My friend and I have just returned from the Viking river cruise (Romantic Danube) and sadly to say it was not the holiday that they advertised. The firm had knowledge of the low water levels for a few months but, as we have found out, continue to charge full price for an experience that they could not fulfil.

We were given 12 hours prior to our flight, to decide whether we cancelled with full refund or continue with our holiday plans, being offered 25% off our next booking. Had we have known the full implications of how our cruise would be affected our decision may have been very different. As such, we ended up with a “cruise” that really wasn’t a cruise and, we believe, nowhere near being value for the money paid and that the information provided in order for us to make a decision was limited if not deceitful. The offer of 25% wassimply touting for future business and not offering any recompense for the disruption and disappointment felt by the customers who ended up in 3 ships, many long bus journeys and only had 4 daylight hours of river cruising in one week!

The excursions, the ships themselves and the staff we have no complaints about, they provided excellent service. Until the last day the organisation of our transfer to the airport was poor and left us with a hair raising drive through Budapest and only managing to catch the plane, with the assistance of the Viking Rep, as it was being boarded. We had no apology for the lateness of this transfer from the staff on the Viking Var when I had approached them a few times with my concerns they left me feeling as if I was making “a fuss over nothing”. A very stressful end to a disappointing holiday. Read more