Syd58

Thanks for the thoughtful review. Unlike Regent, I don't consider Viking a luxury line; therefore, the higher price pp on Regent is likely justified.

A number of Seabourn, Silversea, and Oceania's ships (especially the newer ones) do offer accessible veranda cabins without the need to upgrade to the penthouse level. How can Viking be ADA compliant when it is not a U.S.-based ship? The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is an American act. There may be regulations in Norway or Switzerland that they follow. Perhaps those regulations aren't as rigid as those of the ADA, I don't know. Seabourn, Silversea, Oceania, and Celebrity have policies that welcome people with disabilities who need accommodations. Note the first three of these have ocean-going ships about the same size or smaller than Viking. Clearly, these lines are considering accessibility issues when they design new ships. Did you read the excerpts at the bottom of my last post? Requiring a passenger to complete a form is one thing; telling someone they have to book first, then complete the form and possibly lose some money (regardless of amount) is quite different. I do agree Viking's model is very clear. I also agree people have a choice. I also know there are likely some people even without a disability who would prefer that Viking handle accessibility issues in a different way.

Thanks. You are correct. The new Oceania ships also have a good number of accessible regular veranda cabins. We are booked in this type cabin for our 2 2025 transatlantic/Europe cruises.

Their Edge class ships have a good number of accessible veranda cabins.

Some lines provide a larger bathroom (with a roll-in shower) and a little more floorspace (for wheelchair or scooter turning radius) at the same level non-accessible cabin. There may be some that I'm not aware of, but I personally don't know any others that require those needing an accessible cabin to pay considerably more to book a penthouse junior suite.

Thanks for posting this.

The quotes below are excerpts are from 2 separate e-mails I received from Viking. I don't think it is appropriate to ask customers using a mobility scooter to book a cruise and pay a potentially non-refundable deposit and administrative fee prior to knowing whether a mobility scooter will be approved. This is my opinion, and I think many others would agree. Keep in mind I had e-mailed Viking very specific dimensions and the weight of the scooter prior to receiving the below responses. The matter of accessible excursions is a separate issue. Do I think Viking should provide more accessible excursions - when they can -? Absolutely. This is my opinion, and again I think there are others that would agree. Keep in mind accessibility applies not just to people utilizing scooters or wheelchairs. It could also apply to people using canes or to those who just need a little more time. Regarding accessible cabins, of course, Viking has the right to do whatever it chooses, but to require those with handicaps who need an accessible cabin to book a higher level category (on some ships) that typically costs significantly more is unseemly. This is my opinion, and I think there are others that would agree. Certainly, there are other lines that handle these things differently, and people have the right to select the line that best fits their needs. With that said, this kind of information may well benefit others with similar needs as ours. "We would not be able to submit your request for the motorized scooter until after you had your itinerary booked." "It would be determined on a case by case basis. I would let the agent booking your trip know about the scooter so that we can process the request as quickly as possible to minimize the risk of losing these fees. These fees are usually only a non refundable amount of $100.00 per person".

Thanks for this post. In light of the current discussion, it is quite telling...

Other cruise lines having preferable accessibility policies has absolutely nothing to do with the social responsibility actions of Viking.

If the ship design doesn't work, then why do many of their ships have a few accessible penthouse junior suites? Clearly, it does work - part of the issue is that passengers who need accessible cabins cannot book a regular veranda cabin on some of their ships, rather have to pay considerably more for a penthouse junior suite.

We were in line with their policy, but I decided to call to confirm and was told that I would need to book first and then submit a request to have the scooter approved. I asked if the deposit would be refunded if the scooter was not approved and the representative indicated we might lose an administrative fee. I did not receive guidance regarding the refundability of the deposit should the scooter not be approved. Note part of an e-mail I received from Viking was published in an earlier post. Regarding lithium batteries, we specifically searched for a lightweight foldable mobility scooter without a lithium battery (they are hard to find) as some Asian airlines will not allow these on their aircraft.

Corporate policies are not stagnant. They change relative to internal and external factors, including customer demands and preferences, competition, regulations, laws, environment, etc. For example, if enough people said they were not going to pay a deposit as far in advance as Viking requires, Viking would have to modify this policy.

Actually, countries like Switzerland and Norway have regulations similar to ADA in the U.S. Not sure how a lightweight, foldable scooter that is not as wide as some people might interfere with ship safety. Luxury lines like Silversea, Seabourn, and Oceania don't seem to think so.

Of course, any business can do 'whatever' it wants to do, at least in the short-run, but this doesn't mean it is the 'right' thing to do. Have you heard of the term 'social responsibility'?

We have never kept a scooter in a hallway, nor ever will. Scooters stored in hallways should be forbidden on all cruiseships.This lightweight scooter is barely as wide as some people and easily fits through the door of a regular cabin. We have never had a problem with gangways, but if need be, my wife has a walker as well. The scooter can be easily folded and is about the size of a suitcase. She has MS and the scooter is definitely a major plus for her. To those of you who have made negative comments, I pray that you never need some sort of assistance. Unfortunately as people age, the odds are pretty good that you might. I suspect your perspective will be quite different then.

We use one of the top volume TAs in the U.S. The TA was informed. I have little doubt Viking will change its policy. The point is there are many people, both those with handicaps and those without, who are not fans of this policy.

My wife's is one of the newer lightweight folding scooters, not much wider than some people and easily will fit through a regular cabin door. This is the scooter that a Viking representative told me we would need to book the cruise first, (pay the administrative fee and deposit) and then submit a request for approval from Viking. The representative would not provide assurance that if the scooter was not approved that Viking would refund the deposit and administrative fee. This was unacceptable.

Most consider the food on Oceania to be among the best in the industry.. I don't care for the decor in Viking cabins.

Thanks for the suggestion, but we have booked Silversea, Seabourn, and Oceania cruises for the next couple of years as we have found them to be accessible-friendly.

Thanks for your very thoughtful reply. Viking is headquartered in Switzerland. My understanding is that Switzerland has comparable ADA regulations. Wouldn't Viking be subject to such regulations?

Wow. I guess in your way of thinking, any business can treat any disadvantaged/unfortunate/minority group however they want.. I do not see this as good practice for any business.

The term 'active' has much variation. Relatively speaking, Viking's target market is older people. The reality is as people age, most are not as 'active' or physically fit as they once were (although some will deny this). Having been on many cruise excursions, I have personally witnessed the variation in peoples' mobility. Some walk faster than others, some slower; some walk with a cane, some do not; some require the aid of a mobility scooter, many do not, etc. No one is questioning Viking's mission and strategic plan. It is pretty clear. The issue here is why would any business, including Viking, put handicapped persons, at a disadvantage (in Viking's case, requiring people who need an accessible cabin to book a penthouse junior suite (at a higher cost) on some ships as opposed to being able to book an accessible veranda cabin; not offering fully accessible excursions on some cruises; and in my personal example cited in an earlier post, advising them to place a deposit before a decision can be made as to whether a scooter is acceptable (some of which may not be refundable).

I doubt this is the case as other luxury lines such as Silversea, Seabourn, and Oceania seem to effectively handle this issue.

I did get a response (see below) from Viking when I inquired about my wife's scooter. Before booking, I had sent Viking very specific details about her scooter (including weight and dimensions). It is a newer-type folding scooter which is not much wider than some people. I was trying to get an answer before I made the deposit. The response I got (below) was not satisfactory (IMO). It seemed to make light of losing the administrative fee, indicating we could possibly lose it. Not sure what would have happened to our deposit, but I assume it may have been at risk as well. "Thank you for contacting Viking. It would be determined on a case by case basis. I would let the agent booking your trip know about the scooter so that we can process the request as quickly as possible to minimize the risk of losing these fees. These fees are usually only a non refundable amount of $100.00 per person."

I think there's little doubt that Viking understands its actions and policies. Providing accessible tours and/or accessible regular veranda cabins (at a level below penthouse junior suites) does not appear to be a significant priority. The real question is why, especially given their target market, which consists primarily of senior adults.