at a time when other cruise lines are canceling. Followers 7. KD Line is an 1826-founded, Cologne-based company with a fleet of 14 cruise vessels (including "event ships" and a paddle steamer) deployed in Germany, on the rivers Moselle, Rhine and Main. In the UK, Viking OCEAN ships are homeported in London-Greenwich England. Viking Expeditions ships are Norway-flagged (registered in Longyearbyen Spitsbergen), smaller-sized (GT 30150 tons, LOA length 203 m, beam/width 24 m) and with reduced passenger capacity (378 each, plus 260 crew/staff) in comparison to Viking Ocean's liners (930 passengers plus 465 crew/staff each). Of those, 6 are Longships (Einar, Sigrun, Sigyn, Tir, Ullur, Vali) plus one modified Longship design Douro River cruiser (Helgrim). In January 2021, the vessel changed registry (from Norway to China) to qualify for the Chinese coasting trade. Viking River Cruises deals include staterooms, onboard dining, most cultural activities, most shore excursions. Signature onboard facilities available on each Viking Expeditions boat include: Dining venues include The Restaurant (fine dining, regional cuisine specialties, classic dishes), The World Cafe (market-style buffet restaurant with open kitchen, live cooking station, bakery, grill stations, seafood bar with premium sushi, international food choices), Mamsen's Deli Restaurant (Deck 5, traditional Scandinavian dishes, Italian cuisine specialties) plus Room Service (24-hour, complimentary). This technology lowers the vessel's maintenance costs and also the risk of sea pollution. All rights reserved (About Us). They are operated along the: All itineraries have at least one tour or guided shore excursion per day - all included in the fares. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Karin Price Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. 15-day "America's Great River" from New Orleans to St. Paul on nearly the entire length of the Mississippi River (multiple sailing dates in June, September, and October 2023) prices start at US$11000 per person, with discounted airfare from US$200 per person. A 121-day segment (Viking World Journeys) allows travelers to join the cruise ship in Los Angeles CA, from where the itinerary continues to Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand, Asia and the Middle East, Europe (Mediterranean and Atlantic Coastal) ending in London-Greenwich, England UK. Viking OCEAN's current plans are for a fleet of 16 sisterships, all of which are. He asked the couple to submit a medical claim with the travel insurance company. Our August 9th British isles Explorer cruise (which was supposed to be on the Venus) has obviously been canceled. It imposes restrictions on where USA-based ships can navigate and how to be staffed. It is of course for low water scenarios, I did not say that explicitly. Viking Cruises. In August 2020, Viking Cruises opened for sale two new Panama Canal itineraries - 18-day "Panama Canal and Coastal Holiday" (departing December 24, 2021) and 11-day "Classic Panama Canal Passage" (departing November 6 and 16, 2021, and visiting Key West, Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan, San Jose, Colon). Viking Cruises also partnered with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). In late June, Keyles got a call from a Viking representative who said he would be reviewing the case. The lounge has floor-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows (providing 270-degree unobstructed views) and an outdoor deck seating (Finse Terrace). He started in 1997 by purchasing four Russian vessels. On January 11, Norwegian Cruise Line informed passengers that near-term sailings on additional ships would be canceled, primarily for departures over the next two weeks (details below). In 2013, Viking operated a 37 river ships fleet. When more than one cruise is booked, deposit and payment policies apply per Cruise Fare. This is no way to keep customers happy. As part of new measures, Austria has paused leisure travel . Email also stated ", Because we have cancelled itineraries that were not possible to operate given current circumstances, including your sailing, we have redeployed our ocean fleet to the new. 8-day "Heart of the Delta" from New Orleans to Memphis. Fosse's cruise and land tour to Eastern Europe became a casualty of COVID-19. This looks to me like a lot of cruises that they have been taking reservations for and collecting payment for may be cancelled. Due to strong demand, Viking Cruises has also announced 2023 dates for 4 existing Great Lakes expeditions: the 8-day Great Lakes Explorer, Undiscovered Great Lakes, Niagara & the Great Lakes itineraries, as well as the 13-day Canadian Discovery. Their godmothers were from USA (Los Angeles), the UK, and Russia. Viking OCEAN's Panama Canal cruise prices (balcony stateroom) start from USD 8000 per person (18-day itinerary), USD 6550 pp (15-day) and USD 5500 pp (11-day). "Viking World Cruise 2019" prices started from USD 90,000 per person (with double occupancy). The strong demand led Viking to open 2024 cruise dates sooner than expected. In 2015, Viking's river fleet expanded to 64 boats, 40 of which longships (capacity 190 passengers) introduced in 2012. It is expected to allow passengers to explore the Aegean Sea's ancient empires of antiquity during the quiet season. LauraS The shipbuilding contract was officially signed on July 23, 2018. I don't blame Viking for being less than forthcomingthey have to assume and state officially that everything is on, until it's officially off. NOAA scientists are present on all Great Lakes USA voyages to conduct researches (on local weather changes and ecosystems) and present lectures themed on the Great Lakes region. The funding helped the company's growth, particularly on the ocean cruising market, and also strengthened its balance sheet as it branched into China (since 2016). They are environmentally friendly, with a patented interior design creating 2-room suites, numerous French Balcony staterooms, full-size rooms, and verandas. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). (Barcelona to Rome, 7-nights) "Romantic Mediterranean" (visits 4 countries, included 8 land tours), (7-nights) "Mediterranean Getaway" (visits 3 countries, included 6 land tours), (9-nights) "Empires of the Mediterranean" (visits 5 countries, included 7 land tours), (12-nights) "Mediterranean Odyssey" (visits 6 countries, included 10 land tours). Explorers Lounge (Decks 5-6, bow-facing) is 2-deck, circular-shaped, glass-covered and walled indoor observation lounge with wraparound windows. All the 6 ships will be built and owned by ECO Shipyards (subsidiary of Edison Chouest Offshore) and operated under charter. The latest: When cruise lines will reopen in 2021: Travel Weekly Viking's Great Lakes cruises visit ports and destinations in Canada's Ontario state (Thunder Bay, Toronto, Welland Canal, Niagara Falls, Point Pelee NP) and the USA's Minnesota-Michigan-Wisconsin states (Detroit MI, Alpena MI, Mackinac Island MI in Lake Huron, Apostle Islands WI, Houghton MI on Lake Superior, Traverse City MI, Milwaukee WI on Lake Michigan, Duluth MN) and feature passing through Soo Locks at Sault Ste Marie (Lake Superior - Lake Huron transition). air is received. I argued a bit, but nobody knows anything--maybe upper Management. Wehad been locked out of MVJ for several days prior to this. All passengers and crew are daily tested onboard and Vikings medical teams get the results quickly. Austria's lockdown closes Christmas markets; river cruises cancel . I then e-mailed Tell us at Viking, had a very pleasant conversation and she sd she would e-mail operations. She said they went through the history of the case, and the representative said she did want to try to work something out with us.. We are Budapest to Bucharest, August 23 -September 2. Until the 2015 slowdown, the company reported a steady growth of over 30% per year for the period 2010-2015. Posted elsewhere, but we received our official cancellation email this am from Viking for our Oct 4 Trade Routes Bergen to Barcelona. In October 2018 was announced as a potential start-up (with Mississippi-based boats) the year 2021. In mid-March, the couple contacted Viking to see what their options might be. (Viking's 2021 world cruise is scheduled to depart December 24.) Hope this is right as our September Amsterdam to Bergen no longer shows on Viking website. It is not the geographical location of the trip as much as being in any enclosed space with a large group of people and the U.S. has not been a model of controlling the virus anyway, Keyles said. These boats are with modified longship design ("baby Longships") with only 2 decks (1/4 lighter) and capacity 98 guests (46 cabins). These ships also use seawater as a lubricant for their propeller shaft bearings. In September 2022 Fincantieri and Viking entered into an agreement for 4x more vessels (based on the option in the 2018-signed contract) with total value ~EUR/USD 1,7 billion. They additionally include hotel stays in a variety of cities, mainly in Shanghai and Beijing. And I hope it is a good answer for you. My Danube Waltz on 11-22-21 on the Embla is gone and my Viking Journey is locked. The other 4 longships were named via live video link with the shipbuilding shipyard in Neptun Werft (Rostock, Germany). In the period 2011-2015, the company spent USD 600+ million on promotions. We have listed all Viking ships as schedules (itinerary calendars with prices) and current position tracking maps. Viking's USA-based riverboats will be newbuilds (vessel building cost ~USD 90-100 million per unit), each with 5 decks, passenger capacity 386, all-balcony staterooms (193 cabins total), an aft-located infinity pool, bow ramp (for passenger landings). In early 2018 was announced, that the Viking Cruises company raised USD 975 million through a private placement of USD 275 million (5,875% secured notes due in 2027) plus USD 675 million (5% secured notes due in 2028). Viking Cruises' arrival to the Mississippi River represents a major commitment to economic and tourism development in a lot of communities along the river, with the new sailings expected to bring over 5,800 passengers to the region in 2022 and more than 17,600 during the first full cruise season in 2023. Started June 21, 2021, By Itineraries include "In Search of the Northern Lights", "Into the Midnight Sun", "British Isles Explorer" and "Viking Homelands". We took advantage of that thinking it was the only offer we would get. The first longship's 2016 itineraries (starting November 10) are on Rhine River, between homeports Amsterdam and Basel. Started June 21, 2021, By 2022-2023 Viking Mississippi itineraries include: In April 2021, Viking announced that the new 2024 sailings of its Mississippi River voyages were open for sale. Till the end of 2014, the fleet grew to 52 riverboats. The strong demand led the company to open additional 2023 sailings sooner than expected. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. Viking's Canada cruises visit NYC New York, Halifax NS, Gulf of St Lawrence (scenic cruising, Cape Breton National Park), Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), Magdalen Islands Quebec (scenic cruising), Cap-aux-Meules (Quebec), Sept-Iles Quebec, Saguenay Quebec (zodiac cruising through Saguenay Fjord), Quebec City, Trois-Rivieres Quebec, Montreal Quebec, Seaway Locks (transit to Lake Ontario), Toronto Ontario. In 2012 were introduced the "Viking Longship" class of vessels. Viking is also expanding its Mediterranean program by adding 5 new itineraries visiting Istanbul. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By I hope you get an answer from Viking very soon. Got the email from Viking on our Aug 25th, 2021 Paris to Normandy. On November 23, Disney . The engine rooms are noise-insulated and this reduces noise and vibration. Volos, Greece is a cosmopolitan port city, and the region was once considered the playground of the gods. Departing on December 22, 2022, from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale Florida), Viking World Voyage 2022 visits ports in Central America, follows Panama Canal transit and sailing up North America's West Coast. 8-day "Mississippi Holiday Season" from Memphis to New Orleans. As of 2020, Viking fully owned and operated a fleet of 6 ocean liners plus 76 riverboats (almost all of which are of the patented Longship-Class). The soaring peaks of the peninsula are home to twenty monasteries where monks work to preserve a vast collection of liturgical works and art. It could be true for the Main and I think they intend it also for the Elbe. Stanley Keyles looks at the Viking River Cruise website. Environmental impact is further reduced through the ship's membrane water treatment plant. Viking River boats operate on the European inland waterways Danube, Rhine, Main, Mosel, Seine, Rhone, Saone, Douro, also in Asia (Mekong, Irrawaddy, Yangtze), Egypt (Nile, Lake Nasser), Ukraine (Dnieper), Russia (Volga, Svir, Neva, Lake Ladoga, Lake Baikal) and in the USA (Mississippi). During the 2015 christening, 8 longships were in Amsterdam. Viking Ocean ships' Snow Grotto is a wellness retreat with powdery snow falling down from the ceiling. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Its always still sailinguntil its cancelled. In mid-July 2020, Viking Ocean announced the company's "Viking World Cruise 2021-2022" planned for MS Viking Star. Voyages aboard the Viking Sea are roundtrips from Piraeus-Athens and begin January 2021. Offering 125% FCC. In March 2021 were delivered Egdir and Gymir - the last longships on order with Neptun Werft. . Highlights of the Greek Odyssey itinerary include: The cruise fare includes balcony cabins for all passengers, complimentary shore excursions in all ports, all onboard meals, complimentary wifi, wine and beer with lunch and dinner, access to spa's Thermal Suite, and 24-hour room service. Prices start at US$4,400 per person with discounted airfare. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Century Legend and Century Paragon are the Yangtze River cruise ships in China. Please try again later. " Im going to be nit-picky about this. Vacationers can discover the beauty of Patagonia while sailing out of Santiago (Valparaiso, Chile) to Ushuaia (Argentina) on the new 2-week Patagonian Shores & Chilean Fjords itinerary, while passengers looking to explore destinations in North, Central & South America, can choose the new 18-day Panama & Scenic South America itinerary. Email also stated "Because we have cancelled itineraries that were not possible to operate given current circumstances, including your sailing, we have redeployed our ocean fleet to the newWelcome Backvoyages this summer. Pricing starts at US$4,000 per person with discounted airfare. I hope I'm wrong but all the signs point to another round of cancellation--and I would rather be wrong than offer you false hope. As you consider your travel plans, we invite you to explore our expandedWelcome Backofferings as an alternative.". And it all started in the not-so-distant 1997 with the establishment of the modest Viking River brand founded by a consortium of Scandinavian and Dutch investors, with only 4 second-hand riverboats bought in Russia. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Each of the swimming pools is at a different temperature. Viking Mississippi - As of January 23, 2023 Due to damage from substantial river debris to the Viking Mississippi 's propulsion system, the ship will undergo repairs requiring the cancellation of upcoming departures. Just phoned Viking UK as still locked out of My Viking Journey and informed that there is nothing to worry about, Cruise is still going ahead on 3rd August and that MVJ page will be accessible in another 48 hours it is just being updated. Posted elsewhere, but we received our official cancellation email this am from Viking for our Oct 4 Trade Routes Bergen to Barcelona. Feels like it is time to brace for another round of cancellations. And while the travel vouchers are good for 24 months, given the state of the pandemic, the couples medical conditions and age, they didnt think they would be traveling any time soon. I think you are correct - check this post: Viking Ocean - Combined Cruise Schedule - Page 5 - Viking Ocean - Cruise Critic Community, .Im sharing this bad feeling as our Trade Routes itinerary is no longer available to view or book for 2021 and I am also locked out ofMVJ. Viking OCEAN's fleet consists of all 10 liners - Viking Star (2015), Viking Sea (2016), Viking Sky (2017), Viking Sun (2017), Viking Orion (2018), Viking Jupiter (2019), Venus (2021), Mars and Neptune (2022), Viking Saturn (2023). LauraS Viking Cruises China's Managing Director is Brendan Tansey. Viking Polaris Current cruise: 13 days, one-way from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso-Santiago Viking Expeditions Tracker Itineraries Deck plans Accidents Viking Neptune Current cruise: 137 days, one-way from Fort Lauderdale to London-Tilbury Viking Ocean Tracker Itineraries Deck plans Viking Mars Current cruise: 14 days, one-way from Sydney to Auckland Viking's 7th ocean ship (Viking Venus) joined the fleet in 2021, with an inaugural season in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. Viking river cruise itineraries range from 7 to 23 days. This morning, we got the email that Italian Sojourn (Aug 1) has been cancelled, 125% voucher, yada yada. When Will Cruises Resume? - US News & World Report Ship's expedition equipment is provided complimentary and to all passengers (regardless of cabin category). Fourteen new sailings for Iceland have been added as of this morning. So ?? The "Malta and Adriatic Jewels" itinerary started with an overnight in Valletta and visited ports in Montenegro (, The "Malta and Greek Isles Discovery" itinerary also started with an overnight in Valletta and visited ports in Greece (, The "Malta and the Western Mediterranean" itinerary started with Valletta overnight and visited ports in Sicily (. Most were constructed by Neptun Werft GmbH in Rostock, and several by Meyer Werft GmbH in Papenburg (Alsvin, Bestla, Eistla, Ingvi, Lif). geordie_jim, May 4, 2021 in Viking Ocean. But to all who are waiting - be prepared to make changes to your plans at the last minute. He advised us that if we were thinking about rebooking in 2021, we should wait to see if Viking cancelled our 2020 cruise making us eligible for a 125% voucher. Tours include a private visit to Nefertari's tomb (Valley of the Queens) and excursions to Khnum Temple (Esna) and the Dendera Temple complex (Qena). November 29, 2021 Viking.TV Celebrates the Rhine River with Week of New Programming Read More. 44-day "From the Arctic to Antarctica" (from Tromso to Ushuaia), 19-day "Antarctic and South America Discovery" (from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro), 18-day "South America and Antarctic Discovery" (from Rio de Janeiro to Ushuaia), 15-day and 13-day "Antarctic Adventure" (from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia), 15-day "Atlantic and Equator Sojourn" (from Cork to Rio de Janeiro), 13-day "Arctic Adventure" (roundtrip from Tromso Norway), 13-day "Viking's Northern Isles" (from Tromso to Cork), 13-day "Canadian Discovery"(from NYC New York City to Toronto), 10-day "Caribbean Connections" (from Bridgetown to NYC New York), 8-day "Niagara and the Great Lakes" (from Toronto to Milwaukee), 8-day "Undiscovered Great Lakes" (from Thunder Bay to Milwaukee), 8-day "Great Lakes Explorer" (from Milwaukee to Thunder Bay). In March 2016, Viking OCEAN confirmed the order of three more ocean vessels, which was increased to four in 2017 (December). Viking Shores and Fjords - SEPT 2021 - Cruise Critic Community But a pattern is there that is certainly deliberate. 15-day Ancient Adriatic Treasures, sailing between, 15-day Ancient Mediterranean Antiquities, sailing between, 22-day Iconic Mediterranean Treasures, sailing between. Keyles reminded the representative of the promise she had in writing from the other agent said about working with them on a cash settlement instead of the vouchers. The KD purchase included an extremely valuable asset - the landing stages, and now Viking Cruises owns docks in more cities in Europe than it stops in. Pax Global Media. Today our group of four received emails confirming our Vikingtrip is a go! The 12-day itinerary incorporates 7-day cruising on Nile River and starts with a 3-night hotel stay in Cairo and tours to iconic attractions like Grand Egyptian Museum, Great Pyramids of Giza, Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Thessaloniki, Greece is the 2nd-largest city in the country and offers a mix of modern life and ancient culture. I know a lot of this was not their fault and up till now I have been very pleased with how they were handling things, but this is just biting the hands that feed them! Viking Cruises - Ships and Itineraries 2023, 2024, 2025 - CruiseMapper 8-day "New Orleans and Southern Charm" roundtrip from New Orleans. The "10-vessel fleet" news was officially announced in December 2017, when Viking Cruises signed the shipbuilding order for the 2 optional vessels. Multiple sailing dates are available in November 2022; additional sailing dates are available in January-June and October-December 2023 and 2024. Wallem China (part of Wallem Group) has a network of 28 offices across Asia, of which 8 are in China, The shipping agency handles annually over 500 cruise ship calls. Worldwide, Viking Cruises hires over 2,500 staff and crew. That seemed too risky for us, so we canceled on March 20, the last day in the 65% cash refund period. Line's river cruises are targeted primarily to English-speaking travelers in the UK, North America and Australia. The first custom vessel of the company, Viking Mississippi, is scheduled to debut in August 2022 and sail on the Lower and Upper Mississippi River, between New Orleans and Saint Paul. This is ourfourth attempt at this cruise! Fleetwide operations were planned to resume on October 1, 2020. That is what Azamara have done despite the the 2022 advertised fare being more. Looks like our September cruise to the Fjords is in the process of being cancelled! Next is the Viking Yangtze River (China) cruise itinerary map that shows all ports locations (along Yangtze River) as well as the domestic flight connections (Beijing-Xian-Chongqing and Shanghai-Wuhan). On Apr 4, 2018, Viking and VARD (Norwegian subsidiary of the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri) signed LoI (Letter of Intent) for designing and building 2 new-class ocean liners. The new 8-day "Ancient Mediterranean Treasures" itinerary (between Athens and Istanbul) features overnights in both cities. VIKING OCEAN operates a 10-ship fleet of newbuilds (identically designed vessels). Travelers can explore its Byzantine churches and Venetian homes, take a drive to the imposing fortress towering over the city, Palamidi, or travel to the Peloponnese peninsula. We'll try for something in 2022. The company plans to add cruise ships on Mississippi River (USA). There isn't enough demand for all the originally scheduled sailings, so they are taking certain ships out of the rotation, and moving passengers to another ship likely a few days from the original sailing date. Powered by Invision Community. Just looked it is still showing on the UK site but looking again at My Viking Journey I now get " Your booking is currently locked for updates. In 2023, celebrating the company's 25th anniversary, Viking EXPEDITIONS offers "Longitudinal World Cruise I". This is a parallel situation I had a month ago when my Ukraine river cruise was cancelled just days after I paid the balance. Each tour boat is fitted with latest Safety Equipment (satellite phone, VHF radio, ropes, life jackets, survival kits). The Viking riverboats Ra-Osiris-Aton cruise only on the Nile portion (roundtrip from Luxor). Multiple sailing dates are available in December 2022 and pricing starts at US$4,000 per person with discounted airfare. Replacing the biodegradable oils, the water is being directly discharged into the sea. Fleetwide operations were planned to resume on October 1, 2020. The bright return of holiday river cruising in 2021, heralded as the year the European Christmas markets would return, has dimmed even further as the German states of Bavaria and Saxony have also. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/welcome-back.html. Snow Grotto access is complimentary to all passengers. Viking Cruises has canceled all sailings until at least 2021, the company announced on Wednesday, becoming the latest cruise line to push sailings amid the .