Any of the cruiselines cancelling tours due to Ukraine probs??

[alexandra cruiser]

I know I would be VERY HESITANT to go there REGARDLESS.'

With a travel warning in place for Ukraine. How much fun can you have when you re constantly worrying about your SAFETY??

Course ,,others have stated,travel ins.NOT HELPING if YOU want to cancel.Unless you got the cancel for any reason policy, so you re essentially losing all the money,taking the cruise,WOW,great choice.

What will others do in this case??WIll be interested to see how this all turns out.:(

[whatnot]

I have been to Russia on 2 different cruises. One was in the Baltic and the other was the Black Sea. I did not get visas for either one. They were not needed if you were on a ship sponsored tour. You were also OK if you booked a private car with driver through the ship, or prebooked a local tour guide and had proof of that booking when went through immigration. So why would you have to have a visa? You can't walk around own your own but you certainly can go on tours.

[id est]

I have been to Russia on 2 different cruises. One was in the Baltic and the other was the Black Sea. I did not get visas for either one. They were not needed if you were on a ship sponsored tour. You were also OK if you booked a private car with driver through the ship, or prebooked a local tour guide and had proof of that booking when went through immigration. So why would you have to have a visa? You can't walk around own your own but you certainly can go on tours.

It is not exactly true. Here is the quote:

-------------------------------

Cruise ship passengers

Since May 2009 international tourists have been able to stay in Russia visa-free up to 72 hours when entering Russia through the ports of Anadyr, Sochi, Novorossiysk, Vladivostok, Korsakov, Kaliningrad, Vyborg or St.Petersburg by ferry. This applies only to persons who travel within an organised group and do not intend to explore the cities on their own.

--------------------------------

As you see Crimea is not in the list. However they may change it anytime, so I'd not make any conclusions.

If you asked me what would I do in this situation: I'd simply wait... Viking may cancel the trip or may alter it or may provide a credit to cover a visa fee etc...

Nobody knows now including Viking. The ship is operated by Ukrainian company and who knows what they decide...

[whatnot]

Thanks for the clarification. We went to St Petersburg, Sochi, and Novorissiysk which were all on your list. We also went to Odessa, Yalta and Sevastopol in Ukraine. Some how I just don't think I would want to go to most of those ports in the next few months. We had difficulties with Russian officials in Novorissisyk. It was not a pleasant experience and there were no known to us issues between Russia and US at that time. I would not ever go back there!

[robinlynn]

Got an e mail yesterday from Azamara that Ukraine cruise was cancelled.

[Hydrokitty]

I was talking to Vantage TM yesterday and asked about Russia and Ukraine. As of now, Russia and extension to Baltic capitols are still scheduled. Extension to Kiev has been cancelled. Such a shame because when we did Russia we took Kiev pre-trip and it was marvelous. fyi: we did most definitely need Visas for Russia even though we were with an organized group and did no touring on our own. IMHO, I doubt there will be any problems in russia with trips..tourism is an important part of their economy and I doubt if they will allow any harm or bad experiences happen to tourists. Keep up with the Dept of state postings and if you're using a reputable river cruising company(Vantage, Viking, AMA and most of the others mentioned on this board) I wouldnt worry if they don't cancel Russia. it's not in their best interests publicity or financially speaking to send a group of people to a country where they might have difficulty getting out. This happened in Egypt and I doubt if it will happen again

[Familygoboston]

I'm interested to see how various lines approach this. Many of these lines offer unique itineraries in some politically precarious places, and I would imagine they have to monitor situations carefully. Sometimes warnings are given by the US and the "issues" are localized, but some warnings like the one for Ukraine are for a situation clearly more problematic and volatile. So learning how each company communicates with their passengers, how and when they make itinerary or voyage change decisions and how they compensate/re book passengers are all things I would be taking into consideration when booking future cruises.

 

Most important is to trust your own gut and make good decisions for your safety and welfare, I would not let a potential expensive loss in vacation dollars dissuade me from canceling if I felt it was unsafe to go. I am hoping those of you with Ukraine on your itineraries get good communication and options from your travel providers! And of course going for a peaceful outcome for the peoples of this region.

[robert32asp]

Got an e mail yesterday from Azamara that Ukraine cruise was cancelled.

 

For those of us on other Ukraine cruises (Viking-Footsteps of the Cossacks) who are trying to figure out it if it is time to cancel or implement plan B and see other cities in Europe, I appreciate anyone sharing any hard information.

 

For myself, if I cancel by mid-April, all I loose is about $100/person. After that it starts to jump up pretty high. That is why I wish Viking was a little more forthcoming with information, why I have contacted them and pushed them, and why I am hoping to learn something at Cruise Critic.

 

Thanks everyone.

[robert32asp]

I'm interested to see how various lines approach this. Many of these lines offer unique itineraries in some politically precarious places, and I would imagine they have to monitor situations carefully. Sometimes warnings are given by the US and the "issues" are localized, but some warnings like the one for Ukraine are for a situation clearly more problematic and volatile. So learning how each company communicates with their passengers, how and when they make itinerary or voyage change decisions and how they compensate/re book passengers are all things I would be taking into consideration when booking future cruises.

 

Most important is to trust your own gut and make good decisions for your safety and welfare....

 

Very well said. I have sailed with Princess, Oceana and a Rhine River Cruise from a carrier I would have to look up from Amsterdam to Basel. Each has given me impressions of different focus and approaches to tourism. Whatever Viking does, will leave a lasting impression. So far, I wish they were much more into sharing information and options.

 

My wife is already planning a different trip for the same time based on the same plane tickets (we didn't book airfare with Viking). If we cancel, she is having us go to Warsaw, Berlin, Tier, Switzerland, the Rhone and Burgandy regions of France. (Even a barge on a French river for a few days.) While we would both prefer the Ukraine, it will be an easy decision to cancel, if we need to.

 

Thanks again.

[Host Jazzbeau]

For those of us on other Ukraine cruises (Viking-Footsteps of the Cossacks) who are trying to figure out it if it is time to cancel or implement plan B and see other cities in Europe, I appreciate anyone sharing any hard information.

 

For myself, if I cancel by mid-April, all I loose is about $100/person. After that it starts to jump up pretty high. That is why I wish Viking was a little more forthcoming with information, why I have contacted them and pushed them, and why I am hoping to learn something at Cruise Critic.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Last summer during the flooding, Viking was the least likely to cancel and the least forthcoming with information for their passengers. So I would look to my own interests and watch that mid-April deadline.

[robert32asp]

Last summer during the flooding, Viking was the least likely to cancel and the least forthcoming with information for their passengers. So I would look to my own interests and watch that mid-April deadline.

 

Wow, I didn't know that, but thank you for sharing.

 

I tried posting some comments and questions on Viking's Facebook page, but they got buried very quickly with lots of "I loved my cruise" comments by others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

\

[Canal archive]

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office are advising strongly against travel to Crimea and advising all Brits to leave the country. They advise that travellers to the Ukraine be extra vigilant and that there are consular facilities in Kiev. At the moment there is no requirement for visas to the Ukraine but there is for Russia and these need to be applied for some time in advance. There should I would have thought be the same system both in Australia and the US but I am not to sure if a government statement about not traveling to a certain country would be constituted an eligible reason for changing travel plans by an insurance company although in my opinion it should be and the travel companies themselves should be more upfront with their intentions. The situation is a bit on a knife edge at the moment and maybe if only a small thing a decision by tourists to by pass the area until things settle would be helpful in the long run.

Such a pity we were considering a Russian cruise next year.

[notamermaid]

Hello Canal archive,

 

this is in line with what the German foreign office has issued: "strong advice against travelling to the Crimean peninsula and the Eastern parts of Ukraine".

 

The link to the UK page: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine

 

Advice is not a warning, for insurance purposes these are two different things. Which makes it harder to decide on what to do. The situation is very volatile.

 

DERTour in Germany has decided to give its customers the possibility of cancelling tours to that area at no cost up to 30 April. They do not take new bookings before that date either.

 

German cruise companies have partly changed their ports of call.

 

notamermaid

Edited March 26, 2014 by notamermaid
clarification

[tozerco]

My wife and I are booked on this cruise and have a $3,000 deposit out there. My concern isn't cancellation because if Viking cancels, I get my deposit back. If the cruise goes ahead, we definitely cruise but my concern is that Viking will knock places like Yalta and Sebastapol off the itinerary and we end up with a cruise that we would never have booked if we had known that these ports were not on the list ........for the same money! We have an extensive list of bookings either side of the cruise so there is more at risk than just the cruise. We will be getting very nervous if Viking don't declare their intentions by the time the balance falls due in about six weeks time.

[Hydrokitty]

My wife and I are booked on this cruise and have a $3,000 deposit out there. My concern isn't cancellation because if Viking cancels, I get my deposit back. If the cruise goes ahead, we definitely cruise but my concern is that Viking will knock places like Yalta and Sebastapol off the itinerary and we end up with a cruise that we would never have booked if we had known that these ports were not on the list ........for the same money! We have an extensive list of bookings either side of the cruise so there is more at risk than just the cruise. We will be getting very nervous if Viking don't declare their intentions by the time the balance falls due in about six weeks time.

 

I wouldn't bet on Sebastopol if I were you, although things do seem a bit calmer now than last week. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

[robert32asp]

I got a phone call from Viking cruise lines today and I definately feel much better. I was told a number of things that they are working on and that they will be either contacting passengers in the near future and/or making a public announcement.

 

It sounds like they are working the problem and understand that I have a decision point coming up in a couple of weeks as to cancelling with just the loss of $100 per person or starting to get into the serious money % cancelation fees. It also sounds like they don't want me to loose any money and they will help with rebooking, if I want to another location or another year.

 

They also told me that their response that I quoted above was a mistake and that they will work with their passengers to make sure their passengers feel safe and enjoy the full cruise experience they booked. They said, if needed they would provide letters of introduction/invitation, but are trying to secure a group visa as we speak.

 

So, nothing absolutely that is cast in concrete, but at least people who understand customer service are now starting to take point on this. Still nothing in writing, but my faith in Viking is starting to improve.

 

I will share more on what I learn. They told me that if any other passengers has questions or concerns, talk to a booking agent as they are now being trained to deal with these kinds of questions or refer people to someone who is.

 

Now Russia, just needs to not do anything else to stir the pot in the rest of the Ukraine.

[notamermaid]

Hello robert32asp,

 

I got a phone call from Viking cruise lines today and I definately feel much better. I was told a number of things that they are working on and that they will be either contacting passengers in the near future and/or making a public announcement.

 

It sounds like they are working the problem and understand that I have a decision point coming up in a couple of weeks as to cancelling with just the loss of $100 per person or starting to get into the serious money % cancelation fees. It also sounds like they don't want me to loose any money and they will help with rebooking, if I want to another location or another year.

 

They also told me that their response that I quoted above was a mistake and that they will work with their passengers to make sure their passengers feel safe and enjoy the full cruise experience they booked. They said, if needed they would provide letters of introduction/invitation, but are trying to secure a group visa as we speak.

 

So, nothing absolutely that is cast in concrete, but at least people who understand customer service are now starting to take point on this. Still nothing in writing, but my faith in Viking is starting to improve.

 

I will share more on what I learn. They told me that if any other passengers has questions or concerns, talk to a booking agent as they are now being trained to deal with these kinds of questions or refer people to someone who is.

 

Now Russia, just needs to not do anything else to stir the pot in the rest of the Ukraine.

 

I am pleased to hear they phoned you. Still, as you said, nothing in writing yet. Was going to point out the terms and conditions clearly displayed on Vikings website this morning :)... and still will:

 

http://www.vikingcruises.com/terms-conditions/index.html

 

Look at the cancellation policy.

 

So, you booked through a TA? It would be good to speak to him or hear, especially as regards the rights to cancel because of a force majeure. These rights are given in accordance with specific civil laws in Germany. There are bound some things to consider there, probably different with you from my country.

 

Oh yes, as a previous poster stated: Sevastopol is a big problem, a German river cruise line has already amended their itineraries and cancelled Sevastopol as a port of call.

 

Good luck!

 

notamermaid

[robert32asp]

Thank you for the suggestions and the link to the Viking policies....also the suggestion to explore German law defined force majeure.

 

I was reading in both the Moscow Times and the Kiev Daily that tourism is down in the Ukraine and St. Petersburg. A "tongue-in-check" article also indicated that most of the tourists to the Crimea this year were likely to be Russian soldiers who are paid very little and have little to spend.

 

My trip is not set for several months, so I am still before the 121 day $100/person cancellation period. Those who are closer to sailing have my sympathy.

 

Again, while just words so far, I was impressed with the approach by the person who called. She said she would get back to me with something more concrete and understood that I was not trying to demand anything unreasonable. She understood that Viking is part of the hospitality industry and that customer service and good will is a key to future profitability. In my MBA courses we use to talk a lot about brand and brand loyalty and how examples of exceptional service are what create broadly held brand loyalty. This could be a good challenge for Viking to prove its approach its passengers.

 

Yes, Sevastopol, with its sunken ships in the harbor and other things is probably a risky port for a cruise company. Which is a shame for the people who depend on tourism for their living in that city. Also the Ukrainian reduction in electricity to the Crimea could play havoc with ships i port, provisioning them, and planned tours.

 

I hope that no more violence comes to the people of the Ukraine and that conditions normalize quickly. But I do expect that Viking and others will be evaluating both their cruises in general and specific ports with an eye to what positive experiences they can offer their passengers and what safety concerns the company may have for their crew, vessels and passengers.

 

Only time will tell how well Viking (or others) perform. For me I will need to make a hard decision within a couple of weeks unless Viking shortens the 121-day cancellation period.

 

Thank you again.

[tozerco]

Viking sure have it sorted! When I click on your link I am taken to the Australian Terms and Conditions and they are clear: cancel more than 120 days out and lose $1,500 per person. Cancel 60 to 120 days out and lose half of the total price etc. Etc. I think the best we can hope for is for Viking to move the 120 days into 60 days. Not sure I will throw ANOTHER $3000 at this if things aren't clearer by 8 May!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Alohaaa]

determine HOW they cover you,if you have ins.if you decide to CANCEl.But cruiseline does NOT?

Years ago the ins.we had would NOT reimburse us after Travel Warning for Egypt(but ship still sailing).Said THEY determined it,not US government(or something similar).So we ended up going ANYWAY,wonder if this has changed?

Anyone know specifics re this??

 

I fully paid for a Russian river cruise on Viking with insurance. I called Viking yesterday and they said the cancel for any reason insurance they sold us only covers medical issues and they could not answer any questions regarding insurance claims, that we would need to contact the insurance company.

 

NOT HAPPY!!!

 

Alohaaa

[Alohaaa]

Hello robert32asp,

 

 

 

I am pleased to hear they phoned you. Still, as you said, nothing in writing yet. Was going to point out the terms and conditions clearly displayed on Vikings website this morning :)... and still will:

 

http://www.vikingcruises.com/terms-conditions/index.html

 

Look at the cancellation policy.

 

So, you booked through a TA? It would be good to speak to him or hear, especially as regards the rights to cancel because of a force majeure. These rights are given in accordance with specific civil laws in Germany. There are bound some things to consider there, probably different with you from my country.

 

Oh yes, as a previous poster stated: Sevastopol is a big problem, a German river cruise line has already amended their itineraries and cancelled Sevastopol as a port of call.

 

Good luck!

 

notamermaid

 

Thank You. I now have an option that Viking did not mention. Thank you.

[alexandra cruiser]

I fully paid for a Russian river cruise on Viking with insurance. I called Viking yesterday and they said the cancel for any reason insurance they sold us only covers medical issues and they could not answer any questions regarding insurance claims, that we would need to contact the insurance company.

 

NOT HAPPY!!!

 

Alohaaa

our insurance was also booked with cruiseline.Have now learned my lesson,TRY to look at all the details before I buy one online and NOT FROM cruise co.

Sadly the cancel for any reason clause costs triple and must be purchased at time deposit made.So can be very early.

Seems sort of a catch 22,right?Have no real solution to this,anyone?:confused:

[notamermaid]

Hello alexandra cruiser,

 

to clarify my previous post I would just like to point out that a Force majeure clause is independent of an insurance you might have obtained for a cruise. Such a clause you will find in the contract that you have entered into with the cruise company and/or TA when you booked the cruise and / or made the first payment. At least the brochures I have got - at least 3 German ones and one British one - contain such a clause in the terms & conditions...

 

The US situation sounds different.

 

Complicated and tricky.

 

Here is the wikipedia explanation:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_majeure

 

notamermaid

Edited March 30, 2014 by notamermaid

[Viking Cruises]

I fully paid for a Russian river cruise on Viking with insurance. I called Viking yesterday and they said the cancel for any reason insurance they sold us only covers medical issues and they could not answer any questions regarding insurance claims, that we would need to contact the insurance company.

 

NOT HAPPY!!!

 

Alohaaa

 

Dear Alohaaa,

 

It sounds as though there has been a misunderstanding about the cancel for any reason clause of your insurance premium. This clause does indeed allow you to cancel for any reason, but you would need to file an insurance claim with your insurance provider (Travel Guard, if purchased through Viking) to initiate it. Therefore, we would strongly encourage you to call your insurance provider to discuss the terms of the policy before you cancel your reservation. Please also feel free to send an email to TellUs@vikingcruises.com with your contact information so that we may try to assist. We do hope to hear from you soon.

 

Very best,

Viking Cruises

[robert32asp]

Well my wife, and I just discussed what we are doing in the absense of any firm information from Viking. I am about to send them my cancelation notice for my Footsteps of the Cossacks trip. Total loss $200 and lots of heart ache and time.

 

I really don't feel that when push came to shove that Viking was willing to share some of the risk, by allowing its paid customers a little extra time to decide by moving out the 121 day - $100/person cancelation penalty.

 

Viking really should have been more focused on communicating with its passengers and pro-actively reducing or sharing the risk of what is happening in the Crimea.