Paying a year ahead

[MacWiz]

My wife and I were all set to book an Amsterdam to Budapest cruise on Viking. We have never done a river cruise and it seemed like something we would enjoy. After reading this post I contacted Viking. Sure enough, they require payment in full by the end of May 2012 for a cruise in June 2013. I know there isn't much interest being made on money right now, but I just can't see giving any cruise line payment in full that far in advance. Why would they want it. Is it non refundable if you change your mind in six months?

 

I guess this doesn't bother some of you, but for us this would turn us off to river cruising. I would wonder about the strength of a company that would require this much money up front for something more than a year away.

 

 

Viking has some flexibility on this. We just booked the opposite cruise, Budapest to Amsterdam in Aug. 2013. Although they wanted full payment by May 31st, after we asked, they let us delay the final payment until Jan. 1st, 2013, so long as we arranged the full payment to be auto-paid using the same method we used for our down payment. Still, that's 7+ months pre-cruise, but the early-booking discount seemed significant.

 

This will be our first river cruise as well.

[beverlyjack]

Grand Circle offers a discount the equivalent of a 10% annual return from the time you pay to the date the final payment would be due, two months before departure. for a cash payment. This also guarantees the price against airfare an fuel surcharges, if you buy the air through Grand Circle. We normally pay for our trips with them via EFT while we are on the phone booking the trip. If, due to the date of payment, the amount would decrease to under $50, a $50 discount is given, but the price guarantee is still given.

[cole]

Uniworld offers a large discount, up to $1,000 pp if you pay in full at time of booking. This is a HUGE savings and one has to weigh the advantages of a big credit card bill! Plus U gives a discount for past passengers.

 

We just booked an Elbe trip with Viking for June '13, and they too wanted full payment by the end of the month in which we paid our deposit. After much back and forth with the TA/Viking, we do NOT have to pay in full 'til Dec. 1 2012. If they had offered a discount for paying in full, we would have considered it. Frankly, this will be our last trip with Viking for this very reason.

 

Uniworld/Avalon cabins on most ships are VERY comfortable and large -- regular hotel style beds with easy chairs, desk, tables, etc. Large shower stalls even if the bathrooms are small (but very well appointed). All in all, finishing touches area perfect. On the Elbe cruise, only a few of the cabins are large (as the ship isn't big). We do NOT like cabins where the beds are couches during the day and beds at night.

 

The cabin configurations on Grand Circle and Viking for the Elbe cruise are the main reason we keep hoping another company will launch a ship on this river with more comfortable cabins so we can book this itinerary. We can only hope!

[mckendus]

My wife and I were all set to book an Amsterdam to Budapest cruise on Viking. We have never done a river cruise and it seemed like something we would enjoy. After reading this post I contacted Viking. Sure enough, they require payment in full by the end of May 2012 for a cruise in June 2013. I know there isn't much interest being made on money right now, but I just can't see giving any cruise line payment in full that far in advance. Why would they want it. Is it non refundable if you change your mind in six months?

 

I guess this doesn't bother some of you, but for us this would turn us off to river cruising. I would wonder about the strength of a company that would require this much money up front for something more than a year away.

 

We decided to go with AMA because of the fact we'd need to pay in full so far in advance if we chose Viking. Couldn't afford to do it. It didn't turn us off river cruising though, just Viking.

[newlondon]

We paid well in advance with Uniworld because the time value of money is easy to calculate, especially in these days of low interest rates.

Imo it's a no brainer because you know exactly what the refund policy is at any given point.

I can understand the cash flow calculation UW is making as they refurb their fleet; but, if it helps me I'm going for it.

[SFO-F/A]

We paid in full for our November Viking river cruise a few months ago. Since than, it has sold out.

They now have new ships doing the same route, however, the price is MUCH higher.

I'm very happy we booked and paid when we did.

[retiredslug]

The cabin configurations on Grand Circle and Viking for the Elbe cruise are the main reason we keep hoping another company will launch a ship on this river with more comfortable cabins so we can book this itinerary. We can only hope!

 

We too are hoping and waiting for this new entry.

 

Bill

[CENS]

This is my first river cruise. I booked Viking for Nov 2013. on one of their long ships, SKAGI, They had a very good promotion, They asked me to pay the deposit of 500 each which is refundable except 100.00 each. They asked me to pay by the end of May....I refused, she said she would make an exception because it was so far in advanced. I owe the full amount May 13, which is 6 month before sailing, I agreed to that. Not only that, if you pay with bank transfer or cheque they will also give you an additional 3%. . I thought that was a good deal and I am happy with the deal I got.....BTW I booked directly with Viking as I am a TA.

 

I also think the reason why the cancelation policy is.....Just think there are only 190 people...if say 25 % cancel just before final payment date, because thsese ships are so small, they would then have to scramble to book this. I really do underestand their reasoning. On the big ocean ships, if many people cancel just before finaly payment date they do not need to scramble to fill our the ship as there are more ocean cruisers than river cruisers.

[id est]

BTW I booked directly with Viking as I am a TA.

Just out of curiosity what % discount is offered by Viking to a TA? I mean for one booking only, not a group discount. If it is confidential, please reply at least it exists or not :)

[dondiane]

If you pay a year in advance does Uniworld refund the money if you cancel prior to sail date with a scale similar to large ship cruise lines. Perhaps 3 months prior?? I suppose you could purchase "cancel for any reason" insurance offered by a number of ins. companies. We've never river cruised but are looking at Castles on the Rhine, certainly looks lovely.

[newlondon]

dondiane, Look at their website. The answer is of course.

[CENS]

Just out of curiosity what % discount is offered by Viking to a TA? I mean for one booking only, not a group discount. If it is confidential, please reply at least it exists or not :)

 

I did not get a discount, of course I did ask....but my commissions will be duducted on final payment, instead of paying me after the fact.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

River cruiseing is becoming hotter and hotter

[RvrCrzr]

River cruiseing is becoming hotter and hotter

 

It is the fastest growing segment of the cruise industry.

[delraydoll]

We ALWAYS take out travel insurance at the time of booking which then covers for pre-existing conditions. I shop around to compare the cruise company's insurance to perhaps Access America (now Allianz) -- there are websites where you can compare policies/pricing. Usually you have about 10 days to purchase a policy after making a deposit in order to cover pre-existing conditions/cancellation for covered reason. You should then be able to recover all deposits -- minus the insurance premium of course. And sometimes if you book another trip within a certain timeframe, that insurance can be transferred to cover that new trip.

 

To talk about Viking again -- we ended up with the Elbe river cruise with a suite as there's no way we'll be in one of the small cabins.

[marco]

We received info from Viking a while back and they were offering some very good prices, but you did have to pay in full at the time of booking and the trip we were interested in was about a year out. I felt very apprehensive about paying that much, up front, that far in advance. Anyway, we didn't, and just as well as there is a significant family event (a wedding) now planned for when the trip would have been and we probably would have wanted to cancel the trip. I never did inquire what the refund policy was, but I would absolutely check that out before making such a commitment and I would absolutely get travel insurance. Too many stories about companies that have been in business for many, many years all of a sudden going belly up. And of course, make sure that the travel insurance covers a company going out of business and not just issues that pertain to you.

[dewey girl]

We just booked the Viking Portraits of Southern France as our first river cruise for November of 2013. We were able to pay the deposit, set up a monthly payment schedule with the final payment due next May. This is 6 months before the trip and I did not think this was unreasonable. Our cabin choice and the one above ours is already sold out. We also booked their air package and the post trip to Paris. We have done several ocean cruises in Europe but wanted more inland travel- can not wait to try river cruising!

[RvrCrzr]

Congrats! I think you may just LOVE river cruising! Welcome to a whole new world.

 

We just booked the Viking Portraits of Southern France as our first river cruise for November of 2013. We were able to pay the deposit, set up a monthly payment schedule with the final payment due next May. This is 6 months before the trip and I did not think this was unreasonable. Our cabin choice and the one above ours is already sold out. We also booked their air package and the post trip to Paris. We have done several ocean cruises in Europe but wanted more inland travel- can not wait to try river cruising!

[travelfirst]

You will be hooked on River cruising when you get home. I have my third river cruise booked with Viking now.

[SfromATX]

Dewey girl, did you mean November of 2013--or 2012? My husband and I are doing Portraits of Southern France in Nov. of this year; our second Viking cruise.

[dewey girl]

YES - We are booked for November of 2013- Please let us know how this trip is- we chose this itinery based on several factors- It is short- only 8 days- so if we did not like river cruising-it would not be a huge comitment and I have been wanting to see Paris- so with the post cruise add on it seemed perfect- plus we had been to Arles and Aix en Provence on our last ocean cruise from Barcleona and the towns were so beautiful I thought it was a perfect way to return to the area and see more!:)

[dewey girl]

I did have another question about river cruising- is some type of food available at other times of the day than the meals times? Just some type of snack or light fare for other times of the days/evenings?

[Barrheadlass]

On Uniworld there was always afternoon tea when we cruised with them in Sept. 10, that was the only between meal food available. Always a lovely tea, but between the great lunches and lovely dinners we rarely partook due to lack of room!

[RvrCrzr]

Some lines have items available between meals. Fruit, cookies or that type of stuff could always be found on Scenic. They also have an area in the lounge with small sandwiches/desserts that was open almost always. More items (River View Cafe) were available during lunch time as an alternate venue.