Viking done us wrong

[superchel]

They really did.  I saw 3 other posts on here about the VAR/TOR awful 'ship swap' where we were tied in a drainage ditch for 3 days and did not CRUISE.   Finally got an offer of an amount (not allowed to say how much thanks to a NDA)  let us just say it barely paid for one day of sitting in a drainage ditch.  No amount of arguing changed that.  So we are going to just let our 'credit' lapse.  Viking does NOT deserve the amount of money it would cost to do Viking again.  Even with our pitiful credit.  They blew it.  And they really don't care.  At all.   To pay $10,000 to sit tied up in an industrial waste ditch for 3 days and then get nothing but poor treatment by 'customer service',   I wish I could sell my credit to someone who would use it. Heck, I would donate it to a charity but I can't transfer it.  There are at least 12 other cruise lines who were in our exact same situation that didn't tie their passengers up and leave them stranded for days.  Guess I will just be looking at them next time.  look at the pictures and think"  Romantic Danube?"  Thanks Viking.  Great service.  Never again.

[flowerbuyer]

Where was this? How horrible! We had to swap ships in 2015, but were offered a day-long trip to Munich if we wanted, instead of staying in Passau, and we took it. But we just had to swap ships, weren't "grounded" for three days. And instead of sailing through the Wauchau Valley during the day, we had to do it at night, which was disappointing. 

I'm vary curious: what did the other cruise lines do when the river was impassable?

[sharkster77]

My question is WHEN was this???  There has been sufficient water in all rivers so far this season (well except for the Elbe, where there are ALWAYS problems), and there has been NO talk of ship swaps this season as well.

 

This is OP's first and only post, which understandably can raise suspicions.................so please, provide more info.

Edited August 22, 2019 by sharkster77

[TravelerThom]

 The map provided by OP is in Roth Germany, a suburb of Nuremberg, and includes the Main-Danube Canal. I am assuming this relates to one of lock issues earlier this summer on the M-D Canal, which did result in delays and boat swaps (and which has indeed been discussed here on CruiseCritic). 

 

My question is why the OP signed the NDA if all they got was something they have no intention of using (but that is probably in hind-sight). 

[notamermaid]

Superchel,

From the map you have provided I presume you were in Franconia, which leads me to think that you were stuck on the Canal - your draining ditch?? If so then I reckon you were either stuck during the lock repairs or it was the short time the Bavarian Danube was closed. Please give us a date - the week you travelled in. You do not have to give start or ending date, just one day to point us in the right direction.

 

Sorry to hear about the rather unfortunate industrial dock.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited August 22, 2019 by notamermaid
Note: crossed paths with TravellerThom's post

[suspaul]

Guess we’ve heard the last from the OP.

[TravelerThom]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

From the map you have provided I presume you were in Franconia

The map location is 49.24 degrees North, 11.14 East in Roth, Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It shows two turning basins on the M-D Canal. 

[sharkster77]

20 minutes ago, suspaul said:

Guess we’ve heard the last from the OP.

 

Sometimes folks need to vent, but do not want to discuss, I guess.

[G.M.T.]

The town of Roth is correct.

 

The op was not sitting 3 days on the boat, ALL the photos were taken from a moving bus, never mentioned what Viking laid on. Within 1 hour drive of Roth, you have Nuremberg, Bamberg, Regensburg, Kloster Weltenberg,  and lots more.

 

Viking has been got at over various things but not over ship swap, which runs like clockwork with the number of ships they have available.

 

I think there is more to the op rant than just what they wrote. Who knows, maybe he considered himself a vip but Viking didn't, doesn't like German food, expected the natives to be running around in Lederhose and driving the cows into the mountains.

 

I bet the op was a bundle of fun on the boat, probably arguing with the Captain and Cruise Director about chocolate bars, could be turned into  film:

 

"Mutiny over the Bounty".

 

Just imagine, the op sets the officers adrift in a small boat and after a navigation miracle and  fighting off the natives (dropping their Lederhose) and reaching Nuremberg after a 21minute epic journey they are safe. The op is caught and is not sentenced to be hung at the yard arm BUT to take a Viking river cruise once a year for the rest of his life.

 

I think Viking did a good job showing Germany's waste management system and not just dumping plastic rest in the oceans.

 

 

[sharkster77]

Funny stuff, @G.M.T., reminds me of the guy who posted a year or two ago, laying waste to Viking river because he couldn't have shrimp cocktail and a T-bone (or was it a porterhouse) steak every night like he could on his preferred ocean line.

 

Anyone who spends ANY time on these forums quickly realizes that  a whole # of things could happen while on a river cruise that is out of the cruise line's control----low water, high water, broken locks, unexploded ordnance from either world war that may shut down a section of river, plagues of locusts, sun turning dark at noon, etc etc.

[mhb1757]

Haha. Pictures are from a bus. 😂😂. So I’m guessing from piecing things together here that they did 2 days via bus tours, then swapped ships and continued on?  I’ve certainly heard worse stories. 

I had lunch yesterday with a friend that took a Viking Cruise mid July - Lyon to Avignon and a lady at their dinner table the last night was ranting about how she had already contacted her attorney because It had been over 100 degrees for the first 5 days of the cruise and even though they still ran all excursions she felt it was too hot to safely be outside for extended periods so she had remained on board. Viking (gasp with horror) was not offering her any compensation for the hot weather that “prevented” her from enjoying “any portion of the cruise”.  

Whats with those Viking folks?  First they claim they can’t control water levels in rivers and now they seem to be claiming the same thing about the temperature and perhaps even lock conditions. 😂😂😂

[bafinegan]

Unrealistic expectations.  Or wanting a free cruise

 

baf

[Got2Cruise]

I think the OP is speaking the truth. But unless she can provide photos of the ship tied up to the drainage ditch and the name of ship and dates, nobody is going to believe her. 

 

I base my belief on past behavior on Vikings part when the rivers go bad. Jmo 

[superchel]

For all of you asking:  They DID not do a swap and continue on. This was on and around the first of July. VIKING VAR/TOR.  We were taken from our boat for a swap, but once we got there they left us tied up for 3 days.  The pics of the bus....yeah let me tell  you about that day:  They took us on a 2 hour drive to a city (Nuremberg) and told us we could have ONE HOUR to look around.  At that point we all revolted!  And told them FIND another bus to pick us up at 5 or we would all take taxis back and they could have the bill.  Wanting a 'free cruise"?  Nice try..  NO  I paid $10,000 to sit in a drainage ditch for 3 days?  The tied-up ship is the Viking TOR.  You can sit in the picture of the crane. We were on the Viking VAR and after we were moved,  we were tied up for 3 days.  There are other posts about this experience here.  How many pictures do you need for this?  I have tons, including a satellite photo of the area we were tied in.  Roth is a damn industrial waste site and our drive was 2 hours long - not the hour you are all swearing about. They weren't even going to take any of us anywhere, but so many people were fighting with the staff, that the brought in 1 whole bus! This was.....AFTER a 6 hour transfer trip - yeah  we were told that the transfer would be about 3 hours.  You can all sit there and act like you know what happened.  But I can give you names, dates and times.  Our captain hid in the wheel house.  Our poor CD was left to face a bunch of angry people.  And yes, many other boats did exactly that swap and continued on.  THAT was my point....WHY WERE WE TIED THERE for 3 days.  TOR, we found out, had already been tied there for 3 days before we got there for the swap.   What else do you need?   We were told the boat would just turn around.  NO, they finally on our last day, had to back it all the way down the canal.  So you all think we are just lying?  Nice try.  Viking treated us like ***** and you think we are bitching about a shrimp cocktail?  Wow...    You tell me why the never turned it around and had to back it out.  You try sitting in that canal for 3 days and listening to trucks rumble by. And have trash float by.  Then find out it had been there as long as it had, not moving.  UNREALISTIC expectations?  For $10,000 I got to see below....and you think it is a joke?  Try it....see what you would say  The ship is 450 feet long and that canal was maybe 100 feet wide.  We got screwed bad...and you think we are all just making it up.  WOW.   

Edited August 22, 2019 by superchel
correct spelling.

[superchel]

Here is another post about how TOR was tied up...this guy did the reverse swap.  https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=660036   Or do you think he made this up as well looking for a free cruise because he missed a shrimp cocktail.  At least they got to get off..but his is pretty much ours in reverse.  He went to VAR and did get to cruise. back to Hungary.  We never moved.

Edited August 22, 2019 by superchel
add facts

[G.M.T.]

10 hours ago, superchel said:

They took us on a 2 hour drive to a city (Nuremberg) and told us we could have ONE HOUR to look around.  

 

 Roth is a damn industrial waste site and our drive was 2 hours long - not the hour you are all swearing about.

 

In a previous post I said Nuremberg was one hour away. I got it wrong, it is 30 Km and a 30 minute drive (partially over the Autobahn), NOT TWO HOURS.

 

Roth, holds annually the worlds largest full (long distance) triathalon event, with over 250,000 spectors enjoying their day in "  Roth is a damn industrial waste site" watching the competitor swimming along the drainage ditch (actually in Lake Roth).

 

Wonder if any passengers went fishing in the drainage ditch for the evening shrimp cocktail?

 

[terpshockey77]

I love how people on cruise critic slam posters without waiting to hear more of the story.  I don't know where you live but I have children who live an hour and a half away but their trip can be 4 hours on heavy traffic days.  Can a 30 minute trip take 2 hours?  Probably in many different places.  I guess most of you want to defend Viking.  I haven't read much that would induce me to want to take a Viking cruise.  We were on an Avalon cruise and just because they had to move the boat while we were in town we received a nice allowance for lunch.  I heard similar stories about Avalon and look forward to our next cruise with them.

[pully8]

Sorry to read about this experience.

Sadly not all cruises are as marketed in the promotional material.

Some of the passing countryside includes large industrial areas along the rivers.

The Rhine is a working river.

Would not be fun to be parked for 3 days in the manner you described.

Agree paying a premium price for long bus rides is not remotely like a river cruise.

Have been to Roth there is a small castle in the small town from memory, and it is indeed close to Nuremberg.

It is in an area with forests and  many pathways along the waterways for activities.

Avalon waterways launched a landing area some years ago with a day of celebration with the locals and the ship in the area.  

European river cruising is a wonderful experience when things go well, but like other things in life be prepared for what the industry calls interruptions.

Hope your next cruising experience is better. 

 

[G.M.T.]

1 hour ago, terpshockey77 said:

I love how people on cruise critic slam posters without waiting to hear more of the story.  I don't know where you live but I have children who live an hour and a half away but their trip can be 4 hours on heavy traffic days.  Can a 30 minute trip take 2 hours? 

I am not a Viking cheerleader, never been on one of their boats, BUT I see the Danube daily and know it inside out (as well as the Main Danube Canal).

 

When the op comes here and starts sprouting off, that Roth is an industrial waste site and the Main Danube Canal is a drainage ditch, that is not only an insult to Bavaria but also to me personally. The Main Danube Canal is one of the largest and finest engineering projects that have been completed in Europe.

 

The op said everything in his first post, so what is there to wait for. When the op comes on here and insults places and people, then he will get a full broadside back.

[Bo1953]

I wonder if the OP's travel insurance will cover some of this incident?

 

bon voyage

[pully8]

No. Cruise interruptions as described are not covered by insurance,

High/low water, lock issues including strikes are risks that are not covered.

Cruise operators differ in how they deal with the issues and if any compensation is given.

 

[BarkLessWagMore]

G.M.T. you are taking the OP's comments too personally. I believe the point of the original post was the poorly executed ship swap and being moored in a less than desirable spot for 3 days. I am sure that area has much beauty and is a fine place to visit, but it is without dispute that their particular mooring location was poor. I can't speak for them but I do not intend on taking river cruises every year so when I take one I want it to be the experience I paid for, within reason based on things the cruise line can control. Water levels are a different matter but ship swaps should be Viking's time to shine given how many assets they have on the Danube.

 

Just my opinion but I think the OP's complaint is valid.

[Bailey Swedishfish]

Viking doesn't have any control over where the ship is docked-that's the port authority's responsibilities. Viking's responsibility is to get passengers safely from point a to point b.  Viking also has no control over passage through locks or canals-again, that's at the discretion and management of the port authority.  

 

Viking does have the obligation to provide a travel experience that meets the intended published experience of fine dining, a clean well presented ship, friendly staff,  and daily activities that are interesting to as many people as possible. We have found Viking does an amazing job of trying to juggle unforseen or short notice changes and itinerary issues with as much flexibility and communication as possible. But given that the company is staffed by human beings, no amount of corporate culture or training can offset someone who isn't well suited to a particular role, or goes rogue. (I'm in the business of customer service. People are not robots as much as we would like them to be.)

 

$10,000 is a lot to spend on a vacation, whether it's Viking or any other cruise line or vacation. We all approach this use of disposable income with different levels of expectation and entitlement.  None of us can presume to know each other's level of disappointment. We've done 13 river and 1 ocean cruise with Viking--some better than others.  We like the brand and we know that even if our expectations aren't met, when we've shared our concerns  WITH Viking (and not random strangers on the internet) appropriate responses, action or compensation have been generally acceptable to us.  Complaining is all about style--some do it discreetly and others like the world to know.  Whatever. We tend to give the benefit of the doubt as most problems are never caused by the most obvious source.

Edited August 23, 2019 by Bailey Swedishfish

[sharkster77]

Viking regularly monitors these boards--I am surprised that someone from Viking hasn't chimed in with an invitation to the OP to contact them.  Isn't the address something like "tellus@ Viking........."

 

Then again, if the OP's anger hasn't yet subsided, he/she may not be willing to talk to Viking right now.

[Squawkman]

I totally agree with Bailey S. and do all of our cruising with them. We use the same Viking agent - this has been helpful when a problem did occur.