Booking Ocean Cruise while on a Viking River Cruise

[MSEm]

When on a Viking River Cruise is there an agent that can help you book an Ocean Cruise?  If so are there advantages to booking while on a river cruise to booking after returning home?

Thanks for all the information.

[Peregrina651]

You cannot book a future cruise while on a river ship but you have a one week(?) window after the cruise to book a cruise with almost the same perks as booking on board an ocean cruise. Double check with Viking the exact timing and perks.

 

What you can do on the river ships that you cannot do on Oceans is to buy "Cruise Certificates." A $200 face value certificate costs $100. You can buy as many as you want and use them on any Viking cruise (river, ocean, expedition) BUT you can only use one per person per cruise. 

 

 

[MSEm]

Thanks for the information.  I know the next cruise I will be booking for 2024.  I will book when we get back from our October 2021 river cruise.  Will definitely look for the Cruise Certificates.

Thank you again for all of the very good information.

 

[Squawkman]

21 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

You cannot book a future cruise while on a river ship but you have a one week(?) window after the cruise to book a cruise with almost the same perks as booking on board an ocean cruise. Double check with Viking the exact timing and perks.

 

What you can do on the river ships that you cannot do on Oceans is to buy "Cruise Certificates." A $200 face value certificate costs $100. You can buy as many as you want and use them on any Viking cruise (river, ocean, expedition) BUT you can only use one per person per cruise. 

 

 

My understanding is the $200 certificates are only good on river cruises - and Noel bookings only.

[Peregrina651]

31 minutes ago, Squawkman said:

My understanding is the $200 certificates are only good on river cruises - and Noel bookings only.

 

Nope! Any Viking cruise. I just used two to book our Hawaiian Islands Sojourn. I used them for cruises that were eventually cancelled; they were returned to my account.

 

 

[Squawkman]

2 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Nope! Any Viking cruise. I just used two to book our Hawaiian Islands Sojourn. I used them for cruises that were eventually cancelled; they were returned to my account.

 

 

Thanks - I’ll check this out to see if this is still the case when we do our river cruise in November.

[dreamercruise]

3 hours ago, MSEm said:

Thanks for the information.  I know the next cruise I will be booking for 2024.  I will book when we get back from our October 2021 river cruise.  Will definitely look for the Cruise Certificates.

Thank you again for all of the very good information.

 

Note that you must book for a future cruise within 12 months from the date you obtained the certificate.  If you book past the deadline, the certificate is worth only $100, same amount as what you paid in cash.  Not sure what will happen to the certificate if you use it to book a cruise that gets cancelled later.

[dreamercruise]

3 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Nope! Any Viking cruise. I just used two to book our Hawaiian Islands Sojourn. I used them for cruises that were eventually cancelled; they were returned to my account.

 

 

Did you get $100 per certificate credited to your account or $200?

[Peregrina651]

On 9/27/2021 at 1:20 PM, dreamercruise said:

Did you get $100 per certificate credited to your account or $200?

 

The certificates were returned to my account, as if they had never been used. They are available to be applied to another cruise in the future and are still worth $200 when used as payment for a cruise.

 

 

[dreamercruise]

3 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

The certificates were returned to my account, as if they had never been used. They are available to be applied to another cruise in the future and are still worth $200 when used as payment for a cruise.

 

 

Thanks for answering.

Looks like the 1-year expiration clock got reset when your certificates were returned to your account.

[Peregrina651]

9 hours ago, dreamercruise said:

Thanks for answering.

Looks like the 1-year expiration clock got reset when your certificates were returned to your account.

 

The  "cruise certificates" that I purchased on the river cruise don't expire. I don't know whether or not they issue a variety of cruise certificates that do.

 

The "future cruise certificates" issued by Viking under the No-Risk guarantee and when they cancel a cruise do expire.

 

[dreamercruise]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

The  "cruise certificates" that I purchased on the river cruise don't expire. I don't know whether or not they issue a variety of cruise certificates that do.

 

You are right about these cruise certificates never expire.  What I am uncertain is if its amount stays at $200 no matter when we apply it to our next cruise.  Somehow I got the impression or misunderstanding that I must book next cruise within one year.  Perhaps I got mixed up with the rule on past passenger discount.

Regardless of the rule, I always take advantage of the certificate availability.  It is my husband who stopped me from buying more each time.  He does not want to bother because the discount is only $100.  What can I say?

[vadraw]

Can you do the opposite - Book a Rivers cruise while you're on an Ocean cruise?

[dreamercruise]

36 minutes ago, vadraw said:

Can you do the opposite - Book a Rivers cruise while you're on an Ocean cruise?

The $100-> $200 certificates are available for purchase only when you are on a river cruise.  With the certificates, we can apply to any river or ocean cruise that we book later.  I have applied them to both before.  The credit applied was $200 per certificate.  I always booked a new cruise after I disembarked but within one year of obtaining the certificate.

 

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, vadraw said:

Can you do the opposite - Book a Rivers cruise while you're on an Ocean cruise?

 

Affirmative, we booked a river cruise aboard the Viking Sun

[Wilson820]

20 hours ago, vadraw said:

Can you do the opposite - Book a Rivers cruise while you're on an Ocean cruise?

Yes

[Peregrina651]

On 9/30/2021 at 11:00 AM, dreamercruise said:

 He does not want to bother because the discount is only $100.  What can I say?

 

Try:

• $100 is $100!
• Where else can you double your investment?
• That's  $100 towards a limo to the airport -- or another shorex...
• Even $100 discount is better than no discount at all.
•  

Hmmm. I ran out of snappy come-backs. Maybe others can add to the list.