katie scarlette

Thank you so very much, Peregrina651, for your thoughts.  I will contact Viking now.

Thank you, Peregrina651.  A conflict has just occurred to me: one of our companions has tickets to a soccer game in Paris that night - after the ship leaves LePecq.  I am now looking into accomodations for that night and will see about transportation to Vernon or Giverny the next morning.  It didn't occur to me that we would leave so early with such a short distance to the next port.  Shame on me!

For anyone whose itinerary has Day 2 in Paris (LePecq), do you remember what time the ship leaves LePecq for Giverny?  Thanks for you time.  

Katie 

You are right, Peregrina651 - Day 7 is the included Paris tour.  We were going to take the RER into Paris, but your suggestion would get us to the desired geographic area and save time.  Thank you!

Thank you Peregrina651 and Host Jazzbeau for your thoughts.  My companions and I plan to go to Versailles independently on Day 2, stay as long as we like and return to the ship or go to Paris, and then go to Paris on our own on Day 7.

Hello All,

Our itinerary for the December 3 departure is the same as NavyVeteran's: it would appear that Days 2 and 7 are potentially "Paris" days that would allow independent exploration if one so desired?  Is Napoleon's Chateau a must see?  Would it be possible to include that tour and then wander around Paris?  Thank you for your thoughts?  KS

21 hours ago, bayareagirl said:

Hi Carolyn, I can't wait to read your stories!  Good luck finishing them in time for your deadline, and thank you so much for your post!

 

-Monique

Hi Carolyn, 

Looking forward to hearing about the ports.  My family and I are going in early December, and I look forward to some insights.  I presume there's bus or other transportation to Paris for guest to do as they like (no tours)?   My travel agent said that he and his wife enjoyed wandering around Rouen independently, and I'm just generally interested to know about your experiences and impressions.

Thank you - Katie

Hi Fran,

Thank you for your response.

Do you think that going downstream (Berlin - Prague) would be a disadvantage (less time for the scheduled stops?) in any way? We can fit a extra day in for Berlin if we go this route.

Thanks again for your reply.

Kate Scarlette

Fran, Which way did you decide to go? How w as your trip? My husband and I are thinking of this cruise and are thinking of starting in Berlin. KS

I don't remember the cost of the taxi, but I think it was about 35 Euros. It was about a 30 minute taxi ride.

Thank you very much for your reply, Margarita Jane.

We were on the Viking Var and did not make it all the way to Erlangen. We ended up disembarking in Nuremberg. This was a last minute change, as it was not announced until our final briefing the evening before disembarkation. We were traveling independently post cruise and had rented a car in Erlangen, so we had to taxi from Nuremberg to Erlangen. My advice would be to check the location of the ship before leaving Munich.

We are booked on a future Romantic Danube cruise and were told the ship will not be in Nuremberg. Do you recall the cost of the cab ride and the duration of the ride? We will fly to Nuremberg independently.

It will be a while before I'm over my frustration as a passenger on the July 25 Viking Oceans cruise. That said, my husband, thinks it would be a real waste to not use our voucher. I don't want this to turn into a "Viking Rivers" thread, but could really use advice. We've already done Viking's Egypt and China itineraries. Is there a Viking cruise in Europe that was your favorite? Thanks for helping us choose.

My husband and I chose this one from Nuremburg to Budapest. We arrived early to take advantage of the day and to go to the Documentation Center in Nuremburg. It would be a shame to miss the place, and Viking allows about a half day for Nuremburg. This is not enough time to visit the Center: you will have to arrive early. A cab can easily be arranged from the ship to the Center, and someone at the Center will call for a cab back to the ship or into town.

We enjoyed every port and did a lot of walking on our own. At the time, Melk was a stop, but it is not now.

This itinerary allows a full day in Vienna, and we rode their subway to an art museum. There was also a very small trip to the equivalent of a farmers' market offered by the chef on the boat that was very interesting and worthwhile (not to be missed). I do not recommend the symphony offered by the ship as it's for tourists only (no locals). The music was very good, but we didn't like the specially arranged event just for tourists.

We also went independently from Budapest to Prague and enjoyed 3 days in an easily managed city. We stayed just outside of the Old City and had the benefit of an enthusiastic and helpful manager of a small hotel (Trip Advisor recommended). My father and my son stayed at the place before we did, so we were confident in the choice.

I agree with your sentiments and your husband's thoughts on the vouchers and am facing the same quandary.

We received our vouchers by email. Probably taking some time to personalize all of them. Calling Viking should clear it up.

 

As far as air, we went through Viking air and went to Bergen. We then caught our original flights home. No reimbursement for air.

Yesterday I spoke to Valerie, who told me that the vouchers will be sent to each passenger via email and may take a couple of weeks. As most of us know, Viking stands firm on the credit offer. The vouchers will be good for a year, but, theoretically, a cruise could be booked in 11 months for a future date to extend the time frame. I told her that Viking's position on the highly-touted and much anticipated liner was bad for PR and the Viking employees. Most of us were very satisfied (and more) with the ship and the crew, but the miscommunication and ensuing disappointments have left some with no taste for an Viking cruise in the future.

I've read similar posts about other aborted or diverted cruise from Viking, and the company's position is similar.

On a more disturbing note, the reviews of the insurance (Travel Guard) are not good at all for reimbursement for our situation.

Viking canceled the cruise and is refunding us for the price of the cruise (only) at this point: the price paid per passenger for the cabin. The amount refunded varies between 115% and 100%, cash and credits, depending on how the cruise ended for each passenger. At this point, we all appear to have 50% of our cabin fares available to us to apply to a future Viking sailing, to be used in one year (we don't have our vouchers, and I'm going on what all of you are reporting). This part of the remediation is not a refund at all and is earned revenue for Viking.

The moving chess piece, Viking, admitted to canceling the cruise and voluntarily issued refunds and credits for the cabins, so is it not fair to say that the entire airfare should be refunded since the cruise was canceled? Sure, we were all there, but Viking admitted to canceling the trip. We had no need for air travel since the cruise was negated.

To apply Viking's apparent philosophy, we should receive a 50% refund on the air travel as well.

Specifically, we are a group of four working adults. Pulling off this trip with our schedules and work demands took coordination and planning. Board meetings and other significant events were scheduled to accommodate the timing of the trip. "Viking Homelands" was the trip we all wanted: not a river cruise or something else. We would not have made the effort and spent the money to fly to Stockholm, spend a few hours in Helsinki, enjoy two days in St. Petersburg, and then end the trip with five days in Tallinn. All ports were worthwhile, but the point is that we paid for and anticipated something very different. One more day in Tallinn, and I was going to apply to be a tour guide.

Even with the credit, more money will return to Viking to pay for a trip (unless it's one of the shorter trips in the lower price range). Why should we take a trip we never intended to take because our trip was canceled? Why should Viking be entitled to that revenue?

I have sent email to "tellus" and have opened a claim with Travel Guard. I was refunded independent tour costs by each respective agency EXCEPT Norled like a couple of you (TJ Tours in St. Petersburg quickly refunded the tour I arranged to Berlin).

We flew home from Frankfurt - row 93. Granted, we arrived safely and without event, but we have never had the experience of being in row 93. Indeed, worse things could have happened, but we paid for a return from Bergen to London to LAX, on BA, and certainly not in row 93!

What would make me happy and more likely to return to Viking is a 100% refund of the cabin cost and the airfare. With the very unique nature of the ship and the sailing, Viking would do themselves well to grant such a cash refund to all of us AND to give us a 50% credit, valid for 2 years, to be used as we please.

Even the IRS pays interest. Sure, we all agreed to pay for the trip two years ahead of time, but the outcome and final memories will be the sum of the parts and the refund.

The cruise departs from Stockholm on July 25 and ends on August 8. Specifically, I am departing from and returning to LAX. I could leave on the 23. Viking has not released flight times, and no "custom" air is available due to limited flights out of Bergen. This means that arrangements are made by Viking or independently.

I'm on the July 25 Viking Homelands cruise. Does anyone know what travel arrangements are, even for earlier departure dates? I was going to pay for custom air but was told that there isn't any for this itinerary? I'm coming from the West Coast and would like to avoid 2 stopovers, even if I have to make my own arrangements.