A couple who splashed out £16,000 on a dream European cruise were left “angry” after their “miserable” experience. John and Rosemary Kaasa forked out $22,000 (just over £16k) for what they hoped would be an idyllic 15-day river cruise with Viking Cruises across Europe, but the trip was plagued with issues from the start.
The Atlanta-based couple claim they had to endure sweltering cabins, equipment malfunctions, and even a sickness that swept through the ship. John and Rosemary had been looking forward to some well-deserved travel following a health scare. However, they have now issued a “warning” to others to be cautious. Speaking to Channel 2, John said: “There was no escaping it. It was miserable.”
Passengers were forced to suffer through unbearably hot cabins during a heatwave for several days after the ship’s air conditioning failed.
When they were told they would be switching ships due to low river levels, the couple thought they would finally escape the oppressive heat, only to be let down once again.
In a cruel twist of fate for the passengers, the second vessel’s air conditioning was also broken and, to make matters worse, there was now a leak in the cabin ceiling.
However, a more alarming situation arose: an illness that swept through the ship. John revealed: “I’d walk up and down the hall, and all you could hear was people coughing, one room after another.”
Indeed, John and Rosemary claimed they were later diagnosed with bronchitis. Determined to have her concerns addressed, Rosemary decided to write directly to the CEO of Viking Cruises.
Initially, the company offered a $1,000 credit for a future cruise, prompting Rosemary to take her story to Georgia TV station Channel 2 Action News (the ABC-affiliated WSB-TV).
Following this, Viking revisited their complaint and reached what was described in the report as an “amicable settlement” with the couple.
According to the WSB-TV report, the couple had to sign a non-disclosure agreement, meaning they couldn’t disclose the details of the agreement they reached with the company.
The Express has reached out to Viking Cruises for comment.