Viking uninvited 50 Day maiden voyage cruisers

You just can't make this up! Business 101 this company can't do anything but shoot themselves in the foot...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2210313

Ouch....

This is definitely *not* the type of press you want in your first year.

Wonder if things will pick up for this group??

I have posted this on the River Board just as an interesting Note of Interest for those considering Viking and how they handle difficult CS issues. We also have members of this board who are on the Maiden Voyage or are planning to board soon.

Thank you for the link. I would've missed it otherwise. One more blaring "oops" for Viking.

What happened to the original thread? I thought I read this last night .

I am no fan of Viking at all. That being said I hope the posters on that thread are not assuming universal empathy. I found those to be on the verge of tears to be hypersensitive and shrill. Might it have been mildy embarrasing? Yes. Worthy of the hysteria conveyed on the thread? Not at all.

If that was the worst thing to happen to me on any given day, I would be pysched.

I am no fan of Viking at all. That being said I hope the posters on that thread are not assuming universal empathy. I found those to be on the verge of tears to be hypersensitive and shrill. Might it have been mildy embarrasing? Yes. Worthy of the hysteria conveyed on the thread? Not at all.

 

If that was the worst thing to happen to me on any given day, I would be pysched.

Not me......I have too much self-respect to just shrug that off. Like you I'm no Viking fan, or customer for that matter, but to minimize their treatment as being "mildly embarrassing", IMHO is showing the same hypersensitivity and shrillness of which you accuse them. People feel things differently and no one has the right to tell someone else how they should or should not feel.

Not me......I have too much self-respect to just shrug that off. Like you I'm no Viking fan, or customer for that matter, but to minimize their treatment as being "mildly embarrassing", IMHO is showing the same hypersensitivity and shrillness of which you accuse them. People feel things differently and no one has the right to tell someone else how they should or should not feel.

How can minimizing something be considered hypersensitive and/or shrill? That does not make any sense. Would that not be the opposite?

I will stand my ground that if someone is reduced to tears over an event like this, they need to really examine what is important in life.

How can minimizing something be considered hypersensitive and/or shrill? That does not make any sense. Would that not be the opposite?

 

 

 

I will stand my ground that if someone is reduced to tears over an event like this, they need to really examine what is important in life.

I would not have left without a scene if I booked the 50 day maiden voyage and was treated like garbage while those who get on for free were treated special so they can write positive reviews. Those 50 day pax should be treated like royalty.

I would not have left without a scene if I booked the 50 day maiden voyage and was treated like garbage while those who get on for free were treated special so they can write positive reviews. Those 50 day pax should be treated like royalty.

I understand and appreciate your position. I would not have made a scene as I feel life is too short to make mountains out of molehills. I also don't think that being uninvited degrades my importance as a human. Much of what was being complained about was the embarrassment felt as they were ushered away in front of other people. I would have cared less.

What gets me is people who take these types of events and use them as the basis of ridiculous demands. I am still not clear what would have made things right in most of the upset passengers. I go back to the "I have no drawers in my cabin therefore I am entitled to a free upgrade from Uniworld" thread that was discussed last week.

I understand and appreciate your position. I would not have made a scene as I feel life is too short to make mountains out of molehills. I also don't think that being uninvited degrades my importance as a human. Much of what was being complained about was the embarrassment felt as they were ushered away in front of other people. I would have cared less.

 

What gets me is people who take these types of events and use them as the basis of ridiculous demands. I am still not clear what would have made things right in most of the upset passengers. I go back to the "I have no drawers in my cabin therefore I am entitled to a free upgrade from Uniworld" thread that was discussed last week.

I think what Viking could have and should have done once the invitations were given out is bite the bullet and make arrangements for everyone who received one to be allowed to attend the dinner/cocktail party or whatever it was supposed to be. I agree that often times people demand ridiculous bonuses for minor infractions, but I don't think this was one of those times. You perceive this as unimportant in the grand scheme of things and that's admirable, but the posters felt insulted and humiliated...kind of like they were invited to the party, got dressed and went to the party and after they were let in, were publicly told "sorry, we didn't mean to invite you, you have to leave now".....not quite the same as there's a bug in my bathtub I want a free trip. I'm more like Got2Cruise.....I would respond sort of like "Carrie" after the prom!!:D

I think what Viking could have and should have done once the invitations were given out is bite the bullet and make arrangements for everyone who received one to be allowed to attend the dinner/cocktail party or whatever it was supposed to be. I agree that often times people demand ridiculous bonuses for minor infractions, but I don't think this was one of those times. You perceive this as unimportant in the grand scheme of things and that's admirable, but the posters felt insulted and humiliated...kind of like they were invited to the party, got dressed and went to the party and after they were let in, were publicly told "sorry, we didn't mean to invite you, you have to leave now".....not quite the same as there's a bug in my bathtub I want a free trip. I'm more like Got2Cruise.....I would respond sort of like "Carrie" after the prom!!:D

Well stated and it gives me a different perspective. I always enjoy your posts.

Well stated and it gives me a different perspective. I always enjoy your posts.

Thank you. :D

I went to the Viking website, and that 50 day cruise is over $60,000 !!!!!

And they treat these people like garbage, and offer them a $500 credit??

I went to the Viking website, and that 50 day cruise is over $60,000 !!!!!

And they treat these people like garbage, and offer them a $500 credit??

Would that be per person ;(

I would just have stayed put and not leave. What would they do? Handcuff me and drag me out?

If I had been there, I would have just stayed like I belong. Would they even know the difference?

Would that be per person ;(

Holy moneybags!!!! Vantage has a round the world trip that costs about that but I wouldn't know since I haven't won the lottery yet!! But you're right, for that kind of money they should have sprung for 50 more dinners, wouldn't have come NEAR the bad press they're getting here.

Would that be per person ;(

Based on Viking's history of phony marketing, I would say it is $60K per person, but if you act now you can get 2 for 1! :D

Am I allowed to say Friggin unbelievable. These folks should have been treated like the "gold plated" bank accts they are!

I went to the Viking website, and that 50 day cruise is over $60,000 !!!!!

And they treat these people like garbage, and offer them a $500 credit??

You should do your research more thoroughly ... the cost of $60,299 is for the only remaining stateroom available for the 50 day cruise ... and that is the Owner's Stateroom which is typically 4-5 times more that the lowest category Deluxe Veranda stateroom ... i.e. $10,000 - $15,000 (2 for 1 prices apply).

I, too, was horrified by what Viking has done but your criticism would carry much more weight if it were accurate!

Does Viking Ocean have the same payment timeline as their river cruise arm?

I read some of the other threads over on the Viking board. Seems like they have a long way to go and many improvements to make. There were a lot of problems both in the shipboard operations as well as in the shore side operations.

All of that probably had a lot to do with the pax reaction.

Does Viking Ocean have the same payment timeline as their river cruise arm?

I'm pretty sure they mirror the river cruise conditions, so they do ask for payment very early in the USA (Canada as well?), but not in other regions. UK for example is 25% deposit and balance 10 weeks before departure.

I read some of the other threads over on the Viking board. Seems like they have a long way to go and many improvements to make. There were a lot of problems both in the shipboard operations as well as in the shore side operations.

We should be part of their target market as Regent cruisers, but they have a long way to go before we would consider them for a sea cruise.

No complaints about our China trip with them and we have a Mekong trip booked with them already, but sea cruises they still have a lot to learn it seems.

You should do your research more thoroughly ... the cost of $60,299 is for the only remaining stateroom available for the 50 day cruise ... and that is the Owner's Stateroom which is typically 4-5 times more that the lowest category Deluxe Veranda stateroom ... i.e. $10,000 - $15,000 (2 for 1 prices apply).

 

I, too, was horrified by what Viking has done but your criticism would carry much more weight if it were accurate!

I just came from Viking Oceans website and they have a 50 day cruise "starting at $60,000" pp, but they do have a special two for one sale running now! Additionally, shore excursions are NOT included, which as all of us know on a 50 day cruise from Istanbul, could really add up! Since that was the starting price, I think pp was pretty accurate. Didn't check to see if it include airfare, but I'm guessing it does not.

Gotta add my 2 cents worth-- I have never been on Viking river cruises as we prefer Uniworld and have recently booked one on the Danube with Scenic. Last summer of 2015, my wife and I booked a 15 day cruise on this new Viking Star as it has our dream itinerary of the Baltic. Like everyone else, we had to pay 100% up front within 2 weeks of booking. All the 2015 itineraries for this cruise were booked--at the more reasonable prices mentioned by WilliaFr.

I have been avidly following the adventures of the passengers on the Viking Star during their 50 maiden voyage which is drawing to a close. This latest fiasco by their management of inviting then dis-inviting many loyal and well-pauying passengers to their "appreciation/christening gala" is just one more incident of many blunders they have made on this maiden cruise. Granted many problems experienced are normal maiden cruise "de-bugging" problems, some may even be somewhat trivial when considered on their own---but there have been numerous and inexcusable oversights by their corporate and on-board senior management. Taken as a whole, it is my opinion (which is unfortunately share by many of the passengers on this cruise), Viking management was totally incompetent in their efforts thus far.

If you are interested in what has happened, there are several lengthy and interesting threads under the Viking Star link on this website. I have every hope and expectation that the will c me thru and get their act together by the time of our cruise next July 2016! But I am also going to watch closely and have a plan to cancel and find another cruise line if warranted.

Incredibly bad management. If I had been one of those (lucky) people on for the 50-day trip, I would be absolutely irate, not embarrassed and humiliated. And I would make it clear to Viking that they would no longer have my business, ever. I would then try to put it behind me, although I suspect it would leave a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the trip.

Now I *know* I'll never take a Viking cruise.