The premium travel company Viking Cruises announced it had cancelled scheduled departures through to May 31, 2021, noting that impacted clients and their travel advisors had been notified directly by the customer relations team of the company. The cancellations affect both Viking's OCEAN and RIVER fleets.
Viking claims to be the first passenger shipping company to temporarily suspend operations of its ocean and river cruises on March 11, 2020, when the health crisis began.
In a letter to customers, Viking Cruises said:
“In March 2020, when we suspended operations at the start of the pandemic, we did not expect that now, nearly a year later, our operations would still be suspended.
“But, there is hope on the horizon. Given that COVID-19 vaccines are now being distributed around the world, we are optimistic.”
The company is offering affected clients a refund or a 125%, fully-transferable Future Cruise Voucher to use on future voyages.