My Trip - Updates on Current Sailings - Viking River Cruises Keyles reached out to Bamboozled for help. After Walt Disney Cruise Line (with MS Disney Magic, 1998-launched), Viking became industry's second cruise brand company to launch a purpose-built passenger liner (Viking Star). In early-April 2019, Viking and China Merchants Group (China's first commercial corporation/1872-founded) unveiled a plan to launch a new cruise line (joint venture company) for the Chinese market. Compared to similar-class vessels operated by other companies, Viking OCEAN itineraries feature fewer sea days, longer port stays and many overnight ports of call. In mid-September 2016 was announced that TPG Capital and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board intend to make a joint investment of USD 0,5 billion in Viking Cruises. Viking River Cruises Cancellation and Refund Policy Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. The soaring peaks of the peninsula are home to twenty monasteries where monks work to preserve a vast collection of liturgical works and art. Viking Neptune itinerary program was announced by VIKING OCEAN in late-December 2020. These riverboats are also chartered by other major European lines, like AmaWaterways, Avalon, and Uniworld. Changed to Aug 29. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. Viking Ocean's port agent for China is Wallem Ship Agency China. The deal resulted in combined 17% stake in Viking. The first river cruises of Viking in the United States had been highly anticipated when they were announced in April 2020. On August 31, 2019, Viking Sun started the 245-day "Viking World Voyage 2019" spanning 6 continents and visiting 51 countries via 111 call ports (including 21 port overnights). Viking ships in Russia are with average capacity 200+, the ships in China - up to 246. 8-day "America's Heartland" from Saint Louis to Saint Paul. Cruise fares start from around USD 4,300 pp. Since we knew with our health concerns and our ages we would likely not take any other cruises, we did not want to risk losing any more money by waiting.. In 2019, the parent company also created the brand "Viking Expeditions" with a newbuild fleet of two small-sized expedition vessels - Viking Octantis (2021) and Viking Polaris (2022), plus an option for 2 more same-designed units. In 2013, Viking operated a 37 river ships fleet. On March 22, 2015, Amsterdam (Holland) witnessed the naming ceremony of 12 longships. Email also stated ", Because we have cancelled itineraries that were not possible to operate given current circumstances, including your sailing, we have redeployed our ocean fleet to the new. Not sure on the UK site. Will Viking River Cruises Be Cancelled? - River Cruising - Cruise Viking's Great Lakes cruises visit ports and destinations in Canada's Ontario state (Thunder Bay, Toronto, Welland Canal, Niagara Falls, Point Pelee NP) and the USA's Minnesota-Michigan-Wisconsin states (Detroit MI, Alpena MI, Mackinac Island MI in Lake Huron, Apostle Islands WI, Houghton MI on Lake Superior, Traverse City MI, Milwaukee WI on Lake Michigan, Duluth MN) and feature passing through Soo Locks at Sault Ste Marie (Lake Superior - Lake Huron transition). "Viking World Cruise 2019" prices started from USD 90,000 per person (with double occupancy). https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/eastern-mediterranean/malta-and-adriatic-jewels/pricing.html. Viking River boats operate on the European inland waterways Danube, Rhine, Main, Mosel, Seine, Rhone, Saone, Douro, also in Asia (Mekong, Irrawaddy, Yangtze), Egypt (Nile, Lake Nasser), Ukraine (Dnieper), Russia (Volga, Svir, Neva, Lake Ladoga, Lake Baikal) and in the USA (Mississippi). I had to cancel due to ill health and provided over five months notice. 13 days, one-way from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso-Santiago, 137 days, one-way from Fort Lauderdale to London-Tilbury, 11 days, one-way from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, 12 days, one-way from Bergen to London-Tilbury, 17 days, one-way from Valparaiso-Santiago to Buenos Aires, 7 days, one-way from Barcelona to Civitavecchia-Rome, 14 days, round-trip Panama Canal Central America, 7 days, one-way from Rosedale MS to New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida), Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA), Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale Florida), Viking River Cruises kicks off stops in Greenville (Mississippi), A new Viking Longship for Seine River cruises joins the fleet in 2025, Fire breaks out on Viking Orion cruise ship docked in Sydney (NSW Australia), Mississippi RIver's largest cruise ship ever debuts in June 2023, Viking Cruises releases 2024-2025 world voyage itineraries, Godmother Nicole Stott names Viking OCEANs newest ship Neptune in Los Angeles USA, Viking Orion ship stranded off the coast of Australia due to fungus outbreak, Townsville (Queensland Australia) welcomes first cruise ship in 2+ years, 1 dead, 4 injured after giant wave breaks glass panels on Viking Polaris ship, Viking Ocean Cruises takes US$1.5 billion in financing on 4 ships, Fred. In September 2022 Fincantieri and Viking entered into an agreement for 4x more vessels (based on the option in the 2018-signed contract) with total value ~EUR/USD 1,7 billion. The list of its services also includes. Just like on all Viking riverboats, Viking Ocean deals are inclusive of popular amenities, such as Wi-Fi Internet, alcohol (beer and wine at lunch and dinner), shore excursions (at least one in every port of call along the itinerary), spa usage (thermal pool, sauna, hot tub, Snow Grotto room (snow falling from its ceiling), Gym (fitness center), library (with books reflecting the cruise itineraries), 24-hour room service; absolutely all meals at any of the onboard restaurants; beverages (cappuccinos, espresso drinks), self-service laundry; in-room movies on demand, lectures, airport to cruise port transfers. Email also stated "Because we have cancelled itineraries that were not possible to operate given current circumstances, including your sailing, we have redeployed our ocean fleet to the newWelcome Backvoyages this summer. Alright, I did mean to be precise, but you prefer to very precise, so of course you are correct . I know a lot of this was not their fault and up till now I have been very pleased with how they were handling things, but this is just biting the hands that feed them! In 2000 Viking acquired Koln-Dusseldorfer (KD River Cruises). I hope you get an answer from Viking very soon. Some voyages (few in Europe, Egypt, Southeast Asia, and China) are "cruise tours" marked. Weird that you read this on the website before getting an email as the update says those affected were notified. As a result of newbuilds and acquisitions, in 2014 the company had a river fleet of 52 vessels with a total of 9200 berths. The "Malta and Adriatic Jewels" itinerary started with an overnight in Valletta and visited ports in Montenegro (, The "Malta and Greek Isles Discovery" itinerary also started with an overnight in Valletta and visited ports in Greece (, The "Malta and the Western Mediterranean" itinerary started with Valletta overnight and visited ports in Sicily (. We think we were able to reach a reasonable settlement and are glad to put this behind us, Keyles said, noting that Viking asked them to sign a non-disclosure form that prevented them from giving the details of settlement. Viking Cruise News: Expedition Cruise Ships To Have - Cruise Critic Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. Viking's Antarctic cruises are inclusive of 2 domestic charter flights (between Buenos Aires-Ushuaia) and an overnight hotel (in Buenos Aires / pre-cruise). However, due to ongoing travel restrictions in Europe and the USA, as well as Canada's and Australia's ban on cruise shipping, Viking canceled the entire 2020 program (river+ocean) in mid-August. In 2012 were introduced the "Viking Longship" class of vessels. Viking River Cruises deals include staterooms, onboard dining, most cultural activities, most shore excursions. In 2019 the parent company created the brand "Viking Expeditions", with a newbuild fleet of two small-sized expedition vessels - Viking Octantis (2021) and Viking Polaris (2022), plus 2 more (optional) same-designed units. On March 16, 2022, were joint-christened 8 riverboats - 4x in Paris (Fjorgyn, Kari, Radgrid, Skaga) and 4x in Amsterdam (Egdir, Gersemi, Gymir, Hervor). On 7/15 I got an email that said our cruise was going as scheduled. Great service, great listening to concerns, we couldn't be happier. All Viking OCEAN ships offer destination-rich itineraries marked by "small ship cruise" tour and onboard experiences. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By . Today, 1/22/22 I contacted Viking Cruise lines about canceling a river cruise to France for this June, plenty of days before the cancellation date, and was told that I could not get ALL my money back. The representative promised to get back to Keyles. Provides us a link to sign up for notifications as they become available. Hope this is right as our September Amsterdam to Bergen no longer shows on Viking website. Tours include a private visit to Nefertari's tomb (Valley of the Queens) and excursions to Khnum Temple (Esna) and the Dendera Temple complex (Qena). LauraS So I will have a look tomorrow. We both have autoimmune conditions. If we were changed by several days it would impact all our before and after cruise hotels, that would take a bit of work on our part to change all the dates, especially last minute. Koln-Dusseldorfer was acquired by Viking in 2000. 8-day "Heart of the Delta" from New Orleans to, 8-day "Southern Celebration" roundtrip from New Orleans, visiting. Thoughts? Just looked it is still showing on the UK site but looking again at My Viking Journey I now get " Your booking is currently locked for updates. Viking's first river voyages in the USA had been highly anticipated when they were announced in April 2020, and a number of sailings have already sold out through the 2023 season. Ok as I predicted, all sold out cruises have been dropped from Viking as of this morning. As you consider your travel plans, we invite you to explore our expandedWelcome Backofferings as an alternative.". I see they are doing all August now, will take a bit to get to November, but this is kind of last minute for you. Their godmothers were from USA (Los Angeles), the UK, and Russia. 8-day "Heart of the Delta" from New Orleans to Memphis. I had an online chat with Viking yesterday, where he said that our cruise had not been cancelled (yet) and to check back in 24-48 hours when MVJ is back online. This is a parallel situation I had a month ago when my Ukraine river cruise was cancelled just days after I paid the balance. With penalties and costs that would not be reimbursed, including the cost of travel insurance, the couple had lost nearly $6,500 in cash. Fingers crossed we get to go on this one. This Arctic-themed facility is part of the ship's thermal suite (within the spa complex). Each ship has all 8 Mandarin-speaking tour guides assigned to 25-passenger groups. He advised us that if we were thinking about rebooking in 2021, we should wait to see if Viking cancelled our 2020 cruise making us eligible for a 125% voucher. By the year 2027, the company's 16-ship ocean fleet will have a combined capacity of 16,930 berths, ranking Viking OCEAN the world's largest cruise company with ship capacity under 1000 passengers. Scenic cruising: Mt Athos: On sea days, passengers will sail past Mt Athos, the "Holy Mountain" (UNESCO Site, the spiritual capital of Orthodox Christianity). Fingers crossed that it will all work out in the end. All the 6 ships will be built and owned by ECO Shipyards (subsidiary of Edison Chouest Offshore - 1960-founded as "Edison Chouest Boat Rentals" marine corporation) and operated under charter by Viking Cruises USA. Share. The company's turnover (gross revenue) from both river and ocean shipping operations for 2015 was about USD 2 billion. They are operated along the: All itineraries have at least one tour or guided shore excursion per day - all included in the fares. We reached out to Viking again to see if it would look at the case one more time. Yes, we are booked on the Mani, Basel to Amsterdam December 3rd. Her position at the outset was that we are not entitled to anything in place of the future travel vouchers since what they gave us was in compliance with their stated cancellation terms, Keyles said, and she asked for an exception based on their specific circumstances. Viking changed us to a different date without asking us. In addition, Viking announced 3 new departures (in October, November and December 2021) of the 15-day "Panama Canal and Central America" itinerary roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida). But all was not lost. The contract's potential value is approx NOK 5 billion (USD 611 million = EUR 525 m) for both ships, and also includes optional two more vessels of the same series. The new channel also livestream sessions with various guests (experts, scientists, celebrities) and allows real-time interaction by submitting comments and questions. The representative went through options, she said, including larger vouchers, extended time periods to use them and considering U.S. based trips instead of international travel. Cruisetour itineraries range from 7 to 23 days and include as regions the European rivers Rhine, Main, Danube, Saone, Rhone, Seine, Elbe and Douro, also Ukraine's Dnieper, Russia's Volga, China's Yangtze, Burma's Irrawaddy and Cambodia-Vietnam's Mekong. The first custom vessel of the company, Viking Mississippi, is scheduled to debut in August 2022 and sail on the Lower and Upper Mississippi River, between New Orleans and Saint Paul. Note: For the itinerary's all call ports see at the ship's Wiki section here. Celebrity is allowing travelers with bookings made by Jan. 31, 2022, to cancel as little as 48 hours before sailing for a full refund. But Keyles wasnt ready to accept such an offer. I called Viking last week and was given a very weak answer that its sold out to moving folks from the Prestige (we were originally booked on Prestige and then in August last year moved to the Embla as Prestige taken out of service). Asian rivers - Ukraine's Dnieper, Russia's Volga, China's Yangtze, Myanmar-Burma's Irrawaddy and Vietnam's Mekong. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The voyage starts in the USA (Duluth MN) and ends in Argentina (Ushuaia), also sailing to Antarctica. Explorers Lounge (Decks 5-6, bow-facing) is 2-deck, circular-shaped, glass-covered and walled indoor observation lounge with wraparound windows. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. By jonthomas, November 15, 2020 in Viking Ocean Followers 6 jonthomas 1.7k March 20, 2020 #1 Posted November 15, 2020 We have a. Date. This technology lowers the vessel's maintenance costs and also the risk of sea pollution. Next official video reviews Viking's Longship cruise experience. We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical . Curiously, in August 2021, Viking OCEAN announced a "double world cruise 2023-2024" with two ships (Neptune and Sky) sailing on an identical itinerary from Florida to the UK. The slower growth was partially related to the reduced demand for cruises in Russia. As we watched the COVID pandemic expand and followed the news about the cruise ship outbreaks, we knew we would not be going on our upcoming trip, Claire Keyles said. Viking's Nile River cruisetour is themed "Pharaohs and Pyramids". Ok as I predicted, all sold out cruises have been dropped from Viking as of this morning. By (2020-built) longships on Seiner River in France -. All Viking Ocean ships are from one series - same-designed, with same layouts, interiors and amenities, featuring spacious lounges, multiple dining options (several al-fresco / outdoor deck venues), 3-story Atrium, premium theater/show lounge, Sun Deck (with 2 swimming pools), Nordic-design Spa, Gym and sports area, Snow Room, duty-free boutique shops. When will Viking make the next cancellation announcement? Company's Net revenues for FY2017 were estimated at about USD 1 billion. Its always still sailinguntil its cancelled. All Viking Cruises Longships are named after Norse mythology gods and entities. They additionally include hotel stays in a variety of cities, mainly in Shanghai and Beijing. We took advantage of that thinking it was the only offer we would get. The 7-ship "virtual" naming ceremony was via satellite connections and held in 4 riverports - Basel Switzerland (Sigrun and Einar), Rostock Germany (Ullur and Sigyn), Brunsbuttel Germany (Vali and Tir) and Oporto Portugal (Helgrim). This is ourfourth attempt at this cruise! Travelers can explore its Byzantine churches and Venetian homes, take a drive to the imposing fortress towering over the city, Palamidi, or travel to the Peloponnese peninsula.