VikingReviews of viking.com

Luxury Price, Economy Experience Our Viking Ocean Cruise was extremely disappointing and did not come close to matching the luxury experience we expected for the price. The food selection was lacking, and the limited dining hours made matters worse. There were times when finding something to eat felt unnecessarily difficult for a cruise marketed at this level. The spa and pool also had very limited hours, which made it difficult to enjoy amenities that should be a major part of a luxury vacation. Entertainment was another disappointment. There simply was not much to do onboard, and the entertainment became repetitive very quickly. Much of it consisted of group singing and lectures, with very little variety from day to day. I do want to give credit to the housekeeping staff, who were wonderful, professional, and hardworking. Unfortunately, our experience with Viking’s main customer service office was the complete opposite. We found the representatives rude, dismissive, and unwilling to genuinely address our concerns. That was especially disappointing considering the premium price we paid. Overall, this felt like paying luxury prices for an economy-level experience. The limited food options and dining times, restricted spa and pool hours, repetitive entertainment, and poor customer service left us extremely disappointed. Based on our experience, we would not recommend Viking Ocean Cruises and would not choose to cruise with them again.

In early August 2026, my family and I booked a river cruise from Bucharest to Budapest. What we got instead was a bus tour. River levels were too low for boats to travel along the Danube for most of the itinerary. While Viking cannot control water levels, they can control their response — and that’s where the experience completely fell apart. Viking knew weeks in advance that the river conditions made the cruise impossible. Other cruise lines were canceling or rerouting, but Viking sent only a vague email a week before departure saying we “might” need to bus to the first port. There was no option to cancel, rebook, or receive credit for a future cruise. No alternatives were offered. If we wanted a bus tour, we would have booked with a company that specializes in bus tours — not a river cruise. Midway through the trip, when they finally began sharing more information, the cruise director admitted it would take three weeks of solid rain to raise the river enough for the ship to pass. Clearly, they knew long before we boarded that there was a serious issue. Here’s what actually happened: We bused from Bucharest to the second stop on the itinerary. The boat departed as soon as we arrived. We managed to cruise to the fourth stop, spent two and a half days there, and then were bused all the way to Budapest. Instead of the 3.5 hour trip the cruise director promised, it was a hot, 12 hour bus ride, including detours through construction zones to go to lunch in Croatia. My husband and I love exploring new places and had planned activities in each port. Five of the scheduled stops were either skipped entirely or only accessible if you joined a Viking bus tour. At one unscheduled port, the boat docked too far from town to walk safely, and Viking provided no shuttles until 2 PM — and even then, only allowed two hours in town despite the ship staying overnight. We had so little autonomy on this trip that I genuinely felt like a prisoner. Communication from Viking staff was awful. Anytime we asked what was happening, we were told they “didn’t know yet.” It felt like they intentionally withheld information until the last minute so passengers wouldn’t have time to make alternate plans. If I had known they intended to put us on a hot bus for 12 hours, I would have looked into taking a train to Budapest instead. Service on the boat started out decent, but once they announced we’d be bused for the remainder of the cruise, it deteriorated rapidly. Drinks took 45 minutes — if they arrived at all. My in laws sat down for dinner after my husband and I ordered drinks, and their drink orders were never taken. I stood in front of the cruise director for half an hour waiting to ask a question about bus logistics, and he turned and walked away. He later claimed he “didn’t see me.” It was insulting. And after all of this — the missed ports, the lost autonomy, the long hot bus rides, the poor communication, the declining service — Viking didn’t offer any apology, refund, credit, or gesture of goodwill. Nothing. This was my first and last Viking river cruise.

A Very Disappointing Viking Danube Experience After an Itinerary Change I recently traveled on a Viking Danube itinerary that was significantly changed shortly before departure because of low water levels on the river. I fully understand that Viking cannot control the level of the Danube. My disappointment concerns the travel experience that was provided after the itinerary had to be changed and the limited options we were given beforehand. After learning about the changes, we asked whether we could cancel or reschedule because the revised trip was substantially different from the river cruise we had booked. We were not permitted to do so, and we therefore continued with the trip. The first two days were particularly disappointing. We spent approximately seven to eight hours a day traveling by bus, in some cases for relatively brief visits. On one day, for example, our itinerary included about seven hours on a bus, a 30-minute stop and a roughly one-hour winery visit. The bus we traveled on that day had neither Wi-Fi nor power outlets for charging phones. This was very different from the river-cruise experience I had expected when booking the trip. I was also disappointed with the meals provided during these excursions. On one occasion, I found the food so poor that I was unable to eat much of the meal. After approximately thirteen hours of traveling and touring on our first day, we finally boarded the ship and had dinner at close to 10 p.m. Another significant problem for me was the lack of predictability. During this portion of the trip, we generally learned only late in the day what the arrangements would be for the following day. That made it difficult to relax or plan and added considerably to my frustration. Once we were finally able to sail, the experience improved. The ship itself and the time spent cruising were much closer to what I had originally expected. Unfortunately, that improvement did not change my overall disappointment with how the major itinerary disruption was handled. Again, I do not blame Viking for low water levels on the Danube. River conditions are beyond the company's control. My concern is that the substitute experience involved long days of bus transportation, short visits, meals I found disappointing, and considerable uncertainty about the daily schedule. Had I known before booking that this would constitute such a significant portion of my trip, I would not have chosen this itinerary. For travelers considering a Viking river cruise, particularly during periods when water levels may affect navigation, I would recommend asking specifically what alternatives will be provided if the ship cannot follow the scheduled itinerary and what cancellation or rescheduling options will be available. Based on my personal experience on this trip, I would not choose this itinerary again.

We're on Viking Rhine Getaway in about 10 days. Received email from Viking today. They are busing passengers between Rotterdam and Strasbourg. That's a 400 mile all-day trip with bathroom stops and lunch. We'll spend 2 days on a docked boat in Rotterdam and ride the bus - missing Cologne, Koblenz, the castles on the middle Rhine, Rüdesheim, and Speyer - 3 days of the 6 on the river. Not even close to the cruise we purchased. For our trouble, they will give us a credit of 60% of the cruise fare - but only if we take the trip that we'd prefer not to now. Friends on other lines are receiving money back or full credit (or better) to reschedule. Very disappointed in Viking.

I wish i would have read all the reviews prior to my July 29 sail on the Rhine river. Viking knew for weeks that the itinerary would be altered, ship swaps, missed ports but none of that was shared openly. No scenic sailing was possible. The middle Rhine and the beautiful scenery and castles, the highlight of the cruise was done by bus. Docked at industrial ports, busing to cities with limited time. Food is good to very good. For the price point of Viking, food should be exceptional and there should be snacks or food if you miss a meal. Also no drink service on the sun deck. Water levels being low were well known, Viking should have given an option to postpone. They have remedied this by offering future cruise vouchers. It was a disappointing experience. The positives would be the friendly staff, clean rooms, nicely laid out ship design and the drinks. I’m reluctant to travel with them again.

I went on one cruise three years ago and it was not for me. I found it too slow with not much to do onboard. Since that time i have been bombarded with brochures. I have asked this company to LEAVE ME ALONE… all to no avail. I am being harrassed and my negative impression grows. I got 2 more brochures today. How do I get this wretched company to leave me alone? I have been very polite with them but I am at end of my rope. The cruise is boring and you will be hounded forever by this company so stay away.

Never ever have Viking handle your flight itinerary. Viking will select the cheapest fares when air is included in the package. Viking will book connecting flights when direct flights are available. Very disappointing.

I am on the second day of a Viking River cruise right now and the air conditioner broke. It is currently 86° in our room and no word as to if and when it will be fixed. Our room got to 90; it is still 88 after 8 hours. Viking offered nothing more than sorry! Ps the AC broke yesterday as well.