Viking River Cruises’s earns a 3.2-star rating from 619 reviews, showing that the majority of travelers are somewhat satisfied with cruising experience.
- All
- Reviews only
- Complaints only
- Resolved
- Unresolved
- Replied by the business
- Unreplied
- With attachments
Being left behind... and ignored by Viking River Cruises
The three of us - my husband, I and our son - took a Danube River cruise on Viking Baldur from Budapest to Passau the week before Christmas, Dec 17-25, 2023. It was cold and raining or pouring most of the days. However, despite the miserable weather, our overall experience with Viking was fairly good and I would give it 4 stars if not an extremely unpleasant event that took place the last night and a return airport transfer poorly planned by Viking.
Unfortunately, our on-board feedbacks and my on-line review sent to https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/contact/cruise-review.html have been ignored by Viking. This is sad and reflects poorly on the company's reputation.
1. About the event of the last night that resulted in three not-so-happy passenger feedbacks which Viking hasn't acknowledged in any way.
We stayed in Passau. Heavy rains caused flooding, so the ship was docked about 5 km (3 miles) from the city center. My husband and I went on a morning shore excursion and returned soaked through, so we rested in the afternoon. Our son was slightly sick, so he slept though the morning and then took Viking's shuttle bus to the city center in the afternoon. He planned to return to the ship with the last shuttle bus at 5:30pm. He was at the bus stop explicitly suggested by the bus driver 10 mins earlier waiting for the bus that never showed up. At 5:30pm he sent me a message saying that there was no bus and he was the only person at the meeting point. I immediately went to see the cruise director, Marco, who said "If there is no bus, he should take a taxi. It is only 10-15 euros". To my surprise, the cruise director didn't even try to find out what happened to the shuttle bus or call our son. He left me to deal with this situation and returned only when I asked the receptionist to find him.
It was our son's first time in Europe. He didn't feel comfortable taking taxi in an unknow location at night. He also didn't have cash, his phone was not on an international plan, and his phone's battery was about to die. All he knew that his foot could eventually take him to the ship as long as his phone was on. And he started walking. However, Mark insisted on taking a taxi. Our son sent a text with his location and asked Mark to call the taxi company they normally work with. Marco tried to call the taxi once but they didn't answer his call. Our son was waiting... The second time the cruise director called for a taxi because I asked to try again, and it was unsuccessful again. By this point I was told that Viking would reimburse our taxi expenses... Hmm.. Then Marco started insisting that our son was in the pedestrian area where a taxi could not go to. It was untrue -- our son was on the road leading to a bridge and cars were passing by. Then Marco advised our son to go to a cafe or the Christmas market and ask anyone to call for a taxi if there were no taxis. There were no taxis. It was dark and raining. The cruise director was preoccupied with anything but trying to get our son back to the ship. I was exchanging messages and tried to call. Marco kept insisting on getting a taxi and not walking to the ship because it would be unsafe considering the weather conditions, darkness and the need to pass a bridge and a tunnel separating the ship from the city. The least I wanted to hear from Marco was a threat to file a report on us for not following his directions, so Viking would not be responsible for our son's safe return. He was completely unhelpful.
Anyhow, our son walked back to the ship. He returned at 6:55pm, wet, tired, upset but just on time for dinner. The rest of the night went uneventful -- really uneventful -- because no one, neither the cruise director not the receptionist, bothered to apologize for this ordeal or check if everything was alright. A simple apology would go a long way here...
2. About a return airport transfer from Passau to Munich (about 3 hours) provided by Viking.
My husband and I were returning to our home in Florida, and our son was returning to his home in Wisconsin. Our son's flight was only 15 min earlier than ours but Viking put our son on the bus leaving at 6:00am while our bus was leaving at 7:00am.
We asked Viking to move our son to our 7:00am bus twice, so we would go together. Besides, our bus was not full -- there were seats available. However, Viking refused to move him to the 7:00am bus explaining this by a limited luggage space. "What if someone would have four suite cases?" said the cruise director. Well, each of us had only one medium-size suite case. If in fact anyone would have four suite cases, I guess, it may be possible to take one smaller item inside the bus.
On the other hand, it was possible to move the two of us to the 6:00am bus if we wanted to go with our son. And we ended up taking this offer, even though I am not a morning person and early wake-ups don't serve me well.
Well, unfortunately, this added an hour to our wait time in the check-in queue at the Munich airport because we had our first connection in Amsterdam and a check-in for a Schengen zone flight can be done only two hours or less before the flight. I guess, that could be the reason we were originally placed on the 7:00am transfer...
3. What we liked the best:
- very comfortable beds and clean cabins
- well planned shore excursions
- a very professional and nice receptionist
- some very friendly and with a good sense of humor personal in the restaurant -- Andrei was the best
- durable huge umbrellas provided by Viking
4. The food was ok, but not great though (this would cost 1 star under normal circumstances).
- We would prefer quality over quantity -- fewer choices but tastier meals. Not every dish was tasty, and some of them were definitely a miss. On a positive side, it was never a problem with ordering something else as long as the kitchen was still open.
- The Austrian dinner was kind of a disaster -- a never-ending long line to get any meat and not enough fruits. When I was ready for a desert and went to get fruits, the fruit plate literary had one slice of orange, 6-7 single grapes, and 5-6 small pieces of cantaloupe. When I ask if we could get more fruits, I was told "No, we already served two plates.". Hmmm... Btw, these plates were not big by any standards.
- It would be good to be able order a medium-done (not only well-done) burger. It would be good to get a medium-rare ribeye steak when it is ordered "medium-rare" and not "rare".
- It would be good to be able to order an espresso for no charge after a meal in the restaurant. Only regular coffee is served in the restaurant with no change. Btw, coffee machines in the hall by the lounge make much better regular coffee than the one served in the restaurant.
- There were no fancy meats (like lamb, filet mignon, etc.) or seafood on the menu, even once. These items could enhance the overall experience.
5. About shuttle buses provided by Viking.
It would be best to have Viking's representatives at the shuttle bus drop-off /pick-up locations, so no one gets "lost" and everyone can see where to go. We were on several cruises (ocean and river), and this is a very common practice.
I sent my review to Viking Cruises at https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/contact/cruise-review.html three weeks ago, and then I posted it as "Being left behind on the last day of a cruise" at TripAdvisor.com and CruiseCritic.com. I also contacted our travel agent and forwarded my review to her. So far, Viking River Cruises has been ignoring us. At this point, we don't have high expectations for Viking. However, I would say at least an apology would be more than suitable here.
We are receiving many promotional emails from Viking and have been asked to vote for Viking as the best river cruise company (https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-river-cruise-line-2024/viking-river-cruises/). I wish they are more concerned about how to become the best one.
Recommendation: Look for another river cruises company. You can pay less and have a better overall experience.
Viking River Cruises Complaints 618
cancelled cruise charges
We booked a cruise and paid a deposit which I understand is non refundable. We were also charged $1498.00 for insurance. We cancelled the cruise three weeks later and were told that we still had to pay $1498.00 for something that we never used.This makes no sense and very unfair to do this.We received no service for this insurance and we should not have to pay for nothing.My recommendation will be to stay as far away from Viking cruise lines as possible .
Claimed loss: $1498.00
Desired outcome: A refund would be nice
Confidential Information Hidden: This section contains confidential information visible to verified Viking River Cruises representatives only. If you are affiliated with Viking River Cruises, please claim your business to access these details.
Sold out excursions, viking invoice: 7830399
This is our first time booking a Viking River Cruise, or any River Cruise at all. Viking's website explicitly says... When can I book shore excursions? "Your My Viking Journey account gives you all the tools necessary to tailor and personalize your complete cruise experience. This includes full access to your shore excursions. Guests will be notified via...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesRiver cruise
Joseph & Elham Cicippio 2732 34th street, NW Washington, DC 20008 E-mail: [protected]@gmail.com Tel: [protected] Ref. Booking# 8135694 Trip Complaint Dear Customer services team: On May 29, 2024, we started what supposed to be an eleven days luxury river cruise, cities of light, on the Viking Alsvin ship. We were looking forward to an enjoyable and relaxing...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesFailure of Viking River Cruises to provide satisfactory access to our flight
On Sunday, March 3, 2024, we were denied access to our flight from SFO and Viking was unable to satisfactorily resolve. Re: Booking no. 7917202 The following is a timeline of events: Saturday March 2, 2024 1) We received a text from Viking indicating our original flight from SFO to Frankfort had been cancelled and that we were rebooked on flight LH7996...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesAir upgrade fee
I'll try to be as brief as I can about this absolutely frustrating situation. I do want to say, everyone I have spoken to at Viking has been professional and patient, although, in the end, not helpful in the least. In January, I, along with my sister-in-law booked the Cities of Light trip for us and our husbands on a 3 way call with Hunter, from Viking. I...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesTravel
Viking charges an additional $100 pre person to be able to have “control” of your airline, seats etc. This is sold by the person who books your cruise and must be paid at the time of the booking. AND THEN there is the the travel department who has no communication with the agent who booked your cruise. In fact, several agents admitted that they are in...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesViking Air "Upgrade Fee"
Booking Number: 7457903 dated 02-May-23
Short version: Booked trip with Agent Coaster Coe who no longer works for Viking and specifically informed him that our air travel preferences are Business class due to health issues. Apparently, he booked the trip indicating "Economy" despite our instructions and booking an AA-Veranda Suite with Viking Air Plus service. Today I called Viking Air to make flight arrangements and was charged a $2,100 per passenger "Upgrade Fee" for moving from economy to business class! I have spent hours on the phone with Viking Air and River Cruises with no resolution but have been well versed in their "policy"! This is our second similar trip with Viking and I feel I/we have been the victim of the front end agents failure. Please make this right Viking.
Desired outcome: Remove $2,100 Upgrade Fee for both passengers.
Confidential Information Hidden: This section contains confidential information visible to verified Viking River Cruises representatives only. If you are affiliated with Viking River Cruises, please claim your business to access these details.
RESOLVED. Just spoke to Viking and everything has been totally resolved. Thank you Complaint Board and Viking!
Viking Christmas on the Rhine and Moselle
My wife and I booked the Viking Christmas on the Rhine and Moselle cruise (booking number 7310910) from December 20th to the 31st (with the actual cruise dates of the 22nd to the 29th). Vikking advertised it as a scenic river cruise with stops to visit traditional Christmas markets, historic sites, and medevial cathedrals. It sounded like a great...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesRiver cruise 7819432
I booked a river cruise and then brought four new customers to viking with the promise of a $400 referral discount. Prior to the credit being applied I cancelled and rebooked a cruise to take advantage of lower airfare being offered to the very customer I referred - then later the referral discounts were denied. Note that the discounts had not been credited at that point which the salesperson confirmed, and the salesperson assured me they would be applied when the four entered their information. Today I was informed this had been reviewed and denied. In other words - I brought you $15000+ worth of additional business with the promise I would receive a $400 referral credit - and You never actually gave me the credit. I was lied to and misled. This needs to be corrected immediately.
Claimed loss: $400
Desired outcome: Credit the referrals.
Confidential Information Hidden: This section contains confidential information visible to verified Viking River Cruises representatives only. If you are affiliated with Viking River Cruises, please claim your business to access these details.
Christmas 2023 viking cruise - athens to rome
Please refer to the email attachment. This way, you will be informed of the facts in the exact same manner as Viking.
I'm restating a few items because when I hit submit, I received a warning that my message was too short to be noticed and would likely be passed over.
The email describes:
My 1st attempt to resolve the matter via phone.
My 2nd attempt was to ask to speak to the supervisor.
My 3rd attempt was via email. To date, I've received no response from Viking.
The 2nd attachment verifies payments of over $12,000 to Viking.
Of the $12,000, $6,000 was unearned - $5,200 for the guest who had to cancel + $820 for the 2023 Christmas trip that was cancelled.
Claimed loss: A 7 day Christmas holiday cruise with a loved one...priceless. Plus $820.02 deposit and a $5,200 loss from my 2022 Viking cruise. My partner was unable to attend due to a sudden and unexpected death in his family.
Desired outcome: Re-instate our trip. We will pay the remaining balance of $5,171.52 ORReturn the deposit of $820.02
Scheduled cruise to Israel/Egypt January 26. 2024
My husband & I paid for a river cruise on the Nile and a pre-cruise extension in Jerusalem for January 26, 2024. First of all, Viking requires payment much earlier than the cruise. Second, you are given so many days 120,90,60 etc. for cancellation and % lost. Third, the company is working on the current month and will not allow us to discuss options in...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesRefund for pre cruise excursion to Israel.
We were unable to travel to Israel for our paid-for pre excursion as our flight was cancelled due to the escalation of violence on Saturday October 7. Viking is refusing to reimburse using the excuse that they had still had to pay their workers. We claim that we have paid for a service that they did not deliver. Our travel insurance says we can’t make a claim against an act of war. The money involved would mean little to Viking, but it was a substantial amount to us. Any ideas?
Claimed loss: $6000 plus.
Desired outcome: A full refund
Air & train transfer services for departure & return
Dear Torstein Hagen, CEO & President of Viking Cruise, We had been enjoyed every river cruises & ocean cruises in the past years. But my last river cruise was extremely disappointing for the air departure, train transfer and finally departure from (Buri ship) 10/8/2023 to Marseille airport. 1. Last years 9/12/2022 we were on board on Octantis, 6 of u...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesViking travel insurance
TO: VIKING RIVER CRUISES; [protected]@viking.com FROM: Customer October 23, 2023 ISSUE: Corinne T, agent of Viking; Fraud- misrepresentations of a material facts for “Anniversary Sale” tour; REQUESTED SOLUTION: Refund USA for “Viking Travel Insurance” for myself and . companion. Viking Cruises agent “Corinne T”, was specifically told that myself and a...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesMoney stolen from checking account
Booked a cruise in July 2023. Made final payment in late September 2023. Was informed by travel agent on 9/30/23 that Viking sent notice to her (travel agent) that they would take more money from checking account. On same day, travel agent notified Viking they had been paid in full and were not entitled to these funds. On 10/03/23 money taken from checking...
Read full review of Viking River CruisesAgent promised refund upon cancellation, but company reneged
In early September our daughter made a $100 deposit on Romantic Danube for me and my husband. Told we had thirty days to cancel before payment due. Elderly husband felt trip too much for him, so phoned Viking on 9/17 and spoke with agent Paul who told me that we would receive a refund of $698 out of the $948 billed. He went and checked during the conversation and confirmed that the travel protection and deposit would be refunded, with Viking retaining $250 of the the $948 paid.
On September 30 my daughter still had not received any refund. I phoned and spoke with agent "Royalty" who said no refund would be given. She then transferred me to "Saith", a supervisor?, who absolutely quoted the party line and would not budge an inch.
Definitely not great customer service, and removes any interest in future travel on Viking. There are too many alternatives.
Regretfully,
Mary K Dana [protected]@me.com
Reservation 7586383 for Viking Egil 30Mar2024
Desired outcome: Refund of $698 as agreed to by Viking Agent Paul on 9/17 if notrefund of of at travel protection cost which we never would have taken as we have our own policy covering travel related issues.
Refund for Upgraded Flights Purchased by Not Received
Hello. My booking number is 6989189. I purchased upgrade seats from Economy to Delta Comfort Plus as part of the Rhine Getaway Cruise i took from 6/26/23-7/3/23. While I received the upgrade seating on my departing flights, I was placed in economy during my return flight. Delta had cancelled my flight and put me on a flight where there were no upgraded seats available. I paid $1,295.25 for Air Plus and my upgraded seats. I contacted Delta and they sent the refund for the unused upgrades directly to Viking. Now I'm having an issue getting my own money back from Viking. I made several phone calls and today was told by Viking that I would be receiving $342.25 back via a check within 30 days. I am actually owed $647.63, which is half the cost of my upgraded seats. I want this amount credited back to my credit card on an expedited basis. I do not want a paper check and I should not have to wait 30 days. Very poor service from supposedly such a highly rated company.
Desired outcome: I am actually owed $647.63, which is half the cost of my upgraded seats. I want this amount credited back to my credit card on an expedited basis. I do not want a paper check and I should not have to wait 30 days.
Trip Insurance
Claim filed on Feb 5, 2013, more info requested and info was sent. Many calls and many emails and many reasons why they have not paid - to no avail. Tripmate seems think they can treat their customers as they want. Please do not use them. They are offered as they only insurance Viking will take. You can purchase other trip insurance for less with better ratings. Don't settle for what Viking offers. Better yet - don't use Viking because they don't stand the insurance they offer through another vendor.
Desired outcome: Stop the delay tactics and PAY MY CLAIM!
Damaged luggage
08/20/2023 afternoon after boarding Viking Rinda in Constanta, Romania, we arrived at our stateroom 108 and found our large piece of luggage with the retractable handle extended and bent. It was a brand-new piece of luggage.
We took photos of the luggage and notified the service desk.
My husband was able to bend it back enough to retract the handle, but it is now very difficult to use.
At the JW Marriot we had left our luggage outside our door for transportation to the Viking Rinda in Constanta. The handles were retracted on all our pieces of luggage and had been working perfectly prior to leaving for pickup.
Desired outcome: Please refund the cost of the luggage piece or the cost of the repair if it is possible.
Booking number 7074941
In November 2022 I booked the above-referenced cruise on the Danube River, and paid for it in full. In July of 2023 my wife was diagnosed with blood cancer. We were still hopeful that we could go on the cruise, but on August 18, 2023 her oncologist said that it would be unadvisable for her to go without treatments for the 2 weeks that we were to be gone. On August 7, 2023 we paid for transfers from Munich airport to the port. Viking's response to our dilemma "you should have purchased travel insurance". They would not even refund the transfers that we did not use stating that this was "part of the penalty".
Desired outcome: Either a refund or a voucher for a future cruise
Overview of Viking River Cruises complaint handling
-
Viking River Cruises Contacts
-
Viking River Cruises phone numbers+1 (800) 304-9616+1 (800) 304-9616Click up if you have successfully reached Viking River Cruises by calling +1 (800) 304-9616 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Viking River Cruises by calling +1 (800) 304-9616 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Viking River Cruises by calling +1 (800) 304-9616 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Viking River Cruises by calling +1 (800) 304-9616 phone number+1 (877) 668-4546+1 (877) 668-4546Click up if you have successfully reached Viking River Cruises by calling +1 (877) 668-4546 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have successfully reached Viking River Cruises by calling +1 (877) 668-4546 phone number Click down if you have unsuccessfully reached Viking River Cruises by calling +1 (877) 668-4546 phone number 0 0 users reported that they have UNsuccessfully reached Viking River Cruises by calling +1 (877) 668-4546 phone number
-
Viking River Cruises emailsvrcsocial@vikingcruises.com100%Confidence score: 100%Support
-
Viking River Cruises address5700 Canoga Ave, Woodland Hills, California, 91367-6569, United States
-
Viking River Cruises social media
-
Checked and verified by Maria This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn moreSep 29, 2024
- View all Viking River Cruises contacts
Most discussed Viking River Cruises complaints
Failure of Viking River Cruises to provide satisfactory access to our flightRecent comments about Viking River Cruises company
Viking is keeping ours and others' monies hostage for three years!Our Commitment
We make sure all complaints and reviews are from real people sharing genuine experiences.
We offer easy tools for businesses and reviewers to solve issues together. Learn how it works.
We support and promote the right for reviewers to express their opinions and ideas freely without censorship or restrictions, as long as it's respectful and within our Terms and Conditions, of course ;)
Our rating system is open and honest, ensuring unbiased evaluations for all businesses on the platform. Learn more.
Personal details of reviewers are strictly confidential and hidden from everyone.
Our website is designed to be user-friendly, accessible, and absolutely free for everyone to use.
We have received your comment. Thank you!