Why We Will NEVER Cruise on Viking Again

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 20

Review summary

What started out as a wonderful trip turned out to be a terrible experience. Our journey started in Amsterdam on the Viking Bragi. Cruising from Amsterdam to Budapest via the Grand European tour celebrating our 41st wedding anniversary. The staff/crew on the Bragi were exceptional. Unfortunately about midway through the trip the river level got too low. As a result we were forced to leave the Bragi which involved taking a 3 hour bus ride to catch a different ship downstream. That’s when the trip ran off the rails. The ship they moved us to was the Skadi. Sadly the Skadi staff was no comparison to the crew on the Bragi. Sure our cabin steward and several of the waiters including members of the restaurant staff were nice an accommodating. However the Skadi hotel manager (Stoyan Yanchev) and bar manager (Alexander) were extremely rude, abrasive, and condescending. The bar manager aggressively screamed at my wife the first night which set the tone for the remainder of the trip. Never once did they hint or offer an apology. We later heard the bar manager had been drinking throughout the day which may have contributed to his behavior. Regardless that’s no excuse. I witnessed; • Alexander doing shots while working behind the bar and drinking with other cruise guests • Alexander closed the ship lounge before 11:00pm on multiple nights yet it was difficult to find staff members in the lounge throughout the day • Skadi bar staff poured house brand liquor and wine into our glass even though we purchased the silver spirits package and requested upgrades • Refused to leave the wine bottle on the table during dinner stating it was against Viking corporate policy even though staff on the Bragi had no problem doing so • After knowing people were missing from the boat, the ship Program Director left a deaf couple behind forcing them to find their own may back to the boat costing them $100 • On the last night of our trip in Budapest caught two Skadi crew members having sex on the top deck Other observations; • Skadi staff refused to open the sliding doors in the Aquavit Terrace in the afternoon or evening until given permission by the hotel manager • Floor in the Aquavit Terrace was filthy. Don’t believe it was swept or mopped a single time during our visit • Accidentally dropped a couple peanuts on the floor in the lounge. Five days later the peanuts were still on the floor in the same spot • Skadi staff knew there were people on our boat with Covid yet they allowed these individuals to remain on the ship and participate on tours without notifying other passengers Unbelievable would be an understatement. I’m sure our experience would have been quite different if not forced to transfer ships. However that’s no excuse for the behavior or lack of professionalism displayed by members of the Skadi staff. If you think Viking corporate cares or has any control over employees on the boat think again. I called Viking three times and have yet to receive a return call. Almost forgot to mention our parting gift; my wife and I both tested positive for Covid the day after leaving the Skadi Don’t just take my word for it. Of the reviews on Trustpilot 84% of those responding gave Viking a 2 star or below rating

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Budapest, Hungary

Vienna, Austria

Melk, Austria

Passau, Germany

Regensburg, Germany

Nuremberg, Germany

Bamberg, Germany

Wurzburg, Germany

Wertheim, Germany

Cruise Rhine River

Koblenz, Germany

Cologne, Germany

Kinderdijk, Netherlands

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Disembarkation