Viking fare policy

[rfkeith10]

I am a seasoned cruiser but this is the first time I have tried to book a river cruise. I found a cruise for April 2015 which sounded interesting. The fare was a 2 for 1 promotion through Viking. I thought I had read all of the fine print and decided to book it today. After I received my confirmation, I realized that the final payment was due by the end of this month---not 90 days before the cruise. I need to call Viking and cancel the booking.

 

Has anyone had a similar experience with Viking? If I chose not to take part in their 2 for 1 promotion, do I pay the full fare which is twice the price of what they are advertising?

 

I guess I should have known better....

 

Ray

[Host Jazzbeau]

Viking always has "2 for 1" pricing. [so does Oceania and many other cruise lines. It strikes me as dishonest, but it seems to be accepted in this industry.]

 

Viking also always demands full payment much further in advance than other river cruise lines.

[alexandra cruiser]

book Viking.None of the other river cruise lines demand this,that I KNOW of.

 

Why tie up your money,,for such a LONG time.

 

Also, deal with a TA for next one.Can give you tips and heads up re these OFFERS.

 

Funny, CC still has Viking listed as BEST RIVER CRUISE,which I asked about on previous thread.Oh Well.

 

MANY OTHERS MUST LOVE THEM, since its seems all (or MOST)of threads start with VIKING.NO???:confused:

[notamermaid]

Apart from the fact that it is still not clear to me if Viking can be booked through a local TA (i.e. somewhere close to the Rhine for me :)), since I have learnt about the payment policies I have decided to look for other options than Viking. Sorry, but the European-based lines I have looked at offer better conditions.

 

Historically, those 2 for 1 offers, originate in the "Anglo-American sales and marketing world".

 

I as a German customer have been observing those strategies with a critical eye for years.

 

In Germany it is more traditional to give an early-booking reduction of e.g. 10 % or 100 euros or similar.

 

Ever wondered where a company gets the money to built a record-breaking number of ships from, the banks? Or perhaps do customers finance now, by paying a year in advance, the ships to be launched in 2015:confused:

 

In any case, such marketing is for me like eating "too many sweets", great at the right amount, too much gives you stomach ache. ;)

 

Just my thoughts, just after I have learnt that TUI will also be leaving the German river cruising market. :(

 

notamermaid

[Huffy2k]

Well, I for one, love Viking. The beauty of competition is that if you don't agree with Viking policies, you have many other choices. Viking has earned my trust and my business and until they prove otherwise, they will have me as a repeat customer!

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

Well, I for one, love Viking. The beauty of competition is that if you don't agree with Viking policies, you have many other choices. Viking has earned my trust and my business and until they prove otherwise, they will have me as a repeat customer!

 

I'm sure that Viking offers a good product and that is why they have so many repeat customers. But, the one poster probably has it right. Why go to the bank and pay interest on loans for new ships when your customers are willing to give you interest free loans?

[Mark_T]

Viking also always demands full payment much further in advance than other river cruise lines.

 

Just for clarity, that varies by market, it is not true for Viking in the UK for example.

[TravelBugM]

I acknowledge that other lines' payment policy is different and this also applies to ocean cruises. However, we all pay 100% up front for airline flights.

 

Just a thought.

[Canal archive]

Not that I have used Viking but they do not say or imply 2 for 1 in their UK advertising that I have seen, I must say though if I had to pay up front a year in advance I would not travel with them regardless of their itinerary.

[alexandra cruiser]

I acknowledge that other lines' payment policy is different and this also applies to ocean cruises. However, we all pay 100% up front for airline flights.

 

Just a thought.

 

and since many river cruises must be booked SO FAR AHEAD to get a particular cabin.Your money may be tied up MORE than a yr.ahead.Sorry, NO WAY. Have deposits down now on one for 2015(but don t have to pay in full till 90 days prior.

PS.Have taken 1 Viking and seemed fine.Not luxury,but above average.

And WOULD AGAIN,if itinerary right and they FIXED ABOVE POLICY>but with all those :confused:willing to go along with it,they seem to be doing just fine.Oh well.

[4774Papa]

Viking is the company that got me interested in river cruise, via its brochures. However, when I price the trips/cruises, Viking never comes out the best value, price and days of the tour and what is included.

 

Further, I hate the 2 for 1 pricing. I can still figure out the bottom line, but it takes another step.

 

We prefer Vantage and despite their good pricing they always have quality five star hotels and first rate guides and program managers.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

I would be interesting in knowing if anyone didn't get the 2 for 1 pricing from Viking.

 

I will admit that it was an advertisement from Viking and its 2 for 1 pricing that first got me interested in river cruising. Fortunately, we checked the pricing for other companies and determined that Viking's pricing really wasn't a bargain.

[sippican]

I acknowledge that other lines' payment policy is different and this also applies to ocean cruises. However, we all pay 100% up front for airline flights.

Just a thought.

 

I respect your observation, however tha point being made is that paying up front that far in advance is not the norm in the cruising industry.

And why the 2 for 1 ploy? If you want to pay on schedule similar to other lines, you pay much more, and you can afford to travel on another line! :D

FWIW, I've never paid that much for airfare, and never paid for airfare that far in advance. Certainly, if an airline offered the chance to defer payment until 90 days in advance of flying, they would attract my interest, and possibly my business.

This was a point that helped us to eliminte Viking as a choice very early on in our selection process.

[notamermaid]

Hello,

 

Just for clarity, that varies by market, it is not true for Viking in the UK for example.

 

I suppose Viking goes with the standard of 90 days?

 

notamermaid

[Huffy2k]

When I plan a trip it comes down to one of the following 2 scenarios:

 

1) I have the money ready to go

2) I need to save for the trip

 

In either case Vikings pre pay policy isn't really an objection to me as I'm going to put the trip on my rewards card and get some nice airline miles. If I have the money, I pay off the card and don't pay interest. If I'm saving for the trip I would make my payments to the card as I could. Obviously it's better to avoid the credit card interest but as far as losing interest income on money in our bank account, that's really negligible these days.

 

The other advantage to putting the trip on my card is that I'm automatically covered with trip insurance should I have to cancel the cruise.

[notamermaid]

Hello,

 

Not that I have used Viking but they do not say or imply 2 for 1 in their UK advertising that I have seen, I must say though if I had to pay up front a year in advance I would not travel with them regardless of their itinerary.

 

I have heard that in the UK Viking puts a lot of money into television advertising: when I mentioned river cruising on the Rhine to some English folks (business acquaintances) last year they immediately said something like: "Oh, yes Viking, lots of advertising on telly."

 

Viking Flusskreuzfahrten (now defunct) asked for "30 days at the latest prior to the departure date credited to their bank account", by the way.

 

notamermaid

 

Sorry about the two posts, did not know how to put two quotes into one post.:o

[Canal archive]

You are absolutely right a lot if advertising, TV, papers magazines etc. mind you with the number of ships they have to advertise a lot to fill and pay for them.

[rfkeith10]

I appreicate all of the comments. Viking did refund my deposit but wanted to keep $200 for a cancellation fee. I was aware of the 20% fee and was not surprised when they tried to keep that amount. A little friendly conversation convinced the Agent to refund the full amount.

 

After April 30th, I will be anxious to see what the fare for my trip will be...Perhaps the same as what I was going to pay only with a different expiration date.

 

Ray

[Mark_T]

Hello,

 

I suppose Viking goes with the standard of 90 days?

 

A little less actually, they are currently asking for final payment by 10 weeks before departure, so only 70 days.

 

No mention of an 2 for 1 deals of anything like that, just clear prices with easy to understand discounts on those prices from time to time.

 

No idea why they stick with the outmoded approach they have in the USA, but it isn't like that at all over here.

[jiminyC_fan]

Well, I for one, love Viking. The beauty of competition is that if you don't agree with Viking policies, you have many other choices. Viking has earned my trust and my business and until they prove otherwise, they will have me as a repeat customer!

 

You beat me to it. I was going to say the same thing.

[English Voyager]

Hello,

 

 

 

I suppose Viking goes with the standard of 90 days?

 

notamermaid

 

I am in the UK, and with Tauck river cruises final payment is due no later than 60 days prior to the date of departure.

[Canal archive]

It's 90 days for Scenic in the UK ours is due in the next week (tye knot must remember) Maybe soon the companies will realise that we all talk to each other many miles apart and compare via the wonders of the web. It is difficult though when companies sometimes seem to offer what at first glance is the same product but then your realise the differences with what is offered around the globe. I can understand though when for example a cruise in Europe offered in Australia and North America includes days before and after and that cruise in the UK does not the traveling time is so much greater and jet lag is a piglet.

[Host Jazzbeau]

This and other threads have made me aware that the differences in marketing/packaging and also laws vary greatly between different countries. So I want to encourage posters to indicate where they are from in their profile (nothing to risk privacy disclosures, but at least the country). I always check that part of the post before responding, but many posters give me no clue.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

Whether one likes their policies or not, they are doing something right. I just looked at this board. Eight of the first sixteen posts were Viking topics.

[rfkeith10]

Whether one likes their policies or not, they are doing something right. I just looked at this board. Eight of the first sixteen posts were Viking topics.

 

I did a lot of reading/research before booking with Viking. They appear to be an excellent river cruise provider and that is what prompted me to book with them.

 

As I said in my original post, I am primarily an ocean cruise person and this was my first attempt at booking a river cruise. I read their "terms and conditions" section regarding making payments. It states that final payment was due 90 days prior to sail date and I assumed that was true for the cruise I wanted to book.

 

In all fairness to Viking, I do see where in their promotion description it does state that the trip needed to be payed in full by 4-30-2014. In hindsight, I should have been more attentive to the "big" print rather than the "fine" print.

 

Since the itinerary I was looking for is only provided by Viking, I can't go elsewhere. Totally different experience but I guess I will see Europe via a large cruise ship....

 

Ray