Where to book Viking Cruises as a mainland European

[Berlin Bear]

We have so far done two Viking Ocean cruises - loved them, even though the second was blighted by Covid. There is unfortunately no possibility of booking a Viking cruise on mainland Europe, so both of these cruises were booked directly with Viking UK, which worked out really well, although we had to book them with flights and then travel via London. Since Brexit however, I no longer have access to the Viking UK website and will need to provide a UK address to book a further cruise there. This is not a problem as I have family there. The UK terms and conditions are similar to the German ones and the cruise prices generally include flights and gratuities.

So, now we would like to book a cruise for December this year and I’m unsure whether to book in the UK or the US!?

I would be really grateful if any fellow Viking cruisers from mainland Europe could let me know where and how they have managed their bookings. Any insights or advice would be very much appreciated!

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

I was in Europe on the Viking Sky two weeks ago and when I accessed the Viking web site to check prices for a future cruise there was only the option to call Viking. I don't think their portal handles anything outside of the US, Canada, UK, and Australia. They all have different legal requirements and pricing. You should call them or go through a travel agent.

[Cienfuegos]

Going through a travel agent in this situation sounds like a very good idea.

 

Although it seems that Viking River cruises sells space in Europe.  Perhaps the River and Ocean units are established as separate businesses.

[friendlyfifer]

That would explain the lack of EU passengers on board ocean sailings. I enjoy meeting passengers from around the world but have found that 80% of passengers on recent sailings have been from the US. 

[Berlin Bear]

Thanks for all your responses. 
Unfortunately there are no European travel agents, apart from in the UK, that deal with Viking Ocean cruises. Since Brexit, it has become more difficult for us to book in the UK, although it is still possible if we can provide a UK address (I have willing relatives 😁).

I have no experience of booking travel in the US - neither via a travel agent nor directly. The terms and conditions seem to differ from the EU/UK ones.

I was hoping to hear something from other European (non-UK) Viking customers who have the same „dilemma“ and are willing to share their booking experiences here.

Thanks in advance!

[Hockeyump]

I think one of the reasons Viking haven't expanded in to mainland Europe is that they are very much an English language company. Customer serving staff are all able to converse in English, to a greater or lesser extent and to introduce a multitude of other languages would have a comsiderable impact.

While they can fill the cabins I can't see them changing their business model.

 

 

[Berlin Bear]

53 minutes ago, Hockeyump said:

I think one of the reasons Viking haven't expanded in to mainland Europe is that they are very much an English language company. Customer serving staff are all able to converse in English, to a greater or lesser extent and to introduce a multitude of other languages would have a comsiderable impact.

While they can fill the cabins I can't see them changing their business model.

 

 

Yes, their business model seems to tend towards streamlining or simplification - identical ships filled with English-speaking passengers. Very cost efficient. I’m not saying this is bad, we enjoy the Viking experience.

However, other comparable English-speaking cruise lines (e.g. Oceania, Regent, Seabourn) are marketed in Europe and can be booked either directly or via travel agencies. Even P&O sell their cruises over here 😅. It is quite odd, given the emphasis on everything Norwegian, that Viking neglects to cater for the European continent. Yes, business model…

I don’t mind having to book directly with Viking, so I guess I will have to set up two strands of communication with the US and UK offices so that I can compare prices and conditions.

The lack of response from other Europeans who are interested in sailing with Viking sort of confirms my feeling that we are a tiny minority!

[Canberra601]

We face a similar problem living here in the Philippines.  We have to use either the US, UK or Australian offices.   Only the US office appears to not require an address in that country.  As Berlin Bear states, this can be quite complex due to the different pricing structures and associated conditions, not even mentioning the need to take into account foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.   

[DGHOC]

BB have you tried calling a UK cruise specialist travel agent directly to assist you? I wonder whether that could circumvent the difficulties? I can't imagine they'd want to turn away the chance of a bit of business (£) in this day and age!