No transfer if arriving early?

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, SoBaycruiser said:

I was referring to why I wouldn’t lie to Viking about which day I was flying in so I could get their transportation.  Of course, every traveler deals with flight cancellations.  

Thanks for the clarification. 

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, SoBaycruiser said:

I am being forced to pay for a private car from LHR to Tilbury.  This is our first Viking cruise.  We are flying into London from California.  Because of all the recent airline interruptions we decided to fly in one day early and stay at an airport hotel and then return to the terminal the next day for the transfer.  We were not allowed to do this.  Some suggested we lie and say we were flying in the same day but we weren’t comfortable with that.  At our age we aren’t up to lugging our luggage on the train.  So we HAD to hire a car service.  I can’t believe that when an embarkation is so far from the airport, they don’t provide some transport.  I am sure some of the buses meeting arrivals on the day of departure have some space for people staying at adjacent hotels.

 

Sorry, but I don't agree that you are being forced to hire a private car from LHR to Tilbury, as other options are available.

 

Arriving early a day or two early is a highly recommended risk mitigation, but as with all risk mitigations, it may result in other consequences. In addition to public transport, which is readily available in London, you could have booked the pre-cruise extension with Viking, which does include transfers.

 

Travelling with bags on public transport can also be avoided by contracting with Airportr, to pick up your bags at LHR and ship them to your hotel. We have used this service, finding the cost of shipping bags and taking the tube, was less than getting a car hire to a London city hotel.

 

Personally, we would either stay at the Sofitel T5 and book an executive car to Tilbury the next day, or ship our bags to a hotel at Tower Hill, taking the tube to the hotel, then next day book an executive car. If we elect to arrive early, then the responsibility is ours to reach the cruise terminal.

 

Nobody would be forcing us to arrive early, or to hire a car. it would be personal choice.

[Pushka]

6 hours ago, SoBaycruiser said:

I am being forced to pay for a private car from LHR to Tilbury.  This is our first Viking cruise.  We are flying into London from California.  Because of all the recent airline interruptions we decided to fly in one day early and stay at an airport hotel and then return to the terminal the next day for the transfer.  We were not allowed to do this.  Some suggested we lie and say we were flying in the same day but we weren’t comfortable with that.  At our age we aren’t up to lugging our luggage on the train.  So we HAD to hire a car service.  I can’t believe that when an embarkation is so far from the airport, they don’t provide some transport.  I am sure some of the buses meeting arrivals on the day of departure have some space for people staying at adjacent hotels.

I don't see why this plan of staying at a nearby airport hotel is any problem. All Viking wants is to know that on a specific day, people on their cruise booking are able to be collected at the same airport at a time when flights are arriving. Makes no difference to them how you arrive there, whether by plane, train automobile or even walking. 

[Pushka]

6 hours ago, longterm said:

I doubt you could get away with that, because Viking probably has access to passenger manifests so that I knows what flights to monitor for arriving passengers. 

There is no way Viking can access manifests of people who book flights privately. That is a significant breach of security. 

[longterm]

36 minutes ago, Pushka said:

There is no way Viking can access manifests of people who book flights privately. That is a significant breach of security. 

You're right about private flights; however, Viking does have lists of those passengers whose flights they managed. 

 

Regardless, I personally wouldn't choose to lie to Viking in order to slip onto their transfer bus. 

[SoBaycruiser]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Sorry, but I don't agree that you are being forced to hire a private car from LHR to Tilbury, as other options are available.

 

Arriving early a day or two early is a highly recommended risk mitigation, but as with all risk mitigations, it may result in other consequences. In addition to public transport, which is readily available in London, you could have booked the pre-cruise extension with Viking, which does include transfers.

 

Travelling with bags on public transport can also be avoided by contracting with Airportr, to pick up your bags at LHR and ship them to your hotel. We have used this service, finding the cost of shipping bags and taking the tube, was less than getting a car hire to a London city hotel.

 

Personally, we would either stay at the Sofitel T5 and book an executive car to Tilbury the next day, or ship our bags to a hotel at Tower Hill, taking the tube to the hotel, then next day book an executive car. If we elect to arrive early, then the responsibility is ours to reach the cruise terminal.

 

Nobody would be forcing us to arrive early, or to hire a car. it would be personal choice.

Thanks for the information about Airportr.  I hadn’t heard of them.  That sounds like a very useful service.  Those few lost years of travel during COVID have made a difference in how we travel.   We aren’t getting any younger! 😉.   We’ve been to London enough times that we didn’t want to stay in town.  We accept that our decision to arrive early would cost us a night at a hotel.  That certainly was our decision… as well as booking our own flights.  I just think a top line cruise company could allow their passengers to book a ride on one of their transport buses under the condition that if the passengers don’t show up at the assigned time and place, they forfeit their money.  That would protect Viking and yet provide a service to their passengers.

[Jim Avery]

39 minutes ago, longterm said:

You're right about private flights; however, Viking does have lists of those passengers whose flights they managed. 

 

Regardless, I personally wouldn't choose to lie to Viking in order to slip onto their transfer bus. 

Me either.  Haha, I do everything possible to avoid busses....🍺

[OneSixtyToOne]

7 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Me either.  Haha, I do everything possible to avoid busses....🍺

On our last cruise, we were the only arrivals into Athens that late at night so Viking provided a private Mercedes car service.

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, longterm said:

You're right about private flights; however, Viking does have lists of those passengers whose flights they managed. 

 

Regardless, I personally wouldn't choose to lie to Viking in order to slip onto their transfer bus. 

I organize my own travel plans anyway. And I don’t see it as lying. While we do arrive on a plane on the required date for our extension I don’t see any issue of being at the airport on the required date. The cost is already factored in to the cost of the extension. 

[longterm]

22 minutes ago, Pushka said:

I organize my own travel plans anyway. And I don’t see it as lying. While we do arrive on a plane on the required date for our extension I don’t see any issue of being at the airport on the required date. The cost is already factored in to the cost of the extension. 

I think your interpretation is dubious at best; while it's true that a transfer was included in your extension, Viking's policy states that they don't provide transfers if your flight is NOT on the original date of departure (or arrival). While I agree that they already factored in the cost, it's not in their policy, and it's deceptive to find workarounds that involve being dishonest.

 

An equivalent would be to say that, "Because I pay for all-inclusive food on my Viking cruise, I can go to the buffet and squirrel away a meal, and then give it to someone on shore." Yes, it's all-inclusive, and you're within your rights to help yourself as you wish, but it's ethically and morally wrong to take that food and pass it on to someone else who's NOT on the cruise. 

 

While your above argument would posit that Viking has already factored it into the cost of the cruise, it's still just wrong. 

One last example: while it's not technically illegal to cut in when a long line of traffic is waiting on an exit ramp, people do it all the time, and it's irritating and wrong. But it's not illegal.

 

It all comes down to how one chooses to live one's life.

[OneSixtyToOne]

5 minutes ago, longterm said:

.It all comes down to how one chooses to live one's life.

 

As Jay Thomas use to say "Live life like you're on vacation."

[CurlerRob]

4 hours ago, longterm said:

An equivalent would be to say that, "Because I pay for all-inclusive food on my Viking cruise, I can go to the buffet and squirrel away a meal, and then give it to someone on shore." Yes, it's all-inclusive, and you're within your rights to help yourself as you wish, but it's ethically and morally wrong to take that food and pass it on to someone else who's NOT on the cruise. 

 

While your above argument would posit that Viking has already factored it into the cost of the cruise, it's still just wrong. 

 

I disagree, and suggest your analogy is incorrect. You are positing someone taking 2 meals and providing one to an outsider. That's quite different than consuming a larger than normal oneself - it's taking two "products" but only paying for one.

 

That's not the case with Viking transfers - one way or another, they are each paid for (extensions, Viking Air or arrival day purchase) - there's no freebies involved.

 

BTW, I have never used one of their transfers, but other lines are happy to have pax buy a separate transfer IF the line already has transfer capability in place. IMHO, Viking's policy in this area is a needless irritant to pax who want to mitigate their arrival risk. 🍺🥌

[Pushka]

6 hours ago, longterm said:

An equivalent would be to say that, "Because I pay for all-inclusive food on my Viking cruise, I can go to the buffet and squirrel away a meal, and then give it to someone on shore." Yes, it's all-inclusive, and you're within your rights to help yourself as you wish, but it's ethically and morally wrong to take that food and pass it on to someone else who's NOT on the cruise. 

That is so far from being an equivalent situation I can't fathom how you'd use that as an example. 

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

 

 

BTW, I have never used one of their transfers, but other lines are happy to have pax buy a separate transfer IF the line already has transfer capability in place. IMHO, Viking's policy in this area is a needless irritant to pax who want to mitigate their arrival risk. 🍺🥌

And I'm not even suggesting that it's ok for people to arrive a day early and expect to be collected on that early day but simply show up to the airport by whatever means, on the day you would arrive in, to start the extension. I have no idea why people consider this in any way unethical. It does not impact in any way on anyone nor Viking. 🤷‍♀️

[LindaS272]

Right. It’s just their “policy,” unfortunately.

[Pushka]

49 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Right. It’s just their “policy,” unfortunately.

Well, I haven't been asked for flight details for my collection at the airport just an expected arrival time. I am flying in on the right day anyway but I don't see the issue.  Viking did not book my flights.  The Policy is only there to ensure that people understand they won't be collected on any day other than the day the extension starts. 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Pushka

[Nippy Sweetie]

I have another worry re transfers: our flights were booked by Viking and transfers included. So far so good. However, on looking at our docs I saw the chilling sentence 'If a Viking representative does not meet you just make your own way from Heathrow to Tilbury and present the travel receipt to Guest Services on arrival for reimbursement.'!! We would have no idea how to find out own way to Tilbury. In practice has this ever happened to anyone before?

[longterm]

7 hours ago, Pushka said:

That is so far from being an equivalent situation I can't fathom how you'd use that as an example. 

So, if you don't get caught breaking rules, it's okay then. OK, I get it.

 

By the same token: it's against the rules to smoke foul nasty cigars in the staterooms, but if YOU decide to smoke in the stateroom, and you air it out afterwards, that makes it okay. Doesn't cost Viking anything though--does that make it okay?

 

Sheesh.

 

[LindaS272]

7 hours ago, Pushka said:

Well, I haven't been asked for flight details for my collection at the airport just an expected arrival time. I am flying in on the right day anyway but I don't see the issue.  Viking did not book my flights.  The Policy is only there to ensure that people understand they won't be collected on any day other than the day the extension starts. 

Not sure what you’re trying to get at. Maybe you’re thinking that pax may just try to meet up with Viking transport without filling out the  form and paying first? Just showing up at the airport and looking for them? I wouldn’t bother risking it, personally. Despite a letter from Viking to us saying we could just call customer service and arrange transport if making our own flight arrangements, because we are not flying in on the day of embarkation to Venice, a supervisor said we could not go back to the airport and be transported with other pax to Chioggia. 

[longterm]

6 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Not sure what you’re trying to get at. 

Well, I'm not sure why I'm wasting my time with this either. I do agree that Viking *should* allow pax to join a transfer bus if they're going onto the same ship--but they don't, and it's *their* rule. I'm sure they have their reason for it, and that's enough for me. Perhaps it's because it would open them up to people getting pissed because their flight was 15 minutes later, and they didn't get on the bus, and then it'd be like herding cats.

 

At any rate, my last word on this rather boring subject.

 

[LindaS272]

😻😻😻

I have three.

[OneSixtyToOne]

4 hours ago, longterm said:

and then it'd be like herding cats.

 

The "herding cats" theory is my first thought. Companies have policies for good reasons, typically because of a prior incident.

 

My second thought is it's a money loser and only exists for the benefit of those booking Viking Air. One of the reasons their air cost is at a premium over what you can book yourself is it includes the cost of the ground transportation. While people mention just getting on a bus that has other passengers, this is not always the case. Last cruise we arrive late and were the only passengers so we had a private car service. That 1 hour ride to our hotel probably cost way more than $41US and when we arrived, our tour director said they were waiting on one more couple arriving even later. Take a look at Venice. It's now a big problem, no real easy way to get to the new docking location. Now multiply that by all the airports Viking serves and the potential number of arriving flights. Sounds like a logistical nightmare.

 

Third, we don't know the legal and insurance implications of all this. What if you are in an accident and their carrier finds out that a passenger lied and violated Viking's policy? What agreements does Viking have in place with the local tour company that greet you (they are not Viking employees, but contractors). Are there local laws that come into play? (cab drivers protecting their business?)

 

Nothing is ever as simple as it sounds. Viking has a policy in place. Deal with it.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[LindaS272]

No excuse for being rude. Come on!

[longterm]

39 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

 

The "herding cats" theory is my first thought. Companies have policies for good reasons, typically because of a prior incident.

 

My second thought is it's a money loser and only exists for the benefit of those booking Viking Air. One of the reasons their air cost is at a premium over what you can book yourself is it includes the cost of the ground transportation. While people mention just getting on a bus that has other passengers, this is not always the case. Last cruise we arrive late and were the only passengers so we had a private car service. That 1 hour ride to our hotel probably cost way more than $41US and when we arrived, our tour director said they were waiting on one more couple arriving even later. Take a look at Venice. It's now a big problem, no real easy way to get to the new docking location. Now multiply that by all the airports Viking serves and the potential number of arriving flights. Sounds like a logistical nightmare.

 

Third, we don't know the legal and insurance implications of all this. What if you are in an accident and their carrier finds out that a passenger lied and violated Viking's policy? What agreements does Viking have in place with the local tour company that greet you (they are not Viking employees, but contractors). Are there local laws that come into play? (cab drivers protecting their business?)

 

Nothing is ever as simple as it sounds. Viking has a policy in place. Deal with it.

 

 

Well said!

[Pushka]

7 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Not sure what you’re trying to get at. Maybe you’re thinking that pax may just try to meet up with Viking transport without filling out the  form and paying first? Just showing up at the airport and looking for them? I wouldn’t bother risking it, personally. Despite a letter from Viking to us saying we could just call customer service and arrange transport if making our own flight arrangements, because we are not flying in on the day of embarkation to Venice, a supervisor said we could not go back to the airport and be transported with other pax to Chioggia. 

Not at all like this. We are flying in on the day the extension trip starts, we have booked our own air, and transport to the Viking Hotel is included so that's what we will do. We will notify Viking and will not have to pay any extra as it's already stated in our booking it's included.
 

However I do not consider it in any way unethical if people have purchased the extension, notify Viking they will be at the arrival airport on the day the extension starts, and will likewise use the included transportation. 
 

Viking are well aware they are not booking my flights. They gave me a price that did not include Air. And the transport for the extension is included and stated on my booking reference. THAT is their policy. So anything to do with Air is moot and irrelevant. 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Pushka