Viking Portraits of Southern France - Terrible Trip

We were so looking forward to the cruise which took us from Chalon in Burgundy down to Avignon through several of the major wine regions in France

However the brochure and the advertising were extremely misleading - they suggested that we would enjoy the best the region had to offer in food & drink as well as sights and all this whilst enjoying the luxury of their boat.

It's diffcult to know where to start but i'll start with before we even got to France - our booking went very smoothly - very helpful person who said he would be our pre-cruise manager but unfortunately when we needed him he was on his honeymoon and no replacement had been specifically assigned - this was an issue as when we were trying to find out where our tickets were (we had been told we would have them 4-6 weeks before we left) we got many different people ALL of whom told us that they had been sent and we would get them by the end of the week - instead we got them Easter Saturday when we were due to leave early on the Tuesday after Easter - not good for pre-holiday nerves!

When we arrived at Lyon airport, we and about 50 other people on the same flight were met by an efficient lady who told us we had to wait for a few more people on another flight - she implied this would be a short wait - the area we were waiting in had few seats (despite the average age being 70+) and nowhere to get a drink or something to eat - our short wait turned out to be several hours waiting for 2 people - then she herded us all upstairs through an area of cafes, shops and restaurants on a long walk to the coach lugging out bags ourselves - no help for the elderly/infirm at all - and then we waited on the coach for another hour for someone else! -- why we couldnt have been requested to wait in the area with shops and cafes was never explained

when we finally arrived at the boat (after nearly 2 hours when we had been told 45 mins) we were quickly shown to our cabins and give a pack of information and told we needed to attend a meeting to have everything explained to us - the meeting told us nothing that wasnt in the pack - and failed to mention that when you leave the boat you had to check out with reception (and back in when you return) - we were treated like naughty schoolchildren for not knowing this.

Our cabin was a good size, neat and clean and our cabin girl was very helpful and friendly - great towel sculptures daily - the main problem with the cabin was that the aircon vents were on the window sill behind the curtains which meant if the curtains were shut the aircon was useless - this may seem trivial but most of the time we were in port we were either against the dock with people looking in or against another ship window to window - same problem!! The bed was fairly hard as the mattress was very thin - didnt help the back at all.

A another problem was the piped music/ships announcements - if you turned the music down or off you didnt get the announcements at all - on previous cruises announcements have come over loud and clear even when the music is switched off.

The food was good - no fixed tables so a bit of a rush to get where you wanted to sit but we met some nice people both fellow passengers and the waiting staff

The problem was the wine - the brochure led us to expect good wine - it suggested local wines - the free house wine was undrinkable (if you are used to good wine - prob no more than £3.99 in a uk supermaket) and the other options (the silver spirits package) were also well below expectations - only one or two that were what we found drinkable and the few wines offered above this level were well overpriced - we ended up shopping in Chalon for some wine - we paid less than £20 a bottle and got incredibly good wine - the bar staff were helpful in providing ice buckets & corkscrews when needed but didnt know how to handle good wine themselves - they opened bottles by sticking the corkscrew in the top and spinning the wine bottle vigourously - brusing the wine and shaking up any sediment in it! Even after my husband explained how to open it gently, they continued to spin the wine so we opened the wine ourselves after that

There were multiple optional chargeable excursions at each port of call and some included ones - all of which required you to use a receiver and earpiece to hear the guide - these receivers were unreliable (i had 4 separate ones in 3 days) and the earpieces very large and uncomfortable - without these you couldnt hear the guides. Most of the guides walked rather quickly and if it hadnt been for the maps handed out by reception we would have been lost in several towns.

One of our main issues was that we spent a lot of time crusiing but during most of that time we were unable to access the sundeck on top of the boat - this was not only the only allowed smoking area (my husband is a smoker) but was 70% of the shared space available on the boat. When the sundeck was closed (75% of time during crusing) everyone was either in their cabin or crammed into a bar which could not hold everyone comfortably and the seats were not only very narrow but right up against each other - no elbow room at all, especially when lunch was served in the bar.

We were expected to attend nightly meeting to be talked through the next day - even though a ships newsletter gave all the information and was delivered to each cabin during dinner - a couple of nights before the end of the trip we were told everyone HAD to attend the evening meeting - this was to run through the leaving arrangements and collect your luggage tags - they spent over an hour waffling through but yet again all the information was in the newsletter and the luggage tags available throughout the evening!

All in all the staff were compentent and helpful but the marketing of the cruise sets high expectations of everything and then the cruise fails miserably to live up to any of them.

We complained to Viking on our return and our booking agent (now back) was concerned and apoligised and said he would forward our concerns to Customer Services - we heard nothing - we contacted them again a month or so later, our booking guy said he would chase - we chased again and finally 3.5 months after we got back we got a letter dismissing all of our points as not their problem.

We spent over £3000 on this trip and without a discount it would have been over £4000 but it was the worst value for money of any holiday we have ever had.

Just to give a little texture to your compliant, have you been on a river cruise before?

Do you usually go on ocean cruises or some other form of holiday perhaps?

How many days was the tour for? Why was the top deck closed?

Did that price include airfares?

wow, sure glad we did not share a table!

Any sympathy I might have had was lost at the bruised wine complaint. Wow.

I agree 100%; these are people I would have definitely avoided. They must not have done research.

Why did they not ask the VRC attendant at the airport if there was a place to sit or eat. They are not that stupid to let you stand for all that time. Even ocean cruisers have to check in (security scans) when they leave the ship. As for the wine what do they drink $100.00 bottles? I have been on 4 VRC and never saw the bartender spin a bottle of wine.

Why was the sundeck closed. The only time the sundeck is closed is because of low bridges.

As for smoking, I know that people smoke just outside of the main deck (before you head up the stairs to the sundeck).

There is never a need to rush to dinner unless you are going to hold a table for a large group of friends.

I was trying to avoid going straight for the jugular ... :)

It sounds like the initial transfer was handled poorly but in similar circumstances I doubt we'd have waited exactly in that one spot for that length of time without doing something about it, but then we weren't there.

Reason I was asking about the other holidays was the wine 'problem'.

If one is accustomed to expensive wine then what is poured on most cruises may not come up to your expectations. Also even if the wine is good, it nay still not be to your taste.

Certainly someone worried about 'bruising' a wine is probably not going to find what they want easily.

Also as mentioned, if the upper deck was closed it was probably due to the number of locks being passed through, irritating, but part of the routine for a river cruise.

It's always suspect when someone signs up for a forum and presents their first and only post as a complaint. But when most of what's being complained about is unrealistic that really takes the cake. Oh well, it was at least an interesting diversion this morning. I'm afraid to consider what level of rube I am that I wouldn't know a bruised wine if it jumped out of the glass and bit me. ;)

I'm afraid to consider what level of rube I am that I wouldn't know a bruised wine if it jumped out of the glass and bit me. ;)

That's OK, I defy pretty much anyone to tell the difference if the bottle was not opened in front of them, it is largely a fiction.

Avoiding sediment is the only valid reason for concern and unless this was a 10+ year old red the odds of that being an issue are pretty slim as well ...

First world problems ... :)

I would have just appreciated some separate paragraphs to make it easier to read. No paragraph breaks make it tough to follow.

"First world problems ... :) "

Too funny.

Not to highjack this thread completely from poor Jane but it is so interesting to read what other people will complain about. I just saw someone on tripadvisor griping about a hotel that did not provide a toilet cleaning brush in the loo in their room so they were not able to clean their toilet during their stay. I was slack-jawed in amazement that anyone would (1) complain about that lack and (2) want to clean a hotel toilet.

Everyone has different standards.....

Her trip was 4.5 months ago, wondering why it took so long to lodge her complaints here!!

Mark,

We were on a Burgundy river cruise last year, and I did not recall many locks. I just Googled the Rhone and a website stated there were only 12 locks between Lyon and the Mediterranean.

Other than that, I agree with everyone else's comments.

Mark,

We were on a Burgundy river cruise last year, and I did not recall many locks. I just Googled the Rhone and a website stated there were only 12 locks between Lyon and the Mediterranean.

Other than that, I agree with everyone else's comments.

Thinking about it, low bridges would do it as well of course ...

I'm hoping Jane will return and respond to further comments from the original post.

I think part of what Jane said is true that the Viking advertisements do not match the reality of the product. Jane probably went expecting top of the line world class. Also yes river cruises are expensive but Viking is known as a moderately priced tour giving good value in comparison. But if one doesn't research here on Cruise Critic it is understandable to think otherwise. I hate those ship transfers it is the norm to wait on a coach bus. That is why we take a taxi.

on doing this tour in next few yrs.It sounds great in brochure.Sad to think reality is anything but.Will be happy to hear from anyone else on this cruise,or in past to see what they think.

I don t see any of the top end river lines doing this area,may wait and see if this isnt added in future.

Took 2 Viking cruises,and tho enjoyed ,agree with above poster.Not one of the luxury lines.But if you want that itinerary, no choice at moment.

How about it Scenic,AMA,etc.,think you ll add it?

PS.not even a wine drinker,but area sounds great and have not seen that part of France.;)

Viking is definitely not the only line doing the Rhone--Uniworld,AMA,Scenic and Tauck. There my be others. Many of us have our quirks about things--proper wine service must be theirs. As Brits they may have posted on the UK board of CC. We did this itinerary in 2006 with Uniworld--fantstic trip.

Just remembered GCT also does this trip.

Pat

I have done this trip with Avalon and thoroughly enjoyed it. With Avalon if you wanted a more 'premium wine' the menu had several other selections at a per bottle price. I enjoyed the local wines.

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We took this trip last year on Avalon and I cannot remember a single instance when the top deck was closed for bridges. I remember some times when the wheelhouse was collapsed.

We loved the ports and several of the passengers told us of the wonderful wine tours they had taken in the afternoon while we took pictures in town.

Of course, after sampling and purchasing they were content and not particularly inclined to complain about much of anything! Many were Australians and, with the Kiwis, are the world's greatest traveling companions. I think their national creed must be "no whinging".

Don't know what Viking's marketing is like in the US, but here in the UK they are definitely marketing themselves as a luxury line. They currently sponsor a tv drama series and each time the commercials come on, we can't believe they are supposedly showing the ship we cruised on.

We took the cruise with Vantage last year and loved it! We sampled the wine at many wineries, but a lot of the prices($50 per bottle) were out of our price range. I sure the OP would have enjoyed them.

While in Arles I stopped in a market and bought a number of inexpensively priced white wines. I was careful when I opened them not to bruise them, however.

The story and pictures are on our website. We are always happy to answer any questions.

Last October we took Viking's Portraits of Southern France cruise and completely enjoyed it! Our cruise sounds almost nothing like Jane's. We enjoyed it SO much we came home and made reservations for 2 more cruises!

We also sailed north to south - but arrived at Chalon-sur-Saone on our own having stayed 4 days in Paris - we were trying to make the most of our endless flight from the USA!! Our Viking experience could have been a bad one since it began with our train from Paris breaking down causing about 30 of us to become instant "friends" as we waited at a station in the middle of "no where" for the next train - but, first, it wasn't Viking's fault (except they wouldn't sell us their bus transfers - a point nicely discussed with them post-trip) and, second, the ship's Cruise Director, Kurt, actually returned my DH's phone call to give us travel directions and reassure us that the ship wasn't sailing until the following day and they were eagerly waiting for us - WOW he was the Company's best avertisment!!!

The Rivers - Saone & Rhine do have many low bridges - but I only remember one evening that the upper deck was closed for awhile during dinner. Other times at least one staff member was up there to warn everyone to remain seated while we went under a low bridge. Perhaps the water was higher and height more dangerous during Jane's cruise. But that was something I remember reading about in one of their booklettes pre-cruise.

Dining - yes, we also had a bit of a rush to find a table for our growing group to all sit at - but I don't think there's any "perfect" answer to dinner seating - assign tables? let people choose? nothing is "perfect"!! Our group would sent one person ahead to save a table and we always had a good time!!

Now for wine! Yes, I agree that the wine served free at lunch and dinner is not the best and is also the same at each meal - however - we never encountered an attitude or problem when we brought our own - and DH is an ammitted wine snob but he never had a problem with his bottle(s) being opened (in restaurants, he sometimes opens bottles himself when encountering a young server who seems read to break the cork!!) I admit it's more than possible that the staff has changed since last year but our staff was very good! The guys at our table often brought their own red wine and one of our ladies only drank white and the servers were always sure her glass was filled with their white wine even if we were drinking from our own bottle of red.

As for ship's meetings, I remember being told we SHOULD attend and often both did or one of us or neither - and we all survived! I guess much comes down to one's perception of how things are said and we never felt an attitude from the staff.

Gary Cruiser ~ paragraph comment is excellent! (hope above is easier to read)

Sparky333 ~ first post + complaints = suspect, I agree!

cruiseryyc ~ 4.5 month ago - agree, why now??

Boy! The attack dogs are out in force tearing into the OP. Why can't someone have an experience that wasn't up to their expectations and why are they lambasted because it's their first post? Like you they have opinions and they expressed them. Just because their cruise didn't meld with your experiences doesn't make them "people that should be avoided".

There appears to be a certain style of eliteness creeping into this section of the board and that could be a reason why we see an increase in 1 time posters. Who would want to come back after being attacked like this. It's not fun as I know. Being accused of being a Tauck Shill simply because I explained why I chose one of their cruises over the others will always be something I remember.

Dear Oz,

I agree with you in the sense the people should not be lambasted. We have only sailed with Vantage because we like their product. We have a great deal of respect for Tauck, but it does not fit our personal budget. We would love to sail with them.

I suspect these folks were sold a bill of goods as far as the "luxury" of the Viking cruise, as some other poster here commented.

I am afraid the OP unfortunately came across as a wine snob, although it was not their intention. There are many excellent wines available for $20, but as I stated earlier, in Burgundy the prices are very high.