djm20

Okay, the travel agent finally explained what happened between the original quote and the final booking. The original quote was for a Veranda 1 room even though it specified a DV3 category cabin. She doesn't admit that she made a mistake, but says that the price "wasn't changed" on the quote, therefore, the confusion.

When we made the DV3 room change from 5107 to 5026, there was no upcharge - all the DV3 cabins on Deck 5 indeed cost the same. But they are $500 per passenger more than a V1 cabin. We would have been ok with a V1 stateroom had there been one available that was near the lifts, but there was not.

So peace has returned to our planning and booking process. For a 22 day cruise, it's a pretty good deal even at the higher cabin rate. Viking offered a past passenger discount, free air and the travel agent included $1,000 in onboard credit. So, it's all good. We leave Dec 13 from LA and will be onboard for Christmas and New Year's arriving in Miami, Jan 3rd via the Panama Canal and Cuba.

Thanks for the quick responses here which reinforced what our assumptions were. Had there not been a "lack of change" in the figures in the quote, all would have been fine from the getgo.

So to clarify---you were originally in 5106 or 5107? And requesting one of 5024-5025-5026-5027?

I can't say I have looked at every cruise but I have never seen more than one price per category on the Viking website or in their printed materials.

Your travel agent needs to escalate this at Viking and get a more suitable answer because if the pricing on the website does not match what they are quoting your agent---they have a problem.

I would be frustrated too.

We were in 5107 and request a change to 5026. All of these are DV3 category and on the same deck. 5026 is near the lifts. While on a conference call with the TA and Viking, Viking said, Yes, the price is higher because of location.

Maybe this is a policy/pricing change?

I think you may have some miscommunication with your travel agent.

What are the cabin numbers of your original and your new assignment?

D3 cabins are only on deck 5 and are either at front or back of the ship. D2 cabins are mid-ship.

My guess is they moved you from D3 to D2 and that is causing the price difference.

Your travel agent should be able to validate this.

 

Look here, and select deck 5. You can hover over the category under the deck plan and it will highlight the cabins in that category.

 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/ships/viking-star.html

When I go to this site and click on the DV3 cabins, several forward and aft are highlighted as well as 4 towards forward near the lifts. It is these latter 4 that we requested and are being told that they cost more because of where they are.

Both replies here have concluded the same thing we did when we were first informed. But we double and triple-checked and we are requesting a move from one DV3 cabin to another DV3 cabin on the same deck. The only difference is the one we prefer is near the lifts. We are being told there is a $500 premium per passenger for this relocation because of the location of the cabins.

They clearly show on the Viking website as all the same category.

I'm very uneasy about this, because there is nothing in the literature saying that same category cabins are different prices depending on their location.

I called Viking and got that answer - that all categories cost the same. But when we talk to our Agent - and she has a Viking Rep online - we get a different answer.

As I say, we are about to cancel our reservation.

We are in the process of booking a cruise on the Viking Star and have a question about cabin pricing. We selected a Deluxe Veranda 3 category and the travel agent assigned us to a room to the aft of the ship. Because of some mobility issues, we prefer to be near the lifts and requested a DV3 room right near them. Now we are being informed that because of the location of the room, we are being charged a premium. I called Viking for information and they said, No, all DV3 rooms on the same deck cost the same.

We are confused. Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm at the point where I'm about the cancel the reservation as I think it is unfair to charge more for accommodating a disability within the same category of cabin on the same deck.

We have until May 31 to decide. Thanks

We've done two Viking Cruises now: Paris to Normandy and Amsterdam to Budapest (with a 3 day extension in Prague). Both were magnificent. Paris was over Christmas which was enchanting; The trip through Germany to Budapest was delightful and Prague is such a grand destination - we hope we can return some day.

In terms of dealing with adversity, our last cruise with Viking was this past March and was the 'coldest Spring' in Europe in 50 years. In spite of the cold, the crew did their best to warm our spirits and most of the time were successful. They greeted us several times with hot mulled cider and warm hand towels. How kind!

We were also traveling with an older group than we had before and the Program Director reacted by planning regular, leisurely walking tours and private van tours for those with varying levels of mobility challenges. We observed that the passengers really appreciated the kindness of these arrangements as many would not have been able to participate in the shore tours without special accommodation.

The brochure for these cruises clearly states that travelers should be prepared for some challenging walking experiences, yet the crew and Program Director accommodated everyone without making anyone feel bad.

We love everything about Viking: the ships, the restaurant and lounge, the food, wine, and the staff and crew. The Program Directors on both trips we've taken were exceptional.

We will be traveling on Viking next year to Southern France with an extension in Paris. Bon voyage!