Inconsistent Availability, Pricing, and Rates on a Daily Basis

Has anyone else experienced a labyrinth of changing information when trying to book an ocean cruise? Recently, each time I call (or have my TA call) about a cabin vacancy noted on the website, the actual vacancies either don't exist or exist in other categories. Further, if you keep asking about how it happens, additional vacancies enter the discussion (from where?). Finally, the pricing may or may not show the ubiquitous Viking 2-for-1 and the promotions page may clearly state enjoy 2-for-1 prices on 2016 cruises, but that seems to have nothing to do with the price being offered by the agents. I am not sure of what is going on, but the website info appears unreliable.

Viking's always offers 2 for 1. If you're not getting that, then don't pull the trigger. I notice you have been on Viking Rivers, so you should also get the "past cruiser" discount of $100 pp also.

Yeah, the 2-for-1 was a given in my experience, as well. I ran afoul of that on the cruise "Into the Midnight Sun". They have a clearly stated 2-for-1 offer on their current promotions page (http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/promotions.html) with $500 air fare reduction, but will not accept it for some reason . . . that remains unstated.

I have pressed for a formal answer from Viking management on whether they intend to honor their offer, but have received no reply.

theremin - this is totally off topic, but noticed you did the Eastern Europe river cruise on the Aegir. We just booked that cruise with Viking today to use our Future Cruise Credit that we got from the Oceans maiden 50-day cruise. We're going the opposite direction, and are doing the Romania extension post cruise. We wanted something this time around that Viking has done many times before - don't want to be guinea pigs again. How did you like both the cruise and the extension?

What is going on with Viking prices?? The pricing issues are getting worse . . . For 2016, Viking stitched together two cruises to make a "super cruise". Unfortunately, the current pricing data on the web shows it costs more to book the super cruise than to book the individual components:

SUPER CRUISE: Into the Midnight Sun & Baltic Jewels (PV2 $26, 598 Jun 19 2016 departure) on the Viking Sea

The individual components are Into the Midnight Sun and Viking Homelands

Currently advertised PV2 cabins are $16,198 and $9,099 = $25,297

These component cruise prices quoted are for the same cruise dates on the Viking Sea. By saving Viking the overhead of conducting two transactions, you are granted the privilege of paying $1,301 more!?

Additionally, be aware Into the Midnight Sun component is NOT discounted in any way (i.e., despite what the the link below says, Viking will not honor a 2-for-1 fare).

http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/promotions.html

All info above is accurate as of 4:25 CDT, 15 June 2015.

Hi,

It is a good cruise, but you should not have the same expectations as for Western European cruise . . . there isn't a castle of every hill :-) My wife and I certainly enjoyed the trip, but would classify it as more educational than exciting. Budapest is an extraordinary city in line with Paris.

With the exception of Hungary and Bulgaria, however, most of the Balkans haven't done too well in the post-Communism era. Still, there is much to be enjoyed and I hope you have a wonderful time.

If you want to open a secondary thread on this to discuss further, please let me know.

Regards,

Thom

P.S. Theremin is one of my favorite musical instruments.

What is going on with Viking prices?? The pricing issues are getting worse . . . For 2016, Viking stitched together two cruises to make a "super cruise". Unfortunately, the current pricing data on the web shows it costs more to book the super cruise than to book the individual components:

SUPER CRUISE: Into the Midnight Sun & Baltic Jewels (PV2 $26, 598 Jun 19 2016 departure) on the Viking Sea

 

The individual components are Into the Midnight Sun and Viking Homelands

Currently advertised PV2 cabins are $16,198 and $9,099 = $25,297

These component cruise prices quoted are for the same cruise dates on the Viking Sea. By saving Viking the overhead of conducting two transactions, you are granted the privilege of paying $1,301 more!?

 

Additionally, be aware Into the Midnight Sun component is NOT discounted in any way (i.e., despite what the the link below says, Viking will not honor a 2-for-1 fare).

http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/promotions.html

 

All info above is accurate as of 4:25 CDT, 15 June 2015.

The Into the Midnight Sun . a 15 day itinerary, only offered twice in 2016 on the Viking Sea has been sold out for as long as I have been watching it.

I have been watching since Dec 2014.

Maybe, they have set aside some staterooms for the combined sailing you are looking at that begins Jun 19 which also includes Viking Homeland. Of course the price will be at a premium.

Either way, Into the Midnight Sun seems to be a unique sailing on only one ship repeated only once.

I am waiting for the 2017 sailings to be posted later this fall. It is the first choice for me , Into the Midnight Sun. I hope they will have two ships doing this sailing in 2017?

You should know that within each category there are several prices depending on cabin location. This is not shown on any published info I've seen, but we found it out when we went to book. Its possible that the lower priced cabins in DV (or another cabin type) are sold out and that would account for the disparity. Also if you book individual cruises you would have to change cabins.

I just popped a general Passage to Eastern Europe thread to the top of the "River Cruises" forum. Would appreciate if you joined me there so we're not hijacking this thread.

Tomorrow I will check with some friend of mine who are doing the back to back Homelands and Into the Midnight Sun in 2016. I will ask them if the got the 2 for 1 on both cruises and post back here on this thread. I know they got a PV cabin.

I just popped a general Passage to Eastern Europe thread to the top of the "River Cruises" forum. Would appreciate if you joined me there so we're not hijacking this thread.

 

Tomorrow I will check with some friend of mine who are doing the back to back Homelands and Into the Midnight Sun in 2016. I will ask them if the got the 2 for 1 on both cruises and post back here on this thread. I know they got a PV cabin.

I booked the June 19, 2016 back to back Homeland & Into the Midnight Sun in October 2014 at half price for a DV1 cabin with a $1000 per person discount on airfare and had to pay for the cruise by December 2014. When I go to the website now they are showing the 2017 cruise at higher prices at half off. They do show a DV2 at full price for the 2016 cruise but that would seem to be in error since they strike thru the full price but show that is the new price. They show a $500 per person discount for 2016 and a $1000 per person for 2017 for airfare.

Hope this helps.

Sorry, but I forgot to look at the individual rates for the back to back cruises and you are correct! it is cheaper for the individual ones vs. the combined on the website as of now, but this is not the way it was when i booked in 2014. It is a mystery.