Viking Final Payment Date Policy Change

[travelingman]

This post was in another forum.

 

So this is what I have received in writing from Viking.
 In the past clients could negotiate the final payment date up to 6 months prior to departure. There has been a recent change on this. For new bookings made as of November 1st 2018 (or for existing bookings that revise to a different cruise after November 1st 2018), the final payment date can only be negotiated up to 12 months prior to departure the latest. This is fair across the board in that all customers (all travel agencies as well as passengers that book direct with Viking) can only negotiate up to 12 months prior now." end quote.

It seems this is only a change for US customers.

 

i am curious if this policy change will make any of the Viking customers consider other rivers cruise lines due to this change in final payment?

 

 

Edited November 3, 2018 by travelingman
Spelling correction.

[Peregrina651]

You posted this in Viking Oceans and I wrote there--or at least tried to-- that I was waiting to hear from my TA (not before Monday, I expect) if it were true. Or perhaps Viking themselves will comment. I'd like this confirmed before I make any comments.

[westcoastcruiser]

On 11/2/2018 at 8:06 PM, travelingman said:

This post was in another forum.

 

So this is what I have received in writing from Viking.
 In the past clients could negotiate the final payment date up to 6 months prior to departure. There has been a recent change on this. For new bookings made as of November 1st 2018 (or for existing bookings that revise to a different cruise after November 1st 2018), the final payment date can only be negotiated up to 12 months prior to departure the latest. This is fair across the board in that all customers (all travel agencies as well as passengers that book direct with Viking) can only negotiate up to 12 months prior now." end quote.

It seems this is only a change for US customers.

 

i am curious if this policy change will make any of the Viking customers consider other rivers cruise lines due to this change in final payment?

 

 

That plus the fee they charge if you cancel well before final payment would make me reconsider.  

[CILCIANRQTS]

And, if this change is meekly accepted by Viking customers, what’s to prevent them from later changing the policy to “ final payment is due 90 days after initial deposit is made, regardless of how early reservation is made” ??!!

Funny, Viking seems expert at designing ships, but not very responsive in designing their payment plan...

[Mark_T]

25 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

And, if this change is meekly accepted by Viking customers, what’s to prevent them from later changing the policy to “ final payment is due 90 days after initial deposit is made, regardless of how early reservation is made” ??!!

Funny, Viking seems expert at designing ships, but not very responsive in designing their payment plan...

 

If their North American customers would stop booking and push back they would have to change, but as long as they are sailing with high occupancy levels it seems they will continue to follow this policy.

 

In Europe they are the same or better than most others with a 10 weeks in advance of sailing policy...

[RDC1]

I do not sail on Viking due to their business practices, including but not limited to the long lead time they require for advance payment.

[suspaul]

This is only my opinion....I think it stinks.  We have traveled with Viking on 7 river cruises, 3 ocean cruises and have an 8th river cruise PIF for April 2019.  We obviously have enjoyed our travels with Viking but will draw the line on the new policy and book alternative and independent travel in the future.  

 

I have no issue with full payment being due 6 months prior (would prefer 90 days) to travel but 365 days, no way.  We refuse to let them live on our dime, maybe it’s just us but we’re done.  Why such a different payment policy than those in the UK and Europe? The new policies are different from any other companies we’ve traveled with.  

 

Viking provides a great product, just look at their repeat customer base and maybe this won’t matter to others but...

Bye Bye Viking, it’s been great.

[CILCIANRQTS]

12 minutes ago, suspaul said:

This is only my opinion....I think it stinks.  We have traveled with Viking on 7 river cruises, 3 ocean cruises and have an 8th river cruise PIF for April 2019.  We obviously have enjoyed our travels with Viking but will draw the line on the new policy and book alternative and independent travel in the future.  

 

I have no issue with full payment being due 6 months prior (would prefer 90 days) to travel but 365 days, no way.  We refuse to let them live on our dime, maybe it’s just us but we’re done.  Why such a different payment policy than those in the UK and Europe? The new policies are different from any other companies we’ve traveled with.  

 

Viking provides a great product, just look at their repeat customer base and maybe this won’t matter to others but...

Bye Bye Viking, it’s been great.

 

Because the UK and Europe protect their consumers.

We, on the other hand, maximize profits for political contributors.

[jrkstl]

Hopefully Viking will chime in here to clarify their (new?) policy.

 

We too have traveled quite a bit with Viking, but our TA has always been able to get our due dates extended for us, when necessary. This will not go over well with most potential customers, so I cannot imagine it will be policy for long.

 

Will take a wait and see attitude about this for now.

 

Jeff

[cayman09]

I just returned from my first Viking river cruise and loved it so much i have been looking at a 14 day Viking ocean cruise. If this policy is indeed true, I will not be sailing with them again - ocean or river. Do they think we're stupid?

[Jujon]

Initially we contacted Viking in late October to hold a suite for us on a particular cruise. The final payment was due 6 months prior to a sailing date of June 2020. We called back Nov. 2  to change the sailing date to two weeks prior to original (May 2020) and they said they require full payment one year prior to sailing as per their new policy Nov. 2018. We appealed stating that we initially contacted prior to Nov. 1 and they (contact and supervisor) stated they cannot change the final payment date. This would have been our first cruise with Viking, but we have decided we will not give them that much money (29 day ocean cruise) one year ahead of sailing. Their attitude was such that they don't need us as a customer. And now they don't have us as a customer!

[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...

[Coral]

I will not pay any cruise off one year in advance.

[Peregrina651]

It is preaching to the choir here.

If we want to be heard where it counts, we should write Viking at tellus@vikingcruises.com.

 

 

 

 

 

[cayman09]

2 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

It is preaching to the choir here.

If we want to be heard where it counts, we should write Viking at tellus@vikingcruises.com.

 

Thank you for the suggestion. I will do that right now and encourage everyone to do the same. Especially if you are a repeat Viking customer.

 

 

 

 

[Peregrina651]

I just sent my e-mail off to Viking. I sent it off to multiple contacts in the TellUs office and to Customer Relations--whatever was in my address book. Customer Relations responded with an automated reply:

 

Thank you for contacting Viking Customer Relations. This response is confirmation that we have received your email.

Due to a high volume of emails at this time, we may be delayed in responding.

Doesn't it make you wonder what all that additional volume is about???

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

20 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

I just sent my e-mail off to Viking. I sent it off to multiple contacts in the TellUs office and to Customer Relations--whatever was in my address book. Customer Relations responded with an automated reply:

 

Thank you for contacting Viking Customer Relations. This response is confirmation that we have received your email.

Due to a high volume of emails at this time, we may be delayed in responding.

Doesn't it make you wonder what all that additional volume is about???

 

Do they serve free drinks in the Viking HQ offices?  'Cause it says right on the bottle: "alcohol by volume" 

[CILCIANRQTS]

My suit guy just called.

He has the perfect suit ready for me.

He said if I pay in full today, I can pick up the suit in 52 weeks...

🐂🐂🐂

[notamermaid]

36 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

My suit guy just called.

He has the perfect suit ready for me.

He said if I pay in full today, I can pick up the suit in 52 weeks...

🐂🐂🐂

  Exactly. That was sort of my thought yesterday when I read through the thread. Would I pay for a service or goods of any kind that far in advance? Never. Depending on the situation half now and half later. Or similar arrangements.

I know it is easy for me to talk sitting in the comfy EU consumer rights' chair. But it is also true for other countries: the real power lies with the consumer...

 

notamermaid

 

[suspaul]

I too have just sent an email to Viking, not that it matters to them, but at least I’ve expressed our dissatisfaction at their new payment policy.  

[travelingman]

Glad to see the majority are in agreement on how they feel about the change n the policy.  Hopefully a lot of Viking cruisers will let Viking know how they feel about it.

The ultimate test will be if we show how we feel about the policy with our feet.

i already have 2 Ocean cruises booked under the "old" policy with Viking but I am already looking at other companies for a 2020 Danube river cruise.

 

[cayman09]

I just sent an email to Tell Us letting them know how I feel about their having such gall & disrespect for customers. I let them know that I am now looking at Seabourn and Oceania and will NOT sail with them until they change their payment policy to be more in line with industry standards.

[franski]

Actually, the payment plan is even a bit worse than identified above.  I went on the Viking website to see if the payment  changes were identified there. This is what is on the Canadian website (so expect it will be the same in the US...)

 

Book by November 30, 2018; pay in full at time of booking. 2019 & 2020: Book by November 30, 2018; pay in full by December 31, 2018. Offer expires November 30, 2018.

 

So, if you book something for 2020 (and many companies have their 2020 itineraries available now, especially with Oberammergau/The Passion Play coming up) you have to pay in full by the end of this year.  That might mean paying in full up to 2 years in advance!!

 

I won't be travelling with them again, unless it is last minute - and payment would be in full at time of booking due to the close departure date.

 

Fran

 

 

[Coral]

I emailed them also.

[caripoo]

We got ourselves locked into a specific company with our ocean cruises...Pretty much RCCL-Celebrity-Azamara...And while we have done Seabourn and other smaller ocean, we decided not to wed ourselves to one river...While we loved our Viking, we are doing Crystal next year and another Viking after that....I do not like the new Viking payment policy.