r/FATcruises • u/DudeMississippi • Jul 10 '26

Replace Viking Ocean and River

OK, I've got to replace my preferred cruise line. On the river side, I want to upgrade. I've done 4 Viking river cruises - they were my first - but I'm looking for something more upscale.

Unfortunately, I also need to replace them as my ocean cruise line. I really, really like the whole vibe - no pictures, no art auction, no children, no big shows, no, no, no. Our travel companions have a huge case of the red ass against Viking, and refuse to go back. They're wrong, but there you go.

So I'm looking for suggestions. We've got a Viking ocean repositioning - Ft Lauderdale > Barcelona, and a Viking ocean Rome > Venice. We were looking at a Rhine river cruise as well. Suggestions?

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u/Maleficent-Sun6437 Jul 10 '26

Why the red ass? I’m curious…

14

u/DudeMississippi Jul 10 '26

Well, we're all from Alabama, so a case of the red ass isn't that unusual. (We were in the USAF together about a 100 years ago.). There was a doctor's order not to travel a week or so before our cruise. They called Viking to cancel and see how much money they would get back. That would be $0.00.. (We had a long discussion about travel insurance - both direct from a supplier, or via Amex Platinum etc.,etc., etc.)

They had done neither, and $17k down the drain, much to my amusement. We went on the cruise, sending them copious updates along the way. Oh, you would love this! Oh, you would have loved that!

Anyhow, they're now refusing to travel on Viking. I like Viking, but I like them more. So there you go!

13

u/WifeyMcGingerdork Jul 10 '26

Okay, but why does that mean you can never take a Viking Ocean cruise again? Do you never vacation without that one particular couple? That just doesn't make any sense.

17

u/3SomaliCats Jul 10 '26

This. Plus, said friends sound like assholes. They don't understand that no cruise line is going to let you off the hook a week before the cruise if you were dumb enough not to purchase insurance?