posting this here also Problems with Viking never again

[Turtles06]

Maybe the OP should start a new thread titled: "My TA cooked my Goose and Viking stepped in to save my Bacon"

 

It's the least she could do. Particularly after her most recent post.

[Nan-L]

Really? You couldn't think of another title that would have gotten Viking's attention but that didn't appear to blame them for a problem (and threaten them) when you didn't know that it was their fault?

 

As for getting Viking's attention -- their social media person has her email contact address all over these threads.

 

Your TA screwed up. You are lucky Viking fixed it.

 

COME ON GUYS::::

PLEASE re-read my original post you will see that I had NO idea it wasn't Viking at the time.!!! I was TOLD it was Viking's fault by my TA.

 

And again when you contact the cruise line they tell you to talk to the TA!!!

 

As for fixing anything, Viking really didn't fix anything...they were bought into the mess to see what was going on, as the TA was blaming them for everything....it all stayed the same except the finial payment, (which I'm figuring is the TA's fault to begin with). It just took forever for the TA to get it done. Our payments are due by June 28,2013, not May 2014..They gave us a month extra because of the mess the Ta was putting us through..that is the only thing Viking did to change the outcome.

The TA did give us the OBC, is all is good.

You really have to watch yourselves on the forum.

Sometimes you go for the throat on a poster w/o looking at everything 1st. It will make people afraid to post as they will get slammed. I did what I needed to do and at the time what I thought was right. I was going to cancel the cruise because I thought Viking was at fault for the whole mess and again THIS IS WHAT MY TA TOLD ME!!!

To all of you with support and giving me info, thank you, that is really what this forum is about.

N

[Turtles06]

COME ON GUYS::::

PLEASE re-read my original post you will see that I had NO idea it wasn't Viking at the time.!!! I was TOLD it was Viking's fault by my TA.

 

And again when you contact the cruise line they tell you to talk to the TA!!!

 

As for fixing anything, Viking really didn't fix anything...they were bought into the mess to see what was going on, as the TA was blaming them for everything....it all stayed the same except the finial payment, (which I'm figuring is the TA's fault to begin with). It just took forever for the TA to get it done. Our payments are due by June 28,2013, not May 2014..They gave us a month extra because of the mess the Ta was putting us through..that is the only thing Viking did to change the outcome.

The TA did give us the OBC, is all is good.

You really have to watch yourselves on the forum.

Sometimes you go for the throat on a poster w/o looking at everything 1st. It will make people afraid to post as they will get slammed. I did what I needed to do and at the time what I thought was right. I was going to cancel the cruise because I thought Viking was at fault for the whole mess and again THIS IS WHAT MY TA TOLD ME!!!

To all of you with support and giving me info, thank you, that is really what this forum is about.

N

 

If you'll read my other posts, you'll see I was quite supportive of you, and even searched my own records from our trip several years ago to find contact info for you of a helpful Viking supervisor. And Viking did "fix" this for you -- were it not for Viking contacting your TA, your TA would still have been trying to shift the blame onto Viking.

 

I'm glad this has all worked out for you, and I hope you have a great trip.

[Peacemkr59]

Nan-L,

 

What ever happened with the final payment date? Is it 90 days out or a year out?

[Nan-L]

The manager at the TA's company set up a meeting with Viking, and then even after Viking contacted the TA later after the 1st meeting with her manager and after I posted on here, we were STILL having problems with the TA!!

The company we booked through is the one that set up the meeting with Viking not the other way around. I think the company that the TA works for was not aware of what was going on till this month when we kept asking to speak to the manager They set up the meeting with Viking and were trying to work something out about the final payment.

Viking called me and told me what was going on with the TA and that a lot of the stuff she was saying was not true. But really it was the manager that fixed the problem with Viking. I'm not bad mouthing Viking it was great that they cared enough to call me and set everything straight. Not sure many cruise lines would do this for their customers.

 

.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Nan-L

[Nan-L]

Nan-L,

 

What ever happened with the final payment date? Is it 90 days out or a year out?

 

90 days:::I posted this above:: but the payment date was really suppose to be May 2013 for the Oct. 2014 cruise.(the TA said it was May, 2014 because of the group cruise, this was not true according to Viking). Viking, gave us another month to pay because of the problems, so it is due before the end of June 2013

[Host Jazzbeau]

I'm not bad mouthing Viking it was great that they cared enough to call me and set everything straight. Not sure many cruise lines would do this for their customers.

 

But despite your warm and fuzzy feelings about Viking (55 posts and 3 pages later), the title still slams Viking and only Viking.

 

Maybe they can put this quote in their adds. :rolleyes:

[Nan-L]

But despite your warm and fuzzy feelings about Viking (55 posts and 3 pages later), the title still slams Viking and only Viking.

 

Maybe they can put this quote in their adds. :rolleyes:

 

 

Lets beat a dead horse!!!

AGAIN~~~ I'd change it if I could, said it before and will say it again~~~!!

you tell me how and I'll do it!!!!

[nana541]

But despite your warm and fuzzy feelings about Viking (55 posts and 3 pages later), the title still slams Viking and only Viking.

 

Maybe they can put this quote in their adds. :rolleyes:

 

The OP/Nan can't change the thread title only Cruise Critic can do that and they have been asked to do that several times, I also sent a message to the Board Moderator and ask.... So far CC has chosen not to do the "fair" thing and adjust the title of this thread! This has been done on other boards in the past, a Regent thread was re-titled last winter when an wrongly posted issue was found to be not a fair reflection of Regent Cruises.

 

Moderators of this board do the correct and fair thing for Viking and adjust the Thread title to reflect a "Happy Ending" as this mess was not the fault of Viking but of the TA's making!

[Peacemkr59]

Final payment in June 2013 for a cruise not sailing until October 2014....that's really way before final payment should be due and that doesn't sound like a group policy or a TA error. I've heard others say this about Viking before. I've heard great things about Viking but things like this are bothersome..regardless of the cruise line!

[Mark_T]

Final payment in June 2013 for a cruise not sailing until October 2014....that's really way before final payment should be due and that doesn't sound like a group policy or a TA error. I've heard others say this about Viking before. I've heard great things about Viking but things like this are bothersome..regardless of the cruise line!

 

Why can't I find any sign of this payment policy in the official Viking Terms & Conditions that they post on the websites?

 

The earliest I can find is 120 days before departure and the latest seems to be about 10 weeks. It varies between countries it seems, but nowhere can I find anything documented that would support paying as much as a year in advance?

[jacksonnh]

Mark - the T&C state the $500 pp deposit and 90 day balance due but states that promotions may have different payment terms. The current promotion which expires today states-

 

2014 EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT: On all sail dates the discount is per stateroom based on double occupancy. Single supplement savings are off applicable rates. The 2-for-1 cruise and international air discount are considered a single offer. International air does not have to be purchased to get cruise offer. Must request offer EBD at time of booking. Must book and pay in full by May 31, 2013. Offer expires May 31, 2013.

[id est]

Why can't I find any sign of this payment policy in the official Viking Terms & Conditions that they post on the websites?

 

The earliest I can find is 120 days before departure and the latest seems to be about 10 weeks. It varies between countries it seems, but nowhere can I find anything documented that would support paying as much as a year in advance?

Right. You can always pay later up to 120 days before departure. The trick is in this case final price is not locked and may eventually go up. However the group guide states the group rate is valid till 12/19/2013. So my guess is it is pretty safe to wait till that date.

[OnWeGo]

Mark - the T&C state the $500 pp deposit and 90 day balance due but states that promotions may have different payment terms. The current promotion which expires today states-

 

2014 EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT: On all sail dates the discount is per stateroom based on double occupancy. Single supplement savings are off applicable rates. The 2-for-1 cruise and international air discount are considered a single offer. International air does not have to be purchased to get cruise offer. Must request offer EBD at time of booking. Must book and pay in full by May 31, 2013. Offer expires May 31, 2013.

We are booked for a June 2014 trip and final payment is due Dec. 5th. I asked our TA why so soon and she said that Viking requires this on their promotional specials. Our special is the "2 for 1" which is a sales gimic that has been discussed on this forum. While I don't like the idea of them holding our money for six months, I'm trying to look on the bright side. The trip will be long paid for and it will almost seem like a free trip (I know that stretching it!).

[Peacemkr59]

Why can't I find any sign of this payment policy in the official Viking Terms & Conditions that they post on the websites?

 

The earliest I can find is 120 days before departure and the latest seems to be about 10 weeks. It varies between countries it seems, but nowhere can I find anything documented that would support paying as much as a year in advance?

 

I agree, I have read so many times on these boards that people have had to pay in full at time of deposit or shortly after making deposit, then others state that they made final 90 days out. Seems there is not a set policy. Doesn't sit well with me at all.

[Peacemkr59]

We are booked for a June 2014 trip and final payment is due Dec. 5th. I asked our TA why so soon and she said that Viking requires this on their promotional specials. Our special is the "2 for 1" which is a sales gimic that has been discussed on this forum. While I don't like the idea of them holding our money for six months, I'm trying to look on the bright side. The trip will be long paid for and it will almost seem like a free trip (I know that stretching it!).

 

So if we know that the 2 for 1 is a sales gimmick and not a "real" promotion, one they always have, so its nothing special, why then do they ask for final so far in advance? That would mean that all their cruises need to be paid for that far in advance because we all know that every cruise sold is a 2 for 1 promotional special...right?? Who pays full price?

[jibeho52]

Nobody pays full price. Their rack fare is almost what I paid on upscale Uniworld!

[Nan-L]

Final payment in June 2013 for a cruise not sailing until October 2014....that's really way before final payment should be due and that doesn't sound like a group policy or a TA error. I've heard others say this about Viking before. I've heard great things about Viking but things like this are bothersome..regardless of the cruise line!

 

We were told this is Viking's policy, the only line that does this and if it weren't for my sister wanting to go on this cruise so bad I probably wouldn't have booked because of this. This is also the problem the TA and manager of the company were having with Viking. I'm REALLY not sure why we are having to pay in

full a year in advance as we are A GROUP BOOKING...the company said because we were a group booking we didn't have to pay in full till May 2013...but not Viking is saying it was due May 31st..as I said before they are giving us 2 weeks till June 15th to pay in full!!!

Really don't like their policy on this, but they expect full payment within 90 days of booking!

Not sure what their policy is if we have to cancel..do we lose everything?

A lot can happen between now and then.

PS: Going to try to change the tile of this forum, any HELPFUL suggestions??

Edited May 31, 2013 by Nan-L

[Host Jazzbeau]

PS: Going to try to change the tile of this forum, any HELPFUL suggestions??

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to beat the dead horse. I was hoping that these continuing posts about the thread title would get CC's attention. Only they can change it. They should certainly have seen the multiple requests and your willingness by now.

[Nan-L]

Viking e-mailed me asked me to change the title and gave me the e-mail address to do it with!!! Kinda convenient!!

Just e-mailed her and asked her to change it to Problems with Viking booking... which is what happened!!

Edited June 1, 2013 by Nan-L

[nana541]

Did you tell we have been trying... I did send an e-mail twice myself and asked plus several of us have asked on this thread also....

 

Seems to have fallen on deaf ears!

[Nan-L]

Did you tell we have been trying... I did send an e-mail twice myself and asked plus several of us have asked on this thread also....

 

Seems to have fallen on deaf ears!

 

I'm a NANA too..

[nana541]

I'm a NANA too..

 

Nana of 3 all Redheads!!! It's the best :)

[Mark_T]

Right. You can always pay later up to 120 days before departure. The trick is in this case final price is not locked and may eventually go up. However the group guide states the group rate is valid till 12/19/2013. So my guess is it is pretty safe to wait till that date.

 

We've recently booked through the UK part of Viking and it looks like they have got the terms about right.

 

None of the fake '2 for 1' deals, just a straight early booking discount per person.

 

Deposit is higher at 25%, but that locks in the prices, with final payment due 10 weeks before departure.

[nana541]

We have tried and tried to get CC to do the right thing and amend the title of his thread! After repeated requests and e-mails they have so far not cared enough about the "unfairness" issue to do it.....

 

My suggestion is that you must have a direct line to the people who can fix this. Remind them that they did this very same "renaming" for Regent last year when a near identical situation came up!

 

Thanks for having a pro-active presence on Cruise Critic.

Edited June 1, 2013 by nana541