Northbound Atlantic: "VIKING EMPIRE" (Istanbul-Stockholm), Southbound Atlantic: "PASSAGE THROUGH WESTERN EUROPE" (Bergen-Barcelona), "SCANDINAVIA TO SPAIN" (Stockholm-Barcelona). Explorers Lounge (Decks 5-6, bow-facing) is 2-deck, circular-shaped, glass-covered and walled indoor observation lounge with wraparound windows. The 12-day itinerary incorporates 7-day cruising on Nile River and starts with a 3-night hotel stay in Cairo and tours to iconic attractions like Grand Egyptian Museum, Great Pyramids of Giza, Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Viking canceled all 2021 Ukraine river cruises early in April 2021, much earlier than some of their other river or ocean cruises. The company plans to add cruise ships on Mississippi River (USA). As part of new measures, Austria has paused leisure travel . You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By I'm not disappointed, just a bit disappointed in Viking's communications of a loyal 9 cruises and two more upcoming customer. Nowadays, Viking manages the world's largest fleet of river cruise vessels, ever. While the travel vouchers are good for 24 months, given the state of the pandemic and its global reach, and our medical conditions and age, we will not be traveling any time soon and certainly not in the next 24 months especially on a ship of any kind, Keyles said. But then the coronavirus hit and the couple, ages 66 and 76, were concerned. For the ex-Malta season, Viking partnered with Lufthansa (Deutsche Lufthansa AG - Germany's largest airline) to offer non-stop Transatlantic flights between New Jersey USA (Newark Liberty Airport) and Malta Airport, exclusively for Viking OCEAN customers. In late June, Keyles got a call from a Viking representative who said he would be reviewing the case. Will Viking River Cruises Be Cancelled? VIKING RIVER (European boats) restarted in July 2021 (Rhine-Douro-France rivers), VIKING's Egypt boat (Ra) - in August. VIKING OCEAN operates a 10-ship fleet of newbuilds (identically designed vessels). Viking's Nile River cruisetour is themed "Pharaohs and Pyramids". Unless something changed, the answer is yes - must be used on a single cruise. Viking EXPEDITIONS summer 2023 season includes a new 2-week itinerary in the Great Lakes along with additional offers in North & South America. Another exclusive partnership was signed with Cornell Lab of Ornithology (unit of Ithaca NY's Cornell University) which specializes in global bird research. That didn't seem. Itineraries include "In Search of the Northern Lights", "Into the Midnight Sun", "British Isles Explorer" and "Viking Homelands". The first boat (Viking Mississippi) starts operations in August 2022. 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.. Offering 125% FCC. Weird that you read this on the website before getting an email as the update says those affected were notified. Fingers crossed that it will all work out in the end. I had to cancel due to ill health and provided over five months notice. Next official video reviews Viking's Longship cruise experience. On November 23, Disney . Similarly named is the Finland-based cruiseferry company VIKING LINE (1959-founded). Which means that some passengers will change ship and date. Viking's Arctic cruises (to Svalbard Islands and Arctic Russia) are roundtrips from homeport Tromso Norway and priced from USD 14,000 per person (double-occupancy balcony cabin). In Australia, P&O Australia has suspended sailings until at least March 4, 2021, with Pacific Explorer cancelled until March 4 and Pacific Adventure up until April 30, 2021. Viking Ocean and River is currently operating all upcoming scheduled itineraries. (We paid for Air+) I am really unhappy with Viking. Patience. This relaxation area has 1 hot tub, sauna room, heated ceramic loungers, therapeutic showers, salt-water thermal pool. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The good news is there are a lot excellent choices available to use your 125%. The mid-pool has indoor-outdoor swimming experience. The company-exclusive online TV channel provides enrichment content and real-time video streaming from worldwide locations. As you consider your travel plans, we invite you to explore our expandedWelcome Backofferings as an alternative.". In 2023, celebrating the company's 25th anniversary, Viking EXPEDITIONS offers "Longitudinal World Cruise I". The funding helped the company's growth, particularly on the ocean cruising market, and also strengthened its balance sheet as it branched into China (since 2016). The longer/71-day itinerary visits 33 ports (10 countries, 3 continents). I then e-mailed Tell us at Viking, had a very pleasant conversation and she sd she would e-mail operations. The 136-day itinerary visits 56 ports in 27 countries, with 11 port city overnights and 3x new for Viking cruise ports (Phillip Island Victoria Australia, Eden NSW Australia, Yangon Burma). 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 Mediterranean itineraries are themed as: In November 2018, Viking announced an 11-day itinerary named "Greek Odyssey". Of course, this is the US website. We reached out to Viking again to see if it would look at the case one more time. In early 2018 was announced, that the Viking Cruises company raised USD 975 million through a private placement of USD 275 million (5,875% secured notes due in 2027) plus USD 675 million (5% secured notes due in 2028). Signature destinations include Central America, Panama Canal transit, USA West Coast, Hawaii, Transpacific crossing to New Zealand and Australia, Asia, Middle East, Suez Canal transit to Europe (Mediterranean) and the UK. Their claim was denied and the couple let Viking know. All Viking Cruises Longships are named after Norse mythology gods and entities. Ship's expedition equipment is provided complimentary and to all passengers (regardless of cabin category). 2/3s of Longship's cabins are with French balconies, verandas, or both. Cruise tourists then fly to Luxor to visit Karnak and the Temples of Luxor before boarding the Viking cruise ship for a 7-night Nile cruise to Aswan and back. . Date. The new company's fleet currently includes only Viking Sun (Zhao-Shang-Yi-Dun) but will be expanded by adding China-made newbuilds in the following years. We are bookedon the Viking Kari Aug 25th Paris to Normandy sail. 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. It is expected to allow passengers to explore the Aegean Sea's ancient empires of antiquity during the quiet season. The lounge has floor-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows (providing 270-degree unobstructed views) and an outdoor deck seating (Finse Terrace). CC Help Jenn By Funky Fusion FoodsJ, November 19, 2021 in River Cruising. Viking OCEAN's main competitor on the European market is MSC Explora Journeys. "Viking World Cruise 2019" prices started from USD 90,000 per person (with double occupancy). Also my flight went from ticketed to pending. Viking Neptune itinerary program was announced by VIKING OCEAN in late-December 2020. If you have paid in full, the amount will be issued in the . Powered by Invision Community. Viking's expedition fleet will operate mainly polar cruises - in the European Arctic (Svalbard Islands and Arctic Russia, roundtrips from homeport Tromso Norway) and Antarctica (roundtrips are from homeport Ushuaia Argentina, with fly-cruise packages from Buenos Aires / included an overnight hotel stay prior departure and return flights). Viking's longship fleet totals 65 boats, delivered in the period 2012-2021. I just pulled my Viking folder and on 6-25 (a month ago I was rudely dismissed by a Viking rep). 8-day "Heart of the Delta" from New Orleans to Memphis. The Rhine cruise program includes a shipboard overnight in Amsterdam and 3 days (2 shipboard overnights) in Basel with Lake Lucerne tour. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Travelers looking for an extended experience in the region are able to choose longer versions of the itinerary, such as: In September 2020, Viking introduced a new (2023 itinerary) - the 29-day "Baltic Jewels And The Midnight Sun" from London UK to Stockholm Sweden via Norway, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Sweden. Cruise fares start from around USD 4,300 pp. Our August 9th British isles Explorer cruise (which was supposed to be on the Venus) has obviously been canceled. Starting operations in 2022 with 1 ship (out of all 6 planned newbuilds), Viking's USA-based river cruise ships will be 5-deck, with all-balcony staterooms, aft-located infinity pool, bow ramp (for passenger landings). In 2000 Viking enlarged into the US market by establishing company's US headquarters in Los Angeles, California. On March 22, 2015, Amsterdam (Holland) witnessed the naming ceremony of 12 longships. We took advantage of that thinking it was the only offer we would get. Fares started from USD 45000 per person with double occupancy. Our August 9th British isles Explorer cruise (which was supposed to be on the Venus) has obviously been canceled. I usually praise Viking but I think they should definitely offer a "lift and shift" maintaining the same price for a similar cruise to that which they have cancelled. It could be true for the Main and I think they intend it also for the Elbe. 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. The 138-day itinerary visited ports in 28 countries (total 58 ports) with overnights in 11 port cities. 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. Replacing the biodegradable oils, the water is being directly discharged into the sea. Award-winning Viking Longships. So I will have a look tomorrow. And I hope it is a good answer for you. By 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Viking Shores and Fjords - SEPT 2021 - Cancelled? Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Cabin sizes vary between 21 m2 (Nordic Balcony / French Balcony) and 114 m2 (Owner Suite with 73 m2 Terrace Garden). Owned & operated fleet, with the best docking locations in Europe. Due to the Coronavirus crisis, Viking Cruises suspended passenger shipping operations fleetwide by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 12, 2020, through July 2021. Next is the company's 25th Anniversary video released in 2022 and presented by Torstein Hagen - Viking Cruises' Founder, President and CEO. Prices start at US$11,000 per person with discounted airfare. By. It was to be on the Alruna from Basel to Amst. Fosse's cruise and land tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19. This is ourfourth attempt at this cruise! I hope you get an answer from Viking very soon. Keyles said she expected it would not be approved because they were not sick at the time of the planned travel. I still have not received their e-mail, I expect it will be in a day or two, so I will have to work with it and figure out how to shift the two weeks worth of hotel rooms and the Avalon cruise on Dec. 9. In earlier months, the dates change, but always the same day of the week, i.e. They additionally include hotel stays in a variety of cities, mainly in Shanghai and Beijing. The final balance is due based on offer at (14-nights) "Mediterranean Explorer" (visits 5 countries, included 12 land tours). Our Viking cruise embarkation was delayed by 2 days, shortening our trip from 12 to 10 days. Viking is bringing back river cruises to Europe in July. 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. However, as a business decision, it was the right move---just not done in a customer friendly way. 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. Yes, you must use the entire voucher on one cruise -- and you must use it before you sail for cruise fare, gratutities, shorex or drinks package. Viking's Panama Canal cruises are on Viking Star. Multiple sailing dates are available in November 2022; additional sailing dates are available in January-June and October-December 2023 and 2024. They are doing what all the other lines seem to be doing; consolidating their cruises. The sailings are with fly-cruise packages inclusive of two domestic flights (Cairo-Luxor-Cairo). He started in 1997 by purchasing four Russian vessels. Viking emailed Mar 2 2020 offering a voucher for the 75% cancellation fee those on cruises in Apr. Viking named two more ships in Oporto (Portugal) on March 21. While in port, passengers can walk the waterfront promenade with its many restaurants and cafes, or head outside the port city to the remains of the Macedonian kingdom of Alexander the Great. I am expecting an email any time that my trip is canceled or moved to another ship. Yes, we are booked on the Mani, Basel to Amsterdam December 3rd. MS Steigenberger Omar El Khayam (Lake Nasser, Egypt) is a Steigenberger-owned ship operated by Viking under a charter. As part of the event, the Travelers hoping to enjoy a holiday voyage instead found themselves stranded off the Australian coast due to a fungus outbreak onboard Viking OCEAN's Townsville QLD (Queensland Australia) welcomed its first major cruise ship in 2+ years after Viking Cruises' ship Viking Orion visited the Port last 1 person died and 4 were injured after a giant wave broke several glass panels of an Antarctic Viking Cruises ship that was sailing south of Cape Viking Ocean Cruises announced it is taking US$1.5 billion in financing on 4 ships. In August 2020, Viking Cruises opened for sale two new Panama Canal itineraries - 18-day "Panama Canal and Coastal Holiday" (departing December 24, 2021) and 11-day "Classic Panama Canal Passage" (departing November 6 and 16, 2021, and visiting Key West, Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan, San Jose, Colon). However, the process is slowed due to issues regarding the so-called "Jones Act" (Merchant Marine Act from 1920). Wallem China (part of Wallem Group) has a network of 28 offices across Asia, of which 8 are in China, The shipping agency handles annually over 500 cruise ship calls. 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. The cruise line announced the return of select itineraries in Portugal, France and . Multiple sailing dates are available in August and September 2023 and 2024. Started August 27, 2021, By Posted elsewhere, but we received our official cancellation email this am from Viking for our Oct 4 Trade Routes Bergen to Barcelona. The itinerary includes 3 new ports of call for the cruise line: Nafplio, Volos and Thessaloniki in Greece, as well as a visit to Ephesus marking Viking's return to Turkey. . The VIKING cruise travel brand was officially inaugurated on August 5, 1997. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Powered by Invision Community. The new channel also livestream sessions with various guests (experts, scientists, celebrities) and allows real-time interaction by submitting comments and questions. Call us at 800-454-0927 to speak to a Cruise Concierge today. These riverboats are also chartered by other major European lines, like AmaWaterways, Avalon, and Uniworld. Most passenger staterooms (189 total) are with French balconies, excluding only Deck 6's Suites (OS-Owner, ES-Explorer). We reached out to the company to ask it to reconsider, especially because some of its customers did indeed receive full refunds. Signature destinations include Beagle Channel (Glacier Alley) and Drake Passage, Cape Horn, Half Moon Island, Deception Island (Whalers Bay), Brown Bluff, Wiencke Island (Damoy Point), Lemaire Channel, Petermann Island, Cuverville Island, Neko Harbor (Antarctic Peninsula). Your booking is currently locked for updates. Fleetwide operations were planned to resume on October 1, 2020. Viking's website shows a concerning pattern of "sold out" cruises that were not there a few days ago. The boats are constructed by the Norwegian shipbuilder VARD (subsidiary of Fincantieri Italy). Could all be perfectly benign, may not be. Paid for a cruise in Nov 2021 for an Oct 2022 cruise . Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey is among the world's best-preserved cities of antiquity. One thing that isn't clear to me is if you must use all of the voucher on a single cruise. Journey with the world's #1 river cruise line. The ship design features several spacious open-deck areas, including Promenade Deck and bow-located Observation Deck (forward on Lounge Deck). Viking Cruises' Risk-Free Guarantee Policy NEW [Temporary] Policy: The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departure?and Viking will waive any fees. Viking Cruises also partnered with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). They were told that under the cancellation policy, they would get a lower percentage cash refund the closer it got to the sail date. In 2016-Q3, Viking Flusskreuzfahrten AG terminated the charter deals with Pericon AG (shipowner) and stopped to operate the riverboats Viking Spirit (now Seine Comtesse), Viking Sun (now Rhein Melodie), Viking Helvetia (now Rhein Symphonie), Viking Pride (now Bijou du Rhone) and Viking Danube (now Filia Rheni 2). "Modified" longships are smaller in size. Just looked at the new Malta and Adriatic sailings. This technology lowers the vessel's maintenance costs and also the risk of sea pollution. VIKING OCEAN's 8-month long westbound voyage (officially named "Ultimate World Cruise") included a Transatlantic crossing (RepositionCruises.com) and passing through Suez Canal. The slower growth was partially related to the reduced demand for cruises in Russia. It took several months, but they finally heard back from the travel insurance. Plus the refunds went on as a voucher which had to be used before we boarded!! @rcaruso, sorry your cruise is cancelled. Viking River Cruises holds 1/2 of North America's market. The London City (Port Greenwich) roundtrip itinerary was officially listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's "longest continuous passenger cruise". VIKING OCEAN restarted operations on May 22, 2021, with Viking Venus (UK from Portsmouth England). The liners will be developed by VARD Design (Norway) with hulls constructed in Romania (. Among the vessels' innovative marine technologies are energy-saving hybrid engines, top-deck solar panels, pollution-minimizing exhaust systems. Thoughts? Cornell Lab's ornithologists are also always present on the ship to interact with the passengers. I am sure I will get the dreaded e-mail today or tomorrow. 15-day Ancient Adriatic Treasures, sailing between, 15-day Ancient Mediterranean Antiquities, sailing between, 22-day Iconic Mediterranean Treasures, sailing between. CC Help Jenn Viking Mississippi - As of January 23, 2023 Due to damage from substantial river debris to the Viking Mississippi 's propulsion system, the ship will undergo repairs requiring the cancellation of upcoming departures. In mid-July 2020, Viking Ocean announced the company's "Viking World Cruise 2021-2022" planned for MS Viking Star. Oh, sorry to read that. But on Mar 11 (9 days later), a notice on Viking site stating all cruises cancelled and offering full refund or 125% voucher and refund if not used in 2 years. I have a bad feeling.if you do a search for cruises in August only 3 itineraries come up (2 of which are transoceanic). Im going to be nit-picky about this. Its always still sailinguntil its cancelled. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By Please try again later. " Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Viking's 7th ocean ship (Viking Venus) joined the fleet in 2021, with an inaugural season in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Viking Cruises Ltd (shipowner) is the parent company of Viking Flusskreuzfahrten AG (Viking River Cruises) as well as of KD Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt GmbH, which is subsidiary of Koln-Dusseldorfer (aka KD Cruises, fka KD Line). Viking River Cruises deals include staterooms, onboard dining, most cultural activities, most shore excursions. No one expects to have to cancel a cruise. These ships also use seawater as a lubricant for their propeller shaft bearings. Wehad been locked out of MVJ for several days prior to this. In Fall 2016, Viking became the first European river cruise company offering itineraries on dedicated to Chinese tourists riverboats. China Merchants Viking Cruises' General Manager is Wu Wei. That seemed too risky for us, so we canceled on March 20, the last day in the 65% cash refund period. In 2013, the company launched its new brand "Viking Ocean Cruises". Voyages aboard the Viking Sea are roundtrips from Piraeus-Athens and begin January 2021. All of these really long ships have the same/hybrid engine powerplant. Got the email from Viking on our Aug 25th, 2021 Paris to Normandy. That didnt seem fair, Keyles said. Viking is the only cruise line to have a full PCR testing labratory onboard. 2021 Mediterranean cruises start in September while any river cruise I checked still starts in July. 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). Just in case someone is wondering: low water does not normally happen in December on the Rhine. In the period 2011-2015, the company spent USD 600+ million on promotions. Disappointed with Viking Cruises cancellation policy. In October 2018 was announced as a potential start-up (with Mississippi-based boats) the year 2021. Viking Ocean Ships Currently Sailing: Viking Jupiter Viking Orion Viking Mars Viking Neptune Viking Saturn Viking Sea Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Venus In March 2021 were delivered Egdir and Gymir - the last longships on order with Neptun Werft. 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. Viking's Longitudinal World Cruises include chartered domestic flights in Argentina (between Ushuaia and Buenos Aires). Note: "Longship" is a new patented ship design. Here you can compare all Viking cruise ships (RIVER, OCEAN, EXPEDITIONS) and their itineraries, destinations, and departure dates. The KD purchase included an extremely valuable asset - the landing stages, and now Viking Cruises owns docks in more cities in Europe than it stops in. On January 11, Norwegian Cruise Line informed passengers that near-term sailings on additional ships would be canceled, primarily for departures over the next two weeks (details below). During the 2015 christening, 8 longships were in Amsterdam. Viking Polaris Current cruise: 13 days, one-way from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso-Santiago Viking Expeditions Tracker Itineraries Deck plans Accidents Viking Neptune Current cruise: 137 days, one-way from Fort Lauderdale to London-Tilbury Viking Ocean Tracker Itineraries Deck plans Viking Mars Current cruise: 14 days, one-way from Sydney to Auckland Could be US only, as we have no itineraries listed under Welcome Back. Fleetwide operations were planned to resume on October 1, 2020. CruiseMapper provides you with free-of-charge schedules with listed cheapest ticket prices per person per itinerary. The new domestic travel brand (China Coastal Cruise Project) was scheduled for inauguration in 2021-Q1 with Viking Sun - transferred to the joint venture (news 8277). Keyles reminded the representative of the promise she had in writing from the other agent said about working with them on a cash settlement instead of the vouchers. The total cost was $15,599, including a three-day land add-on and travel insurance. Next is the Viking Yangtze River (China) cruise itinerary map that shows all ports locations (along Yangtze River) as well as the domestic flight connections (Beijing-Xian-Chongqing and Shanghai-Wuhan).