Cancelled Ports

[millybess]

HI Kathleen.  Yes, we remember you and Chris.  I think we were the only four people who showed up for our meet and greet.  🙂

 

Since we last saw you, we did a port intensive back to back Med cruise and enjoyed it thoroughly.  Your cruise sounds really great.

 

Our next cruise is in January -- Caribbean Amazon.  We are very much looking forward to it.

 

 

[Cisterna]

Would someone  please show me where it specifically says Viking can change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, stick etc. months prior to the cruise beginning!   I know there is a caveat stating excursions may not all be offered  and subject to change, but cannot find anything that says a port can be changed (unless for circumstances beyond control) .  To change from a 15 hour port visit in MELBOURNE to GEELONG  is totally unacceptable, especially when Melbourne is one of the highlight ports of the tour.   

[rmalbers]

2 hours ago, Cisterna said:

Would someone  please show me where it specifically says Viking can change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, stick etc. months prior to the cruise beginning!   I know there is a caveat stating excursions may not all be offered  and subject to change, but cannot find anything that says a port can be changed (unless for circumstances beyond control) .  To change from a 15 hour port visit in MELBOURNE to GEELONG  is totally unacceptable, especially when Melbourne is one of the highlight ports of the tour.   

They look fairly close to each other.  Do most of the excursions head west? Are/were they both tender stops?  My sister lived there for years, it is a great area for sure. 

[Cisterna]

1 hour ago, rmalbers said:

They look fairly close to each other.  Do most of the excursions head west? Are/were they both tender stops?  My sister lived there for years, it is a great area for sure. 

Melbourne is  basically 1.5 hours car drive and roughly 1.1/4 hr train ride  away from /Geelong. Not exactly close especially if on a cruise ship  without an economical way to get there.. No tender. 

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, rmalbers said:

Would someone  please show me where it specifically says Viking can change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, stick etc. months prior to the cruise beginning! 

 

You will find it here:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

 

Advanced, Cancelled or Delayed; Acts of God; Strikes; Other Changes: VRC and the Carrier reserve the right to withdraw and/or cancel a tour or to make changes in the itinerary and hotel accommodations whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it.

 

Here is a link to all of the legal documents.

https://www.vikingcruises.com/legal/index.html?CID=EML|RSP|999|vrc.54805742

[Cisterna]

You will find it here:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

 

Advanced, Cancelled or Delayed; Acts of God; Strikes; Other Changes: VRC and the Carrier reserve the right to withdraw and/or cancel a tour or to make changes in the itinerary and hotel accommodations whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it.

 

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

You will find it here:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

 

Advanced, Cancelled or Delayed; Acts of God; Strikes; Other Changes: VRC and the Carrier reserve the right to withdraw and/or cancel a tour or to make changes in the itinerary and hotel accommodations whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it.

 

Here is a link to all of the legal documents.

https://www.vikingcruises.com/legal/index.html?CID=EML|RSP|999|vrc.54805742

 

Thanks  for trying - but I specifically said..  change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, strike etc... You just reiterated the safety protocol issue which does not apply  when a major port change is made as is is on our itinerary. 

 -  

[CurlerRob]

24 minutes ago, Cisterna said:

You will find it here:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

 

Advanced, Cancelled or Delayed; Acts of God; Strikes; Other Changes: VRC and the Carrier reserve the right to withdraw and/or cancel a tour or to make changes in the itinerary and hotel accommodations whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it.

 

 

Thanks  for trying - but I specifically said..  change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, strike etc... You just reiterated the safety protocol issue which does not apply  when a major port change is made as is is on our itinerary. 

 -  

 

I suggest you read it again, eliminating the extraneous items ..."reserve the right ... to make changes in the itinerary... whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it".

 

The clause makes no mention of safety protocols or other mitigating factors (they show up later in the contract paragraph, associated with other issues).

 

Simply put, like ALL cruise lines, they can make whatever changes they like for any reasons. If compensation is provided it is purely good will.

 

The only thing I can think of that is more one-sided than a cruise contract is slavery. 🍺🥌

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

 

I suggest you read it again, eliminating the extraneous items ..."reserve the right ... to make changes in the itinerary... whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it".

 

 

Thanks, Rob.  I agree with your interpretation of  the paragraph. Viking can change anything they want for whatever reason and they are not required to comp passengers. Any lawyer will tell you the same. 

 

If we don't like a particular change, we have two choices: live with it or cancel the cruise. Ranting and raving will not change anything.   

 

[Meander Ingwa]

The train , every 30minutes is 6$

[Cisterna]

4 hours ago, Meander Ingwa said:

The train , every 30minutes is 6$

Train from Geelong to Melbourne?  

[Meander Ingwa]

1 minute ago, Cisterna said:

Train from Geelong to Melbourne?  

yes

[Heidi13]

18 hours ago, Cisterna said:

You will find it here:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

 

Advanced, Cancelled or Delayed; Acts of God; Strikes; Other Changes: VRC and the Carrier reserve the right to withdraw and/or cancel a tour or to make changes in the itinerary and hotel accommodations whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it.

 

 

Thanks  for trying - but I specifically said..  change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, strike etc... You just reiterated the safety protocol issue which does not apply  when a major port change is made as is is on our itinerary. 

 -  

 

There is no such thing as a "Major" port in passenger ship operations. Some ports are "Turnaround" ports, all others are ports of call, regardless of the size. When booking a cruise, it is best to be cognisant that the itinerary is only confirmed when you disembark.

 

Another fact to consider, is while this change is clearly an issue for you, many others may be pleased with the switch. Melbourne is a port I have visited many times and it is a brilliant city, but Geelong and the surrounding area also has numerous positives and is closer to some of the attractions.

 

Personally, I would have no issue with Geelong, as it has some great scenery around the tender dock and many of the great attractions are closer - Serendip Open Range Sanctuary and 12 Apostles being 2 examples.

 

Another consideration is cruise ships dock at Station Pier in Phillip's Bay, not at the commercial port on the Yarra River. It is about 4 miles to the CBD. From departing the gangway, it can be a 1/2 hr to reach the CBD, especially if docked at an outer berth.

[SantaFe1]

58 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

Personally, I would have no issue with Geelong, as it has some great scenery around the tender dock and many of the great attractions are closer - Serendip Open Range Sanctuary and 12 Apostles being 2 examples.

We loved the Serendip on our WC, and the Geelong Port was interesting, very memorable,

[SantaFe1]

On 10/6/2023 at 2:20 PM, Cisterna said:

Would someone  please show me where it specifically says Viking can change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, stick etc. months prior to the cruise beginning!   I know there is a caveat stating excursions may not all be offered  and subject to change, but cannot find anything that says a port can be changed (unless for circumstances beyond control) .  To change from a 15 hour port visit in MELBOURNE to GEELONG  is totally unacceptable, especially when Melbourne is one of the highlight ports of the tour.   

One thing you learn if you cruise a lot, or especially on a WC, is that if there is somewhere you absolutely must get to, nothing else will do, then don’t cruise there.  Easter Island comes to mind for us.  It was a bucket list destination for us, but the tender pier flooded and we couldn’t go. The Captain circumnavigated the island, and we had a great day.  So be flexible.   As Andy, Heidi13, says  “the itinerary is only confirmed when you disembark.”  If you must go to Melbourne, fly there!

[OnTheJourney]

On 7/24/2023 at 3:50 PM, Jim Avery said:

One thing for sure you will miss a few ports. 

Try 5 of the last 6, as is currently the case on the Mississippi. Or, for those who didn’t want the hassle of riding 6 hours on a bus and decided to stay on the ship, we will only get to 3 out of 10 ports. 

[SantaFe1]

10 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Try 5 of the last 6, as is currently the case on the Mississippi. Or, for those who didn’t want the hassle of riding 6 hours on a bus and decided to stay on the ship, we will only get to 3 out of 10 ports. 

That’s why we canceled.  Booked BIE instead. 

[OnTheJourney]

14 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

That’s why we canceled.  Booked BIE instead. 

BIE?  

[LindaS272]

9 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

BIE?  

I think she means British Isles Explorer.

[Cisterna]

Well I'm going to beat a dead horse. We have been on 45+ cruises, Ocean,  River, Expedition,  as well as cattle ships. We are very flexible and understanding, can easily make lemonade out of lemons. My frustration  is not being  told , especially when the change in port is known at time of booking ,  months in advance and in fact when asked being told the port has not changed. Corporate, when pushed, admitted it is a different tinerary for our specific sailing. A notice to passengers of a planned itinerary change  is customary 

[OnTheJourney]

Like I said, they gambled on this one with the near-record low water levels and it didn’t work. 

[SantaFe1]

9 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

I think she means British Isles Explorer.

Yes, thanks, Linda.  

[Jim Avery]

Someone at Viking should have learned that the Mississippi River is famous for fluctuating water levels.  Simply a dumb mistake enhanced by extra low levels this time.  I used to work on the lower Mississippi and even back then water level fluctuations were known to happen and were mostly predictable.

[kcpvwill]

I’m expecting to see the Holy Land cruises in November significantly altered in view of the situation happening there. In the UK our Foreign & Commonwealth says:

 

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Israel 

 

so this would invalidate insurance.  I haven’t seen any announcements on Viking website, but the instruction only got posted late yesterday.  
 

Has the US got similar instructions? 
 

We were originally booked on one of these cruises but changed our plans when the problems flared up several months ago.  
 

I hope things calm down soon for the poor people of the region.  

[downsmead]

55 minutes ago, kcpvwill said:

I’m expecting to see the Holy Land cruises in November significantly altered in view of the situation happening there. In the UK our Foreign & Commonwealth says:

 

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Israel 

 

so this would invalidate insurance.  I haven’t seen any announcements on Viking website, but the instruction only got posted late yesterday.  
 

Has the US got similar instructions? 
 

We were originally booked on one of these cruises but changed our plans when the problems flared up several months ago.  
 

I hope things calm down soon for the poor people of the region.  

They have cancelled the Jerusalem pre trip stay for those on the Nile cruises and have rearranged flights direct to Cairo. All cruise ships have rescheduled their Israel ports, when is the first Viking cruise due to visit?

[OnTheJourney]

5 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Someone at Viking should have learned that the Mississippi River is famous for fluctuating water levels.  Simply a dumb mistake enhanced by extra low levels this time.  

I’m inclined to agree Jim. They had to know what they were getting into. Tough for the older, less mobile people to navigate those steep shore landings rather than at a “real”dock. Crew has to scrabble up through the woods and find a good tree to tie the lines to.
 

Wonder how things went during the previous northbound sailing. Southbound has priority from what they told us. We had our share of what is apparently referred to as “barge rodeo” where a towboat screws up on a turn and either the cables snap and the barges go on their merry way (around 26 of them the one time 😳), or else simply run aground on a sandbar. Spent many an hour parked along the shoreline waiting for these types of issues to clear up, or else just waiting for traffic. At one point the captain said that we, alone, were allowed to proceed underway. Probably some  nasty looks from the towboat pilots as we passed LoL!  
 

Some pax are leaving the ship today in Alton, IL.  Others are leaving who just completed the 4-night land option rather than coming back onboard. Crazy day for the crew with all that going on. Also we’ve been running low on certain food items. Taking on some food today since this is the last stop before Red Wing.