Viking is terrible about customer service after they have your money. Not that they care, but we will never book another Viking cruise, and have told everyone we know about their lousy response and poor attitude.

We were on a river cruise that had a weather contingency, which is fine. We spent way more time on buses but we rolled with it.

The asked us to change ships mid trip and in our haste to pack we left our passports and cash in the room safe. We thought, no big deal, someone will bring them to us. Nope, they put them in the mail only to discover after you can't mail passports and cash. Our passports are still at the DHL depot and we will never see them again.

Had to waste a day in Paris going to French Police and Embassy.

No refund, they take no responsibility and say "you should have bought travel insurance". This was our first Viking cruise and it will be our last.