biker1972

It would appear that the contracted, discounted opaque airline tickets that all of the cruise lines use has reared its ugly head again. If you are willing to buy tickets from Priceline then you are a good candidate for getting tickets through the cruise line. Otherwise it is always best to get rid of the middleman and work directly with the airline. The Viking air department may or may not be any different than of the other cruise line air departments, but it seems their commitment to customer care is lacking.

Dates for cruise line specials are often meaningless. They always put something in the fine print that offers can be withdrawn at any time, are capacity controlled and might be extended. And there is always something about list prices not having resulted in actual sales. ;)

When I did this trip I booked Copa Airlines business class from Miami to BA with a stop in Panama City. While Copa business is not the same as business on many airlines it was certainly an improvement on premium coach. Very comfortable seats, lots of room, and good service. Copa is a member of the Star Alliance member. You can currently get a refundable business class ticket for this route for around $1600.

The odds of looking out you window or veranda and seeing only another boat should be far less than 50%. Much depends on the number of days that the boat is in port as opposed to being underway, the number of times that there are few other boats in port at the same time, and the amount of docking space. On a 14 night cruise the odds could well be at 25%. With 2 boats rafted, one half of the cabins would face the the near shore or the other side of the river while the other half face each other. The whole question comes down to how many boats are in a port at the same time and if they have to raft 3 or more deep.

Unfortunately, Norovirus is a fact of life. It is also hard to find a starting point or to stop its spread. People who travel outside their homes are at risk of getting or passing the virus. For a cruise line to actually give compensation would be like a mall giving someone a discount because they said they got the bug at the mall. Perhaps this first time poster was the one who got the virus elsewhere and brought it back to the boat? There is no way to know. We each take care of our own sanitation and when away from home should know that licking our fingers or eating fresh fruits that have not been washed are possible ways to transfer this bug. I would be most worried about what was going on in the kitchen of the Scenic Emerald, which I can't control, than the fact that a sanitizer was not working. Using the sanitizer before sitting down at the table might help, but touching a place that someone else has recently touched after using the sanitizer would mean that I am contaminated again. Best to wash hands regularly and keep them out of mouths no matter where you are, boat or mall.

For how this rumor plays out, all we have to do is watch the parent company. RCL seems to be going toward an absence of traditional dining so I would suspect that X is taking a close look as well.

It does not take much to become an internet TA. Many of these are just trip- bookers (and part-timers, at that) who are unable to help other than offering some kind of a rebate. Find a professional TA and you might not expect OBC because they monitor prices, watch for deals, know good cabins from bad, can help in planning flights, getting good trip insurance and help finding good shore excursions booked with recommended guides. A professional TA is always available and can even be helpful if things go south once the trip starts. With all others, get the OBC! ;)

Thom: yes, I agree, with that kind of travel experience and time, you are ahead by not getting insurance. You are spreading the risk over multiple trips while I spread the risk by joining a large group and paying a fee. :)

I also assume that Viking offered a full refund and I also guess that air was purchased independently. But short details it is hard to know.

Was air booked by Viking or independently? Transfers are generally from the airport to the boat or pre-stay hotel. Were the transfers part of Viking air or purchased along with independent air? If it was independent air was it the cheapest economy fare with many restrictions? Was there cancel for any reason insurance?

To blatantly say that Viking is not taking care of their guests without giving the necessary details is throwing mud. Viking may well be screwing up but how much is in the details.

I will not defend Viking but I am irritated when the full picture is not disclosed.

Careful reading of the Moody's rating for MISA's B1CFR bonds says that it was for an additional $300 million be added to $250 million 8.5 % senior unsecured notes. These notes are creating capital to start a joint venture and build two boats to cruise the Mississippi with Viking holding 25% ownership of the JV. These bonds have nothing to do with operations of Viking River Cruises. Moody's notes that Viking maintains a $515 million cash balance and Viking continues to increase this cash balance. The Moody's rating is for these notes only and not a reflection of Viking's financial stability.

TravelerThom, I work in management for a quick service restaurant company. I was 3 weeks away from an Alaskan cruise and thus in the 100% penalty range. Well over $10,000 had been spent. I fell at work and broke my arm which required surgery. My doctor thought it best not to go. I lost the insurance premium of $618 but got back the other monies in entirety because I had insurance! Perhaps you can afford to lose $10,000, but I could not. This is the reason I purchase insurance. Generally it runs about 6% of the overall cost of a trip. That 6% covers unknown events both before and during my trips. A small price that would take 16 trips with no insurance to recover the $10,000 I would have lost.

Is it our goal here to remake Viking policies and advertising into our image of what they should be? We are not on their board of directors and what they are currently doing seems to be working for them. Is it that you really want to cruise with them but object to their philosophy? I do not like the way Walmart treats their suppliers by forcing them to make products to meet Walmart's costs requirements, but I know that I will not get them to change their business model. I just try not to shop there. Viking is a business that is making money (most likely) and doing things their way. Let's agree to these facts and let it go. There is no moral high ground to stake a claim to since it is just business.

Jazz, you might think of possible default as a pre-existing condition of the cruise line or travel agency. If a company is going under there are certainly people who know this. They may not broadcast this to outsiders and they may "cook" the books so that investors or insurance companies don't know what is going on. This is one of the reasons insurance that covers default is not offered to people using suspect lines or agencies. (See ABC Travel Club) If your can't get default insurance on your line of choice it might be wise to take it off your list. ;)

The insurance either from the cruise line or an outside vendor can be purchased almost up to the day you leave. The 14 day requirement is so that pre-existing conditions will be covered. Generally purchase should take place before final payment to protect against cancellation penalties that kick in around 90 days prior to the start of the trip.

I have personal experience through a broken arm and the required surgery that went with it about 3 weeks prior to an Alaskan cruise. My doctor felt that missing 3 weeks rehabilitation therapy while on the cruise would not be wise. Insurance paid everything, including air, except for the insurance policy cost. :D

An escort certainly changes things! :)

As I said earlier, people love sales. Sears vowed to never have another sale several years ago. :rolleyes: The Saturn automobile company has vanished along with their claim that the sticker price was the price.;) Burger King and McDonalds do have 2 for 1 pricing, however. But if your lunch partner does not want a Big Mac or a Whopper you won't get just one for half the price they list for 2 (and the price for 2 is less than 2 individual sandwiches but more than the price of one).:o

I would be very upset to find out that my boat's security was compromised by allowing outsiders to tour beyond the area designated for passage from a rafted vessel to the shore.

Select dining, no matter in what area allows guest to select a time to arrive for dinner while the MDR has 2 set times. The number of tables for the ship remains about the same so if guests were on the old system of only 2 traditional seatings there there would be enough seats for all. The problem arises because so many people want the same time and are unwilling to adjust their reservation time. Go to a land restaurant and show up at a prime time and you might have to wait for quite some time. By taking reservations and having walk-ups as well as allowing some guests the right to cut line, X creates a problem for themselves. Suite guests wanting to leave their private dining room and use select dining should be required to have a reservation and the number of these should be highly limited. Otherwise suite guests should go to the end of the line.

Honoring reservations for select dining is a related issue. How X handles reservations and the number allowed for each time slot has to be part of the problem. Do they overbook? Also how long should a table be held for guest who is late for the reservation time slot? Walk-ups exacerbate the issue because they are the unknown quantity. Best advice is make a reservation, be on time and be ready to wait.

We had an inside last fall at an incredible price from Memphis to NO. Would I do it again? Yes but it would have to be at a really incredible price and only if it were the only thing left. My concern with the American Queen was service in the JM White dining room and the demand for first seating because second seating is so late.

But is UniWorld just an agent or do they underwrite the insurance that they sell. If a cruise line is in financial difficulties, would an underwriter knowingly let the line sell insurance that included financial default coverage? Would a cruise line that was having problems tell ANYONE that they were about to go under? And would you want to buy insurance from a cruise line that underwrote its own insurance not knowing if they could pay ANY claims brought against that insurance?

Answer those questions before you buy insurance thru any cruise line or tour company!

CarluDawwg's Ma: I agree completely. I also note that it is hard to get an exact price quote from any of the river cruise lines without contacting them directly. All of these companies have business plans as well as advertising campaigns that they have put in place to make money. As consumers we make choices for many different reasons. I try to do my homework and purchase based on this homework. If I find something objectionable I don't purchase nor do I complain. I just go elsewhere.

Likewise from the US Viking website :

PAYMENT POLICY

A deposit for cruise/land of $500 per person is required to secure a confirmed reservation. When more than one cruise is booked, deposit and payment policies apply per cruise. The final balance is due no later than 90 days prior to sailing. All reservations are subject to cancellation if payments are not received by the due date. Air seats are limited; airfares are subject to change and are not guaranteed until full payment of air is received. Upon full payment by the participant(s) of the amount specified as the Full Fare (see Invoice), Viking Cruises agrees to arrange for the provision of the services as described herein and as modified by supplementary materials. Upon either booking the cruise, receipt of your deposit or full payment or upon the issuance of the Passenger Ticket Contract directly or by a travel agent or upon receipt of a confirmation letter or final Invoice from us, both the Passenger and the Carrier will be fully bound by all of the terms and conditions of the Passenger Ticket Contract. Promotions and special offers may have different payment terms – please refer to promotion or special offers.

And not the cancellation conditions:

Cancellation received | Following charges will apply: (Broken out by days before departure)

121 days or more is $100 per person | 120-90 days is 15% of full fare | 89-60 days is 35% of full fare | 59-30 days is 50% of full fare | 29-0 days is 100% of full fare

Full Fare is defined as the full cost of any cruise, land or air component purchased from Viking.

It is worth noting that the US patrons do not have to post a non-refundable deposit of $1500. So perhaps people have their panties in a bunch over special pricing that requires early paymets.

It is interesting to note that many cruise lines monitor various boards here at Cruise Critic. In a recent thread about docking in Amsterdam Viking responded: Dear lattelady,

Please contact us at tellus@vikingcruises.com so that we may put you in touch with a member of our Customer Relations Team to discuss your experience in further detail. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding.

Best,

Viking Cruises

If Viking, like Vantage, said we will give you a 10% discount if you pay a year in advance, would you do it ? If Viking raised their price 10% and said we will give you 10% off if you pay a year in advance, would you even notice that their price was 10% higher this year or would you fixate on the 10% savings? Did Vantage raise their price 10%? You tell me what the "real" price of a cruise is. Marketing is a wonderful thing but there is so much slight of hand in the business world it is really hard to know what is going on. In the U.S. the only way car companies can sell cars if they tell the public that there is a "sale" and a rebate. Cruise lines always seem to talk about 2 for 1 pricing which points out that their "list" price is artificially high and then in the fine print they also say that they might not have made any sales at this "list" price. Who would ever pay the "list" price that a cruise lines offers?