Beware of Viking

[1SGCruiser]

After contributing to this board for a number of years you'd have thought I would have gotten used to contributors reading a post and then commenting on something entirely different but no. It still goes on and I'm still amazed at peoples comprehension. The OP did not blame Viking about the high water levels or how that keeps boats from going under bridges or a broken lock or a bomb found in or near the river or did he indicate he was inflexible. All he stated, quite clearly I thought, was that he was disappointed in Viking's lack of communication with its paid passengers.

 

In this modern age I'm pretty sure that river cruise CD's all have a mobile phone and are in constant communication with others in the company and certainly have all the information at their finger tips. It's how they decide to pass on that information to their passengers that is important and from the OP it would seem that once again Viking decided to withhold information until the last minute for whatever reason.

 

Put yourself in the OP's shoes for a minute and see how you'd feel if you had already taken a very long bus ride and return from a destination that you were now going to return to by bus again less than 24 hours later. I too would be annoyed at being treated like sheep.

 

 

Although I can agree that a bus tour is not a desired result when a cruise was expected. I can also agree that everyone wants as much information as possible when things happen that are beyond anyone's control.

 

However, I feel I must must comment on your statement, "once again Viking decided to withhold information until the last minute for whatever reason". I'm unsure how you'd know anything was held for any length of time by Viking. It seems you've made an obviously biased statement that's unsupported by the OP's post.

Edited August 5, 2014 by 1SGCruiser

[Ozjohnno]

Although I can agree that a bus tour is not a desired result when a cruise was expected. I an also agree that that everyone wants as much information as possible when things happen that are beyond anyone's control.

 

However, I feel I must must comment on your statement, "once again Viking decided to withhold information until the last minute for whatever reason". I'm unsure how you'd know anything was held for any length of time by Viking. It seems you've made an obviously biased statement that's unsupported by the OP's post.

 

Yes you are most likely correct but over the years of reading and contributing to this board the one name that stands out time and time again when it comes to withholding information from it's clients is Viking. I don't have the time or inclination to look back and find the ten's and ten's of examples of posts highlighting this weakness in Viking's business manners but it is there and I make no apology in highlighting this fact.

[pully8]

really feel for the op. also agree with ozjohn comments.

 

to be told at 2230 to pack and ready to vacate at 0730 to return to where you were yesterday and travel by bus? would not be pleasing to most.

 

many chose river cruising regardless of the price because they enjoy the method of travel, we do. bus travel long distances is a different style and a cheaper price usually.

 

we know problems can arise with travel. treat people with respect. fortunately we have choice and use operators we know and demonstrate good service. be mindful who you trust with your money.

[crm911]

I have done only one river cruise, which was just perfect, one month ago, so I'm not batting for Viking or any cruise line, but keep in mind that Viking has perhaps the most ships, so of course there will be more reports about Viking. As Americans say, do the math.

 

As for "communications", I think the ships would know by now how long does a bus tour take "normally" as well as in an "extreme case". Perhaps they could have warned the pax that they would get two hours of the whole day on site, possibly in heavy rain. Let the pax decide whether to risk it, or stay on board to pack.

 

When the rivers are low, some ships can make it through and some can't. Ours did, but we saw others having to offload to a bus. Read lots of reviews before choosing a company.

[rummell95]

Pain and Agony?

Are you being tortured or starved to death?

[safarigal]

I'm sorry about the problems with your trip.

 

We were on a Viking river cruise last week, and I felt the programme director was very diligent in giving us information about the river levels rising.We were unable to reach our final destination, Basel, but she kept us updated, and arranged for transport to the airport or station from Briesach, which was our last port of call.

 

Unfortunately just as political strife and bad weather interfere with ocean cruises (and we have missed many a port due to these), water levels affect river cruises. It sounds like you were disatisfied with the way your programme director handled the situation, all I can say is that ours did an amazing job. Yes, we were disappointed, but alas you can never really count on your itinerary going exactly as planned.

[wwinfl91]

Hi again,

 

Well we are continuing down the Main still heading to the Rhine. We were supposed to be there around 9 AM but evidently the lock traffic was heavier than expected. But it means we will miss Marksberg Castle and instead of reaching Koblenz early in the afternoon we will be arriving around 7 PM which means any touring will be in the dark with the attractions shut. The passengers are not very happy about these developments. We are supposed to be in Cologne tomorrow morning. Viking is offering 2 new tours including one back Marksberg castle. Only 1 1/2 hour bus drive each way. They are also offering an additional tour to another bishop's residence that is only 1/2 hour bus ride each day. Hopefully we will make Cologne on time but we just got passed by a loaded freight barge which got to the next lock ahead of us.

 

My wife also suggested I mention that when we switched to the Lif and got moved into our new cabin we noticed about half the lights in the cabin were not working. We then called the main desk and reported the problem and were told the engineer would look at it the next morning while we were on our daily bus tour. When we returned we were told the engineer had looked at it and a part that was needed had been ordered but wouldn't be in for a couple of days. We thought about it a couple of minutes and suggested that since several other cabins on our deck were empty that the engineer could take the part out of one of them and get our lights working. The hotel manager looked at me like I was asking for the impossible but agreed she would check with engineer. After going thru another evening and morning with good lighting we went on another bus trip and found we had light again. The real problem with this was my wife was having a tough time putting on her make-up. Luckily it's fixed and her makeup looks better. But another example of Viking not being very responsive to their customers needs.

 

 

More to follow later. I haven't emailed Viking yet as I want to get my thoughts together as to what to say.

 

 

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[nana541]

Wwifl91 - I am really sorry your trip is not exactly what you expected... But from your own description it sounds as if Viking is doing every thing they can to get your trip back on track. Some things, like locks and other river traffic are just not in their control.

 

As to the lights in your cabin, good for you for thinking outside the box... They are fixed and you need to let it go.... Now all you are doing is looking for problems instead of looking to enjoy an adventure. Nothing in life is exactly what we want but it's what you make of the journey that counts!

 

Safe travels!

 

 

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[wwinfl91]

Hi again,

 

Latest update we got to Koblenz around 6:00. People who were looking to go to Marksberg castle that we did see from the river are going to have a chance to go there tomorrow from Cologne with an hour and 45 minute bus ride each way. We are supposed to arrive in Cologne tomorrow morning and then do a walking tour. After that we have free time unless you elect to do the above mentioned Marksberg bus trip or another shorter bus trip to another palace for a tour. Then it's on to the Netherlands.

 

Our latest issue is a loud banging noise in our cabin. We called the main desk and they send a nice young lady who came down and said she heard the noise and suspected it was caused by the gangplank between our ship and the ship we are tied up to. Her suspicion was it was caused by waves lifting the gangplank and then dropping it back. It is going to make sleeping difficult tonight.

 

Once we finally got to the Rhine we had an enjoyable afternoon seeing some beautiful scenary. They were finally able to open the upper deck and we had some beautiful weather.

 

Talk at you all later.

 

 

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[wwinfl91]

After talking with the reception desk personnel and not getting an answer I went outside the ship and noticed a hose attached to our ship and running over the top of the next ship. I asked a crewman and he said he thought it was the way the ship got rid of its sewage. I timed the pumping action and returned to my cabin and timed the banging noise and found they were the same. About 10 minutes later the noise stopped and I again went upstairs and found that the hose was no longer pumping.

 

Suggestion to Viking don't run the hose over the top of another ship and if you do inform the desk personnel so they can explain to the passengers what the noise is and give them an estimate of when it will stop.

 

Now off to bed. Talk at you tomorrow.

 

 

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[rudeman]

Free time in Cologne should be spent inside the Cathedral and then at a nice cafe somewhere in proximity to it. Otherwise, we didn't find Cologne too spectacular. In defense of that city, I think we had been spoiled by all the lovely, easily walkable small towns we had seen. At any rate, enjoy your time there.

 

 

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[jiminyC_fan]

Wwifl91 - I am really sorry your trip is not exactly what you expected... But from your own description it sounds as if Viking is doing every thing they can to get your trip back on track. Some things, like locks and other river traffic are just not in their control.

 

As to the lights in your cabin, good for you for thinking outside the box... They are fixed and you need to let it go.... Now all you are doing is looking for problems instead of looking to enjoy an adventure. Nothing in life is exactly what we want but it's what you make of the journey that counts!

 

Safe travels!

 

 

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Great advice. Don't search out the bad but look for the good. Lighting to me isn't even a big problem nor is the draining the black tank. It has to be done. Is there noise? Probably but it didn't last for hours on end. You'd be mad if those tanks were full and you couldn't flush your toilet! Enjoy your cruise and stop looking for more fuel to add to your list.

[ccv]

Thank you wwinfl91.

 

I have a river cruise booked with Viking for later this year and your difficulties do worry me.

 

You have provided information that will help me on deciding what to do if I should experience similar problems to yours. Keep reporting please.

 

If you have good experiences, please share those too. That would be most welcome.

[ladylawyer]

We are leaving for our Viking cruise next week (also Danube), so I will be monitoring this thread very carefully. I hope for the best for the OP ... and for us, next week. :(

 

I hope the rest of your cruise goes without further incident. It could be worse ... you could be at work. ;)

 

Thanks for the updates! ~ LL

[ladylawyer]

Dear wwinfl91,

 

We’re very sorry to hear of your disappointment. Although the current river levels are beyond our control, we do apologize for the inconveniences you’ve experienced so far on your trip. Our Customer Relations team would like to discuss your cruise with you over the phone, and we kindly ask that you send an e-mail to TellUs@vikingcruises.com at your earliest convenience. We will ask a member of our team contact you when you return from your trip. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

Viking Cruises

 

Nice of you to respond, here. I can honestly say that I have never seen a cruise line take that effort ... :D

[Thyme2cruise]

Amen to the bombs in the river Rhine! My stepmom and I were on Vantage 2 years ago for the Christmas Markets and they found an undetonated WWII bomb near Koblenz. We docked in another town and our itinerary was rescheduled and we went on a couple of bus tours to the towns we were scheduled to dock in. Everything worked out fine, they took care of the bomb and we were on our way. Lucky for us on Vantage, they have a shallower draft than most and the river levels were low at that time and a lot of cruises turned into bus tours or cancelled. Not us! Our captain kept us informed every night about the river levels and the options that may occur. I agree. You just have to go with the flow and roll with the punches.

[mathladyca]

Sounds like the op should have done some research on CC before booking. Same situation with floods happened in 2013 and would have provided him with some insight.

[CPT Trips]

Another plus for cruising Aquarium class - noise on the Sun Deck isn't an issue ;)

 

Seems like accurate information being communicated from someone in authority or a position to make things right is a real help when there are problems. My take is that lack of communication was what got the OP ticked off. Assuming OP's reports are accurate, there were several times when the ship staff missed the opportunity to communicate well. S/he appears to have been well aware of the potential or, in this situation, actual problems.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Nice of you to respond, here. I can honestly say that I have never seen a cruise line take that effort ... :D

 

Many cruise lines have responded on this forum over time. Of course, some need to more than others...

[Mark_T]

My take is that lack of communication was what got the OP ticked off. Assuming OP's reports are accurate, there were several times when the ship staff missed the opportunity to communicate well.

 

The part that is not perhaps so obvious even when you are in the middle of things is that the decisions are often being taken on very short timescales.

 

So in this case when they went off on their trip in the morning the Captain would have been unable to say what the river level was going to be 12 hours later.

 

So when the plans are unveiled during the evening, this was not something that it was possible to have told them first thing in the morning.

 

It is not that management or the crew on-board want to withhold information, it is simply that the situation is extremely dynamic and all it would have taken was more or less rain during the day and 12 hours later the situation could have been very different.

 

I certainly understand the desire to know what is going to happen as far in advance as possible, we just have to recognize that sometimes, an hour or two is as 'far in advance' as it gets ...

[wwinfl91]

Hi again,

 

I should have explained that our problems began earlier in the cruise when after a good day in Melk our CD dropped a bombshell that we would be stopping at Linz where we would be boarding buses for an hour's drive to Passau. This was so our boat could go into a dockyard there for it's last free warranty maintenance. The bus ride took longer than originally planned but we get to see Passau with a local guide and had lunch at a restaurant there. The original plan was for us to then board the boat in Passau but instead we boarded buses for about an hour's ride back down river to meet the boat somewhere between Linz and Passau. Our next stop was supposed to be Regensberg but instead of arriving by boat we again stopped short of there and boarded buses for another trip up the highway to Regensburg. Again we got a tour by a local guide and another bus ride back to the ship. The next day we were supposed to be in Nuremberg but instead we stopped at another small town and boarded buses for what turned out to be another hour and 45 minute bus tour to Nuremberg. On arriving around noon we got another restaurant banquet style lunch and then we boarded buses again for our tour in Nuremberg. We got off the bus at the **** stadium and then back on the bus to go to the castle. Before we got there a thunderstorm started and we ended up not seeing any of the old town except from the bus. Then another hour and 45 minute bus trip back to the boat which had not moved because it couldn't get under the bridges. My first post on this thread then continues our saga.

 

More to come later.

 

 

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[wwinfl91]

Just to continue my morning narrative, we had left Prague with another Viking longship which didn't get put into the dry dock at Linz and it was able to continue up the Danube before the waters got too high to get under the bridges. So it was the opinion of most of the passengers and several of the crew who were brave enough to tell us the truth that had the ship not been put into dry dock we would have been able to do the cruise without the long and numerous bus rides and possibly even without having to switch ships.

 

I wish I had put all my thoughts together and then written this post. I will be doing a full review on CC on the cruise and on our ships once we get home.

 

Hope these last two posts help to clarify and better explain my problems with the way Viking handled this cruise.

 

Hope everyone has a great next cruise wherever you go.

 

 

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[Mark_T]

So it was the opinion of most of the passengers and several of the crew who were brave enough to tell us the truth that had the ship not been put into dry dock we would have been able to do the cruise without the long and numerous bus rides and possibly even without having to switch ships.

 

Frustrating as it is, I'd say that planned and unplanned maintenance has impacted about 1/3 of the ocean cruises I've taken, it is a fact of cruising generally that these sort of interruptions can happen.

 

Generally it is only a minor blip but the problem with river cruising is that it is much harder to catch up when something like this happens, especially when it is compounded by other problems like water level, lock failures etc.

 

All I can say is as others have said, try to stay positive and focus on enjoying each day as it comes rather than focusing on what it should have been or you'll just end up with a long list of problems instead of enjoying what you can.

[gentlemancruiser]

Speaking of bomb shells. Did anyone's get told by their CD that when the Slovakian lock was being repaired they found an unexplored ww2 bomb.???

[finiansbay]

We are taking our first Viking Danube River cruise in less than a month. Very excited but now a little bit apprehensive. I can certainly understand the frustration of the OP, but also know that weather is beyond the control of Captain or Viking. We once had an entire European trip canceled due to that volcano in Iceland. bummer! As several have pointed out, attitude can be very important. Vent on Cruise Critic. Write a letter to Viking. But remember to look for the positive. I consider bad lighting for applying my makeup a good thing. I look 10 years younger!