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Beware of Viking Marketing tactics


CruisinSuzee
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We booked an Ocean Cruise on the Viking Sea in March of this year and were told the promotion of 2 for 1 fares and free air fare was good until March 31, 2018. Stupidly, we paid for the cruise. Now, a month later, a new promotion for the same cruise is on, with free Silver Spirit packages and $500 onboard spending included, along with the free airfare, and the usual 2 for 1 price. I called Viking to see if we could get that promotion as well and was told no, they cannot honor the new promotion. I feel penalized for booking early. Of course, the cabins now available are more expensive than the one we booked. I did not expect this from Viking, and am most disappointed. Hope it’s the only disappointment. We usually cruise with Holland America and have not had this happen.

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I believe this is something Viking Ocean has never tried before, at least, I have not seen it while checking the website often over the past two+ years. It is quite surprising, as their discounting is usually more subtle - a promotion with a better air package happens fairly frequently. This one is quite obvious and unquestionably will be aggravating to those who are already booked.

 

I suppose the only positive thought I can give you is that there have been many comments on this board about the difference between the Viking business office and the Viking cruise staff. It is like they work for two different organizations. The business office has been uncompromising and unreasonable on a number of occasions. The cruise itself is gracious. If you can put this behind you, I expect you will have a wonderful time.

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We booked an Ocean Cruise on the Viking Sea in March of this year and were told the promotion of 2 for 1 fares and free air fare was good until March 31, 2018. Stupidly, we paid for the cruise. Now, a month later, a new promotion for the same cruise is on, with free Silver Spirit packages and $500 onboard spending included, along with the free airfare, and the usual 2 for 1 price. I called Viking to see if we could get that promotion as well and was told no, they cannot honor the new promotion. I feel penalized for booking early. Of course, the cabins now available are more expensive than the one we booked. I did not expect this from Viking, and am most disappointed. Hope it’s the only disappointment. We usually cruise with Holland America and have not had this happen.

 

 

 

Similar situation with us. We have a cruise booked in December 2018.

Saw the promotion but was told it was only for cruises booked after 4/12/18. Also was quoted the wrong price for a higher category cabin. Not sure how competent or well trained Viking agents are.

 

 

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We booked an Ocean Cruise on the Viking Sea in March of this year and were told the promotion of 2 for 1 fares and free air fare was good until March 31, 2018. Stupidly, we paid for the cruise. Now, a month later, a new promotion for the same cruise is on, with free Silver Spirit packages and $500 onboard spending included, along with the free airfare, and the usual 2 for 1 price. I called Viking to see if we could get that promotion as well and was told no, they cannot honor the new promotion. I feel penalized for booking early. Of course, the cabins now available are more expensive than the one we booked. I did not expect this from Viking, and am most disappointed. Hope it’s the only disappointment. We usually cruise with Holland America and have not had this happen.

 

 

 

You know this sales tactic is done by all the cruise lines to try to fill their cabins including Holland America/Carnival . The trade off is your cabin placement. You agreed to pay a price and got your cabin of your choice ! Now they need to sell the higher price cabins and now you want the deal too, it doesn’t work that way ! You may talk to customer service and tell them that you are open for an upgrade if available and see if that helps .

 

 

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Edited by Eaches
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We booked an Ocean Cruise on the Viking Sea in March of this year and were told the promotion of 2 for 1 fares and free air fare was good until March 31, 2018. Stupidly, we paid for the cruise. Now, a month later, a new promotion for the same cruise is on, with free Silver Spirit packages and $500 onboard spending included, along with the free airfare, and the usual 2 for 1 price. I called Viking to see if we could get that promotion as well and was told no, they cannot honor the new promotion. I feel penalized for booking early. Of course, the cabins now available are more expensive than the one we booked. I did not expect this from Viking, and am most disappointed. Hope it’s the only disappointment. We usually cruise with Holland America and have not had this happen.

 

Even worse.

Last June on Viking Homelands the Viking representative on board booked us for the Med Odyssey cruise at Price P with a $400 discount for booking on board. Our price with onboard discount was P-$400 per person. The cruise was not yet posted online but the Viking onboard salesman was eager to book us and made a call to Viking corporate in LA who OKed the booking and told him our cruise would be online in a couple days. That was true.

Days later in June our cruise was posted online, it was posted at P-$500 list price. We overpaid for our cruise instead of getting the $400 discount for booking onboard. Appealed to Viking but they would not budge on OUR price.

Viking corporate booking needs better management and less predatory tactics.

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We booked an Ocean Cruise on the Viking Sea in March of this year and were told the promotion of 2 for 1 fares and free air fare was good until March 31, 2018. Stupidly, we paid for the cruise. Now, a month later, a new promotion for the same cruise is on, with free Silver Spirit packages and $500 onboard spending included, along with the free airfare, and the usual 2 for 1 price. I called Viking to see if we could get that promotion as well and was told no, they cannot honor the new promotion. I feel penalized for booking early. Of course, the cabins now available are more expensive than the one we booked. I did not expect this from Viking, and am most disappointed. Hope it’s the only disappointment. We usually cruise with Holland America and have not had this happen.

Sorry, I have to agree with Eaches - We are 4 star on Holland America and HAL has "sales" all the time. They raise the prices of the unsold cabins to cover the perks they offer. I simply pick the cabin I want at a price with which I'm comfortable. Then I stop looking...the ups and downs can drive you crazy! You will love Viking!

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Sorry, I have to agree with Eaches - We are 4 star on Holland America and HAL has "sales" all the time. They raise the prices of the unsold cabins to cover the perks they offer. I simply pick the cabin I want at a price with which I'm comfortable. Then I stop looking...the ups and downs can drive you crazy! You will love Viking!

 

 

 

In our case we were already booked in a PV cabin and were thinking of going to a PS cabin, so we were willing to take a PS remaining in inventory. Not only would they not give us the Silver Spirit promotion but they quoted a price $600 more than the online price. Other lines such as Crystal have always honored promotions for people who made an early reservation so as to not discourage bookings (though their policies are now changing).

We like Viking as well, but management not so much.

 

 

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I just booked two weeks ago and was not happy to see the new bonus offers. They said there would be a penalty to cancel and rebook. The prices have not gone up but they are offering the beverage package and $200 OBCpp on our one week cruise. I'm used to Princess/RC/ Celebrity etc and not having final payment till 70 or so days before the cruise date. I'm used to being able to cancel or take advantage of price drops. I don't understand why final payment is so soon after booking.

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Sorry, I have to agree with Eaches - We are 4 star on Holland America and HAL has "sales" all the time. They raise the prices of the unsold cabins to cover the perks they offer. I simply pick the cabin I want at a price with which I'm comfortable. Then I stop looking...the ups and downs can drive you crazy! You will love Viking!

 

 

 

We do the same. I don’t look anymore after we book.

 

It’s like with most purchases. If you buy a car or refrigerator and they have a sale the next month. Oh well, you missed out.

 

 

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When you book early you have a large choice of cabins and air flights. I have booked early just to make sure I could use my reward miles.Have you ever tried getting your airline fare reduced? This is all part of the value of booking early. I have done last minute bookings and paid 1/4 of what I would had paid earlier (not Viking) and had no choice of cabin or any of the packages that had been included and paid twice as much for air. So do you think everyone that booked early, had the cabin of their dreams, and perfect air connections should have had their fare reduced to what I paid? If Viking was kind enough to give you the new promotion and next month they had free air and gratuities would you expect to get that in addition to the beverage and OBC you just got? There are other threads similar to this and when escalated Viking has given a token OBC on a case by case basis.

I am far from a Viking back office defender but I wouldn't fault them in this case.

 

As far as Crystal, they will only give you the lowest price for a limited time after you book and not all promotions. You also have to make your request through corporate and it is not guaranteed. I was on Crystal earlier this year and this was clearly stated when I was looking at a 2020 cruise.

 

Totally agree with what others have said about not looking at prices once booked, probably better off worrying about the weather because you can't change it either.

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When you book early you have a large choice of cabins and air flights. I have booked early just to make sure I could use my reward miles.Have you ever tried getting your airline fare reduced? This is all part of the value of booking early. I have done last minute bookings and paid 1/4 of what I would had paid earlier (not Viking) and had no choice of cabin or any of the packages that had been included and paid twice as much for air. So do you think everyone that booked early, had the cabin of their dreams, and perfect air connections should have had their fare reduced to what I paid? If Viking was kind enough to give you the new promotion and next month they had free air and gratuities would you expect to get that in addition to the beverage and OBC you just got? There are other threads similar to this and when escalated Viking has given a token OBC on a case by case basis.

I am far from a Viking back office defender but I wouldn't fault them in this case.

 

As far as Crystal, they will only give you the lowest price for a limited time after you book and not all promotions. You also have to make your request through corporate and it is not guaranteed. I was on Crystal earlier this year and this was clearly stated when I was looking at a 2020 cruise.

 

Totally agree with what others have said about not looking at prices once booked, probably better off worrying about the weather because you can't change it either.

 

I perfectly understand your point. My comments on “have you ever tried getting your airline fare reduced”. I actually did and not once. I didn’t get the money but the certificate for the future flight that I use later either for regular economy or an upgrade. So eventually I got reduced price twice - original flight and the flight I booked with the certificate. Just saying...

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I just booked two weeks ago and was not happy to see the new bonus offers. They said there would be a penalty to cancel and rebook. The prices have not gone up but they are offering the beverage package and $200 OBCpp on our one week cruise. I'm used to Princess/RC/ Celebrity etc and not having final payment till 70 or so days before the cruise date. I'm used to being able to cancel or take advantage of price drops. I don't understand why final payment is so soon after booking.

After seeing this thread I checked and found we could cancel, then rebook and get the promo. It cost me $200 to gain the SSBP for 23 days and a $500 OBC. Made me really happy we didn’t book the SSBP when we booked the cruise. Altogether I figured I got a$1416 benefit for $200. We probably wouldn’t have bought the package and would not have drank that much $$$ so the benefits are “sliding”. Maybe I should really try to maximize the opportunity at the bar!

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After seeing this thread I checked and found we could cancel, then rebook and get the promo. It cost me $200 to gain the SSBP for 23 days and a $500 OBC. Made me really happy we didn’t book the SSBP when we booked the cruise. Altogether I figured I got a$1416 benefit for $200. We probably wouldn’t have bought the package and would not have drank that much $$$ so the benefits are “sliding”. Maybe I should really try to maximize the opportunity at the bar!

 

 

 

We always try very hard to lower our unit cost on the beverage package! [emoji6][emoji4]🤪

 

 

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