British: you are 100% correct that people want more bang for the buck. I’ve only been on two Viking River cruises and personally I would prefer not to go again. There is nothing wrong with it, but I felt I was just a number and not one staff person knew our names. You also pay extra for all the excursions. Just my opinion.
We leave today for Iceland and Greenland with another company.
I almost signed up for a Viking cruise when they had the Prague to Paris cruise before Tauck did. Started the process signing up online and by the time I got to the point of picking excursions that all had to be paid extra for I'd talked myself out of it.
British said: "People rave about Viking yet I would never consider them, one of the reasons being their buy one get one type of advertising if you book early etc."
+1 Every Viking brochure we receive (we seem to be on their list) has every price marked with a red slash-through and replaced by half off or whatever the offer is. Other people may consider that just a marketing non-issue, but I am put off by any company that resorts to car sales tactics to sell their product.
Yes, I get those brochures and feel exactly the same as you mikes.
Right now, I am mustering up the energy to start exploring Quito as we got to our hotel at 1-15 am last night.
If you don't drink much alcohol, happy to let them book whatever flights they want for you or care about lots of organized excursions you can save money on Viking. Depend on your priorities. I have a friend planning a tulip cruise with her sister and pointed her toward Tauck especially for 2 solo travelers with the no single supplement rooms. Viking is just so well known that people don't realize there are alternatives.
A single friend of ours had to pay for two people traveling, there was no single discount or at all, no single supplement. We’ve told him about Tauck but he does not realize the difference because Tauck price is for everything.
Exactly, and if you’re on Vikkng with adult children, the prices of the excursions certainly add up. I did the math and the same trip on Tauck would have been better money wise. Plus on Viking, there are different prices for different excursions for the same day so consequently one can think what am I missing if I don’t do the best one! Just a thought.
I've never taken a Viking river cruise but a good friend did and was not happy with it. I've heard that their ocean cruises are better.
My other problem is that they want FULL payment way in advance. For first time Viking travelers they want the money 365 days before sailing, and for return guests it's 180 days before sailing.
Inlanikai, have you already received your refund? We are still waiting and as of Thursday Tauck was unable to say when we would get the refund. It has been three weeks since our aborted riverboat cruise. Two people from Guest Relations sounded overwhelmed with their "spreadsheets". There are only seven differently priced cabins and most of the 57 people were couples so I don't understand the difficulty. When I inquired about method of refund they refused to electronically deposit into our checking account, refused to credit via our credit card and said the only way they refund is by mail. And, as a goodwill gesture they will not refund the entire trip but will deduct one day for the welcome dinner and also deduct the following day from any compensation.
British, I have the same thoughts as you. It was really surprising to be given the guest list and realize that so few people would be on it. I believe the Prague to Paris cruise was one of the more expensive cruises they offer.
@the moores, some of the refund was put towards an upcoming trip that was already booked. The rest was refunded to my credit card that was used to pay for the cancelled trip on the same day, that Tuesday the 23rd when they called me. By the end of that Tuesday it showed up in the cc account as "Pending" and the next day it cleared. Frankly, I was surprised it was so quick.
Maybe I beat the rush caused by the two cancellations and who knows how many others that might have be affected by the low water level.
The small group tours I have taken recently appear to be full. I did Viking once and never again! They nickle and dime you and the one included tour is a quickie flying (in a bus) past the site-never going in. The add on tours are not better. Also I don't like river tours although that may change when I hit the 80s!
Hello Moores and inlanikai, When I returned home from Prague to Paris, I sent information to Tauck with my expenses. I thought that is what the paper we received at the hotel told us to do. I received an email from Michelle at Tauck explaining this was not the correct procedure. I phoned her. She said that I had to submit all of my information to AON. Their form requested a copy of the itinerary, a receipt for the cost of my airfare rebooking, booking number, proof of cancellation, proof of payment for the original trip, and proof of additional expenses. Were you told to do all of this?
@Praugue, my situation was different than the moores as our tour was cancelled by Tauck days before it was to start. In my case, I received a call from Tauck informing me of the tour cancellation and I made the decision while on that initial phone call with the rep as to what I wanted to do as outlined above. I was put on hold and the rep spoke to whomever internally and my requested disposition was processed accordingly.
I might add this was the second time I had a tour cancelled by Tauck just days before it was to start. That was the Israel & Jordan tour in October 2023. I basically handled the refund the same way.
Comments
@inlanikai, Thank you for posting.
British: you are 100% correct that people want more bang for the buck. I’ve only been on two Viking River cruises and personally I would prefer not to go again. There is nothing wrong with it, but I felt I was just a number and not one staff person knew our names. You also pay extra for all the excursions. Just my opinion.
We leave today for Iceland and Greenland with another company.
I almost signed up for a Viking cruise when they had the Prague to Paris cruise before Tauck did. Started the process signing up online and by the time I got to the point of picking excursions that all had to be paid extra for I'd talked myself out of it.
British said: "People rave about Viking yet I would never consider them, one of the reasons being their buy one get one type of advertising if you book early etc."
+1 Every Viking brochure we receive (we seem to be on their list) has every price marked with a red slash-through and replaced by half off or whatever the offer is. Other people may consider that just a marketing non-issue, but I am put off by any company that resorts to car sales tactics to sell their product.
Yes, I get those brochures and feel exactly the same as you mikes.
Right now, I am mustering up the energy to start exploring Quito as we got to our hotel at 1-15 am last night.
If you don't drink much alcohol, happy to let them book whatever flights they want for you or care about lots of organized excursions you can save money on Viking. Depend on your priorities. I have a friend planning a tulip cruise with her sister and pointed her toward Tauck especially for 2 solo travelers with the no single supplement rooms. Viking is just so well known that people don't realize there are alternatives.
A single friend of ours had to pay for two people traveling, there was no single discount or at all, no single supplement. We’ve told him about Tauck but he does not realize the difference because Tauck price is for everything.
Exactly, and if you’re on Vikkng with adult children, the prices of the excursions certainly add up. I did the math and the same trip on Tauck would have been better money wise. Plus on Viking, there are different prices for different excursions for the same day so consequently one can think what am I missing if I don’t do the best one! Just a thought.
I've never taken a Viking river cruise but a good friend did and was not happy with it. I've heard that their ocean cruises are better.
My other problem is that they want FULL payment way in advance. For first time Viking travelers they want the money 365 days before sailing, and for return guests it's 180 days before sailing.
Good grief!
MIke - you should have offered first born male child instead.
Inlanikai, have you already received your refund? We are still waiting and as of Thursday Tauck was unable to say when we would get the refund. It has been three weeks since our aborted riverboat cruise. Two people from Guest Relations sounded overwhelmed with their "spreadsheets". There are only seven differently priced cabins and most of the 57 people were couples so I don't understand the difficulty. When I inquired about method of refund they refused to electronically deposit into our checking account, refused to credit via our credit card and said the only way they refund is by mail. And, as a goodwill gesture they will not refund the entire trip but will deduct one day for the welcome dinner and also deduct the following day from any compensation.
British, I have the same thoughts as you. It was really surprising to be given the guest list and realize that so few people would be on it. I believe the Prague to Paris cruise was one of the more expensive cruises they offer.
I did, but they wanted me to pay for his cabin on the boat.
@the moores, some of the refund was put towards an upcoming trip that was already booked. The rest was refunded to my credit card that was used to pay for the cancelled trip on the same day, that Tuesday the 23rd when they called me. By the end of that Tuesday it showed up in the cc account as "Pending" and the next day it cleared. Frankly, I was surprised it was so quick.
Maybe I beat the rush caused by the two cancellations and who knows how many others that might have be affected by the low water level.
The small group tours I have taken recently appear to be full. I did Viking once and never again! They nickle and dime you and the one included tour is a quickie flying (in a bus) past the site-never going in. The add on tours are not better. Also I don't like river tours although that may change when I hit the 80s!
Hello Moores and inlanikai, When I returned home from Prague to Paris, I sent information to Tauck with my expenses. I thought that is what the paper we received at the hotel told us to do. I received an email from Michelle at Tauck explaining this was not the correct procedure. I phoned her. She said that I had to submit all of my information to AON. Their form requested a copy of the itinerary, a receipt for the cost of my airfare rebooking, booking number, proof of cancellation, proof of payment for the original trip, and proof of additional expenses. Were you told to do all of this?
@Praugue, my situation was different than the moores as our tour was cancelled by Tauck days before it was to start. In my case, I received a call from Tauck informing me of the tour cancellation and I made the decision while on that initial phone call with the rep as to what I wanted to do as outlined above. I was put on hold and the rep spoke to whomever internally and my requested disposition was processed accordingly.
I might add this was the second time I had a tour cancelled by Tauck just days before it was to start. That was the Israel & Jordan tour in October 2023. I basically handled the refund the same way.
Oops. My error. I spoke to Shannon, not Michelle, at Tauck. Inlanikai, thank you for the clarification.