VIKING PASSENGERS - were you cruising on The Danube on 2 June 2013?

[Amtico]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=222179

[Amtico]

Thank you for your quick response. Details of your post have been passed on and I'm sure you will hear from the passengers shortly. :)

 

 

Dear Amtico,

 

We did see that you are in the UK – and yes, it absolutely still applies to you. You are a Viking guest and that means that no matter where you are located, we want to help you connect with the Viking team member (no matter the office or department) best suited to assist with your concern. If you’re open to the suggestion, we’d recommend the following:

 

• Please do email TellUs@vikingcruises.com. It will help us put together guest details such as name and booking number that can be shared with our colleagues in the UK so that they can assist you as quickly as possible. We will happily do the initial liaising on your behalf, and the UK office will reach out to you. There’s one small thing we ask… it’s quite late here in the States and we’re about to turn in for the night, so please do email us and believe that we’ll begin working on it for you as soon as possible, but there will likely be a bit of delay due to time/day difference. (Very sorry about that, honestly.)
   
  
• Please also share this email address with the other members of your group so that we can try to assist there, as well.
  

 

Very best,

Viking Cruises

[G.M.T.]

Peter,

UK Bayern, ingo_e and I are locals and we have been following the German news both on TV and print. All the three of us did keep you informed about what was going on. We also followed the websites showing the water levels. So I do know my facts.

 

As for Passau the warnings were altered more or less by the hour. At the beginning they did expect a "century high". But no one thought it might be more than 2005 and 2002. Passau hit the record of 1951 and then of 1506 (no older records noted).

 

steamboats

 

You forgot to mention me, being the only one actually affected by the flooding.

 

If we are sticking to hard facts, the floods were 1954 (not 1951) and 1501 (not 1506).

 

Ron

[smokeynz]

Amtico

Good luck in your battle, if I was in your shoes, nothing less than 100% cash refund + discount on a rebooking would be acceptable. Others such as Avalon have offered that.

We are in UK for 10 days for Goodwood Festival of Speed, hope you have some good weather for us. We have major flooding in South Island with major snow storms expected in next 24hrs, so it would be nice to have some summer weather to look forward too.

 

We were on Avalon Amsterdam to Budapest had two days sailing then bused the rest of way. We were certainly not offered that sort of refund just $1200pp on a $8500pp cruise no discounts on anything.

[cgoing]

We were passengers on this dreadful trip disorganised by Viking.

It should have been cancelled, they had plenty of time whilst we were still in the UK.

However we can only assume they went ahead for commercial reasons and with a complete disregard for passenger safety.

Although Viking are not responsible for flooding, they are responsible for the way they sent passengers in to dangerous areas.

We have claimed a monetary refund but are still waiting a reply.

If nothing is received within a week, I shall take further action..

[angsue]

Yes, I do realize that the weather is out of anyone's control. My point is that Viking has access to the most complete forecasts available. Our June 2 cruise on the Danube should never have taken place and someone made a poor decision to go ahead with the plans in spite of the situation. Our cruise should have been cancelled, our money refunded, and we should have been flown home from Prague. It's as simple as that. As far as the Viking personnel, those on the ship were excellent and looked after our needs very well with the exception of our Cruise Director. We did have some Viking people along the way during our MANY hours of coach travel that did not seem to have our best interests at heart, especially in Budapest. And, yes, we do expect a refund.

 

 

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[Amtico]

I have just emailed you via the address given.

 

I would be grateful for an acknowledgement (when you are back at work in the morning, of course) and also being kept up to date as to how things are progressing - if able.

 

I shall, of course, keep everyone in our 'group' up to date via email and on here, if people are still interested.

 

Thank you. :)

 

 

 

Dear Amtico,

 

We did see that you are in the UK – and yes, it absolutely still applies to you. You are a Viking guest and that means that no matter where you are located, we want to help you connect with the Viking team member (no matter the office or department) best suited to assist with your concern. If you’re open to the suggestion, we’d recommend the following:

 

• Please do email TellUs@vikingcruises.com. It will help us put together guest details such as name and booking number that can be shared with our colleagues in the UK so that they can assist you as quickly as possible. We will happily do the initial liaising on your behalf, and the UK office will reach out to you. There’s one small thing we ask… it’s quite late here in the States and we’re about to turn in for the night, so please do email us and believe that we’ll begin working on it for you as soon as possible, but there will likely be a bit of delay due to time/day difference. (Very sorry about that, honestly.)
   
  
• Please also share this email address with the other members of your group so that we can try to assist there, as well.
  

 

Very best,

Viking Cruises

[BarbaraM]

WhAt airline would stay in business if a plane had mechanical or weather problems and that airline chose to bus passengers to their destination. What ocean cruise line would stay in business if it was common practice to ferry passengers from port to port and call it a cruise while the ship is docked the entire time in an industrial port. I applaud those lines that took the hit up front canceling cruises or allowing refunds to those when given the choice. While it may be common practice on river cruises to bus passengers around an occasional high or low water point, this situation was far from typical, and many lines got caught with their pants down. With all the new ships being built, the more people will research future trips on this forum. Those companies who decided that a bus tour is what was booked, not a cruise, are going to lose a large market share of future business. Especially mine. In the age of Twitter and Facebook, multiply every one unsatisfied customer x100 or more.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Amtico]

Tauck have just posted a list of their cancelled cruises on another thread - interesting reading when looking at three of the dates mentioned!

 

 

 

The following 2013 departures were canceled:

June 14 – Budapest to the Black Sea

June 6 – The Blue Danube

June 2 – Grand European Cruise

June 2 – Amsterdam to Budapest by Riverboat

May 30 – The Blue Danube

[Amtico]

Great post Barbara - wholeheartedly agree! :)

 

 

WhAt airline would stay in business if a plane had mechanical or weather problems and that airline chose to bus passengers to their destination. What ocean cruise line would stay in business if it was common practice to ferry passengers from port to port and call it a cruise while the ship is docked the entire time in an industrial port. I applaud those lines that took the hit up front canceling cruises or allowing refunds to those when given the choice. While it may be common practice on river cruises to bus passengers around an occasional high or low water point, this situation was far from typical, and many lines got caught with their pants down. With all the new ships being built, the more people will research future trips on this forum. Those companies who decided that a bus tour is what was booked, not a cruise, are going to lose a large market share of future business. Especially mine. In the age of Twitter and Facebook, multiply every one unsatisfied customer x100 or more.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Host Jazzbeau]

WhAt airline would stay in business if a plane had mechanical or weather problems and that airline chose to bus passengers to their destination.

 

In fact most passengers want to get to their destination in whatever way possible. That is why airlines strive to get the flight off, even when the forecast is not promising. And sometimes they are diverted to another airport, FROM WHICH THEY BUS THE PASSENGERS to the original destination.

[steamboats]

You forgot to mention me, being the only one actually affected by the flooding.

 

If we are sticking to hard facts, the floods were 1954 (not 1951) and 1501 (not 1506).

 

Ron

 

Sorry, Ron, I didn´t want to leave you out! I knew there was someone else. But I didn´t remember. And I stay corrected about the dates (I didn´t have the time to look them up).

 

ingo_e, pass the pop corn please! :D

 

From previous high/low water problems I do remember that we locals informed all of you on here. Then you were calling the offices of the river cruise companies in the US and they didn´t know anything! (which is sad of course) But it´s not really uncommon that those making the decisions in the head quarters do not have all data. The staff onboard does have it. But sometimes they aren´t asked for it...

 

steamboats

who is not seeking for any new job at all... I do have a good job and I like it.

[shoshona2]

to Amtico,

 

If you go to Tauck's website, you will read that the passengers who were cancelled received their full money back. That's why I will only go on a riverboat trip with Tauck. Been on two and looking forward to another one.

 

Sheila

[cgoing]

Well put. Agree with you wholeheartedly.

Viking seems to have forgotten that a River cruise cost c.£2000, a much more efficient, and pleasant coach tour calling in at Danube Cities would cost £500-£600 with much less stress and mileage.

[id est]

to Amtico,

 

If you go to Tauck's website, you will read that the passengers who were cancelled received their full money back. That's why I will only go on a riverboat trip with Tauck. Been on two and looking forward to another one.

 

Sheila

Go for it. The average price charged by Tauck for 1 cruise is equivalent of 2 Viking cruises. So I’ll better stay with Viking and pay less…

[remydiva]

How did you know that Noah1 was a fake account? I noticed the '1 post'.

... so who would go on a unprovoked rant like that?

 

Didn't take CC to delete the post thank goodness...unfair slam at Steamboats who along with yourself, UK Bayerm and Ron, have been the source of the most accurate info.

 

I am interested tho in the reviews just starting to come in from passengers, Viking mostly, who were on the Danube starting June 2. Sounds awful. Not at all how the company websites were describing 'alternate itineraries'.

 

Stay tuned and fasten your seatbelts and lifejackets.....it could get bumpy....no, make that bumpier!

[ingo_e]

How did you know that Noah1 was a fake account? I noticed the '1 post'.

 

Well, was actually a guess, based on 15 yrs newsgroups experience.. Will take it back if Noah1 contributes positive content (instead of just hating) in 3 month :)

[CaroleSS]

While I understand the frustration of those aboard the boat, I will agree with steamboat in that there was plenty of information out there about the flooding.

 

We were slated to go to Bermuda on a cruise line. There was a looming bus driver strike. I got my best information concerning the strike (which was averted) on THESE boards. I don't trust others to take care of me....I will do my research and verify with them.

 

Could things have been handled better? Absolutely! But if the decision is made to cancel the cruise while you are in-route or already there, what choice do you have? You could cancel before you leave, you could say "I wanna go home", you could venture out on your own, or you could do some type of bus tour. Should there be some type of compensation? YES! But, it may have been that all the river boat companies were learning about closings by the hour.....they operate under the direction of the ports regardless of the desires of the passengers.

 

We are slated for a river cruise next year. This may occur again. We will watch these boards for whatever may come and plan accordingly. If it doesn't happen, I will be disappointed, but I will try to understand that they are doing the best they can given the unprecedented circumstances and may simply rent a car and venture out on our own. This is what insurance is for after all!

 

p.s. I am NOT a Viking spokesperson - our cruise is with Avalon, but I'm a "the glass is the wrong size" kind of a gal and enjoy any vacation I can get!

[remydiva]

Well, was actually a guess, based on 15 yrs newsgroups experience.. Will take it back if Noah1 contributes positive content (instead of just hating) in 3 month :)

 

Just checked the 'members list' and Noah1 is no longer listed as a member.....so what the heck was that all about?:confused:

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

You get what you pay for ????

[capeaches8834]

If you were a passenger on any of the Viking cruises on The Danube (or any of the other flooding European rivers) on or around 2 June 2013 - would love to hear from you and your experiences and how Viking are now treating you?

 

I was a passenger on the Viking Danube Waltz which left Budapest on 2 June 2013, on Viking Legend - we didn't even cruise a single millimetre.

 

I also know the Viking Bragi was moored next to us in Kormano for several days - I think this was Viking's Grand European Tour. I'm guessing you had as enjoyable cruise as us - just guessing! :p

 

I'm sure we're not alone.

 

Our reviews are coming ... they're not pretty!

 

Viking is not handling this correctly. Should have canceled and refunded our money. At the very least... A new cruise with airfare provided at no charge. A class action may be necessary? Any attorneys on the cruises? Anyone interested in uniting?

[CaroleSS]

Not sure about river cruises, but ocean cruises say in your contract that the captain can deviate from the planned (advertised) route for any reason.

 

While I understand that you are upset, what would be the basis of your suit??

[G.M.T.]

How did you know that Noah1 was a fake account? I noticed the '1 post'.

... so who would go on a unprovoked rant like that?

 

Didn't take CC to delete the post thank goodness...unfair slam at Steamboats who along with yourself, UK Bayerm and Ron, have been the source of the most accurate info.

 

I am interested tho in the reviews just starting to come in from passengers, Viking mostly, who were on the Danube starting June 2. Sounds awful. Not at all how the company websites were describing 'alternate itineraries'.

 

Stay tuned and fasten your seatbelts and lifejackets.....it could get bumpy....no, make that bumpier!

 

Not only has the post been delete but also Noah1 membership account is gone.

 

I shook my head in disbelief at such a personal attack on "Steamboats" just ranting and raving. Steamboats has a vast knowledge about all aspects of river cruising and shares that willingly with anyone who asks.

 

Noah1 never said they were on an affected cruise, although with such an ID I would have thought they were used to great floods.

 

I am not going to comment on the customer service from the various river cruise companies as I have absolutely no experience. Through the flooding disaster more and more cruise companies have discovered the importance of cruise forums especially CC in disseminating information to current and prospective customers. The FB sites of the companies are more than likely only being visited by their own customers, so having very little impact.

 

Ron

[Noah1]

noah1 is still active

 

he is a genuine passenger and not a plant

 

He is not on a rant

[remydiva]

noah1 is still active

 

he is a genuine passenger and not a plant

 

He is not on a rant

 

And yet he is still here....and still one post! mooohahahahaha:eek:

 

Join Date

June 18th, 2013

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