Viking River Cruises offers a comprehensive cancellation and refund policy for their cruise tours. Customers can modify the number of passengers, cabin type, or travel date without needing to consult the cancellation and refund policy. The policy has been updated to include a full refund for cancellations received prior to departure up to the scheduled time of departure. Cancellations can be made through multiple channels, including contacting the dedicated customer service team at the Viking call center.
Transfers must be in conjunction with a Viking-purchased cruise, cruise tour, land extension, or extra hotel nights. Viking reserves the right to correct errors or omissions. If a customer cancels their cruise or tour booking, cancellation fees will apply, unless otherwise stated in the passenger ticket office. If relevant government regulations or guidance prohibit or restrict travel, cancellations must be in writing.
Air-inclusive packages can be added or canceled up to seven days prior to departure. Shore excursions can be added or canceled on My Viking Journey up to seven days prior to departure. Cancellations at that time can still receive a full refund.
For air-inclusive packages, cancellations must be in writing and sent to Viking’s office located at 5700 Canoga Avenue, Suite 200, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. If a customer cancels their trip ahead of departure, the nonrefundable portion of the trip cost can be fully reimbursed in Viking travel vouchers. For more information on booking terms and conditions, policies, procedures, and more, please refer to the Viking River Cruises website.
📹 Viking European River Cruises – 6 Key Must-Knows Before You Go
Viking River Cruises is probably the best known European river cruising company, and has a wide range of river cruise options in …
Is Viking River Cruises giving refunds?
Guests can call the Contact Center where Viking Experts can assist in removing shore excursions up to three days prior to itinerary start date and issue a full refund. Once within three days of the itinerary start date, no refunds will be issued.
2024-2027 RIVER CRUISE AND AIR FARES:Offer applies to bookings made from August 1-31, 2024. Terms & conditions for select promotions may vary. $25 deposit is applicable to all River itineraries. Special fares plus up to FREE International airfare valid on select departures of Grand European Tour, Lyon Provence & the Rhineland, European Sojourn and Capitals of Eastern Europe, Paris to the Swiss Alps, Cities of Light, London DDAY & Paris, Rhine & Main Explorer. Airfares may vary on other gateways & departures. Airfare does not have to be purchased to get cruise\cruisetour offer. All prices are in US dollars and for US residents only. Additional restrictions may apply. 2024: Pay in full by August 31, 2024 or at time of booking if within 120 days of departure. 2025: Pay in full by September 30, 2024. 2026: Pay in full by March 31, 2025. 2027: Pay in full by November 30, 2025. Offers expires August 31, 2024.
$25 DEPOSIT:$25 DEPOSIT: For itineraries 35 days or less, a $25 deposit applies to January 2025 & onward departures; for itineraries greater than 35 days, a $25 deposit applies to March 2025 & onward departures; World Cruise products excluded; call for details.
AIR UPGRADE:Upgrade to Premium Economy air from $799 per person or Business Class air from $3,499 per person based on select gateways and dates. Additional airline-imposed baggage charges may apply; for more information visitAirline Luggage Restrictions. Air prices are per person based on cruise/cruisetour check-in date and include transfers plus all government taxes/fees of approximately $160 and air fuel surcharges. Air seats are limited; airfares are subject to change and are not guaranteed until full payment of air is received. For more information about customized air services and US gateways, visit the Viking Air Plus page.
Can I postpone my Viking cruise?
That is why Viking is offering a limited-time offer—the most flexible of any cruise line—so that you can plan your voyage with peace of mind. 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. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage.
- For those with flights arranged by Viking, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of flight departure.
- For those who arrange their own flights, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of cruise embarkation or hotel check-in, whichever is first.
Reservation changes under the Risk-Free Guarantee will be reimbursed in the form of a Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Voucher in the amount of 100% of all monies paid to Viking.;
Can I postpone a Viking cruise?
That is why Viking is offering a limited-time offer—the most flexible of any cruise line—so that you can plan your voyage with peace of mind. 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. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage.
- For those with flights arranged by Viking, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of flight departure.
- For those who arrange their own flights, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of cruise embarkation or hotel check-in, whichever is first.
Reservation changes under the Risk-Free Guarantee will be reimbursed in the form of a Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Voucher in the amount of 100% of all monies paid to Viking.;
Can I change the date of my Viking cruise?
That is why Viking is offering a limited-time offer—the most flexible of any cruise line—so that you can plan your voyage with peace of mind. 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. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage.
- For those with flights arranged by Viking, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of flight departure.
- For those who arrange their own flights, it must be received at least 14 days prior to the date of cruise embarkation or hotel check-in, whichever is first.
Reservation changes under the Risk-Free Guarantee will be reimbursed in the form of a Risk-Free Guarantee Future Cruise Voucher in the amount of 100% of all monies paid to Viking.;
Can you cancel a cruise once booked?
What is the time window for cancelling? While you can cancel your cruise at any time, your refund amount will depend on the length of your itinerary and how far in advance of your departure date that you cancel. Please view the charts above to determine your refund eligibility.
When will I receive my refund if I cancel? We want you to know that we hear you and understand your frustration with the time it is taking to receive your refund. We are now refunding millions of dollars per week and are actively working through our back log. Our reservation and payment systems were not designed to handle this volume of refunds in a short period of time, and it is taking longer than we wanted. As we respect our guest’s money and time, we have increased the number of team members supporting this enormous effort and have made modifications to our systems. Thank you for your patience in these extraordinary circumstances. The latest updates regarding refunds can be viewed on our Notices & Advisories page.
Am I eligible for cruise credit if I cancel? The standard Princess cancellation policy does not grant cruise credit, but residents of the U.S. and Canada (excluding New York, British Columbia,Puerto Rico and Quebec) may be eligible with Princess Vacation Protection.
What is a covered reason to cancel a cruise?
The most common covered reason is unforeseen illness, injury, or death of the traveler, a traveling companion, or a non-traveling family member. Other common covered reasons include terrorism, inclement weather, or a natural disaster, among others. Not being able to travel as planned is a major concern among travelers.
Trip Cancellation by Provider. Last Updated: 07/31/2024.
The Insured’s coverage under the Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation Benefit will take effect as stated in SECTION II – EFFECTIVE AND TERMINATION DATES OF INSURANCE, A. EFFECTIVE DATE.
We will reimburse the Insured a Pre-Departure Trip Cancellation Benefit, if the Insured is prevented from taking his/her Covered Trip due to the Insured’s, or the Insured’s Family Member’s or Traveling Companion’s Sickness, or Covered Injury, or death; for: (i) the amount of Payments and Deposits that the Insured paid for his/her Covered Trip (reimbursement of Payments and Deposits is limited to the published cancellation penalties that the Insured was subject to at the time of the cancellation of a Covered Trip); up to the corresponding Maximum Covered Amount per Insured shown in the Schedule.
Can I change my cruise date after booking?
- You can only transfer your booking once
- The majority of cruise lines will not allow a date change within 14 days of departure
- Some cruise lines will not allow guests to transfer to another sailing date within 90 days of departure
- Your booking will need to be outside of your current balance due date
- The new booking must be of equal or greater value
- The new sailing must be within one year of the original sailing date
- Any promotions or discounts on your current booking may not be applicable to your new sailing
Should you wish to transfer your sailing and meet the above criteria, you can request this by filling out our Customer Contact Form.You can access our Customer Contact Form by logging into My Booking.
Once you have accessed your booking details you can submit an enquiry form with the details of the alternative cruise you have found and one of our advisors will be happy to help. If you wish to cancel your sailing, please submit the enquiry form to confirm that you would like to cancel and the reason. One of our team will be in contact with you to confirm the cancellation charges as per the appropriate booking terms and conditions.
Do cruises have free cancellation?
From 29 to15 days prior to sailing, the penalty is 75% of the Total Fare or the standard deposit amount, whichever is greater. From 14 days prior to sailing to the day of your cruise, the penalty is 100% of the Total Fare.
If you are canceling your booking prior to your final payment, there is no penalty to cancel unless you have booked a specific promotion with a non-refundable deposit and/or cruise price.For cruises 5 days or less, the final payment date is 76days prior to sailing andfor cruises 6 days or more, the final payment date is 91days prior to sailing.
Guests who have made reservations for multiple occupancy cabins (for example for three, four, or five persons) are subject to the cancellation charges and schedule below for the entire cabin reservation, even if the guest does not cancel their individual reservation and even if the names of all persons to be in the same cabin as the guest are not provided at the time of booking. Guests whose embarkation is denied under related to background checks and/or conduct are also subject to the cancellation schedule below as are guests who have made bookings as part of the same travelling party as a guest who is denied embarkation related to background checks and/or conduct. For further details, please consult your Cruise Ticket Contract.
The following promotions have a non-refundable deposit and/or cruise price at time of booking and will be penalized as such. Within our standard cancellation penalty period, regular penalties will apply.
How long does a cruise refund take?
In most cases, refunds will post to the original form of payment about 7 to 10 days after they’re fully processed. However, some refunds may take up to 30 days to post. Royal Caribbean International® doesn’t control how long the refund process takes; your bank or financial institution determines the length of time.
What is Viking cancel for any reason policy?
Under the Cancel For Any Reason Waiver, the cancellation penalties associated for your Trip will be refunded in Viking Cruises Vouchers (valid for travel within 12 months of the date of issue, but no later than 15 months from the date your trip was canceled), with the balance of the refund made, if applicable, either …
📹 What We Wish We Knew Before our First Viking River Cruise
We have just come back from our first river cruise. While we have been on over 80 ocean cruises taking our first Viking river cruise …
Some friends just returned from a Viking Bucharest to Budapest cruise. A few weeks prior the husband fell out of a golf cart and injured his hip. They thought about canceling but decided to go ahead. The husband expected to just hang out on the ship while his wife and their friends went out on excursions, but the Viking folks offered him a low-impact itinerary that didn’t involve a lot of walking.
My husband and I took a Viking River Cruise a few years ago and loved it! What made it extremely special was the crew. They ALWAYS went above and beyond to be as helpful and accommodating whether you needed help with excursions or anything on board. Liking their soups so much, I had asked for the recipes and got them. No questions asked. In the past, I had only taken ocean cruises on big ships. Didn’t know if I was going to miss all the shows, bars, activities on the big ships. I didn’t miss them at all. It was actually refreshing to be in a calm and relaxing setting, especially without children. I love kids, I have kids, but this was certainly a much needed change of pace. And best of all, we got to European towns and countries big ships can’t go to. Would love to go again!
Took a Danube river cruise on Viking 5 years ago. Our flight to the ship was cancelled and we had to find another albeit later flight. We ALMOST missed the ship as they were pulling up the gate as we arrived. We were out of breath and our first stop was THE BAR were we put our silver spirits package to good use. Our bartender understood and made us THE BEST gin and tonics ever! AND the best part our luggage was lost by the airline. The Viking crew coordinated the return of our luggage at the next port. The crew actually offered us THEIR clothes until our luggage arrived AND gave us free dry cleaning. This was over and above what I expected. The river was low so we had to change ships mid tour. Off on one ship and on to the next. Had to pack and unpack again. NOT Viking’s fault. Overall we are looking to book again on a Viking river cruise but this time we will pay attention to river levels. Viking did kinda lie to us about this condition on the days before our journey. You must do your homework on a river cruise, as it is NOT like ocean cruising. Viking is not the most expensive or the least expensive. BUT for our trip it was just fine. People were great, DRINKIES we top drawer, and the food was also great. We are easily pleased and not snobs so everyone has their own opinions. Again we are looking forward to our next cruise on Viking either Rhine, or the Danube again.
They have multiple levels of tours based on your fitness level. I don’t understand why you didn’t see this. As far as laundry self service facilities, it’s true that they would be nice but consider how much smaller the ships are compared to their other ships. Where would they put them? I agree that dining is very different and you cannot be shy. But again the ships are much smaller so they don’t have many options. You are 100% correct about mobility issues. Probably not for people with them.
I’ve been on 7 Viking cruises (5 river, 2 ocean, scheduled for an 8th) as well as competing cruise lines. The tip about the magnetic hooks is a keeper! One thing about Viking staterooms is that there is no external clock, other than one on the TV if you have it on. Bring a small battery-operated clock, good for a quick glance to ensure you’re on time. Your comment on reading the evening newsletter is spot on. We missed a tour due to its being pulled up and no announcement was made. Viking made it right, though, and we got reservations for another, better tour.
Beautiful ships, clean everything, extremely accommodating staff throughout ships and tours. Comfortable, relaxing travel in an age of uncomfortable travel. We will sail again with them after 3 previous river cruises! And the food has been excellent every time, every meal. They want you “happy and satisfied 100%in every detail” has been our experience. Friendly, personable experiences with fellow passengers too. Major plus also. Thumbs up!
I was surprised earlier today, which it’s nearly 2:00 in the morning here now, so let’s say yesterday for sake of posterity, by my parents coming back from their cruise in the British isles. But they brought back souvenirs for my sister, her husband, and myself. And one of the gifts that they gave me, was a Viking river cruise next year with my father and I was utterly shocked and still am about it. But we are going on the Radgrid, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see that boat in your article. And I even recognize one of the destinations based off the map. I’m really looking forward to this and your article has been very helpful for me to know what to expect. Granted I know things might change in the coming year, but still thank you so much for putting this out.
Well done! About the only thing I can add is to emphasize that the space and options of a river cruise cannot reasonably be compared to ocean cruising. Also for some of us older folks don’t underestimate the value of a pre-cruise extension to overcome the long flight over. Be sure to ask about the slow-walker’s tour as we were able to get one every time.
Just got back from the 8 day Rhine cruise. We read the Viking website, talked to my friend who has been on 2 Viking river cruises before…nothing was a surprise. If you don’t know that there is no medical care on board, that cruise itineraries can change due to river levels, and all those other things you mentioned, you have not done your homework by AT LEAST reading the abundant information provided by the line.
Wife and I took our first Viking cruise last fall on the Danube. We met some great folks on our pre-cruise extension to Prague. By the time we embarked on the cruise portion of the trip we were great friends. Every night of the cruise we had our table-for-ten and even spent some of our on-your-own dinners in town together. Water levels in Budapest were low and diverted out docking location, but Viking did an awesome job overall.
Took a cruise in the late fall of 2023 passau to budapest. The water levels were too low so we were bussed the last portion of the trip to budapest. i found out that this stretch of the Danube was impassable for the past month yet viking never told us in advance. We should have been told in advance so we could reschedule our trip. You get the feeling that they are nickel and diming you buy not offering free soft drinks during the day. I paid $5 for a small bottle of soda. ridiculous. the tours are good the food is above average yet the breakfast is the best. I hated being herded into the dining room with the masses for dinner . I along with about 40 passengers caught the Norovirus and the kitchen didn’t have any speicail accommodations for us. you would think on a river cruise where perons often et such viruses that Viking would have food to assist in recoveing like chicken broth and ginger ale. yes they ran out of ginger ale and were too cheap to pick up supplies. One of the selling points is that they will periodically pick up food supplies along the route to give passengers a taste of the local food. No they supply all of the food to the ship the day of embarkation. The crew was excellent and accomodating but i felt the cruise was a bit overpriced. viking could charge less if they would stop sending 2 to 3 expensively produced sales brochures every week.
I just returned from New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., after a cruise on the Viking Mississippi. It was listed as a twelve-day trip, although in truth only seven nights were actually aboard the ship, sandwiched between two-day stays in Memphis and New Orleans hotels. My feeling is that it was priced at a full 12-day cruise rate, despite being “on your own” for lunches and dinners for four days. The suite felt cramped, more so than I recall on Scenic in Europe, and the bed (half a separated queen bed) felt very narrow. The food was up to the standard I expected and the service was good. My friend and I used their air package and will never do that again. There were certainly more reasonably scheduled flights available 14:31 than leaving the West Coast at 5 a.m. and returning at midnight (or 2 a.m. NOLA time). Lesson learned there! Excursions generally interesting and informative. Some of the music in the Living Room was deafeningly over-amped. The infinity pool was half empty. There were no maps available of the localities we visited. Staff helpful and friendly. So, a mixed experience generates a mixed bag of comments!
Very good overview of Viking river cruise. One important oversight though is there is no medical help or assistance if an accident or emergency arises. There were several people that fell ill on my cruise last October and one was even hospitalized with no assistance. I tripped and fell on my final disembarkation as there were no lights on deck before sunrise and didn’t see the raised edge of the gangplank. I had a gash on my eye, broken glasses and two broken bones in my hand. I was offered no medical help but sent on my way to fly from France to Ohio on my own. When I contacted Viking when I got home, their response was to file with my insurance and “accidents can and do happen.” I had to have surgery on my hand and six months of recuperation. If there had been lighting on the deck…it was pitch black…I wouldn’t have tripped. Viking is governed by European law so there was no recompense, or even apology for my accident. Buy travel insurance thru a third party, not theirs as the Viking trip insurance wouldn’t pay for my prescription glasses.
I did not like the no announcement policy, so I wrote Mr Torstein Hagen, the owner and complained. Viking is a very top down company, with all decisions coming from high up. And indeed for our next Viking, the announcements we back, but only in the hallway, so you had to stand by your door. But all decisions from up high, means that you will receive the exact same experiencing on all ships. So as opposed to other cruise lines, where you have to decide between which ship, all Viking ships are the same. We also love the small ship experience. The river ships are 180 and the ocean are 900 passengers. No mobs, fast lines.
We have found European river cruises be more enjoyable than ocean cruises. Much more relaxed and being iff the beaten track provides a chance to see how the tastes and lifestyles of people in smaller cities of towns. I think river cruises to be about learning about touring as opposed to cruising. This fall we are doing a Bike Boat tour between Passau Germany and Budapest. We will be doing a self guided route route of 25 mile to 35 miles per day on the Danube river bike path. Lots of preserved history, natural beauty as well as some of the best beer and white wine in the world to enjoy as we cruise.
Our last trip to Bordeaux with Viking was terrible. The Aquavit section of the lounge was locked the whole cruise and that was because they were short handed and didn’t want to clean it after meals. We felt we were locked in a sauna when doing the art class in the small area inside the lounge just inside the Aquavit. Most people complained, but we were ignored.
Just got back from the Budapest to Regensberg,Germany. It was my first Viking River tour. The good: I appreciated the included walking tours and the great tour guides. Loved the coffee machine. The staff was top notch. Rooms kept clean. Plenty of room for clothing even on level 1 with just a window. Glad we didn’t pay more for the balcony since most days boats were parked beside our boat blocking the views of the balconies. Loved there were no kids. I don’t drink but beer and wine was nice for those who do. : The rooms are small, but clean, great shower water pressure and complimentary toiletries. The beds weren’t very comfortable, neither were the pillows. The wifi was as non existent. The food was just ok. Enough for me but would not be enough for my husband had he been with me. I wish there were more options. Also wish there was an option for snacks during the day other than cookies. If you miss lunch there’s nothing else to eat or no other place to go other than cookies.
An interesting article but very surprised that you didn’t know the various things you say were a surprise. Viking, and all river cruise operators, supply copious information in advance, and, of course, and this is a surprise for someone who uses YouTube, there are many YouTube websites that would have given you a briefing. River cruising is very much a ‘slow’ holiday. Take your time, remember that you’re not on a large, spacious ocean cruise ship, and as you rightly said, just let things flow.
Our first viking river cruise, may 2024, did not disappoint. We would take the low impact tours. Breakfast was buffet style with lots of options plus being able to order from a limited menu. Lunch and dinner menus were of necessity limited and while I have some health issues limiting what I can eat found little difficulty in being satisfied. Of note however dinner can last several hours. One of the first nights onboard we had an evening tour and missed part of dinner to meet the tour guide to a night tour of Budapest. Still was nice enough to go back and do again or probably a tour of a different part of the world.
Just found your website and I’m thinking about river cruising, but have never ocean cruised, so this will be a first time cruising experience. I enjoyed this article and plan to watch the other one that you recommended. I don’t think I’ll ever ocean cruise, I have a number of reasons why I don’t want to, but I still watch articles about ocean cruising in hopes that maybe I’ll be swayed someday and give it a go. In the meantime, cheers and thank you for the very informative review!
My wife and, along with two other couples sailed from Passau to Budapest on Viking. It ranks as one of the best vacations we’ve had. The ship and crew were top notch. We had always taken cruises on the larger cruise lines, so this was our first river cruise. We are looking to book to France next. It seems expensive, but when you factor in the excursions and other amenities it’s not that much difference. They even sent two of their staff with us to the airport in Budapest to ensure we all had our flight connections before they left. If you enjoy a mature, restful but entertaining cruise, I highly recommend Viking.
This is a great review and completely reflects our experiences on two Viking River Cruises. On one trip, we had to be bused because the river’s water level was too low due to drought. That’s the only real complaint we had and that certainly wasn’t their fault. However, it would have been nice to get a heads up on the water conditions before we departed. We would probably have elected to wait for a different season.
My husband and I loved cruising, and decided to try a Viking river cruise in Russia. Something that nobody tells you, is that river boats sometimes dock one next to the other. Thus, if you have a balcony stateroom, you cannot open your curtain because you have another ship’s stateroom right next to yours! Although we only had this one night, I was sorry for my neighbors across the hall because they had this several times in our 10 day cruise. For me, never again!
We did a 2-week Viking river cruise. My traveling companions luggage was lost. There was another person with the same issue. They were offered the laundry service at no charge to help mitigatethe situation, even though it was the airline’s fault and not Viking’s. (Her luggage was returned to her 3 weeks later.)
I took a Xmas Market Viking River Cruise last Dec. I love everything about Viking as they are every organized and you do not need to plan anything. Just pack and go.The services areb exceptional.The only thing I did not appreciate is, my friend and I needed to join strangers in the dining as they do not have tables for 2 people.
Thanks for taking the time to offer a great Viking river cruise review! We just got back this week from the Rhine Getaway (Amsterdam-Basel). I loved that they did not make incessant announcements over the PA system! Just pay attention to the informative daily guide/evening excursion run-down they leave and you are fine. Two things I would like to share that you may update this article with; 1. Each room now has Wi-Fi access to 2 devices (of course it is sketchy at times, but Viking is up front about that.) 2. They mentioned to us that Basel-Amsterdam is a bit of the better route in that you are actually going down-river this direction and as they usually make better time, they adjust schedule to have more leisure time at the ports. See you on our next cruise!😀
We did a river cruise around 10 years ago down the Seine in France. We did not like the fact that most nights we were tethered to another boat due to the short dock available . So, if you are on the wrong side, looking out your window/ balcony, you were five feet from the tethered boats occupants. Very intrusive. Also, the open upper deck was closed at all times while crusing. The only open area was at the front of the boat which was not enough room for all passengers. Would not go on a river cruise again, especially for the money.
Looks nice. Wife and I sort of hate that gradual ‘clique-iness’ of this dining type of situation. We’d almost prefer a system where you’re just randomly assigned a table number each night, and then you sit with whomever the other couple that was given that number for that night. So I wouldn’t say we’re ‘painfully shy’–but hate that thing where you sort of glance around, aren’t sure where to sit, aren’t sure if others want you at their table or not…
I only use UniWorld anymore. Every time I did a Viking tour in the past I felt like I was being Nickle and Dimed. UniWorld with all inclusive and several tour options at each port was also welcomed. In short, Viking seems to get people to book on a perceived low cost, while once they are done charging you for everything the cost is not much more to get a deluxe river cruise experience with UniWorld.
Excellent article. You captured the Viking river cruise experience well. While Viking does many things well, I won’t sail with them again. It is a dealbreaker that there are no tables for two in the main dining room. If I meet other people with whom I want to have dinner, that would be great … but having to do that every single night just doesn’t work for me. So I prefer other river cruise lines that don’t force the dining experience. P.S. Yes – I know that there a few tables for two on the Aquavit terrace, but too often the weather doesn’t allow outdoor dining.
We just got back from a 15 day cruise down the Rhine & Danube rivers on the Travelmarvel – Capella (very new boat) and it was excellent. They have done away with those tiny balconies on the Viking boats and made the rooms bigger by having an electric window the full width of the room where the top half slides down to create your balcony instead which is much better. Plus Viking boats are full of Amercans (and they are loud people with little manners so beware if you are from another country) The travelmarvel boats have a mix of British, New Zealand, Australian & others and we found them all excellent to cruise with. The staff on the boat were excellent and very efficient. Our room was very comfortable and so was the bed & pillows. We were abe to store our two suitcases under the bed so it freed up space in the wardrobe. All the daily cruise data was also available on TV in the room as well as other means. The back bar on the boat had that Irish Pub theme & happy Hour every evening with half price drinks was excellent option to the front lounge area. There were some very elderly people in their 90’s on the boat and i really don’t think it is suitable for their age group as you need to be active & reasonable fit & mobile for the daily routine of river cruising on and off the boat. After the river trip from Amsterdam ended in Budapest we then tripped around Europe using the rail system (first class Euro-pass) and found that “really enjoyable” doing our own thing and covered a lot of ground on the high speed trains hopping from one country to another & staying in hotels along they way.
Haven’t traveled on Viking River, but sister thoroughly enjoyed. We were on a Uniworld River cruise, right next to a Viking Cruise, and couldn’t help noticing the window coverings were left open in most rooms, exposing a lack of privacy and unkempt beds right adjacent to the windows. I am not sure I’d like that.
We did a Rhine River Christmas Market cruise in Dec. 2022. The tour part was disappointing, at best. Compared to our shorter tours on the Rhine in 2008, they were much too long, in freezing weather and most were required to get to the subject Christmas Market – the very reason we booked. By the time we got to the market, we were bored and freezing. Some of the stops – Dusseldorf in particular were a waste of time. We have better in Texas. The Christmas Market in Cologne, by contrast is much larger, however, they elected to stop in Dusseldorf earlier dropping us in Cologne at night – after the beautiful cathedral was already closed. Overall, we got the impression the cruise line was obligated to the tour operators and elected to simply ‘shoe horn’ the Christmas Markets in. Bad plan. European Christmas Market are wonderful. We’d done Budapest, Kaysersberg, FR, Colmar, Freiburg (included by Viking) and others. The brief glimpse of these Viking market visits was not very satisfying due to the inordinate attention and time giving to the obligatory tours. I wrote to complain. They called to follow up. The young ‘un who called rather acted as if I was simply a gripey old man. There was also far too much ‘selling’ when on board – of themselves, how to properly fill out the surveys to benefit the crew, etc. Compared to our 2008 Viking Rhine cruise, overall it was disappointing.
Thanks for the info – very intersting as we attempt to make a travel decision. QUESTION: Your article makes it look like you are the only ones on the river. I have heard that multiple river cruise ships dock at each port and it can be a bit chaotic, and sometimes your view is completely blocked if you are the second layer (even if you paid for a balcony cabin). That would stink. Is this still the case in 2024? I have been told NOT to take cruises (immuno-compromised) due to the small spaces, large crowds, buffet eating/drinking, hygiene – but the Viking option looks like a better situation. Thoughts??
Did a Viking ocean in December 2023 to Manus Brazil only problem the Brazil portion of trip was cancelled about 3 weeks prior to departure. My problem is we were charge $999.00 each Viking air but the air turned out to be a $300.00 to $350.00 trip . They did not pay for or provide ground transportation in San Juan. We had insurance through Viking who are giving me a difficult time getting refunds. Can you help me .
We will be going on our 3rd Viking Cruise in August. We have always booked the room with a slider and balcony. The first trip was amazing sitting out on the small deck. But last year in port our side of the boat was smack up against another ship 6/8 days. We could not sit out at night. We paid extra for this room so we could enjoy sitting out at night and in the morning. Any suggestions?
Went on the Danube River Cruise last summer after taking 5 Ocean Cruises. We upgraded to the Explorer’s Suite as we do on the Ocean Cruises. It was a terrible experience, to the point we will never travel on Viking again. The staff was entitled and less than helpful. We even had staff insult our traveling companions. One excursion was cancelled because not enough people signed up and we were given no other options and the last thing you want is to stay on the boat or walk around the overtouristy port stops. At every port we were lashed to up to 4 other Viking boats so our wrap around deck was unusable. The menus were limited and not responsive to food allergies. The maitre D apologized excessively saying that staffing was problematic. We were referred to the VIP liaison at Viking Norway and her only response was a discount which was less than my travel agent gets us. The quality of Viking is clearly going down post pandemic
Rained 3 weeks prior to Danube River cruise departure. Once we all got onboard, after traveling great distances to a once in a lifetime River cruise, we were told ship wouldn’t be able to fit under bridges because river was too high. The cruise turned into a bus trip, not what we paid for or expected. Never again Viking! Awful and no refund
We will be going Budapest to Amsterdam this summer with my sister and BIL. Ten years ago I did this cruise with our youngest son; he lowered the age average by a bunch since he was 25 then. He’ much more gregarious than I so knew almost everyone aboard by the end. That was my first experience with Viking; since then hubs and I have sailed two ocean cruises and one other river cruise with them. The other river was Waterways of the Tsars in 2017. Those boats had doctor on board. This narrator seemed to not like Viking and is very snotty.
The balcony was dirty and the chair was broken. Plus you were against other ships or the pier most times so NO view. Room & bathroom VERY small. Could barely turn around in it. Most concerning was food which in our opinion was mediocre to bad. It is not EGGS Benedict it is EGG Benedict. Our bags which we spent extra to ship early, did not end up in our room till late afternoon. We will spend our money in America in the future.
What to know about Viking? DON’T GO WITH THEM. We went with them last year because we couldn’t get on a Scenic Cruise (Scenic is fantastic in every respect), but we would NEVER go with them again. In particular: ● Don’t pay extra for the all inclusive drinks package. We did and were only offered the basic house wines. We had to ask for the wine menu every single time and the staff in the restaurant didn’t want to give it to us. We had to insist, after all we had paid for it, ● Twice, at lunch, I asked if a particular dish was vegetarian and was told yes. Both times I found meat in them. ● The excursions are very badly organised. ● The food was awful and in the restaurant there are no two seater tables. ● Viking travel at night so you never see the landscape. They also have poor mooring facilities so you have to go across other boats to get on the quay. I could go on, but you get the picture. Go with Scenic, they are brilliant.
Will do! The Viking city of lights cruise through our travel agent was handled with them. The flight was a crowded nightmare from the states to Paris. It was a horrible. The arrangements made through Viking was a complete dump of a motel with horrible food. I hated it. Everything was broken in the hotel. The Paris tower was shut down because of pickpockets. 14000 dollars of a waste of money and time. I hated the boat the food and the breakdown of waiting for parts and perusal the concrete of the locks. The ships crew were rude and the food was almost uneatable. I wouldn’t go on a Viking river cruise if it was free. The worst time ever spent on a trip. Don’t do it go with any other line! You won’t be able to understand the guides anyway.
I would never consider Viking river cruise for thee reasons in order: 1. No gym. 2. Not all cabins are open balcony. 3. Limited dining hours and options. I am a picky eater with a diet. 4. I feel coop up with 200 strangers. 5. Limited excursions, and force to leave the boat at port to go on waling tours.. 6. France is not my favorite country. 7. 2 to 4 times more expensive compare to ocean cruises..