Final payment due 20 months in advance.

[Pushka]

17 hours ago, angelhelly said:

I think Viking might be more difficult on payment depending on what you book and what promotion you get.

We booked for our Alaska cruise in January 2017 (the week they announced the booking), Full payment in December 2017 for sailing in June 2019 (18 months).

 

However, we payed about 1300 pp less than the rates 6 months after booking, and we got free air. Looking back, what I saved paid for our flight upgrade to business/first class and our Vancouver extension. For me, was worth paying ahead.

 

We booked for May 2019 many months ago and our final payment isn’t due until January 26 2019. We only paid $500pp deposit. 

Edited November 3, 2018 by Pushka

[terrydtx]

56 minutes ago, Pushka said:

If it is true it only referred to cruises booked after 1st November anyway. 

I can assure you this is true and I have the paperwork from Viking to prove it, and we booked in September.

Edited November 3, 2018 by terrydtx

[SashaBaby1]

Have been considering booking a September, 2020 Viking Ocean Cruise.  Yesterday, I spoke with a representative from Viking, in addition, to a  TA.  They both told me that, as of November 1, 2018, Viking changed their policy, and that the full payment, minus the deposits paid now, would be due, September 2019.  Based on that, believe we will explore and most likely not take a Viking Cruise.  We are located in Charlotte, NC. 

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, SashaBaby1 said:

Have been considering booking a September, 2020 Viking Ocean Cruise.  Yesterday, I spoke with a representative from Viking, in addition, to a  TA.  They both told me that, as of November 1, 2018, Viking changed their policy, and that the full payment, minus the deposits paid now, would be due, September 2019.  Based on that, believe we will explore and most likely not take a Viking Cruise.  We are located in Charlotte, NC. 

Maybe they should change their website to match this new policy. There is no way I would book with them again if 12 months is the case, I thought 6 months out was too much. Sounds like to me they want to operate on our money for 12 months before they have to provide any products. Imagine if you had to buy and pay for a new car 12 months before they deliver it to you. I bet when bookings fall off this policy will change. Also with the 3% discount they offer for bank draft payment, if Viking goes under you would have no recourse to ever get your money back. Even with the 6 month payment we have, I would only pay them with my credit card and the one I use has a 1.5% cash back.

[twodjs]

Unless we push back, they won't budge. And to just complain here may not get to Viking Corporate. I'm calling on Monday. Their sales office number in California is 1-855-338-4546. How dare they insult their loyal Viking Ocean following with such a demand!

[SashaBaby1]

Thanks for the number; will call Monday, as well!

[Peregrina651]

The Viking policy had been for many, many years, even before Viking Ocean was started, that full payment was due pretty much at the time of booking. If you booked in May, you paid in full at the end of May. However, Viking River was not opening booking for its cruises two years in advance. It was only with the start up of VO, that they began to change this policy. In 2014, we paid in full 6 mos  after booking our June, 2016 cruise. Viking had no trouble filling it's two yet to be built ships; people were lining up to book. Past VR guests were already familiar with Viking's payment policy and fully expected to pay in full when they booked. 

 

It wasn't until 2016 that we started to hear about payment in full 6 mos before sailing. While I disagree with this change in policy, it is nothing new for Viking. They have always done things differently and this is just another example of Viking being Viking.  

[CILCIANRQTS]

5 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Maybe they should change their website to match this new policy. There is no way I would book with them again if 12 months is the case, I thought 6 months out was too much. Sounds like to me they want to operate on our money for 12 months before they have to provide any products. Imagine if you had to buy and pay for a new car 12 months before they deliver it to you. I bet when bookings fall off this policy will change. Also with the 3% discount they offer for bank draft payment, if Viking goes under you would have no recourse to ever get your money back. Even with the 6 month payment we have, I would only pay them with my credit card and the one I use has a 1.5% cash back.

 

There is no legitimate purpose to requiring full payment 12 months out, other than using customer money as zero interest rate working capital to pay for their new ships.

[philw1776]

That's a legitimate business purpose.
There are other cruise lines for those who do not like the policy.

[Jim Avery]

48 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

 

There is no legitimate purpose to requiring full payment 12 months out, other than using customer money as zero interest rate working capital to pay for their new ships.

I might not personally like it as a cruiser but if I had a business that the traffic would bear this, it would be a great way to finance capital expenditures.  Viking is obviously doing very well.  Having sailed the Inaugural World Cruise, I find it worth it. 😎

[CILCIANRQTS]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

I might not personally like it as a cruiser but if I had a business that the traffic would bear this, it would be a great way to finance capital expenditures.  Viking is obviously doing very well.  Having sailed the Inaugural World Cruise, I find it worth it. 😎

 

So, which are you - a cruiser or an owner...?? 😉

[Jim Avery]

Actually at a lesser level I have been both.😎

[twodjs]

Great way to finance capital expenditures, unless the consumer pushes back! I don't appreciate them using $20,000 or more for a year, at zero interest rate. Don't let them fool you by suggesting they are giving a % kickback for direct withdrawal. That net price is the price they expected in the first place. I find it an insult that this decision of payment in full one year prior to the cruise is somehow fair to everyone. I don't buy it! 

[Peregrina651]

7 hours ago, philw1776 said:

That's a legitimate business purpose.
There are other cruise lines for those who do not like the policy.

 

Agreed. Viking will always be an outlier.

[lackcreativity]

17 hours ago, philw1776 said:

That's a legitimate business purpose.
There are other cruise lines for those who do not like the policy.

We have sailed Viking twice, with another one in April, and are willing to play by their rules. For anyone who is not willing to do so, you can always wait until six months before sailing to try to book then, and see what is available. Good luck with that! 

[Host Jazzbeau]

When I booked my Viking Ocean cruise back in 2016, my TA was able to give me a huge rebate (15%) and negotiate final payment 6 months out.  Viking now prohibits both, and since we ended up not taking any of their included shore excursions this really prices them out of their market segment.  It's a shame, because we loved the cruise – but I would love Seabourn more, for the same price...

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

When I booked my Viking Ocean cruise back in 2016, my TA was able to give me a huge rebate (15%) and negotiate final payment 6 months out.  Viking now prohibits both, and since we ended up not taking any of their included shore excursions this really prices them out of their market segment.  It's a shame, because we loved the cruise – but I would love Seabourn more, for the same price...

What is Seabourn's final pay due policy?  Just curious on how they compare to Viking.

[Host Jazzbeau]

90 days.  [But a 15% penalty kicks in at 120 days – taken from the 25% down payment]

[Jim Avery]

8 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

90 days.  [But a 15% penalty kicks in at 120 days – taken from the 25% down payment]

And they will match any price cuts or special offers even after final pay.

[Nashna]

We sailed on Seabourn last year and found them to be very flexible with their payments.  I am actually now looking into cruise options other than VO.  I do not want to have $18,000.00 tied up for 20 months or even 12 months.  Instability in the World or a calamity at sea with a large loss of life could bankrupt a cruise line.  VO's policy with Trip Mate states that Number 21 of the limitations and exclusions portion of the policy lists Bankruptcy or Default or failure to supply services by a Travel Supplier.  Therefore, our investment would not be protected by insurance.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, Nashna said:

We sailed on Seabourn last year and found them to be very flexible with their payments.  I am actually now looking into cruise options other than VO.  I do not want to have $18,000.00 tied up for 20 months or even 12 months.  Instability in the World or a calamity at sea with a large loss of life could bankrupt a cruise line.  VO's policy with Trip Mate states that Number 21 of the limitations and exclusions portion of the policy lists Bankruptcy or Default or failure to supply services by a Travel Supplier.  Therefore, our investment would not be protected by insurance.  

That is one reason we don't buy insurance through the cruise line.  The better third-party policies do include bankruptcy coverage.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

90 days.  [But a 15% penalty kicks in at 120 days – taken from the 25% down payment]

If that is the case, VO is making a huge marketing blunder. I looked at some Seabourn fares and they are very competitive with VO.

[Nashna]

59 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

That is one reason we don't buy insurance through the cruise line.  The better third-party policies do include bankruptcy coverage.

We will never buy cruise line insurance again.  Lesson learned. 

 

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, Nashna said:

 Instability in the World or a calamity at sea with a large loss of life could bankrupt a cruise line.  

Highly unlikely, considering the insurance required for marine operations. Consider the Costa Concordia, which received widespread news coverage. Yes, their bookings probably decreased, but nothing close to being bankrupt.

[stretchcruz]

Look at all of the people who lost money with Renaissance cruises when they booked their insurance through the cruise line.

I'm very disappointed with the new Viking Ocean payment policy. Like Jazzbeau, we received 15% off of our cruises and final payment 6 months out. Frankly, I don't have the $$$$ to book a future cruise and pay 12 months in advance. I'm still working, and I put $ aside every paycheck until final payment is due. As much as I loved our Viking Ocean 3 week cruise, and as much as I'm looking to 32 days from Auckland to Bali in Feb, I'm not going to look at future cruises to book on that cruise. I simply could not afford to pay cash for it then.