What's Up With Viking?

[BostonBoy2]

We are planning our first cruise in the eastern Mediterranean. We are in our early '70s. We had heard a lot of good reports on Viking, so we were inclined to book with Viking. However, I am a long-time member of TripAdviser, and I usually go there for travel information. There seem to be an unusual number of truly bad reviews of Viking on the Viking forum. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1939161-d10813724-Reviews-or30-Viking_Cruises-Lignan_De_Bordeaux_Gironde_Nouvelle_Aquitaine.html

 

In fact, the "terrible/poor" ratings exceed the "excellent" ratings. And, the negative reviews are heavily weighted toward recent trips.

 

I'm wondering - is booking an ocean tour with Viking a big mistake?! Or is it just that people who have bad experiences are more inclined to write negative reviews, and this is something of a statistical anomaly? 

 

Thanks for you thoughts! Oh, and one more thing - while I typically don't use a travel agent, the whole "cruise thing" is sufficiently complex that it seems that it might be a good idea to use a travel agent that specialized in cruises for this trip. Any recommendations of travel agents in the Boston area would be appreciated. 

[chengkp75]

As Cruise Critic is a subsidiary of Trip Advisor, it is against the forum rules to name or recommend travel agents.

[Essiesmom]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  Viking has two parts: the river cruises, and the ocean cruises.  I think if you are looking for reviews, you have to separate out the two.  There is a forum here for Viking Ocean, and the river cruises are covered under River Cruising.  Suggest you post your thoughts there.  EM

[crystalspin]

4 hours ago, BostonBoy2 said:

We are planning our first cruise in the eastern Mediterranean. ... We had heard a lot of good reports on Viking, so we were inclined to book with Viking. However, I am a long-time member of TripAdviser, and I usually go there for travel information. There seem to be an unusual number of truly bad reviews of Viking on the Viking forum. 

I'm wondering - is booking an ocean tour with Viking a big mistake?! Or is it just that people who have bad experiences are more inclined to write negative reviews, and this is something of a statistical anomaly? 

The Viking Ocean forum is here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/689-viking-ocean/

 

My aunt and uncle (siblings) just finished an Athens to Viking Viking cruise. My aunt compares it to a pre-pandemic Viking cruise to Norway: "since Covid it does appear that things have not remained the stellar excellence prior to. The Norway ocean tour was superb, the best cruise I've ever taken. The Athens to Venice was nice, but that's because we were family together. The ship is amazing, the food is good. But there were some kinks for sure."

 

She likes that the ship is smaller, without casino or children or art-sales!

 

I think all the sub-forums on each cruiseline (on Cruise Critic and off) are reporting cutbacks or other changes. 

[CarnivalShips480]

5 hours ago, BostonBoy2 said:

Or is it just that people who have bad experiences are more inclined to write negative reviews, 

This is definetly true, most people who have bad experiences find places to write about it, people who have a great cruise are happy and don't write reviews as much

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 hours ago, CarnivalShips480 said:

This is definetly true, most people who have bad experiences find places to write about it, people who have a great cruise are happy and don't write reviews as much

And this is more true of post-oriented sites like Trip Advisor (and the reviews section of Cruise Critic) and discussion-oriented sites like this part of Cruise Critic.

 

OTOH the cruise line forums on Cruise Critic (like the Viking Ocean forum mentioned above) sometimes are dominated by fans of that line who are overly positive.  So while I suggest that you read the Viking Ocean forum, I wouldn't suggest posting this question there...

[CruisingWalter]

22 hours ago, BostonBoy2 said:

Thanks for you thoughts! Oh, and one more thing - while I typically don't use a travel agent, the whole "cruise thing" is sufficiently complex that it seems that it might be a good idea to use a travel agent that specialized in cruises for this trip. Any recommendations of travel agents in the Boston area would be appreciated. 

 

Definitely check the Viking Forums on CC for more detail information regarding the ships and the current quality of the Viking experience.  You may also want to compare American Cruise Line for the itineraries you're considering. I've only recently become aware of their coast to coast offerings. I honestly thought they were just a Mississippi river cruise line but they are coast to coast including Alaska.

 

As others have noted, we cannot recommend travel agents here on CC. It's been a rule even before TripAdvisor purchased them. But I will say we have been cruising almost 20 years and always use a travel agent for our cruises. The pricing will be identical to what you find online, but since the travel agents don't cost you anything, you can take advantage of their years of cruise knowledge to help you pick the right ship, itinerary and cabin for your trip. They're also an advocate on your behalf when you have to make changes or want any additional requests after the initial booking. They have to get on the phone with the cruise line, not you. That has been huge during the pandemic related changes, we had to rebook cruises 6 times over two cruise lines. 

 

Good luck on your first cruise and welcome to the cruise family! 

[KBs mum]

Depends on why the review is negative, some complain about a lack of organised entertainments and big shows, which for many is a good thing. Also Viking has European hotel style service onboard, not US resort style service. 

Thing to do is look for trends about any aspect then decide if it would be a problem if it is accurate. Eg. If there are reports about the shows not being as good. We don't care, we never go to them, others may view it as an important part of their holiday

[SbbquilterUT]

The actual reasons are important when I read reviews - we listened to a lady complain to our lovely host because she was not aware it might be cold in Iceland and Norway.......

[bbwex]

Looking at your question, I would only note that I have a more serious question about Viking Ocean.  If you recall, there was a Viking ship that lost power near the Norwegian coast a few years ago, and although a grounding was avoided near the last minute as tugs arrived to take her under tow, some passengers had already been evacuated by helicopter as part of an emergency evacuation.  The problem turned out to be a low oil issue in the generators, which was exacerbated by some high seas and the resultant motion of the ship.  Viking was able to ultimately restore power, and with the tugs made it to port safely where the cruise was terminated, and I heard that Viking did an excellent job of taking care of the passengers, giving them a total reimbursement and offer for another cruise.  However, I have not seen an adequate explanation for the low oil situation, and these systems are all automated and under careful supervision.  They had to know that the oil was low, had been low, and they allowed it to go on.  While the oil is very expensive, it is much less expensive than replacing the generators or the ship!!!  Please note that I have not seen the final investigative report from the Norwegian authorities, and there may have been an adequate explanation given, though I cannot imagine that one exists -- it is a situation that should never be allowed to happen.  I for one will not be going on a Viking Ocean ship.

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, bbwex said:

However, I have not seen an adequate explanation for the low oil situation, and these systems are all automated and under careful supervision.  They had to know that the oil was low, had been low, and they allowed it to go on.  While the oil is very expensive, it is much less expensive than replacing the generators or the ship!!! 

The oil was being maintained at the lower end of the manufacturer's recommended level. This was pointed out in the Norwegian accident investigation board report as poor operational procedure, but as noted, it was within limits.  I am sure that since then, Viking's ISM code has been amended to not allow this practice in the future.  In normal circumstances, operating at this low level is perfectly safe for the engines, it is just that with the knowledge of bad weather ahead, they should have topped up to avoid this incident.  The oil level monitoring systems are not very accurate, as the oil sloshes back and forth in the sump, giving high readings one second, and low readings the next.  The most accurate method is to hand measure the oil with a dipstick (just like your car), taking several readings and averaging them.

 

Even if the oil level had gone below the lower limit of the manufacturer's recommendations, the engine would still not have been in danger.  As happened in this instance, the oil sloshed away from the oil pump suction, and the oil pump lost pressure.  The engines did exactly what they were designed to do to protect the engine, and they shut down on the low oil pressure, with no damage to the engines.

 

I don't know what lines you cruise, but the fact that Carnival had an entire class of ships where the CO2 firefighting systems were installed incorrectly, and was only discovered after years of operation, and this information was not sent to all ships in the class to have repairs done immediately, and that they had two fires within 3 years (Splendor and Triumph), that while caused by different causes, resulted in total loss of power to the ships, yet nothing was studied or proposed as possible means to rectify the problem, gives me far more concern than the Viking incident.

[crystalspin]

Ship happens.

[navybankerteacher]

On 12/1/2022 at 9:45 AM, KBs mum said:

Depends on why the review is negative, some complain about a lack of organised entertainments and big shows, which for many is a good thing. Also Viking has European hotel style service onboard, not US resort style service. 

..

It helps to understand the point of reference.  Most posters on these threads seem to be US cruisers who favor the likes of Royal Caribbean, Carnival and NCL -- and are likely to be unfamiliar (if not actually uncomfortable) with the experience to be expected on a line like Viking.  It always helps to be aware of any likely biases of the posters.

[ldubs]

On 12/1/2022 at 6:45 AM, KBs mum said:

Depends on why the review is negative, some complain about a lack of organised entertainments and big shows, which for many is a good thing. Also Viking has European hotel style service onboard, not US resort style service. 

Thing to do is look for trends about any aspect then decide if it would be a problem if it is accurate. Eg. If there are reports about the shows not being as good. We don't care, we never go to them, others may view it as an important part of their holiday

 

What is European hotel style service?  I'm not even sure what US resort style service would be.  

[KBs mum]

8 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

What is European hotel style service?  I'm not even sure what US resort style service would be.  

Main difference is inconspicuous until required, rather than tip farming. Also a lack of upselling and irrelevant glitz. Saw a programme about a Regent ship, dubbed 'the world's most expensive cruise ship'. To paraphrase Dolly Parton, costs a lot of money to look that cheap

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Main difference is inconspicuous until required, rather than tip farming. Also a lack of upselling and irrelevant glitz. Saw a programme about a Regent ship, dubbed 'the world's most expensive cruise ship'. To paraphrase Dolly Parton, costs a lot of money to look that cheap

 

Thanks!  I can honestly say I've never noticed a difference (other than accents).   Well, of course age and decor will vary.  Otherwise pretty much the same for the places I stay.  

[chatdad]

On 11/30/2022 at 9:57 AM, BostonBoy2 said:

We are planning our first cruise in the eastern Mediterranean. We are in our early '70s. We had heard a lot of good reports on Viking, so we were inclined to book with Viking. However, I am a long-time member of TripAdviser, and I usually go there for travel information. There seem to be an unusual number of truly bad reviews of Viking on the Viking forum. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1939161-d10813724-Reviews-or30-Viking_Cruises-Lignan_De_Bordeaux_Gironde_Nouvelle_Aquitaine.html

 

In fact, the "terrible/poor" ratings exceed the "excellent" ratings. And, the negative reviews are heavily weighted toward recent trips.

 

I'm wondering - is booking an ocean tour with Viking a big mistake?! Or is it just that people who have bad experiences are more inclined to write negative reviews, and this is something of a statistical anomaly? 

 

Thanks for you thoughts! Oh, and one more thing - while I typically don't use a travel agent, the whole "cruise thing" is sufficiently complex that it seems that it might be a good idea to use a travel agent that specialized in cruises for this trip. Any recommendations of travel agents in the Boston area would be appreciated. 

Am sure by now you've taken a look at the posts on the specific Viking boards and perhaps even hooked into the very active Viking groups on a popular Social Media site used by everyone and their brother these days.  Hope those have been helpful in helping you discern the underlying trends of concern with Viking.  As we prepare for our first ocean cruise with them (have done a river cruise), a large portion of the negative views appear to center around air reservations when booked through Viking.  Anyone who had traveled 'post' pandemic understands the air industry remains in a state of flux and to just expect change upon change.  Like any other company, Viking is challenged by the constant changes the airlines do and staffing to take calls.  It's the new 'business as usual'.  I'm expecting once we board the cruise experience itself will meet all our expectations.  Won't know until we try.  As for booking, I highly suggest working with  one of the Viking booking staff instead of an independent TA.  He/she will know the ins and outs of Viking.  Unless you have one that offers added incentives like OBC, I don't see the advantage.  And do check on the social media boards as someone may know of a promotional code (typically for their Silver Spirit drink package or in some cases free air).  

[Mary229]

There seem to be a lot of complaints everywhere.   The cruise lines seem to be unable to raise their prices high enough to maintain the 2019 pre Covid standards, this inflationary environment is just crushing their budgets and people have pent up demands with high expectations.  If the review is rational I read it to determine what the changes are and decide if that is ok.  Some people are writing good, detailed reviews drawing comparisons between pre Covid and now.  

[bbwex]

On 12/8/2022 at 11:07 AM, chengkp75 said:

I don't know what lines you cruise, but the fact that Carnival had an entire class of ships where the CO2 firefighting systems were installed incorrectly, and was only discovered after years of operation, and this information was not sent to all ships in the class to have repairs done immediately, and that they had two fires within 3 years (Splendor and Triumph), that while caused by different causes, resulted in total loss of power to the ships, yet nothing was studied or proposed as possible means to rectify the problem, gives me far more concern than the Viking incident.

Weill I would have to agree that an improperly installed CO2 system is much more worrisome inasmuch as fire is the greatest threat at sea.  Thanks for the additional info on the oil system as well, though I still have some concerns about oil levels that low in really heavy seas.