Q – August 9, 2923 – We are looking for some straight answers about our upcoming, and rather expensive, Viking River Rhine Cruise. I have been on one of the cruise “boards” and it is sounding as though we may be in for a partial bus tour. My wife and I have just hung up after speaking with our Viking travel agent and we were told that no one knows for sure what will be operating in mid-September. Meanwhile, I keep reading the accounts of travelers who are on the river now and they are having a terrible experience staying at cheap hotels and doing longer bus tours with some nights on a stationary Viking ship. Is there a department at Viking I should be speaking with and why doesn’t anyone give us straight answers? Will our ship operate – yes or no?
A – We think not. The level of rain required in the next three weeks to make the Rhine fully navigable is highly unlikely. The “Travel Agent” you spoke to at Viking was reading off a prepared script. That person is paid by Viking to say whatever Viking wants them to say. The reality is that we are now experiencing the most serious drought in modern European history along the Rhine, the Elbe, the Main, the Rhone, and the Danube.
We think you should work with your travel agent more closely. They should be providing you with updated information that may be very different than what Viking is saying for public consumption.
You will need to find out if Viking will be enforcing its cancellation terms or if you qualify for a future credit based on the money you have paid.
