The itinerary includes 3 new ports of call for the cruise line: Nafplio, Volos and Thessaloniki in Greece, as well as a visit to Ephesus marking Viking's return to Turkey. Beginning on March 17, 2014, Viking christened 16 new boats over a 24-hour period, again setting an industry record. The final balance is due based on offer at They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called Italian Sojourn, which would travel around Italys boot from Civitavecchia to Venice. The itineraries are operated by three new riverboats - Viking Ra (March 2018), Viking Osiris (August 2022) and Viking Aton (September 2023). Passengers can experience the exciting scenery of Meteora, with its medieval monasteries, or explore the religious center of Dion, situated on the foothills of Mt Olympus. But a pattern is there that is certainly deliberate. In August 2020, Viking Cruises opened for sale two new Panama Canal itineraries - 18-day "Panama Canal and Coastal Holiday" (departing December 24, 2021) and 11-day "Classic Panama Canal Passage" (departing November 6 and 16, 2021, and visiting Key West, Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan, San Jose, Colon). Beer, soft drinks and wine by the glass are included with lunches and dinners. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Several Cruise Lines Cancel Sailings as Omicron COVID - Cruise Critic Please try again later. " We both have autoimmune conditions. Shorter itinerary segments are also available for booking, including the 119-day "Viking World Horizons 2022" (Los Angeles to London, departure January 10, 2022) that visits 49 ports in 22 countries. I hope I'm wrong but all the signs point to another round of cancellation--and I would rather be wrong than offer you false hope. 29-day Mediterranean's Iconic Shores, also sailing between Barcelona and Istanbul and including visits to Croatia and Montenegro. Fourteen new sailings for Iceland have been added as of this morning. Viking River Cruises provides travelers with top-quality cruisetours and the world's newest and most innovative fleet of newbuild riverboats (by the patented "longship" design). Our August 9th British isles Explorer cruise (which was supposed to be on the Venus) has obviously been canceled. Later was added the 21-day "Malta, the Adriatic and Greece". Couple fights to get full cash refund on $15K Viking River Cruise Keyles said she expected it would not be approved because they were not sick at the time of the planned travel. Ok as I predicted, all sold out cruises have been dropped from Viking as of this morning. I know a lot of this was not their fault and up till now I have been very pleased with how they were handling things, but this is just biting the hands that feed them! (We paid for Air+) I am really unhappy with Viking. Note: "Longship" is a new patented ship design. QueenofEverything, June 23, 2021 in River Cruising. In addition, Viking announced 3 new departures (in October, November and December 2021) of the 15-day "Panama Canal and Central America" itinerary roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida). Which means that some passengers will change ship and date. This is ourfourth attempt at this cruise! While Viking Neptune departs on December 23 (2023), Viking Sky departs earlier (on December 20, 2023), sailing in parallel with Neptune. Ship's expedition equipment is provided complimentary and to all passengers (regardless of cabin category). In late June, Keyles got a call from a Viking representative who said he would be reviewing the case. The "10-vessel fleet" news was officially announced in December 2017, when Viking Cruises signed the shipbuilding order for the 2 optional vessels. I'm not disappointed, just a bit disappointed in Viking's communications of a loyal 9 cruises and two more upcoming customer. Fosse's cruise and land tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19. These new types marine engines use 20% less fuel than the conventional ones. In April 2004 Viking expanded in China with cruise tours on Yangtze River. Vacationers can discover the beauty of Patagonia while sailing out of Santiago (Valparaiso, Chile) to Ushuaia (Argentina) on the new 2-week Patagonian Shores & Chilean Fjords itinerary, while passengers looking to explore destinations in North, Central & South America, can choose the new 18-day Panama & Scenic South America itinerary. Share. CC Help Jenn 8-day "New Orleans and Southern Charm" roundtrip from New Orleans. Since we knew with our health concerns and our ages we would likely not take any other cruises, we did not want to risk losing any more money by waiting.. The new ship was scheduled to start operations with a World Cruise 2022-2023. It worked out for us. When will Viking make the next cancellation announcement? The new company's fleet currently includes only Viking Sun (Zhao-Shang-Yi-Dun) but will be expanded by adding China-made newbuilds in the following years. This morning, we got the email that Italian Sojourn (Aug 1) has been cancelled, 125% voucher, yada yada. The company plans to add cruise ships on Mississippi River (USA). As of today I can still access MY Viking, but I expect that to change. Travelers can explore its Byzantine churches and Venetian homes, take a drive to the imposing fortress towering over the city, Palamidi, or travel to the Peloponnese peninsula. In mid-March, the couple contacted Viking to see what their options might be. Viking Cruises - Ships and Itineraries 2023, 2024, 2025 - CruiseMapper Journey with the world's #1 river cruise line. Note: CruiseMapper's Viking ship schedules show departure and call ports (including towns and cities visited on shore excursions), themed voyages (holiday, itinerary themes) and port times (arrival-departure / port stays and overnights). 15-day "America's Great River" from New Orleans to St. Paul on nearly the entire length of the Mississippi River (multiple sailing dates in June, September, and October 2023) prices start at US$11000 per person, with discounted airfare from US$200 per person. By Viking ships are nonsmoking (interior) with a dedicated smoking area on Sundeck. Viking Expeditions ships operate in Arctic-Antarctica, Great Lakes, USA and Canada), Viking Ocean (global). Two of the longships (Astrild and Beyla) are specifically designed for Elbe River. On 7/15 I got an email that said our cruise was going as scheduled. Email also stated ", Because we have cancelled itineraries that were not possible to operate given current circumstances, including your sailing, we have redeployed our ocean fleet to the new. 10 more were launched in 2013, and additional 18 launched in 2014 (including 2 smaller ships purpose-built for Douro River in Portugal). Plus the refunds went on as a voucher which had to be used before we boarded!! As of 2020, Viking fully owned and operated a fleet of 6 ocean liners plus 76 riverboats (almost all of which are of the patented Longship-Class). Following the COVID crisis, in May 2021 VIKING OCEAN scheduled for three ships (Sea, Venus, Star) a mini-season (July-October departures) based on 11-day roundtrips (3 itineraries) from homeport Valletta Malta. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. No phone person is going to give you anything but the party line. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Just phoned Viking UK as still locked out of My Viking Journey and informed that there is nothing to worry about, Cruise is still going ahead on 3rd August and that MVJ page will be accessible in another 48 hours it is just being updated. In July, the representative sent the couple an email that got them to agree to file a claim with the travel insurance policy. Deliveries were scheduled for 2026 and 2027 (2x units) and 2028 (2x units). If you do not get cash compensation (from the travel insurance), Viking agrees to revisit your case and work out a settlement involving some amount of cash compensation rather than travel vouchers, he wrote. Great service, great listening to concerns, we couldn't be happier. Viking Cruises Extends Suspension Until June 2021 Prices start at US$4,400 per person with discounted airfare. CC Help Jenn Funny, we are on the Rhine & Viking Shores and Fjords on August 3rd this year and this is still showing although I cannot get onto My Viking Journey as it is saying that "We're sorry, but our site is currently undergoing maintenance". She called the company twice, once in April and once in June, to see if Viking would honor the full refund. However, due to ongoing travel restrictions in Europe and the USA, as well as Canada's and Australia's ban on cruise shipping, Viking canceled the entire 2020 program (river+ocean) in mid-August. Among the vessels' innovative marine technologies are energy-saving hybrid engines, top-deck solar panels, pollution-minimizing exhaust systems. Viking refusing to refund given COVID risks! - Review of Viking Cruises Details of world cruise itineraries for 2024-2025 have been released by Viking Cruises as the company reported strong demand for longer itineraries Viking Cruises named its newest ocean ship, Viking Neptune, with a celebration on Sunday, January 8th, in Los Angeles CA. Cruise Lines International Association/CLIA's projections for 2020 were that the number of Chinese cruisers to Europe will be the same (or larger) in comparison to the Americans. Fingers crossed we get to go on this one. Effective Date: November 1, 2021 Sailing Window: All 2022 sailings Departing on December 22, 2022, from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale Florida), Viking World Voyage 2022 visits ports in Central America, follows Panama Canal transit and sailing up North America's West Coast. With penalties and costs that would not be reimbursed, including the cost of travel insurance, the couple had lost nearly $6,500 in cash. But on Mar 11 (9 days later), a notice on Viking site stating all cruises cancelled and offering full refund or 125% voucher and refund if not used in 2 years. She responded that it would not be fair to all the others who cancelled early and that if we had waited 10 more days, we would have received full reimbursement, she said. The 7-ship "virtual" naming ceremony was via satellite connections and held in 4 riverports - Basel Switzerland (Sigrun and Einar), Rostock Germany (Ullur and Sigyn), Brunsbuttel Germany (Vali and Tir) and Oporto Portugal (Helgrim). Viking Ocean's port agent for China is Wallem Ship Agency China. The reason for. Viking is the only cruise line to have a full PCR testing labratory onboard. MVJ is locked for this specific cruise , and if you try to book the cruise (UK website) the first available Fjords cruise in now April 2022. Compared to similar-class vessels operated by other companies, Viking OCEAN itineraries feature fewer sea days, longer port stays and many overnight ports of call. Aula Auditorium also doubles as Cinema, being fitted with a retractable screen (covering the entire window wall towards the stern) and latest sound and visual equipment. Northern Europe/Baltic cruises depart from Norway (Bergen) and Sweden (Stockholm). Viking OCEAN's product was introduced in May 2015 with the launch of its first vessel MV Viking Star. Ultimately she said that she would honor his statement, even if he wasnt authorized to make any offer to us, and would offer us a $500 cash settlement as a gesture of goodwill, Keyles said. See below the list of main Viking OCEAN itineraries as themes and ports of call: All voyages include overnight stays in both ports (of departure and final disembarkation). CruiseMapper's Viking schedules also show how much will cost you to travel with the Viking brand. The first custom vessel of the company, Viking Mississippi, is scheduled to debut in August 2022 and sail on the Lower and Upper Mississippi River, between New Orleans and Saint Paul. Viking cruise voucher problem: Don't forget to read the fine print! In January 2022, Viking became the world's first (and only) cruise line to built full-scale PCR laboratories onboard all OCEAN and EXPEDITION ships. VikingCruises, Community Specialist at Viking Cruises, responded to this review Responded December 1, 2021 Thank you for your review, Anna. In the mid-1990s, the company's founder, Torstein Hagen enjoyed a river cruise in Russia and was so excited that decided to create his own river cruising company. Started June 21, 2021, By In 2013, the company launched its new brand "Viking Ocean Cruises". Everybody please keep reporting. Poor Customer Service, Refund Policy due to Covid-19 - Review of Viking air is received. Multiple sailing dates are available in December 2022 and pricing starts at US$4,000 per person with discounted airfare. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Karin Price Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. The experience (touted beneficial to the body's blood circulation) includes heating in a sauna (steam bath), then walking into this small room. Most passenger staterooms (189 total) are with French balconies, excluding only Deck 6's Suites (OS-Owner, ES-Explorer). I just paid for a cruise using a voucher. In Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) Viking River Cruises charters riverboats from the Pandaw fleet - including the ships Katha Pandaw (as Viking Mandalay), and Orient Pandaw (as Viking Orient). Exclusively for Viking Expeditions voyages, Viking Cruises partnered with Cambridge University's Scott Polar Research Institute (Polar Museum) that specializes in polar researches and glaciology. Ten days later, on March 30, Viking announced the cruise was canceled and 100% cash refunds would be given to customers but only for those who hadnt canceled previously. It appears that all 2021 Scandinavian based cruises are no longer available. Later on 7/15 we got an apology email stating they made an error and that we would indeed be on the 9/3 cruise - in a different stateroom and our prebooked excursions were gone as well. China Merchants Viking Cruises' General Manager is Wu Wei. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By On both riverboats, all the hotel staff is Mandarin-speaking, all the signage is in Mandarin (from menus to toiletries). On September 12, 2023, departs "Longitudinal World Cruise II" (on Viking Polaris). Multiple sailing dates are available in August and September 2023 and 2024. All Viking OCEAN ships offer destination-rich itineraries marked by "small ship cruise" tour and onboard experiences. LauraS Viking's Arctic cruises (to Svalbard Islands and Arctic Russia) are roundtrips from homeport Tromso Norway and priced from USD 14,000 per person (double-occupancy balcony cabin). at a time when other cruise lines are canceling. Paid for a cruise in Nov 2021 for an Oct 2022 cruise . My TA had called them two days prior to the rescheduling to ask why we were locked out of our MVJ acct & she was told they were just "doing maintenance" on their systems and everything was fine!! Next YouTube video is about the original longships of the Vikings. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. In 2016-Q3, Viking Flusskreuzfahrten AG terminated the charter deals with Pericon AG (shipowner) and stopped to operate the riverboats Viking Spirit (now Seine Comtesse), Viking Sun (now Rhein Melodie), Viking Helvetia (now Rhein Symphonie), Viking Pride (now Bijou du Rhone) and Viking Danube (now Filia Rheni 2). Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Your booking is currently locked for updates. The first boat (Viking Mississippi) starts operations in August 2022. In 2000 Viking enlarged into the US market by establishing company's US headquarters in Los Angeles, California. It could be true for the Main and I think they intend it also for the Elbe. Cunard Line canceled cruises on the Queen Victoria through Aug. 27 and the Queen Mary 2 through Nov. 12. the same ship. Changed to Aug 29. One thing that isn't clear to me is if you must use all of the voucher on a single cruise. Hope this is right as our September Amsterdam to Bergen no longer shows on Viking website. China Merchants Group's shipbuilding subsidiaries will design and construct the newbuilds for the new company. We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical . Note: For the itinerary's all call ports see at the ship's Wiki section here. The list of its services also includes. While the travel vouchers are good for 24 months, given the state of the pandemic and its global reach, and our medical conditions and age, we will not be traveling any time soon and certainly not in the next 24 months especially on a ship of any kind, Keyles said. Had they waited 10 more days, they would have received the full refund. Call us at 800-454-0927 to speak to a Cruise Concierge today. Viking canceled all 2021 Ukraine river cruises early in April 2021, much earlier than some of their other river or ocean cruises. The largest cruise ship to ever sail on the Mississippi River is scheduled to set sail after June 2023. This looks to me like a lot of cruises that they have been taking reservations for and collecting payment for may be cancelled. Similarly named is the Finland-based cruiseferry company VIKING LINE (1959-founded). I had an online chat with Viking yesterday, where he said that our cruise had not been cancelled (yet) and to check back in 24-48 hours when MVJ is back online. 2021 Mediterranean cruises start in September while any river cruise I checked still starts in July. Cailey Rizzo. By The liners will be developed by VARD Design (Norway) with hulls constructed in Romania (. Our Viking cruise embarkation was delayed by 2 days, shortening our trip from 12 to 10 days. He started in 1997 by purchasing four Russian vessels. Will Viking River Cruises Be Cancelled? The Hangar is an aft-located indoor marina for launching the smaller-sized RIBs (rigid inflatable boats). The lack of communication is extremely disappointing! A different Viking representative called them back. This is our 3rd cancellation we originally had a river cruise last spring, then theMediterranean this July, and now August. Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works Highlights of the Greek Odyssey itinerary include: The cruise fare includes balcony cabins for all passengers, complimentary shore excursions in all ports, all onboard meals, complimentary wifi, wine and beer with lunch and dinner, access to spa's Thermal Suite, and 24-hour room service. Viking Cruises' Risk-Free Guarantee Policy NEW [Temporary] Policy: The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departure?and Viking will waive any fees. Just got the official email from Viking saying our cruise has been canceled with the details of the 125% future cruise voucher which must be used on a 2021 or 2022 cruise. Fingers crossed that it will all work out in the end. Finse Terrace also provides alfresco dining and drinking when weather permits. Worldwide, Viking Cruises hires over 2,500 staff and crew. Viking Cruises China's Managing Director is Brendan Tansey. The strong demand led Viking to open 2024 cruise dates sooner than expected. Viking Cruises' ocean liners made the company world's largest "small ship cruise" brand with a dominant share on the luxury travel market (23,9 % by year 2020). Disney Cruise Line . Viking Cruises' arrival to the Mississippi represents a commitment to tourism and economic development in a lot of communities along the river, with the new sailings expected to bring 5,800+ guests to the region in 2022 and 17,600+ during the first full cruise season in 2023. All passengers and crew are daily tested onboard and Vikings medical teams get the results quickly. It may or may not work in France - could just be a ship nearby. The sailings are with fly-cruise packages inclusive of two domestic flights (Cairo-Luxor-Cairo). Each tour boat is fitted with latest Safety Equipment (satellite phone, VHF radio, ropes, life jackets, survival kits). Prices start at US$11,000 per person with discounted airfare. And certainly not in the next 24 months especially on a ship of any kind, Keyles said. Viking river cruise itineraries range from 7 to 23 days. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/welcome-back.html. Bookings opened in 2020 - on March 31 (past customers) and on April 15 (general public). geordie_jim, May 4, 2021 in Viking Ocean. Other destinations are the Great Lakes USA and Canada-New England. They try to make it better by giving us $250 PP OBC, but after the cancellation of prepaid excursions, we had a pile of OBC and NOTHING to spend it on. Baltic Sea routes offer visits to 8 different countries, with a total of 11 cruisetours (all complimentary, included in the Viking Baltic deals prices). And while the travel vouchers are good for 24 months, given the state of the pandemic, the couples medical conditions and age, they didnt think they would be traveling any time soon. Nowadays, Viking manages the world's largest fleet of river cruise vessels, ever. on 9/4 - but the header of the email said 9/3 on the Eir. Viking's Antarctic cruises are inclusive of 2 domestic charter flights (between Buenos Aires-Ushuaia) and an overnight hotel (in Buenos Aires / pre-cruise). CC Help Jenn Mediterranean cruises leave from: Turkey (Istanbul), Italy (Venice, Rome /port Civitavecchia), Spain (Barcelona). VIKING OCEAN restarted operations on May 22, 2021, with Viking Venus (UK from Portsmouth England). In the period 2011-2015, the company spent USD 600+ million on promotions. (Barcelona to Rome, 7-nights) "Romantic Mediterranean" (visits 4 countries, included 8 land tours), (7-nights) "Mediterranean Getaway" (visits 3 countries, included 6 land tours), (9-nights) "Empires of the Mediterranean" (visits 5 countries, included 7 land tours), (12-nights) "Mediterranean Odyssey" (visits 6 countries, included 10 land tours).