Atlanta couple says their $22K ‘trip of a lifetime’ turned into disaster — and now they’re warning others. Would you pay up for a luxury cruise?

“There was no escaping it. It was miserable,” John Kaasa said told Channel 2 consumer investigator Justin Gray.

What they thought would be a luxury escape turned into weeks of disappointment — and now the couple is warning others to be cautious before booking their own “dream” cruise.

A $22K cruise plagued with failures

From the start, problems mounted. Their first ship’s air conditioning failed during a European heat wave, leaving passengers in stifling cabins for days. When low river levels forced a transfer to a second vessel, the Kaasas hoped for relief, but that ship’s cooling system also broke down, and a leaking ceiling made conditions worse.

Then, sickness began spreading through the ship.

“I’d walk up and down the hall, and all you could hear was people coughing one room after another,” John Kaasa said.

By the time the trip ended, both John and Rosemary were diagnosed with bronchitis. Frustrated, Rosemary took her complaint to the top, writing directly to Viking’s CEO. The company’s initial response was a $1,000 credit toward another cruise. She decided to escalate further reaching out to Channel 2 Action News.

Channel 2 consumer adviser Clark Howard said it’s a familiar story: while cruise lines are quick to take passengers’ money, they’re far less eager to return it when trips don’t live up to the promises.

Only after she escalated to Channel 2 did Viking revisit the case and reach an amicable settlement. The couple believes they wouldn’t have seen a refund without media pressure.