Viking Cruises: Update on Central Europe Flood Impact

[Negma]

We are scheduleded to go on the Viking Tor June 23 on the grand European tour. Previous posts have led us to believe that we may be on a different ship. Any updates?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Amtico]

I just returned from a nightmare experience with Viking River Cruises, so all of you thinking that Viking is reputable, best to beware. I, too, thought they were reputable. I had cruised w/ them twice before. I was on the June 2nd Grand European, Amsterdam to Budapest. Please see my post, "Deceived by Viking River Cruises".

 

I left the ship on June 7th, after being lied to for over a week about conditions & itinerary changes which totally changed our cruise. Should you decide to continue on a similar cruise this summer, be aware that these cities have been devastated by unprecedented flooding. In many areas, the worst flooding in over 500 years. Expect long days in bus caravans, totally revamped itineraries, ship transfers, hotel stays, regularly scheduled docks to be either under water or not yet repaired (so don't be surprised by being docked in industrial zones w/ shuttles into the city). Do not expect the river cruise you paid for.

 

Viking has told us we will receive a credit for the "unused portion" of our trip. I am not interested in any kind of credit. I have requested a total refund. I will continue to post on how Viking responds to this. If they do not make this right, they have certainly lost many repeat and first-time cruisers.

 

 

Hi Gert - read your comments with great interest.

 

I was on the 2 June 'sailing' from Budapest to Passau which was a total disaster from start to finish. The 'cruise' should have been cancelled before we even departed - Viking knew of the rapidly deteriorating conditions on The Danube and knew the holiday would be impossible.

 

At the moment, we are still 'working up' to our reviews ... watch this space.

 

For general information though, please note, other potential customers of Viking ... WE DID NOT CRUISE AT ALL not even a millimetre!

 

Viking have offered us a partial credit note on a future cruise, which is wholly unacceptable.

Edited June 18, 2013 by Amtico

[davidrw]

Hi Viking. Once you have finished dealing with some of the more urgent messages on this forum, I would be grateful if you can give us an update on the state of the Altenwörth Lock and the Gabcikovo Lock.

 

Is Altenwörth Lock still on scedule for a 20th June reopening & is Gabcikovo Lock now open in both directions ?

 

Thanks

 

David

Edited June 18, 2013 by davidrw

[DavidF1940]

Viking,

Thanks for update on Elbe situation (post 69).

 

David

[brownant]

I write this from the upper deck of the MS Vienna as we are docking near Passau. So far the cruise has proceeded to plan. Regensberg has completely recovered and showed no signs of the high water. The Passau docks are not yet ready for ships, so we are about 10 km upstream of Passau. The Passau organ concert is on for noon. Stunning travels with new and very dear friends.

 

I did send this to tellus@vikingcruises.com a few days ago, but heard no response: 'Viking, one last note on communications. Now that we have arrived in Germany the English site and access to the updates redirects to the German site. No news. No information. The full site did work from Prague and Budapest.'

 

Having a fine time.

[ingo_e]

www.vrc.com/weatherupdate

 

Are you aware that this link (weather update) is NOT available in Europe. According to an earlier post, unless you are in US, you get diverted to the normal local web site, which has no such info. Please can you correct this?

 

David: Enter the URL at a webproxy, e.g. http://www.usawebproxy.com/ - Just have to click away the annoying banners then.. Using geolocation is so five years ago, please Viking, get over it - don#t try to outsmart your users :)

[Viking Cruises]

Dear brownant,

 

We are so happy to read your latest post! Thank you, most sincerely, for sharing an update with the Cruise Critic community – especially a first-hand account from Passau, which so many members have shared concern about over the past couple of weeks.

 

We did receive your email to TellUs@vikingcruises.com and while we must apologize for a reply slipping through the cracks, we did immediately set to work trying to fix the issue for you. (And we will reply to your email immediately following this post. Late, yes, but we wouldn’t want it to continue to go unsaid.)

 

Wishing you a wonderful trip,

Viking Cruises

 

 

I write this from the upper deck of the MS Vienna as we are docking near Passau. So far the cruise has proceeded to plan. Regensberg has completely recovered and showed no signs of the high water. The Passau docks are not yet ready for ships, so we are about 10 km upstream of Passau. The Passau organ concert is on for noon. Stunning travels with new and very dear friends.

 

I did send this to tellus@vikingcruises.com a few days ago, but heard no response: 'Viking, one last note on communications. Now that we have arrived in Germany the English site and access to the updates redirects to the German site. No news. No information. The full site did work from Prague and Budapest.'

 

Having a fine time.

[Herbaru]

Hi Viking. Once you have finished dealing with some of the more urgent messages on this forum, I would be grateful if you can give us an update on the state of the Altenwörth Lock and the Gabcikovo Lock.

 

Is Altenwörth Lock still on scedule for a 20th June reopening & is Gabcikovo Lock now open in both directions ?

 

Thanks

 

David

I'm not Viking but I am on the Danube, Viking Ledgend from Budapest - Passau. Cruised through Gabcikovo Lock yesterday, June 18. They say it is only open for up river traffic.

Regarding Altenwörth: Last night we were told it is not looking good for reopening. Gotta run will post again when I can.

[Viking Cruises]

Hi davidrw,

 

Thank you so much for your patience. We will check-in with our team in Switzerland and provide an update as soon as we can.

 

Thanks again,

Viking Cruises

 

 

Hi Viking. Once you have finished dealing with some of the more urgent messages on this forum, I would be grateful if you can give us an update on the state of the Altenwörth Lock and the Gabcikovo Lock.

 

Is Altenwörth Lock still on scedule for a 20th June reopening & is Gabcikovo Lock now open in both directions ?

 

Thanks

 

David

[G.M.T.]

I write this from the upper deck of the MS Vienna as we are docking near Passau. So far the cruise has proceeded to plan. Regensberg has completely recovered and showed no signs of the high water. The Passau docks are not yet ready for ships, so we are about 10 km upstream of Passau. The Passau organ concert is on for noon. Stunning travels with new and very dear friends.

 

I did send this to tellus@vikingcruises.com a few days ago, but heard no response: 'Viking, one last note on communications. Now that we have arrived in Germany the English site and access to the updates redirects to the German site. No news. No information. The full site did work from Prague and Budapest.'

 

Having a fine time.

 

Welcome to Passau, hope you enjoy the organ concert (cathedral was way above the high water mark and suffered absolutely no damage).

 

Are you docked in Vilshofen?

 

Ron

[Viking Cruises]

Dear Viking Guests,

 

As many of you now know, water levels on the Rhine, Main and upper Danube have receded and sailing schedules have returned to normal. However, due to the extended closure of the Altenwörth Lock between Vienna and Melk in Austria, there are some itinerary modifications now needed for select sailings.

 

Water levels on the Elbe River have also receded and we will begin sailing our Elegant Elbe cruisetours once again. Below you will find the most up-to-date information regarding impacted sailings in Europe following the recent floods.

 

Please note: Below is a complete list of affected sailings as of June 20, 2013. All guests and their travel agents scheduled for these sailings have been contacted by Viking.

 

 

Itinerary Modifications Due to The Altenwörth Lock Closure

 

On June 13, 2013 the Austrian authorities reported that the Altenwörth Lock, which is located on the Danube River between the cities of Vienna and Melk, was damaged during the recent flood and closed for repairs until June 20, 2013. However, that has now changed, with authorities stating on June 19th that the lock will be inoperable until June 28, 2013.

 

1. June 22nd Romantic Danube (Nuremberg to Budapest) aboard Viking Njord — This cruise will now begin on sister ship, Viking Idun (Longship, built 2012). When Viking Idun is near the Altenwörth Lock, we will transfer guests to Viking Njord, where she will be waiting a short distance down the river and on the other side of the lock.

 

2. June 22nd Romantic Danube (Budapest to Nuremberg) aboard Viking Idun — This cruise will now begin on sister ship, Viking Njord (Longship, built 2012). When Viking Njord is near the Altenwörth Lock, we will transfer guests to Viking Idun, where she will be waiting a short distance up the river and on the other side of the lock.

 

3. June 22nd Grand European Tour (Budapest to Amsterdam) aboard Viking Forseti — Due to the lock closure Viking Forseti will be unable to reach Budapest and guests will therefore have a 2-night hotel stay in the city. Viking representatives will meet all guests at the airport—regardless of whether or not air/transfers were purchased from Viking—and transport them to the hotel. We will also have a representative at the normal dock of embarkation near the Chain Bridge in Budapest, along with transportation to the hotel. After departing from Budapest, guests will visit Bratislava by motorcoach on their way to Krems, where the ship will be waiting. While this will require modifications to the itinerary, we have made arrangements so that we will still be able to provide highlights such as visits to Melk, Vienna and Budapest, plus sailing through the scenic Wachau Valley.

 

4. June 22nd Grand European Tour (Amsterdam to Budapest) aboard Viking Embla — This cruise will now begin on sister ship Viking Skadi (Longship, built 2013). From there, the itinerary and sailing will proceed as scheduled until Viking Skadi reaches Frankfurt, Germany. Here, guests will disembark and we will transfer them to Nuremberg for a 2-night hotel stay, providing close proximity to daytime excursions in both Nuremberg and Bamberg. After this we will again transfer to a resort hotel in Bavaria, where we will have another 2-night hotel stay, nearby our daytime visits to Passau and Regensburg. After this 4-night land tour in Germany, guests will be transferred to Vienna where Viking Embla will be awaiting their arrival.

 

Our objective with these arrangements is to balance sightseeing with the need to be able to rest and relax, so we’ve planned in order to keep motorcoach rides to a minimum length. The Program Director who will greet guests on Viking Skadi in Amsterdam will remain with them throughout the entire journey in order to make sure that it runs smoothly.

 

Because we are aware of these fairly significant itinerary changes before most of our guests left home, guests of this sailing have been contacted by Viking Cruises with the option to cancel for a full refund, or continue with their modified journey and receive compensation after the cruise.

 

5. June 23rd Romantic Danube (Budapest to Nuremberg) aboard MS Vienna — This cruise will now begin on Viking Legend, which will meet guests at the original docking location in Budapest. Guests will sail from Budapest to Vienna and from there we will transfer them to MS Vienna beyond the closed lock, in the city of Krems—a drive which is approximately 1 hour. Vienna’s optional evening concert will instead be offered in the afternoon, complimentary to all guests. While visiting the city of Passau, we will be unable to dock in the center of town and instead a 30-minute motorcoach transfer will be required.

 

6. June 23rd Danube Waltz (Passau to Budapest) aboard Viking Legend — This cruise will now begin on Viking Var, one of our new Longships. The ship will be docked a short distance away in Vilshofen, only a 30-minute drive from Passau’s city center. Viking representatives will therefore meet all guests at the airport—regardless of whether or not air/transfers were purchased from Viking—and transport them to the ship. We will also have a representative at the normal dock of embarkation in Passau, along with transportation to the ship. Guests will disembark from Viking Var in the town of Melk and from there we will bring you to Vienna and Viking Legend, by way of Melk Abbey. While there will be modifications to your itinerary, we have made arrangements so that we will still be able to provide you with highlights like the visits to Salzburg, Melk and the Wachau Valley, Vienna and Budapest, plus sailing through the dramatic Danube Bend.

 

7. June 23rd Grand European Tour (Budapest to Amsterdam) aboard Viking Var — Due to the lock closure Viking Var will be unable to reach Budapest and guests will therefore have a 2-night hotel stay in the city. Viking representatives will meet all guests at the airport—regardless of whether or not air/transfers were purchased from Viking—and transport them to the hotel. We will also have a representative at the normal dock of embarkation near the Chain Bridge in Budapest, along with transportation to the hotel. After departing from Budapest, guests will visit Bratislava by motorcoach on their way to Krems, where the ship will be waiting. While this will require modifications to the itinerary, we have made arrangements so that we will still be able to provide highlights such as visits to Melk, Vienna and Budapest, plus sailing through the scenic Wachau Valley. Vienna’s optional evening concert will instead be offered in the afternoon, complimentary to all guests.

 

 

Elbe Itinerary Modifications

 

Water levels along the Elbe River have receded and our nautical team has confirmed that Viking’s docks have been cleaned and are back in working order and ready for our ships.

 

1. June 22nd Elegant Elbe (Berlin to Prague) aboard Viking Schumann — This cruise will now begin on sister ship, Viking Fontane. Near the town of Meisen we will transfer guests to Viking Schumann, where she will be waiting a short distance up the river.

 

2. June 22nd Elegant Elbe (Prague to Berlin) aboard Viking Fontane — This cruise will now begin on sister ship, Viking Schumann. Near the town of Meisen we will transfer guests to Viking Fontane, where she will be waiting a short distance down the river.

 

 

Contacting Viking Cruises

• For questions about the Modified Itineraries listed above, guests can call our Customer Service team at 1.800.706.1483
  *
  
• Please understand that we are experiencing high call volumes and your wait time to speak to a Viking consultant may be longer than usual.
  

 

Up-to-Date Information

Other guests scheduled to sail in Europe during the summer should assume that their cruise is still scheduled for departure and anticipated to operate the planned itinerary. If there is a need to alter or cancel any sailings, guests will be notified by Viking via email as soon as we are aware of any necessary changes.

 

We will continue to update our website with information as it is available. Please visit http://www.vrc.com/weatherupdate

 

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises

[cclarks]

Thanks for the comprehensive update Viking. We are about to leave Australia and will be joining the cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest on 29 June so it is reassuring to hear that the worst case scenario at present looks like a ship change part of the way through the trip if the lock is still not repaired!!!:)

[brownant]

The trip is going poorly now. Only 15-minutes free time in Passau due to poor communications from staff on changing plans. Passau looks great and will be back in business very soon. The election year in Germany greatly helped the clean up effort.

 

Many problems with the boat, MS Vienna, with ventilation dangerously cutting out again, hot water shutting off, and lights cutting in and out in the cabin. Glad we are changing ship to the Legend due to the broken lock just down river from Krems. Not happy. Very stressed.

[heathcharnock]

Viking

Hi heathercharnock,

 

Sorry about that... Yes, we expect Viking Skadi to be the ship you embark in Amsterdam. We hope you love Viking Skadi along with her warm and welcoming crew!

 

Wishing you a wonderful trip,

Viking Cruises

This was in relation to the Grand European Tour departing Amsterdam on 30th June. However your latest update also says

June 22nd Grand European Tour (Amsterdam to Budapest) aboard Viking Embla — This cruise will now begin on sister ship Viking Skadi (Longship, built 2013).

 

Is your original response still valid.

 

I realise that this is a changing and difficult situation for everyone but we have had no specific information from Viking or our TA in relation to our cruise in a week's time. Obviously the outcome of our cruise will depend on the repairs of the lock being completed on time which is an unknown for everyone.

 

We accept that changing vessels may be neccessary but we do not want to be involved in extra nights in hotels and being bussed from place to place. We would rather cancel before we fly to Amsterdam (where we are already spending two nights)

[Viking Cruises]

Dear brownant,

 

A few minutes ago we replied to our previous/ongoing email chain – we hope you are able to check your email and respond to TellUs@vikingcruises.com if you have the time and inclination. We’re truly sorry for the issues on the MS Vienna as you have described them and would never want you or your fellow travelers to be unhappy or stressed. We’re told that the A/C unit and hot water were both repaired earlier today and hope you are now more comfortable. We will put in a request that Customer Relations contact you directly after you have returned home, but please know that we sincerely value all of your feedback and hope you will also contact us at TellUs@vikingcruises.com with additional details.

 

With best wishes for happy travels aboard Viking Legend and sincere apologies for any disappointment thus far,

Viking Cruises

 

 

The trip is going poorly now. Only 15-minutes free time in Passau due to poor communications from staff on changing plans. Passau looks great and will be back in business very soon. The election year in Germany greatly helped the clean up effort.

 

Many problems with the boat, MS Vienna, with ventilation dangerously cutting out again, hot water shutting off, and lights cutting in and out in the cabin. Glad we are changing ship to the Legend due to the broken lock just down river from Krems. Not happy. Very stressed.

[Beachnut53]

Hello Viking - I am on the Viking Prestiage - City of Lights voyage and was wondering if you could provide an update on any potential modifications. We are certainly hoping that the local environment is improving and we shall be able to enjoy our entire voyage on the river. Any updates you could provide prior to our departure would be most appreciated. We embark at Pargue. Many thanks.

[Viking Cruises]

Hi beachnut53,

 

We’re happy to report that Viking Prestige is back in schedule and conditions along the rivers you will be traveling have also returned to normal. We don’t anticipate your cruisetour requiring any modifications.

 

We wish you a wonderful journey!

 

Very best,

Viking Cruises

 

 

Hello Viking - I am on the Viking Prestiage - City of Lights voyage and was wondering if you could provide an update on any potential modifications. We are certainly hoping that the local environment is improving and we shall be able to enjoy our entire voyage on the river. Any updates you could provide prior to our departure would be most appreciated. We embark at Pargue. Many thanks.

[Beachnut53]

Thank you for your quick response. I VERY much appreciated the daily updates on your website and responses to inquiries here. VIKING is definitely our choice for river cruising!!

[jmomma]

It's the end of our wonderful cruise and I'd like to thank Viking for not only the lovely cruise but for taking such good care of us. We were offered many complimantary tours/cocktails etc. I felt very special. Anthony and Bilianna (both program Directors) worked extremely hard and made us all feel like family.

 

Did the cruise run smoothly? No! But not at the fault of Viking. I was just happy to experence the Danube and river cruising - and we had a great time. Viking may have made mistakes in the past but I feel they're trying to make up for their errors.

 

I highly recommend Viking!

[heathcharnock]

Viking

 

This was in relation to the Grand European Tour departing Amsterdam on 30th June. However your latest update also says

 

 

Is your original response still valid.

 

I realise that this is a changing and difficult situation for everyone but we have had no specific information from Viking or our TA in relation to our cruise in a week's time. Obviously the outcome of our cruise will depend on the repairs of the lock being completed on time which is an unknown for everyone.

 

We accept that changing vessels may be neccessary but we do not want to be involved in extra nights in hotels and being bussed from place to place. We would rather cancel before we fly to Amsterdam (where we are already spending two nights)

 

Viking

 

Is there a chance of a response to this please

The initial response from your UK office on 21st June was to deny that the Altenworth lock was closed and to insist that everything would proceed as planned. A second phone call with a different service agent did result in correct information re the lock but no explanation re Skadi

Edited June 23, 2013 by heathcharnock

[alfie815]

I am appalled by VRC's lack of candor in disclosing the true nature of its cruise modifications over the past several weeks. I am scheduled on the above captioned cruise. Please give me full, truthful answers to the following questions. Assume that the Altenworth locks will be impassable. Given that assumption, I am aware that a ship change will be necessary.

 

 

1. What is the Viking contingency plan for a ship swap? That is, on what ships can I expect to travel?

 

 

 

2. Will Viking substitute stays in hotels for nights shipboard? If so, where and for what duration?

 

 

3. Will we visit each city on the original itinerary?

 

 

4. Will any city visits be shortened in duration?

 

 

 

5. Have the mechanical problems aboard MS Vienna been repaired and are all systems functioning properly?

 

 

6. Will portions of this trip be conducted aboard buses? If so, where, and what is the expected duration of such bus excursions?

 

 

* also posted to http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1856202#

 

 

--

Alfred Denowitz

[remydiva]

It's the end of our wonderful cruise and I'd like to thank Viking for not only the lovely cruise but for taking such good care of us. We were offered many complimantary tours/cocktails etc. I felt very special. Anthony and Bilianna (both program Directors) worked extremely hard and made us all feel like family.

 

Did the cruise run smoothly? No! But not at the fault of Viking. I was just happy to experence the Danube and river cruising - and we had a great time. Viking may have made mistakes in the past but I feel they're trying to make up for their errors.

 

I highly recommend Viking!

 

Refreshing to see a positive post about a June river cruise and in particular a Viking River cruise.

 

I think we here on CC would be all be interested in a longer post from you totell us more about 'did the cruise run smoothly? No'

 

Can you tell us what modifications occurred and how Viking handled it ...obviously they handled things to your satisfaction. However to someone mobility challenged or frail, the changes might not have worked for them.

 

Hope you can provide more details as it might serve to alleviate some concerns of those travelling in the next couple of weeks.

[Viking Cruises]

Dear heathcharnock,

 

We’ve confirmed with our Swiss nautical and operational teams that sailing schedules as they are currently laid out do still have Viking Skadi in Amsterdam for your cruise on June 30. We hope you enjoy your time aboard one of our new Longships.

 

Very best to you,

Viking Cruises

 

Viking

 

Is there a chance of a response to this please

The initial response from your UK office on 21st June was to deny that the Altenworth lock was closed and to insist that everything would proceed as planned. A second phone call with a different service agent did result in correct information re the lock but no explanation re Skadi

[alfie815]

Those traveling with me, or others on similar routes, may find the following helpful.

 

I have corresponded by email and telephone with a VRC representative in LA and based on the assumption that the Altenworth locks are NOT functional, passengers can expect the following:

 

1. A ship swap between the MS Vienna and the Viking Legend during the visit to Melk. If this occurs, the Melk visit will be abbreviated, though passengers can expect to visit the Abbey.

2. It will not be necessary to substitute stays in hotels for nights shipboard.

3. We will visit each city on the original itinerary.

4. Mechanical problems aboard MS Vienna have been repaired and all systems are currently functioning properly.

5. Bus tours will not be substituted for normal city visits, though we will travel to Melk by bus (my recollection of the discussion - 20-30 minutes out and 30-45 minutes to meet the Viking Legend).

[davidrw]

Those traveling with me, or others on similar routes, may find the following helpful.

 

I have corresponded by email and telephone with a VRC representative in LA and based on the assumption that the Altenworth locks are NOT functional, passengers can expect the following:

 

1. A ship swap between the MS Vienna and the Viking Legend during the visit to Melk. If this occurs, the Melk visit will be abbreviated, though passengers can expect to visit the Abbey.

2. It will not be necessary to substitute stays in hotels for nights shipboard.

3. We will visit each city on the original itinerary.

4. Mechanical problems aboard MS Vienna have been repaired and all systems are currently functioning properly.

5. Bus tours will not be substituted for normal city visits, though we will travel to Melk by bus (my recollection of the discussion - 20-30 minutes out and 30-45 minutes to meet the Viking Legend).

 

With just one blockage, the companies are dealing with it well now & hopefuly we will get good news on Saturday with the lock reopening.

Edited June 24, 2013 by davidrw