But to be honest, at this point in time, I would prefer it if tourists from outside of Europe did not come at all. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. Following the naming ceremony, the 930-passenger ship will spend her inaugural summer sailing two new sailings: Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada, between New York and Reykjavik, and Iceland & Norway's Arctic Explorer, between Reykjavik and Bergen. Vikings expedition ships will have everything from zodiacs to two six person submarines . Three weeks ago, we did request refunds on all our extra excursions and these refunds have yet to show up on the credit card. Are they giving you the option of a refund if you cancelled due to the itinerary change? Historic Wittenberg, home to Martin Luther. The ship has now begun sailing with her first guests, but we are still putting the finishing touches on the overall experience and refining the itinerary, the letter continues. 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. Indulge in complimentary programming on a flat-screen LCD TV with an easy-to-use remote. It might just push us to get a cash refund now and look for someone else. I believe the 125% FCC is for bookings through the end of April. Recently I have tried to get the final payment pushed back a month or so no luck. Needless to say, my response did not include any of these qualities.. Read our. Russia has banned UK airlines from its airspace in response to the UK doing the same for Russian carriers as part of a raft of sanctions slapped on Russia in response to its aggression in Ukraine. 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. Germany is locking down for unvaccinated but stores etc. 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. 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. We canceled our Viking Oberammergau cruise for September the week that our final payment was due. (Dave Kettering/Telegraph Herald via AP) A Viking river cruise ship heading . Despite the canceled 2020 cruise season, Viking has high hopes for 2021 and beyond. Fully refunded were also all prepurchased through Viking packages and services. Viking River Cruises : does not do the right thing when things go wron. If my health made such an option not possible, I would not come at all. @Glammee if you are on board, have a splendid time. Two down, 25 in the EU to go. Reporter who fled Taliban now writes for fellow refugees in St. Paul "We have planned alternative ports and will communicate itinerary changes in the next few days to our guests and travel partners. Here is a sample of what you will see on one of our European river cruises: Visits to Germany's charming wine-producing villages. Both packages are priced from USD 50000 per person . :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 think philosophically, its time for me to get MY money from them. 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. Featured review. 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. I tried doing as you said and they wouldnt budge. I am glad I don't have anything booked but do know some who do and wish the cruise lines would just cancel. Our cruise was Sept 4. When more than one cruise is booked, deposit and payment policies apply per Cruise Fare. We are also on the 11/25 sailing on the Vali. Future Cruise Vouchers valued at 125% are available exclusively for those guests whose cruise was cancelled due to, or associated with, our suspended operations. Viking Cruises has launched several new river and ocean cruise ships that join their impressive fleet, taking passengers on incredible journeys across the world. "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 were kind of excited about going with them because were close friends, Alvie Blankenship said. Local News | Poseidon Expeditions is the latest addition to this list after a March 17 statement announcing that seven polar voyages are canceled for the summer. I would say that for yourselves you have made the right decision. Generous closets, plentiful USB ports and US/EU outlets, plush robes and slippers add to your comfort. But thoseshould be the rare exception rather than the rule. "Update: Cruise Lines Cancel Ukraine and Russia Calls." And, more likely than not, our cruise is goingto cost more. Talked to Viking and they insist they were done. The new ship is currently scheduled to start operations with a Viking World Cruise 2022-2023. The page you were looking for may have moved, been deleted or does not exist. But they did keep $300 total unrefunded - $100 each cancellation penalty plus $50 each air penalty. The same for their Grand European Tour. Not that that prevents problems. We had two ports of call, aka shore days, in Liverpool and Falmouth. I can't see why they are putting profits above well being of their crew and passengers. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. Owned & operated fleet, with the best docking locations in Europe. 2 Viking River Cruises canceled all Russian river cruises and its planned Kyiv, Black Sea & Bucharest routes this year due to the events. Rivers; Oceans; Expeditions; Complimentary Brochures; Call Viking at 1-800-304-9616 or Contact Your Travel Advisor. 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. Last year they tried to hold the line on this and got so much pushback that they backed off. 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 Then in 2022, they expect the debut of two new expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. Fortunately I have many choices for river cruises and can speak with my wallet. To be covered by this guarantee, you must make a reservation on a 2022 voyage between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. The sailing, a . Guests can feel comfortable knowing they are able to reschedule their cruise with our Cruise with Confidence program," the statement read. The cruise turned into a very expensive and deceptive bus trip through Europe. %PDF-1.6 % Meanwhile, sporting events were moved from 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. @garlinn decided to cancel, which leaves another poster. Fairytale windmills of The . ", "Norwegian Cruise Cancels Sailings to Russia, Ukraine Ports. Reviewed 15 August 2018 via mobile . INTRODUCTION Your contract is with Viking River Cruises UK Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (Co. No.01283655) whose Shorter itinerary segments are also available for booking, including the 119-day Viking World Horizons 2022 that visits 49 ports in 22 countries. Viking Saturn will officially be named in New York on June 6 by its godmother, philanthropist and chairman of the Metropolitan Opera Ann Ziff. "Norwegian Cruise Cancels Sailings to Russia, Ukraine Ports." Our money was refunded by Tuesday. After six decades of arts education, founder of St. Paul-based ArtStart to retire To start the list, here are my favorite things about sailing with Viking which will be followed by top things my friends, family, and fellow travel writers love about a Viking Cruise. We were all set to fly to Prague in a few days to begin our trip from there to Berlin then London. Helen Prochilo of cruise specialist Promal Vacations calls European river cruising "the hottest thing we are selling this year." A little too hot: Although none of her clients have been affected yet, she says that among her fellow agents, one had a client's cruise canceled this week, and another had their itinerary adjusted. When you are covered by the Risk-Free Guarantee you may change your cruise reservation with notification to Viking. A friend is leaving to go on a Viking Rhine this weekend. 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. Cruise Critic. I have to correct this mistake. Aaron, so far its only Bavaria and Saxonia. We look forward to exploring the world with you, whenever and wherever you choose to sail with us. Here you can compare all Viking cruise ships and their itineraries, destinations, and departures dates. The logistics of booking a trip that included an extensive itinerary that Viking covers would have been impossible to do on my own. . How long did they tell you it would be before you actually received your refund? At this time, our Mississippi River itineraries are operating as scheduled. However, we will continue to provide testing if a guest reports symptoms, requests a test, or if our Medical Team deems necessary. 125% Future Cruise Vouchers: The Ultimate in Flexibility and Value. But, if youd rather have a refund for your canceled cruise, you need to request it from Viking before August 24, 2020. Our cruise is not until November 2020 and the current FCC/cancel for full refund policy does not apply to us. The 386-passenger ship, custom-built for the river, departed St. Pauls Lamberts Landing as planned, but the Pletchers were not aboard it. Vali has 3 days in Austria. Ward 1 convention ends in walk-out, no endorsement after grueling 9 1/2 hours I have already cancelled my independent air reservations and hotel in Amsterdam. Theyll refund the vouched amount to you. I believe Crystal's Rhine cruises are still a go. She clarified that we did indeed get that as FCC also. Note: For the itinerarys all call ports see at the ships Wiki section here. Just a day before they cancelled the cruise because of the COVID-19 Pandemic I called to cancel and asked for a refund. We need twin beds; is this possible? Passengers from across the country say theyve received letters from the cruise company informing them their reservation, paid for more than two years in advance, had been canceled just days ahead of departure. 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. Im hoping they cancel rather than making us make the call. The Pletchers arent the only couple who have been bumped from Vikings new Mississippi River cruises at the last minute. The longer/71-day itinerary visits 33 ports . And Hungary? I am falling behind with the news. Travel Pulse. Itineraries include voyages to the Antarctica, the Arctic and the Great Lakes in North America. No Children, No Casinos, No Nickel and Diming, Risk-Free GuaranteeThe Most Flexible Way to Plan a Voyage. Im just not sure what will happen to Viking if this hold on river cruises is prolonged. For us that was a year prior to sailing. The ships will sail everywhere from Antarctica to the Great Lakes to Ireland and Norway. While Viking Neptune departs on December 23 , Viking Sky departs earlier , sailing in parallel with Neptune. He came to the Pioneer Press in 2005 and brings a testy East Coast attitude to St. Paul beat reporting. On your scheduled departure, we must operate at a reduced capacity as we continue to ramp up service. 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. Special savings plus Free airfare valid on select 2024 departures. I didnt want to ante up that large amount of cash knowing that it could not happen as planned. However, due to ongoing travel restrictions in Europe and the USA, as well as Canadas and Australias ban on cruise shipping, Viking canceled the entire 2020 program in mid-August.