Viking - Be warned of Poor Customer Service

[Bus Rider Hater]

I have included my original post below. I also received the letter from Viking basically saying its not their fault. I continue to believe that Viking let us fly to Switzerland, the point of origin for the cruise, knowing that the Rhine was at flood stage and gambled that the flood would subside or lacking that they would give us the bus cruise we received. I think we are entitled to a total refund for the cruise. I accept that Viking is not responsible for the rain but they are responsible for what I think was terribly bad judgement.

 

 

Bus Ride Hater

 

 

original post

 

Our Viking cruise was to have initiated in Basel, Switzerland Saturday June 1. We flew in early to be able to see Lucerne, Switzerland. The locals in Lucerne said the Rhine was higher than they had seen in twenty years and it was still raining. This probably should have been a tip off for us that maybe there was a problem. My view is Viking should have given us the choice of canceling the river cruise at this point. Yes it probably would have been a mess to arrange flights back home but we should have been given a choice. Instead we were bused to our ship on Saturday which was now docked in Briesach, Germany. The Rhine River was so flooded that the boat couldn't make it up the river to Basel. Apparently there was an issue of navigation safety due to river flooding and low bridge clearance. Briesach was to have been the first stop on the cruise. The ship remained docked there from Saturday(6/1) through Wednesday(6/5). Each night, the ship's officers indicated that we were not able to sail due to river conditions. During these four days we were bused to the various stops that were supposed to have happened had the boat sailed. One of the excursions was an extremely long and uncomfortable bus trip. I mean from Briesach to Heidelberg and then back to the boat was a long miserable day.

During the four days we were in Briesach, the ship was parallel parked next to another ship so the view from our veranda (at additional cost) is into the stateroom of the adjacent ship. The ship was moved at the end and the view was actually quite nice in spite of the river being at flood stage.

On Wednesday, we were bused to Cologne to another ship. This boat is docked in an heavily industrial area with a very steep rope lined gangplank. Difficult to maneuver for us old guys but no one fell in. The normal docking downtown was of course precluded by the flood stage of the river. Finally on Friday(6/7) we were bused to Amsterdam for an over night hotel stay and flights in the morning.. The whole trip consisted of an evacuation from one end to the other. It's not a river cruise when the boat never leaves the dock. The trip was totally disrupted by the flood conditions that precluded the ship from ever leaving port. We were basically evacuated from the beginning to the end.

We felt that we didn't get anything resembling what we paid for. We requested a full refund for the cruise including airfare from Viking. We received a response from Viking acknowledging there were disruptions to the trip. However what they offered was 75% of the cruise cost applicable to a future Viking River Cruise. In my view, this is totally inadequate.

[AnotherShawnee]

I am on the AMA cruise from Basel to Amsterdam after spending 4 days in Switzerland. My trip starts July 7th, I am praying that the weather will be improved for the trip. So far I haven't heard anything from the cruise company regarding problems. I hope that both of us will find the waters to be all right by then. Fingers crossed.

[remydiva]

I have included my original post below. I also received the letter from Viking basically saying its not their fault.

 

We received a response from Viking acknowledging there were disruptions to the trip. However what they offered was 75% of the cruise cost applicable to a future Viking River Cruise. In my view, this is totally inadequate.

 

Ok, so Bus Rider Hater....you have reposted the same post and you are restated that you are not happy with what the Viking repsonse was.

 

BUT did you read the most recent post from Viking at post # 22 which says:

Dear engoil, Badgerhunter3, & Bus Rider Hater,

 

Even if you have already done so previously we ask that you contact us directly at TellUs@vikingcruises.com. We are re-doubling our efforts to address concerns with guests who, maybe like yourselves, feel that they have not been adequately heard. Our Customer Relations team is starting to return to normal levels of incoming calls and emails after a few weeks of very high volume, and they would be happy to continue the conversation with any of our guests.

 

We sincerely hope to hear from you soon.

 

Kindest regards,

Viking Cruises

 

Viiking is reaching out to you and asking YOU to contact THEM based on your dissatisfaction that you have voiced here on CC. It would be in YOUR best interest to contact them AGAIN and see what their 're-doubling our efforts' means. They might well have reconsidered their initial offer of compensation...it certainly sounds like it.

 

But YOU have to contact them. Let us know what the outcome is. That is the only way we here on CC will know if Viking is providing customer service or lip service.

 

Good luck.

Edited June 24, 2013 by remydiva

[CruisinGert]

There have been so many threads & posts on Viking & flooding, & I've been all-too caught up in it ... my own angst, of course ... my apologies to all for my re-postings et al.

 

So thought I'd post my final outcome on this thread, as it seems the most recent, & it's in context w/ the thread title.

 

Viking Customer Service called me after I had sent them emails. We had a long & thoughtful discussion. She said she would call me back & she did. We have now come to an agreement which I consider fair. As we also agreed, I cannot discuss amounts.

 

I would have preferred a refund, but I am satisfied with credits. I forget who it was, but someone in all the postings I've been reading pointed out that Viking likely wants to give only credits because it gives them a chance to win back confidence. That was a very good point & helped me in my decision. Thank you to everyone.

Edited June 24, 2013 by CruisinGert

[remydiva]

 

I would have preferred a refund, but I am satisfied with credits. I forget who it was, but someone in all the postings I've been reading pointed out that Viking likely wants to give only credits because it gives them a chance to win back confidence. That was a very good point & helped me in my decision. Thank you to everyone.

 

Well said Gert. Sometimes we are so blinded by emotion that when someone offers a another point of view ie. 'a second chance to win back confidence', it is like getting cold water splashed on your face as it makes you 'snap outta it!' (to quote Cher in the movie 'Moonstruck').

 

We understand Viking's reluctance to have you share here on CC what your compensation was but the fact that you have gone from a customer who suffered an 'unforgettable AWFUL cruise' to a somewhat happy customer is a credit to you perseverance and to Viking for listening to you. Well done.

 

so...my question to you....where are you cruising to next!

[Cary Cruiser]

There have been so many threads & posts on Viking & flooding, & I've been all-too caught up in it ... my own angst, of course ... my apologies to all for my re-postings et al.

 

So thought I'd post my final outcome on this thread, as it seems the most recent, & it's in context w/ the thread title.

 

Viking Customer Service called me after I had sent them emails. We had a long & thoughtful discussion. She said she would call me back & she did. We have now come to an agreement which I consider fair. As we also agreed, I cannot discuss amounts.

 

I would have preferred a refund, but I am satisfied with credits. I forget who it was, but someone in all the postings I've been reading pointed out that Viking likely wants to give only credits because it gives them a chance to win back confidence. That was a very good point & helped me in my decision. Thank you to everyone.

 

Originally Posted by Cary Cruiser

I think if Viking offers a complete 100% replacement cruise that would be the best thing for all involved. If they were my client (based on my 30+ years of marketing experience) that is would I would recommend to them.

 

If you give them a full refund, the company may not get a second chance to make them into a "satisfied Viking customer". If you give a replacement cruise (2 year limit to redeem), I think 99% of them will redeem it and the company gets a second shot to make them happy.

 

CruisinGert - I don't know what they ultimately offered you, but I am very glad that it has been resolved to your satisfaction.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Cary Cruiser

[CruisinGert]

It was you, Cary! You have been a true voice of wisdom through all this & I thank you.

 

And Remydiva, you're so right, I needed that cold slap of ice water ... & more than once, I'm afraid.

 

So ... I'm thinking either Burma or the Ukraine ... looks pretty darn good!!

[remydiva]

 

So thought I'd post my final outcome on this thread, as it seems the most recent, & it's in context w/ the thread title.

 

Viking Customer Service called me after I had sent them emails. We had a long & thoughtful discussion. She said she would call me back & she did. We have now come to an agreement which I consider fair. As we also agreed, I cannot discuss amounts.

 

I would have preferred a refund, but I am satisfied with credits. I forget who it was, but someone in all the postings I've been reading pointed out that Viking likely wants to give only credits because it gives them a chance to win back confidence. That was a very good point & helped me in my decision. Thank you to everyone.

 

Are engoil, Badgerhunter3, & Bus Rider Hater reading this update from Gert?

Ball is in your court.....

[Coastalrap]

So it sounds like Viking is not going to give an across the board compensation to all cruisers. If they were, they would publish the compensation and not pledge customers to secrecy on individual behind the scenes deals. Not only does this instill distrust but it is also a lot more work for their customer service people.

They are sounding more like a used car lot than a luxury cruise provider.

[Lisa1a]

I emailed the tell us email address and received a phone call, the representative informed me that I would need to wait for a corporate decision which may take a week regarding my request. So I will wait a week and post the result.

[Cary Cruiser]

So it sounds like Viking is not going to give an across the board compensation to all cruisers. If they were, they would publish the compensation and not pledge customers to secrecy on individual behind the scenes deals. Not only does this instill distrust but it is also a lot more work for their customer service people.

They are sounding more like a used car lot than a luxury cruise provider.

 

I imagine what's happening is this: Most people were satisfied with the 75% voucher. Some were not, as is evidenced by some of the posts on this forum. So...they are dealing with it on a case by case basis, and are trying to make those who are unhappy, happy. There may be varying degrees of dissatisfaction and therefor varying degrees of compensation. The ultimate outcome of any negotiation should be kept between the guest and the cruise line. But that's just my opinion.

[Mark_T]

I imagine what's happening is this: Most people were satisfied with the 75% voucher. Some were not, as is evidenced by some of the posts on this forum. So...they are dealing with it on a case by case basis, and are trying to make those who are unhappy, happy. There may be varying degrees of dissatisfaction and therefor varying degrees of compensation. The ultimate outcome of any negotiation should be kept between the guest and the cruise line. But that's just my opinion.

 

Exactly right, and precisely what I would do in their shoes.

 

I would have been perfectly happy with the initial 75% offer so why waste resources throwing more 'compensation' at me than I needed?

 

Others may well have greater reason to be aggrieved, may have other costs/damages that I did not so it is right and proper to deal with the exceptions individually.

 

It is also right to keep the final agreements confidential as without knowing all the reasons and details for each case you can't just take one settlement and apply it to everyone else.

 

I hope that all of you still unsatisfied manage to reach a suitable agreement.

[CruisinGert]

I imagine what's happening is this: Most people were satisfied with the 75% voucher. Some were not, as is evidenced by some of the posts on this forum. So...they are dealing with it on a case by case basis, and are trying to make those who are unhappy, happy. There may be varying degrees of dissatisfaction and therefor varying degrees of compensation.

 

You are certainly right, Cary. Many people were VERY unhappy at a meeting on our ship, & I was one of them ... and many people were not. They were not unhappy, & were satisfied to continue with busing & hotels. Now I'm happy, too, and satisfied. And it doesn't matter to me if someone else receives more compensation. I'm no longer angry. I feel like I've been treated fairly.

 

The hard part, for me, was letting go of that dream of sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest. The money hurts, obviously, but receiving more compensation wouldn't make me feel better. We arrived at a fair compromise.

 

And now I have a new dream -- I just got off the phone & booked a trip to Burma in November 2014! And this time I'm definitely buying the "cancel for any reason" insurance ;)

[Cary Cruiser]

Gert - B U R M A - is that a river cruise? Sounds very exciting. Is there a Burma thread on this forum? Maybe you can start one.

[CruisinGert]

Gert - B U R M A - is that a river cruise? Sounds very exciting. Is there a Burma thread on this forum? Maybe you can start one.

 

http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/rivercruises/bangkok-mandalay-yangon-2014/itinerary.aspx

 

"Memories of Mandalay" ... sounds pretty exotic, doesn't it, Cary?! I'll have to look for a Burma thread. I got the last cabin in November -- it was meant to be, I suppose!

[remydiva]

http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/rivercruises/bangkok-mandalay-yangon-2014/itinerary.aspx

 

"Memories of Mandalay" ... sounds pretty exotic, doesn't it, Cary?! I'll have to look for a Burma thread. I got the last cabin in November -- it was meant to be, I suppose!

 

Coincidence? I think not...I believe there are no such things in life as 'coincidence'...things happen for a reason,or in your words 'meant to be'. :rolleyes:

 

Your perseverance at getting heard and receiving in your opinion, a fair compensation meant,I'm guessing, that Burma was now moved up a notch in your bucket list.

 

Maybe the other unsatisfied river cruise customers (on all the lines not just Viking) will also eventually receive satisfaction and be also looking forward to their next great adventure.:)

[Cary Cruiser]

WOW Gert - it looks amazing. I hope you have a really great time. Now that will be an exotic trip. Only 30 staterooms on the whole ship.

Edited June 24, 2013 by Cary Cruiser

[sippican]

So it sounds like Viking is not going to give an across the board compensation to all cruisers. If they were, they would publish the compensation and not pledge customers to secrecy on individual behind the scenes deals. Not only does this instill distrust but it is also a lot more work for their customer service people.

 

They are sounding more like a used car lot than a luxury cruise provider.

 

Yes! I agree completely.

 

I imagine what's happening is this: Most people were satisfied with the 75% voucher. Some were not, as is evidenced by some of the posts on this forum. So...they are dealing with it on a case by case basis, and are trying to make those who are unhappy, happy. There may be varying degrees of dissatisfaction and therefor varying degrees of compensation. The ultimate outcome of any negotiation should be kept between the guest and the cruise line. But that's just my opinion.

 

Why do you think the mega-cruiselines openly published their customer settlements after the recent mishaps (Carnival and Royal Caribbean)? They were completely transparent in their customer settlements, which were equitable for all passengers. Seems completely unfair and arbitrary to be secretive and selective. This implies that some cruisers' unhappiness is more valuable than those who may not be savy enough to speak up. Shame on Viking for discriminating in such a manner. I believe giving credits rather than refunds has little to do with creating customer satisfaction. It is the most cost effective way to settle, keep the ships full and shut people up.

Edited June 25, 2013 by sippican

[Murray55]

Just remember, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". The 'grease' usually comes in the form of an better settlement offer, together with a legal release preventing the 'wheel' from 'squeaking' about the details.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Murray55

[remydiva]

As an experienced 'squeaky wheel' altho not in this situation, I can see both sides of the dilemma. I think it is wise for Viking to deal with each situation on a case by case basis.

 

Sadly that does mean that those less techno educated ie. non CC viewers will not have access to the same info that we all do here thru the boards.

 

But as one poster said, they would have been happy with the 75% voucher (whatever that really translates to 75% of what?) so if all unsatisfied customers got AT LEAST that, then it is better than nothing.

 

Those that felt their situation was exceptional have the opportunity to reconnect with the cruise lines (lets not let the other companies off lightly here...they all dropped the ball in some cases) and see if they can have their case re examined. Clearly as in CruisinGert's case, she is 'satisfied' when her case was re evaluated.

 

As one wise person told me, 'fair is not necessarily equal'. And that is the best any of us can strive for whether customer or company.

[franski]

You are certainly right, Cary. Many people were VERY unhappy at a meeting on our ship, & I was one of them ... and many people were not. They were not unhappy, & were satisfied to continue with busing & hotels. Now I'm happy, too, and satisfied. And it doesn't matter to me if someone else receives more compensation. I'm no longer angry. I feel like I've been treated fairly.

 

The hard part, for me, was letting go of that dream of sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest. The money hurts, obviously, but receiving more compensation wouldn't make me feel better. We arrived at a fair compromise.

 

And now I have a new dream -- I just got off the phone & booked a trip to Burma in November 2014! And this time I'm definitely buying the "cancel for any reason" insurance ;)

 

 

Have been following these threads with great interest.... Am very glad that you have been able to work things out to your satisfaction.

 

Hope your trip to Burma is everything you dream about. Enjoy!!

 

Fran

[ggo85]

River cruising is ALWAYS subject to water levels. Several years ago, we faced low levels which almost caused us to take the bus.

 

No cruise line can control the river water. If it's too high or too low, river boats cannot pass.

 

I agree that river cruise lines need to deal with this known issue. Realistically, the only choice they have is land transport (i.e., buses). No question that those who booked cruises affirmatively chose NOT to change hotels every night, pack/unpack every night, etc. But what is a river cruise line to do when the river is impassable?

 

Some compensation is appropriate. However, given that the water level situation is beyond the line's control, how much do you really expect? If they refunded 75% of every passenger's fare when there is low/high water, they wouldn't be in business for long. Sorry to be brutal, but it's a fact.

 

Bottom line: If you book a river cruise in Europe in the summer, you ALWAYS run the risk that your cruise won't go as expected due to high or low water levels. For the overwhelming majority of passengers, everything is fine. For a small minority, it's not.

 

The above said, we had a lot of issues with our Viking cruise earlier this year, so I'm NOT an apologist. There is room for improvement. Just consider what the line can and cannot control, your REALISTIC expectations, and what happened.

[Lisa1a]

YES I AGREE - they cannot control the water levels. But they do have an obligation to try and inform us that they will not be able to provide the services that are offered. If they had cancelled our cruise with a full refund we would have happily used the $1,000 a day to go to another part of Europe that we could have enjoyed and booked a river cruise again. But without a choice and being held hostage with false promises and not being allowed to enjoy what we expected is wrong. I do not think our expectations are wrong. We spent thousand of dollars and for the cruise not including our airfare and the hotel rooms before and after the bus rides. Our trip did not have one day of cruising. We did not get to experience most of the cities we were promised. We were given only minutes to explore places that where promoted as having a half a day or more to explore. Even with a bus tour you do not travel the same route day after day only longer trip as we did. So if you are happy with our 75% credit good for you. I am not.

 

River cruising is ALWAYS subject to water levels. Several years ago, we faced low levels which almost caused us to take the bus.

 

No cruise line can control the river water. If it's too high or too low, river boats cannot pass.

 

I agree that river cruise lines need to deal with this known issue. Realistically, the only choice they have is land transport (i.e., buses). No question that those who booked cruises affirmatively chose NOT to change hotels every night, pack/unpack every night, etc. But what is a river cruise line to do when the river is impassable?

 

Some compensation is appropriate. However, given that the water level situation is beyond the line's control, how much do you really expect? If they refunded 75% of every passenger's fare when there is low/high water, they wouldn't be in business for long. Sorry to be brutal, but it's a fact.

 

Bottom line: If you book a river cruise in Europe in the summer, you ALWAYS run the risk that your cruise won't go as expected due to high or low water levels. For the overwhelming majority of passengers, everything is fine. For a small minority, it's not.

 

The above said, we had a lot of issues with our Viking cruise earlier this year, so I'm NOT an apologist. There is room for improvement. Just consider what the line can and cannot control, your REALISTIC expectations, and what happened.

[Ozjohnno]

I've been reading all these posts on various threads all about the same problems encountered with Viking. I wasn't there but unlike some who also weren't there I believe the accounts of those who felt aggrieved. Many posters seemed to get away from the initial reason for the complaints and offered advice like "make lemonade out of your lemons" or take the 75% it's a great deal without seemly understanding the root of the problem.

 

It appeared to me that Viking, who took the money from their customers 12 months in advance, either don't have access to the same data that many here on CC do (weather reports, access to news stories about flooding, lock closures etc). For a reason never explained in any of the tens and tens of postings by Viking they decided that the information that they had showed cruising the rivers was fine - the complete opposite of what we were all reading or seeing on our TV's. How can allowing customers to board a boat that was never going to go anywhere be the informed and correct decision?

 

As someone who lives on the other side of the world with around a 30+hr flight time to Europe I would consider the offer of a 75% voucher, to be taken in a specified time, to be an insult but as a significant number of past clients are unlikely to take up the offer for whatever personal reason I don't see how this offer will effect Viking's bottom line in any substantial way. As I said earlier they have had the money for 12 months in their bank earning interest or paying for something else in their organisation so giving substantial amounts of cash back to their clients was always unlikely to happen. Full cash refunds plus vouchers for future cruises were offered by other river cruise companies when they correctly assessed the situation and cancelled cruises.

 

I recognise that there were some who didn't think Viking did anything wrong and others who were happy with the style and amount of compensation offered and I applaud your calm nature. BUT if you take the time to ask before your cruise about the conditions that you can read about online and are told "everything's fine", get there and find that your cruise has turned into a bus trip then I can understand why there was so much written with so much feeling about Vikings recent efforts.

[pully8]

given the serious event and the tales of woe passengers are telling us, plus the unsatisfactory follow up for those passengers, my thoughts are this.

 

we would want the cruise company to cancel and give a full refund promptly. none of this nonsense of expecting and subjecting often frail and vulnerable people to the hell many have described.

 

do not want to be subjected to long bus rides/swapping/packing boats. with the promise of compensation.

 

it would be like giving consent and paying for elective surgery, but being told an hour before, the surgeon will now be his student, the hospital will now be the 3rd rate one somewhere, not sure yet we will tell you later.

plus the procedure will now be not the 1 you signed for but 1 of our choosing, but do not worry compo will follow, maybe.

 

no thanks. what was paid for or a refund. in many cases the rivers were closed to traffic, disasters had been declared the cruises needed to be aborted. as many were.