Need help on the redeployment from Viking Sea to Viking Star, Viking Homelands Cruise

[morsecode]

Is anyone else frustrated about the current transfer from the Viking Sea to the Viking Star? I was booked on the Viking Homelands cruise July 31, 2016. The Sea will not be ready by then. On May 8 Viking customer relations emailed me that an agent would call me May 8 about a new booking on the Star. The agent never called. I called the redeployment twice a day since May 8 yet no one ever answered. I sent a letter to customer relations in Los Angeles May 16. Again, no reply. I called my original booking agent (he is not on the redeployment team), and he said I had been given a new booking number on the Star but it was then cancelled!!! Viking is holding my $18,000 and will not contact me. I fear the Star will fill all the Penthouse Veranda cabins before I can get a new booking. I absolutely do not know what to do.

[LadyVol1]

On another thread in the Viking Oceans topic about the Sky being delayed until 2017, Viking Cruises posted this to a Cruise Critic member. Maybe you could try this email address if you haven't already done so. Good luck.

 

"Please contact us at tellus@vikingcruises.com so that we may discuss your concern in further detail."

[Pugwash123]

Is anyone else frustrated about the current transfer from the Viking Sea to the Viking Star? I was booked on the Viking Homelands cruise July 31, 2016. The Sea will not be ready by then. On May 8 Viking customer relations emailed me that an agent would call me May 8 about a new booking on the Star. The agent never called. I called the redeployment twice a day since May 8 yet no one ever answered. I sent a letter to customer relations in Los Angeles May 16. Again, no reply. I called my original booking agent (he is not on the redeployment team), and he said I had been given a new booking number on the Star but it was then cancelled!!! Viking is holding my $18,000 and will not contact me. I fear the Star will fill all the Penthouse Veranda cabins before I can get a new booking. I absolutely do not know what to do.

 

I had to call Viking several times before I could get a satisfactory alternative cruise from them so my advice would be to keep ringing them until they sort it out for you.. Before I contacted Viking I talked to my OH and we agreed what we were prepared to accept in the way of an alternative cruise and I was prepared to cancel the cruise altogether if our requirements could not be met.

 

Am I right in thinking that in the US Viking demand full payment on booking and is this common practice for other cruise lines in the US.

 

Pugwash123

[TERRIER1]

I had to call Viking several times before I could get a satisfactory alternative cruise from them so my advice would be to keep ringing them until they sort it out for you.. Before I contacted Viking I talked to my OH and we agreed what we were prepared to accept in the way of an alternative cruise and I was prepared to cancel the cruise altogether if our requirements could not be met.

 

Am I right in thinking that in the US Viking demand full payment on booking and is this common practice for other cruise lines in the US.

 

Pugwash123

 

 

We booked in July 2013 and had to make full payment in December 2013 for our July 25 2015 cruise. This is NOT a common practice at all.

[Pugwash123]

We booked in July 2013 and had to make full payment in December 2013 for our July 25 2015 cruise. This is NOT a common practice at all.

 

We Brits pay 25% on booking and the balance 10 weeks prior to sailing if we've booked direct with Viking or a couple of weeks prior to that if booked through a TA.

 

I don't think many of us Brits would be willing to pay the whole amount up front over a year before the cruise takes place.

 

Just as a matter of interest if you decided to cancel which other cruise line would be an equivalent alternative to Viking.

 

Pugwash123

[cassandra44]

We Brits pay 25% on booking and the balance 10 weeks prior to sailing if we've booked direct with Viking or a couple of weeks prior to that if booked through a TA.

 

I don't think many of us Brits would be willing to pay the whole amount up front over a year before the cruise takes place.

 

Just as a matter of interest if you decided to cancel which other cruise line would be an equivalent alternative to Viking.

 

Pugwash123

 

We're Canadian and we too had to pay 2 years in advance.....We booked in May 2013 and final payment due in Dec 2013! Never ever had to do this before or since---and never ever will again.

We aren't yet on Viking (very soon) so can't compare directly but our other option would have been Oceania (assuming it hasn't been adversely affected after the Norwegian takeover). Our most recent experience was on the Marina which we really enjoyed. However there are no included excursions and no wine with meals.

That having been said we have always enjoyed joining private groups organized via roll calls here.

[pukekolive]

We are in New Zealand and paid a fixed deposit of $1700 each about 5 months ago for a cruise in March 2016, the rest of the money, about $6500, is due mid-December 2015 .. Sounds like we have the best deal, it also applies in Australia as well I believe. We decided against Viking Air as it meant we had to pay up-front at time of booking, for the total airfares and we also did not want to wait so long to find out when our flights were as we both work afternoons/ evenings and prefer to fly overnight.

Edited May 23, 2015 by pukekolive

[CYNSport]

We booked a back to back on the Sky for July 2016 (Istanbul to Barcelona), but we were put off by the pay in full more than a year in advance and canceled In December before full payment was due. Guess we could have saved $200 by waiting for this to happen. maybe it's our fault. We booked the Oceania Riviera (not the Maiden voyage) and were canceled by Oceania when the ship wasn't ready even for the third voyage. Note to self: stop booking in the first month of a new cruise ship.

 

Best wishes to all who are being rebooked. When you get on your cruise, I know you'll have a great time.

[avonglen]

We are in New Zealand and paid a fixed deposit of $1700 each about 5 months ago for a cruise in March 2016, the rest of the money, about $6500, is due mid-December 2015 .. Sounds like we have the best deal, it also applies in Australia as well I believe. We decided against Viking Air as it meant we had to pay up-front at time of booking, for the total airfares and we also did not want to wait so long to find out when our flights were as we both work afternoons/ evenings and prefer to fly overnight.

 

Same for us across the ditch, Pukekolive. Note that you are on the Star in March 2016. I am too, doing the 50 dayer "Empire" starting in Istanbul (& also the precruise to Gallipoli). Just wondering what you have booked???

[pukekolive]

We are doing Venice to Istanbul but I believe you will embark on our disembarkation day of 27/3/16 in Istanbul? We board in Venice on 18/03/2016 and have 3 days in Venice beforehand. My partner's older daughter gets married on 02/04/16 so we don't have enough time to do the Gallipoli/ Troy extension as it will take us 2 days to get home (leave Istanbul 29/3/16 arrive Auckland 31/03/16).

 

We are hoping to travel to Cannakale on 27/03/16, stay the night then do a double-barrel independent single-day tour of Gallipoli and Troy on 28/3/16 then get back to Istanbul to leave on 29/3/16.

 

I believe Viking will have everything running smoothly by the time our cruises come around ...

[Pugwash123]

With Viking selling in Canada, America, New Zealand, Australia and the UK I would be interested to know the demographic make up of the passengers. We have been on coach tours with Americans where we have been in a minority of two and on river cruises where the vast majority of passengers were Australian and in all cases we have always been made very welcome. I do however wonder if the Viking Ocean cruise experience is biased towards one particular nationality i.e. the nationality making up the majority of passengers or is it a uniquely Northern European experience..

 

Pugwash123

[Pugwash123]

Is anyone else frustrated about the current transfer from the Viking Sea to the Viking Star? I was booked on the Viking Homelands cruise July 31, 2016. The Sea will not be ready by then. On May 8 Viking customer relations emailed me that an agent would call me May 8 about a new booking on the Star. The agent never called. I called the redeployment twice a day since May 8 yet no one ever answered. I sent a letter to customer relations in Los Angeles May 16. Again, no reply. I called my original booking agent (he is not on the redeployment team), and he said I had been given a new booking number on the Star but it was then cancelled!!! Viking is holding my $18,000 and will not contact me. I fear the Star will fill all the Penthouse Veranda cabins before I can get a new booking. I absolutely do not know what to do.

 

Morsecode, Sorry we seem to have deviated somewhat from your original post. Are you making any progress in obtaining your replacement cruise? I do hope you manage to get things sorted out and are able to report a satisfactory outcome.

 

Pugwash123

[id4elizabeth]

Troy and Gallipoli excursion - I have no personal experience here, but everyone (literally everyone) I talked with who went on this pre-excursion was disappointed. I heard there were two 7 hour bus rides involved - one with only one potty break in a disgusting oasis type stop. Maybe you should start a new Thread and ask for feedback from those who actually went, because I only have second-hand knowledge. But everything I heard was extremely negative.

[pukekolive]

Elizabeth, that's one reason why, with limited time in March 2016 my partner and I are considering travelling to Cannakale independently on disembarkation day and doing a Gallipoli/ Troy combined day then either travelling back on the same day or day after. I have heard that the 'travel and then see Gallipoli on same day tours' are horrendous. My partner wants Gallipoli but I want Troy, maybe we won't do either and stay in Istanbul instead!

[LadyVol1]

Elizabeth, that's one reason why, with limited time in March 2016 my partner and I are considering travelling to Cannakale independently on disembarkation day and doing a Gallipoli/ Troy combined day then either travelling back on the same day or day after. I have heard that the 'travel and then see Gallipoli on same day tours' are horrendous. My partner wants Gallipoli but I want Troy, maybe we won't do either and stay in Istanbul instead!

 

I also heard that the Gallipoli extension prior to boarding in Istanbul was a disaster. Whether you do it on your own or with Viking, be prepared for LONG days. I would stay in Istanbul!! It was the first time we were there and we loved our three pre-cruise nights that we did on our own.

[avonglen]

I also heard that the Gallipoli extension prior to boarding in Istanbul was a disaster. Whether you do it on your own or with Viking, be prepared for LONG days. I would stay in Istanbul!! It was the first time we were there and we loved our three pre-cruise nights that we did on our own.

Depends on your perspective, LadyVol. Because Gallipoli is so very special to we Aussies & Kiwis, the LONG days are worth it. This year is the 100th anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove by Aussies & Kiwis (ANZACs - Australia and New Zealand Army Corps). ANZAC DAY is celebrated every year in both countries & to have the opportunity to go to Gallipoli is very special as it is regarded as a place of pilgrimage. Having been there before, I had no hesitation in signing up for this pre cruise trip. The place has an eerie atmosphere that cannot be explained - so many young Aussies & Kiwis fought & died there. Gallipoli to us is as sacred as the cemeteries at the Normandy Beaches are to Americans & thus worth the LONG days to go there.

[Viking Cruises]

Is anyone else frustrated about the current transfer from the Viking Sea to the Viking Star? I was booked on the Viking Homelands cruise July 31, 2016. The Sea will not be ready by then. On May 8 Viking customer relations emailed me that an agent would call me May 8 about a new booking on the Star. The agent never called. I called the redeployment twice a day since May 8 yet no one ever answered. I sent a letter to customer relations in Los Angeles May 16. Again, no reply. I called my original booking agent (he is not on the redeployment team), and he said I had been given a new booking number on the Star but it was then cancelled!!! Viking is holding my $18,000 and will not contact me. I fear the Star will fill all the Penthouse Veranda cabins before I can get a new booking. I absolutely do not know what to do.

 

Dear morsecode,

 

We apologize for the delayed response and any frustration it may have caused. We are currently experiencing high call volume and our agents are working as quickly as possible to contact everyone impacted by the redeployment. Please contact us at redeployment@vikingcruises.com so that we may better assist you.

 

Thank you,

Viking Cruises

[spud64]

Depends on your perspective, LadyVol. Because Gallipoli is so very special to we Aussies & Kiwis, the LONG days are worth it. This year is the 100th anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove by Aussies & Kiwis (ANZACs - Australia and New Zealand Army Corps). ANZAC DAY is celebrated every year in both countries & to have the opportunity to go to Gallipoli is very special as it is regarded as a place of pilgrimage. Having been there before, I had no hesitation in signing up for this pre cruise trip. The place has an eerie atmosphere that cannot be explained - so many young Aussies & Kiwis fought & died there. Gallipoli to us is as sacred as the cemeteries at the Normandy Beaches are to Americans & thus worth the LONG days to go there.

 

True that Brother