Idyllic Trip at first….but beware when things go wrong.

[SnGonthego]

We signed up for a 2 week cruise on the Viking Var out of Budapest traveling to Amsterdam.

The first 5 days of the trip were idyllic – all we had dreamed about. The ship was beautiful & our room, though somewhat small (with a French balcony) was an organized & comfortable haven where we could watch the river. The staff was superb – friendly, helpful & very professional. We found the food delicious & liked being able to sit with different people every night – made it easy to get to know almost every one on the ship. We absolutely loved the cruise & were thrilled we had chosen this company, this itinerary and this ship.

And then the floods came. What happened to the towns & the people on the Danube and the Rhine was catastrophic. We were heart sick at what happened to the little town of Passau that we had visited. We were evacuated off the Var near Passau & moved to a hotel in Munich, being told we would be transferred to another ship above Regensburg. Then we were told that the rest of our trip would be by bus to Frankfurt. At Frankfurt (not on the itinerary) we were put on the Prestige which was an older boat that did not have the same accommodations as the Var. This ship was docked in an industrial area with a view of a concrete factory. We were nowhere near the town so could not walk anywhere. Buses became our mode of travel all the way to Amsterdam. The optional trips, such as Rothenberg, were cancelled.

Our days began with putting our suitcases out in the hall by 7:00 am, breakfast in the hotel restaurant, bus drive for 1-3 hours, tour for 1 ½ hours, back on the bus for several more hours & then check into a hotel & have dinner. For people like us who hate bus tours, it was hell.

We fully acknowledge that the flood was not the fault of anyone except Mother Nature, but once we left the Viking Var, the way our daily life was handled by Viking rests fully on their shoulders.

Internet news clearly stated that the Danube waters were rising as early as May 28 – the day after we left Budapest. We feel strongly that had we been told about the river level concerns earlier AND had been given the choice to cancel our cruise with full refund, we would have made that choice. We certainly would never have made the choice to go from hotel to boat to hotel and be subjected to long, long bus rides, long crowded lunches of heavy food and rushed tours. Nor would we have chosen to sit on an older boat in an industrial area with the smell of methane and one whole side of the ship’s rooms in the dark due to the high wall of the dock.

Despite all this, the worst part of all was the lack of information as to what was going to happen after we left the “Viking Var” and in the days that followed. Mieke (Program director) and Jessie (Concierge) were obviously doing their best, but they could not lessen our anxiety because of the Viking management style: “We don’t know any more than we have told you” and “We don’t have the authority to answer that.” When it was suggested that a Viking representative with authority come to the ships, we were told they are in the USA. Viking dropped the ball in not having upper management make an appearance in Europe considering the magnitude of the problem.

By the end of the trip passengers were angry and frustrated because of being unable to get answers from Viking. Rumours began to spread which caused more anxiety. Much of this could have been avoided if Viking had handled things in a different manner. Communication from upper management, more information and more choices would have created an entirely different feeling among all the passengers. My husband and I and the friends we were traveling with were afraid to leave the ship for fear we would get no compensation for our loss. Every day was filled with anxiety about what would come the next day.

We have arrived home from what was to be the most relaxing trip ever and instead have arrived home dead tired and heart broken for the loss of what should have been a dream trip.

We were assured by the program director that each one of us would receive an email and then a follow-up call. We now know that Viking only has 5 Customer Service reps so it is obvious it will be a long time before we hear from Viking by phone.

All in all this was not the trip we had dreamed of, not the trip we paid for well in advance. We have received an email stating that we will receive compensation and it is a fair amount – more than we expected from this company. But this letter of complaint is not about compensation. It is about how all the passengers were treated while on the trip. How can a company have such a horrible management style and expect to have a good reputation? Beware when things go wrong, as Viking will not be there for you.

The floods were most certainly was not Viking’s fault but it most certainly was not our fault either. We deserved better and more informed treatment and that did not come.

[kathy9]

SnGonthego, Sorry to read of all your trouble with your Viking River cruise and having been through a flood, I hope the people in the hard hit areas will be able to get back into their homes and move on with their lives.

Just to let you know this is the board for Viking Oceans, perhaps you should move your review to that board on CC.

Kathy

[SnGonthego]

Thanks Kathy. found it hard to post and did not know there were two different forums. Will repost.

[Viking Cruises]

Dear SnGonthego,

 

We’re happy to hear that you so enjoyed your time aboard Viking Var – finding the part of the trip that took place as planned to be “idyllic.” Your kind feedback about the ship, service, dining and itinerary is wonderful to hear. With that said, we are of course concerned to hear of your overall disappointment with the necessary itinerary modifications made as a result of the floods in certain areas of Central Europe, and the manner in which changes were communicated to you. Your comprehensive post touches on multiple subjects and areas of concern, and we will try to address as many of them as possible.

 

Timing and Making Assessments

Our Swiss nautical and operational teams rely on an extensive, established network of local authorities and port operators—along with decades of experience with past high and low water situations—to make assessments on navigability of all rivers on which we sail. Weather, soil conditions and water levels are routinely monitored and evaluated. This is particularly crucial under circumstances where a few hours or a few centimeters of difference can have an enormous impact on a ship’s sailing schedule.

 

Not all of our assessments for each ship in the fleet were perfect and as conditions quickly changed, not all of our contingency plans always occurred exactly as we had planned them. But a good many of them did. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. At the time we made decisions we always had the interests and safety of our guests and crew in mind. We have received many emails and phone calls from guests whose cruise did not go perfectly, but who still enjoyed themselves.

 

Departures in Late May and the First Week of June

We understand that as you continued to sail up the Danube in those first few days of June, you may have been taken by surprise at how rapidly the conditions of the river changed; we were taken by surprise, too. Our Switzerland-based teams worked diligently and in good faith trying to make arrangements as needed and keep their guests informed. We understand your frustration that your crew could not provide answers on contingency plans that were beyond the next day, and we apologize for this, to both you and the crew, as it was surely frustrating for both parties. With conditions changing quickly, we did the best we could to provide each crew with complete information as it became available. Again, a few hours or a few centimeters of difference can have an enormous impact on a ship’s sailing schedule.

 

Your disappointment in leaving Viking Var is understandable. Please know that everyone at Viking worked together to quickly make itinerary modifications for all affected sailings, including alternative travel arrangements, dining, lodging, and excursions to destinations on the original itinerary (where possible) and substituted places of interest. However, it sounds as though you were unsatisfied with our attempts and frustrated with how changes were communicated in a difficult and challenging situation that remained in flux. We appreciate your feedback and have shared it throughout our organization.

 

Contact Us

We appreciate that you are not dissatisfied with the compensation provided to you and your fellow guests in an attempt to make amends for the ways in which your trip was altered. 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 speak with you in further detail about your particular experience. Please email us directly at TellUs@vikingcruises.com so that we can put you in touch with a member of our Customer Relations team.

 

SnGonthego, please know that we care very much about you, our guest, and your concerns and feedback regarding a situation that was challenging and fairly unprecedented. We wish that circumstances could have been different. And we hope that you will sail with us again, so that we can show you the true Viking experience – a continuation of your idyllic days aboard Viking Var.

 

We hope to hear from you soon.

 

Sincerely,

Viking Cruises

 

 

We signed up for a 2 week cruise on the Viking Var out of Budapest traveling to Amsterdam. The first 5 days of the trip were idyllic – all we had dreamed about. The ship was beautiful & our room, though somewhat small (with a French balcony) was an organized & comfortable haven where we could watch the river. The staff was superb – friendly, helpful & very professional. We found the food delicious & liked being able to sit with different people every night – made it easy to get to know almost every one on the ship. We absolutely loved the cruise & were thrilled we had chosen this company, this itinerary and this ship. And then the floods came...