Allowed OBC from Travel Agents

[stretchcruz]

I use the same agency as Clay and CCWINELOVER. Have booked well over 25 cruises with them and always received the best price and OBC. I'm frugal so I am very appreciative of it.

[Woofbite]

I can only assume those who insist on paying TA's full price with no discount or OBC also pay full published rates for hotel rooms, rental cars, brochure prices for cruises and sticker prices for new car purchases.  After all, even large companies are nothing but collections of individual people  trying to eke out a living for their families.

[-Lew-]

I recently booked three cruises as a B2B2B.  For the three cruises of 22, 22, and 14 days, I expected an OCB for each cruise of $1,000, $1,000, and $600...a total of $2,600.

 

Viking combined the three cruises into one booking of 58 days with a single booking number which resulted in one OBC in the amount of $1,000.  On the surface I see no positives to combining the cruises and one negative effect it has on the maximum OBC available.

 

Am I missing something?  Is combining B2B cruises mandatory? Before I speak with my TA or Viking I would appreciate the thoughts of experienced Viking cruisers...thanks.

[deec]

sounds like a great cruise...what did you put together?

[-Lew-]

45 minutes ago, deec said:

sounds like a great cruise...what did you put together?

 

Yes, we're very happy Viking is offering a TA back to Fort Lauderdale in 2023.

• October 6, 2023 / Adriatic & Mediterranean Sojourn / Rome → Istanbul
• October 27, 2023 / Iconic Mediterranean Treasures / Istanbul → Barcelona
• November 17, 2023 / Atlantic Ocean Passage / Barcelona → Fort Lauderdale

Any thoughts on my OBC issue?

 

[Heidi13]

27 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

 

Yes, we're very happy Viking is offering a TA back to Fort Lauderdale in 2023.

• October 6, 2023 / Adriatic & Mediterranean Sojourn / Rome → Istanbul
• October 27, 2023 / Iconic Mediterranean Treasures / Istanbul → Barcelona
• November 17, 2023 / Atlantic Ocean Passage / Barcelona → Fort Lauderdale

Any thoughts on my OBC issue?

 

 

If all three cruises are combined into the same booking number, yes you only get OBC for 1 cruise.

 

However, you should also received a few benefits:

• You should only have to pay a single deposit, instead of 3 deposits
• You should be able to book shore-ex and alternative restaurants for all three cruises, based on the 1st cruise.

[Jim Avery]

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

 

Yes, we're very happy Viking is offering a TA back to Fort Lauderdale in 2023.

• October 6, 2023 / Adriatic & Mediterranean Sojourn / Rome → Istanbul
• October 27, 2023 / Iconic Mediterranean Treasures / Istanbul → Barcelona
• November 17, 2023 / Atlantic Ocean Passage / Barcelona → Fort Lauderdale

Any thoughts on my OBC issue?

 

That's a great trip you have put together.  You will need the transatlantic sea days by the time you get them.

[-Lew-]

17 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

If all three cruises are combined into the same booking number, yes you only get OBC for 1 cruise.

 

However, you should also received a few benefits:

• You should only have to pay a single deposit, instead of 3 deposits
• You should be able to book shore-ex and alternative restaurants for all three cruises, based on the 1st cruise.

 

True regarding the benefits you listed.  However,  with a voucher equal to 45% of the new booking, Viking still required a deposit for 20% of the unpaid balance.

 

The ability to book shore-ex is a benefit, but not sure it's worth $1,600 in lost OBC.

[-Lew-]

17 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

That's a great trip you have put together.  You will need the transatlantic sea days by the time you get them.

 

Those wonderful sea days on the crossing will be more than welcome.  Enjoying multiple sea days after the initial port-intensive segments is why we prefer westbound TAs.

 

There are a few duplicate ports of call and overnights where we can stay onboard to recharge our batteries along the way.

[deec]

I will be interested to see if they do let you book as 3 separate cruises. the OBC is from your TA not Viking, correct?

[-Lew-]

16 minutes ago, deec said:

I will be interested to see if they do let you book as 3 separate cruises. the OBC is from your TA not Viking, correct?

 

You're correct. My TA always gives me the maximum OBC allowed.  I don't know whether she has any control over the combining of cruises.  I'll ask, but don't intend to push the point.

[MikeyB]

Lew,

It's just my worthless opinion, but unless Viking marketed these three cruises as one, you have 3 distinct cruises.

There is no benefit for you booking it as one.  Without even considering the OBC, how does this scenario sound to you-

If you already booked the cruise you have received Viking's generous offer of canceling much closer to the actual sail date.  What happens if we still must deal with Covid and you get sick, or if perhaps there is some other need to cancel one these cruises at the beginning or end?  Perhaps your travel insurance won't cover it.

I booked two cruises with a 4 day gap in between.  It also has  different cities where I embarked/disembarked.  My Viking agent wanted to call it one cruise.

Bottom line- It's booked as two separate cruises.

Just my opinion.

[-Lew-]

1 hour ago, MikeyB said:

Lew,

It's just my worthless opinion, but unless Viking marketed these three cruises as one, you have 3 distinct cruises.

There is no benefit for you booking it as one.  Without even considering the OBC, how does this scenario sound to you-

 

The cruises are marketed separately.  I didn't become aware they had been combined until after I gave my TA the go ahead and paid the additional deposit.

 

If I were to cancel now and reebok the three cruises separately, Viking would issue a voucher and I'd be required to pay another deposit equal to 20% of the unpaid balance.

 

I may just chalk this up to a learning experience and remember this the next time I book a B2B with Viking.

[kent9xxx1]

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

 

The cruises are marketed separately.  I didn't become aware they had been combined until after I gave my TA the go ahead and paid the additional deposit.

 

If I were to cancel now and reebok the three cruises separately, Viking would issue a voucher and I'd be required to pay another deposit equal to 20% of the unpaid balance.

 

I may just chalk this up to a learning experience and remember this the next time I book a B2B with Viking.

 

Should the TA catch this before you?  

[CCWineLover]

3 hours ago, MikeyB said:

Lew,

It's just my worthless opinion, but unless Viking marketed these three cruises as one, you have 3 distinct cruises.

There is no benefit for you booking it as one.  Without even considering the OBC, how does this scenario sound to you-

If you already booked the cruise you have received Viking's generous offer of canceling much closer to the actual sail date.  What happens if we still must deal with Covid and you get sick, or if perhaps there is some other need to cancel one these cruises at the beginning or end?  Perhaps your travel insurance won't cover it.

I booked two cruises with a 4 day gap in between.  It also has  different cities where I embarked/disembarked.  My Viking agent wanted to call it one cruise.

Bottom line- It's booked as two separate cruises.

Just my opinion.

I agree with you MikeyB.

We wanted to book the separate Trade Routes cruise that follows our Southern Crossing Cruise.  Our agent argued with Viking at length to make it separate cruises, but Viking literally would not budge.  No deal - the alternative was to not ever get to book that Trade Routes cruise.  We even have different rooms and have to change in Barcelona.   PV on the first and DV on the second.  The only advantage we'll get is booking excursions early on the Trade Routes.  AND we lose the OBC as well.  I asked Viking what happens if the S.America cruise is cancelled?  What then? They said they would take care of it - yeah right.   But now I know how to play the game.....

 

So - on our July cruise on board we wanted to add on the Fjords to Shores cruise.  I asked the Cruise Consultant this and he told me to not tell him I had another cruise ahead of that one or else he would be forced to join them together.  So I came back, played the game, and pretended to not know about our other cruise.  He also played the game and booked it as a separate cruise - with the same room so we don't have to change in Bergen.  It is ALL a game!!

[-Lew-]

5 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

We wanted to book the separate Trade Routes cruise that follows our Southern Crossing Cruise.  Our agent argued with Viking at length to make it separate cruises, but Viking literally would not budge.

 

Well I guess that answers my original question.  Makes no sense, but as Michael Debakey once responded to a question of mine...That's the way it bees.

[CCWineLover]

2 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

 

Well I guess that answers my original question.  Makes no sense, but as Michael Debakey once responded to a question of mine...That's the way it bees.

or - like many things in life, it is how you play the game - there usually is a way around any non-sensical procedures.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

I agree with you MikeyB.

We wanted to book the separate Trade Routes cruise that follows our Southern Crossing Cruise.  Our agent argued with Viking at length to make it separate cruises, but Viking literally would not budge.  No deal - the alternative was to not ever get to book that Trade Routes cruise.  We even have different rooms and have to change in Barcelona.   PV on the first and DV on the second.  The only advantage we'll get is booking excursions early on the Trade Routes.  AND we lose the OBC as well.  I asked Viking what happens if the S.America cruise is cancelled?  What then? They said they would take care of it - yeah right.   But now I know how to play the game.....

 

So - on our July cruise on board we wanted to add on the Fjords to Shores cruise.  I asked the Cruise Consultant this and he told me to not tell him I had another cruise ahead of that one or else he would be forced to join them together.  So I came back, played the game, and pretended to not know about our other cruise.  He also played the game and booked it as a separate cruise - with the same room so we don't have to change in Bergen.  It is ALL a game!!

 

We recently had a somewhat similar experience with booking a UK/Scandinavia cruise immediately after the World Cruise. They initially wanted to combine them, which would have required a huge increase in the deposit, which I wasn't prepared to make. We walked away from the 2nd cruise.

 

Our TA kept calling Viking and eventually found one of the agents who would book it as a separate cruise. She eventually got Viking to accept all our requirement, so we did book.

 

So if the first agent won't book them as separate cruises, might be worth calling back and trying different agents.

[philw1776]

OBC question
Does OBC credit appear in MVJ?

Does OBC credit appear on your TV account once you board?
Or does OBC credit come as a refund from Viking to your credit or checking account and if so, when?
Does Ocean handle this differently from River?

2021 answers preferred as so many things have changed.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, philw1776 said:

OBC question
Does OBC credit appear in MVJ?

Does OBC credit appear on your TV account once you board?
Or does OBC credit come as a refund from Viking to your credit or checking account and if so, when?
Does Ocean handle this differently from River?

2021 answers preferred as so many things have changed.

 

We never saw the Travel Agent's OBC in MVJ, however that could be based on when they provided the money to Viking. Once onboard we saw the TA's OBC, which was listed as refundable OBC.

 

Yes, once aboard you see the TA's OBC when checking the telly.

[CCWineLover]

8 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

We never saw the Travel Agent's OBC in MVJ, however that could be based on when they provided the money to Viking. Once onboard we saw the TA's OBC, which was listed as refundable OBC.

 

Yes, once aboard you see the TA's OBC when checking the telly.

Andy, same thing has happened to us on all our cruises, both pre and post COVID.

[Clay Clayton]

22 hours ago, philw1776 said:

OBC question
Does OBC credit appear in MVJ?

Does OBC credit appear on your TV account once you board?
Or does OBC credit come as a refund from Viking to your credit or checking account and if so, when?
Does Ocean handle this differently from River?

2021 answers preferred as so many things have changed.

You are right on things changing! For our Iceland cruise, the OBC (or SBC as Viking prefers to call it) did not appear in MVJ. It was used before we got to the ship so never showed up onboard either. 
 

Unlike previous cruises when it showed up onboard (refundable the previous two cruises-nonrefundable on the first one, unsure about the 2nd one), this time we suddenly had a credit equal to the expected OBS back to the credit card we had used to book excursions. Since Iceland was a short cruise and we took several optional excursions, there was nothing left to show up onboard.  
 

I don’t know what would of happened if we had only used a portion-presumably shown up on our account.  Since this is the first time we have booked optional excursions, perhaps crediting the OBC to the excursions credit card is nothing new….but I don’t think so. I know our TA was surprised when I emailed and asked if they knew what the credit from Viking was for.