Not feeling the love from Viking

[bouy]

I’m new to Viking and I get different companies do things different BUT I booked my January 2025 ocean cruise in February 2023, I book early so it gives me time to pay it off . I was very surprised when it said final payment was due December 2023 . I even called to see if it was typo 

now I checked during the course of the time to see if the price went down before my final payment nothing . Until January 1st the price dropped by $600, I called and of course since it was past the final payment there was nothing I could do . Considering the cruise was still over a year out they could have offered something like a non refundable cruise credit anything . So needless to say this will probably be my one and only Viking cruise . And warning to others don’t book your cruises to early 

[LindaS272]

I’ve been on CC for over four years and this issue has been discussed ad nauseum on these threads. So my word of warning is to do your due diligence and read the boards before booking a new cruise line. The CC conditions also ask you to check the boards for topics before posting so then you’re informed about what’s already been discussed.

[nini]

Sadly, this is really the ONLY reason that we have not booked on Viking Ocean.

[kctwinmommy]

Exactly like @LindaS272 said. I read several posts here and did quite a bit of researching before booking our first Viking cruise. And while our payment wasn't quite as far in advance, we knew the terms. We booked our April '24 cruise in Jan. '23 and had to pay it by June '23 (so 10 months ahead of time). Either way, we knew what their terms were when we booked it. We booked early so we could pick the cabin and cruise we wanted. Like others have also said, it's a business model that obviously hasn't hampered their bottom line.

[CCWineLover]

When you book the cruise and pay the deposit, you agree that you have read all the terms and conditions and understand what has been printed out for you - which INCLUDES the date of final payment.  It is hard to miss.  This is normal for any travel business or any contractual business for that matter.  Even not withstanding doing some research on forums and threads to discover so much has been written about it.   Lesson learned for you unfortunately the hard way.

If you don't like it, please just cancel now and pay the $100 pp penalty.  You'll be better off than resenting the whole trip and bringing everyone down.

[Peregrina651]

Viking is not a member of CLIA and does not follow its guidelines. When dealing with Viking you have to put aside the idea that Viking is anything like the mainstream companies operating in the US.

 

Final payment is not the same as when cancellation penalties kick in. While final payment may be a year or more out, cancellation penalties on cruises (other than grand voyages, spelled out in the contract) don't kick in until 120 prior to the start of the journey. Prior to 120 days, the cancellation fee is $100pp.

 

• Booking Terms & Conditions
• Passenger Ticket Contract

2 hours ago, bouy said:

Considering the cruise was still over a year out they could have offered something like a non refundable cruise credit anything .

 

What for? They aren't responsible for guests' misconceptions.

 

As for the warning not too book early, my 2024 cruise, brochure price before all discounts (which are no longer available) is up by $1000pp for a DV cabin and is all but sold out while my 2025 cruise is up by $1300pp (DV cabin) and is just a few cabins from sold out. Prices are going up on many sailings right now. Even with a crystal ball, you can't predict where prices are going on which cruises. If  you see something you like at a price you like, book it and forget about second guessing the market.

 

To be fair, it took me a while to figure out how things work with Viking and how to work within their stringent business policies.  However, it took me less than one day on board to know that Viking Ocean was everything I wanted in a cruise ship and that I would be sailing with them as often as I could afford.

 

The good news is that it is still not too late to cancel your cruise and get back all that you paid less the $100pp cancellation fee and whatever you paid for insurance. You still have plenty of time to book on another cruise line for 2025 -- one whose policies and procedures you are familiar with and more comfortable. And if you bought your travel insurance from other than Viking, you might even be able to roll the policy to the new cruise. Why spend the money if you are already determined to be unhappy and dissatisfied?

 

 

Edited January 21 by Peregrina651

[ropomo]

I'm sorry for your experience. But in reality, you face the same issue every day in your life. Do you go back to the grocery store wanting a refund when you bought a gallon of milk last week that's on sale this week or the price went down? Granted, you are referring to paying for a future product, but in reality, it's the same thing. You made a decision to buy it at that price and when it changed later you need to live with the consequences. It could have just as well gone up the same amount or more! Would you be willing to pay the increased price in that case?

[kctwinmommy]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Viking is not a member of CLIA and does not follow its guidelines. When dealing with Viking you have to put aside the idea that Viking is anything like the mainstream companies operating in the US.

 

Final payment is not the same as when cancellation penalties kick in. While final payment may be a year or more out, cancellation penalties on cruises (other than grand voyages, spelled out in the contract) don't kick in until 120 prior to the start of the journey. Prior to 120 days, the cancellation fee is $100pp.

 

• Booking Terms & Conditions
• Passenger Ticket Contract

 

What for? They aren't responsible for guests' misconceptions.

 

As for the warning not too book early, my 2024 cruise, brochure price before all discounts (which are no longer available) is up by $1000pp for a DV cabin and is all but sold out while my 2025 cruise is up by $1300pp (DV cabin) and is just a few cabins from sold out. Prices are going up on many sailings right now. Even with a crystal ball, you can't predict where prices are going on which cruises. If  you see something you like at a price you like, book it and forget about second guessing the market.

 

To be fair, it took me a while to figure out how things work with Viking and how to work within their stringent business policies.  However, it took me less than one day on board to know that Viking Ocean was everything I wanted in a cruise ship and that I would be sailing with them as often as I could afford.

 

The good news is that it is still not too late to cancel your cruise and get back all that you paid less the $100pp cancellation fee and whatever you paid for insurance. You still have plenty of time to book on another cruise line for 2025 -- one whose policies and procedures you are familiar with and more comfortable. And if you bought your travel insurance from other than Viking, you might even be able to roll the policy to the new cruise. Why spend the money if you are already determined to be unhappy and dissatisfied?

 

 

Exactly! Well said!

[bouy]

Well thank you everyone for your opinions and advise ,sorry I scanned the site and didn’t see anything about this type of topic  

And again I did something I typically don’t do is I bought insurance ahead of time so if I cancel or rebook I’ll loose that.So thanks ropomo for putting into perspective for me I  appreciate it 😎 still planning on going and having a great time

[benjaminnicholas]

If you had done your research, you'd have known not to book that early with Viking based on their terms of carriage.

 

Viking is in this to profit, plan and simple.  I can't blame them for getting as much as they can from early adopters and then offering deep discounts when rooms don't fill.

 

Some have reported getting courtesy OBC from them, but I think that's only if you have a good amount of loyalty with them to begin with.

[Peregrina651]

31 minutes ago, benjaminnicholas said:

and then offering deep discounts when rooms don't fill.

 

Your arguments are based on mainstream cruise line behavior and not necessarily facts. Please show us the deep discounts on upcoming cruises.

 

Yes, they may happen but I don't think they exist in numbers worth worrying about. I'm sailing in May on BIE (the only thing I have "then" and "now" price points to compare) and on the few cabins still available on 4 sailings, at today's prices and available discounts, there is not a single DV6 cabin sold today that will beat the price I paid in 2022.  I'm glad I booked when I did.

 

If the argument is loss of interest, banks don't pay much interest, less than a percent where we live or less than $150 for a year on a $15000 cruise fare compared to the $900 I saved and the $1100 price rise since I booked. I'm even happier I booked when I did.

 

[CDNPolar]

5 hours ago, benjaminnicholas said:

If you had done your research, you'd have known not to book that early with Viking based on their terms of carriage.

 

Viking is in this to profit, plan and simple.  I can't blame them for getting as much as they can from early adopters and then offering deep discounts when rooms don't fill.

 

Some have reported getting courtesy OBC from them, but I think that's only if you have a good amount of loyalty with them to begin with.

 

I too would like to see these deep discounts. We booked our last cruise (December 2023) two weeks before sailing.  We paid full price, no discount, and there were cabins empty when we boarded.

[FatBoy20]

Just to rub salt into the wounds Viking final payment in the UK is 3 months from Sailing!

[Hockeyump]

True but we had to pay a 25% deposit when we booked.  

[photopro2]

9 hours ago, bouy said:

still planning on going and having a great time

That is the right attitude to take and I'm very sure that you will have a brilliant time.

We have had glitches and complaints about the pre cruise experience in the past, but once we step onboard, all that melts away. It is on the lovely Viking ships that we "Feel the love from Viking" 😊

We find that the outstanding environment and service for the duration of the cruise more than outweighs any dissatisfaction we may have had with the onshore management and systems. 

[DrKoob]

17 hours ago, bouy said:

I’m new to Viking and I get different companies do things different BUT I booked my January 2025 ocean cruise in February 2023, I book early so it gives me time to pay it off . I was very surprised when it said final payment was due December 2023 . I even called to see if it was typo 

now I checked during the course of the time to see if the price went down before my final payment nothing . Until January 1st the price dropped by $600, I called and of course since it was past the final payment there was nothing I could do . Considering the cruise was still over a year out they could have offered something like a non refundable cruise credit anything . So needless to say this will probably be my one and only Viking cruise . And warning to others don’t book your cruises to early 

Actually there is something you can do but it's risky. Up until 120 days before the cruise you can cancel and rebook. But you then lose your stateroom and if the ship is really full and they are having a sail to fill it up, they may sell it out before you can call back to rebook. As I said, it's risky. 

 

And this has been discussed a bunch on these boards and I will tell you what I tell everyone who asks why Viking requires such an early final payment. The best answer I can give you is that they do this because they can. Their clientele is extremely loyal and their ships almost always sail full. That's one of the premiums you pay to get to sail with them. To me, that says it must be an awesome experience if that many people are willing to pony up their final payment that early. 

 

BTW: If you have another fully paid Viking cruise you can get them to cut your final payment date down to six months before the cruise. That's one of the reasons the long-time loyal customers don't complain that much. We almost always have a fully paid for cruise out there when we book the next one. 

[KBs mum]

5 hours ago, FatBoy20 said:

Just to rub salt into the wounds Viking final payment in the UK is 3 months from Sailing!

We don't have cancel for any reason insurance or refundable deposits. Our deposits are 25% of total to make a booking. 

We can't reserve on a whim and then cancel without penalty, unless travel insurance, which we are advised to have at time of booking, will cover it. 

 

This is fairly normal for any holiday/travel booked in the UK

[nini]

Why are Americans required to pay in full a year ahead? I know... because they can. However, it sure turns off a huge part of the market- I know of many who will not book because of that. If the full payment is across the board, then more Americans would book and then the company could demand higher fares (not so good for all).

 

[CCWineLover]

26 minutes ago, nini said:

Why are Americans required to pay in full a year ahead? I know... because they can. However, it sure turns off a huge part of the market- I know of many who will not book because of that. If the full payment is across the board, then more Americans would book and then the company could demand higher fares (not so good for all).

 

Viking rewards loyalty in a way.  If you have a future trip on the books, you can get final payment 6 months in advance.

Again - you missed the point.  It doesn't apparently turn off much of a market for Viking as their ships are always so popular.  Supply and demand.  They are a business.

In addition, for Americans at least, they've had this incredible $25 deposit, so you can just put a placeholder down.  The key is to have a trip on the books and then book others - that is the reward.

[nini]

24 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Viking rewards loyalty in a way.  If you have a future trip on the books, you can get final payment 6 months in advance.

Again - you missed the point.  It doesn't apparently turn off much of a market for Viking as their ships are always so popular.  Supply and demand.  They are a business.

In addition, for Americans at least, they've had this incredible $25 deposit, so you can just put a placeholder down.  The key is to have a trip on the books and then book others - that is the reward.

 

I did not miss any point.

[kctwinmommy]

Considering they're still expanding, with multiple ships coming to the fleet in the next few years, I'd say their business model is working just fine for them. Like others have been saying, if it really didn't work, they would change things. And @KBs mum that's interesting the way things work for you guys. I didn't realize there would be such a difference. We did the $25 deposit last year. But, not sure how they calculate it, we had to make our payment in June of '23 for our upcoming cruise (so 10 months ahead). Of course, we only booked it 15 months before sailing. So I guess they gave us 6 months to make final payment then.

[Mich3554]

3 hours ago, nini said:

Why are Americans required to pay in full a year ahead? I know... because they can. However, it sure turns off a huge part of the market- I know of many who will not book because of that. If the full payment is across the board, then more Americans would book and then the company could demand higher fares (not so good for all).

 

I have yet to pay anything other than 6 months in advance on any cruise.  Our first cruise, we took a trans Atlantic and booked it 3 months before sailing.  We booked another on board, and since then have not paid any more than 6 months ahead.  

[KBs mum]

2 hours ago, kctwinmommy said:

 @KBs mum that's interesting the way things work for you guys. I didn't realize there would be such a difference. We did the $25 deposit last year. But, not sure how they calculate it, we had to make our payment in June of '23 for our upcoming cruise (so 10 months ahead). Of course, we only booked it 15 months before sailing. So I guess they gave us 6 months to make final payment then.

25 percent of total, not 25 dollars 

[kctwinmommy]

3 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

25 percent of total, not 25 dollars 

Oh yes, I saw that. I was just saying that we did a $25 deposit sail. I didn't realize that you guys had to do 25%, or that it was different even. LOL!

[ropomo]

Viking has had a promotion in the US for a good while now that only requires a $25 deposit pp, not 25%. Allows a great deal of speculation for future cruises if not sure. Worst case scenario, we're out $50