Our experience on the Viking Long Boat - Idun

[Donray]

Received a call from Viking. We covered the issues and all she could say was sorry which is sorry. The key items we discussed were Safety which there is non on the Viking river boats. Unfortunately one day something bad will happen to one of their passengers. Viking will be sued for negligence and pay our millions. When all they could do is put a latch on the cabin doors to prevent anyone coming into the cabin when guest are there.

 

We discussed the top deck being closed which is beyond their control; low bridges. My point is their advertizing is focused on passengers enjoying the scenery during their cruise; a misrepresentation

 

I forgot one item... The boat does not exchange money. Their information advises you get various currencies. Don't all you need is Euros for all the ports of call

 

Why don't you tell use exactly what you wanted Viking to say to you?

[Atlanta World Cruiser]

What Viking should say? We will address the issues especially Safety. Not my problem any more; won't be using Viking in the future

[sk8teacher]

You most likely will not like river cruising on any line. You will find that you can enter and cross any lines ship when docked. Personally, I find this quite nice, when compared to ocean cruising where you have to go through metal detectors and your hand carried items must be put on a conveyor and xrayed. That makes me feel like a criminal.

 

Cheers,

[caviargal]

You most likely will not like river cruising on any line. You will find that you can enter and cross any lines ship when docked. Personally, I find this quite nice, when compared to ocean cruising where you have to go through metal detectors and your hand carried items must be put on a conveyor and xrayed. That makes me feel like a criminal.

 

Cheers,

 

I agree. I also very much dislike the ocean cruise line's policies of confiscation wine that would be consumed in one's cabin so that one is forced to purchase from their inflated price list.

 

While there are things I am not crazy about in river cruising, there is a good deal I do enjoy and walking through other boats is a non issue. I like seeing what they look like personally.

[nanofrog]

I agree. I also very much dislike the ocean cruise line's policies of confiscation wine that would be consumed in one's cabin so that one is forced to purchase from their inflated price list.

 

Sailing with Uniworld in one month and so glad we won't have to visit the "naughty room" as we have done a few times on the ocean cruises.:D

 

Nancy

[Talisker92]

We just sailed on Vantage's "French Waterways" cruise through Burgundy. When we boarded the ship, one of the tour directors pointed us to a supermarket across the square.

I emptied my backpack and came back from the market with 7 bottles of French wine, a bottle of Rum, and 2-6 packs of Coke

Loved it!

[Windy56]

Atlanta, I'm with you on the security concern. We arrived late in the evening to board and register on our one and only river cruise. A sign directed us to press a button which opened the door. No staff were to be found at that moment and we called out "hellllloooooo". Staff arrived from the office behind the counter and proceeded to register us, take our luggage and escort us to our cabin. Apart from it being a poor way to welcome your guests, it was also a sign of very poor security. Anyone, and I mean anyone, could have boarded during this time. The public washroom next to the lobby and locked from inside, could easily have been a spot to stow away until the boat left the dock.

 

 

This board represents a huge cross section of people. You can tell by the well intentioned and concerned responses related to your post. On the other hand not all posters on here are rational. Ignore the sarcastic and accusatory posts. Many see this board as a place to exchange some really useful information. Others see it as a place to cheerlead for river cruising or their favorite river cruise line.

 

 

While there are some aspects of river cruising that we enjoyed, the compact nature of the vessel and the local talent for on board entertainment to name a few, there were far too many aspects of it that will deter us from river cruising again, I think. For now, we are far more interested in renting a car and travelling off the beaten path, discovering great places to eat and creating our own adventures. I disliked the "herd" feeling on the river boat. Who knows though. We received financial compensation and a generous future cruise credit after communicating with the company about quite a few problems we encountered during our cruise and we may give it another go.

 

By the way, the distaste some show for compensation on this board is really quite odd. We are consumers. The cruise companies represent businesses. When their product fails to deliver, it is in their best interest to offer compensation. It's good business practice.

 

I'm sorry that your vacation didn't live up to your expectations. Chalk it up to experience and maybe re-evaluate what it is you want on a holiday. I don't know about you, but my husband and I count ourselves very lucky that we have the health and financial resources to even experience these kind of vacations.

 

Happy future trails to you and your spouse!:)

[NJTroy]

The expectations for security i find in this thread are interesting.

 

Yes, absolutely, the door locks should work well and there should be a night time latch.

 

Beyond that? I see the river cruise as a sort of floating hotel. I've only been in one or two hotels ever which had security preventing non-guests from entering the public areas including hallways. And more than once I've arrived at a hotel front desk, particularly late at night, to find no one at the desk but instead in an office behind or to the side. It sounds like outside of the lock malfunction which is serious, the security/service seems appropriate to me for a situation serving the number of people on a river cruise.

[id est]

I see the river cruise as a sort of floating hotel. I've only been in one or two hotels ever which had security preventing non-guests from entering the public areas including hallways. And more than once I've arrived at a hotel front desk, particularly late at night, to find no one at the desk but instead in an office behind or to the side. It sounds like outside of the lock malfunction which is serious, the security/service seems appropriate to me for a situation serving the number of people on a river cruise.

Exactly.

But security issue is not the point here: they are just trying to get something from Viking...

[Jancruz]

Exactly.

But security issue is not the point here: they are just trying to get something from Viking...

 

I too wrote a scathing report on Viking and they offered me compensation on my next cruise..(which I will never take) I politely turned them down..NOT EVERYONE is looking for compensation and to make a deduction like that is unreasonable..

Jancruz1

[drcpa]

...until December, but having read this forum for some time I think the smart move is to contact Viking now, tell them I anticipate having a miserable time (I just know I won't like the food, crew, tours, weather, and cabin) and ask for a pre-cruise credit or discount on a future Viking Cruise which I already know I won't like either (but oddly look forward to taking). :D

[pflorio994]

...until December, but having read this forum for some time I think the smart move is to contact Viking now, tell them I anticipate having a miserable time (I just know I won't like the food, crew, tours, weather, and cabin) and ask for a pre-cruise credit or discount on a future Viking Cruise which I already know I won't like either (but oddly look forward to taking). :D

 

With this type of attitude, you will not have a good time. Not everyone is alike so why compare yourself to others who dislike?

[firstplacechef]

I believe drcps was stating that post with tongue in cheek, :)

[drcpa]

That was supposed to be a sarcastic joke. Is this microphone on? I'll be here all week and don't forget to tip your waitress. :)

[firstplacechef]

Drat autocorrect

[grand isle joe]

That was supposed to be a sarcastic joke. Is this microphone on? I'll be here all week and don't forget to tip your waitress. :)

 

 

 

Hey Drcpa...how's the veal?.....:D:D

 

 

p.s. I got the joke ...good one.....:)

[Atlanta World Cruiser]

To those that have comments about getting some credit for a bad experience, all I can say is we would not have accepted any credit.

After sharing all the misfortunes of our trip with Viking, the representative probably said the lost a customer for good. She would be correct.

I wish I would have researched the threads on Cruise Critic more than I did. Thus, my motivation to post all the details on our cruise. I blame myself for everything but Security.

As I said earlier, someone will have to lose their life, attacked or robbed before Viking addresses the issue. But, that is whey the Courts have punitive damages

[firefall]

Atlanta...I for one appreciate you posting your honest opinion here on CC. That is what this forum is all about. We can read reviews...good and bad and be a bit prepared for what might come. We sailed on the Njord in May and I was prepared for the extremely small cabin due to a review I read...also, prepared for the very noisy dining room.

 

Wanted to agree with you whole heartedly about security. On a couple of occasions we witnessed some "interesting characters" enter the boat and mingle amongst the passengers. Thankfully, the crew spotted them and discretely escorted them off. It was not unusual for towns people to walk up the gang plank and stand on the entrance balcony to stare in the windows. One evening I woke up in the middle of the night and our cabin door was open. I had definitely closed it tight (and dead bolted it) before retiring. After that we jammed a coat hanger in it so as to prevent it happening again. Needless to say the door issue made us very uncomfortable.

 

We had a very nice time and very much like river cruising but due to some other issues we will probably try another line next time.

[LHT28]

Exactly.

they are just trying to get something from Viking...

I agree with some of the others not everyone is out for compensation

 

That may be how you work things but not everyone has a motive

People complain so things will get fixed

[Viking Cruises]

We hope it will be alright with the community if in this one post we try to address a couple of concerns raised in this thread...

 

Regarding Customer Relations

Received a call from Viking. We covered the issues and all she could say was sorry which is sorry.

 

It is never our intention to have you finish a call with Customer Relations and feel that your concerns were not fully addressed. We apologize for this and did ask for them to follow-up with you again. At this time, we understand that a message was left for you with a return phone number. We hope that you will consider calling and speaking with us some more.

 

 

Regarding Issues With Some Stateroom Doors

In our stateroom, our door was opened during the night by unknown person(s). When we woke up the next morning the stateroom door was open.

 

The door shutting had to be our responsibility cause it would fly open if you did not take the time to check and recheck!

For us our cruise with Viking will be unforgettable!

 

One evening I woke up in the middle of the night and our cabin door was open. I had definitely closed it tight (and dead bolted it) before retiring. After that we jammed a coat hanger in it so as to prevent it happening again. Needless to say the door issue made us very uncomfortable.

 

Seeing these mentions prompted us to inquire about this particular concern. We’re happy to share what we learned: that the issue of some stateroom doors occasionally opening (or not remaining fully closed, as another way to put it) is currently being addressed by our engineers and should be completely fixed in the coming days. We do apologize for the inconvenience that this may have caused some of our previous guests, including the 3 guests quoted here, and assure you that the security of our passengers and the privacy of their staterooms will always be a top priority. If you have additional concerns or feedback regarding this matter, we’d welcome the opportunity to talk them through and can be reached at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com

 

 

Regarding Choosing Viking River Cruises Again

We had a very nice time and very much like river cruising but due to some other issues we will probably try another line next time.

 

firefall, we are always happy to hear when someone likes river cruising. We hope that you will contact us at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com so that we can get a better understanding of the other issues that you mention here. We of course would hope to be able to change your mind about Viking, but if we can help solidify your love for river cruising in general, well, that would simply be a successful outcome of a slightly different kind.

 

 

With sincere thanks for your time, attention, and feedback...

[grand isle joe]

We hope it will be alright with the community if in this one post we try to address a couple of concerns raised in this thread...

 

Regarding Customer Relations

 

 

It is never our intention to have you finish a call with Customer Relations and feel that your concerns were not fully addressed. We apologize for this and did ask for them to follow-up with you again. At this time, we understand that a message was left for you with a return phone number. We hope that you will consider calling and speaking with us some more.

 

 

Regarding Issues With Some Stateroom DoorsM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing these mentions prompted us to inquire about this particular concern. We’re happy to share what we learned: that the issue of some stateroom doors occasionally opening (or not remaining fully closed, as another way to put it) is currently being addressed by our engineers and should be completely fixed in the coming days. We do apologize for the inconvenience that this may have caused some of our previous guests, including the 3 guests quoted here, and assure you that the security of our passengers and the privacy of their staterooms will always be a top priority. If you have additional concerns or feedback regarding this matter, we’d welcome the opportunity to talk them through and can be reached at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com

 

 

Regarding Choosing Viking River Cruises Again

 

 

firefall, we are always happy to hear when someone likes river cruising. We hope that you will contact us at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com so that we can get a better understanding of the other issues that you mention here. We of course would hope to be able to change your mind about Viking, but if we can help solidify your love for river cruising in general, well, that would simply be a successful outcome of a slightly different kind.

 

 

With sincere thanks for your time, attention, and feedback...

 

Dear Viking Customer Relation Person, I appreciate the fact that the cruise lines monitor these boards.Since I wrote a 3 page letter to Tauck about problems we encountered on our Danube trip and NEVER received a reply you my friend have vaulted yourself and your cruise line in good standing IMHO. Maybe we will give Viking a spin in the future.u;)

[id est]

I agree with some of the others not everyone is out for compensation

That may be how you work things but not everyone has a motive

People complain so things will get fixed

Read the original post I quoted about the hotel security and you’ll see there is very little Viking should do to improve security. The only thing I’d add is a ship picture ID like ocean ships have. It works as a stateroom key and can be scanned by security at the entrance. Adding it would actually save time when we had to replace our room keys with cards before and after shore trips.

There are things I do not like but they are not related to our cruise experience. We always had a wonderful time and never complained to the cruise companies and on this forum after cruising and so far we did 12 cruises. Not so many as others but we are trying to catch up

[LHT28]

In Europe a lot of hotels you cannot go to the room floors without your hotel key card You need to insert the card in the elevator panel before the car moves

 

On our river boat (Not Viking) there was always someone at the desk or close by the door to check people coming & going ..never noticed any locals entering the ship The purser or a crew member would be at the doorway

 

The cabin door lock situation must be universal on river boats because we had the same problem ...if you did not push it hard it would not catch There was a locking button under the handle & when turned no one could get in with a key card

Our housekeeping girl woke up one morning trying to get in ( I forgot the DND sign)

 

I do complain when it is warranted...how else will they correct the problem

[franski]

Read the original post I quoted about the hotel security and you’ll see there is very little Viking should do to improve security. The only thing I’d add is a ship picture ID like ocean ships have. It works as a stateroom key and can be scanned by security at the entrance. Adding it would actually save time when we had to replace our room keys with cards before and after shore trips.

There are things I do not like but they are not related to our cruise experience. We always had a wonderful time and never complained to the cruise companies and on this forum after cruising and so far we did 12 cruises. Not so many as others but we are trying to catch up

 

I am happy that we don't have picture ID cards... And do happen to like the off board card program. This way they know who is still off the boat --> I have seen them go looking if people appear to be "lost". Or - they can leave a few minutes early if all are back on board. This is very helpful if they are worried about fluctuating water levels.

 

Fran

[id est]

I am happy that we don't have picture ID cards... And do happen to like the off board card program. This way they know who is still off the boat --> I have seen them go looking if people appear to be "lost". Or - they can leave a few minutes early if all are back on board. This is very helpful if they are worried about fluctuating water levels.

 

Fran

No difference. They will know who is still off the boat with picture ID cards too. It is scanned when you off and back on.