Viking is Chipping Away at the Malta/North Africa Itinerary

[SJD117]

Many on CC have written about Viking’s upcoming sailings from Barcelona to Malta and on to North Africa. The original itinerary included stops in Algiers and Tunis. While these ports appealed to Viking cruisers as “new” ports on the Mediterranean circuit, some folks expressed concern that the ports wouldn’t hold — that Viking would end up modifying the itinerary.

 

Those folks were right. Viking sent us a notice today stating that Algiers is no longer a scheduled port on our March 2025 sailing. The company has substituted Tangier, Morocco for Algiers. No mention (yet) of Tunis and whether that port will remain on the itinerary.

 

I’m curious whether Viking made similar changes to other upcoming sailings, or whether March 2025 is just a one-off. Did anyone else get a notice like ours?

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, SJD117 said:

Many on CC have written about Viking’s upcoming sailings from Barcelona to Malta and on to North Africa. The original itinerary included stops in Algiers and Tunis. While these ports appealed to Viking cruisers as “new” ports on the Mediterranean circuit, some folks expressed concern that the ports wouldn’t hold — that Viking would end up modifying the itinerary.

 

Those folks were right. Viking sent us a notice today stating that Algiers is no longer a scheduled port on our March 2025 sailing. The company has substituted Tangier, Morocco for Algiers. No mention (yet) of Tunis and whether that port will remain on the itinerary.

 

I’m curious whether Viking made similar changes to other upcoming sailings, or whether March 2025 is just a one-off. Did anyone else get a notice like ours?

We aren’t until Nov. 2025, but we haven’t heard anything.

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, SJD117 said:

Many on CC have written about Viking’s upcoming sailings from Barcelona to Malta and on to North Africa. The original itinerary included stops in Algiers and Tunis. While these ports appealed to Viking cruisers as “new” ports on the Mediterranean circuit, some folks expressed concern that the ports wouldn’t hold — that Viking would end up modifying the itinerary.

 

Those folks were right. Viking sent us a notice today stating that Algiers is no longer a scheduled port on our March 2025 sailing. The company has substituted Tangier, Morocco for Algiers. No mention (yet) of Tunis and whether that port will remain on the itinerary.

 

I’m curious whether Viking made similar changes to other upcoming sailings, or whether March 2025 is just a one-off. Did anyone else get a notice like ours?

The US State Department has issued a travel advisory for Algeria:

Exercise increased caution in Algeria due to terrorism and kidnapping.

Do not travel to:

• Areas near the eastern and southern borders due to terrorism and kidnapping.
• Areas in the Sahara Desert due to terrorism and kidnapping.

Country Summary: Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Algeria. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning and have recently targeted the Algerian security forces. Most attacks take place in rural areas, but attacks are possible in urban areas despite a heavy and active police presence.

[CCWineLover]

29 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

We aren’t until Nov. 2025, but we haven’t heard anything.

We are on March 2026.  But haven't heard anything.

I did a quick check of holidays in Algeria in March.  Don't see anything.

I always did have a bad feeling about this itinerary - but it looked so intriguing!

 

Edited September 24 by CCWineLover

[SJD117]

6 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

We are on March 2026.  But haven't heard anything.

I did a quick check of holidays in Algeria in March.  Don't see anything.

I always did have a bad feeling about this itinerary - but it looked so intriguing!

 

Kent,

 

Some on roll call and the site that can’t be named are speculating that the itinerary change is due to Ramadan occurring in March 2025. I suppose that’s possible, though I would think Viking would have identified the overlap back when it set up the itinerary. And why Algiers but not Tunis and the Moroccan ports? They observe Ramadan, too.

 

David

[SantaFe1]

49 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

I always did have a bad feeling about this itinerary - but it looked so intriguing!

We’ve missed Morocco twice, so I will be happy if we finally get there.  But I am going for Malta.  I’ve been intrigued by it for years!!

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, SJD117 said:

Kent,

 

Some on roll call and the site that can’t be named are speculating that the itinerary change is due to Ramadan occurring in March 2025. I suppose that’s possible, though I would think Viking would have identified the overlap back when it set up the itinerary. And why Algiers but not Tunis and the Moroccan ports? They observe Ramadan, too.

 

David

Sounds like a plausible explanation.

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, SJD117 said:

Many on CC have written about Viking’s upcoming sailings from Barcelona to Malta and on to North Africa. The original itinerary included stops in Algiers and Tunis. While these ports appealed to Viking cruisers as “new” ports on the Mediterranean circuit, some folks expressed concern that the ports wouldn’t hold — that Viking would end up modifying the itinerary.

 

Those folks were right. Viking sent us a notice today stating that Algiers is no longer a scheduled port on our March 2025 sailing. The company has substituted Tangier, Morocco for Algiers. No mention (yet) of Tunis and whether that port will remain on the itinerary.

 

I’m curious whether Viking made similar changes to other upcoming sailings, or whether March 2025 is just a one-off. Did anyone else get a notice like ours?

 

The Feb 22, 2025 roll call is discussing this issue right now. Their March 3 call in Algiers so far has not been cancelled but someone from another sailing said on the roll call that they have just been notified that their March 9 call has been cancelled (and did not mention a substitute).

 

I don't think that cancellation is Ramadan because not all of the March calls are being cancelled (at least not at this moment). Same logic applies to security issues. It does not seem to be a blanket cancellation; the only date that I have heard being cancelled is Mar 9. Have there been other dates cancelled?

 

Personally, if we are playing guessing games, I vote for either something Mar 9 specific happening in Algiers or service capacity issues that cannot be resolved for that date.

 

 

 

 

[wine-wine-wine]

6 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

But I am going for Malta.  I’ve been intrigued by it for years!!

Or tack it on as DIY - it is a very intriguing, easy to navigate, friendly place. Air tickets from any city in Europe are cheap.
 

DW and I are in Malta now for the third time and thoroughly enjoying it. Fabulous sites, amazing food, unbelievable archaeology. Boarding Sea Cloud Spirit tomorrow. 
 

Pro tip: order tickets to the Hypogeum well (preferably months) in advance. They only allow 80 people in the site per day. Absolutely unique. https://heritagemalta.mt/explore/hal-saflieni-hypogeum/

[AroundWithMAPTravels]

3 hours ago, wine-wine-wine said:

Or tack it on as DIY - it is a very intriguing, easy to navigate, friendly place. Air tickets from any city in Europe are cheap.
 

DW and I are in Malta now for the third time and thoroughly enjoying it. Fabulous sites, amazing food, unbelievable archaeology. Boarding Sea Cloud Spirit tomorrow. 
 

Pro tip: order tickets to the Hypogeum well (preferably months) in advance. They only allow 80 people in the site per day. Absolutely unique. https://heritagemalta.mt/explore/hal-saflieni-hypogeum/

Have been to Malta twice (once on a VO trip, once on Sea Cloud).   It still amazes us how many well preserved archaeological sites there are there!   Spent some time on our own on trip.  Relatively easy to get around.  We missed Tunis and Algeria on our VO trip in 2016.   We were surprised to see them back in the picture, hoping they would “stick” as regular ports so we could plan another trip that included them…so watching this discussion to see the outcome.

 

[wine-wine-wine]

1 hour ago, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

Relatively easy to get around

Yep and this time we tried Bolt for the first time, the local version of Uber. Works very well and incredibly reasonable. 

[SJD117]

I called Viking today about the change to the March 9 sailing. The rep confirmed that this sailing is the only one affected, i.e., with Algiers taken off the itinerary.

 

I then asked her to clarify the “operational changes” that required this action according to Viking’s letter. She responded that “operational changes” were responsible. No other information was provided. (Don’t you just love the circularity?)

[Peregrina651]

Well, ya can't discuss what you don't know and it would not surprise me if the only only thing the whole customer service department is ever told about any change is "operational changes." 

 

 

 

[stilltravellingnow]

On 9/26/2024 at 7:59 AM, SJD117 said:

I called Viking today about the change to the March 9 sailing. The rep confirmed that this sailing is the only one affected, i.e., with Algiers taken off the itinerary.

 

I then asked her to clarify the “operational changes” that required this action according to Viking’s letter. She responded that “operational changes” were responsible. No other information was provided. (Don’t you just love the circularity?)

I am on 9 March departure.  Told Viking I don’t want to visit Morocco instead of Tunis and was advised I can stay onboard when docked in Morocco!

[Peregrina651]

The cruise lines retain the right to make whatever operational changes are necessary for whatever reason they deem necessary -- and there is not a darned thing guests can do about it, other than to cancel the cruise altogether.

 

 

[SJD117]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

The cruise lines retain the right to make whatever operational changes are necessary for whatever reason they deem necessary -- and there is not a darned thing guests can do about it, other than to cancel the cruise altogether.

 

 

Nobody on this board is suggesting otherwise.

 

 

Edited Friday at 06:54 PM by SJD117