Viking River Cruises
Reviews and Complaints

My family of 4 has booked a Viking cruise with a pre and post cruise excursion. Viking booked the hotels for these excursions. I’ve asked that one room in the hotels have two separate beds for our two adult children who do not want to share a bed. It would seem to be a reasonable and simple request. These hotels are Marriott and hilton properties that have such rooms. Viking will not honor this request. I was told “Viking doesn’t own the hotel” and the hotel will not let me make a change since Viking handled the booking. Only Viking can make the appropriate reservation. Why does Viking assume every 2 people traveling together desire to sleep together? It’s infuriating and disrespectful. For the cabin on the cruise, we indicated separate beds for their cabin. (I doubt they’ll get that right). Wouldn’t that booking choice make it clear to Viking that pre and post excursion bookings would also require separate beds? How is this hard?

The whole experience was a disaster. Not your fault but took 5 flights, 1 whole day in airport, 1 whole night and 2 hotels to get to the ship 3 1/2 days late. The couple shore excursions we went on were lame and horrible. Sure we were free but that's no excuse. We did not see ANY of Spain. Not one thing but some flowers in the rain and unsafe steps and more steps. And most were 70 OR older. We didn't even get off the bus for next stop and learned nothing. The food in buffet was cold and coffee. Been on 6 other cruises and never was cold. And Corn beef hash was just a burned mess. Love good service but rand our doorbell like 3 times a day. Now I know the weather is not your problem, but how you handle it was not good. Knowing this weather happens, doors and drawers should have hooks so they don't slide all night and glasses make a place in drawers. Was sick the last few days we did have on ship. And heard this was a dead head cruise to move the ship to somewhere, why we got a pretty good special, $7,500 verses 21,000 at later date and this was our 50th anniversary "cruise so had to go in winter to save but no excuse for it being so disappointing. Oh, and we look forward to hot tub and it didn't work! London was pretty ok tho for a whole day. So as I don't want to leave bad reviews but believe we deserve at least 1/2 or so refund! Our 50th anniversary was awful. Would maybe some day like to do a River Cruise.

Margaret and Randy Wahl
504 2nd Ave SE
Conrad, MT 59425
Booking No. 7045921
[protected]

Booking number 7141933

Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher
1. Due to my cancellations, Viking held onto $8,000 of my Funds for about two years.
2. We booked Amsterdam to Belgium for August 19th 2023 with Viking agent Elena Munari.
3. Just realized that the cruise booked was from Antwerp to Amsterdam.
4. Spoke to several people today, including a supervisor named Dawn. 1/16
5. The agent confirmed there was a ship leaving Amsterdam on the same date, and the same state room was available. But, we would have to pay $100 to change itinerary. I was not satisfied with that response, and asked to speak to a supervisor. He returned to the line and said, I wouldn't have to pay the $100 BUT would lose my promo code. I wasn't laughing! This would mean I'd lose airfare and spirits credit! That's insane.
6. I asked again to speak to a supervisor. Dawn proceeded to tell me the same.

She stated that senior management would tell me the same.
To summarize, I find it ridiculous that this could not be resolved amicably. Yes, we should have checked things more carefully but when we clicked on the link in our email from Dec 13th "see itinerary" it showed us leaving from Amsterdam.
Refer to pictures below. Furthermore, if you go online there are ads for free airfare. See picture below. To say I'm very frustrated and disheartened is an understatement. I was a VP in banking, and I know there is always a way to keep your customers happy. I've been looking forward to this cruise for a few years now. Unfortunately, it may be my first and last.

My husband and I were scheduled to leave for our Viking cruise around Spain on Jan. 11. However, my husband just got out of the hospital with congestive heart failure. Obviously, we cannot go on the trip. We called Viking and there is nothing that they will do to be able to use the over $7,000 paid for the trip. We asked to transfer the trip to my son and grandson, but transferring the tickets is not allowed. The reason given by Viking is that these are vouchers from a previously booked trip (during the COVID pandemic). We paid for trip insurance assuming that it would cover this situation but buying trip insurance through Viking seems to cover much less than most trip insurance policies. I thought that Viking was reputable, so I put too much faith in them.

My husband and I booked with Viking in December 2019 for the Rhine Getaway Cruise for December 2020. By March 2020 Viking announced cancellations due to covid, with an additional 25% for a future booking. In November 2020, we rebooked, the Cities of Antiquity and Holy Land Cruise, scheduled for Nov-Dec 2022, paying the additional fare. Our out of pocket, paid in full by 30 March 2021 is $15,517.98. Still unsure when travels would resume, we diligently checked for updates. Then Viking announced it’s covid-19 policies, requiring the mRNA injections. Please note the dates above, as they fell before any covid policies and procedures by Viking had been announced. My husband called to question the cancellation process, as we realized, unless these requirements were dropped, we would not be traveling with Viking.What resulted was him being put on hold, then being informed by the rep our vouchers would be sent via email. We questioned the cancellation by the rep, but was told it was too late, that the cancellation could not be reversed. It was also during this phone conversation that we learned a cash refund only applied to the second booking and the original booking value of $9276.05 would be lost. So of course we wanted the full value of our investment, which we received in vouchers. The problem is, without compliance to their Covid policies, established AFTER full payment was made, we are not permitted to travel with Viking Cruises! Since then we have sent two certified letters with Signature receipt to Viking’s corporate office in Woodland Hills, California.To date, 6 January 2023, have not received a reply.

Letters of Complaint have been sent to both Florida and California Attorneys General, as well as to the Better Business Bureau. I encourage anyone experiencing the same to file formal complaints. Viking should not be permitted to retain money from their customers, paid prior to announcing their covid policies, when those customers are not able to comply with those policies.

I want Viking to honour its Guest Cancellation Schedule and reimburse the $15,640.19 (Canadian) my husband and I paid for the Italian Sojourn cruise scheduled for May 15, 2023.  

Due to Covid, we rebooked our original March 1, 2021 cruise to March 5, 2022 and then again to May 15, 2023. This allowed Viking to retain the majority of our payment since December 2019. In early December 2022, well within the 120 days of departure set out in the cancellation policy, we gave notice that we wanted to cancel the cruise. Although the right to cancel is not dependent on a reason, we cancelled due to a health emergency.  

Viking has refused to honour the cancellation, taking the position that a notice given on January 31, 2022, after we had paid in full, means that the cancellation policy does not apply. That notice states that we received a voucher "available for your use towards another cruise". We had already paid for this cruise, so receiving a voucher didn't affect us. Nothing in this notice refers to the cancellation policy at all. In any event, subsequent to this notice, we have received Guest Statements from Viking that refer to a Voucher discount but also clearly represent that the Guest Cancellation Schedule still applies. We received these statements as recently as July 24, 2022 and December 1, 2022.

Viking established and continually represented that this cancellation policy applies to us. Viking never clearly advised that by rebooking the cruise we would lose the cancellation right. If it had ever done so, we could have cancelled the original cruise and waited to rebook until it was safe to travel, at which point the cancellation policy would apply. Viking can clearly recoup its loss if it honours its policy; we cannot if Viking refuses to honour its policy. 

We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50)

Viking offered us to support the company and not get a refund if we accepted a voucher of 125%

We said yes. Then when operations started again, we decided to book a cruise to sail November 2021

At the time we booked, vaccines were not a requirement. Later after giving our deposit (another $8,000) we found out that Vaccines become a requirement to sail.

My husband and I, both for health reasons can not get the vaccines and Viking to this time has been holding our money ($11,367.50) for 3 years (going to the 4th) even when we have requested several times and even hired an attorney to get our money back.

When we booked the 2nd cruise, no one told us that we will loose our chance to get a refund.

We never sign or agree to sail with vaccines passport as requirement.

No one respond our emails or our attorney except a woman name Enedina Castillo that behaves like an iron wall to talk to anyone else. This matter has not been properly escalated to the legal department.

Our time is running off to recover our money and we can not travel due the vaccines requirements and the only absurd respond that we get is to transfer our vouchers.

We are extremely disappointed of Viking Cruises after we decided to support the company. They just decided to keep our hard earning money.

We want our money back since we will never met the requirements to sail and we never agree to those requirements. Our attorney had review the contract, emails and fine prints and Viking is breaching a contract. What Viking is doing is illegal

I booked the flight through Viking to a Christmas market river cruise. My bag didn't make it. About 20 poeple's bag on the flight didn't make it. What does Viking do — Nothing. They have a working relationship with Lufthansa but insist the flight has nothing to do with them, That is a strong cop out. The guest services lady said well you can complain at the end of the cruise and shrugged her shoulders multiple times.

The kicker to me is when I filled out a lost bag form with Lufthansa, the people who accept the problem with Lufthansa have the name and phone number of a local Viking representative (in Munich). If they have enough trouble with bags on Lufthansa, they maybe should reconsider booking with Lufthansa. That OR maybe have some available clothing for ability to go shopping at the port and/or reimburse for the problem. Nope the "guest services" (she was of no service to me), shrugged her shoulders and after 2 days offered a scratchy robe and cardboard slippers as (in her mind) fair compensation. Only after I loudly complained did she agree to have my laundry done with express service. I will not pay that bill. And no longer consider Viking cruise/

We booked a cruise in 2019 to sail early in 2020. The cruise was cancelled due the pandemic ($11,367.50)

Viking offered us to support the company and not get a refund if we accepted a voucher of 125%

We said yes. Then when operations started again, we decided to book a cruise to sail November 2021

At the time we booked, vaccines were not a requirement. Later after giving our deposit (another $8,000) we found out that Vaccines become a requirement to sail.

My husband and I, both for health reasons can not get the vaccines and Viking to this time has been holding our money ($11,367.50) for 3 years (going to the 4th) even when we have requested several times and even hired an attorney to get our money back.

When we booked the 2nd cruise, no one told us that we will loose our chance to get a refund.

We never sign or agree to sail with vaccines passport as requirement.

No one respond our emails or our attorney except a woman name Enedina Castillo that behaves like an iron wall to talk to anyone else. This matter has not been properly escalated to the legal department.

Our time is running off to recover our money and we can not travel due the vaccines requirements and the only absurd respond that we get is to transfer our vouchers.

We are extremely disappointed of Viking Cruises after we decided to support the company. They just decided to keep our hard earning money.

We want our money back since we will never met the requirements to sail and we never agree to those requirements

This is my second complaint.. I just read a similar complaint on this platform.. and viking responded with contact [protected]@viking.com... I did that only to hear the same responces that they had already given me... after serval tense phone calls they agreed to take it to the "BOARD".. They came back with a goodwill gesture of a little less than 50% credit.. they wanted an answer right away.. I asked for time.. gave me 48 hours... they called and I asked for more time and after a little tense conversation.. I told them I needed more time.. gave me until this tuesday.. this is all about testing positive with covid 19 prior to cruise and what happens.. plwease read page 10 section f in booking terms and conditions... clearly states that we will be denied embarkation with positive covid 19 test.. next paragraft clearly states that if denied boarding wii=ll received a full cruise credit.. William Forsythe [protected]... [protected]@msn.com

The problem started as soon as we arrived at the airport in Istanbul. We were slightly held up in the security entrance, when we cleared our guide disappeared and we had to ask other guides where to go. We found her at the check in baggage area. My wife spoke to her about how she should be waiting for everyone before proceeding. Once we arrived, we boarded the bus and were taken to the open museum. The crowds were very large. We are senior citizens, and my wife is a little slower in moving. By the time she got to the entrance, the group had gone in and she was stranded outside, I alerted the guide to the situation and she hesitantly came to the gate to let her in. In leaving the open aire museum we all met outside. Again the guide rushed off and was nowhere to be found. We asked another group for directions to the bus. The leader allowed us to join their group and she led us to the buses. When we arrived at the hotel, by the time we got off the bus, the group has disappeared. 6 of us were stranded not knowing where to go. Finally a husband of one the stranded guests came and found us and directed us to the lobby. The lobby was a steep climb especially for seniors. By the time we arrived at the lobby the rooms had been given out. Our room was right at the bottom, meaning we had to climb 68 stairs to get to breakfast, dinner and the lobby. Apparently there was a shuttle, but we were not informed of it, and were not told how to contact it. The other 4 people who were stranded with us changed groups. The next day we went to the underground city which again was very crowded. Our guide told us that we could expect to stay in a crouched position for an extended period. Both of us are seniors, and overweight, this was not an option so we decided not to go in. Our friends who were on the same trip, told us that their guide took them to another underground city where there were no crowds. As we were leaving the next day, the plane was delayed 2 hours and so we missed the panoramic tour of the city. We were planning to take the panoramic tour of Istanbul while we were on the cruise but decided against that as it was supposedly included with this When we arrived in Istanbul, once again the guide rushed off, and fellow group members stayed behind to direct us,

This was the worst tour we were ever a part of, we were not adequately informed by Viking about what to expect as to steep hills, crouched position, etc. The trip leader should never be hired to deal with seniors

Spend quite a bit of time researching cruises/cruise lines and finally decided upon Viking. Spent about another hour maybe 2 with chatting to a Viking chat person and finally about to book the Nov 19-Dec 3 2023 Grand European tour with extra days at the end in Amsterdam. So excited as I've wanted to do this trip for Years. The very last thing your employee said to me is that the Passengers have to be VAXXED before the cruise date! What?

This is an ABOMINATION that you are forcing passengers to get a shot that: 1. Contains graphene oxide a bioweapon. 2. Contains PEG which is Antifreeze. 3. Alters your DNA. 4. Doesn't Prompt a healthy immune response AT ALL! 5. Seasonal flu is 99.6% survival, covID is 99.8% survival, so duh, another strain of flu. 6. Here is a basic MATH problem that nobody can refute. 330,000,000 people in the US at 99.8% survival means only 2/10 of 1% will die (.002) So here is the MATH. 330,000,000 x.002 = 1/660,000 will die. To put this into perspective how miniscule this is - What are my Odds dying by a Meteor or Lightening? 1/250,000. Signed a former scientist with medical certifications.

Viking ocean cruise Empires of the Mediterranean, Oct 29, booking 6173397

Viking cruise ship and service was fine but their logistics were not good. Viking never bothered to get us seat assignments for our return flight even though we booked two years in advance. KLM over booked the flight and denied us boarding and told us we had to get our Denied boarding penalty fee via Viking. Viking said that their low discount fares are exempt from EU overbook rules. They stranded us for a day until a flight became available. Viking accepted no responsibility and refused to offer compensation. I was able to get KLM to pay us the denied boarding penalty fee. Given Vikings very high price, I would try another cruise line.

My wife and I booked a river cruise (6918899) on viking for november 30th flying out of new york on the 29th.. We both tested positive for covid on the 26th.. Called viking and also emailed them letting them know... Was told to take photo of positive test results which I did.. But they said no credit because we didnt have insurance.. I called customer service on the 28th and also the next couple of days.. Spoke to a supervisor named annette (sorry for the spelling) and denied my request for a credit.. She said we were not denied embarkcation..According to her we would have had to fly to europe and try to board and then we would have qualified for credit... Crazy... After checking vikings booking andsale terms and conditions page 10 section f.. It clearly states that if we tested positive for covid 14 days prior to cruise we would be denied to embark.. Next paragraph states we would get a credit.. I tried several times to inform customer service of this.. But they just keep saying my claim was denied.. Please help me straighten this out...

In 2019 I made reservations for Australia and NewZealand. It was completely paid for and then got cancelled in 2020 due to covid. It then was automatically renewed by viking, and resheduled again for 2021, cancelled and resheduled again for 2022. BUT a vaccine is required now. We will not be taking this vaccine. So I have, after 3 years of viking having our money, am asking for a refund. Now I am told, viking will give me 2 years more to take this trip. BUT are still asking for the vaccine shot. This does me absolutely no good what so ever. And if I dont rebook, viking is telling me that I will forfeit my money! Im sorry but this is not satisfactory at all. I want my money back after all this time. I dont feel that after waiting 3 years and then being forced to take a shot to go on a trip is right. If their customers want it this way then fine, I understand, but give the people who do not want this shot, their money back. I would go this 2022 trip except they wont let me because of the shot. Therefore I am asking for my money back.

When we booked a Paris to Normandy trip Viking had a risk free guarantee, which I mistakenly thought covered this trip, but because we’d originally booked it in 2019 for 2020 and rescheduled it for 2021 because of Covid, and which they again cancelled we rolled it over to the Norway Northern Lights trip we took in February. We scheduled the Paris trip while on that ship, and unbeknownst to me it wasn’t covered. I did not buy the trip insurance because of all the complaints about how little it covers. 7 days before the cruise my husband had emergency surgery for a detached retina and could not fly for at least 2 weeks, and I contracted Covid, but Viking refuses to give us the majority of our money back even with doctors' notes. They also refused to just let us change the dates. We are previous customers having sailed twice before, and we had a 4th trip booked in May. I have since canceled it due to this poor treatment. The Paris to Normandy Booking Number is 6668316

We booked the Rhine river cruise with Viking prior to COVID for our honeymoon. Because of COVID, we had to cancel the cruise, and received a voucher from Viking. We used our voucher prior to the expiration of the voucher, to book a cruise for March of 2023. We were informed by the booking person at Viking that we could change the date as necessary for as long of period of time, even years down the road. We were never verbally informed when booking that the actual voucher would expire even if we rebooked again. I specifically mentioned this scenario when I used the voucher and we were told as long as it was 120 days before departure we could rebook using our voucher. This was told to me by two separate employees. Viking refused to admit to us that we were misinformed, and did not apologize, but their policy will not change. I even requested they review the phone call and they refused. They are just taking the thousands of dollars we gave them from us and we are getting nothing in return. They refuse to let us rebook with the voucher and actually suggested if we want to rebook we would have to pay them all over again. This is insulting and is clearly bait and switch type behavior. We were given misinformation by their employee, to which their supervisor stated that verbal statements do not count. I believe this policy and practice is clearly unfair and rather reckless.

I brought 5 other couples to Viking Cruises and they "rewarded" me with a $100 per couple incentive to use prior to the projected cruise. I was not able to use $300 of this due to their unfair policies. Unbeknownst to me, the $500 could only be used by me only. Though my wife and I were in the same cabin, it didn't matter, I could only use it in my name only. I couldn't share it with my wife or purchase anything that involved the room/cabin because both parties had to purchase the offer (gratuities, drink package, etc). So even though I had this money to use, I couldn't without paying extra money for my wife. They would move the money to be a shipboard credit either. Really unfair and deceptive. I asked them to just move 1/2 over to my wife, and they would not do that either. I would hope that they would reach out and present a satisfactory solution, but all I got was hung up on when asked to speak with a supervisor. Pretty poor customer relations.

My husband was always dreaming to take a Grand European Tour with Viking River Cruises and in 2019 we booked the cruise that was set to sail in April 2020. Due to Covid pandemic our cruise got cancelled. We were issued the vouchers that had an expiration date October 2022.

We are not in a good health. I am on disability and my husband has heart problems that resulted in a heart attack very recently. We couldn't possibly sail in 2022 and were looking for the same cruise we originally booked but for 2024.

But schedule was not available yet.

Booking number: 6906981

On July 10th, 2022 my husband called Viking to inquire when the schedule becomes available. A sales representative Nick M. took the call and told us that schedule wouldn't be available most likely till January 2023. "But this is not a problem at all" - he said, because all we need is to make a booking for any date, just as a placeholder. He was assertive and very confident, pushy and eager to make the booking. This 'placeholder booking' means nothing he assured us. It will take of the expiring vouchers and the booking can be changed with no problem whatsoever once a schedule for 2024 becomes available. Nick said he would monitor the schedule and will alert us the very day it comes out. He will call us immediately - he said. Had we known that he was a liar... but we trusted Viking River Cruises and couldn't imagine that anything goes to make a sale and earn the commissions. We were dead wrong. Not only that he never called, but when we saw the schedule and called him, he didn't pick up and we were connected with a customer service representative who said that change is not possible at all because vouchers have expired and we now have to sail on the date of this placeholder booking. We were shocked. Service representative escalated our complaint that we were misinformed, tricked, lied to, defrauded - because we cannot sail on that date, we are not healthy and can't sail in the fall or 2023! But our plea was denied. Nick called finally, apologized and said that he 'misread the rules', misunderstood the rules and this isn't a big deal (his attitude). Really, what is a big deal here? He made the commissions, we will not sail and lose 14,000 dollars. Not a problem for him at all. But it is for us. We were routed to resolution manager who was extremely obnoxious, rude, disrespectful, wasn't listening to the issue, saying 'yes, ok, sales rep make a mistake, mistakes do happen. But there is nothing we can do, your vouchers have expired'. I can't believe such people are employed by Viking. It appears that Viking selects worst of the worst for their workforce. My husband got upset and very sick right after which is what happens with heart patients due to stress. He is currently sick, stays in bed, can't work and I need to take him to the cardiologist to make sure that this stress is not going to result in a second heart attack that might be fatal. This should have not happened. Viking resolution manager is responsible for that.

I called later again and now our cursed booking is again escalated to the management.

Why are we paying for wrongdoings of pushy sales of Viking sales rep Nick M.? Paying with our health and our hard earned $14,000? How arrogant, irresponsible that is on Viking part? Is this is a pleasant experience for which we paid so much money? It is a shame that Viking operates in this matter.

My husband and I were to fly out to begin our cruise on the 17th of November 2022. My husband started feeling sick 3 or 4 days before our departure so we both were tested for COVID as a precaution. On the 16th of November my husband received a positive result for his COVID test and by that time he was really not feeling well. I called the Viking customer service line @ 7:55 pm Eastern standard time. I explained the situation to the young lady and she told me that we would loose all of our discounts and cruise fees. I asked her about the COVID Claus in the Passenger contract in addition to the COVID rules. The young lady told me that they only applied if we were denied boarding on the cruise. I questioned this.. I asked her if, I understood what she was saying was that I needed to take a knowingly sick COVID person on an airplane full of people (exposing them all to the COVID iris) go to the final destination, expose everyone between the airport and the ship with COVID, and only if the crew noticed that my husband was sick and turned us away would we be allowed to re schedule our travel for a later time? The young lady simply said yes. I asked if she understood what she was saying and she said it does sound strange but that is Vikings policy..

I read through all viking policy’s and regulations again, and they clearly state that we are to notify Viking of a positive COVID test before travel. I called viking again thinking maybe the first young woman was mistaken. All was explained again to another representative ant the first thing out of their mouth was that I will loose all of my money. I asked specifically about the COVID policy. She read through it with me and she understood what I was asking. I was put on hold, 20 min later she came back saying her supervisor was calling her supervisor. Finally 35 min later the original representative came back on telling me that the COCID clause only applied if you had travel insurance. No where does it say that this clause is dependent on travel insurance. Then it was that even though it says to notify before travel, that meant travel on the River vessel, therefore we would need to fly to the vessel to notify them so they could turn us away. I explained again how reckless this policy was and we were trying to do the right thing and they wanted us to intentionally put others in danger. They said no they didn’t want that. Well then how can we reschedule our cruise for a later date and they said sorry you can’t, you loose all vouchers and cruise fairs. Totaling over $8000. We saved a very long time to save money to go on this trip and because of some double talk and hazardous policies Viking took all of our money, after we followed all of the policies and contract requirements that we signed. Do those contracts only apply to the people paying and not to the people receiving the money? I want an answer!