We booked a Viking cruise on the Alsvin with Norma Jean from Journey Travel & Tours, based on the…read morerecommendation of friends. The trip was booked in 2024 and taken in November 2025. Our experience with her and the agency has been extremely disappointing. Norma Jean's primary concern appears to be securing commissions; she received commissions not only for our booking but also for our friends'. To begin, she provided us with an incorrect itinerary, and it seems unlikely she even recognized it was not ours. Furthermore, we inquired multiple times about the weather and appropriate clothing for the cruise, and she suggested a light windbreaker would be adequate. Given that we traveled during the winter months to Germany and Prague, where the average daily temperature, even when it wasn't snowing, was below 30 degrees, a light windbreaker was wholly inadequate. We also inquired about the Christmas markets, as we were eager to visit them. She repeatedly confirmed that the Christmas markets in both Germany and Prague would be open during our trip, which was entirely false. Considering her claims of extensive international travel and having taken the same cruise the previous year, one would expect her to be knowledgeable about the status of the Christmas markets. However, they were closed.
This was on top of all the other issues we encountered. To begin, our flight from Boise to Salt Lake City was canceled. I contacted her to determine the best course of action, as the cancellation occurred just two days before our departure. Instead of offering assistance, she "passed the buck," which has become a recurring pattern, and instructed me to contact Viking to make alternative arrangements. However, as our travel agent, shouldn't she be responsible for such matters, especially since she was compensated for our booking?
Subsequently, our connecting flight from Salt Lake City to Paris was canceled due to mechanical problems. We were rebooked on a different flight, but she provided no assistance and initially refused to provide a letter confirming the cancellation. It took several text messages and emails before she reluctantly provided it. She claimed she was occupied traveling with her husband, who had recently retired, and suggested I handle the situation myself. Throughout our trip, we faced other delays and challenges that demanded the support of a "travel agent," but she consistently refused to help.
Upon our return, we submitted an insurance claim to recover the 1.5 days we lost due to the flight disruptions. We requested a simple letter from her outlining the reasons for the delays, but she denied our request. We then reached out to her supervisor and the agency owner, Sandy, who also refused to assist us. The letter was intended as supporting documentation for our travel insurance claim to validate our trip interruption.
Instead of offering assistance, Norma Jean and Sandy directed us to file a claim with the airline, even though we booked the entire package, including the flights, through them and Viking. It's illogical to expect the airline to compensate us for lost days when they simply rebooked our flights. When I called to request a simple letter supporting our insurance claim, Norma Jean hung up on me. This has been the worst experience with a travel agency I have ever had. My husband and I travel frequently and have never encountered such appalling service and a negative attitude. If I could rate them zero stars, I would.
DON'T USE THIS AGENCY, NORMA JEAN, OR SANDY!!! They are completely unprofessional and have no customer service skills.