Christmas on steroi_s 🧑‍🎄🎅🎄🦌🛷

[Pushka]

I do confess at times I was wondering what will go wrong next.

Oh drron, so did we, so did we.

We have read a couple of submissions from fellow US travellers. Oh my. They really went for it. Australia office keeps telling me we can only communicate with them. Well, that went well when their office was closed over the weekend when important updates were being made. And of course means that everything I send to Aus office is also sent to US office. Trying to divide and conquer might work for them and that's what they are trying. One of their responses stated that ship swaps are common on rover cruises but not to worry as the ships are identical. So two things. The ship swap did not work this time as the second ship was stuck and had been for days. The whole point of ship swaps is to get past the obstacle and continue. All it did was get us stuck in the middle.

This promo really grinds my gears if ship swaps are so common:

https://www.vikingrivercruises.com.au/video/all/exploring-the-heart-of-europe-by-river/play.html#

Viking do extremely well when all goes according to plan. Our Passage to India trip in May was pretty much flawless, even though it was quite a complex itinerary. But when something goes astray their service recovery is rather lacking.

 

[Pushka]

head research officer in the legal Department

Then , of course, you will have read the passage contract carefully before paying your deposit...

You might find the attached rather interesting then. Consumer guarantees cannot be 'contracted away' - S64 ACL. Providers can now be fined heavily for unfair clauses in their contracts (eg preventing consumers from taking class actions, and making significant itinerary changes without granting the consumer the right to cancel)

Travel and accommodation - an industry guide to the Australian Consumer Law

This guide provides information on the Australian Consumer Law for travel and accommodation businesses. It covers key aspects of the law such as refunds and cancellations.

www.accc.gov.au

 

[Seat0B]

You might find the attached rather interesting then. Consumer guarantees cannot be 'contracted away' - S64 ACL. Providers can now be fined heavily for unfair clauses in their contracts (ie preventing consumers from taking class actions, and making significant itinerary changes without granting the consumer the right to cancel)

Travel and accommodation - an industry guide to the Australian Consumer Law

This guide provides information on the Australian Consumer Law for travel and accommodation businesses. It covers key aspects of the law such as refunds and cancellations.

www.accc.gov.au

Wow this is a very interesting read.

 

[Pushka]

Wow this is a very interesting read.

It changes everything, doesn't it!

 

[MARTINE]

Wow this is a very interesting read.

Excellent resource @Pushka - you should clear the multiple small failures threshold by a mile. Think I will download for next trip as contemporaneous guide re what to do/seek (and hope I never need to look at it)

 

[VPS]

You should have time to read up on a few things and do lots of emails while staying inside from this disgusting weather we are having in Adelaide. My aircon didn't work on Friday so wasn't fun Friday night but all sorted now

 

[Seat0B]

It changes everything, doesn't it!

It sure does - and makes me wonder how QF gets away with its behaviour too...wish I had the skills or money to challenge some of the wrongs I see around me.

 

[OATEK]

Just about to fly out of SIN on QF2, at the end of our Christmas sojourn and while we had a few niggles, they pale against the challenges you faced. Hope it doesn't sound trite to say we hope you have much better luck next time.

 

[ellen10]

Your friend wasn’t on Tialfi by any chance? If so then that’s what we were transferred to in Breisach and had to get to at 2.30am on the last morning. A move not done for our convenience at all.

I just got a message back from my friend she was on the Alruna.

This what she said.

"on our cruise the water level was too high in Basel so Viking transferred everyone by coach 90 minutes to the ship in Strasbourg. That night the ship cruised back to Breisach for the following morning. We were lucky that the remainder of our cruise then ran to schedule."

 

[Pushka]

I just got a message back from my friend she was on the Alruna.

This what she said.

"on our cruise the water level was too high in Basel so Viking transferred everyone by coach 90 minutes to the ship in Strasbourg. That night the ship cruised back to Breisach for the following morning. We were lucky that the remainder of our cruise then ran to schedule."

Thanks. Likely we crossed paths in Strasbourg then.

 

[henleybeach]

Great stuff pushka
A very interesting trip, I always glued to see what else was going to happen
Let’s hope the next holiday is less annoying

 

[Pushka]

Still negotiating and pretty close. It's been interesting reading US passengers submissions. They could have cancelled for no charge if Viking had been open from the get go. They haven't heard anything yet

 

[VPS]

@Pushka not sure why I thought of you when I got this email today

 

[Pushka]

@Pushka not sure why I thought of you when I got this email today

View attachment 366376

Yep. We got it too this morning. Needless to say it will be referenced in the email I'm sending tomorrow. It's a response to an email they sent me, just three hours (and two hours after their office closed) after my less benign email was sent last week.

There's also this vikingTV promo they run

https://www.vikingrivercruises.com.au/video/all/exploring-the-heart-of-europe-by-river/play.html#

 

[MARTINE]

Yep. We got it too this morning. Needless to say it will be referenced in the email I'm sending tomorrow. It's a response to an email they sent me, just three hours (and two hours after their office closed) after my less benign email was sent last week.

There's also this vikingTV promo they run

https://www.vikingrivercruises.com.au/video/all/exploring-the-heart-of-europe-by-river/play.html#

…. and they are spending their (your) money +++ on booklets in all the weekend broadsheets

 

[Seat0B]

…. and they are spending their (your) money +++ on booklets in all the weekend broadsheets

Yes we got a similar email and also that brochure - offering cruises in 2025 and 2026!!!! After @Pushka's experiences, I'm waiting to hear what they offer for compensation before I take the leap of faith and book.

 

[Pushka]

Yes we got a similar email and also that brochure - offering cruises in 2025 and 2026!!!! After @Pushka's experiences, I'm waiting to hear what they offer for compensation before I take the leap of faith and book.

I've been going through Cruise critics threads where cruises were going to Haifa and which obviously won't happen, so Viking substituted ports like Malta. It took a long time but eventually Viking offered free cancellation because the cruise was now substantially different and allowed the rebooking of another cruise without penalty. Now of course we did undertake part of the cruise. We weren't told in advance that floods were already occurring. And that is the mainstay of the issue. Of course things can happen mid cruise that can't be predicted. But this was a known event. And that's the crux of my ummm, debate . There have been two offers, the first was pathetic. A token. But it's been improved citing loyalty etc etc. .And a full refund of the excursion to Colmar that didn't end well. But not there yet. We do actually have another cruise booked with them in September 2025 and it's Magnificent Mekong for 14 nights. And the ship is brand new and looks wonderful. Which always gets rave reviews. Viking know this of course. So it will be vouchers.

Another point I will make. We were told onboard that Management were aware of everyone's disappointment at missing Rudesheim, the first of many markets we missed and will make it up to us. But Management have been completely silent since and it's up to passengers to write to them. Quite likely a tactic to quell any passenger riots during the cruise.

Anyway I have the owners email supposedly so keeping that in check for the moment.

I'm curious and checking if Im being unreasonable. Suprisingly my SIL who is a bit of a Pollyanna (@VPS) was very much stating that Viking should have cancelled for full refund. They've done two Viking cruises and have done the Rhine River one but in summer.

So, if it's a voucher, what % seems reasonable. We cruised for 3 days out of 7, lost the benefit of the balcony for 4 days and nights, had to bus to markets and we missed four other markets. We did make it to the Mercedes Benz factory tour. Great. On a Christmas market cruise.

 

[henleybeach]

I've been going through Cruise critics threads where cruises were going to Haifa and which obviously won't happen, so Viking substituted ports like Malta. It took a long time but eventually Viking offered free cancellation because the cruise was now substantially different and allowed the rebooking of another cruise without penalty. Now of course we did undertake part of the cruise. We weren't told in advance that floods were already occurring. And that is the mainstay of the issue. Of course things can happen mid cruise that can't be predicted. But this was a known event. And that's the crux of my ummm, debate . There have been two offers, the first was pathetic. A token. But it's been improved citing loyalty etc etc. .And a full refund of the excursion to Colmar that didn't end well. But not there yet. We do actually have another cruise booked with them in September 2025 and it's Magnificent Mekong for 14 nights. And the ship is brand new and looks wonderful. Which always gets rave reviews. Viking know this of course. So it will be vouchers.

Another point I will make. We were told onboard that Management were aware of everyone's disappointment at missing Rudesheim, the first of many markets we missed and will make it up to us. But Management have been completely silent since and it's up to passengers to write to them. Quite likely a tactic to quell any passenger riots during the cruise.

Anyway I have the owners email supposedly so keeping that in check for the moment.

I'm curious and checking if Im being unreasonable. Suprisingly my SIL who is a bit of a Pollyanna (@VPS) was very much stating that Viking should have cancelled for full refund. They've done two Viking cruises and have done the Rhine River one but in summer.

So, if it's a voucher, what % seems reasonable. We cruised for 3 days out of 7, lost the benefit of the balcony for 4 days and nights, had to bus to markets and we missed four other markets. We did make it to the Mercedes Benz factory tour. Great. On a Christmas market cruise.

I’d be pissed if it was me!

 

[Jacques Vert]

So, if it's a voucher, what % seems reasonable. We cruised for 3 days out of 7, lost the benefit of the balcony for 4 days and nights, had to bus to markets and we missed four other markets. We did make it to the Mercedes Benz factory tour. Great. On a Christmas market cruise.

I'ld be asking for 100%; that's what they should have offered before the cruise. The fact that they went ahead without telling you there were problems ahead and that the cruise would be disrupted makes matters worse IMHO.

 

[OATEK]

I've been going through Cruise critics threads where cruises were going to Haifa and which obviously won't happen, so Viking substituted ports like Malta. It took a long time but eventually Viking offered free cancellation because the cruise was now substantially different and allowed the rebooking of another cruise without penalty. Now of course we did undertake part of the cruise. We weren't told in advance that floods were already occurring. And that is the mainstay of the issue. Of course things can happen mid cruise that can't be predicted. But this was a known event. And that's the crux of my ummm, debate . There have been two offers, the first was pathetic. A token. But it's been improved citing loyalty etc etc. .And a full refund of the excursion to Colmar that didn't end well. But not there yet. We do actually have another cruise booked with them in September 2025 and it's Magnificent Mekong for 14 nights. And the ship is brand new and looks wonderful. Which always gets rave reviews. Viking know this of course. So it will be vouchers.

Another point I will make. We were told onboard that Management were aware of everyone's disappointment at missing Rudesheim, the first of many markets we missed and will make it up to us. But Management have been completely silent since and it's up to passengers to write to them. Quite likely a tactic to quell any passenger riots during the cruise.

Anyway I have the owners email supposedly so keeping that in check for the moment.

I'm curious and checking if Im being unreasonable. Suprisingly my SIL who is a bit of a Pollyanna (@VPS) was very much stating that Viking should have cancelled for full refund. They've done two Viking cruises and have done the Rhine River one but in summer.

So, if it's a voucher, what % seems reasonable. We cruised for 3 days out of 7, lost the benefit of the balcony for 4 days and nights, had to bus to markets and we missed four other markets. We did make it to the Mercedes Benz factory tour. Great. On a Christmas market cruise.

We had a cruise booked for Nov '24 that included Ashdod (for Jerusalem). The company (not Viking) pro-actively dropped Ashdod (and added Limassol) after the events of 7/10. We had been to most of the places on the cruise previously, and wrote saying we would like to cancel given their change. It was a no-nonsense response, deposit returned within 3 days.

P.S. In response to our earlier discussions around SIN-DXB-xx_ and return flights, we have already bitten the bullet so to speak for a repeat. The e-ticket says all flights in DXB from T3, and we got SIN-DXB-LGW-DXB-SIN for about $5.2k ea.