WARNING! Avoid Viking Cruise's because of policy!

2 years ago my wife and I booked a VIKING RIVER CRUISE (Rhine Getaway). we did not take their insurance. (both in great health) 2 weeks before cruise I came down with Leukemia and was expected to die. My wife wanted to stay with me. VIKING COULD CARE LESS! WE DID NOT EXPECT A REFUND, as we didn't take the insurance. We wanted to CHANGE THE DATE OR SEND ANOTHER COUPLE.. Viking told my wife not only will we not let you change the date or passengers, we will also RE-SELL YOUR CABIN! (we paid about $7,000). I would recommend another cruise line, But if you choose Viking- GET INSURANCE somewhere. I know Viking's is quite expensive- try a travel co. insurance. I did not die, and I'm in remission, I promised to warn other people about Viking if I lived, so I am. In my opinion VIKING is a horrible company! I would urge you not to use them, there are a lot of cruise lines to choose from! Kenton Murray

2 years ago my wife and I booked a VIKING RIVER CRUISE (Rhine Getaway). we did not take their insurance. (both in great health) 2 weeks before cruise I came down with Leukemia and was expected to die. My wife wanted to stay with me. VIKING COULD CARE LESS! WE DID NOT EXPECT A REFUND, as we didn't take the insurance. We wanted to CHANGE THE DATE OR SEND ANOTHER COUPLE.. Viking told my wife not only will we not let you change the date or passengers, we will also RE-SELL YOUR CABIN! (we paid about $7,000). I would recommend another cruise line, But if you choose Viking- GET INSURANCE somewhere. I know Viking's is quite expensive- try a travel co. insurance. I did not die, and I'm in remission, I promised to warn other people about Viking if I lived, so I am. In my opinion VIKING is a horrible company! I would urge you not to use them, there are a lot of cruise lines to choose from! Kenton Murray

I’m glad you are doing better. Isn’t that the point of insurance? We all make a decision whether to take the risk or get insurance. If travel co’s waived their policies for every hard luck case, costs would go up for everyone. If you feel comfortable that you can take the loss if the unexpected happens, don’t get insurance. If you can’t, buy the insurance. I happen to have a credit card that includes travel insurance. Viking’s policy (and failure to waive it at your request) is similar to everyone else’s.

Glad to hear you are in remission. But I can’t fault Viking. One buys insurance for the unexpected. My husband and I are young’ish and both in excellent health, and WOULDN’T DREAM of traveling without it.

As stated above, if a company waives its policy, it is penalizing those of us who buy insurance. Not fair at all. We could have spent that $400 on an extra night or two after our cruise...instead we’re flying home.

Sending another couple would not cost Viking or you a cent!

That's why I say go with another company instead of Viking- everyoune can keep their policy and make no exceptions.

I believe this policy is the same for all cruise lines, or at least all that I have sailed. It is clearly spelled out, so I'm not clear why you are surprised now. This is exactly what travel insurance is for. I'm sorry you weren't able to take your cruise, but I have no idea why you are bashing Viking now.

The policy is the same for all cruise lines and also land trips. DW and I had to cancel a Backroads hiking tour of the Italian Lakes last year for an unexpected medical issue – Backroads had clearly warned on their website that there are no refunds for any reason. We had third-party travel insurance, and were reimbursed for every penny. [We didn't get the past-passenger credit, so our next Backroads trip will still be our first according to them, even though they got and kept the full payment – that's also an industry-standard practice, as shown in this thread about Celebrity:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2622265&highlight=points

The poster of that thread has also decided never to cruise that particular line again – even though all cruise lines have the same policy. That attitude will pretty quickly cut down your travel to stay-cations!

Sending another couple would not cost Viking or you a cent!

That is the policy for all of them. Otherwise, people would game the system and buy/sell reservations and it would be harder or more expensive for those that don’t. You took an educated gamble and lost.

That is the policy for all of them. Otherwise, people would game the system and buy/sell reservations and it would be harder or more expensive for those that don’t. You took an educated gamble and lost.

Exactly! StubHub for cruise berths... If the price goes up, hold and sell. If the price goes down, sail or cancel. Cruise line loses either way.

Why, if one has paid in full for an item, can one not do with that item as one wishes?

How does a cruise line lose out if it has been paid in full for a contracted fare?

Why, having been paid in full by the original buyer, can a Cruise Line not charge an admin fee to amend passengers' names?

Viking’s policy is the same as all other cruise lines. You can’t change dates past final payment (as from a cruise line’s perspective that is the same as a cancellation; they have an empty cabin that they may not be able to resell and need to accommodate you again at a later date) and you can’t change names on reservations (as people would start buying cruises solely with the purpose to resell them at a profit when the ship is almost full). This is what travel insurance is for. I’m only 45 years old and never travel without it. You gambled to save a few pennies and lost - no sympathy from me, sorry. The most important thing however is that your health is doing better!

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Why, having been paid in full by the original buyer, can a Cruise Line not charge an admin fee to amend passengers' names?

Because if that was allowed I and many others would start buying certain cruises with the purpose to resell them later when the ship is near full and the price has gone up - to pocket the $$ difference. Allowing name changes would create a whole new resale market for cruises - similar as what has happened in the ticketing industry.

Because if that was allowed I and many others would start buying certain cruises with the purpose to resell them later when the ship is near full and the price has gone up - to pocket the $$ difference. Allowing name changes would create a whole new resale market for cruises - similar as what has happened in the ticketing industry.

Late deals, especially two weeks before departure, tend to be at discounted prices.

In any event, the Cruise Line will have been paid for the contracted fare.

Apparently, it is ok for the Cruise Line to retain full payment for the original contracted fare, and any resale income.

Late deals, especially two weeks before departure, tend to be at discounted prices.

 

In any event, the Cruise Line will have been paid for the contracted fare.

 

Apparently, it is ok for the Cruise Line to retain full payment for the original contracted fare, and any resale income.

At discounted prices versus the year before but almost always still (much) more expensive than when the cruise first opened for bookings.

And yes - it’s OK for cruise lines to retain full payment plus resale income - as it is for airlines, hotel chains, rental car companies and any other non-refundable booking you make anywhere.

Non-refundable means non-refundable---if one knows this going in, then there should be no gnashing of teeth when one loses the no-insurance gamble.

Happy the OP is feeling better, but we always insure our trips, as we can't afford to lose the $$ should something awful happen. I would rather forfeit the cost of the insurance should I have to use it, than forfeit the thousands of $$ spent on the trip.

Non-refundable means non-refundable---if one knows this going in, then there should be no gnashing of teeth when one loses the no-insurance gamble.

 

Happy the OP is feeling better, but we always insure our trips, as we can't afford to lose the $$ should something awful happen. I would rather forfeit the cost of the insurance should I have to use it, than forfeit the thousands of $$ spent on the trip.

The OP states that he was not looking for a refund.

He was looking for flexibility such as nominated replacement passengers.

Something Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will consider subject to an admin fee.

Title and text of the OP post is unfair to Viking as said policies are clearly explained and are the same with the majority of other cruise lines. There are valid criticisms of any cruise line including Viking, but this is not one.

Once upon a time you could change names on an airplane ticket too, but not any more. Substitutions are very rare in the travel industry.

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Title and text of the OP post is unfair to Viking as said policies are clearly explained and are the same with the majority of other cruise lines. There are valid criticisms of any cruise line including Viking, but this is not one.

I agree, but it isn't a guideline violation.

Once upon a time you could change names on an airplane ticket too, but not any more. Substitutions are very rare in the travel industry.

I think that's due to 9/11, and also explains why cruise ships no longer allow guests on board. [For example, to visit a Princess ship you have to sign up for the "Bon Voyage Experience" and complete the same check-in form that a passenger does, complete with passport etc.]

Oddly enough Viking River UK allow passenger changes up to 14 days before departure subject to a £100 fee and at their discretion, i.e. the substitute(s) must be 'acceptable to us', which is presumably to allow them to block obvious reselling of cruises etc.

I'd be interested to know how OP would have behaved if he'd had insurance in place - although it superficially looks like a red herring I wonder whether there's an element of guilt or regret which wouldn't have existed if he had been able to cancel with little or no cost. I've been in a similar situation a couple of times, but being insured on each occasion allowed me to write off the holiday and concentrate on the important stuff, i.e. the medical problem.

I've always thought of myself as a sympathetic person, but perhaps I'm not as sympathetic as I'd like to think.

It seems that lately every travel forum/blog/help me site I read has the same story.

I've booked a vacation and while well aware of travel company policies and urged to take travel insurance I opted not to purchase it. (Read: Not pay for it and save money. Aren't I the smart, frugal one?)

Now, due to some family/work/health/weather/logistics reason I can't take my trip.

And now, to my surprise and consternation, the cruise/travel/airline/hotel/transportation company is not sympathetic to my predicament.

All I want (depending on each passenger's story and ask) is that they return my money, give me a full refund, bend the rules, defray the cost of my lost bags, let me travel at another more convenient time, let me select another passenger, or have the travel company just fill my place with someone else, thus making everyone whole. Really, how hard is it to fill my now empty cabin?

Essentially, all they need to do is to listen to how sad my story is and pretend I had purchased the travel insurance.

How mean can some companies be?

(y)

Well put.

Once upon a time you could change names on an airplane ticket too, but not any more. Substitutions are very rare in the travel industry.

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Last August, my husband and I went on our very first river cruise because just two weeks prior to the sail date, we were asked by friends if we could take their place. One of them was too sick to travel. The cruise was with AMA. We had no trouble changing the names on the reservation which was made through a travel agent. ;)

That's why I say go with another company instead of Viking- everyoune can keep their policy and make no exceptions.

And what other company is that, which will do anything like what you think you are owed?