Viking Chateaux, Rivers & Wine

[Go Pack]

You maybe okay since you sail at the end of May. Things will be or should be corrected. But for me I leave on Friday and hopefully sail on Saturday. I will let you know. Still have not heard from Ms. Henderson the Diirector of Marketing at Viking, it has been 6 hours awaiting her returned call. Will try again in the morning. But I will not hold my breath.

[indianrider]

Hello group,

This is very discouraging to hear about! Basically, love2read has been ripped off of a potential wonderful cruise experience! Any new venture is bound to run into some foul ups but this is a terrible mess-most of these problems should have been known to Viking and it seems like too much has gone wrong and Viking should have been aware of these issues, Doing bus tours doesn't cut it in my book when paying that much for a river cruise. I am seriously considering canceling my cruise in Sept and seeing if I can find another cruise on a competing company. Any ideas of anyone doing the same?

Ps. I find it hard to believe that customer service had no idea what was happening-either they are Fraudulent or at the very least, incompetent!

[notamermaid]

Hello,

 

Hello group,

This is very discouraging to hear about! Basically, love2read has been ripped off of a potential wonderful cruise experience! Any new venture is bound to run into some foul ups but this is a terrible mess-most of these problems should have been known to Viking and it seems like too much has gone wrong and Viking should have been aware of these issues, Doing bus tours doesn't cut it in my book when paying that much for a river cruise. I am seriously considering canceling my cruise in Sept and seeing if I can find another cruise on a competing company. Any ideas of anyone doing the same?

Ps. I find it hard to believe that customer service had no idea what was happening-either they are Fraudulent or at the very least, incompetent!

 

In the times of the internet and global positioning systems I cannot believe that people are put on a cruise like this. I am puzzled to say the least. If the problems where not weather related they were not known in advance? Sudden failure of a bridge? Bridge construction? It takes years to build a bridge. :confused:

 

I feel sorry for you that have missed out on what sounded to me like a great itinerary.

 

notamermaid

Edited April 10, 2014 by notamermaid
Spelling

[roebud]

I am saddened to read about the recent cruise or I should say lack there of. Certainly not what you were anticipating when you booked. Hoping this is an isolated event and not something that will frequently happen.

 

GoPack...Please keep us updated if possible if Viking gets back to you. This recent event must be very concerning for you and id4elizabeth.

 

We will all be thinking about you for sure

 

Rose

[tipsygirl]

Please tell me 'LOVE 2read" what port calls were you able to dock. What is the real problem as you were told. Has the trip been a complete failure? I am talking with Viking directly and they know nothing and will tell you less. I am very disappointed in the Viking Customer Service. I am awaiting a call from the Director Ms. Linnei Henderson, hopefully she will let me know something. Its pretty sad when I know more than the Customer service dept.

Go Pack, Would appreciate it if you would let us know what you hear from Viking, and from whom. I have been in touch with my travel agent and he is checking with Viking today also. Will share what he finds out.

Since we already have our flight and hotel reservations and are scheduled to leave on April 22nd for the April 26th sailing we will be going to Bordeaux regardless. Would like to go prepared with as much info as possible.

[tipsygirl]

We have only been able to dock in Bordeaux for five nights, one in Libourne and one in Pauillac. There is a lot of bus time. So we cruised in the early morning hours from Bordeaux to Pauillac for three hours on Sunday and from Pauillac in the very early morning hours back to Bordeaux for three hours on Monday. On Tuesday, everyone who was not on an excursion cruised from Bordeaux to Libourne for five hours. On Wednesday, we sailed back to Bordeaux and will remain here until we depart on Saturday.

Please let us know if you hear back from Customer Service. We skipped Blaye because we could not dock and Cadillac because of a bridge construction. We are being bused to Cadillac tomorrow.

 

 

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Love2read, Thanks for letting us all know of the situation. I know that sometimes if a financial resolution is arrived at for a cruise issue the passengers involved are legally required to keep the solution to themselves. Please let us know what you can about your situation. We sail on the 26th and want to be prepared for negotiations if necessary.

[lovetocruise17]

Hello group,

This is very discouraging to hear about! Basically, love2read has been ripped off of a potential wonderful cruise experience! Any new venture is bound to run into some foul ups but this is a terrible mess-most of these problems should have been known to Viking and it seems like too much has gone wrong and Viking should have been aware of these issues, Doing bus tours doesn't cut it in my book when paying that much for a river cruise. I am seriously considering canceling my cruise in Sept and seeing if I can find another cruise on a competing company. Any ideas of anyone doing the same?

Ps. I find it hard to believe that customer service had no idea what was happening-either they are Fraudulent or at the very least, incompetent!

 

I have been reading all your posts and am now totally discouraged that Viking has turned this River Cruise with different ports into a bus tour. I do not want to spend my holiday on a bus. Also this morning I got my airline and hotel reservation. I usually ALWAYS do my own air but we decided to just let Viking do everything this time. They have us on flights leaving at 6:05 AM from the ship going thru Amsterdam. There are other flights that would not have required us just staying up all night. They also have us on a 11:27PM flight out of Atlanta to Paris that doesn't land until 2pm in Paris. We were hoping for a day in Paris. So never again will I let someone else book my air. I probably also have a middle seat...which will have to be changed. This is taking on as a trip we would not have taken and it hasn't even started yet for us. I will continue to read all your posts and am so sorry this is happening to you all that are on these earlier cruises. Lets hope that Viking figurers out what is happening here and does something about it. This trip is very expensive and I don't want a bus tour.

[tipsygirl]

I have been reading all your posts and am now totally discouraged that Viking has turned this River Cruise with different ports into a bus tour. I do not want to spend my holiday on a bus. Also this morning I got my airline and hotel reservation. I usually ALWAYS do my own air but we decided to just let Viking do everything this time. They have us on flights leaving at 6:05 AM from the ship going thru Amsterdam. There are other flights that would not have required us just staying up all night. They also have us on a 11:27PM flight out of Atlanta to Paris that doesn't land until 2pm in Paris. We were hoping for a day in Paris. So never again will I let someone else book my air. I probably also have a middle seat...which will have to be changed. This is taking on as a trip we would not have taken and it hasn't even started yet for us. I will continue to read all your posts and am so sorry this is happening to you all that are on these earlier cruises. Lets hope that Viking figurers out what is happening here and does something about it. This trip is very expensive and I don't want a bus tour.

Talked to my travel agent this morning after he called Viking with the info we have been given about the missed ports and extended bus rides. The supervisor he talked with told him there were absolutely no changes to the itinerary for the Forseti cruises currently underway or upcoming. Have worked with this travel agent for over 15 years and trust his information. He has many connections throughout the cruise industry. He also asked the supervisor if we could invoke the Viking guarantee for a full refund if after boarding, within the first 24 hours we found that these extensive itinerary changes were in effect. He was told that we could. My agent is also checking with other agents in his company to see if any have heard these same reports. His advice is take a copy of the guarantee (on Viking's website) and be sure to listen to all details and ask questions about the itinerary as soon as we board.

[love2read]

Hard to imagine that Viking is saying there are no changes. They must mean that they are getting us to all the places promised. The difference is that we are not cruising there. We have skipped a few excursions rather than spend hours on a bus.

Also, for those on the starboard side, the first five or six cabins with verandas on level 2 are totally blocked by the gangway. Not only is there no view, but they are dark.

Viking has included two tours that were supposed to be optional - the Sauternes tour and the market in Bordeaux. They are both bus tours.

Staff here are very apologetic. They say they have been in touch with Customer Service. No idea what that means since Viking claims no knowledge.

 

 

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[indianrider]

I am absolutely now convinced Viking is fraudulent. I am planning on canceling the cruise in Sept. There is another cruise with Vantage that is the exact same cruise that starts on a Sunday and has the same itinerary as Viking. I am going to call them today and see about availability.

[ChesapeakeSailor]

I just joined and appreciate everyone's contributions, even though the current news is discouraging, it is helpful to have a "heads up". If Viking hears from enough of us, they may be motivated to do something to correct an obvious lack of foresight. Word of mouth is still the best marketing. Please add me to the roll call. I am scheduled to depart on April 26.

[indianrider]

I cannot find the "Guarantee" on Viking's website about a 100% refund. Does anyone know where to find it?

[ChesapeakeSailor]

I just joined and appreciate everyone's contributions, even though the current news is discouraging, it is helpful to have a "heads up". If Viking hears from enough of us, they may be motivated to do something to correct an obvious lack of foresight. Word of mouth is still the best marketing. Please add me to the roll call. I am scheduled to depart on April 26.

[smokinmike]

I think folks need to calm down and allow Viking to respond to the current situation. It is not in the company's interest to allow the status quo to continue. This is a new itinerary and there will be bugs that have to be worked out. Again, it is unfortunate for those involved presently and they do have my sympathy.

 

 

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[indianrider]

I just got off the phone with Viking's customer service rep and was told that whomever was saying those things about VIking's Bordeaux cruise is not telling the truth. They told me that the cruise is a "rousing success" in their terms. I mentioned that a current cruiser is reporting back to us and they said that cannot be true. All I can say is I do not believe the people at Viking. I have not cancelled yet and may wait to hear back from Gopack.

Just thought you should know what I was told...

[tipsygirl]

I just joined and appreciate everyone's contributions, even though the current news is discouraging, it is helpful to have a "heads up". If Viking hears from enough of us, they may be motivated to do something to correct an obvious lack of foresight. Word of mouth is still the best marketing. Please add me to the roll call. I am scheduled to depart on April 26.

We are sailing on the 26th also.

[tipsygirl]

I cannot find the "Guarantee" on Viking's website about a 100% refund. Does anyone know where to find it?

Viking has redone their website so I had to search again to find the guarantee. On the homepage select "Why Viking". From the dropdown menu select "Viking Advantage". And from this drop down menu select "Viking Service Guarantee".

These words are the main message in this section: "We are so confident we can meet, and indeed exceed, your expectations that we are the only river cruise company to guarantee our award-winning service. Should you be dissatisfied with our service upon first check-in (hotel or on board ship) including food, personnel or shore excursions, please notify us within 24 hours of the start of your cruisetour. We then have 24 hours to correct the situation. In the unlikely event that a solution is not possible, you may depart as soon as is feasible and 100% of your cruise price will be refunded. "

[love2read]

They can say whatever they like but someone should ask them bluntly if the boat is currently spending five nights in Bordeaux. We are on the ship and it is not moving. This is our fourth night here with tomorrow night here as well.

 

 

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[Viking Cruises]

Dear Viking Travelers and Cruise Critic members,

 

We’d like to take the opportunity to hopefully clarify a couple of concerns regarding the current sailing in the Bordeaux region.

 

The April 6th sailing has indeed required multiple changes to the itinerary. For those members reporting that they have called Viking and been told otherwise, we can only apologize for the misinformation. After hearing about it here on Cruise Critic, we are working to make sure that all staff members are up-to-date.

 

Tidal influences and patterns of the current require us to create cruise schedules on this particular waterway that leave very little room for error. Anytime something unusual happens, the effect of that disruption tends to have an aggravated impact on the cruise schedule. Unfortunately the April 6th sailing has been met with not only water-related schedule alterations, but also a few other situations outside of our control.

 

While we’ve done our best to make sure that sites are not missed, we are in contact with the crew, following love2read’s posts — and we understand that guests are of course disappointed. All guests will hear from our Customer Relations team upon arriving home.

 

We do not anticipate that the next sailing will follow in the footsteps of this current one — similar to the fact that the previous itinerary was not like this one and 98% of guests on that sailing rated their overall trip to be Above or Far Above Expectations. What has occurred on this departure is truly unfortunate.

 

We hope that all of the future guests on FotoPeg’s list are looking forward to their trips. We encourage any Viking guest to contact us directly with questions, concerns, or feedback at TellUs@vikingcruises.com.

 

Sincerest regards,

Viking Cruises

[Go Pack]

Apparently everyone on the April 12 sailing received an email from Joost Ouendag, VP, Customer Service. It reads:

 

Thank you for traveling with us: we are looking forward to having you on board. This letter is to inform you that there are currently certain restrictions in place on the rivers around Bordeaux which have an impact on your cruise. While all visits will take place, you may experience certain schedule changes compared to the itinerary you have been given.

Please rest assured that with any changes we must make, your enjoyment is paramount in our considerations. We are pleased that we are able to show you all cities, towns and other points of interest on the itinerary, albeit in an altered sequence and with different timing.

Water levels and currentsi n the Gironde-Garrone-Dordogne watershed follow complex problems with many irregularities and these factors interact with the current restrictions. Upon your arrival in Bordeaux your ships staff will outline which differences to the planned itinerary your particular cruise will experience.

If you have any questions please contact Customer Relations at 1-877-668-4546 ext 4525 etc.

 

Doesn't sound very encouraging. Water levels and currents happen everyday.

He fails to mention why they were unable to dock at Blaye, and returned to Bordeaux. I wonder if other riverboats are experiencing similiar problems. For sure I will know first hand by this time next week.

[Bet & Peg]

First, a WELCOME to ChesapeakeSailor and an updated Roll Call:

 

April 12, 2014 ~ id4elizabeth

April 12, 2014 ~ Go Pack

April 26, 2014 ~ tipsygirl

April 26, 2014 ~ ChesapeakeSailor

May 17, 2014 ~ kidfixer: Linda

May 24, 2014 ~ MalibooNewYork Theresa

May 31, 2014 ~ ABQcruiser

July 12, 2014 ~ vcgeno

July 12, 2014 ~ SueFrankuk

July 19, 2014 ~ loge23

Aug. 16, 2014 ~ lovetocruise17

Aug. 23, 2014 ~ MABoat

Aug. 30, 2014 ~ roebud: Rose & Gary

Sept. 6, 2014 ~ indianrider

Sept 13, 2014 ~ smokinmike

Sept. 20, 2014 ~ zmjh45

Sept. 27, 2014 ~ parkie

Oct. 4, 2014 ~ FotoPeg: John & Peg, Tony & Linda

Nov. 1, 2014 ~ Laffey724

Nov. 22, 2014 ~ itchyfeetx2

[smokinmike]

Thank you for posting the Viking email. One hopes that with an adjusted schedule all the promised sailings, dockings, overnight stays and attendant excursions will happen without the unfortunate circumstances of the past week. We are still looking forward to our cruise in September but we will be monitoring the situation via reports on CC. Thanks to all for the reports and once again, I am sorry for the folks who had a less than stellar experience this week. I hope Viking does the right thing in terms of compensation.

 

 

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[roebud]

OK....So if there are tidal influences affecting the ship to dock at the next port....then why are other ships able to dock and not Viking???:confused:...And the bridge work in Cadillac???...I would assume that any cruise company would have some idea of what was taking place construction wise that would affect the passage of the ship through that area way beforehand.

 

Also I am concerned that the rep from Viking as of today made it appear that "love2read" was fabricating their unfortunate event. I am concerned that Viking does not inform their representatives of current problems before we are aware of them.

 

I called Viking and unfortunately can't get any information from them because I booked through a travel agent and need to call them....:confused:...Hello?...Are you not concerned about customer satisfaction????

 

I am very uneasy about my trip with Viking right now

[Bet & Peg]

Second ~ like I'm sure many of you, I've been following the posts and waitring for a Viking reply. (Like most, if not all, cruise lines they monitor CC closely!)

 

I'm really not surprised that Customer Relations is way behind what's happening - it's also happened before with another cruise line! There seems to be a large disconnect between the ship and the home office!!!

 

But what now concerns me is the E-mail sent to the April 12th passengers by the Customer Service VP. Reading between the lines and, I'm sure, carefully chosen words - it sounds like love2read's experience will be repeated! And also seems to contradict the "Viking Cruises" post!!

 

We all know this is a new itinerary for Viking - but its also one that other cruise lines - Uniworld, Vantage and maybe more - have been sailing. And while I haven't read every Bordeaux post from those lines, I don't remember hearing any problems of this magnitude!! And, if indeed these conditions do exist, shouldn't passengers have been forwarned??

 

Thank You to...

love2read for alerting us future cruisers to the problems encountered on the cruise.

IndianRider for sharing his phone call with the service rep

Go Park for including the April 12th sailing E-mail

Tipsygirl for locating the "Viking Service Guarantee"

and anyone else I've missed!!!

 

At present I agree with smokinmike about calming down - but then our cruise is October 4th - if I were leaving today I don't think I could be calm!!!! I eagerly await GoPack and id4elizabeth's comments & reports about their cruise - the good, the bad and the ugly!!!!

[ChesapeakeSailor]

Hi TipsyGirl,

It looks like we are in the same boat, literally. I hope the trip will still live up to everyone's expectations.