Use of FCV

[duquephart]

On 4/2/2020 at 9:41 AM, Alturia said:

When Viking first cancelled operations in March, my April cruise was, of course, cancelled. When I called to rebook I was told I could not use the FCV for an existing booking. So I rebooked the cancelled cruise for April 2021 and that will be eligible to use the FCV once I receive it. I did have to pay $500 on a credit card to secure the rebooking. The $500 will be refunded when I apply the FCV.

 

My question is, has anyone received their FCV? I ask because I thought they were supposed to start going out shortly after March 25, but when I called Viking to ask when I might expect to receive no one could provide a timetable. I understand it will take a while to issue these, especially with the most recent cancellations. I'd just like a sense on when the FCV's might be available.

 

 

Ours arrived today with issue date of 4/10. Cancelled cruise was mid-June.

[SM77]

4 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Ours arrived today with issue date of 4/10. Cancelled cruise was mid-June.

How did it arrive?  Via email or USPO?  Our cruises were for April & we still haven't gotten anything; we were part of the first set of cancelations.  I know that the cruises have been canceled - no longer in MyVikingJourney and our TA has it canceled.  

[fudgbug]

2 minutes ago, SM77 said:

How did it arrive?  Via email or USPO?  Our cruises were for April & we still haven't gotten anything; we were part of the first set of cancelations.  I know that the cruises have been canceled - no longer in MyVikingJourney and our TA has it canceled.  

We were notified of our May 4 river cruise being cancelled on March 30.  We received our Future Cruise Vouchers by email yesterday 4/17.  They were dated April 10.  We are quite pleased with the way Viking has handled this difficult situation and look forward to traveling with them again as soon as possible.

[SM77]

Just now, fudgbug said:

We were notified of our May 4 river cruise being cancelled on March 30.  We received our Future Cruise Vouchers by email yesterday 4/17.  They were dated April 10.  We are quite pleased with the way Viking has handled this difficult situation and look forward to traveling with them again as soon as possible.

Thanks fudging!  Yes, I have been impressed w/ how Viking has been very generous in dealing w/ this daunting pandemic.  I hope we can use our FCV for final payment in September on our April 2021 Southeast Asia trip.  We have cancelled our Oceania November cruise to Athens.  Final payment is due in July, preferred to get our monies back, didn't want to have another FCV, trying to book another cruise when we already have two planned for 2021(both w/ Viking).  The Oceania boards have not been very positive and we decided if things improve we would just re-book on the same Oceania cruise(cabins have become available w/ people canceling), but we think that it is unlikely that we will be traveling internationally for the remainder of 2020.  With Viking having a generous cancelation policy for all existing bookings, we are not as nervous about our April 2021 cruise but we will see how things are in September before making final payment.  IMO, Viking has always been very customer focused, even more so during this health crisis.   We may only cruise w/ Viking going forward.

[duquephart]

2 hours ago, SM77 said:

How did it arrive?  Via email or USPO?  Our cruises were for April & we still haven't gotten anything; we were part of the first set of cancelations.  I know that the cruises have been canceled - no longer in MyVikingJourney and our TA has it canceled.  

 

E-mail.

[duquephart]

On 4/2/2020 at 2:56 PM, duquephart said:

A couple things I learned today (by talking to Viking reps) that others may or may not already know.

 

1. FCV can't be used to purchase Trip Mate insurance on a re-booking. You must pay out of pocket even though you have, or will have, plenty of FCV to cover.

2. Any remaining FCV may be used to settle shipboard accounts. In other words FCV can be used to pay "gratuities", purchase beverages, etc.

 

Now I've run into reports of folks being told things that turn out to be untrue. That unless obtained in writing the word of a Viking rep is no better than the word of Honest John at the local car lot. Has anyone else "heard" anything in regard to #2?

[What was that?]

3 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

Now I've run into reports of folks being told things that turn out to be untrue. That unless obtained in writing the word of a Viking rep is no better than the word of Honest John at the local car lot. Has anyone else "heard" anything in regard to #2?

I have experienced conflicting information from Viking agents, both in Reservations and in Customer Relations.

 

Yes, I have been told that excess voucher value - after being applied to the charges associated with the individual to whom it was issued (only) - can be used for excursions, grats, SSBP, etc. - also limited to the individual (which I have confirmed on MyVikingJourney).

 

What has not been made clear is what happens to excess voucher value when you board. For instance, is it then converted to OBC applied to the stateroom account (available to both stateroom occupants)? Or are they still restricted to the original individual to whom issued? I am not getting a clear and authoritative answer on this question. But would I believe the answer I got?

 

One other thing, I was sent a snippet of a "Viking document" describing (some of) the "Rules" governing use of "Platinum Vouchers" - leading me to believe there are at least two, and possibly more, types of Viking vouchers. Of course, our vouchers (the ones for our canceled April 2020 cruise) do not state whether they are "Platinum" vouchers, or perhaps another category. They are identified as a "Viking future cruise voucher."

[duquephart]

2 hours ago, What was that? said:

I have experienced conflicting information from Viking agents, both in Reservations and in Customer Relations.

 

Yes, I have been told that excess voucher value - after being applied to the charges associated with the individual to whom it was issued (only) - can be used for excursions, grats, SSBP, etc. - also limited to the individual (which I have confirmed on MyVikingJourney).

 

What has not been made clear is what happens to excess voucher value when you board. For instance, is it then converted to OBC applied to the stateroom account (available to both stateroom occupants)? Or are they still restricted to the original individual to whom issued? I am not getting a clear and authoritative answer on this question. But would I believe the answer I got?

 

One other thing, I was sent a snippet of a "Viking document" describing (some of) the "Rules" governing use of "Platinum Vouchers" - leading me to believe there are at least two, and possibly more, types of Viking vouchers. Of course, our vouchers (the ones for our canceled April 2020 cruise) do not state whether they are "Platinum" vouchers, or perhaps another category. They are identified as a "Viking future cruise voucher."

 

This just in from Viking rep "Adam" via my TA:

"The overage of the future cruise vouchers can virtually be used on anything the clients want.  This includes pre and post extensions, excursions, gratuities, beverage packages, stateroom upgrades, air upgrades, or anything on the cruise they wish to purchase. If there are funds left over after everything has been purchased, you can ask for a refund or transfer the remaining voucher by contacting Customer Relations after the cruise has sailed."

[Jjg34219]

Our TA was told two different things before and after applying the FCV to our rebooked cruise. First it was it could be used for anything, after booking it was had to be used prior to sailing for just about anything, the difference beingbthe use before sailing

[What was that?]

duquephart & Jjg34219: File those in the Viking Mythology folder with all the other stuff we have been "authoritatively told" by genuine Viking agents.

[What was that?]

1 hour ago, duquephart said:

 

This just in from Viking rep "Adam" via my TA:

"The overage of the future cruise vouchers can virtually be used on anything the clients want.  This includes pre and post extensions, excursions, gratuities, beverage packages, stateroom upgrades, air upgrades, or anything on the cruise they wish to purchase. If there are funds left over after everything has been purchased, you can ask for a refund or transfer the remaining voucher by contacting Customer Relations after the cruise has sailed."

Let me guess: "Adam" would not put that in writing?

[deec]

Sure wish Viking would have made it an ongoing type credit that we could use what we needed and save the rest for another cruise.

[What was that?]

14 minutes ago, deec said:

Sure wish Viking would have made it an ongoing type credit that we could use what we needed and save the rest for another cruise.

deec - that would be nice, but I will settle for a complete set of usage rules, with all of the restrictions, limitations, and special cases for all the different kinds of vouchers - in case the "Platinum Voucher" is not the only one.

[duquephart]

4 hours ago, What was that? said:

Let me guess: "Adam" would not put that in writing?

 

This now appears in MVJ:

 

You Have Shipboard Credit

You have a total of $XXXX to use toward shore excursions. Credit will be applied at checkout and must be used for this cruise. Unused credit will be available once you embark the ship.

 

Maybe I don't need "Adam" to supply anything in writing?

 

[What was that?]

11 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

This now appears in MVJ:

 

You Have Shipboard Credit

You have a total of $XXXX to use toward shore excursions. Credit will be applied at checkout and must be used for this cruise. Unused credit will be available once you embark the ship.

 

Maybe I don't need "Adam" to supply anything in writing?

 

Here is an example of the limitation on voucher credit. Note that my wife's voucher has not yet been applied, so for her too pre-pay gratuities requires using her $200 shipboard credit, and her having to pay the balance - and my shipboard credit is not available to her.

 

My question is: will this limitation persist once we board ship?

 

P.S. I canceled this transaction, preferring to wait until her voucher was applied.

Edited April 21, 2020 by What was that?
Added postscript.

[duquephart]

45 minutes ago, What was that? said:

Here is an example of the limitation on voucher credit. Note that my wife's voucher has not yet been applied, so for her too pre-pay gratuities requires using her $200 shipboard credit, and her having to pay the balance - and my shipboard credit is not available to her.

 

My question is: will this limitation persist once we board ship?

 

P.S. I canceled this transaction, preferring to wait until her voucher was applied.

 

Apparently, all of our voucher credit has become shipboard credit. It appears the credit is now the same as dollars to be used however we wish. 

[What was that?]

3 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Apparently, all of our voucher credit has become shipboard credit. It appears the credit is now the same as dollars to be used however we wish. 

As you can see on the above, our vouchers have not been converted to "shipboard credit" yet. No worries...

[duquephart]

5 minutes ago, What was that? said:

As you can see on the above, our vouchers have not been converted to "shipboard credit" yet. No worries...

 

That's my point. I'm every bit as skeptical as you in regard to how Viking handles these things. But, once the remaining balance of our FCV turned up in our MVJ as "shipboard credit" I feel any potential for shenanigans may be history. I fully expect to use this fund to pay for excursions and gratuities (and maybe bev. package) before the cruise and what's left for further purchases while aboard the ship. Goal is to use up all the "house money" so to speak. Do, however, need Viking to stay viable.

[What was that?]

1 minute ago, duquephart said:

 

That's my point. I'm every bit as skeptical as you in regard to how Viking handles these things. But, once the remaining balance of our FCV turned up in our MVJ as "shipboard credit" I feel any potential for shenanigans may be history. I fully expect to use this fund to pay for excursions and gratuities (and maybe bev. package) before the cruise and what's left for further purchases while aboard the ship. Goal is to use up all the "house money" so to speak. Do, however, need Viking to stay viable.

Amen, Duke.

We should keep sharing as time passes, we use up our vouchers, get on board and find out what REALLY HAPPENS on the "other side." We board the Venus on 26 January, so I have plenty of time to lurk and learn...

My remaining credit will not be used up o the excursions - we usually take the included ones, and the optional ones that interest us do not run to $1,000pp, so our cruise friends (a party of 6) and our new cruise friends - all 900+ of them - may enjoy a bottle or two of bubbly, courtesy of Viking.

[duquephart]

On 4/20/2020 at 9:04 PM, duquephart said:

 

This now appears in MVJ:

 

You Have Shipboard Credit

You have a total of $XXXX to use toward shore excursions. Credit will be applied at checkout and must be used for this cruise. Unused credit will be available once you embark the ship.

 

Maybe I don't need "Adam" to supply anything in writing?

 

 

What appears in MVJ today:

 

You Have Unused Voucher Credit

You have a total of $XXXX to use toward shore excursions. Credit will be applied at checkout and must be used for this cruise.

 

Now called "Unused Voucher Credit" instead of "Shipboard Credit" and the line about availability of unused credit has disappeared.  What are they up to now?

Edited April 23, 2020 by duquephart

[jonthomas]

Soon they will be totally useless.

[Squawkman]

2 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

What appears in MVJ today:

 

You Have Unused Voucher Credit

You have a total of $XXXX to use toward shore excursions. Credit will be applied at checkout and must be used for this cruise.

 

Now called "Unused Voucher Credit" instead of "Shipboard Credit" and the line about availability of unused credit has disappeared.  What are they up to now?

IMHO, they changed the language because it can be used for booking excursions before you embark. This was not the case a few years ago when SBC could only be used to book excursions once on the ship. This is a good thing.

[What was that?]

2 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

What appears in MVJ today:

 

You Have Unused Voucher Credit

You have a total of $XXXX to use toward shore excursions. Credit will be applied at checkout and must be used for this cruise.

 

Now called "Unused Voucher Credit" instead of "Shipboard Credit" and the line about availability of unused credit has disappeared.  What are they up to now?

As my earlier post illustrates (and confirmed today - see attachment), voucher credit could be applied to purchase of prepaid gratuities and is not (or was not at the time) restricted to purchase of excursions. I hesitate to extrapolate to any other use, however, as the situation seems rather fluid...

[What was that?]

One more test - voucher can be used for both Prepaid Gratuities and Silver Spirits Beverage Package, and continues to be restricted to the person to whom the voucher was issued.

[What was that?]

2 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

What appears in MVJ today:

 

You Have Unused Voucher Credit

You have a total of $XXXX to use toward shore excursions. Credit will be applied at checkout and must be used for this cruise.

 

Now called "Unused Voucher Credit" instead of "Shipboard Credit" and the line about availability of unused credit has disappeared.  What are they up to now?

Almost overlooked your point... Yes, the line about unused credit has disappeared from MVJ also!