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Viking Ocean Cruises - abysmal customer service


fin533
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Please be advised that I am an individual who loves to cruise. My wife and I have cruised on Holland, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity and Oceania cruise lines finding wonderful adventures and new opportunities every moment. We have booked a transatlantic crossing in July 2019 on Cunard's Queen Mary 2. We had not tried Viking Ocean Cruises and found an enticing Ocean cruise over the Thanksgiving holiday 2018. Following through on this simply became a nightmare which included:

 

  • Correcting our Outbound Sales Agent four times in order to ensure that our salutations and names were correct
  • Being informed after the booking of the final payment due date
  • Contacting a supervisor to note that we were not informed of the final payment due date when booking and being told that that never should have happened but the due date could not be changed. Viking preferred to hold fast to this policy because we had received a $500 promotion - and that an $8000.00 booking was not as important as their $500 promotion.
  • Contacting a supervisor to cancel the booking, told to send an email verifying this and that a refund would be issued in 24 - 48 hours.
  • Contacting a different supervisor to reinforce this information and then being told that the first supervisor denied saying this (and effectively calling my veracity into question -read this as being called a liar) and that there was no possibility of expediting a refund. This supervisor then refused to provide the name/email of their supervisor.
  • Calling Stephanie Moldonado, Customer Relations Manager, and speaking with an individual who said Ms. Moldonado does not receive calls from consumers. Bit of an oxymoron for a Customer Relations Manager.
  • Being told by this customer relations representative that they would do everything possible to expedite a refund but, if unsuccessful, would receive a refund in 3 - 5 days.
  • Receiving a voicemail message and email from Lena Nillson, customer relations agent, noting that such a refund could not be expedited.

We are seasoned travelers and I will continue to pursue this because I am angry at this treatment. We have booked a different cruise on Oceania for the Canary Islands over the Thanksgiving holiday 2018. We have never experienced this type of treatment from any cruise line other than Viking Ocean. I know that other cruisers will view this review as a direct affront to their loyalty to and love for Viking. However, this was my experience and, as such, deserves to be heard. We will never book - or attempt to book - another Viking Ocean or River Cruise.

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I won't defend Viking, but I will point out that this is why I always use a Travel Agent to serve as a high-powered liaison between little old me and the big corporate cruise line. TAs have access to the people at corporate that you and I don't, the people who can get to 'yes.'

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I won't defend Viking, but I will point out that this is why I always use a Travel Agent to serve as a high-powered liaison between little old me and the big corporate cruise line. TAs have access to the people at corporate that you and I don't, the people who can get to 'yes.'

 

Good advice, although my TA was unable to fix my booking directly on board cruise price issue with Viking corporate where the yet unannounced cruise we chose was bookable onboard with Viking home office at price P but was first posted on line that very month at P - $500 per person.

I now have a new TA.

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I appreciate that many will use a TA and it seems, from the posts, that this facilitates the contact with Viking. However, an individual dealing directly with Viking should expect to receive good customer service. I have yet to sail with the cruise line but I am not impressed with their customer service staff in the UK. My phone calls to them have taught me to always take note of the person's name, the date and time of my call and the basics of our conversation. They do not always do what they say they will and, often, they are simply not well trained and informed.

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Please be advised that I am an individual who loves to cruise. My wife and I have cruised on Holland, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity and Oceania cruise lines finding wonderful adventures and new opportunities every moment. We have booked a transatlantic crossing in July 2019 on Cunard's Queen Mary 2. We had not tried Viking Ocean Cruises and found an enticing Ocean cruise over the Thanksgiving holiday 2018. Following through on this simply became a nightmare which included:

 

  • Correcting our Outbound Sales Agent four times in order to ensure that our salutations and names were correct
  • Being informed after the booking of the final payment due date
  • Contacting a supervisor to note that we were not informed of the final payment due date when booking and being told that that never should have happened but the due date could not be changed. Viking preferred to hold fast to this policy because we had received a $500 promotion - and that an $8000.00 booking was not as important as their $500 promotion.
  • Contacting a supervisor to cancel the booking, told to send an email verifying this and that a refund would be issued in 24 - 48 hours.
  • Contacting a different supervisor to reinforce this information and then being told that the first supervisor denied saying this (and effectively calling my veracity into question -read this as being called a liar) and that there was no possibility of expediting a refund. This supervisor then refused to provide the name/email of their supervisor.
  • Calling Stephanie Moldonado, Customer Relations Manager, and speaking with an individual who said Ms. Moldonado does not receive calls from consumers. Bit of an oxymoron for a Customer Relations Manager.
  • Being told by this customer relations representative that they would do everything possible to expedite a refund but, if unsuccessful, would receive a refund in 3 - 5 days.
  • Receiving a voicemail message and email from Lena Nillson, customer relations agent, noting that such a refund could not be expedited.

We are seasoned travelers and I will continue to pursue this because I am angry at this treatment. We have booked a different cruise on Oceania for the Canary Islands over the Thanksgiving holiday 2018. We have never experienced this type of treatment from any cruise line other than Viking Ocean. I know that other cruisers will view this review as a direct affront to their loyalty to and love for Viking. However, this was my experience and, as such, deserves to be heard. We will never book - or attempt to book - another Viking Ocean or River Cruise.

 

Wow, this is most troubling. Hope improvements are made and fast.

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I’m sorry you had this experience, but our dealings with Viking Ocean and River have been trouble free with some minor glitches that were taken care of to our satisfaction and then some.

 

Once onboard everything and everyone was fantastic. We just had the most amazing cruise. Our river cruise in 2016 was also wonderful!

 

Like everyone, I can only speak of our experience. We have 2 more cruises booked with them.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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So sorry that this mis-communication took place. However, if the final payment date is a concern, why didn't you ask? I always ask when it is, because different cruise lines and travel agents have different policies. The Viking payment policy is consistent for all customers, regardless of any price deal offered. The written request for the refund sounds normal. I don't understand why you were insisting on an expedited refund - five days is certainly reasonable, and you should have 30 days before the amount is even due on your credit card. I'm sure you believe your decision to cancel is justified, but you started your post by stating that you enjoy cruising. The Viking cruise we just completed is the best we have ever had - and we have been on more than 40 on a variety of cruise lines. Please take a deep breath and reconsider some time in the future. Life passes too quickly...

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So sorry that this mis-communication took place. However, if the final payment date is a concern, why didn't you ask? I always ask when it is, because different cruise lines and travel agents have different policies. The Viking payment policy is consistent for all customers, regardless of any price deal offered. The written request for the refund sounds normal. I don't understand why you were insisting on an expedited refund - five days is certainly reasonable, and you should have 30 days before the amount is even due on your credit card. I'm sure you believe your decision to cancel is justified, but you started your post by stating that you enjoy cruising. The Viking cruise we just completed is the best we have ever had - and we have been on more than 40 on a variety of cruise lines. Please take a deep breath and reconsider some time in the future. Life passes too quickly...

 

Beautifully stated.

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  • 5 months later...

I’ll just second what our esteemed Host Jazzbeau has said. We have a great TA who knows, as I have said here before, “the right words, the right questions asked in the right way”. Many on this board have had problems with the home office - to varying degrees. Ours was relatively minor but unnecessary. And as had been said before many times, the on board experience is worth the price, literally and figuratively. Get yourself a good TA, preferably one you can have a personal relationship with and who has a touch of pit bull. Makes life so much easier.

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My reaction to this post:

 

 

Sometimes, the answer is "no."

Viking has its way of doing things. OP has his way of doing things and it seems that "ne'er the twain shall meet." But, just because you want something done your way and you want it now, doesn't mean it is going to happen that way. In reality, the customer is not always right. The cruise lines have policies in place that their employees must adhere to regardless of the demands of the customers.

 

Terms of contract state that cancellations must be in writing. Actually that protects both the cruise line and the customer, so why throw a hissy fit when you are asked for an e-mail.

 

Lessons learned--for all of us: 1) if you are acting as your own TA, read the terms of contract and all the other fine print before you get on the phone to book a cruise. The booking agents just don't have the time to read all of the fine print to you. 2) just because your favorite cruise line has a pay in full date of 90 days out, does not mean that every cruise line has the same policy. Do your home homework--and don't blame the cruise line when you don't.

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