Financial shenanigans

[Aapreciate]

Hello. We are booked on two upcoming Viking cruises, but I’m having some serious heartburn about taking them given the extremely random pay in full dates that we seem to be getting. I don’t understand why with one cruise we can pay six months before but with another, our daughter has to pay 15 months before the cruise date? How does that make sense? She is paying a single supplement of 100% so is this some kind of discrimination against single women travelers? I read through this forum and people are asking a lot of questions about financial matters not being treated fairly. Do people here recommend actually taking Viking? I’m beginning to have some serious concerns. Thanks in advance and please don’t hate on me.

[sonnycruises]

The single supplement sounds standard however if she didn't book on board the 15 months is unfortunately Viking's  policy. The alternative would have been for you to book her cruise  also to get the 6 month balance due benefit.

[CurlerRob]

11 minutes ago, Aapreciate said:

Hello. We are booked on two upcoming Viking cruises, but I’m having some serious heartburn about taking them given the extremely random pay in full dates that we seem to be getting. I don’t understand why with one cruise we can pay six months before but with another, our daughter has to pay 15 months before the cruise date? How does that make sense? She is paying a single supplement of 100% so is this some kind of discrimination against single women travelers? I read through this forum and people are asking a lot of questions about financial matters not being treated fairly. Do people here recommend actually taking Viking? I’m beginning to have some serious concerns. Thanks in advance and please don’t hate on me.

 

Viking has quite onerous policies regarding PIF dates, compared to most other cruise lines. For a first cruise, your PIF date will likely be 12 - 15 months in advance. If you book another cruise prior to taking the first one, or book when on the cruise, you can usually request and receive a 6 month PIF date.

 

It sounds like you either received a promotional deal for your 6 months, or had the benefit of leveraging your first booking in order to receive your 6 months PIF date on your second cruise. If you daughter was booking her first trip, the 15 months is fairly normal.

 

Note that the early PIF date is not the same as when cancellation penalties kick in - those are much later.

 

They do it because it's advantageous to have the money earlier and because it does not appear to inhibit pax bookings - just business. 🍺🥌

 

 

[Peregrina651]

1 minute ago, CurlerRob said:

Note that the early PIF date is not the same as when cancellation penalties kick in - those are much later.

 

Details can be found on your Viking Guest Statement and https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

[Peregrina651]

33 minutes ago, Aapreciate said:

Do people here recommend actually taking Viking?

 

Performance speaks for itself. Many itineraries (especially those that sail only a couple of times a year) and sail dates fill up closer to when they open for booking than when they actually sail. Most ships sail close to full close -- and without last minute fire sales. My May, 2025 had four cabins available when I looked the other day.

 

Viking is not a member of CLIA, which makes it hard for newbies to get used to some of their financial policies. Viking definitely marches to a different drummer. In the end, the onboard experience wins us over.

Edited January 17 by Peregrina651

[FoggyEthan]

I can confirm that, if you have an existing booking and you make a second booking, they will reduce the PIF to 6 months out. Also sometimes you can negotiate a little on the PIF date, but only within limits.

 

The policy is annoying, but they still seem to be filling up the ships, so that's why they're doing it.

[Harley57]

We booked a February 2024 cruise back in May, 2023.  Our PIF was July 2023. As others have noted, Viking does have a much earlier PIF date than other cruise lines.  I’m not sure I believe all the comments about cruises filling up 1-2 years in advance as it seems there is still a few cabins available for my sailing next month, but I think it’s highly variable and dependent on the itinerary.  
 

It’s not discrimination against solo cruisers as a 100% single supplement is pretty much industry standard.  For future cruises, you can always take a chance and book much closer to the sailing date so you don’t have the $$$ outlay so far in advance of the sailing date, however, you will be limited on cabin selection and likely pay a higher price than those that booked further out.  
 

This is our 2nd cruise on Viking and we love the onboard product, but we’ll see if we take a 3rd cruise with them.  Hope you enjoy your cruise.

[formernuke]

Have even recently seen from some cruise news U-tubers that some lines actually are charging MORE than 100% as a single supplement, as they are trying to make up for the potential lost revenue from what they expect the average second person would spend on board!

[CCWineLover]

14 hours ago, Aapreciate said:

people are asking a lot of questions about financial matters not being treated fairly. Do people here recommend actually taking Viking? I’m beginning to have some serious concerns. 

It's often difficult for newbies to understand Viking's policies on finances.  People above have tried to explain.  It actually is not "random" and sadly, the world, especially travel business is not "fair".

They do indeed outline their policies quite well.  Note that sometimes they do run promos which can entail a movement forward of the final pay date.

 

If you have these concerns, it sounds like Viking is not for you, as you will likely be upset about it throughout your cruise.  Most of us who've traveled with Viking a lot (self included), don't like, but accept the financial policies because for us the product is so good and fits our needs perfectly.  

However, only you can determine if you are willing to accept how they operate versus what you get in return.  If not, then best to move elsewhere.

[Zippeedee]

58 minutes ago, formernuke said:

Have even recently seen from some cruise news U-tubers that some lines actually are charging MORE than 100% as a single supplement, as they are trying to make up for the potential lost revenue from what they expect the average second person would spend on board!

Yes, they are selling out cruises now, but the tide always turns. There was a time when MSC online booking would default to “sold out” when 1 passenger was entered. Some of us haven’t forgotten and take our business where we are wanted. Celebrity has never interested me and now never will. Plus I am so pleased with Viking I’d rather cruise less often than settle for less.

[Selion]

FWIW, the final payment date is not the date the serious penalties start.  Cancellation fee remains at $100 per person until 120 days out on cruises shorter than 35 days.

[Aapreciate]

14 minutes ago, Selion said:

FWIW, the final payment date is not the date the serious penalties start.  Cancellation fee remains at $100 per person until 120 days out on cruises shorter than 35 days.

Yes but are the refunds in cash or future cruise credits?

 

Thanks to everyone for your helpful responses!!

[Selion]

2 minutes ago, Aapreciate said:

Yes but are the refunds in cash or future cruise credits?

Cash.

[WanderingBrit]

The policies aren't random; your daughter's booking has nothing to do with yours.

 

You get to pay at 6 months because you already have a future booking, your daughter does not. The final payment deadline is different for you because you have different circumstances.

[Baron Barracuda]

If she's paying a 100% single supplement are you able to add yourself to reservation as second guest in cabin at no extra cost.?  Then since you have another upcoming sailing the fp date on this one should be eligible for 6 months out.  After fp you can either have yourself removed or become a no show at embarkation

Edited January 17 by Baron Barracuda

[LindaS272]

2 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

If she's paying a 100% single supplement are you able to add yourself to reservation as second guest in cabin at no extra cost.?  Then since you have another upcoming sailing the fp date on this one should be eligible for 6 months out.  After fp you can either have yourself removed or become a no show at embarkation

Fairly certain the OP will not be able to add self to reservation “at no extra cost”—this is Viking, after all. A previous CC poster indicated they would have to pay a “penalty” when their spouse died & they wanted to add a friend instead to the booking. I think even to do it as a single, Viking was going to charge more for the change in circumstance.

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, Baron Barracuda said:

After fp you can either have yourself removed or become a no show at embarkation

 

A no-show at embarkation will not work. We already have reports in this forum where that has been tried. What happened was that the person who showed up was charged a single supplement before they could board the ship, while Viking kept the $$ from the last minute cancellation of the no show. The guest them had to claim against the insurance to try to get the $$.

 

As already pointed out, removing a name from the booking runs into similar problems as Viking considers any change of passenger to be a cancellation.

 

 

 

Edited January 18 by Peregrina651

[lackcreativity]

17 hours ago, FoggyEthan said:

I can confirm that, if you have an existing booking and you make a second booking, they will reduce the PIF to 6 months out. Also sometimes you can negotiate a little on the PIF date, but only within limits.

It is worth taking note that you should request the 6 month PIF when booking that second cruise, as the agents do not always make that offer.  Once the booking is made, changing the payment date is not likely an option.