Homerody

6 hours ago, donaldsc said:

When Hurtigrutin cancelled our cruise, we had the choice of a bank transfer or having them send us a check.  We selected a check refund and got our money back in maybe 2 weeks.

 

DON

So maybe it is cheaper and/or more efficient for accounting purposes for Hurtigruten to issue money refunds rather charge backs to credit card.

In any event, I am starting off with a blank slate and more options for the eventual rescheduling of my coastal booking.

2 hours ago, karen11g said:

 

Does that mean you have the option to choose a refund to your credit card, but it would take longer than 14 days?

No.  The customer service dept did not know when/if  they will be processing refunds to credit cards.

So I could wait for an unkown peroid and see what happens.  Or opt for wire and get refund in "a minimum of 14 days."

I think they give you the 14 day bit to lower expectations on a quick refund.  In my case  it took 3 business days to get wire.

2 hours ago, clo said:

That seems odd. Did you ask why? We had one canceled a year ago and got the refund you described. It took a while for it to happen and I did email their CEO but it did happen. But there's probably no issue with a wire transfer, is there?

Customer service said credit card refunds are not possible and did not now when they would be.  So if I wanted a refund "in a minimum of 14 days" a wire transfer would be the only way.

Booking department was surprised but deffered to customer service.

There is nothing wrong with wires, per se.  Banks charge customer a wire fee and generally use a less favorable foreign exchange rate than credit cards.  With refund amounts in question, the fee and rate differentials are not negligible.

And then there is  giving the company my bank account info.  An unecssary step with credit card refunds since they already have card info.

TLDR version:  Hurtigruten cancelled our booking - totally anticipated - due to pandemic.  This was our 2nd cancellation, and for a host of reasons opted for a refund instead of rescheduling.

Hurtigruten.no said that they could not issue a refund back to original form of payment.  A refund had to be a wire transfer.

Has anyone had a similar situation?

15 hours ago, hallasm said:

 As I see it, Havila will now start sailing with two ships on September 4th.

Start of sailing in 2021 was not a consideration for me in making my Havila booking.

I'd say deteriorating Hurtigruten customer service was an important consideration.  After about 2 months of intermittent and slow communication with them I decided to not rebook my 2 times canceled trip with them. Given that now I have what seems a very comparable and favorable alternative.

9 minutes ago, dwlmg said:

The CDC should be consistent in their requirements for Free Pratique (permission to enter and debark passengers in the US). Cruise ships cannot. Airlines have to prove no positive COVID tests within 3 days of arrival for all aboard. If they are true to their concerns, International air travel to the US should be shut down as well. It is not much of a stretch to consider the Covid variants arrived via air rather than by sea.

As I discussed in another thread, I believe equating airlines and cruise lines is a false equivalence.

I will not repeat the details here but suffice it to say - airlines serve a dual purpose - transport for recreational and commercial/business purposes, including cargo. Cruise lines are predominantly recreational and elective.

Also, a quick check of international entry restrictions will demonstrate that international travel is decimated and practically speaking limited to nationals returning to their countries and travelers willing to undergo quarantine upon entry.  

Of course, there are some countries that are "open" to all travelers but they are the exception, not the rule.

In any event,  we'll all be a lot happier when the pandemic is over and we can just deal with Covid19 as an endemic disease.

I can report Havila is taking reservations. 

36 minutes ago, hallasm said:

Admittedly, Hurtigruten has not had the best customer service.
 It is fine with competition on the route and the Havila ships have a nice design and significantly better layout.

Perhaps I should take Hurtigruten Northbound and Havila Southbound and compare - once sailing resumes for tourists.  Purely for the purposes of consumer research.  😀

11 hours ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

Change your handle to Homarrrrrrrody and you will be given more leeway too.

Hmmm, intriguing.  However, since I have no idea what you are talking about, I'll keep it the same. 🙃  

57 minutes ago, hallasm said:

Sorry - I misunderstood your Port-to-Port reference.
Of course, the Norwegian authorities only allow the necessary transport along the coast.  Same guidelines for Havila if the situation has not changed in July.

It is not possible to compare the two companies' customer service at present - Hurtigruten has seven ships in operation and reduced staff. Havila has been open for bookings from July 6 - only two out of four ships - and these two ships have not even been delivered yet.

 I doubt that Havila has many bookings and therefore not that many inquiries.

While I agree that it is not possible to compare Hurtigruten and the upstart Havila operationally and the ships have not been delivered - the offerings and ships they plan to use - in my opinion - are more refined and elegant than the working ships Hurtigruten is using.

But it is all a bird in hand is worth more than many more on the tree.

As for customer service - I see your point.  And as I've said in another thread  - I am willing to give Hurtigruten some latitude and time for slow response time.  At the same time, however, that reservoir of good will is not limitless.  At some point, Hurtigruten's slow/lack of response will have a negative impact on customers including me.   

On 4/1/2021 at 6:49 PM, hallasm said:

I do not know when you had booked a Hurtigruten port-to-port voyage, but I doubt that it would be possible to travel into Norway at all.

When Havila starts operating is still an open question. It is not only Hurtigruten that has had delayed delivery of ships - Havila initially only gets two of four ships and it is not yet known when it will be possible to book voyages. So far not possible to book on-line.

I do not think anyone yet have been able to  book a Havila voyage.

 

I did not book a port to port.  I booked the 12 coastal journey.  While the ship will be sailing, my booking was canceled as no one can be on board for more that 24 hrs.  And for that matter, as you state, enter Norway.

As for Havila, they may not have ships running yet - but their booking and customer service departments are functional and respond to email inquires in a very speedy fashion. 

On 3/26/2021 at 5:11 PM, CILCIANRQTS said:

 

Seems like we have arbitrary deletions on CC...

I'd agree.  I steer away and refrain from politics on CC and come here for cruise related info and related banter.

Some of my comments about refraining from politics and controversial topics and sticking to cruising on CC have  been deleted on several threads.  Yet, inflammatory posts referring to public figures in unflattering ways and pandemic have been lobbed into threads like hand grenades' by posters that have thousands of posts with seeming impunity.

Oh, and some of my pithy (no lithp intended) observations about human nature have met their demise at the hand of moderators too.

Oh well...  almost reminds me of the arbitrariness of a frequent flier airline mileage site I used to frequent.

49 minutes ago, travelnn said:

It IS very helpful - thank  you

After reading these posts I contacted my TA and she said that is correct; use it before or lose it.

One more reason for me to go back to Oceania and say farewell to Viking

 

Coincidentally,  I've been on the Oceania side of CC learning about all things O because I am considering my first cruise with O.  The ins and outs of O appear to be a bit more involved than Viking, but an in-person cruise comparison between between V and O is a worthy endeavor.  😀

4 hours ago, travelnn said:

Hi - Now I'm totally confused! Would love to get your input.

 

I was checking information about Viking Vouchers and as I understood it, I was shocked to learn that the voucher “expires” if not used before the cruise.

 

We received a 125% voucher for a May 2020 cancelled cruise.

We rebooked for May 2021. We cancelled ahead of Viking’s cancellation for that cruise and had the voucher applied to the same cruise for 2022.    

After applying the voucher from 2020 tot he 2022 cruise, we have more money than the cost of the cruise. Do we lose it??? 

 

Thanks!

First, sorry about the double cancellation.

We are in a similar disappointing situation.

TLDR version:

No you do not lose any remaining FCV balance with one big stipulation.  The balance must be used before the cruise starts.  The balance will not transfer over to your ship board account for use during cruise.  Use it or lose it before cruise starts.

Long version:

Here is what I have been told by Viking Customer service and is consistent with my cruise MVJ details and post #10 in this thread (by @ What Was That?).

There are two distinct entries (for each passenger) in MVJ account details.

1.  Ship Board Credits - this OBC amount may be used before and/or during cruise.  If not used before cruise, it will transfer over (7 days before sailing date) to your ship account to use during the cruise.

2.  Voucher -  this is any remaining balance from FCV.   This has to be used before sailing.  I have been consistently told by my TA and Viking that it must be used on pre sailing expenditures (excursions, alcohol package and pre-paid gratuities) or it will be gone.  It will not be transferred over to ship account to use during cruise.

I think it would be prudent, unless someone at Viking moves  voucher balance to Ship Board Credits, not to risk losing the voucher balance it and plan on spending as stipulated by Viking - before the cruise. YMMV.

Hope this helps.

7 hours ago, PaulMCO said:

L-O-N-G     🙂

I bet you'll never see this in a prospectus:

"Past Ouija board cancellation pronouncements are not indicative of future stock results."   🙂

So our coastal sailing has been canceled - only 24 hour port to port passengers permitted, due to pandemic.

Perfectly understandable.

At this point, I'm not sure about rebooking my twice cancelled booking (not anyone's fault). One of the reasons, is I would like a balcony - all other things being equal.  The Spitsbergen would be an ideal vessel for our cruise. But it is not a frequent vessel during the months we are looking to rebook.

I am really intrigued by Havila.  I know they have not started any sailings,  but the ships look great and their services seem on par with Hurtigruten's. 

I guess is this a case of sticking with Hurtigruten - a known commodity, or take a chance with Havila the Coastal Sailing newbie.

Anyone out there on CC has booked  a future Coastal sailing with Havila?

Some interesting information about Hurtigruten, including their ownership.  

https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/arctic/2021/03/crisis-ridden-hurtigruten-sells-properties-svalbard

13 hours ago, osandomir said:

We all should. Otherwise there’s no reason to post on this boards. Cruise critic isn’t a social media to demonstrate your political preferences... or your cooking skills like some posters believe.

Amen!

6 hours ago, pinotlover said:

One pays the price in effect when they clear waitlist.

 

 

Yes, my TA a couple of weeks ago confirmed same - when I was considering WL.

I started reading this thread because of interest in the intersection of cruising and financial markets.

Interesting discussion about related issues.  One point I'd like to address is the comparison of cruise lines to restaurants, sports stadiums, and yes - airlines, among others.

I think a key practical difference is that one does not spend days in a restaurant, sports arena etc.. it is a few hours, at most.  Cruising is much different.

Think about the publicity (for government and cruise line) should an outbreak happen on board of a ship and the humanitarian crises that results from sovereign nations refusing the ship entry into their ports for fear of (re)spreading the virus.

And on the airlines - the airline industry in the US is a direct employer of many more employees than cruise lines (a point made upthread).  Also, being "stuck" in a metal tube for, say, 16 hours on a flight from ATL to JNB (or now CPT) is not the equivalent of a 7 day or 21 day cruise.  A key difference, I will not be sharing 3 meals a day for a number of days and passing the butter and salt and time and walking the same decks and walking the same walking track with say 690 (or gasp 4000)  other passengers for a number of days.

And I cannot recall an airliner flying around for days trying to find a place to land because of, say, a norovirus out break during a flight, say,  from EWR to SIN (one of the longest flights that was around for a while). 

Another key difference, is that airline flights (domestic and international) serve a dual purpose - ferrying people and cargo.  The latter has been especially lucrative and critical in supply chain of  PPE among other things.  Cruises are not remotely the same in this way.

A quick review of the airline industry shows that their long haul international passenger business has been decimated in large part due to governmental entry restrictions and bans by most countries.

So to say airlines are getting preferential governmental treatment - would not elicit an argument from me.  They have pandemic related obstacles to work through also.  But the equivalence of airline to cruise company is a false one.

Now back to NCLH, is it a better buy than JETS?  Anyone?  Anyone?  Anyone?  (kidding and channeling Ferris Bueller's Economics teacher!)

2 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Haven’t used Cart since October 2020. However, one item some folks miss is that on the Cart purchase page, the amounts column will always show the retail prices for the non-O Life tours until you check the button above for the YWYW price. Important step there!

That said, I always do a 3 way check including my own calculation of which are the most expensive allowable O Life tours; the auto Cart calculation; and a call to O (I’d rather not add my TA to the mix for Cart purchases - “too many cooks spoil the broth” in this case).

 

One other item about the Cart: should you decide to book two same day tours (e.g., AM and PM), the Cart is very conservative on “layover” time between tours and may block picking the two. You can then call O if you still want to do both. I recommend at least two hours between end of one tour and beginning of next tour.

 

Great tips.  Thanks so much.

3 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I can state from very recent experience that the system isn’t working well right now. Even when meeting the requirements for the 25% discount, the system isn’t automatically applying it.

 

This issue has become so widespread that my TA has notified all her Oceania customers to not book tours on line, but to send her the booking they desire to make. She says it’s currently easier to work with her O rep and get it right the first time than to go back in later and straighten out the mess.

 

Those algorithms aren’t currently working well, at least not for the cruisers.

Good to know  Thanks for passing that along.  Much appreciated.

4 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

The new Cart functionality (along with the auto charging of your O-issued SBC for pre-cruise purchases) was introduced about 2 years ago in a major website overhaul. I doubt anything has changed since then other than the more recent addition of front page links to Travel Advisories and the Travelers Assurance Program.

As a backup, you can always call O and review your choices with a phone rep who will also do the electronic math and tell you bottom line price for each way to book (again assuming you’ve chosen enough of the right O Life and non-O Life tours to qualify for YWYW.

BTW, once onboard, should O cancel one of your O Life tour choices, your account will be credited with the base $100 for O life tours if you do not replace it with another O Life tour.

And, if you have YWYW, you should be able to add more tours once onboard abd still get the YWYW 25% discount.

BTW: Any TA added refundable SBC does not appear on your O web account. Once onboard on day one, you’ll find a card or printout for added perks.

One last tip: If, on some Saturday night, you check your account on the O website and your booking appears to be “gone,” don’t freak out. O does occasional website maintenance on Saturday nights and the accounts get locked for security, etc.

Thank so much for your assistance and detailed answer.

You are a great resource and O ambassador!!!

1 minute ago, LHT28 said:

Yes  they  were allowing you to use OBC to prebook excursions

It was a fairly new before Covid

Thanks!  

25 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I would read some of the posts on taking the SBC as your O Life perk

You need to do the math to see if you are paying the Non refundable  credit from your pocket or if it truly is  a perk 

you need to do the math

 

True, I need to and will do the math.

My question about using O Life  SBC was related to earlier quoted comment about using SBC pre sailing.

It is not a question if SBC is better than excursion allowance.