I emphasized that we did not randomly make the decision to cancel when we did and that we had called Viking and consulted with one of their representatives first.. This technology lowers the vessel's maintenance costs and also the risk of sea pollution. On May 17, 2013, the company announced the launch of its "Viking Ocean" division. 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. Beginning on March 17, 2014, Viking christened 16 new boats over a 24-hour period, again setting an industry record. 44-day "From the Arctic to Antarctica" (from Tromso to Ushuaia), 19-day "Antarctic and South America Discovery" (from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro), 18-day "South America and Antarctic Discovery" (from Rio de Janeiro to Ushuaia), 15-day and 13-day "Antarctic Adventure" (from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia), 15-day "Atlantic and Equator Sojourn" (from Cork to Rio de Janeiro), 13-day "Arctic Adventure" (roundtrip from Tromso Norway), 13-day "Viking's Northern Isles" (from Tromso to Cork), 13-day "Canadian Discovery"(from NYC New York City to Toronto), 10-day "Caribbean Connections" (from Bridgetown to NYC New York), 8-day "Niagara and the Great Lakes" (from Toronto to Milwaukee), 8-day "Undiscovered Great Lakes" (from Thunder Bay to Milwaukee), 8-day "Great Lakes Explorer" (from Milwaukee to Thunder Bay). Baltic-UK: "BALTIC JEWELS and THE MIDNIGHT SUN" (Stockholm-London) and "INTO THE MIDNIGHT SUN" (Bergen-London). geordie_jim, May 4, 2021 in Viking Ocean. When will Viking make the next cancellation announcement? The link to new sailings doesnt work for me in the UK Does it say which ship ? 8-day "Heart of the Delta" from New Orleans to, 8-day "Southern Celebration" roundtrip from New Orleans, visiting. Explorers Bar is on Deck 5. 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". The inaugural cruise itineraries of both expedition vessels are 13-day polar voyages - one in Antarctica, the other in the European Arctic. 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). Thanks. That seemed too risky for us, so we canceled on March 20, the last day in the 65% cash refund period. On July 2, 2020, Viking Cruises announced that the new 2023 sailings of its Mississippi River cruises were on sale. (14-nights) "Mediterranean Explorer" (visits 5 countries, included 12 land tours). By Pax Global Media. 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. Couple fights to get full cash refund on $15K Viking River Cruise This is CruiseMapper's page for the three Viking Cruises subsidiary companies - the sister-brands Viking RIVER, Viking OCEAN and Viking EXPEDITIONS, their fleets (riverboats, liners, polar ships), cruisetour itineraries, destinations, homeports, cruise tracker. The voyage starts in the USA (Duluth MN) and ends in Argentina (Ushuaia), also sailing to Antarctica. 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. Of those, 6 are Longships (Einar, Sigrun, Sigyn, Tir, Ullur, Vali) plus one modified Longship design Douro River cruiser (Helgrim). 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 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. They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called Italian Sojourn, which would travel around Italys boot from Civitavecchia to Venice. And it all started in the not-so-distant 1997 with the establishment of the modest Viking River brand founded by a consortium of Scandinavian and Dutch investors, with only 4 second-hand riverboats bought in Russia. . Viking Mediterranean itineraries are themed as: In November 2018, Viking announced an 11-day itinerary named "Greek Odyssey". Viking's Nile River cruisetour is themed "Pharaohs and Pyramids". The launch platform features a 26 m (85 ft) wide rollers-covered slipway (boat ramp) that allows safe and sheltered embarkation on the RIBs inside the cruise ship. On Apr 4, 2018, Viking and VARD (Norwegian subsidiary of the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri) signed LoI (Letter of Intent) for designing and building 2 new-class ocean liners. Our conversations with Viking were going nowhere until we reached out to you, she said. Viking Ocean Cruises was voted Best Large-Ship Ocean Cruise Line by Travel + Leisure readers in the 2016 World's Best Awards. Viking river cruise itineraries range from 7 to 23 days. Replacing the biodegradable oils, the water is being directly discharged into the sea. The snow on the floor is kept at sub-freezing temperatures. Aula Auditorium provides direct access to Finse Terrace, which makes it an indoor-outdoor observation lounge. No idea about other rivers. November 29, 2021 Viking.TV Celebrates the Rhine River with Week of New Programming Read More. The company dedicated two longships, on which the primary onboard language is Mandarin. Raa Labs (via RaaEdge/digital data processing system) gathers data from Wi-Fi sensors onboard, allowing real-time monitoring. It imposes restrictions on where USA-based ships can navigate and how to be staffed. In 2017, Viking signed a sponsorship with National Geographic Society for shooting NatGeo's "Genius" (anthology series). In March 2021 were delivered Egdir and Gymir - the last longships on order with Neptun Werft. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Fingers crossed we get to go on this one. Started June 21, 2021, By Here's how to cancel or postpone a cruise due to COVID-19 - MSN 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. An Early Booking promo (for bookings made for September 30, 2021) offered USD 2000 pp (shore excursions credit), USD 1000 pp (OBC-onboard credit) plus USD 1000 pp OBC (for Viking Explorer Society/loyalty program members). Departing on December 22, 2022, from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale Florida), Viking World Voyage 2022 visits ports in Central America, follows Panama Canal transit and sailing up North America's West Coast. VIKING OCEAN's 8-month long westbound voyage (officially named "Ultimate World Cruise") included a Transatlantic crossing (RepositionCruises.com) and passing through Suez Canal. 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. We hear your concerns and have arranged for a Customer Relations Agent to connect with you directly to discuss available options for your upcoming voyage. No one expects to have to cancel a cruise. Look for a link at the bottom of this page or in our privacy policy where you can withdraw consent. The onboard cuisine is traditional Chinese (dishes prepared by Szechuan and Cantonese chefs) plus European dishes by Michelin-star chefs. Disappointed with Viking Cruises cancellation policy. In October 2017, Viking River Cruises announced a shipbuilding order for 7 new riverboats. Exceptions to this payment policy apply for cruise tours more than 35 days, including Viking's World & Grand Cruises which require a 20% deposit of the Full Fare at time of booking the cruise tour. If they have for example four pairs of ships for the Rhine Getaway, they may only sail with three pairs. 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). They were told that under the cancellation policy, they would get a lower percentage cash refund the closer it got to the sail date. Patience. Plus the refunds went on as a voucher which had to be used before we boarded!! It includes Zodiacs (military-type rigid inflatable high-speed boats used for landings and coastal cruising), 2-seater sea-kayaks, two RIB boats (12-seats each), two mini-submarines (6-passenger, with revolving seats, spherical windows / 270-degree), Expedition Kit (cold-weather boots, waterproof pants, snowshoes, trekking poles, skis, binoculars). Viking's website shows a concerning pattern of "sold out" cruises that were not there a few days ago. Aula Auditorium also doubles as Cinema, being fitted with a retractable screen (covering the entire window wall towards the stern) and latest sound and visual equipment. Viking Shores and Fjords - SEPT 2021 - Cruise Critic Community Both are privately owned and operated by Viking under a charter. Offering 125% FCC. Explorers Lounge (Decks 5-6, bow-facing) is 2-deck, circular-shaped, glass-covered and walled indoor observation lounge with wraparound windows. Viking Venus is scheduled to depart on July 22, 2023, and visit 10 countries (with 19 guided shore excursions included in the fares). Thessaloniki, Greece is the 2nd-largest city in the country and offers a mix of modern life and ancient culture. China as flag state allows the ship to visit seaports under China's cabotage rules that regulate the shipping of passengers and/or goods between two Chinese ports. 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). Prices start at US$4,400 per person with discounted airfare. Other venues include The Living Room, The Library Lounge, Auditorium Theater (Conference Room / Cinema), Expedition Central (Photography Studio / Photo Gallery / Coffee Bar), Nordic Spa Badestamp (Hot Tub Room), wellness complex (Hydrotherapy Pool, Spa Lounge, Gym, Saunas, Massage Rooms). Ten days later, on March 30, Viking announced the cruise was canceled and 100% cash refunds would be given to customers but only for those who hadn't canceled previously. 10 more were launched in 2013, and additional 18 launched in 2014 (including 2 smaller ships purpose-built for Douro River in Portugal). Company's Net revenues for FY2017 were estimated at about USD 1 billion. In January 2021, the vessel changed registry (from Norway to China) to qualify for the Chinese coasting trade. On March 22, 2015, Amsterdam (Holland) witnessed the naming ceremony of 12 longships. Prices start at US$11,000 per person with discounted airfare. By Funky Fusion FoodsJ, November 19, 2021 in River Cruising. And certainly not in the next 24 months especially on a ship of any kind, Keyles said. Date. A visit to a Nubian village is also included. Oh, sorry to read that. I'm not disappointed, just a bit disappointed in Viking's communications of a loyal 9 cruises and two more upcoming customer. Journey with the world's #1 river cruise line. These riverboats are also chartered by other major European lines, like AmaWaterways, Avalon, and Uniworld. Had a look atpossible cruises following todays cancellation and the fares seem to have increased substantially. Wehad been locked out of MVJ for several days prior to this. 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. MS Steigenberger Omar El Khayam (Lake Nasser, Egypt) is a Steigenberger-owned ship operated by Viking under a charter. It is of course for low water scenarios, I did not say that explicitly. Everybody please keep reporting. "Modified" longships are smaller in size. In China (on Yangtze River), Viking River Cruises operates under charter the large-sized boat Viking Emerald. Will Viking River Cruises Be Cancelled? - River Cruising - Cruise 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). Ms White, who had to cancel ten weeks of tours that were previously fully booked, acknowledged that there are land tours - buses that will ride cruise passengers to St George's - but said . And while the travel vouchers are good for 24 months, given the state of the pandemic, the couples medical conditions and age, they didnt think they would be traveling any time soon. Viking Cruises also partnered with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Viking named two more ships in Oporto (Portugal) on March 21. Had they waited 10 more days, they would have received the full refund. Followers 7. On 7/15 I got an email that said our cruise was going as scheduled. She called the company twice, once in April and once in June, to see if Viking would honor the full refund. Viking refusing to refund given COVID risks! - Review of Viking Cruises It is expected to allow passengers to explore the Aegean Sea's ancient empires of antiquity during the quiet season. We are Budapest to Bucharest, August 23 -September 2. Signature onboard facilities available on each Viking Expeditions boat include: Dining venues include The Restaurant (fine dining, regional cuisine specialties, classic dishes), The World Cafe (market-style buffet restaurant with open kitchen, live cooking station, bakery, grill stations, seafood bar with premium sushi, international food choices), Mamsen's Deli Restaurant (Deck 5, traditional Scandinavian dishes, Italian cuisine specialties) plus Room Service (24-hour, complimentary). China Merchants Group's shipbuilding subsidiaries will design and construct the newbuilds for the new company. The next day, they got a phone call. Viking Cruises - Ships and Itineraries 2023, 2024, 2025 - CruiseMapper Later on 7/15 we got an apology email stating they made an error and that we would indeed be on the 9/3 cruise - in a different stateroom and our prebooked excursions were gone as well. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. As part of new measures, Austria has paused leisure travel . Viking River Cruises Cancellation and Refund Policy Since August 2018, Viking Cruises (both brands/river and ocean) is an adults-only company that doesn't allow minor passengers (under 18 years of age) on its vessels. Feels like it is time to brace for another round of cancellations. Help requested: Cancelling a Viking Cruise We have listed all Viking ships as schedules (itinerary calendars with prices) and current position tracking maps. In Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) Viking River Cruises charters riverboats from the Pandaw fleet - including the ships Katha Pandaw (as Viking Mandalay), and Orient Pandaw (as Viking Orient). Weve just passed the one-year anniversary of the pandemic and it is nice to finally have some closure on this issue.. I hope I'm wrong but all the signs point to another round of cancellation--and I would rather be wrong than offer you false hope. Multiple sailing dates are available in August and September 2023 and 2024. Viking's Antarctic cruises are inclusive of 2 domestic charter flights (between Buenos Aires-Ushuaia) and an overnight hotel (in Buenos Aires / pre-cruise). Thanks for the update! As you consider your travel plans, we invite you to explore our expandedWelcome Backofferings as an alternative.". (We paid for Air+) I am really unhappy with Viking. In mid-December 2020, Viking and China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings officially announced the creation of the new joint venture company "Viking China Coastal Cruise" focused on mid-sized luxury ship voyages in China exclusively. NOAA scientists are present on all Great Lakes USA voyages to conduct researches (on local weather changes and ecosystems) and present lectures themed on the Great Lakes region. The Viking riverboats Ra-Osiris-Aton cruise only on the Nile portion (roundtrip from Luxor). Posted elsewhere, but we received our official cancellation email this am from Viking for our Oct 4 Trade Routes Bergen to Barcelona. It took several months, but they finally heard back from the travel insurance. The first river cruises of Viking in the United States had been highly anticipated when they were announced in April 2020. All bookings made by April 30, 2020, received Risk-Free Guarantee that allows penalty-free cruise cancellation up to 24 hours prior departure. Certain days, ships going both directions on several itineraries are showing sold out. On both riverboats, all the hotel staff is Mandarin-speaking, all the signage is in Mandarin (from menus to toiletries). View all of our Luxury Cruise sailings and offers. I just pulled my Viking folder and on 6-25 (a month ago I was rudely dismissed by a Viking rep). 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). 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. As a division of Viking Cruises, Viking River Cruises has an estimated European river market share of ~49%. Viking is the only cruise line to have a full PCR testing labratory onboard. Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey is among the world's best-preserved cities of antiquity. It worked out for us. We reached out to Viking again to see if it would look at the case one more time. Its always still sailinguntil its cancelled. The liners will be developed by VARD Design (Norway) with hulls constructed in Romania (. LauraS 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. Koln-Dusseldorfer was acquired by Viking in 2000. The bright return of holiday river cruising in 2021, heralded as the year the European Christmas markets would return, has dimmed even further as the German states of Bavaria and Saxony have also.