Viking River Cruise – Our Story Gets Worse - Don't Do Business with Them

I could also tell you about a family members experience with an Elbe cruise on Viking last year and how badly they were treater before, during and afterwards by Viking corporate offices.

There was a lot of what I might call questionable business practices. I should note that I had a problem with my Avalon river cruise and I could also call into questions some of what happened with them but in the end it was made right. However I've never seen such horrible treatment from a company as what they described for me.

I hesitate to even post anything as doing so brings ThIS thread back up to the top of the of list but I don't understand your post...when you say 'horrible treatment from a company'...WHAT company I wonder? please be more specific.

ENOUGH already about Viking this and Viking that...

THIS OP had an issue with Viking...he complained...it got resolved...it ...is ...over!

Let me first observe that even if the flight arrangements were finally resolved following your vacation, did the removal of expense remove your extended aggravation?

We are all different, have different talents, different experiences, and prepare for vacations in very different ways. In my one and only (so far) river cruise (Basel/Amsterdam) I proceeded just as I do for an ocean or land experience: research/read/plan. Our Viking river cruise was less of a vacation the greater the preparation. Thankfully, we arranged our own air travel and incorporated this river week, with a second week of Belgium by train and then concluded with a 12-night Norway cruise RT Amsterdam (wonderful!). I discovered that Viking was most happy if you wanted everything done for you and gladly accepted whatever they provided as "tours." Our week in Belgium was what we wished it to be and each port visit (Celebrity Constellation) had been pre-planned (a few times with 20 other couples!). The intersection between travel and capitalism quite clearly results in whatever generates the most profit for the agency providing your vacation! Considering the number and character of the TV ads from Viking, the nature of our river week, and the amazing expansion of this organization, it seems that the financing comes from somewhere!

Once "burned" we will be very cautious about trying another river experience (maybe Paris through provence?). Still looking for the "magic" on rivers,

DJ:)

*Who is the "Ideal Passenger" for a river cruise?

DJ,

I'm trying to follow you here...

I assume your question in the subject line is rhetorical .

Let me first observe that even if the flight arrangements were finally resolved following your vacation, did the removal of expense remove your extended aggravation?

Who are you addressing?

We are all different, have different talents, different experiences, and prepare for vacations in very different ways. In my one and only (so far) river cruise (Basel/Amsterdam) I proceeded just as I do for an ocean or land experience: research/read/plan.

I have to assume this river cruise was with Viking. What was the name of the boat?

Our Viking river cruise was less of a vacation the greater the preparation.

(Are you saying, even though you prepared more, you had less vacation?)

Thankfully, we arranged our own air travel and incorporated this river week, with a second week of Belgium by train and then concluded with a 12-night Norway cruise RT Amsterdam (wonderful!).

Our week in Belgium was what we wished it to be and each port visit (Celebrity Constellation) had been pre-planned (a few times with 20 other couples!).

Still trying to follow...

you had a week on the river

then a second week in Belgium by train

then a 12-night Norway cruise,

but then it looks like your week in Belgium was on the (Celebrity Constellation)?

I discovered that Viking was most happy if you wanted everything done for you and gladly accepted whatever they provided as "tours."

So, is THIS, as in your subject line, what you are alluding to as the “Ideal Passenger”?

The intersection between travel and capitalism quite clearly results in whatever generates the most profit for the agency providing your vacation!

I agree.

Considering the number and character of the TV ads from Viking, the nature of our river week, and the amazing expansion of this organization, it seems that the financing comes from somewhere!

Where is somewhere?

Once "burned" we will be very cautious about trying another river experience (maybe Paris through provence?).

Provence, France? Through Viking?

Still looking for the "magic" on rivers,

Instead of looking for it, we have learned to bring the magic with us.

So, what's your point?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was confused! :p

Yes, confused, too, but....

Shipshape seems to be making a legal case against the poster, who has committed no felony.

Chill... people are posting in an open forum on the internet.

Some people are impaired while posting some are not from my planet... it is all good.

jc

Yes, confused, too, but....

 

Shipshape seems to be making a legal case against the poster, who has committed no felony.

 

Chill... people are posting in an open forum on the internet.

 

Some people are impaired while posting some are not from my planet... it is all good.

 

jc

...the next morning...

My apologies!

You are right. I should not have wrote whilst impaired last night.:eek:

Seems "I've got amazing powers of observation" after a few glasses of wine.:o

I'm only here for the entertainment.

I figured MY post would be deleted by now.;)

[emoji12]

So let me get this straight. After three and a half (onboard currently) absolutely flawless trips with Viking I should not do business with them anymore because someone screwed up with the OP's air res?

This and other gripe threads should not be used as a broad brush smearing the good efforts overall of any company. I should not do business with the polite reps on the phone? Or the chef who greeted us today onboard with canapes? Or the wait staff who greets us by name after two days?

We all can sympathize with a fellow traveler when things don't work out as planned, but we should only bear torches and pitchforks when a company is consistently evil and anti-consumer. I believe after my experiences over a 8 year period that Viking is not that company.

Well stated! I completely agree and am very wary of posts like this one from the OP. Can't wait to sail on Viking next fall.

Good luck with that!

...the next morning...

My apologies!

You are right. I should not have wrote whilst impaired last night.:eek:

Seems "I've got amazing powers of observation" after a few glasses of wine.:o

I'm only here for the entertainment.

I figured MY post would be deleted by now.;)

(1) My first assumption is that you are a retired attorney? Sometimes useful to go back and reread the sequence of postings -- I do realize that this is a real challenge to follow.

(2) Part of the challenge is that I am skirting all the details of what might have become a comprehensive description of my week on the Rhine, but I have thought better about it. We have to understand capitalism and have some insight into the corporate structure that we get to experience. My conclusion is that people most happy with this experience are the people who are pleased with ship's excursions and would have no interest in learning about a location's history before visiting. Nothing wrong with anything here. Some of us like to prepare for a visit to a museum, others wouldn't even want to visit a museum, period.

(3) Really surprised by the negative affect expressed by more than one person. The sort of imbalance of praise versus criticism basically minimizes the value of praise -- especially after the experience. Its important, as I said, to realize that the same experience may be evaluated quite differently by two different people. For example, after reading about Black Forest experience, I was not about to participate. Being offered the afternoon Colmar experience in exchange was appreciated, but I found that Colmar was a wonderful location and I was disappointed that I did not have the tie to visit all parts of the art museum, etc. If I had the day in Colmar I would have prepared for this visit and located a place for a light lunch (honestly, considering the daily charge for this trip, the food is already accounted for).

(4) Folks, hearing criticism about an experience you prize, doesn't mean you have been criticized! Discussion of travel doesn't have to become political, does it?

My best to all,

DJ