viking river cruises cancelled viking river cruises cancelled

Atlas Ocean VoyagesVisits to St. Petersburg have been dropped from Atlas summer Baltic itineraries. The Travel Protection Plan includes a non-insurance . Cruise Industry News. If the Omicron variant is giving you enough anxiety that delaying your cruise, there is usually an opportunity to cancel your cruise thanks to more flexible policies from the cruise lines. 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 too were very unhappy with Vikings pay in full policywe paid in full 18 months before the cruise is scheduled to run. Fairytale windmills of The . In 2021, the cruise line plans to launch their seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus. We are still waiting for Viking to "refund" OUR money to our credit card. I was angry last Wednesday.Related Articles Over in Southeast Asia, a new river ship, Viking Saigon, will cruise the Mekong. The start of this story began in April 2021 when Viking CANCELED my July cruise to Norway and Iceland. Most cruise lines have enacted extremely fair and lenient refund policies for the time being. So I already received credit back for my deposit. I hope you can enjoy the remaining stops and Christmas markets to the full, as well as the great service on the ship. When I called just to inquire about this, I was told the first available trip was actually in 2025, because everything earlier was fully booked., In other words, Viking wanted to keep our money for three more years, after already having it for almost two years, said Pletcher, who instead demanded a full refund. 6 Russian stops on Viking's ocean itineraries will be modified, and impacted guests and travel advisors will be notified. Award-winning Viking Longships. This cruise began in Budapest, Hungary and ended in Bucharest, Romania with visits to Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanasi, Vidin , Golubac, and Belgrade , Osijek , and Kalocsa . After six decades of arts education, founder of St. Paul-based ArtStart to retire Viking Cruises has launched several new river and ocean cruise ships that join their impressive fleet, taking passengers on incredible journeys across the world. TripSavvy uses only high-quality, trusted sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Its unclear how many reservations have been terminated with days to spare, but a Facebook community page created by a ticket-holder on July 1 Viking Mississippi Cruise has drawn dozens of comments, many of them from worried or unhappy reservation-holders. As the conflict in Ukraine continues, cruise line after cruise line has altered itineraries with stops in Russian ports or canceled voyages entirely. Cancellation conditions 1. The luxury river cruise line, Scenic, scrapped all of its 2022 Russia cruises. There are numerous ship repair/maintenance people onboard and they are taking up rooms. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. I want the same policy from every agent.period! March 15, 2022. 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. 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. 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. Oceans; Expeditions; 775 0 obj <>stream I am falling behind with the news. 2. Better to cancel what you have and do it next year. %%EOF Theres a 24 month window to apply it to any river, ocean or expedition cruise. "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. Viking is still trying to figure out what they will do about rescheduling cruises for that year. 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. This and the fact that the Christmas Markets have been cancelled for all 5 stops in Bavaria has made us decide to cancel the cruise. Local News | Even though the service is great on the ships as many thousand past cruisers can attest. Just waiting to see what Germany does as well. When more than one cruise is booked, deposit and payment policies apply per Cruise Fare. Powered by Invision Community. Exceptions to this payment policy apply for cruise tours more than 35 days, including Viking's World & Grand Cruises which require a 20% deposit of the Full Fare at time of booking the cruise tour. So far, only one line -- Avalon Waterways -- has cancelled its Main and Danube voyages for the rest of the year. Carnival announced via Twitter they will be swapping Russia out of all current cruise itineraries in the coming week "once alternative ports can be confirmed." On February 24, Viking River Cruises cancelled all its 2022 departures with Ukraine river itineraries, and on 1 March, it also ceased all operations in Russia. 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. Then in 2022, they expect the debut of two new expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. Given recent events and the developing conflict in Ukraine, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all 2022 departures of our Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest itinerary. Since weve been together last 37 years weve done an enormous amount of traveling, Wasserman said. We are booked on Viking Vali beginning in 2 days with extension in Amsterdam and at the end in Budapest. This may help protect your travel investment, your belongings and most importantly, you, from many unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, including costs of circumstances that may arise related to COVID. In many cases, you can cancel on your own and get most, if not all, of your money back but with caveats. :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. I realize that to this point Viking has offered a generous cancellation policycancelup to 24 hours prior and receive a 125% FCC. It might just push us to get a cash refund now and look for someone else. March 17, 2022. I hope not. 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. CruiseMapper provides you with free of charge schedules with listed cheapest ticket prices per person per itinerary. I am glad I don't have anything booked but do know some who do and wish the cruise lines would just cancel. Culinary delights in Lyon, France. Therefore, Viking has discontinued all on board COVID testing fleetwide. As they're a private company details of things like their financing and debtaren't all that visible, but it seems they didn't useall their own money to pay for at least one of their ocean fleet - it's not a coincidence that Viking Sun was namedin Shanghai. Harvey Wasserman and his wife Arleen have always loved to travel. They said 21 days for refund. 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. They applied the refund to my balance but said I would still get it back on my Credit Card in the 21 Business Days. But Baden-Wrttemberg may follow too. The voyage starts from Port Everglades on December 24, 2021, and ends in London City England. We traveled last October, and our TA was told, without even having to ask for it, that final payment was due in May, 5 months from departure. Historic Wittenberg, home to Martin Luther. In mid-July 2020, Viking Ocean announced the companys Viking World Cruise 2021-2022 planned for MS Viking Star. It would be real interesting to see a movement by their customers against refusing to make full payment 1 and 2 years in advance. A few days ago we received a cryptic email from Viking that our itinerary might have changed and so here was a voucher for $499 for a future cruise . Viking River Cruises : does not do the right thing when things go wron. ", "Cruise Lines Cancel Scheduled Stops in Russia, Ukraine. No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. The travel insurance was purchased with Tripmate through Viking, Wasserman said. If you push back they provide better final payment dates. Main downstream from Wrzburg, Rhine and especially Moselle are better places to be. YMMV. They then said it is 21 Business days. Future Cruise Vouchers valued at 125% are available exclusively for those guests whose cruise was cancelled due to, or associated with, our suspended operations. 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. In the same post, the cruise line's holding company, Carnival Corporation, stood by Ukraine in light of the attacks, declaring, "We stand for peace.". In March-April 2021, Viking OCEAN announced plans to restart operations with. There are also some Viking people here to do staff training, and some other Viking people with unknown functions that are not crew. Menu. 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. The Oberammergau play is being rescheduled for 2022. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP) A Viking river cruise ship heading . The cruise turned into a very expensive and deceptive bus trip through Europe. 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. Owned & operated fleet, with the best docking locations in Europe. SwissMrs, March 25, 2020 in River Cruising. Additionally, Viking highly recommends, but no longer requires, a pre-departure COVID-19 testunless one is required by the destination. If not worse in a time when the markets were growing. I can't see why they are putting profits above well being of their crew and passengers. But did cancel some optional excursions and pre paid gratuities just to get a head start in case we do cancel the entire cruise. If it hadn't been a trip we really wanted to do, would not have done it. Read Also: What Does The Average Cruise Cost, Norwegian Cruise Line is removing planned stops in St. Petersburg from its 2022 sailings due to the escalated situation between Russia and Ukraine.. All affected bookings received a 125% refund in FCC with rebooking or 100% monetary refund. On September 12, 2023, departs Longitudinal World Cruise II . 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. Another record in daily infections reported today by Reuters. While Austria is locked down, ships will sail through the country and skip port calls there. We were three couples booking at once and they held firm to the payment in full 30 days past initial deposit. Rejuvenate in a king-size bed with a soft duvet and goose-down pillows. And our award-winning bathrooms feature large glass-enclosed showers with easy-to-see controls, premium Freyja toiletries, anti-fog mirrors and heated floors. Just to throw in another aspect: the "Viking way" as it has been illustrated by the previous posts is not how Viking does it in the UK. But they did keep $300 total unrefunded - $100 each cancellation penalty plus $50 each air penalty. We can always rebook. The elegant boulevards and grand monuments of Paris. Should any significant itinerary modifications become necessary, guests and their Travel Advisors will be notified directly by Viking. With today's news of Slovakia being in lockdown for the next two weeks, one has to wonder if the lines that haven't already cancelled the season should cancel the season. TheViking Mississippiwas not located in the storms path at the time, and all guests and crew are safe. Featured review. @garlinnin view of the fact that the Rhine River and the Danube River are lowandthe situation on the Rhine and Main are uncertain as regards Christmas markets, it would be more sensible for Viking to call off the Grand European. countries, Click this link to navigate to the Find A Cruise page, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Guests and their travel advisors on impacted departures have been notified directly by Viking customer relations. Our cruise was Sept 4. The company is also allowing him the option to transfer the cruise to someone else, according to Wasserman. As far as I know river cruises on the Rhine are still on. The ships will sail everywhere from Antarctica to the Great Lakes to Ireland and Norway. Not that that prevents problems. Maybe even mention that upfront----would they want to lose a sale over this policy? It's been observed again and again, despite what Viking initially tells you. Sounds bad, here is one report: https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/24/slovakia-becomes-the-second-european-country-to-go-into-lockdown-as-covid-cases-surge. It is best for everyone. Vikings expedition ships will have everything from zodiacs to two six person submarines . 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. Calls to St. Petersburg will be replaced by destinations in Finland and Estonia. They wouldnt even monitor cancellations and put us first in line to consider whether we could fill the vacancy.. 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. Here is a sample of what you will see on one of our European river cruises: Visits to Germany's charming wine-producing villages. Little more than a week ago, just four days before the first trip of the Viking Mississippi from the Mississippi Rivers headwaters to its mouth, the company informed them by mail that their reservation had been canceled. The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our top priority, a Viking representative told Travel Market Report. 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 . Boarding the Atla in Regensburg on November 28. . UPDATE: Harvey Wasserman tells News 6 he has accepted an offer from Viking to refund his wifes portion of the cruise. Viking OCEANs product was introduced in May 2015 with the launch of its first vessel MV Viking Star. 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 . | 4 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. The law requires vessels traveling between U.S. ports to carry U.S. crews and to be U.S.-owned, U.S.-registered and U.S.-built. 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. There was worse news to come. Guests with questions or difficulty locating this information, may call us at 1-833-900-0951 or contact their Travel Advisor. Airfare does not have to be . Viking took care of all the details. I called immediately and was given very little information, only that we could reschedule for the trip during 2023 or 2024 with a 110 percent credit, said Richard Pletcher, who is in his 70s. Passengers have said their consolation letter or on-board experience seems to raise the possibility of all three. Just my humble opinion. Dont Miss: Do You Need Passport For Alaskan Cruise. VIKING OCEAN restarted operations on May 22, 2021, with Viking Venus . Medieval Prague, "City of a Thousand Spires". I just did not see it in hercancellation confirmation email and thought it was lost. hbbd```b``"WH R,>!"A$}&MP*%&H@q';bW2;?MLL9 n? Forgot to use it? Of course there are unexpected circumstances that may necessitate setting aside policy. On your scheduled departure, we must operate at a reduced capacity as we continue to ramp up service. Passengers have called the latter easier said than done as trips fill up years in advance. Any positive case adds to our count, anyone who needs medical attention takes the personnel away from the locals, be it river cruiser or mountaineer. Speaking of lighting, the bathroom lighting was spectacular. 2) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation between March 1, 2021 to October 31, 2021; 3) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation between May 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021; 4) Risk-Free Guarantee for guests who made a reservation prior to April 30, 2020. Travel Weekly. All except $100 future cruise credit each. 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. The line said it was also evaluating 2022 itineraries that call in Russia with the view to modifying them where necessary. We will be doing the Rhine in December on Crystal. An additional four Arctic sailings have new itineraries. ), 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. So May 20th now. The price has shot up quite a bit from what we paid. As I said earlier this came into play as to the decisionwhether to request a refund or a FCC. 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. Learn what to expect if you decide to cancel your booked sailing, rather than waiting to see if your cruise line cancels it. Being a retired infection control nurse I would be very surprised to see European river cruises happening at all this summer. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. I chatted with a Viking agent yesterday to see if they might consider an approach like this for our Oct cruise. We need twin beds; is this possible? WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BOOKINGS? endstream endobj 734 0 obj <. When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. 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 While Viking Neptune departs on December 23 , Viking Sky departs earlier , sailing in parallel with Neptune. He Tweets with manic intensity at @FrederickMelo. As of this afternoon, their Romantic Danube departure on the Viking Atla on December 5 has been modified with an extra day in Budapest, added day in Bratislava, and a scenic sailing day through Austria before reaching Passau and Regensburg so it seems like they are trying to find a way to operate. Regent Seven Seas had particularly significant plans for Russia this year, with several stacked itineraries, including the Solovetsky Islands, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, St. Petersburg, and Odessa, Ukraine. He spent nearly six years covering crime in the Dakota County courts before switching focus to the St. Paul mayor's office, city council, and all things neighborhood-related, from the city's churches to its parks and light rail. Also Check: How Cold Is Alaska Cruise In July. Cruise Critic. Closer to home, Viking plans to build and launch their first ship to cruise the Mississippi river, Viking Mississippi. The 65-day itinerary visits 29 ports departs from Buenos Aires Argentina, visits the Antarctic Peninsula, continues northward around Cape Horn, along South Americas coast , passes through Panama Canal, then up to Mexico, Florida USA, NYC New York, Canada and via St Lawrence River to Ontario and via Detroit MI, ending in Milwaukee WI. We are currently on this ship, wrote passenger Dean Siddons on the Facebook page, during a trip to St. Paul on Sept. 15. Signature destinations include Central America, Panama Canal transit, USA West Coast, Hawaii, Transpacific crossing to New Zealand and Australia, Asia, Middle East, Suez Canal transit to Europe and the UK. Viking River Cruises canceled all Russian river cruises and its planned Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest routes this year due to the events. Viking, which operates both ocean and river cruises, has canceled all 2022 departures from its Kyiv, Black Sea and Bucharest itinerary. All three companies said they are working to confirm replacement ports and will advise impacted guests and travel advisers as soon as possible.. I was looking forward to it. If you were booked on any of the canceled Viking river or ocean cruises in 2020, you are entitled to a 125% Future Cruise Voucher for whatever amount you have paid. Our vaccine requirement for all guests and crew remains in placeand for the time being, our crew will keep testing as needed and will wear masks at all times. And when travel is less complicated, we are ready to resume operations and explore the world in comfort, again.