Rorygirl4528

I’m still,waiting for my refund from vantage from 2020. Due to Covid, they cancelled our River cruise. I confirmed many times that I wanted a cash refund, not a credit. Waited and called. Always the same answer…..yes we see that you have a refund due and we are working on it. After 2 1/2 yrs they re still working on it ( I think😱) 
Vantage said they do not take credit cards ( a lie) so I paid with a bank withdrawal. Never again! I will always pay with my CC and I’m not using Vantage again. Maybe  they could stop sending me brochures and booklets about their trips everyday and use those staff to refund money to passengers.

Well I’m still waiting for my refund from Vantage. Had a Tulip cruise scheduled for April 2020.they cancelled it in March 2020. It’s now February 2021. Called AGAIN today. Yes, I’m scheduled for a refund but they are delayed. Asked to speak to an accounting supervisor. Told that it would be 6-8 weeks before they would return my call.

Not happy with them.in reading the Boston BBB web  site complaints, seems like they are not getting anywhere with Vantage either. 

Anyone have names of people higher up at Vantage that my attorney could address when I get him involved? 

Well, lesson learned. I didn’t have any problem with Delta refunding my money on my CC. Guess I’ll wait another month or so and claim it on my trip,ins and file a complaint. Luckily I’m only out about $3500.

I am in the same boat (So to speak!).,Vantage  cx my Tulip Trip in March. I opted for a full refund and was told it would be 8-10 wks. I’ve been calling back every month for the last 6 months and get the same answer.....we are working in it. The last time they checked to make sure they had the right bank acct #(they did).

They lied to me when I made the reservation and the previous five trips I’ve taken with them. Every time when I asked about paying with a credit card I was always told they don’t take credit cards. In talking to friends on the same cruise, they paid with their CC.

Any ideas what my next step should be? And no, I don’t want to put it on a future trip with them. I want my money back, then maybe I would travel with them again, but only if I put it on a CC.

Vantage cx my tulip trip on March 16 and I asked for a refund that day. They said the refund would take 6-8 weeks. I’m still waiting (May 25).  I called them and they said I was working my way to the top of the pile😱

 

I have been following the threads on cancelling or rebooking a River cruise because of Corona Virus. Some people have mentioned that they will not rebook because of their age. They seem to indicate that they will be over 70+. Is this a personal choice not to travel or is there some age limit that a government or cruise line has put into effect?

I am  over 70 and when the cruise boats are sailing and the planes are flying I plan on being there.

Per info on Vantage website they have now cx all cruises thru May 24.

I was scheduled on a river cruise withVantage leaving April 16. They cancelled the cruise and I immediately called for a refund which they gave me. They told me it would take up to 60 days to receive it so I’m still waiting.

I liked the Black Forest trip. The cake was great! Luxembourg was well worth the time. I would go there again!

Ural Guy, 

The  Vantage cancellation policy also included this important information at the end of the notice. Request needs to be made in writing 30 - 90 days before the cruise. I’m scheduled to leave on April16 with Vantage. Not much time to get a letter to them. However, I’m not canceling....if the planes fly and the cruise is sailing I’ll be there. 

Please note that these temporary cancellation terms are valid for new and existing reservations booked by 4/30/2020 on departures between 4/1/2020 and 12/31/2020 provided that cancellation requests are received in writing at least 30 to 90 days prior to departure, as per the travel breakdown explained above. Cancellation penalties for qualifying reservations will be waived, and guests will be returned the full paid value for their purchase in the form of a Future Travel Certificate. 

Vantage was very good in handling my husbands food allergies. After we made our reservations we filled out a questionnaire asking about food allergies. When we checked in for our cruise he was given a colored ticket that he put out at meals to alert the waitstaff that he had a food allergy. They were very good in making sure that he wasn’t served those foods. 

I’m 72 and I do know what is appropriate to wear for different occasions. That being said, I have chosen cruise lines based on their dress code. I don’t like formal nights or the captains dinner and have no desire to attend either. I have foot problems and if people have a problem with my shoes,  too bad. . If a black pair of pants and a nice top isn’t good enough I’ll go somewhere else. 

I was on a river cruise where no jeans were allowed in the dining room for dinner. I can live with that. A man showed up in jeans and was turned away until they found out his luggage hadn’t arrived. He wore the jeans until two days before the end of the cruise when his suitcase finally caught up to him.

!

My husband is 6’5”. We have gone on three river cruises with Vantage. The beds are too short.....his feet hang over the bottom.we always ask for an extra blanket to throw over his feet. The blankets are short.

The bathrooms are large enough for him to use comfortably. The chairs in the room are actually pretty comfortable. 
He has to watch his head while walking down the hallways because they have hung the exit signs in the middle of the hall. On their newest ship they moved them to,the side instead of the middle which was a big help. 

The chairs and sofas in the lounges are very uncomfortable. I’m 5’10” and find it hard to sit in them for any length of time. 
 

Glad you got your money back!
I never pay upfront in advance. I make more $$ keeping my money in my investments than the discount they give me for paying sooner. Also figure I’d rather try to get back a deposit of $500 than thousands. 

Have you paid your invoice in full yet? If not, I would just subtract the cost of the airfare from the balance due. I’m taking my 6th trip with Vantage this April and my final payment was January 15th. 

On this trip they paid the airfare but there were airport transfer charges. I decided to buy my own airfare( I’ve seen too many others get bad itineraries and seats). I called them and they took off the transfer charges since I was making my own air arrangements.

I have been pleased with Vantage tours but I always make my own air arrangements. I don’t like to leave that in control of others. Hope you get your money refunded soon.

Interesting conversation. Pully8,  I cannot bring it with me from my home in the USA. It is legal to buy and use in the state I live in from a store that sells marijuana products. However it Is still illegal on a federal level so I would never try to go through TSA and get on a plane with it. Not worth the risk of getting caught. 

It definitely works for me to ease pain. I’ve told all my doctors that I either use the cream or take the CBD tincture and everyone of them was fine with it. It was the only thing that stopped horrible back pain from a slipped disc.

I’ll just take it easy on the cruise and hope for the best.

Thanks for the information. That’s kind of what I was thinking.  Vikings list of prohibited items is interesting. We aren’t going on Viking but I have yet to see any list of prohibited items from the company we are sailing with and we have taken four cruises with them. Looks like Aspercreme is my best option or a glass of wine. Hopefully the knee won’t flare up. 

I use CBD cream at home for various aches and pains (legal in the state I live in). I will not bring it with me since I am flying. Would it be possible to buy it in Amsterdam for my use on the cruise to Switzerland? I’m not sure what the rules are in the different countries we will be visiting. It would stay in my room at all times. I would not take it off the boat with me. 

I don’t want to get in trouble or put others in jeopardy,  if this isn’t a possibility guess I’ll just use Aspercream while I’m gone. 

I always book my own flights. Main reason is we always upgrade to Economy Comfort seats. I can do it myself for around $100per ticket. The river cruise line wanted to charge me $500per ticket. Then tried to tell me it was a different, better seat. UH....no. Same seat. 

I also don’t like that they never want to book me on a direct flight from Seattle to Amsterdam. Guess I’m a control freak for some things......but I want control of when I leave and where I sit on the plane. If I pay more for my flight it’s worth it to me. 

Hi Rosemary. I am Jan, husband Randy.  We are from WA state. We will be traveling with two couples that we met on our first Vantage river cruise. Looking forward to meeting you. We will be flying to Amsterdam a day or two before the cruise. FYI if you are going in early...there is some sort of convention in Amsterdam with 35,000 people coming. Hotel rooms are going fast. I finally found one by the airport and we will just take the train into town. 

We are taking that same cruise on Sept 16 that you are thinking of. It will be our 3rd river cruise with Vantage. We went from Amsterdam to Budapest two yrs ago down the Rhine/Mosell and Danube. Lots of castles on that trip.

I’m looking forward to Amsterdam to Basel since we will be going to towns that are new to us.

We have always been pleased with Vantage. Professional staff, good food, and interesting excursions. 

Vantage river cruises offer a dinner buffet on the back deck of the ship. There are seats for about 50 people but the times we have eaten there it was never full. We much prefer to eat there because it is so much quieter than the main dining room  and you get done eating so much quicker. I hate spending 2 hrs eating....waiting for each course to be delivered and served. 

The food is usually the same as what is being served in the dining room....just buffet style. 

I have to disagree with cool cruiser. I returned in May from the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise on the River Splendor. And no, jeans are not allowed in the main dining room for dinner. Breakfast and lunch ok but not dinner. I even asked the cruise director and desk staff. They all said "no". I was told if I wanted to wear jeans I could eat dinner in the Captains Club restaurant.

Men usually wore dockers and a nice shirt. Women wore slacks and a nice top or dress. Even at the Captains welcome dinner I only saw one or two men with jackets on. On a previous cruise with them I saw them turn away a man who showed up in jeans. They did let him in when he told him his luggage was lost. It didn't show up until two days before the end of the cruise.

We ate most dinners in the Captains Club not only because of the dress code but also because it was much quieter than the main dining room and it didn't take over two hours for dinner.

Rorygirl

Take a look at Vantage also. We have always been pleased with them. We are going on the Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise in another week.

Take a look at Vantage travel. We have gone on four tours with them....one land tour to Tunisia, one up the coast of Norway, one river cruise to see the tulips and windmills for 8 days. Loved it!! We are going on our second river cruise with them in another 12 days. Looking forward to a two week cruise.

We have been happy with their tours and feel the price is fair for what you get. Wine is included with dinner...other than that you pay for your drinks. Since we are not big drinkers it is fine for us.