Viking Chateaux, Rivers & Wine

[notamermaid]

Hello Fotopeg,

 

Thank you for mentioning the rail site. Great resource, showing scenic routes on the map, etc.

 

Rail tickets are indeed usually cheaper the earlier you buy them. It is worth checking the different options (high speed link, fast train, regional train) as these prices can also vary even depending on the time of day you travel. If one travels just within one country, perhaps comparing the national trains websites (SNCF for France) with Rail Europe could be interesting.

 

notamermaid

Edited April 5, 2014 by notamermaid

[MalibooNewYork]

@Fotopeg,

I feel like such an idiot. I am going on the May 24th cruise not the 17th. My only defense is that we have just moved into a new home after 33 years in the old one and I am totally discombobulated. Thank goodness my dil asked me when my cruise was or I might have shown up a week early.

[id4elizabeth]

Host Jazzbeau - no we're staying at the Hotel Manoir de la Minimes - supposedly overlooks the chateau and right on the river

 

To everyone else - we leave tomorrow for our flight over, even though we don't get on the boat until the 12th. We're very excited and are packed, but hoping we didn't leave anything behind - yes, we have our passports.

 

Depending on our internet connection on the Forseti, we'll try and post some things mid-cruise.

 

Oh, one thing I have learned, the really expensive optional tour of Cognac (which we're going to pass on by the way) is really interesting. I went on the various cognac makers websites, including Camus who Viking says they are taking you to, and NONE of the cognac makers open until "mid-April." So either Viking has some special arrangement with them, or the optional tour will end up being cancelled, no matter how many people sign up. Will let you know.

 

Au revoir

[Host Jazzbeau]

Happy Cruising!

[Bet & Peg]

id4elizabeth ~ WOW- your cruise is here already - seems like just yesterday you began posting about it!!!

 

Have a fabulous time and I - and all of us - look forward to any posts you have time for!!! But most of all, enjoy your trip!!!

 

Safe travels!!!

[Bet & Peg]

MalibooNewYork ~ happy you realized now about cruise date! Although being in France for an extra week? I'm sure you would have found something to see & do!!!

 

I'll update list when we get home - just ending a short trip to Vegas - met up with a couple we first met on our 2012 Viking cruise!!!

[love2read]

We are currently on the Viking Forseti. Many people are disappointed. They were not allowed to dock in Blaye as planned so we returned to Bordeaux. Those taking the truffle excursion had a three hour bus trip in each direction. They are gone from 8am to 7pm. The cognac tour away from 9 to 5:30. The rest of us are seeing our first real cruising today on our way to Libourne. Those on excursions are missing it. Then, we are unable to dock in Cadillac tomorrow so we are returning to Bordeaux. I believe we will be docked in Bordeaux the rest of the week. We are happy to be away but we are covering so little territory that it is not typical of a river cruise. On our day visiting chateaus, we passed the same chateau four times.

 

 

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[love2read]

On the bright side, the staff is very nice and the food is excellent. We just never expected to be docked so many days in Bordeaux.

 

 

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[love2read]

Also, on Sunday, in between the wine tasting and the chateau dinner, all the buses stopped at a "fake" French village. It was like an outdoor mall built for the tour groups. Silly.

 

 

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[Host Jazzbeau]

On the bright side, the staff is very nice and the food is excellent. We just never expected to be docked so many days in Bordeaux.

 

Is this weather-related? Why have you been unable to dock anywhere but Bordeaux?

[love2read]

It is not weather related. I am not sure about Blaye but I think there was no docking space for us. As for Cadillac, there is a bridge under construction and they are not allowed to go that far up the river.

Also, our cabin is a lovely veranda cabin midship on the main level. At Bordeaux (where we will be docked five out of seven nights) and at Libourne, our cabin always faces directly into the side of the gangway. We have no use of our veranda.

 

 

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[Host Jazzbeau]

It is not weather related. I am not sure about Blaye but I think there was no docking space for us. As for Cadillac, there is a bridge under construction and they are not allowed to go that far up the river.

Also, our cabin is a lovely veranda cabin midship on the main level. At Bordeaux (where we will be docked five out of seven nights) and at Libourne, our cabin always faces directly into the side of the gangway. We have no use of our veranda.

 

Wow, what an unpleasant surprise. Yes, the balcony would be at its best while cruising, and you aren't getting much of that. I would be very upset!

 

I hope the rest of the cruise is good. I know it's not quite the cruise you were promised, but at least you are in France.

[Bet & Peg]

love2read ~ ugh this does not sound good at all!!!!!!

 

From the beginning I realized it wouldn't be a "usual" river trip as it would cover very little "river" - but we've been looking forward to docking in places other than Bordeaux!!!!! I think I'm going to keep this "quiet" from DH and our friends hoping that maybe things will change by October!!!!! Could make for a miserable trip and not what Viking "promised"!!!!

 

Thankfully you say the crew is nice and food good - not surprised at that - its what we have found on Viking!!!

 

love2read ~ what cabin are you in???? We're in #205 - friends along side either 203 or 207.

[love2read]

Yes, we are in France but for what we paid we could have stayed in a very nice hotel in Bordeaux and taken day trips. We have done very little cruising on this river cruise. After we return to Bordeaux tomorrow, there will be no more cruising. It is disappointing. We don't know if Viking will be offering compensation or if future cruises will be affected.

As far as cabins on the starboard side, anything midship will likely be blocked by the gangway while in port.

 

 

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[ginabab]

Bordeaux for 5 out of 7 nights !

This is very sad.

Please let us know if this changes as time goes on.

[tipsygirl]

We are currently on the Viking Forseti. Many people are disappointed. They were not allowed to dock in Blaye as planned so we returned to Bordeaux. Those taking the truffle excursion had a three hour bus trip in each direction. They are gone from 8am to 7pm. The cognac tour away from 9 to 5:30. The rest of us are seeing our first real cruising today on our way to Libourne. Those on excursions are missing it. Then, we are unable to dock in Cadillac tomorrow so we are returning to Bordeaux. I believe we will be docked in Bordeaux the rest of the week. We are happy to be away but we are covering so little territory that it is not typical of a river cruise. On our day visiting chateaus, we passed the same chateau four times.

 

 

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Were passengers made aware of the travel times for these tours prior to booking them? This has been standard practice on shore excursions for other cruise lines I have traveled on.

Also, has the Forseti staff provided any accomodation so far for the changes in the cruise? an extra tour or other event or benefit while onboard?

[love2read]

We decided against the truffle excursion when we realized it was a three hour bus ride each way. I don't think anyone knew they would be away 11 hours and miss one of the few cruise opportunities. We are headed back to Bordeaux today (Wednesday) where we will remain docked until the week ends. They decided to add the optional Sauternes wine tasting excursion but everything is bused out of Bordeaux.

The staff has been very nice and apologetic. They realize this is not what we wanted. I don't know what will happen to future cruises.

 

 

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[Bet & Peg]

Just realized I updated the list but forgot to post it!!! Sorry about that!!!!(What happens when I'm sleep deprived!!!!)

 

April 12, 2014 ~ id4elizabeth

April 12, 2014 ~ Go Pack

April 26, 2014 ~ tipsygirl

May 17, 2014 ~ kidfixer: Linda

May 24, 2014 ~ MalibooNewYork Theresa

May 31, 2014 ~ ABQcruiser

July 12, 2014 ~ vcgeno

July 12, 2014 ~ SueFrankuk

July 19, 2014 ~ loge23

Aug. 16, 2014 ~ lovetocruise17

Aug. 23, 2014 ~ MABoat

Aug. 30, 2014 ~ roebud; Rose & Gary

Sept. 6, 2014 ~ indianrider

Sept 13, 2014 ~ smokinmike

Sept. 20, 2014 ~ zmjh45

Sept. 27, 2014 ~ parkie

Oct. 4, 2014 ~ FotoPeg: John & Peg, Tony & Linda

Nov. 1, 2014 ~ Laffey724

Nov. 22, 2014 ~ itchyfeetx2

[barbara787]

Hi Love2Read,

 

I am so sorry to hear that the Bordeaux cruise has been such a disappointment with the drastically changed itinerary. Not what I would want from an expensive vacation. Hopefully Viking will get their act together on future cruises.

 

Thank you for the excellent feedback. Good to know about the lack of view when docking for your cruise when on the starboard side/midships--that is exactly the room location I would have picked hoping to get a nice view. I'm horrified that so much of the itinerary seems to have changed without notice when some of the obstacles should have been known beforehand.

 

I'm going to have to keep an eye on this Thread and see what the next set of cruisers say before I book for next year.

 

Thanks again for the excellent comments, and condolences for your experience,

 

Barbara

 

ps: Viking shows a picture of Chateau Pichone Longview on their website for this cruise--is there actually an opportunity to go there as part of a tour?

[Go Pack]

I called Viking this morning after reading about the problems that the Forseti passengers were currently experiencing. Much to my surprise The Customer Service person and his supervisor knew nothing about the problems. I wanted to know if any contingency plans are in place for next week when we will be aboard. The supervisor has promised me that he would look into the situation and get back to me soon. That was 5 hours ago and I have heard nothing. Quite frankly I am not looking forward to 5 days docked in Bordeaux next week.

[love2read]

We passed by Chateau Pichone Longview on the bus, but we did not have any chance to visit it. Now that we are back in Bordeaux, the river cruising is finished. It is now a bus tour.

 

 

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[Go Pack]

Please tell me 'LOVE 2read" what port calls were you able to dock. What is the real problem as you were told. Has the trip been a complete failure? I am talking with Viking directly and they know nothing and will tell you less. I am very disappointed in the Viking Customer Service. I am awaiting a call from the Director Ms. Linnei Henderson, hopefully she will let me know something. Its pretty sad when I know more than the Customer service dept.

[smokinmike]

One hopes these issues will be resolved very soon and that future cruises this year will be as advertised. I'm very sorry to hear about how this cruise has turned out.

 

 

 

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[love2read]

We have only been able to dock in Bordeaux for five nights, one in Libourne and one in Pauillac. There is a lot of bus time. So we cruised in the early morning hours from Bordeaux to Pauillac for three hours on Sunday and from Pauillac in the very early morning hours back to Bordeaux for three hours on Monday. On Tuesday, everyone who was not on an excursion cruised from Bordeaux to Libourne for five hours. On Wednesday, we sailed back to Bordeaux and will remain here until we depart on Saturday.

Please let us know if you hear back from Customer Service. We skipped Blaye because we could not dock and Cadillac because of a bridge construction. We are being bused to Cadillac tomorrow.

 

 

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[MalibooNewYork]

@GoPack,

Thank you for wading into the fray. This is my first cruise and I am beginning to worry because I don't like what I am hearing.