Food on Viking Embla is horrible

[Carnevale]

Many thanks SuiteTraveler and jrkstl for the helpful info you posted on dietary needs while on Viking. I am feeling more confident things will work out well.

[Richiebaseball]

I would have thought you would have taken advantage of Viking's service guarantee

We hope you love your cruise from the very beginning; however, should you be dissatisfied with our service upon first check-in (hotel or aboard ship) including food, personnel or shore excursions—just notify us within 24 hours of the start of your cruise (if your first check-in is aboard ship, notify your Program Director; at a hotel, contact your Viking Host). We then have 24 hours to correct the situation, and in the unlikely event a solution isn’t possible, you can then depart as soon as possible and we’ll refund 100% of your cruise price. We can assist with any departure reservations, but your return trip/alternate travel plan costs are your sole responsibility.

 

 

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[Kingofcool1947]

I would have thought you would have taken advantage of Viking's service guarantee

We hope you love your cruise from the very beginning; however, should you be dissatisfied with our service upon first check-in (hotel or aboard ship) including food, personnel or shore excursions—just notify us within 24 hours of the start of your cruise (if your first check-in is aboard ship, notify your Program Director; at a hotel, contact your Viking Host). We then have 24 hours to correct the situation, and in the unlikely event a solution isn’t possible, you can then depart as soon as possible and we’ll refund 100% of your cruise price. We can assist with any departure reservations, but your return trip/alternate travel plan costs are your sole responsibility.

 

 

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Just curious, who are you? Do you represent Viking river cruises?

[goldenrod]

I would have thought you would have taken advantage of Viking's service guarantee

We hope you love your cruise from the very beginning; however, should you be dissatisfied with our service upon first check-in (hotel or aboard ship) including food, personnel or shore excursions—just notify us within 24 hours of the start of your cruise (if your first check-in is aboard ship, notify your Program Director; at a hotel, contact your Viking Host). We then have 24 hours to correct the situation, and in the unlikely event a solution isn’t possible, you can then depart as soon as possible and we’ll refund 100% of your cruise price. We can assist with any departure reservations, but your return trip/alternate travel plan costs are your sole responsibility.

 

 

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Right and you also believe in the tooth fairy and car dealers who will beat anybody's price or pay you a $1000! I would love to see a posting from anyone they ever refunded after 48 hrs! I'm sure one does not exist.

 

 

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Edited April 18, 2017 by goldenrod

[JVilleGal]

Actually I think we DID hear from someone last summer who took them up on this offer. Just sayin!

 

 

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[SuiteTraveler]

I would have thought you would have taken advantage of Viking's service guarantee

We hope you love your cruise from the very beginning; however, should you be dissatisfied with our service upon first check-in (hotel or aboard ship) including food, personnel or shore excursions—just notify us within 24 hours of the start of your cruise (if your first check-in is aboard ship, notify your Program Director; at a hotel, contact your Viking Host). We then have 24 hours to correct the situation, and in the unlikely event a solution isn’t possible, you can then depart as soon as possible and we’ll refund 100% of your cruise price. We can assist with any departure reservations, but your return trip/alternate travel plan costs are your sole responsibility.

 

 

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Am I wrong, but doesn't this say you have to notify the Viking Host at the Hotel within 24 hours of arrival for your cruise - even if it is at the pre-cruise hotel? So basically, if you have arrived 24 hours+ before your cruise, and you notify the Viking Host at the hotel, and IF you have another 24 hours in the hotel, you would leave before ever even boarding the ship?

 

Then if your first contact overseas with Viking is on the ship, you have 24 hours to notify them you want to leave and if things are not corrected in 24 hours, then they will refund your money if you leave.

 

But who decides IF things are corrected? Viking personnel? So in this case, goldenrod's issue is the food is not good. Viking's Hotel Director will only say "But it is cooked to Viking corporate specifications, using Viking corporate recipes." Therefore, according to them the issue is "corrected."

 

So...yeah...this refund policy doesn't make a lot of sense or sound viable.

[sharkster77]

Frankly, I don't think ANY solution would please the OP. He's like me--he enjoys being grumpy, and isn't happy unless he is. He did not educate himself re: what river cruises are like, and is blaming everyone but himself. Five minutes on these boards, and one would find out that one's first cruise should be a short one, particularly if you are used to ocean cruises--they are a TOTALLY different animal.

 

Of all the complaints about Viking here (there are many), NONE involve the on-ship experience. They all have to do with the awful customer service staff, early payment rules, etc. Virtually every one who uses Viking has nothing but praise for the on-board experience. OP is certainly in the minority.

[xmaser]

Food/dining is not an on-ship experience?

[Got2Cruise]

My guess is goldenrod won't take pictures of any menus.

OP will just ignore your request. :o

What do you think?

 

 

I hope he posts the pics. Taste of food is opinion. But the wine quality based on label and the selection of food choice is fact. I teach elementary school -- a fact is something you can prove, otherwise it's opinion.

 

 

 

 

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[SuiteTraveler]

sharkster, you might look at the Member Reviews on Cruise Critic of Embla. Complaints about the food and service are not unusual. Here are some quotes:

 

"-The cuisine was disappointing overall and had a relative lack of variety and ethnic diversity. While generally tasty, this was not a gourmet experience in the least, and no better than what we have experienced on Princess and Holland America."

"Dinner had 3 main course offerings that were relatively routine with some real hits and misses (stringy beef, fishy-tasting fish). On several occasions, the bread appeared to be leftover from previous meals (including cut up hamburger buns and rock-hard bagels). Maybe this was a function of this being the final cruise of the season, but I've never experienced this on another cruise. "

"The dining staff was short staffed at best, very rushed, twice we had to ask where our food was. a few nights we were finishing dinner and wanted another glass of wine and just chat with friends and low and behold the wine is gone and they are setting up for breakfast with clanging dishes, just horrible service. "

"We had never done a river cruise, although we've done many ocean cruises. We thought this would be a great way to see the Eastern bloc countries of Europe. We had many issues trying to book this tour and almost gave up. If we had not been traveling with friends, we would not have gone! Since stairs are a problem for me, I asked if there was an elevator and was told yes. The elevator, however, did not go to our cabin's floor. Our room was so noisy due to plumbing problems that sleep was almost impossible! The room smelled like a sewer and the shower bubbled up. Disgusting. When reported, we were told they had tried to fix it and added crystals for the odor. The noise and gurgling continued; the smell improved slightly. Meals were rushed, wine served was horrid, and dining room extremely loud and chaotic! We discovered a smaller place to dine which lacked the noise and was not rushed. Shore excursions by ship were fine! Entertainment on ship was so so."

[goldenrod]

Tonight is the captain's Farewell dinner as most on the ship get off in Budapest on April 19, about 20 of us will continue the trip all the way to Bucharest with a new group, but getting back to the farewell dinner, we were supposed to have Surf and Turf (we were shown the menu this morning) well the food trucks arrived and left! No Lobsters or scallops! So we will have filet with shrimp instead LoL!

PERFECT!

 

 

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[TravelerThom]

Amazingly, I now think this thread has turned into something that could be quite useful to first timers considering a river cruise. I have had a wide variety of travel experience (I have gone across the Pacific in everything from First Class air to back of an Air Force cargo plane to ship, ridden local buses in Cairo, gone down the Nile deck class on a felucca, by truck across the Congo, etc) that I tend to forget that many are perhaps not as forgiving as I. I love river cruising, and I am not the best person to point out its shortcomings. If one manages to ignore the bickering in this thread, it is a good overview of the good, the bad and the ugly. When I look at reviews I read the best and the worst, but tend to take both extremes with a grain (or more) of salt, and give the heaviest weight to the majority in the middle. And all potential trip has to be planned with consideration of the comfort level of each particular traveler.

[nancyevans]

Tonight is the captain's Farewell dinner as most on the ship get off in Budapest on April 19, about 20 of us will continue the trip all the way to Bucharest with a new group, but getting back to the farewell dinner, we were supposed to have Surf and Turf (we were shown the menu this morning) well the food trucks arrived and left! No Lobsters or scallops! So we will have filet with shrimp instead LoL!

PERFECT!

 

 

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What a disappointment when you were expecting lobster. Pictures of the menus and food itself would be helpful. For the price you paid, the food should be great.

 

 

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[goldenrod]

I hope he posts the pics. Taste of food is opinion. But the wine quality based on label and the selection of food choice is fact. I teach elementary school -- a fact is something you can prove, otherwise it's opinion.

 

Here is the same red wine that they have served the whole trip with lunch and dinner looked it up on Vivino website rating 3.4 out 5 average retail cost $7.05 per bottle

 

 

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Here is the same red wine they have served every day in you look it up on the Vinino

 

 

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[Kingofcool1947]

Frankly, I don't think ANY solution would please the OP. He's like me--he enjoys being grumpy, and isn't happy unless he is. He did not educate himself re: what river cruises are like, and is blaming everyone but himself. Five minutes on these boards, and one would find out that one's first cruise should be a short one, particularly if you are used to ocean cruises--they are a TOTALLY different animal.

 

Of all the complaints about Viking here (there are many), NONE involve the on-ship experience. They all have to do with the awful customer service staff, early payment rules, etc. Virtually every one who uses Viking has nothing but praise for the on-board experience. OP is certainly in the minority.

 

So , you are a Certified Card Carrying Curmudgeon. Yes? I'm old, and use to be an old curmudgeon as well, but now I stay physically and mentally healthy, because I don't want to die due to an aneurism or stroke.:)

Enjoy your cruise, and if God wills, grant you continued good health to live and not die before your next cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I cruise to eat healthy, and to have a slice of apple pie everyday before I die."

Edited April 18, 2017 by Kingofcool1947

[SuiteTraveler]

Here is the same red wine they have served every day in you look it up on the Vinino

 

 

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Argentinian wine. On a European River Cruise that goes through some of the best wine producing regions in Europe??? This is just wrong on so many levels.

[notamermaid]

I am reluctant to utter my opinion on food on a river cruise as I am not a foodie and having been fed "European" all my life (yes, I do admit regularly frequenting a fast food chain when I was a teenager) I have acquired a certain dislike of sweetcorn in salads and cannot understand what "pulled" pork is about (why would one want to tear apart meat?, must really consult wikipedia on this one, promise to do so). It appears that beloved American food seems to go down well on the Viking Embla, at least the OP's cruise; yet from what I understand regional or European food not so much, or is it just plain underrepresented on the menu? Would the OP prefer to be served European dishes only? Are the American dishes bad as well? It would really be good to see some complete menus.

 

What I certainly agree with is the awkquard choice of wine. Argentinian? Compared to food I would think that travellers are happier to venture out of their comfort zone as regards wine and would be fine with being offered only European ones. But then I do not like the idea of a river cruise company offering a cruise on the Danube, wine-themed with an American vintner being on the cruise and promoting their wines!

 

notamermaid

[SuiteTraveler]

notamermaid, I agree with you about promoting American wines on a Danube cruise. The wine served and promoted on these cruises should ONLY be from Europe from the regions in which the ship is cruising.

 

I also feel strongly that 90% of the food on a river cruise should be European food from the regions in which the ship is cruising with perhaps one single offering of something plain such as baked chicken for those who are unwell or don't want to try anything new. But it is unrealistic for cruisers to expect to go on a river cruise in Europe and have American food and it is unrealistic for river cruise lines to try to prepare American food with European ingredients. The whole thing is, IMO, an exercise in futility.

[suspaul]

Essentially the OP has mentioned he is not interested in spending any more $ for meals off of the ship so this may be of no interest but Viking does not charge corkage fees and you are more than welcome to bring any wine, spirits, sodas, etc onboard. This is an excellent opportunity to try local, regional wines and spirits. Just a thought.

[jeb_bud]

We have been on a dozen ocean cruises and have our first river cruise planned for this summer. I am finding this thread both educational and entertaining.

 

 

On Viking?

 

 

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[Host Jazzbeau]

But then I do not like the idea of a river cruise company offering a cruise on the Danube, wine-themed with an American vintner being on the cruise and promoting their wines!

 

notamermaid

 

I'm not sure if this comment applies to Viking, but I am aware that wine-themed cruises on other river cruise lines follow this pattern. My understanding is that these are actually subtle co-marketing cruises: the American winery advertises the sailing through its wine club and other mailing lists, thereby bringing new customers who may never have thought of taking a river cruise [and who may never have even heard of the cruise line]. That also allows the cruise line to offer these "enrichment" cruises at no additional cost [because the American winery is providing the tasting wines and lots of new customers]. If you look at it that way, it makes a lot of sense.

[Richiebaseball]

Just curious, who are you? Do you represent Viking river cruises?

 

I do not represent Viking Cruises. Why would you think I do? Because I have the ability to look on their website and find a service guarantee? It wasn't that difficult.

 

As to who I am, I am a frequent cruiser who has been a member of Cruise Critic for over 15 years and will occasionally read and respond to a thread that catches my eye for one reason or another.

[Richiebaseball]

Right and you also believe in the tooth fairy and car dealers who will beat anybody's price or pay you a $1000! I would love to see a posting from anyone they ever refunded after 48 hrs! I'm sure one does not exist.

 

 

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I can certainly assure you that is has happened. As written it is not the easiest guarantee to take advantage of and time is absolutely of the essence. But I can guarantee you it can and does happen. You can certainly believe what you like.

[Richiebaseball]

Am I wrong, but doesn't this say you have to notify the Viking Host at the Hotel within 24 hours of arrival for your cruise - even if it is at the pre-cruise hotel? So basically, if you have arrived 24 hours+ before your cruise, and you notify the Viking Host at the hotel, and IF you have another 24 hours in the hotel, you would leave before ever even boarding the ship?

 

Then if your first contact overseas with Viking is on the ship, you have 24 hours to notify them you want to leave and if things are not corrected in 24 hours, then they will refund your money if you leave.

 

But who decides IF things are corrected? Viking personnel? So in this case, goldenrod's issue is the food is not good. Viking's Hotel Director will only say "But it is cooked to Viking corporate specifications, using Viking corporate recipes." Therefore, according to them the issue is "corrected."

 

So...yeah...this refund policy doesn't make a lot of sense or sound viable.

 

This particular cruiser is just not happy. And very likely not happy from day 1. And day 1 on this itinerary was on the ship. So if he had such a bad meal and bad time that first evening and he reported it to the guest services manager promptly and the next night it was not to j his satisfaction then yes I do believe he could have invoked that service guarantee. Obviously only if he knew about it. Viking personnel on the ship probably would not offer this unless he mentioned it. It has happened before. He would get a refund of his money and they would let him off the ship with his stuff at the fist available port. Then it would be up to him to find his way around. Not a perfect guarantee and it makes only some sense because of the timing involved. But the guest would make the determination. And if you are having such a miserable time then leaving the ship makes sense if you get the cost back for that. Unless of course the poster is only really miserable when he is not miserable.

[Richiebaseball]

I'm not sure if this comment applies to Viking, but I am aware that wine-themed cruises on other river cruise lines follow this pattern. My understanding is that these are actually subtle co-marketing cruises: the American winery advertises the sailing through its wine club and other mailing lists, thereby bringing new customers who may never have thought of taking a river cruise [and who may never have even heard of the cruise line]. That also allows the cruise line to offer these "enrichment" cruises at no additional cost [because the American winery is providing the tasting wines and lots of new customers]. If you look at it that way, it makes a lot of sense.

 

Many of the wine themed cruises follow this pattern. Often a host is from an American winery and they will often bring their wines for tastings onboard and then there are visits to local wineries for tastings there. Dinner can be served either with the local wines or wines from the hosts winery or both.

Or the host may not be from a specific winery and in those cases the wine tastings onboard are typically local wines.