My First and Last Viking Cruise: Never Again!…read more
This was our first Viking cruise, and it will certainly be our last.
We booked Viking's Passage to Eastern Europe, from Bucharest to Budapest aboard the Viking Ullur, expecting the upscale river-cruise experience Viking advertises. We understood before departure that historically low water levels on the Danube were beyond Viking's control and could require changes to the itinerary. What we did not anticipate was how poorly Viking would manage those changes, the inadequate alternatives it would provide, and its failure to deliver anything reasonably comparable to the experience we had purchased.
Shortly before departure, we learned that much of the planned itinerary could not be operated as scheduled. We asked about canceling or postponing the trip but were not given that option. Ironically, once on the cruise, we learned that some other passengers apparently had been able to cancel or reschedule.
The first days were dreadful. Instead of the relaxing river journey and excursions we had purchased, we spent extraordinary amounts of time traveling by bus. On our first day, approximately 13 hours passed before we finally boarded the ship, with dinner served around 10 p.m. On subsequent days, we sometimes spent seven or eight hours on buses for relatively brief visits to attractions. Some scheduled ports and included tours disappeared altogether.
The buses themselves were hardly consistent with what one expects from an upscale cruise company: no Wi-Fi, no electrical outlets and hours upon hours on the road. Meals provided during these transfers were sometimes in restaurants far below the standard we expected from Viking. On some days, we traveled for hours for a 30-minute visit here or a one-hour stop there. This was not a river cruise with occasional coach transportation. At times, it felt more like an exhausting bus tour interrupted by brief periods aboard a ship.
Communication made the situation worse. We frequently did not know what we would be doing the following day until late the night before. Plans changed repeatedly, and the cruise leadership did little to address our frustration. I personally complained, yet never felt that our concerns were seriously addressed.
Once we were finally able to spend meaningful time aboard the Viking Ullur, things improved considerably. The ship was comfortable, the onboard staff were pleasant and professional, and the food was good. We also greatly enjoyed traveling with our friends. These positive aspects deserve recognition. Unfortunately, they could not compensate for the fundamental failure to provide the trip we had purchased.
The problems continued through the end of the itinerary. Today, for example, we had to leave our luggage at 6:00 a.m. and board yet another bus from Belgrade to Budapest, with lunch at an inexpensive roadside stop and a potentially lengthy border crossing into Hungary before eventually checking into a Budapest hotel at night. In practical terms, another vacation day was largely consumed by transportation.
Then comes the final day of the tour in Budapest: a free day, apparently with no planned Viking activities, tours or meals. Adding a hotel night and calling the following day part of the itinerary is hardly equivalent to the cruise experience and services that were contracted and paid for.
The most disappointing part of Viking's response is its proposed compensation. Viking offered a future-cruise voucher equal to 60% of the paid cruise fare. A voucher is of little value to passengers who, after this experience, have no intention of traveling with Viking again. To use it, we would have to spend substantial additional money with the same company that failed to deliver the trip we purchased.
That is not meaningful compensation. It is an incentive to buy another Viking cruise.
I fully recognize that Viking did not cause the low water level of the Danube. That is not the central issue. The real question is how a premium travel company responds when circumstances beyond its control prevent it from delivering the contracted itinerary. Viking controlled the quality of the alternative arrangements, the amount of time passengers were required to spend on buses, the quality of substitute meals and activities, its communication with passengers, and its response to complaints.
In our case, those decisions repeatedly fell far below our expectations.
We have taken other cruises, including two with Celebrity Cruises, and the comparison makes this experience even more disappointing. We know what good cruise service looks like, including how passengers should be treated when problems occur. This experience was in an entirely different category.
We paid a substantial amount of money for what was marketed as an upscale river cruise. We did not purchase a multi-day bus tour through Eastern Europe with occasional nights aboard a ship, canceled ports and excursions, mediocre substitute meals, constantly ch
