I'm thinking that I don't dare book those excursions for July

[_alan_]

 

Hey, we are still waiting on Viking to pull the plug on that mid-July run to Russia and the Baltic's.  It still hasn't happened yet and I see that Viking has opened up the booking on the excursions.  

 

Didn't someone say that if your plan is to do the 125% OBC, that when you get the credit it is against the shore excursions as well?  I mean would you plan to make money on the proposition of booking excursions knowing that they will be canceled and you'd get 25% credit against them?

 

Better odds than the blackjack table at least.

 

 

[dwlmg]

1 hour ago, flashfearless said:

 

Hey, we are still waiting on Viking to pull the plug on that mid-July run to Russia and the Baltic's.  It still hasn't happened yet and I see that Viking has opened up the booking on the excursions.  

 

Didn't someone say that if your plan is to do the 125% OBC, that when you get the credit it is against the shore excursions as well?  I mean would you plan to make money on the proposition of booking excursions knowing that they will be canceled and you'd get 25% credit against them?

 

Better odds than the blackjack table at least.

 

 

Yes, For the last two cancel actions, the voucher was for 125% of all the money paid to Viking (including trip insurance and air if you bought it from them).  The only thing you cannot use the voucher for is trip insurance.  We have a trip the end of July where we have applied a voucher. We ended up upgrading the cabin, a pre cruise extension, and had money left over for excursions.  If we did not have voucher credit to apply, I would book and pay for excursions as well as pre-paid gratuities as soon as I could.  125% is a nice return. You do have to believe Viking will survive this but I believe they will.

Edited April 28, 2020 by dwlmg

[duquephart]

4 hours ago, dwlmg said:

Yes, For the last two cancel actions, the voucher was for 125% of all the money paid to Viking (including trip insurance and air if you bought it from them).  The only thing you cannot use the voucher for is trip insurance.  We have a trip the end of July where we have applied a voucher. We ended up upgrading the cabin, a pre cruise extension, and had money left over for excursions.  If we did not have voucher credit to apply, I would book and pay for excursions as well as pre-paid gratuities as soon as I could.  125% is a nice return. You do have to believe Viking will survive this but I believe they will.

 

Indeed. We re-booked the same cuise for a year hence. Upgraded PV1 to PS1. Upgraded air. Pre and post extensions same as before. We will be able to book same excursions, pay gratuities, purchase beverage package, and still have "credit" in the hopper. The issue is what for and when "leftover" credit can be used. We have heard:

1. Must be used up before embarkation or lost.

2. Will transfer over to shipboard credit once embarked and can be used for anything same as cash.

3. Can be used as above and any still leftover can be refunded or transferred to another, future cruise.

4. Etc. The point being that the more people you ask the more, often widely divergent, answers you get.

[Squawkman]

11 hours ago, flashfearless said:

 

Hey, we are still waiting on Viking to pull the plug on that mid-July run to Russia and the Baltic's.  It still hasn't happened yet and I see that Viking has opened up the booking on the excursions.  

 

Didn't someone say that if your plan is to do the 125% OBC, that when you get the credit it is against the shore excursions as well?  I mean would you plan to make money on the proposition of booking excursions knowing that they will be canceled and you'd get 25% credit against them?

 

Better odds than the blackjack table at least.

 

 

Good point. And if the cruise does sail, I guess you can cancel excursions up to 24 hours before embarkation as well. 

[CCWineLover]

14 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Indeed. We re-booked the same cuise for a year hence. Upgraded PV1 to PS1. Upgraded air. Pre and post extensions same as before. We will be able to book same excursions, pay gratuities, purchase beverage package, and still have "credit" in the hopper. The issue is what for and when "leftover" credit can be used. We have heard:

1. Must be used up before embarkation or lost.

2. Will transfer over to shipboard credit once embarked and can be used for anything same as cash.

3. Can be used as above and any still leftover can be refunded or transferred to another, future cruise.

4. Etc. The point being that the more people you ask the more, often widely divergent, answers you get.

 

I have also heard all of those answers.  Who is to know?

Fortunately or unfortunately, it won't apply to us much.   We rebooked our cancelled June 2020 Into the Midnight Sun cruise for July 2021.  Prices have skyrocketed (too many Viking cancelled cruise people driving up demand?) and the same cruise a year later was 23 % higher for the exact same cabin.  So for us there went that great 25 % extra in voucher credit.

Consider yourselves fortunate to have credit left after doing all those upgrades!!!

[Peregrina651]

11 hours ago, Squawkman said:

I guess you can cancel excursions up to 24 hours before embarkation as well.

 

Except that access on MVJ to dining reservations and shore excursions closes one week prior to embarkation; that is when they transfer the information to the ship board system.

[duquephart]

3 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

 

I have also heard all of those answers.  Who is to know?

Fortunately or unfortunately, it won't apply to us much.   We rebooked our cancelled June 2020 Into the Midnight Sun cruise for July 2021.  Prices have skyrocketed (too many Viking cancelled cruise people driving up demand?) and the same cruise a year later was 23 % higher for the exact same cabin.  So for us there went that great 25 % extra in voucher credit.

Consider yourselves fortunate to have credit left after doing all those upgrades!!!

 

The same cruise (Homelands) for mid summer 2021 had gotten cheaper apples to apples. Go figure.

[Cienfuegos]

The Viking  Baltic /Russia trip also presumes the COVID-19 situation in Russia has abated.    The official position is that the medical issues are under control.