Viking ' Money-Back Risk-Free Cancellation Waiver'

Received an e-mail from Viking w/ the above offer.

Here is part of it: "We’re now offering risk-free cancellation on All 2016 new river cruise bookings. Book through Jan 31, 2016, and Ask For Our "Money-Back Risk-Free Cancellation Waiver." Enjoy peace of mind knowing that if you decide to cancel for any reason, you get your money back.

What better time than now to book a 2016 cruise! Look forward to taking an unforgettable journey along the Rhine, Main or legendary Danube – at no risk of any cancellation fee."

The small print says you can cancel up to the day before the trip, no penalty.

Interesting response to low water levels?

How much is the waiver?

I interpreted it to mean that you got all your money back.

Here are the cancellation fee's off their website:

Cancellation received | Following charges will apply: (Broken out by days before departure) 121 days or more is $100 per person | 120-90 days is 15% of full fare | 89-60 days is 35% of full fare | 59-30 days is 50% of full fare | 29-0 days is 100% of full fare.

So this could save somebody a lot of money if they change their mind about going at the last minute.

Maybe I'm cynical, but I want to read ALL the fine print.

On second thought, I'm merely realistic.:rolleyes:

Thom

Maybe I'm cynical, but I want to read ALL the fine print.

 

On second thought, I'm merely realistic.:rolleyes:

 

Thom

me too....today I happened to call for a pricing, and mentioned I received this waiver free cancel for any reason email. I was sent a quote, and a copy of the policy WITH the fees involved, but nowhere on the quotation does it state that it is a "free" addition to proposed booking.... I would want that in LARGE PRINT on my quotation AND invoice, not just word of mouth/email......

Carol

Also check the fine print to see how you get your money back. Most "any reason" policies sold by cruise lines only give a voucher for a future cruise, not cash.

Also check the fine print to see how you get your money back. Most "any reason" policies sold by cruise lines only give a voucher for a future cruise, not cash.

Interestingly, mine had almost no additional fine print, just letting you know you could combine this offer with other offers.

I got my email in mid-December and the offer expired on December 31,2015. I jumped on i, I was pretty happy to book the cruise.t the next for a Bordeaux cruise. It was so new I had to contact my vacation planner at Viking to get the invoice to reflect the risk free cancellation waiver.

With the waiver and airfare costing $100 pp Orlando to and from Bordeaux, France

Here's the rest of the fine print:

*Offer RFC: Applies to new bookings as of January 6, 2016 in US Dollars for US residents only. Offer valid through 01/31/2016 on any 2016 River Cruise sailing. Combinable with all other current offers, including Viking Explorer Society Travel Credit, and Viking Referral Rewards. All cancellations made to bookings placed within aforementioned time period are risk-free of any penalty fee and can be claimed up to day of departure; passengers would not be eligible for a refund from both their insurance provider (if applicable) and Viking. Please ask for Money-Back Risk-Free Cancellation Offer when you book your 2016 river cruise through January 31, 2016.

Thom- Reading all the fine print applies to all business transactions, not just the random ones you read about on the internet. And even if it's in the fine print, you can get taken to the cleaners, unfortunately. :mad:

I posted this as I thought it is an interesting response to last year low water levels. I'm wondering if bookings are down and they are getting lots of questions about perceived lack of info coming from them. How many people would have shown up for the Elbe cruises this last summer, when there was 0% chance of sailing, for a few months in a row? This would cause a lot of refunds if the floods of 2013 or last years low water returns.

I can already see one potential problem..... It does mention that you cannot get refund if you are also eligible for reimbursement from another insurance carrier.

I have travel insurance through a credit card - A set amount, which can be topped up for increased coverage at very reasonable rates.

I only add up and insure non-refundable portions of a trip, i.e. the cancellation cost of airline tickets, etc.....

I wonder if Viking would "claim" that part of my insurance would be covering my trip with them, and then say it does not apply - whereas I might be figuring on all non-Viking expenses to be covered by my insurance. Interesting thought. That could mean I would be out of pocket for the air, anything I prepaid as hotels, tours, etc.

Would not leave me with a good feeling.

Carol

I also question that they will give a refund simply because one changes their mind. If so, then that is quite a deal if one wants to cruise with Viking.

I also question that they will give a refund simply because one changes their mind. If so, then that is quite a deal if one wants to cruise with Viking.

Up to the day before? It makes no sense.

Up to the day before? It makes no sense.

I agree, I think someone in Marketing got crazy and got their way!:eek:

I was going to book the Bordeaux cruise anyway and jumped on this as soon as I got it. I don't expect to use it but you never know.

I can already see one potential problem..... It does mention that you cannot get refund if you are also eligible for reimbursement from another insurance carrier.

 

I have travel insurance through a credit card - A set amount, which can be topped up for increased coverage at very reasonable rates.

 

I only add up and insure non-refundable portions of a trip, i.e. the cancellation cost of airline tickets, etc.....

 

I wonder if Viking would "claim" that part of my insurance would be covering my trip with them, and then say it does not apply - whereas I might be figuring on all non-Viking expenses to be covered by my insurance. Interesting thought. That could mean I would be out of pocket for the air, anything I prepaid as hotels, tours, etc.

 

Would not leave me with a good feeling.

 

Carol

Momma always told me "if something sounds too good to be true.....it usually is"....but then I'm always looking for the loop hole I can be dropped into. :D

My own experience with these guys was not good. I cancelled a cruise ten months before departure and asked if my deposit could be transferred to a future cruise. All I had was a resounding No, please read our T&C's.

So beware of what they promise.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Reading this thread with interest! We have an Eastern Europe cruise scheduled for April 2016 that I made and paid for about 6 months ago - before all the refugee issues. At the moment I could cancel my existing reservation and only pay a 15% penalty. Then rebook under this cancel-for-any-reason offer. Then if things got really bad in April, we could back out at the last minute. What i've been nervous about this trip is that things get really bad over there inbthe spring.

Certainly if you had an existing booking more than 121 days out it would behoove you to cancel that, pay $200 per couple, and rebook to get this cancellation benefit!

As stated above - this is so NOT the "Viking way" - mystfying. Seems like they are inviting a LOT of last minute cancellations. From my experience with Viking -- paying in full up to 18 months in advance, their Viking normal cancel-for-any-reason policy only giving you a voucher on future cruises - this seems so unlike them. Who would buy their trip insurance (like I did) if you have this cancellation waiver? Got to be a catch somewhere!

Reading this thread with interest! We have an Eastern Europe cruise scheduled for April 2016 that I made and paid for about 6 months ago - before all the refugee issues. At the moment I could cancel my existing reservation and only pay a 15% penalty. Then rebook under this cancel-for-any-reason offer. Then if things got really bad in April, we could back out at the last minute. What i've been nervous about this trip is that things get really bad over there inbthe spring.

 

Certainly if you had an existing booking more than 121 days out it would behoove you to cancel that, pay $200 per couple, and rebook to get this cancellation benefit!

 

As stated above - this is so NOT the "Viking way" - mystfying. Seems like they are inviting a LOT of last minute cancellations. From my experience with Viking -- paying in full up to 18 months in advance, their Viking normal cancel-for-any-reason policy only giving you a voucher on future cruises - this seems so unlike them. Who would buy their trip insurance (like I did) if you have this cancellation waiver? Got to be a catch somewhere!

I'd check the fine print to be sure cancelling and rebooking is considered a new booking. Some ocean cruise offers won't apply if one cancels an existing booking and rebooks.

My first thought about this promotion was that it might indicate that there is a reluctance to book European river cruises because of the unknowns such as terrorist activity as well as water levels. I am not saying that I would not book a cruise for these reasons. Actually planning a European land trip this year but I believe some have posted that they want to wait and see how things go this year. Of course there is never a guarantee and "waiting to see" is not my plan but maybe Viking has seen a downturn in bookings?? So if this offer is as it seems, some of the reluctant cruisers may decide to go ahead and book.

Perhaps this is a time to keep an eye out for offers from other cruise lines to see if they too offer any promotions that are really good deals.

 

My first thought about this promotion was that it might indicate that there is a reluctance to book European river cruises because of the unknowns such as terrorist activity as well as water levels.

Purduemom1- I hadn't thought about it from that angle. That could certainly be impacting bookings.

We're booked for Vantage's Eastern Europe route next September. Hopefully all will be well. Crazy stuff can happen anytime. Roll your dice and move your mice.

I can't help but think that the river cruise industry might be heading to oversupply, and prices will fall in the future. That would co-incide nicely with retirement. :)

 

I can't help but think that the river cruise industry might be heading to oversupply, and prices will fall in the future.

I think there is some truth to that but prices for 2016 and 2017 are up from the last few years, at least with the lines we like, so it will be interesting to see.

Purduemom1- I hadn't thought about it from that angle. That could certainly be impacting bookings.

 

We're booked for Vantage's Eastern Europe route next September. Hopefully all will be well. Crazy stuff can happen anytime. Roll your dice and move your mice.

 

I can't help but think that the river cruise industry might be heading to oversupply, and prices will fall in the future. That would co-incide nicely with retirement. :)

ural guy, plan, anticipate and enjoy. Life is too short to worry about the unknown. I like your "roll the dice...." I'll have to remember that:) guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.

I think there is some truth to that but prices for 2016 and 2017 are up from the last few years, at least with the lines we like, so it will be interesting to see.

We booked our Sept 2016 cruise in January 2015, to 'lock in 2025 prices'. When I spoke to the Vantage representative I asked her opinion if locking in the prices was a big deal. I stated that with the dollar being strong, oil prices down, maybe the 2016 rates wouldn't go up?

She told me that prices have pretty much always gone up. I booked, and a few weeks later the new prices came out, and they had gone up $400 or so a person. So that worked out well.

My thoughts, not that they matter. Get the Full policy, terms & conditions AND exclusions. Read carefully!

Remember, your mom or grandma saying "If it sounds to good to be true.... It is"

I realise that travel insurance in Australia is very different to North America but I can't see how Viking can do this. Surely if you pay the insurance cost upfront and then cancel you must lose the cost of the policy otherwise whoever is underwriting the policy will never make any money. It does sound too good to be true.

I realise that travel insurance in Australia is very different to North America but I can't see how Viking can do this. Surely if you pay the insurance cost upfront and then cancel you must lose the cost of the policy otherwise whoever is underwriting the policy will never make any money. It does sound too good to be true.

I don't think the question about the cost of the waiver, if any, was ever answered.

It would be even more unbelievable that one would get the cost of the waiver policy back if cancelling for no reason whatsoever, other than a whim. Or that it is free of cost.

Methinks there must be more to this story.

Ditto

I don't think the question about the cost of the waiver, if any, was ever answered.

I thought the cost of the waiver and cancellation fee were the same thing?

There was a thread a few weeks back, somebody asked about the snacks (Wasabi nuts?) Viking serves in the lounge. They really liked them and wanted to buy some. Viking responded to that thread the first day.

You think they'd jump on this to provide some clarity?