Have heard negative things about Viking

[sjde]

A travel agent friend called Viking "the Carnival of river cruises" but we are thinking of taking one anyway, though we've avoided them in the past , partly because of her comment. We were going to do a Christmas Market cruise on Grand Circle or Gate 1 but they are almost all booked. Yes, Viking costs about 25% more (though still a lot less than many others) but has SO many ships so lots of availability.  Any comments pro or con?

[Daisi]

I've never sailed on Viking, however my S-i-L and her husband love them. With the cancellations from Covid, they did have (from what I have read on these boards) very good customer service and many happy clients.

 

Pro - lots of ships, so if water levels are a problem, very easy for ship swaps.

Con- careful with cabin selection, on the newer ships, the centre aisle is off-set, so while the veranda rooms are a good size, the french balcony ones lose out.  If you are doing a Christmas Market cruise, you probably won't be using the Veranda.

 

I would suggest reading the stickies at the top of the forum.  There is one comparing River cruise lines to Ocean cruise lines, you may find one that you would be comfortable with.  There is very few things that are the same with the two of them.  Check out the various lines web sites to view the itineraries, and also check out customer YouTube videos to see actual sailings, not ones glamourised by the various lines.

 

Once you have a better idea of what you would be looking for, come back and feel free to ask any questions....this is a very friendly board.

[notamermaid]

I say straight out that I am not a fan of the Viking longships as regards decor and overall appearance (yes, I have been on one briefly in winter time decked out with festive lights). Not my company as I am sceptical of their aggressive marketing and particularly the early full payment they demand. However, the attention to detail and customer service on the ship appear to be excellent from reading both theory and many, many comments on this board. So great on that.

 

One thing to check is how many Christmas markets they go to, especially on embarkation day which they may count as a market, but may not be an option for you to go to.

 

As regards availability, have you looked at European companies like Riviera River Cruises (UK), CroisiEurope (France) and Viva Cruises (Germany)?

 

notamermaid

 

[Roz]

@sjde, I'm not sure why your TA would use that term to describe Viking, and as a sometimes Carnival ocean cruiser, I find it a bit offensive.  

 

I've never sailed Viking for a couple of reasons - their draconian solo pricing, their larger ships (more passengers), fewer inclusions, and their policy of demanding full payment upfront.  That said, I know people who've taken Viking river cruiser, loved them, and booked with them again.

 

Some people book Viking because they think they're the only option due to their omnipresent advertising.  

[sharkster77]

We looked around before booking our Rhine cruise with Viking for 2019, as we liked their itinerary the best.  Honestly, we cannot come up with any negatives---from our perspective everything was perfect.  (Maybe we're just easy to please).  We didn't have any problems dealing with the US operations pre-cruise (some have found them difficult), and once you're on the ship you are treated like royalty.  We did a DIY in Lucerne after the cruise and they took care of booking us a taxi to the Basel train station.

 

The ship was full, but we never saw the free-for-all getting to dinner that some have reported.  We always found a seat without problem.  We made full payment 5 months before sailing, and we were OK with that.

 

As others have mentioned, they were probably the best when it came to dealing with refunds/vouchers for COVID cancellations.  125% credit on a future cruise is d*** good.

 

When life becomes "normal" again, we'd like to book a tulip cruise with them.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

Of all the reports I have heard about Viking River Cruises, there has never been anything that would remind me of the descriptions (and pictures) of Carnival.  Their decor is Scandinavian cool, and their entertainment is in line with most river cruise ships [i.e. passengers used to the mega-resort ships find it low-key].  My reasons for not choosing Viking River are the much higher passenger load on the same size ships [all newish river ships are the same size, which is the maximum that will fit in the locks on the rivers they sail] and the full payment so far in advance.

[knoxclone]

You will find many opinions on this board  -  and I would ask your Travel Agent Friend" on which Viking river cruise she has sailed which would elicit that comment. 🙂  

 

I have sailed with Viking River three times in the past 6 years and have been very pleased each time. The clean lines and Scandinavian decor is not too everyone's taste but I like it.   The service on all three trips has been outstanding, friendly and professional. 

 

I agree that Its definitely not as "opulent" as several other cruise lines, and there is no butler service and its not all inclusive  - but for me, I think it is a very good value overall.  I do agree with Roz that they do have very unfavorable solo pricing,  and many travelers do not like the payment policies. Im ok with them, but that a personal preference.  

 

Happy sailing!

 

[jackandmary]

Our family did the Rhine cruise a few years ago with Viking and everyone loved it! A very low key and relaxing time. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

[sjde]

We have done other river cruises- Grand Circle, Teeming and AMA. 
 

Is passenger load that different? Don’t all fill their ships? Or are you saying their ships are larger? I think I saw 190 and our others were @ 140.  
 

So other lines only require a deposit upfront?   
 

I believe all of them give no refunds , even if you cancel far out/early on. You have to buy travel insurance. Is this correct? 

[Host Jazzbeau]

20 minutes ago, sjde said:

We have done other river cruises- Grand Circle, Teeming and AMA. 
 

Is passenger load that different? Don’t all fill their ships? Or are you saying their ships are larger? I think I saw 190 and our others were @ 140.  
 

So other lines only require a deposit upfront?   
 

I believe all of them give no refunds , even if you cancel far out/early on. You have to buy travel insurance. Is this correct? 

 

If two ships are both 135m long and one has 140 passengers and the other has 190 – don't you think you'd feel more crowded on ship #2?  All those extra cabins reduce the space available for public areas like restaurants [multiple choices] and lounges.

 

Yes, other lines only require a deposit upfront with final payment not due until 90 days before.  Viking's policy has varied from time to time, but always requires full payment much earlier.

 

Refund policy and deposit policy are separate and vary, but yes I believe most river cruise lines have a non-refundable amount from the get-go [which can often be turned into FCC]. 

 

We always buy travel insurance through our TA, starting with the minimum coverage at time of deposit to insure 'existing condition' waiver; we then increase the coverage with each non-refundable payment [e.g. airfare] until final payment for the cruise.  The one time we had to activate the insurance it 'paid back' all the premiums for all prior trips [so the medical coverage on all those trips was 'free'].

[sjde]

When explained that way it makes sense,  but I guess I thought the Viking Longships were....longer.

 

Technical question- when I click on FollowTopic, should I not be getting an email notificaton when there is a reply? It used to be that way. 

[mskaufman]

We have cruised on both Viking (river) and Carnival.  Carnival has a reputation of being a party boat with lots of liquor flowing.  We have never had a problem on Carnival and would have no problem cruising again (we are in our 60s).  The Viking cruise we went on was not a party boat and the average age was higher than on Carnival. Maybe Viking pays the TA less than other lines pay them. 

[gnome12]

56 minutes ago, sjde said:

Technical question- when I click on FollowTopic, should I not be getting an email notificaton when there is a reply? It used to be that way. 

You have to set your notifications also; not just follow the topic.

[gnome12]

57 minutes ago, sjde said:

When explained that way it makes sense,  but I guess I thought the Viking Longships were....longer.

They were longer than the earlier Viking ships, but they can't be longer than 135m to fit into some of the locks.

[Host Jazzbeau]

29 minutes ago, mskaufman said:

We have cruised on both Viking (river) and Carnival.  Carnival has a reputation of being a party boat with lots of liquor flowing.  We have never had a problem on Carnival and would have no problem cruising again (we are in our 60s).  The Viking cruise we went on was not a party boat and the average age was higher than on Carnival. Maybe Viking pays the TA less than other lines pay them.

 

Based on the rebate I got from my Viking cruise, they would seem to pay even more than other lines.  Good TAs don't base their recommendations on commissions, but on the feedback from their clients and their own experience.  My TA doesn't recommend Viking (River) or Crystal (River) – the first because it doesn't aim high enough, the second because its aim exceeds its grasp [that based on her personal experience].  OTOH she recommends, and we have enjoyed, both Viking (Ocean) and Crystal (Ocean) – two companies with vastly different branches.

[sharkster77]

Viking does not include all liquor, just beer and wine at lunch and dinner---wife and I are very light drinkers, so I would not get value paying for a cruise whose fare included all liquor.

 

Viking ships have no spas, but neither one of us is into that, so again, not missed by us.

 

A butler?  Please.

 

Viking's minimalist Scandinavian style is fine by us.  Uniworld's French boudoir style, OTOH, I think, is over the top.

 

An excursion in every port?  Good.  We chose to pay for 2 additional excursions, and passed on all the others.  The 2 that we took were worth the cost.

 

Our final payment was not due over a year in advance (we booked 14 months in advance), but 5 months before sailing.  That was acceptable to us.  For others, it may not be.

 

SO---when you compare costs and amenities, what is good value for one may be not so for another.  As many have said, compare what IS and IS NOT included.  For us, Viking was a good value.  Scenic, with flowing hard liquor and a butler for each room, would be a waste of money.  To each his or her own.

Choose the line that fits your wants.

Edited January 19, 2021 by sharkster77

[sjde]

I noticed Viking’s air add-on is VERY reasonable. 

[bodl]

14 hours ago, sjde said:

We have done other river cruises- Grand Circle, Teeming and AMA. 
 

Is passenger load that different? Don’t all fill their ships? Or are you saying their ships are larger? I think I saw 190 and our others were @ 140.  
 

So other lines only require a deposit upfront?   
 

I believe all of them give no refunds , even if you cancel far out/early on. You have to buy travel insurance. Is this correct? 

Yes, all the modern ships are essentially the same length. Viking says their design is different, and results in more area devoted to passenger space. Thus, they are not any more crowded at 190 passengers than other ships are at 160. I haven’t been on all the companies ships, so I can’t verify their claims. I’m just relaying how Viking answers this very common question. 

[sharkster77]

10 hours ago, sjde said:

I noticed Viking’s air add-on is VERY reasonable. 

We could not have purchased our air fare for less than Viking's price.

[tfred]

I think the Carnival reference is more of how they are marketed towards the mass market.  Other lines (AMA, Crystal) look for a more upscale pax.

 

Nothing wrong with Viking - they do a great job at selling what they have ( good product) and certainly have a stranglehold on the river market

 

I have been on Crystal River twice and thought it was a fantastic experience. There were 100 pax on board and that is noticeable.  There is no cattle car feel or experience

 

All the ships are the same size so the increased pax on Viking have to at the expense of something.  It is really room size.  Some of the Viking rooms are small and you would notice it even if you are not in the room that much.  Layout the sizes on your floor at home and see how small they can be.  Verandas aren't really necessary on a river cruise since you will be touring or up on deck on "river" days

 

I would look at what you actually get (and room size is one of those), food, booze and tours and look for best value.  

[caripoo]

DEFINETLY not like Carnival......If a TA said that I would find another...That being said we loved our Viking cruises...BUT CRYSTAL is number 1 with us...Everything about Crystal is just a little better than Viking....I will always reccomend Viking and more than likely do them again. Their payment policy is the WORST, but if you can be okay with paying sometimes over a year in full then you will be okay. Crystal is ALL inclusive, ships have a few less passengers, usually priced better....Also look at AMA, we have good things there as well

 

 

[travelingman]

I am at a lost on the comparison of Carnival and Viking.  I would like to hear your TAs reasoning for this comparison. Is it the large amount of advertising.  It is hard to say which river cruise line is better than the other since it really comes down to personal preference.  I like the Viking Scandinavian decor's clean lines.  i have stayed in of the "smaller" Viking cabins and had no problem with it.  Mainly in there only for sleeping, cleaning up and dressing.  Wife has been known to take a nap in the afternoon, but size of cabin doesn't matter for a nap.  And, as someone else mentioned, a balcony would be a waste for me on a river cruise.  But for an ocean cruise I like the balcony.

As far as total cost, I read an article with comparison of all the river cruise lines and their costs.  i had always thought Viking was a little on the high side but the comparison chart surprised me. The chart took into account all the different costs associated with the different river cruise lines taking into account cabin costs, excursions, gratuities, drinks, etc. to make them all comparable.  Surprisingly Viking came in as the second lowest.

The one thing I do dislike about Viking is the final payment being due 1 year out.  i have been able to get that reduced to 6 months out, which I am still not totally happy with.  If it ever gets where I can't get the final payment due date down to 6 months I won't sail with Viking.

As i mentioned up above it all comes down to personal preference and choice.  Those that like Viking (myself) are happy and those that don't sail on other ships.  You should look at the reviews of Viking and other river cruise lines to help you make your decision.

 

Stan

[sjde]

I looked it up and these are the sizes of the lower level rooms-  

 

AMA 205 sf

Grand Circle  160

Viking 140-160

Gate 1- 140

[Canal archive]

First of all I have never traveled with Viking but my friends of over 50 years have and he became seriously ill and evidently they were absolutely wonderful. Personally I love a balcony. The width and length of a river cruise vessel are governed by the width and length of the locks this is why the vessels on the Seine and Douro are shorter. 
As with lots of services you get what you pay for we have always traveled with Scenic and so far any challenges have been sorted to our complete satisfaction. 
Viking are still advertising heavily in the U.K. both river and ocean cruising. Enjoy your researching it’s half the fun of cruising. CA

[Renmar]

4 hours ago, travelingman said:

 

As far as total cost, I read an article with comparison of all the river cruise lines and their costs.  i had always thought Viking was a little on the high side but the comparison chart surprised me. The chart took into account all the different costs associated with the different river cruise lines taking into account cabin costs, excursions, gratuities, drinks, etc. to make them all comparable.  Surprisingly Viking came in as the second lowest.

 

 

Stan

@travelingman, Any chance of having a link to that article?

 

Theo