Completed another wonderful Viking Ocean's cruise this morning. This time from Barcelona to Buenos Aires. Just about perfect weather, good ports, and-as always, excellent service from Viking's incredible staff. That's why our airport transfer SNAFU was so glaring. As many have previously experienced - in order to clear the ship by 8 a.m. it's often necessary for Viking to arrange a "lounge" of some sort for Viking Air passengers with later flights. As many flights out of Buenos Aires to North America depart later in the evening this was true those disembarking this morning.
Disembarkation itself went smoothly. We were shuttled from the ship to the terminal where we claimed our luggage and transferred it to waiting baggage handlers for its trip to the airport. We - several hundred of us - were then shuttled from the terminal to our "lounge". For whatever reason - and contrary to the norm for Viking - instead of a hotel meeting room or some such facility we were bused to "Michelangelo Legend" in downtown Buenos Aires. This venue is what I'd refer to as a supper club where, in the evening patrons are served a meal and entertained with a Tango show. This morning, however, this rather spartan venue which, I'm guessing, is designed to host two hundred people was stuffed to overflowing with Viking passengers with later flights.
Chairs were wood and either bare wood or poorly cushioned. Every seat in the house was already taken by the time our bus arrived and there were several buses after ours. The whole incredible mess was exacerbated by the fact that it was raining cats and dogs outside so there was little opportunity to leave the venue to explore (although several intrepid folks did venture out - returning soaked to the skin). Perhaps the most frustrating issue was the fact that the venue's wifi was not up to the task so several hundred people spent hours trying to get online. The only food available were rolls, coffee, tea and water were also provided.
The thought of spending as long as 10 hours in this venue was too much for many of us and quite a few opted to go to the airport in the hopes of grabbing a meal or gaining a wifi signal.
To be clear - the Viking reps at Michelangelo Legend did yeoman duty. They listened to the same complaints over and over and over and did so without ever losing their smiles. Hats off to them. But clearly - Viking blew it with the choice of this venue. It might have looked adequate on paper although I seriously doubt that any Viking rep actually scouted the venue with an eye towards it hosting several hundred passengers for as long as ten hours. We've come to expect the best from Viking and this clearly wasn't it.
Here's hoping that in the future Viking will endeavor to put themselves in their passengers' shoes when picking these departure "lounges". Several very simple requirements should be:
- adequate COMFORTABLE uncrowded seating for AT LEAST the minimum number of passengers that might be there at any single time
- adequate technology to allow EVERY passenger to gain and maintain Internet access
- better onsite information (Many of the Viking reps at the venue gave contradictory or outright incorrect information)
- coordination of something for departing passengers to do, especially when they have 10 hours to kill. Nothing elaborate - how about preprinted maps providing directions to local restaurants or points of interest?
All this is offered constructively. We love Viking and have come to expect the best from them - this clearly wasn't that.
PS - I type this while sitting in the Buenos Aires Centurion Lounge. We've been here since 4 p.m. - the wifi signal's great 🙂
