I chose Viking for the Grand European River Tour (14 day Amsterdam to Budapest) because I thought it was top of the line as per their ads on TV. It was to be the trip of a life time. As a retiree on a limited budget and with limited mobility ( I use a walker) I knew this was to be my last hoorah, it was now or never. I dreamed of this trip for several years. It was expensive but I was sure it would be well worth it.
However! due to the extreme heat & drought, the water levels were extremely low & we were unable to travel on the water for the whole trip. The staff was constantly ducking, bobbing & weaving as to what the next step would be though I am sure it was all well planned out ahead of time. They knew early on that the low water levels were going to make sailing difficult. We were put on hot uncomfortable motor coaches for 3 hour jaunts to several different cities. At some points, the original port of call was bypassed entirely and excursions cancelled. When we were actually in the water on the Rhine, we went through at least 68 locks, bumping & banging our way through. The top deck was not accessible for half of the trip. We were moored in inaccessible & not very picturesque sites to the city . . . not at all as advertised & seen in the ads! . . . & had to be bussed, yet again, to the city center. We had to change boats 3 different times (the packing & unpacking added to the other inconveniences). This was NOT at all what we had paid for & expected. It was NOT the leisurely relaxing trip we wanted. It was exhausting & frustrating. The trip should have been cancelled from the get go. The food quality was mediocre with not too many options. The boat staff was excellent nevertheless. Overall not a "referrable moment" & I wouldn't recommend them to anyone, especially since their only response to our feedback thus far has been to offer a discount on a future cruise. This is useless to me as I do not plan to ever travel like that again. DO NOT choose VIKING!
Response from VikingS, Community Team