Oceania Losing Ground - Viking Many New Builds

I totally agree with Rimau. It really annoys me to have to make final payment, to Viking, so far in advance. We are currently looking at similar itineraries on Oceania and Viking. Viking has the better one, but having to make the payment so far in advance will push us towards Oceania.

You can negotiate that final payment.

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You can negotiate that final payment.

 

 

 

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Have you experienced this first hand?

if so, what is a reasonable compromise?

Have you experienced this first hand?

 

if so, what is a reasonable compromise?

Yes twice. We picked dates we were comfortable with and they said fine. I have spoken with others who have gotten closer to sail date. We usually take advantage of their air deals and like to get ticketed as early as possible, so we didn’t push for closer than 6 months out, but we could have.

Once you do one cruise with them, they cut you more slack and you get the Explorer Society discounts as well - $200 pp off if you book within 1 year and $100 pp after that.

We did the Rhine cruise with them last year and were very happy with the product. We booked an ocean cruise for March and a Danube cruise for September 2018.

We like the ships and they take good care of you when you are on them. We are only recently venturing outside the main stream market. I’ve been looking at Oceania, Seabourn and Regent as other possibilities. But so far we’re happy with Viking.

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Interesting info - thank you.

We have cruised on Viking river before (and have some coming up in the future).

More importantly, we have a Viking ocean coming up in May 2019 that has a final payment coming up very soon.

I will see if they are open to moving it a bit closer to sailing (like 6 months).

We’ll see.

Interesting info - thank you.

 

We have cruised on Viking river before (and have some coming up in the future).

 

More importantly, we have a Viking ocean coming up in May 2019 that has a final payment coming up very soon.

 

I will see if they are open to moving it a bit closer to sailing (like 6 months).

 

We’ll see.

Give it a try. If you don’t like the answer call back. Some reps seem to be more knowledgeable than others about the flexibility.

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Paulchili, +1 on Cyber Kat's advice. We are paying further in advance than usual for our end of July Viking cruise but we are paying in January for July 2018. And as was said, some reps are better than others about flexibility.

Paulchili, +1 on Cyber Kat's advice. We are paying further in advance than usual for our end of July Viking cruise but we are paying in January for July 2018. And as was said, some reps are better than others about flexibility.

Thank you.

Will inform my TA after the Holidays.

Viking will not accommodate disabled passengers on their ships, therefore I will not be cruising them. When I called to inquire as to this policy, their response was that Viking cruises are all about an active lifestyle, and this doesn't allow for those with disabilities to cruise on their ships.

 

I wonder how they get away with this violation of the ADA, seeing how the US Supreme Court ruled that if a cruise line sails out of a US port, they must accommodate the disabled.

They don't "originate" in a US port. Big difference.

They don't "originate" in a US port. Big difference.

You're wrong. Viking offers a number of cruises originating in US ports including NY, Miami and San Juan.

Further, the poster you're quoting is also wrong. Viking has a couple of handicapped accessible cabins on their ships.

You're wrong. Viking offers a number of cruises originating in US ports including NY, Miami and San Juan.

 

Further, the poster you're quoting is also wrong. Viking has a couple of handicapped accessible cabins on their ships.

The company is NOT headquartered in the US. There is a division headquartered here but main corporate location is Europe. We booked an inside on the Oceania Riviera. It's a handicap, but was given to us for the extra room.

The company is NOT headquartered in the US. There is a division headquartered here but main corporate location is Europe. We booked an inside on the Oceania Riviera. It's a handicap, but was given to us for the extra room.

It makes no difference where the cruise line's corporate headquarters are or where their ships are registered. In 2005 the United States Supreme Court, in Spector v. Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd. ruled that the Americans With Disabilities Act applies to foreign cruise ships operating in US waters, as far as passenger accommodations are concerned. ADA does not apply to internal operations of the ship, so cruise lines are not required to comply with ADA in hiring and accommodating crew.

You can read about the case here: https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/03-1388.ZS.html

Cruise lines are permitted to accommodate non-disabled passengers in handicapped-accessible cabins if the cabin has not been booked by a disabled passenger. Some years ago I was booked into an accessible cabin (by another cruise line, not Oceania) and had to agree to the condition that if they needed the cabin for a disabled passenger the cruise line would be able to move us to another cabin of the same category or higher.

We love Viking Ocean cruises, but sometimes I miss the people who cruise on Oceania - more down to earth, accepting when something goes wrong, more experienced at ocean cruising, etc. Too many people on Viking, at least the ones who post on Cruise Critic, come on those ships and expect them to be a larger version of the river cruises. They aren't. They can't be. Viking is shuffling up to 930 people around, providing free tours and wine and whatnot and copying Oceania as much as possible. You have to expect some issues. (Would you believe that Viking had a farewell party and played "Celebrate Good Times" and "We are Family" - I felt like I was back on Insignia or Marina!)

OK, rant over. With that said, I'm really glad Viking is building more ships. They started out with such limited itineraries compared to Oceania that I had to struggle a little to find an itinerary I liked. I don't know if fancier or more updated ships (including heated bathroom floors and touch-controlled balcony curtains) matter all that much to people, but I DO know that if you only have a couple ships, you can't go all the places in the world that many people want to go to. Therefore, I'm glad to see that Viking is increasing their fleet. I love choices!

Paulchili, +1 on Cyber Kat's advice. We are paying further in advance than usual for our end of July Viking cruise but we are paying in January for July 2018. And as was said, some reps are better than others about flexibility.

Thank you both for your advice.

I was able to postpone my final payment on the Viking Ocean cruise to a reasonable date.

Paul;

Good move! All Things are Negotiable!

All Things are Negotiable!

Really? I’ve got a few things I’d like to renegotiate but I am afraid it won’t work :D :D

Thank you both for your advice.

I was able to postpone my final payment on the Viking Ocean cruise to a reasonable date.

Our TA had no problem to get an extension on final payment which they do on all Viking invoices.