Refunds- July 25 sailing...Next step

[HMforcruise]

We were in the group flown home from Tallinn on Aug. 3, 2015

 

I see that our initial deposit to Viking made on July 30, 2013 has been posted to our credit card.

 

Step in the right direction. Thank you Viking.

 

Now what?

[AggiePilot]

We were in the group flown home from Tallinn on Aug. 3, 2015

 

I see that our initial deposit to Viking made on July 30, 2013 has been posted to our credit card.

 

Step in the right direction. Thank you Viking.

 

Now what?

HMforcruise,

Are you satisfied? Did you receive what the letter said as well as unused tours? Did you have an extension you could not do?

[HMforcruise]

HMforcruise,

Are you satisfied? Did you receive what the letter said as well as unused tours? Did you have an extension you could not do?

 

Oh, it is a long way from what we expect and what the letter given out said. But it is a start.

 

We had no extensions, but we had a couple of tours which we had booked DIY like the Flam Railway and Flam Fjord cruise. I had taken their offered cancellation pkg. and I see my Ccard has been credited. I was able to use the phone at the explorer's desk to call them and cancel. We also had "Friends of Dave" tour booked for Warnemunde and paid thru PayPal. He was very ethical and has credited our money back. I had emailed him immediately and alerted him of our ship not arriving on the Sunday. I am dealing with MasterCard to try to get the Stavenger fjord cruise refunded due to trip interruption. Not sure on that one.

[AggiePilot]

Oh, it is a long way from what we expect and what the letter given out said. But it is a start.

 

We had no extensions, but we had a couple of tours which we had booked DIY like the Flam Railway and Flam Fjord cruise. I had taken their offered cancellation pkg. and I see my Ccard has been credited. I was able to use the phone at the explorer's desk to call them and cancel. We also had "Friends of Dave" tour booked for Warnemunde and paid thru PayPal. He was very ethical and has credited our money back. I had emailed him immediately and alerted him of our ship not arriving on the Sunday. I am dealing with MasterCard to try to get the Stavenger fjord cruise refunded due to trip interruption. Not sure on that one.

 

Have you talked on the phone with Viking Customer Relations? If so did you call them or did they call you? Did you buy trip insurance and have you been in touch with them? I need to do that but wondering how Vikings offer plays into what the insurance will cover. First time I have ever had to use that except for a full cancel before a dive trip. Keep in touch.

[HMforcruise]

Have you talked on the phone with Viking Customer Relations? If so did you call them or did they call you? Did you buy trip insurance and have you been in touch with them? I need to do that but wondering how Vikings offer plays into what the insurance will cover. First time I have ever had to use that except for a full cancel before a dive trip. Keep in touch.

 

Here is the order I did:

Spoke to our Travel agent. She was aware as I had emailed details to her. Not sure what her role is in all this but I believe she should be an advocate for us.

 

Then wrote "my epistle" similar to yours and emailed it to Viking Guest Relations.

I got a call from a rep, Valerie, the next morning and I could tell she had read my epistle. We dialogued amicably about expectations. "Everything is being reviewed" is the message.

I contacted Travel Guard which is the Viking Travel Protection we have. I have spoken to them twice. I have a claim # and have downloaded the forms she emailed. Both reps had no knowledge of the Star's mechanical issue and the impact it has made on the July 25 and Aug. 8 sailing. I was not impressed. Of course they will not proceed until it is clear how Viking will reimburse passengers, so I have not completed the forms.

 

Plan on speaking to the TAgent on Monday morning as she left a message that she has spoken to Viking. She works for CAA ( equivalent to your AAA) and they must send a lot of business Viking's way but I am no expert on the ins and out of the travel business.

[AggiePilot]

Thanks will stay in touch. Any way to send private messages here?

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[CharTrav]

Thanks will stay in touch. Any way to send private messages here?

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

 

I think what you need to do is send a 'friend request' via Cruise Critic to specific people using their CC handle and then I think you can contact them directly. Privately via CC. You can converse privately via CC or later using your real world email addresses. Does that help?

[AggiePilot]

I think what you need to do is send a 'friend request' via Cruise Critic to specific people using their CC handle and then I think you can contact them directly. Privately via CC. You can converse privately via CC or later using your real world email addresses. Does that help?

Thanks. I was searching around CC and figured out one could have "friends" then found out how to do that and sent 4 requests out so hopefully will be able do what you are saying. Thanks [emoji1]

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Love2Sew]

Here is the order I did:

Spoke to our Travel agent. She was aware as I had emailed details to her. Not sure what her role is in all this but I believe she should be an advocate for us.

 

Then wrote "my epistle" similar to yours and emailed it to Viking Guest Relations.

I got a call from a rep, Valerie, the next morning and I could tell she had read my epistle. We dialogued amicably about expectations. "Everything is being reviewed" is the message.

I contacted Travel Guard which is the Viking Travel Protection we have. I have spoken to them twice. I have a claim # and have downloaded the forms she emailed. Both reps had no knowledge of the Star's mechanical issue and the impact it has made on the July 25 and Aug. 8 sailing. I was not impressed. Of course they will not proceed until it is clear how Viking will reimburse passengers, so I have not completed the forms.

 

Plan on speaking to the TAgent on Monday morning as she left a message that she has spoken to Viking. She works for CAA ( equivalent to your AAA) and they must send a lot of business Viking's way but I am no expert on the ins and out of the travel business.

I wanted to share our experience with Travel Guard, although our situation was different. We were scheduled on Viking Star's maiden voyage - all 50 days. On Viking's pre trip in Troy, I fell and had to be flown back to US for immediate surgery. We contacted Travel Guard, received a Claim # and worked with the same agent for multiple calls. Unfortunately, the TG agent would give us misinformation - basically we were told "the check's in the mail" 3 different times. Each time, when the check did not arrive as scheduled, we contacted our AAA travel agent. She seemed to have a lot of clout and we received better feedback from her as to the delays than from the TG agent. We eventually got our refund for an amount very close to what we expected. My suggestion is to use your CAA TA if there seems to be a delay or little contact from Travel Guard to you personally.

[tripadvise]

I had the same experience with calling Viking. Very little response to my questions. And she did know about the ship stopping. My T/A made a call on behalf of 3 couples that he booked and he was told that Viking would review and get to him/us by next Friday. 2 couples were sent home and 1 went on to Bergen and then to Iceland. It just does not make sense how they handled the group and what they are doing now to the people that are back home. My T/A said to wait until Viking does its thing before filing a insurance claim. I want to be made whole when thing process is done. It is the fair and right thing for Viking to do. I did not get wined and dined for the last 6 days like many of the Bergen travelers. Good luck to you.

[CharTrav]

Thanks. I was searching around CC and figured out one could have "friends" then found out how to do that and sent 4 requests out so hopefully will be able do what you are saying. Thanks [emoji1]

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

 

Great! Glad to help. Apps like LinkedIn provide this kind of facility too. Facilitates private communication while protecting a person's real world identity.

[Host Hattie]

Thanks. I was searching around CC and figured out one could have "friends" then found out how to do that and sent 4 requests out so hopefully will be able do what you are saying. Thanks [emoji1]

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

Unfortunately there is no facility to send private messages via Cruise Critic.

 

Good luck with getting your money back btw

Edited August 9, 2015 by Host Hattie

[HMforcruise]

I had the same experience with calling Viking. Very little response to my questions. And she did know about the ship stopping. My T/A made a call on behalf of 3 couples that he booked and he was told that Viking would review and get to him/us by next Friday. 2 couples were sent home and 1 went on to Bergen and then to Iceland. It just does not make sense how they handled the group and what they are doing now to the people that are back home. My T/A said to wait until Viking does its thing before filing a insurance claim. I want to be made whole when thing process is done. It is the fair and right thing for Viking to do. I did not get wined and dined for the last 6 days like many of the Bergen travelers. Good luck to you.

 

When the 1 couple that continued on to Bergen and then Iceland, returns, can you share their experience? We may be envious but we need to know.......

[occruiselady]

We are in the same boat - sorry couldn't resist - got home Monday and I called Viking Tuesday. I started posting my experiences here and then I got a call from Viking assuring me that they would be reviewing their refund policy for this cruise on an individual basis. I was told by Valerie that Viking would contact me by the end of the week, or beginning of next week. The other five couples we were traveling with just arrived home from Norway and I found out that Viking has posted the same credit amount for all of us on our credit card. It is extremely difficult to hear about their trip, knowing that we all paid Viking the same amount and those that received an additional week of vacation and accommodation by Viking are being given the same refund as us. I am hoping that Viking will contact me tomorrow to tell me that this was their initial refund for us and more is coming our way. I will keep you posted and please do the same for us. My travel agent will also be talking to them on our behalf tomorrow. She would have done this earlier, but she was part of our group that just got back from Norway - ouch!

Edited August 9, 2015 by occruiselady

[AggiePilot]

We are in the same boat - sorry couldn't resist - got home Monday and I called Viking Tuesday. I started posting my experiences here and then I got a call from Viking assuring me that they would be reviewing their refund policy for this cruise on an individual basis. I was told by Valerie that Viking would contact me by the end of the week, or beginning of next week. The other five couples we were traveling with just arrived home from Norway and I found out that Viking has posted the same credit amount for all of us on our credit card. It is extremely difficult to hear about their trip, knowing that we all paid Viking the same amount and those that received an additional week of vacation and accommodation by Viking are being given the same refund as us. I am hoping that Viking will contact me tomorrow to tell me that this was their initial refund for us and more is coming our way. I will keep you posted and please do the same for us. My travel agent will also be talking to them on our behalf tomorrow. She would have done this earlier, but she was part of our group that just got back from Norway - ouch!

 

I hear you loud & clear occruiselady & HMforcruise and in similar situation. Out of our group of Eight, we had 5 that had the Iceland Post extension and 3 going home after Bergen. Since not all us got to go to Bergen, only 3 of them, hope to hear their story later in the week. Have emailed the others 3 that came home and no word from any of them about any refunds yet. I did some bill paying yesterday and see I have credits on a card for port excursions we did not get to use and the 50% refund we were told about in Ltr 2 for the 'cruise' portion. However, nothing yet for the $$$ we paid for the post cruise extension to Iceland. I am trying to stay positive but it is a bit difficult, especially since I am feeling really bad with an upper respiratory infection. Also have not finished my last section and may cut it into two separate posts. Depends on how I feel later today. I really do think there will be an amicable settlement for those of us who only visited 4 ports. It is Sunday, a good day to reflect and think positive. I appreciate all who are discussing this. Will be trying to contact Viking on Monday, and I am sure it is a mad house for them. My wife keeps saying "Patience" and I know I lack it at times. Cheers to all of you.

[tripadvise]

They have been sending pics and updates of their trip to Bergen and Iceland . We missed a great time. They just said that they received a deposit of about $5000. About the same as us, NOT FAIR

T/A is following up on Monday

[CharTrav]

Unfortunately there is no facility to send private messages via Cruise Critic.

 

Good luck with getting your money back btw

 

 

Yup. You're right and I was wrong. I've just spent some time digging thru the helps and user options settings on CruiseCritic's full web site (not their mobile app) and had to conclude;

(1) 'friends' don't work anything like they do on either Facebook or LinkedIn - the ones I use as well;

(2) have no idea what function CC 'friends' serve except maybe as what FB and Twitter could call a 'Follower' and even there I'm not sure their respective usage of this term is equivalent

(3) CC FAQ emphatically states that they do NOT facilitate or support private messaging, which I would assume covers both chats and emails.

(4) There is an option you can set to allow CC members to download your vCard containing your username and email address; however, this is not an option I would ever invoke. Not unless this option was treated as a "request to release" and not a blanket approval. In any case, going back to the CC FAQs, this option may be disabled. If so, my concerns would be moot.

 

Would appreciate somebody with more knowledge of CC than I to clarify the questions implicit in my comments above.

 

Overall, however - and this is directed more at the web version but also the mobile version given that the limitations of one impacts the other - I find the entire structure of the CC forum to be utterly archaic. It has not shed much of the functionally current when CC was created by AOL in 1995, a time when LISTSERV/BitNet was the basis for many many online group sites. Perhaps this is not the forum topic in which to vent my frustrations. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to edit or delete a post? Such as when you realize .... 'oops!' your stinky thumb typing (what I'm doing now and very carefully too) or predictive keyboard on your mobile device has bitten you in the rear ... again? Or you want to get rid of what was written in haste? I can do that on FB. Be nice to have the same here.

 

And I'm done. [emoji6]

[HMforcruise]

They have been sending pics and updates of their trip to Bergen and Iceland . We missed a great time. They just said that they received a deposit of about $5000. About the same as us, NOT FAIR

T/A is following up on Monday

 

The chosen for Bergen group will have arrived home by now. I sincerely hope they had a wonderful time.

 

How can Viking recant on their refund when letter 2 stated 50% in cash and 50% in voucher?

 

But they can make it more fair for those of us who flew home from Tallinn!

I just checked my on line MasterCard and there is still only a posted refund from Viking that looks like my initial deposit, dated aug. 6.

 

I made it clear in "my epistle" to Viking and in my conversation with Valerie, the rep who called that I expect Viking to reassess how fair their treatment/compensation is.

 

I will also try to be patient....grrrrr!

[LHT28]

the only way I know to contact other cc members is to ask for their email here ..not ideal

I have my email in my profile other will put a message system i.d like yahoo, skype or ICQ in their profile settings

 

That is the only options I am aware of

 

Lyn

[LHT28]

I am sure most of you have done this already but just incase

call the insurance company & set up the claim process

get your claim started

Then start gathering all payment documentation

Any tours that you may have prepaid & any refunds... all need documentation

any out of pocket expenses

Then wait to see what Viking gives you

if they make you whole then just cancel the claim if not then you are part way there

 

Gook luck I hope they will reconsider their payment plan for refunds

 

Lyn

[CharTrav]

the only way I know to contact other cc members is to ask for their email here ..not ideal

I have my email in my profile other will put a message system i.d like yahoo, skype or ICQ in their profile settings

 

That is the only options I am aware of

 

Lyn

 

 

Sorry that my "help" was no help at all. What you might do ... Just an idea ... Is set up a TEMPORARY email account with some free service (gmail, yahoo, whatever) for the sole purpose of contacting CC members. Publicize that address here employing the usual tricks to confound search engines out there scraping up emails. Keep it open as long as you need to. And when you're done, cancel it. The intent is to keep your "real" email address safe. Hope this helps. And again sorry for the bum advice I gave before.

[CharTrav]

the only way I know to contact other cc members is to ask for their email here ..not ideal

I have my email in my profile other will put a message system i.d like yahoo, skype or ICQ in their profile settings

 

That is the only options I am aware of

 

Lyn

 

 

And if I were you I'd remove my email address from my profile pronto. Or turn off whatever options control its display in my profile. I'm a fanatic about protecting such things. Alternatively, assuming you follow my idea to do a temporary email address, pit that one in your profile. Unless CC requires that it match the email you gave when you created your account.

[LHT28]

And if I were you I'd remove my email address from my profile pronto. Or turn off whatever options control its display in my profile. I'm a fanatic about protecting such things. Alternatively, assuming you follow my idea to do a temporary email address, pit that one in your profile. Unless CC requires that it match the email you gave when you created your account.

I have had my email on here for yrs without a problem but yes do use Gmail or some other email addy just for CC

[Norman T. Stormsewer]

The chosen for Bergen group will have arrived home by now. I sincerely hope they had a wonderful time.

 

How can Viking recant on their refund when letter 2 stated 50% in cash and 50% in voucher?

 

But they can make it more fair for those of us who flew home from Tallinn!

I just checked my on line MasterCard and there is still only a posted refund from Viking that looks like my initial deposit, dated aug. 6.

 

I made it clear in "my epistle" to Viking and in my conversation with Valerie, the rep who called that I expect Viking to reassess how fair their treatment/compensation is.

 

I will also try to be patient....grrrrr!

 

 

 

Since we had booked the post cruise rail journey to Oslo, we had asked to go to Bergen. Instead, we were kicked off the ship on short notice and flown home from Tallinn via Air Baltic on a small regional jet to Paris. Four of the ten or so couples were not given food or drink because Viking forgot to tell the airline that we were all on Air France flights to the USA. The flight attendant called her HQ, but came back with a negative.

 

They split up a group of four couples who were traveling together. Two were on the flight with us, one went to Bergen and the others flew somewhere else. These people had marked their paperwork requesting to stay together as one women was in a wheelchair and need lots of care. Another couple was told after getting to the airport, on two different days, that they had no tickets! The second day they had no place to go as the ship was shut down. They asked about hotel arrangements, but the Viking people there was clueless. Four Viking reps got us on the bus and to the ticket counter at the airport. That was it; they could not answer any questions for us.

 

Viking "Customer Service" and "Travel Specialist" are the worst that I've ever seen. We have yet to be contacted by a Viking representative regarding reimbursements. I'm not sure if they are all completely inept or just don't care. The right hand does not seem to know what the left hand is doing. When we were told something it was almost always the opposite of what we had just been told!

 

The ship visited slightly more than a third of the scheduled ports; only four out of eleven! We are still waiting to hear from Viking regarding a refund for the cruise and expenses incurred during the trip home. The "50% in cash and 50% in voucher" may be fine for those sent on to Bergen, but I don't believe that it is equitable for those set home from Tallin.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Norman T. Stormsewer

[HMforcruise]

Since we had booked the post cruise rail journey to Oslo, we had asked to go to Bergen. Instead, we were kicked off the ship on short notice and flown home from Tallinn via Air Baltic on a small regional jet to Paris. Four of the ten or so couples were not given food or drink because Viking forgot to tell the airline that we were all on Air France flights to the USA. The flight attendant called her HQ, but came back with a negative.

 

They split up a group of four couples who were traveling together. Two were on the flight with us, one went to Bergen and the others flew somewhere else. These people had marked their paperwork requesting to stay together as one women was in a wheelchair and need lots of care. Another couple was told after getting to the airport, on two different days, that they had no tickets! The second day they had no place to go as the ship was shut down. They asked about hotel arrangements, but the Viking people there was clueless. Four Viking reps got us on the bus and to the ticket counter at the airport. That was it; they could not answer any questions for us.

 

Viking "Customer Service" and "Travel Specialist" are the worst that I've ever seen. We have yet to be contacted by a Viking representative regarding reimbursements. I'm not sure if they are all completely inept or just don't care. The right hand does not seem to know what the left hand is doing. When we were told something it was almost always the opposite of what we had just been told!

 

The ship visited slightly more than a third of the scheduled ports; only four out of eleven! We are still waiting to hear from Viking regarding a refund for the cruise and expenses incurred during the trip home. The "50% in cash and 50% in voucher" may be fine for those sent on to Bergen, but I don't believe that it is equitable for those set home from Tallin.

 

Absolutely, heartless!

 

I had news from someone on the Aug. 8 sailing that declined Viking's cancelation and no penalty offer, and they commented how Vikings staff were numerous and helpful with the Bergen landing, getting them quickly to their hotel.