Pushka

So, weird question. I don't like seafood. At all. We used to love the buffet serving sushi around 5pm. I'd have the curry, husband the sushi. So, is it possible to have sushi on five provide the food in a takeaway pack? Otherwise we will be eating separately 😂

Yes and much earlier than ocean cruises.

In Australia so before final payment. Simply clicking on Change Cabin brings up a whole different range of inclusions. So I rang and that was what I was told. They consider it a change of booking.

We were told even if we changed cabin location - exactly the same level, even just a door away, then the original booking conditions disappear and new ones apply relevant to the changed cabin.

We didn't even make it to the final port though (Basel) and Breisach was an arrival at 2am and we were dispatched at 7.30 am in the dark. Several had to disembark at 2.30am for the longer drive to Basel airport. Is it reasonable to say that on the 10 December that the floods upstream were going to continue, or worsen, especially as early as December 1 ships were already prevented from berthing in Breisach? Was this the kind of information that was readily available at the time? I fully understand that berths were simply unusable. At the point of our departure in Koblenz, after which it became a cobble bus trip, then I'd have been happy to have been given the option to leave. I understand many did, likely at their own cost.

You cannot be serious. Thats simply offensive. Another adoptive parent for a mixed race child.

Their communications have been poor this month. And there were little things they could have done to make it better. Like Shuttle buses. The Strasbourg markets. The last shuttle was 4.30pm even though we were not moving for the next three nights. So another night market missed (Speyer, Rudesheim also). We were on a Viking branded bus on a day trip to Colmar and Riquehar. We had to ride from Strasbourg as Breisach was flooded. So much longer drive. Even the guide wasn't happy as she lived in Breisach. The crows were significant but as there was no water on the Viking bus we had to queue for ages to use the bathroom there. That took us 25 minutes in Riquehar when we only had just over an hour at these markets. Because we had to be back onboard at 4pm.

I have. Two weeks ago. Have had no response.

Rafting yes. Not day and night. Depressing.

Then with respect as many cruises were significantly impacted,( no cruising for four nights but stuck in an industrial port next to another boat so no escaping on the balcony, and multiple ports lost) then I don't think a comment made about 'grumbling' is in any way fair. I have researched issues in spring and summer (flood and low water) but not once did I read anything about flooding at this time of the year. I travelled from Australia at significant cost for something that we would never want to do again.

I'd have been happy with just missing one port. Didn't seem to bad at all compared with most impacted ones.

There were some things that were under Vikings control that were not handled well at all.

We just completed Amsterdam to Basel but can't recommend it. We were caught by the floods. Upstream and downstream. We ended up swapping ships then not moving again for 3 nights plus permanently berthed to another ship so our balcony was unusable for over half the trip. Missed multiple ports and markets. One of those we did see were cut short and rushed. Long bus trips. I'd not have risked travelling from Australia and outlaying such money if I'd know this was a potential risk.

How long did it take for a response? We missed five river ports and four Christmas markets.

Almost the same. We were on the cruise before a special charter. So much work was done on our cruise in preparation and supplies were short.

Not ocean but river cruise. Christmas on the Rhine. We missed five ports, had to ship swap (not uncommon) but that ship then did not move for three nights. Have heard nothing from Viking. It's been a week. It was a known event before our cruise started.

There's no comparison. We were always able to find a quiet spot on the Ocean ship but less on the the river ship.

In your documents two weeks prior you will be given three sites for Amsterdam. This month we were at the middle site which is next to the Movenpick. The ships number will be on the documents and they will tell you which one they are at.

Ours last week were changed every port and we had to skip several due to flood.

@notamermaid - do you have the actual date that the upper Rhine was closed by authorities and for how long (at that time). Gathering information. 😁

Strasbourg today was indeed beautiful. Stunning.

That question about why we couldn't simply sail to Rudesheim on Kara is one we have asked to. I expect its to do with their operations being placed as a priority over our preference to see it. It was so taunting as the cruise director pointed to it. I agree about our location here in Strasbourg too. I think we are in their Winter hibernation area, but crewed. It's not a nice area.

So we took a long bus trip from the Port opposite Rudesheim, which we won't be going to now, and have ended up in a Viking Longboat car park of multiple Viking ships just sitting in Strasbourg. We are in the middle berth so our outlooks all ways are other longboats. No view. It seems we will be here for the rest of our trip. We are being bussed back to Speyer but after the four hour of bus trips yesterday, another four hours return trip today is not going to happen. Our 7 days of cruising will just be three. The water levels are very evident. And it won't stop raining.

We are in Koblenz now. We are being bussed to a small river port, getting on a small vessel supposedly to see the Rhine valley, getting off after two hours then another four hour bus trip in the dark to Strasbourg where we will be berthed for four nights and long bus trips every day to get to see anything. Then another bus trip to Lucerne. Coming from Australia to see our first European Christmas celebrations it’s not exactly what we were expecting. We will miss Rudesheim completely. And likely Speyer and Mannheim. 🤷‍♀️

So from Cologne we are being bussed straight to Strasbourg and will become a four day land tour. We don’t know what happens after tomorrow.