Nan-L

Final payment in June 2013 for a cruise not sailing until October 2014....that's really way before final payment should be due and that doesn't sound like a group policy or a TA error. I've heard others say this about Viking before. I've heard great things about Viking but things like this are bothersome..regardless of the cruise line!

We were told this is Viking's policy, the only line that does this and if it weren't for my sister wanting to go on this cruise so bad I probably wouldn't have booked because of this. This is also the problem the TA and manager of the company were having with Viking. I'm REALLY not sure why we are having to pay in

full a year in advance as we are A GROUP BOOKING...the company said because we were a group booking we didn't have to pay in full till May 2013...but not Viking is saying it was due May 31st..as I said before they are giving us 2 weeks till June 15th to pay in full!!!

Really don't like their policy on this, but they expect full payment within 90 days of booking!

Not sure what their policy is if we have to cancel..do we lose everything?

A lot can happen between now and then.

PS: Going to try to change the tile of this forum, any HELPFUL suggestions??

But despite your warm and fuzzy feelings about Viking (55 posts and 3 pages later), the title still slams Viking and only Viking.

 

Maybe they can put this quote in their adds. :rolleyes:

Lets beat a dead horse!!!

AGAIN~~~ I'd change it if I could, said it before and will say it again~~~!!

you tell me how and I'll do it!!!!

Nan-L,

 

What ever happened with the final payment date? Is it 90 days out or a year out?

90 days:::I posted this above:: but the payment date was really suppose to be May 2013 for the Oct. 2014 cruise.(the TA said it was May, 2014 because of the group cruise, this was not true according to Viking). Viking, gave us another month to pay because of the problems, so it is due before the end of June 2013

The manager at the TA's company set up a meeting with Viking, and then even after Viking contacted the TA later after the 1st meeting with her manager and after I posted on here, we were STILL having problems with the TA!!

The company we booked through is the one that set up the meeting with Viking not the other way around. I think the company that the TA works for was not aware of what was going on till this month when we kept asking to speak to the manager They set up the meeting with Viking and were trying to work something out about the final payment.

Viking called me and told me what was going on with the TA and that a lot of the stuff she was saying was not true. But really it was the manager that fixed the problem with Viking. I'm not bad mouthing Viking it was great that they cared enough to call me and set everything straight. Not sure many cruise lines would do this for their customers.

.

Really? You couldn't think of another title that would have gotten Viking's attention but that didn't appear to blame them for a problem (and threaten them) when you didn't know that it was their fault?

 

As for getting Viking's attention -- their social media person has her email contact address all over these threads.

 

Your TA screwed up. You are lucky Viking fixed it.

COME ON GUYS::::

PLEASE re-read my original post you will see that I had NO idea it wasn't Viking at the time.!!! I was TOLD it was Viking's fault by my TA.

And again when you contact the cruise line they tell you to talk to the TA!!!

As for fixing anything, Viking really didn't fix anything...they were bought into the mess to see what was going on, as the TA was blaming them for everything....it all stayed the same except the finial payment, (which I'm figuring is the TA's fault to begin with). It just took forever for the TA to get it done. Our payments are due by June 28,2013, not May 2014..They gave us a month extra because of the mess the Ta was putting us through..that is the only thing Viking did to change the outcome.

The TA did give us the OBC, is all is good.

You really have to watch yourselves on the forum.

Sometimes you go for the throat on a poster w/o looking at everything 1st. It will make people afraid to post as they will get slammed. I did what I needed to do and at the time what I thought was right. I was going to cancel the cruise because I thought Viking was at fault for the whole mess and again THIS IS WHAT MY TA TOLD ME!!!

To all of you with support and giving me info, thank you, that is really what this forum is about.

N

Id change it if I could. But to be honest I posted it like that to get Vikings attention. As said in the earlier postings if you call them it goes back to the TA. I saw viking would post on cc so tried my luck and it worked.

The person who called from Viking actually gave me her cell# and so names of better TAs in the same company. She said the company was a good one. Just got a bad TA. "

Ok guys, this is the summery of what's been happening.

Viking did respond to my e-mail and they called me today.

It IS my TA!!!!

She was blaming Viking for everything.

It became clear the last few days when she couldn't get our invoices done right. Suppose to have a $250 credit for a group booking, she gave us a $210 credit??? Suppose to have the OBC on each invoice, only mine had it on it....even after a VERY clear message to her that this was a must to do right the first time!!

Wish I could give out more info but will leave it at KAREN..it's not the company just the agent...

It was nice to get a personal call from Viking and have things explained to me,

Thank you Viking

Hoping to hear from Viking on Tuesday. Will let you know

Ok as of today no responce from viking with my e mail.

TA did respond after I sent an e mail to them requesting the obc of $200 be restored to each cabin. She reluctantly gave it to us. She also said that she did not get a free cabin. Buy from the posts before it plainly says group books of 9 persons get a free one.

She also said to have an conferance call with Viking. My sister one of our group had been asking for a conferance call for weeks with no responce.

I'm happy we got the obc. Only thing not the same now is the final payment dates. But I thought that was a mistake from day one.

still waiting to hearback from Viking. Who were quick to respond on the boards.

will let you know what happens on their side

I have contacted Viking via e mail. Waiting for a reply. Really want to get to the bottom of this. We will see what Viking does or if this is just a standerd responce to keep bad posts at bay. Hoping this is not the case and we can work out everything to everyones satisfaction.

Will let you know what happens.

sorry corrected the post is was suppose to $1000 per couple or $500 per person

Donray,

you are miss understanding...we always had a group reservation as soon as the 5 cabins booked.

Each couple put down $1000 so total was $5000. And yes we were told we were to get $200 OBC and a $125 pp discount on the cruise for the group booking.

Which we got..$250 each cabin with 2 persons in it..but no OBC.

We all live in different places and we all were booking one at a time with the understanding we were a group and when the 5 cabins booked we would proceed with the group booking.

The TA didn't screw up, she actually called Viking to confirm the final payment date, as I had said are you SURE, as they usually ask for it right after you book..she called and they confirmed with a group booking we had till the next year in May for final payment.

id est..can you re-attach that as I can't read it too small. or where di you find it?

Thanks

Nancy

What down payment to you make in February? Sounds like you made no down payment and therefore never did have a contract. Sounds like your TA screwed up and now wants to blame Viking.

 

So, what was your down payment in February and what did your invoice state? This booking was under one name is that correct for all 5 cabins?

We paid $1000, so there was a contract, but not for the group. We were told they would put it in a group but to go a head and reserve the cabins as there weren't that many left.

We are a group of 5 couples going on a river cruise with Viking Oct 4th, 2014.

We booked this cruise to hold the cabins in early February of this year and were told we would get a discounted rate and ship board credits as a group. They also told us a a group reservation we wouldn't have final payment till May 2014 (and our TA checked with them, as I read on these boards they want their payment a year in advance and Viking once again confirmed the date)

It is now the end of May, we have been asking where is our group info, prices SBC's etc.. Our TA told us she called Viking, this was back in April and they said they take care of the soonest cruises 1st, so to be patient and they would get to us.

Now it's the end of May and the Manager where our TA works had to set up a meeting with Viking to find out what is going on.

We just heard today!!!

Here is the outcome:

"Dear Ladies

I have new pricing for you, with a $250 discount per cabin. Our accounting department will prepare new invoices for you reflecting this. Please allow 24 hours for receipt.

Final payment date is June 15, 2013. They have advised us on all of our bookings that all final payments must be made by the end of the month that they are booked in. All of our outstanding bookings must be paid in full by May 31, but they gave us an extension until June 15 for the five of you (how generous). I can apply for an extension to Viking on final payment dates, but they will not guarantee that the pricing will not change prior to final payment. This decision was given to us by Mike Weirsema, VP of Sales for Viking.

My boss asked me to advise you that he fought tooth & nail with them as to how can they change final payment dates after the sale has been made & all other cruise lines require final payment no sooner than 120 days prior to sailing. He also said that they are only interested in new bookings, not satisfying their existing customers. He told them that it has been ridiculous how long this has dragged on without being given any information for our customers.

Needless to say, I am no longer selling for Viking. This is a disgusting way to do business and I will not be a part of it.

Please let me know what you would like to do. "

So what would you do?? They didn't say anything about our shipboard credit and we weren't even sure the pricing is the same as when we booked!!! I've cruised many lines and NEVER has so much trouble with a booking!!!

I'll let you know what is happening when we get our new confirmation letters!!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We went to the graves a few years ago. My husband is the one who put the big heart rock and a few smalls one on and next to the grave..glad to see they are still there. We always look for heart rocks where ever we go and collect them, couldn't believe he found that onel

I have B753 on an up coming cruise. My question is does it have 2 loungers, as we spend a lot of time on the balcony napping. All the other afts I've had had 2. Is there room for 2 if it didn't have it on your cruise..we can always ask for them.

Thank you for any info

Nan

I used to stay in the Bahama's when I was young every summer.

My best understanding would be that you will not find anything on either women on the net. If they were locals, they most likely had little money. It was not uncommon for the locals to bury loved ones anywhere. We even found a skull one time on the beach?? Never found out anything about it, but I was young and it was on to better things.

On Grand Bahama Island where I stayed no one had money except the tourists or people brought in to work in the hotels. Most locals had no electricty, running water etc. Many lived in shacks by the beach ( no bugs right by the shore at night). They were very poor, but very happy people.

A lot has changed since they came into their independance back in the late 60's early 70's.