Viking policy goes up in smoke - Customer Relations response: ABANDON SHIP
Viking Tor Cruise Review to Europe
7 Night Rhine Getaway Northbound (Basel To Amsterdam)
Sail date: October 25, 2014
Ship: Viking Tor
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 115
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 9 years ago
Review summary
My wife and I decided to splurge and celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary cruising down the Rhine. We followed the good advice of this website and many others and did our homework before putting our money down. My wife has a diagnosed medical condition aggravated by 2nd hand smoke, so we went with Viking because of their advertised smoking policy (sun deck only) and 100% service guarantee . Viking states on its website that they are the only river cruise line that operates their own ships and can manage every aspect of our travel. Great! Viking not only states their smoking policy but they also 100% guarantee that they can manage the ship accordingly. We booked our cruise based on this research and with the Viking travel agent double checking the policy. The agent was most understanding of my wife's health condition to the point were he noted on the ship's passenger log that smoking be further limited to the aft section of the sun deck in consideration of her needs. We also asked for the policy in writing -- just in case; that came in the form of our ticket contract ( a binding document I thought). The contract stated smoking is allowed on parts of the sun deck and nowhere else.
With contract in hand we boarded the Viking river ship, TOR, on the 25th of October, 2014. Great expectations dashed immediately. Each of the four public verandas, below the sun deck, had large metal ashtrays positioned on them inviting people to smoke there,.and smoke they did! Customers and crew hands smoked there and why not - they were invited to. I reported this situation to the appropriate ship management. I showed them my contract, I explained my wife's medical condition and I invoked the 100% service guarantee. The ship's acting captain stated that every Viking ship he was on identified those areas as designated for smoking and he wasn't about to change that for any reason.
I next contacted Viking Customer Relations in Woodland Hills California by phone. The agent totally agreed with me and said she would direct the ship to be compliant. Still no change. I called the agent again in the presence of the concierge. Again I was told to be patient and a second communication would be sent to the ship - this time the Company Vice President was involved and this time it worked. On the sixth day the ship came into compliance. Great, my wife could now enjoy all of the ship's services including the computer room, library, concierge desk and hotel desk (these areas are just feet from the public verandas and are only separated by an automatic door that opens when anyone passes).
Our euphoria was short lived. On the morning of the 7th day the ash trays were back and the smoke was back The ship's regular captain was now aboard. I reviewed all that had happened. He simply declared that my contract was wrong, the Vice President was wrong and that international law governed his ship and international law guaranteed smokers the right to smoke on those public verandas. For the last time I called Customer Relations and was told they were still working on the problem. They told me to relax and have a drink on Viking. We left the ship on the next and final day of the cruise thoroughly annoyed. Viking had jeopardized my wife's health, and the health of other passengers, and they had violated our contract.
After returning from the cruise we were told that Viking is still working on the policy. A Customer Relations agent went so far as to suggest that we should have left the cruise and "abandoned the ship" as soon as we saw the ashtrays -- I guess he has no faith in the company's integrity as well. Most recently Viking responded to an inquiry from the AAA by stating that the smoking policy varies from ship to ship according to the captain's discretion. This is not what was guaranteed to us in our contract and this is not what Viking travel agents tell potential customers. Buyer beware! Viking needs to either enforce the policy they advertise or be honest with the public that they can't enforce the policy. The cruise was excellent in every other way and we would have given it 5 stars, but Viking was dishonest and deceitful as far as I'm concerned and they neglected my wife's health and safety. I cannot recommend Viking Cruises.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Make sure you get a written copy of the company's smoking policy. If you don't get a copy and limited smoking to the sun deck only is an important issue to you: don't go.
Ports of call
Mannheim (Heidelberg), Germany
Braubach, Germany
8 Comments
Kennicott 9 years ago
Okay, heretofore I thought it was permissible to use other forums when appropriate. Sorry. The only reason I used another forum in this context is that the similar thread on cruiseline.com appears to be not nearly as comprehensive, is dated and therefore misleading. As a for instance, take a look at Cunard and Seabourn balcony smoking. http://cruiseline.com/advice/before-you-cruise/what-to-know/where-can-people-smoke-on-cruise-ships-
Other thread: Seabourn Cruise Lines----Where You Can Smoke: Cigarette smoking is permitted on suite balconies only on Seabourn Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest, and, depending on ship, on one side of Observation Bar/Lounge (except during coffee and tea service hours), one side of the Sky Bar (except during Sky Grill food service on Seabourn Pride, Spirit & Legend) and one side of Seabourn Square Terrace and Club Terrace. Electronic cigarettes may be used in all suites.
Where You Can't: Smoking is also prohibited in all passenger cabins on all ships, and on balconies in category B suites on Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend. On all ships, most public areas are smoke-free.
Cigar and Pipe Smoking: Passengers are prohibited from smoking pipes and cigars anywhere inside the ship, including in suites and on balconies. Cigar and pipe smoking is permitted only on open decks (Seabourn Pride, Spirit & Legend) and only on the starboard side deck area of Seabourn Square Terrace on Seabourn Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest.
Cruiseline.com thread---- Seabourn Cruise Lines----- Allowed: Observation Bar, Sky Bar, and starboard deck (except during coffee and tea service hours), Seabourn Square Terrace and Club Terrace on the starboard deck, and all cabins. Pipes and cigars are only allowed on open decks and the starboard deck of Seabourn Square Terrace.
Not Allowed: All other public areas.
Electronic Cigarettes: Same rules apply.
Cruisline.com thread--- Cunard-----Allowed: Churchillâs Cigar Lounge and designated areas on the open decks. Smoking on balconies is permitted but discouraged.
Not Allowed: Cabins and all other public areas.
Electronic Cigarettes: Same rules apply.
Other thread---Cunard-----Where You Can Smoke: As of April 28, 2014, for Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2, and May 9, 2014 on Queen Elizabeth, smoking is only permitted in designated areas on the open decks, and certain bars and lounges.
The sole actual change in policy is the prohibition of cabin balcony smoking.
Where You Can't: As of the above dates, smoking is not permitted in cabins, on balconies, in any public area with the exception of Churchill's Cigar Lounge (cigars and pipes only), designated areas on the open decks, and the upper level of the G32 nightclub on Queen Mary 2. Smoking is also prohibited in the Casino Bar as well as the entire Casino area. The obvious -- elevators, theaters, the library, restaurants -- are likewise non-smoking spaces.
Cigar and Pipe Smoking: Cigar and pipe smoking is permitted in Churchill's Cigar Lounge aboard Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria.
Kennicott 9 years ago
It appears that Viking is pretty much a non-smoking line. Here is their advertised policy:
"All Viking ship interiors, staterooms and verandas are nonsmoking; this policy also applies to e-cigarettes. Each ship has an outdoor smoking area, generally on the Sun Deck."
However, and unfortunately, enforcement is a major factor which sometimes appears lax on some lines. Actually though, all the majors do a pretty good job of regulating such, in my opinion, even those lines who have cut off balcony smoking in the last year or so, much to the dissatisfaction and chagrin of their hard core smoking clientele.
The worst of the worst of the big boys today is HAL, which is becoming infamous as the "ASHTRAYS OF THE SEAS".
*** EDITED 8/17/15 BY COMMUNITY MANAGER TO REMOVE EXTERNAL LINKS ***
JusMe 9 years ago
I hope that Viking does read your review. I know that in Europe smoking is done all over the place. Europe is not as anti-smoking as the USA is. But if your ships are catering to Americans they should be comfortable for Americans.
Viking should have lived up to your printed agreement.
Thank you for your review, it will make me think twice before booking a Viking Cruise.
noname111 9 years ago
glomarrone 9 years ago
I have been on over 50 Cruises. Some of them were river cruises. All the cruises had problems with smokers smoking where they shouldn't. If it was up to the captain to establish the smoking areas, that's what you should have been told. Perhaps your experience will force Viking to state their smoking policy uniformly over all their boats and ships. I understand that they read these posts on our Website. I hope that they reply here. I am a non smoker and do not want to smell smoke in all the public areas. Luckily I am not allergic to smoke. Thanks for posting.
Bubba54 9 years ago
Hi Bubba. We¢ve been on five river cruises so far (with other companies, but we¢d like to try Viking) and we¢ve seen many instances of simply amazing customer service. The reviewer even says, ¢The cruise was excellent in every other way and we would have given it 5 stars,¢ so I wouldn¢t rule out river cruising all together. This situation really sounds like an incredible disconnect between the company and the ship itself.
Thanks, I will not rule them out. I'll just do my homework.
Palladin53 9 years ago
That sounds like Viking, for sure. In July, my friend and I took the Cities of Light Tour on Viking Odin. There were many problems that were never addressed. And Viking customer (dis)service never even had the courtesy to respond to my complaints. I'll post a review of my own trip on this forum as well.