Cancelled excursion question

[Breckski]

Got a question about a Viking policy simply out of curiosity.

 

Here's the background.  This week I got an email from Viking stating that an excursion had been moved from one day to the subsequent day due to the excursion operator not being able provide the service on the original date.  The email also stated:  "Your schedule has been automatically adjusted and there is no action required on your end."  Not exactly true as the shifting of the excursion created two timing conflicts with excursions already booked on the second day.  I called Viking, and the rep said I had to cancel the ones on the second day and re-book them on the first day if I wanted to keep those excursions.  One could easily criticize the email stating no action required but I simply write that off to volume and the fact Viking can't adjust schedules on their own.  But I would word the email differently.

 

Here's the question though.  Why doesn't Viking give one the option of applying funds for cancelled excursions to their account - like having a self-funded OBC?  To me this would be simpler than what I ended up having to do which was cancel two excursions (and wait for Viking to refund into my bank account) and rebook (and immediately pay) for the same excursions on a different date.  I really don't think this happens enough for Viking to have this policy for float/interest income.

 

Any thoughts?  I find the current method inefficient and not customer friendly.  Wonder if I'm missing a legitimate reason for the policy.

[CCWineLover]

23 minutes ago, Breckski said:

Got a question about a Viking policy simply out of curiosity.

 

Here's the background.  This week I got an email from Viking stating that an excursion had been moved from one day to the subsequent day due to the excursion operator not being able provide the service on the original date.  The email also stated:  "Your schedule has been automatically adjusted and there is no action required on your end."  Not exactly true as the shifting of the excursion created two timing conflicts with excursions already booked on the second day.  I called Viking, and the rep said I had to cancel the ones on the second day and re-book them on the first day if I wanted to keep those excursions.  One could easily criticize the email stating no action required but I simply write that off to volume and the fact Viking can't adjust schedules on their own.  But I would word the email differently.

 

Here's the question though.  Why doesn't Viking give one the option of applying funds for cancelled excursions to their account - like having a self-funded OBC?  To me this would be simpler than what I ended up having to do which was cancel two excursions (and wait for Viking to refund into my bank account) and rebook (and immediately pay) for the same excursions on a different date.  I really don't think this happens enough for Viking to have this policy for float/interest income.

 

Any thoughts?  I find the current method inefficient and not customer friendly.  Wonder if I'm missing a legitimate reason for the policy.

Had this happen to us just last month.  I never though got into the deep analysis that you have done 🙂

When they shifted excursions day 1 to day 2, that then overlapped with ones I had on day 2 - for us it showed double booked on the new day 2 on the calendar.  I contacted Viking immediately and they said they rebooked us to the new day 2 and even though we already had some excursions that day, we kept everything.  We wanted to give you the opportunity of cancelling or rescheduling any of the 2 you already had on day 2.  I was quite pleased that they would give me that opportunity.  So we just rescheduled/rebooked them to day 1.

[Peregrina651]

I think you have posed one of those 'damned if they do, damned if they don't scenarios.  No matter how they handle it, there will be complaints.  

 

Still, perhaps they should have suggested that folks double-check their schedules for conflicts and that otherwise, no action was necessary.

[CCWineLover]

Just now, Peregrina651 said:

I think you have posed one of those 'damned if they do, damned if they don't scenarios.  No matter how they handle it, there will be complaints.  

 

Still, perhaps they should have suggested that folks double-check their schedules for conflicts and that otherwise, no action was necessary.

Agreed.  In hindsight maybe the "legal" wording should have warned everyone.  But sometimes we travelers have to take some initiative and do our own action.  We live in a world these days where more and more people want everything told to them and don't think for themselves.

 

Maybe I've been a seasoned traveler too long, but so many things just occur to me to ask and delve deeper when something like this occurs.  And then I take the initiative.

 

Sadly, Viking can't think of everything.  At some point we travelers have to accept some responsibility to watch out for ourselves too.  They try, but there are so many things and one-offs that come up.  As I said, I was very happy that for us they took no action and let me decide.  Some may say Viking should have called me and shame on them, but I don't agree.  I was fine with contacting them.

[Breckski]

6 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

I think you have posed one of those 'damned if they do, damned if they don't scenarios.  No matter how they handle it, there will be complaints.  

 

Still, perhaps they should have suggested that folks double-check their schedules for conflicts and that otherwise, no action was necessary.

I'm really not upset and not concerned about the double-booking as I easily identified the issue.

 

But any thoughts as to why they don't let folks apply funds from cancelled excursions to their account?  They already have a system to track credits to your account.  

[CCWineLover]

1 minute ago, Breckski said:

I'm really not upset and not concerned about the double-booking as I easily identified the issue.

 

But any thoughts as to why they don't let folks apply funds from cancelled excursions to their account?  They already have a system to track credits to your account.  

Good question!   I will ask the Excursion Manager in person when I seem him/her in a few weeks.

[formernuke]

Many people like to get there money back to the source they paid with so they are not “stuck” with credit they need to use

[CDNPolar]

11 hours ago, formernuke said:

Many people like to get there money back to the source they paid with so they are not “stuck” with credit they need to use

 

Yeah - I agree with this scenario as you may choose NOT to book anything else...

 

I also have found after many Viking cruises, having refunds, cancelations of things paid for, and vouchers, that the Viking accounting system is very "robotic" and strict.  What we think would be a simple - give us an OBC - is not simple in Viking's accounting process.

 

You seem to always have to wait for a process to happen.

[deec]

WE canceled an optional excursion prior to the departure of our next cruise.  I was told a credit would be issued to the credit card I had used.  Watched the cc for a couple of weeks and no refund so I called and  I was told it would show up within 21 business days of the cancellation.  Never takes that long to charge me but OK.  Last week an envelope appeared in the mail from Viking.  It was a check for the cost of the excursion all the note said was "cc -refund by check".  no notation for WHAT it covered.  Strange but at least I received the refund! 

[CCWineLover]

1 minute ago, deec said:

WE canceled an optional excursion prior to the departure of our next cruise.  I was told a credit would be issued to the credit card I had used.  Watched the cc for a couple of weeks and no refund so I called and  I was told it would show up within 21 business days of the cancellation.  Never takes that long to charge me but OK.  Last week an envelope appeared in the mail from Viking.  It was a check for the cost of the excursion all the note said was "cc -refund by check".  no notation for WHAT it covered.  Strange but at least I received the refund! 

Dee - we had a similar but bizarre one.  We had "bought" an excursion ahead of going on a recent cruise, and it used $300 OBC from our agent, plus the few remaining dollars on Credit Card.

When we cancelled, we got a auto checking deposit back from Viking for $290.10.  (plus a credit card credit for the few dollars).  I was stumped until I realized that they had given us the TA OBC back in checking account discount dollars instead of real dollars.  (290.10 is 96.7% of 300.00)  I spoke with them and they were all confused and admitted their accounting systems are sort of a complicated mess.  It wasn't worth the time and hassle over $8.90  but something to remember.

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, deec said:

WE canceled an optional excursion prior to the departure of our next cruise.  I was told a credit would be issued to the credit card I had used.  Watched the cc for a couple of weeks and no refund so I called and  I was told it would show up within 21 business days of the cancellation.  Never takes that long to charge me but OK.  Last week an envelope appeared in the mail from Viking.  It was a check for the cost of the excursion all the note said was "cc -refund by check".  no notation for WHAT it covered.  Strange but at least I received the refund! 

I also want to cancel an excursion for our trip embarking in two weeks.  Usually, I just wait and do it on the trip, where they credit my on board account and I use it to pay for gratuities at the end.  But this excursion is more expensive than the gratuities.  So I don’t know because we have never had a surplus at the end of a trip.  Do they just credit it to our credit card?  I don’t want to be running around trying to buy things we don’t need.  And our cruise is so port intensive I really don’t have any days for extra spa treatments.  Should I just cancel now, I wonder?  I paid by ACH draft, so I guess the refund would go to my bank?  Any opinions?  I have one more week until MVJ closes.

[deec]

I would probably do it now then it won't get messy about which OBC gets refunded and which does not.  I HAD to cancel because it was early in the cruise and not within the refund window once we  will board.

[Breckski]

On 4/19/2024 at 4:18 PM, formernuke said:

Many people like to get there money back to the source they paid with so they are not “stuck” with credit they need to use

Completely understand that, but why wouldn't Viking give an option?  Just add an option when one finalizes the cancellation.  Like how they provide a payment option.  Wouldn't be difficult to program.

 

I'm simply curious from a business operations viewpoint as it closely relates to my professional experience.  If I were in charge of their business operations, I'd want the funds to stay in my possession as long as possible, especially if the customer so desired.  Some would leave the money in their account and find a way to spend (waste???) the funds while on-board.  And others, like me in this situation, would like the simplicity for re-booking.

[OneSixtyToOne]

6 minutes ago, Breckski said:

Wouldn't be difficult to program.

I was in IT for 40 years. Do you know how many times I’ve heard that? 

Nothing is as simple as it seems, especially if you are dealing with a legacy system. The cost to change it probably outweighs the benefit. How many people really need a choice? Reversing the charge to the original payment source is the simplest solution.
 

Edited April 22 by OneSixtyToOne

[CCWineLover]

2 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I was in IT for 40 years. Do you know how many times I’ve heard that? 

Nothing is as simple as it seems, especially if you are dealing with a legacy system. 
 

Same experience here and same opinion...

Have heard that too many times.

[SantaFe1]

44 minutes ago, deec said:

I would probably do it now then it won't get messy about which OBC gets refunded and which does not.  I HAD to cancel because it was early in the cruise and not within the refund window once we  will board.

I just canceled.  The excursions no longer appear on the calendar, but I have nothing from Viking showing the cancelation or the amount.  I spoke to Viking and they said the only time they send a request is if your bank “ won’t accept a refund request.”  Since this is just a bank transfer, essentially, I just don’t understand this.  We shall see.  

[Breckski]

1 minute ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I was in IT for 40 years. Do you know how many times I’ve heard that? 

Nothing is as simple as it seems, especially if you are dealing with a legacy system. 
 

I've worked with business management long enough to know that the ones who make decisions would say it's easy enough to add an option.  IT pushback, likely.  But from my experience the IT folks who constantly made progress and change sound overly complex were the ones of least benefit to the entity.  It was always a breath of fresh air to hear the IT Director say:  "Sure, not problem, it's simple, we'll take care of that".

 

Really not attacking you, just my experience, and I'm sure you've experienced this as well.  Senior management complaining about uncooperative IT dept, and the IT dept complaining about senior management who do not understand the complexity of their jobs.  Like many things, the truth is likely in the middle🤣