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broker1217
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I have tried searching and cannot find any information regarding upgrades.

How does Viking Ocean handle allocation if the ship is not fully booked?

 

Our cruise in March shows availability in all cabin levels at this time (this was not the case when we booked).

I assume Viking will offer additional incentives, including last-minute and air incentives, to fill the ship.

But if they do not fill the ship----do they offer the opportunity to purchase an upgrade shortly before departure?

 

I am used to navigating airline upgrades (including bidding for first class) and also being offered upgraded accommodation at hotels/resorts. I always research what the typical price is for the next class of service or level of accommodation so that I can make an informed decision. And often we DO upgrade.

 

But for a cruise on Viking Ocean---are purchased upgrades an option if the ship is not at capacity?

Or do they simply let unsold cabins sit empty?

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When we booked with the Viking agent not a TA we were told that we were inline for an upgrade if available. We booked a Deluxe Veranda DV6. We have since, as the Dec. 1st Cruise date nears, been upgraded to Deluxe Veranda DV4. It is possible that being on previous Viking Cruises entered into this. Just very happy that we’re were upgraded.

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  • 2 months later...

Normally we book the least expensive rooms on all our Viking cruises, last month we were on the Viking Star and had a V1 cabin on the 3rd level, I received an email from Viking a week before our departure asking if we would like to be upgraded to a PV1 penthouse veranda on the 6th level, of course we upgraded and it was a very nominal fee for the upgrade. It was well worth having the larger room and the amenities that went with it. But most of the time we just slept in the room and I used the outside deck twice the entire cruise.

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  • 2 years later...
17 hours ago, Aquadesiac said:

Does Viking ever upgrade passengers who book through a TA or only those who deal directly with them? 

Passengers can get upgrades when a booking is made through a TA, directly through a Viking agent or when made with Viking and transferred to a TA.

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We have sailed with Viking Oceans four times. Three Transatlantics and once in China. For our last TA and the China cruise we were offered an upgrade about three weeks prior to the sail date. Also in each of these cases we had booked via a promo which provided for a one category upgrade.  So we had paid the V2 price but were assigned a DV stateroom. All our cruises were booked through a TA so that we could receive their onboard credit. 
 

For the 12 night China cruise we were offered and accepted a $199pp upgrade to a PV.  For the 14 night Transatlantic this past March (2020) we were offered the same upgrade but the price was $299pp.  While we enjoyed the extra space, we didn’t believe it was worth that much to us, so we declined. 
 

Our ship sailed just as Lady Corona was starting to upend the world and a number of people took advantage of Viking’s generous offer to cancel and rebook with no fee so our ship sailed at less than 50% occupancy. Lots of folks upgraded aboard the ship and we discussed doing so with the financial manager.  However, the same upgrade we had turned down was going to be $200 more per person than the offer we received via email Before sailing so we again declined. We asked about an upgrade to a Junior Penthouse and the price for it was crazymore. So we enjoyed our DV stateroom for the 11 days before we turned around and returned to Miami. 


Based on what I could see the Manager calculating, the upgrade price was 50% of the difference between the list price and what we had paid.  Since our original fare had been a “last minute” promo that in addition to the DV for a V price included a $1000 pp discount, the upgrade price was $500pp higher than it was for our fellow rollcallers who took thr upgrade. Of course they had paid more initally.  Anyway, that was an unusual situation due to our promo and the empty ship but I think the 50% of the difference is probably the standard upgrade charge. 
 

of course YMMV!
 

 

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3 hours ago, Cienfuegos said:

Clay Clayton, thanks for walking through the upgrade charge math. It's very helpful.

That was the math for us...I suspect that is how it is calculated but who knows for sure?  Like I said, our original emailed offer was less than what we were offered onboard.   So there is obviously some magic at work too! LOL

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It depends on the cruise.  Our first cruise, I booked and paid for a V2 and we were upgraded to a DV4, no charge.  Next cruise, we had booked a DV2 (all that was available) and was offered a PV1 for $599 pp.  I turned down the offer as this cruise was port intensive and we spent little time on the ship.  The price we were offered the upgrade was the cost differential between the DV2 and PV1 room list price.  Our last cruise, I booked the same DV2 room and was offered an upgrade to PV1 for $199 pp.  This we took as there were more sea days and it was a longer cruise.  
 

I suspect it has a lot to do with when you book and how popular the cruise is.  The first cruise we took was booked about 3 months before it sailed.  The second one 10 months, it was a very popular cruise and was booking quickly.  The last cruise I booked was spur of the moment, and I booked it about 3 months before it sailed.  

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On our last Viking ocean cruise in Dec 2019 - Buenos Aires to Santiago we were upgraded from a V1 to a PV3 gratis!  When we arrived on the ship is when we found out that we were bumped up.  Obviously the couple that was in the PV3 was bumped up as well.  Of course this is great marketing on Viking's part, I don't think I can go back to a regular verandah anymore! 😂

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Spring of '22 we have 50 days on Jupiter.....Santiago,Chile to Bergen, Norway....we are in a V1...........how awesome to be visited by the upgrade fairy for the trip!!!

 

Viking are you listening?

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14 hours ago, deec said:

Spring of '22 we have 50 days on Jupiter.....Santiago,Chile to Bergen, Norway....we are in a V1...........how awesome to be visited by the upgrade fairy for the trip!!!

 

Viking are you listening?

Good Luck...never worked for us!

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