Refunds- July 25 sailing...Next step

[TERRIER1]

Here is the response from Viking that I finally received. I have posted on Oceania and Azamara regarding this response.

 

Thank you for your email message. We appreciate you taking the time to detail your experience and provide us with feedback on how the events unfolded on your recent Viking Homelands cruise. Your comments have been heard and documented appropriately.

While we are happy to review the out-of-pockets mentioned in your email message, we must politely decline your request for a full refund. When technical challenges prevented Viking Star from continuing past Tallinn, Viking did provide you with an alternate stay in Bergen. Though we regret to hear your hotel stay in Bergen was less-than-ideal, the compensation package including 50% refund and 50% Future Cruise Voucher is firm.

To clarify, the 50% Future Cruise Voucher that has been extended as part of the compensation package is valid toward any river or ocean cruise booked within 12 months. Additionally, the vouchers are combinable with all of our promotional offers – including our Up To Free Air promotion!

Edited August 19, 2015 by TERRIER1

[HMforcruise]

I had a happy e mail from Norled this morning saying my 680NOK would be refunded to my CC in the next 5 days. Surprising since I thought the ticket was non refundable, so I had not even submitted any enquiry or plea. I had made a claim to my MasterCard which carries some trip interruption policy, but I called them to see if they had intervened yet. No.

 

I thought I should post this info, in case anyone else booked that trip on their own for Aug. 5.

 

Good business ethics and a big thank you to Norled in Norway!

[Chico Mima]

We did too. A nice little surprise.

[susiesan]

I also have Travel Guard. What have you heard? Are other insurance companies better? Thanks.

 

I had Travel Guard insurance for a 2008 trip in Thailand. While we were on the trip there was a terrorism bombing, the Bangkok Airport was shut down for a week and we were stuck in Thailand for 6 days. TG helped us make alternate arrGements and said keep receipts for reimbursement when filing the claim upon our return. I did everything I was supposed to and they denied the claim. After weeks of calls to TG I turned it over to my state Attorney General office. They stepped in and I got my money from TG.

 

You will have to fight for your claim. When they turn you down do not accept it. Escalate up until you get satisfaction. I will never get insurance from TG again.

[Vineyard View]

Wow. That is a pretty sad story about Travel Guard. Thanks for sharing.

Don't you just love insurance companies!!?? No matter the industry, money flows easily with most in only one direction!

Edited August 31, 2015 by Vineyard View

[susiesan]

Wow. That is a pretty sad story about Travel Guard. Thanks for sharing.

Don't you just love insurance companies!!?? No matter the industry, money flows easily with most in only one direction!

 

Travel Guard d is the insurance company of choice for the cruise companies. They are owned by AIG, the company that got the massive bailout in 2008 from the taxpayers, another reason I won't buy from them again. I always use insuremytrip.com to select the company to buy from.

[tripadvise]

another go sourse is AAA

[HMforcruise]

We have still not received our 15% added refund yet? Anyone else?

 

We were the "out of Tallinn " group.

[Viking Cruises]

Dear HMforcruise,

 

All refunds for this sailing have been processed. If you still have not received the additional 15%, please contact us at TellUs@vikingcruises.com so that we may investigate further. Thank you.

 

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises

 

We have still not received our 15% added refund yet? Anyone else?

 

We were the "out of Tallinn " group.

[tripadvise]

I received my extra 15 % due to the fact that I did not go on to Bergan. The problem is that Viking has issued 15 % to people that did go on to Bergan and were taken care of for the extra days. When I questioned them they say that we have to suck it up and be happy, even if they made a mistake and issues 15% to people that did not deserve it. I am still going to request extra because of the way they treated me.

[Chico Mima]

We went on to Bergen and did not receive an extra 15%. Do you know that as a fact? We were given a credit back to the credit card on file of 50% of the cabin price within a week of our arrival home. We were satisfied with that. Maybe some wheels are sqeakier than others. But, I agree that those of you that were sent home should have a bigger refund than those of us that went on to Bergen.

[OBX Cruisers]

We were also part of the group that went to Bergen and got our 50% and our excursions refunded. But then, unexpectedly, we got 2 more refunds. The first (August 20) brought us up to 65%. The second of $1,098

was on August 31. All just showed up on our credit card with no explanation. Have no idea why we qualified.

Our friends who were with us also got the same. They did have a problem though because the credit card they had on file with Viking had been canceled (by them). Took a bit to get worked out. Be sure to check all your credit cards. You may be pleasantly surprised too.

[TERRIER1]

We were also part of the group that went to Bergen and got our 50% and our excursions refunded. But then, unexpectedly, we got 2 more refunds. The first (August 20) brought us up to 65%. The second of $1,098

was on August 31. All just showed up on our credit card with no explanation. Have no idea why we qualified.

Our friends who were with us also got the same. They did have a problem though because the credit card they had on file with Viking had been canceled (by them). Took a bit to get worked out. Be sure to check all your credit cards. You may be pleasantly surprised too.

 

I do not understand Viking at all. I just checked and received the additional 15% with no notification. However, we did not receive anything beyond that.

[HMforcruise]

I do not understand Viking at all. I just checked and received the additional 15% with no notification. However, we did not receive anything beyond that.

 

OBX & Terrier1

 

Thank you for sharing the fact that you got the 15% even though you went to Bergen. You are more honourable than Viking! I say enjoy your $.

 

I see that Viking Customer Service asked me to get in touch with them re: my 15% that is some where in this world perhaps, but certainly not in my pocket!

 

I just sent them an email with my saga......or is it maybe becoming an epic?

 

I expect some further compensation, at least for out of pocket expenses that we had due to our "Exit from Tallinn in the middle of the night" on the flights from hell. Passing out 15% to those who went to Bergen is not just a rumour, due to the above honourable people. It is a fact and is making Viking look very unfair and incompetent. This could be more of a PR problem than the " you're invited to dinner...oops, you're not invited" fiasco on the maiden voyage and we sure do not want to go "there" again!

[CharTrav]

So, skirting the issue of mishandling of disbursements, what was the refund model in the end - broken down by those who left from Tallinn and those who continued to Bergen?

[HMforcruise]

So, skirting the issue of mishandling of disbursements, what was the refund model in the end - broken down by those who left from Tallinn and those who continued to Bergen?

 

Everyone to get 50% back in cash plus the rest of the cruise cost back in a voucher for a future cruise to be booked within a year. Non transferable.

 

Plus if you did NOT get included in the flight and extra days in Bergen, and thus NOT make your per planned flight home or continue with any post trip plans....you get an additional 15% back in cash.

 

I just got a call on the phone from a Viking rep saying they will now happily "review" my out of pocket expenses. She said that she is aware that some "Bergen" clients inadvertently got the 15% as well but could not comment further.

[CharTrav]

Thanks,

[HMforcruise]

Thank you to Valerie at Viking Cruises for the prompt action on my out of pocket expenses discussed with her yesterday. The "review" has moved to " a cheque is on its way".

[Chico Mima]

I stand corrected. Fran, you were right. No notification, no explanation, just an extra 15% refund to our credit card at the end of August. I'm certainly not complaining, but throughly am confused. Must be a mistake or someone is more confused than I.

[occruiselady]

We were also part of the group that went to Bergen and got our 50% and our excursions refunded. But then, unexpectedly, we got 2 more refunds. The first (August 20) brought us up to 65%. The second of $1,098

was on August 31. All just showed up on our credit card with no explanation. Have no idea why we qualified.

Our friends who were with us also got the same. They did have a problem though because the credit card they had on file with Viking had been canceled (by them). Took a bit to get worked out. Be sure to check all your credit cards. You may be pleasantly surprised too.

 

It is clear that Viking Oceans made so many mistakes in the handling of our 7/25 cruise disaster, with no explanation of why and how any of any of their inequitable refunds were made. We all know that this is a new product line and there is a lot of learning from their mistakes occurring here, but why should it be at our expense - literally! Why do I have to pay for a cruise that did not happen? Why do I have to pay for European plane tickets for what turned out to be a long weekend trip instead of the two week trip that we purchased? Why do they not offer the industry standard of a full refund for a cruise that was less than 50% completed? Why can't they admit and apologize for their mistakes and make them right? There has not been one single person that we have told our story to since arriving home that has not been horrified at the way we were treated by Viking. Everyone believes we are due a full refund and found the way Viking threw people off the ship in the middle of the night with no notice unacceptable - the ship was not on fire and we had been sitting in Tallinn for four days! There was plenty of time to review passenger lists and keep groups together and give better communication to their passengers. Viking has lost more bookings than they will ever know by the bad PR generated by our cruise, bad business decision to be so cheap in their reimbursements, it will continue to cost them so much more money in lost bookings.

[JVilleGal]

I do not believe they care....