Onboard booking

[trident]

We are taking our first Viking cruise in February.  Is there an advantage to booking our next cruise while onboard?  If so, what is it?

Thanks!

 

[Heidi13]

30 minutes ago, trident said:

We are taking our first Viking cruise in February.  Is there an advantage to booking our next cruise while onboard?  If so, what is it?

Thanks!

 

 

You receive a multitude of benefits, which can vary depending on the Cruise Consultant and promotions in force at that time.

 

On our 2020 WC, we booked a 28-day River/Ocean combo, receiving the following benefits:

• Booking discount - $500 pp
• Onboard booking discount - $ 500 pp
• Past pax discount - $400 pp
• Bonus discount - $250 pp
• Air discount - $1,449.50 pp (provided as the River cruise included airfare & we didn't use the return flight, as we had B2B cruise)

In addition, we received $400 OBC for the current cruise, and PIF was 6-months before departure.

[trident]

Wow, that’s great.  Thanks!  

[CCWineLover]

More recent information:

We just got off the Viking Sea two weeks ago.  Here is the benefits offered to us to book while onboard, which we took advantage of.   Note that these benefits certainly can change through time.

This one included:

-Risk Free Guarantee 14 days ahead of departure

-$200 pp past guest discount

-additional discount pp depending on length of cruise booked

-$100 pp onboard credit to use while on the current cruise

-Final payment extended to 6 months prior to departure.

-Ability to book with Viking and transfer over to your Travel Agent if you wish

 

Note:  I have heard many reports that the Risk Free Guarantee (RFG) is going away Jan 31, 2022.

 

[Peregrina651]

Things on the WCs tend to be different than on the shorter itineraries.

 

We are on board one of those shorter cruises now.   The booking bonuses are as follows:

 

* whatever deals are already on offer for the itinerary you are booking 

* returning guest discount

* book on board discount

* payment in full pushed to 6 months prior to departure

* a spend it or lose OBC for the sailing you are currently on, based on the number of cruises you book.

 

The Risk-Free Guarantee was not on offer for our booking (1/2023 sail date).

 

This is over and above anything that you may get from your Travel Agent.   

[CCWineLover]

7 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Things on the WCs tend to be different than on the shorter itineraries.

 

We are on board one of those shorter cruises now.   The booking bonuses are as follows:

 

* whatever deals are already on offer for the itinerary you are booking 

* returning guest discount

* book on board discount

* payment in full pushed to 6 months prior to departure

* a spend it or lose OBC for the sailing you are currently on, based on the number of cruises you book.

 

The Risk-Free Guarantee was not on offer for our booking (1/2023 sail date).

 

This is over and above anything that you may get from your Travel Agent.   

Sounds like the same deal we had on the Sea.  We booked two cruises.

The one for March 2022 DID get the RFG and the one for June 2023 DID NOT.  That seems to confirm what others have stated, that RFG is not available for 2023 and beyond cruises.  In addition, heard that come Feb you won't get RFG for 2022 cruises either.

 

Note:  the OBC's given definitely had to be used while on the ship - but we had no problem with that as we used them for Ship's Gratuities and a last minute excursion.  Came out with just a $27 account due balance at the end!

[Peregrina651]

Thanks.  I may be booking another cruise for 2022 before we disembark just to get the Risk Free.  

Edited December 27, 2021 by Peregrina651

[CILCIANRQTS]

Caution: Know the price of the cruise that appears in a recent mailing or posting before you cruise.

Last time we priced onboard the cruise consultant started at a ridiculously high price to be able to offer the laundry list of discounts. The net was higher than we had recently seen in a Viking brochure!

Just sayin’…

[LindaS272]

51 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Sounds like the same deal we had on the Sea.  We booked two cruises.

The one for March 2022 DID get the RFG and the one for June 2023 DID NOT.  That seems to confirm what others have stated, that RFG is not available for 2023 and beyond cruises.  In addition, heard that come Feb you won't get RFG for 2022 cruises either.

 

Note:  the OBC's given definitely had to be used while on the ship - but we had no problem with that as we used them for Ship's Gratuities and a last minute excursion.  Came out with just a $27 account due balance at the end!

RFG was available to us when we canceled our Sept. 2021 Malta trip and put the resulting voucher down on an April 2023 western med cruise. Don’t know when they stopped offering RFG for 2023 cruises if booked this fall.

[Heidi13]

Wow, so the Cruise Consultants no longer have any additional bonus discounts that you can negotiate, when booking onboard.

 

On the WC, they published the benefits as being virtually the same as Kent posted above - only difference was the RFG wasn't yet in force.

[CCWineLover]

54 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Caution: Know the price of the cruise that appears in a recent mailing or posting before you cruise.

Last time we priced onboard the cruise consultant started at a ridiculously high price to be able to offer the laundry list of discounts. The net was higher than we had recently seen in a Viking brochure!

Just sayin’…

Not our cruise consultant.  What we were quoted was what we expected.  It was all very smooth.  Not like trying to buy a used car!!

[CCWineLover]

27 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

RFG was available to us when we canceled our Sept. 2021 Malta trip and put the resulting voucher down on an April 2023 western med cruise. Don’t know when they stopped offering RFG for 2023 cruises if booked this fall.

 

Linda - I would imagine that the change was made in the last month or so...  I'd heard reports of that from other passengers on our ship who'd seen the cruise consultant before we did.  

Well all good things have to come to an end sometime!   Might be worth getting a placeholder down for January for late 2022 in order to get the RFG.

[Heidi13]

2 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Not our cruise consultant.  What we were quoted was what we expected.  It was all very smooth.  Not like trying to buy a used car!!

 

Thanks - must admit I am experiencing the same with bookings not made on board. Viking are being less generous lately. I even had to assist my TA with negotiations on one of our bookings, as she was getting nowhere.

[Mich3554]

1 hour ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Caution: Know the price of the cruise that appears in a recent mailing or posting before you cruise.

Last time we priced onboard the cruise consultant started at a ridiculously high price to be able to offer the laundry list of discounts. The net was higher than we had recently seen in a Viking brochure!

Just sayin’…

We booked 2 cruises while on the Jupiter last week.  The price we started with (without discounts) was what was listed online from the web site, which was what we expected.

[broker1217]

As a courtesy to your fellow cruisers-book an appointment with the future cruise consultant. Do your research ahead of time and know what you want to book. Bring your credit card and passport to the appointment.

We were stuck waiting while someone was with the consultant for over an hour perusing all manner of ocean and river cruises. They left without booking. Just tire kickers. They had no idea where they wanted to go.

[CCWineLover]

13 minutes ago, broker1217 said:

As a courtesy to your fellow cruisers-book an appointment with the future cruise consultant. Do your research ahead of time and know what you want to book. Bring your credit card and passport to the appointment.

We were stuck waiting while someone was with the consultant for over an hour perusing all manner of ocean and river cruises. They left without booking. Just tire kickers. They had no idea where they wanted to go.

Very good points.  We book appointments, come prepared, and it is all smooth.

[broker1217]

Yes-we didn’t even sit down. Had him pull up deck plan to pick cabin and out in less than 5 minutes.

Poor man was so thankful-lol.

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Not like trying to buy a used car!!

 

Or even a new car!

[Squawkman]

Two points:

 

The RFG disappeared with bookings made on or after December 1, 2021 for cruises embarking in 2023 and 2024. 2022 cruises still get the RFG.

 

I usually take advantage of Viking's "Welcome Home 14 Day" program where you get $200pp shipboard credit on top of the $200pp Explorer's discount if you book within 14 days of disembarkation. I'm not sure if you automatically get final payment 6 months before embarkation with this program as I always had at least one future cruise booked, so I always got it. For cruises of 8 days or less,  this is a better deal as the total discount amount is the same, but the $200pp shipboard credit is for the new cruise, so you can plan extra excursions, silver spirits, tips, etc. - or let it ride until you're on the new cruise. This program is also available for river cruises, where you have the added advantage of buying $200 vouchers for $100 on board. They can be applied, along with the "Welcome Home" credits, to any new Viking cruise - river and ocean. We booked an ocean cruise for 2023 and saved a total of $500pp after the smoke cleared.

[TayanaLorna]

Question regarding the regular Explorers Club discount - not the promotional ones.  What is it?  On our first Viking cruise we did not get one because we were not yet in the Explorers Club (EC).  On our 2nd cruise we got a $100 per person EC discount.  On our 3rd cruise we got a $200 EC discount plus a bump up of $200 per person due to a promotion ($200 + 200 = $400).  On our 4th we got the $200 EC discount again.  So is $200 the maximum EC discount you get no matter how many cruises you have taken?  If it is, a promotion saying you get a $200 EC discount is no big deal unless you are on your first Viking cruise.

[Mich3554]

I just took a look at our recent booking statement.  We received:

 

Booking discount…$300.00

Past guest level 1 discount…..$400.00. (EC discount?)

Onboard booking savings……$800.00

 

For this cruise, we also received $600 OBC.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Mich3554

[CCWineLover]

9 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

Question regarding the regular Explorers Club discount - not the promotional ones.  What is it?  On our first Viking cruise we did not get one because we were not yet in the Explorers Club (EC).  On our 2nd cruise we got a $100 per person EC discount.  On our 3rd cruise we got a $200 EC discount plus a bump up of $200 per person due to a promotion ($200 + 200 = $400).  On our 4th we got the $200 EC discount again.  So is $200 the maximum EC discount you get no matter how many cruises you have taken?  If it is, a promotion saying you get a $200 EC discount is no big deal unless you are on your first Viking cruise.

Hi Lorna -

My understanding is that you get the EC discount (called "Past Guest Discount") as follows:

-you get $200 pp if you have been on a Viking cruise within the last year (365 days)

-you get $100 pp if you haven't been on in more than a year

 

Getting an extra $200 pp on a promotion is rare, but great if you swung it!  We've never had that.

[TayanaLorna]

19 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Hi Lorna -

My understanding is that you get the EC discount (called "Past Guest Discount") as follows:

-you get $200 pp if you have been on a Viking cruise within the last year (365 days)

-you get $100 pp if you haven't been on in more than a year

 

Getting an extra $200 pp on a promotion is rare, but great if you swung it!  We've never had that.

We have always booked next cruise within 365 days of last cruise.  So with your thinking our 2nd Viking cruise EC (meaning past guest) should have been $200 whereas we got $100.  So perhaps the EC discount is whatever they feel like offering at the time based on how long its been since your last cruise.  It is not a "loyalty" discount based on how many cruises you have taken.

[Squawkman]

I believe CCWinelover is correct. An exception was made when cruising within 12 months was impossible due to covid. We booked a few cruises and received $200pp even though it had been over a year since we actually sailed.

 

one more point re: my previous post about the “Welcome Home” promotion. Unlike booking on board, you only get FP in 6 months if you have another cruise booked. I checked that with my Viking agent.

[TayanaLorna]

15 hours ago, Squawkman said:

I believe CCWinelover is correct. An exception was made when cruising within 12 months was impossible due to covid. We booked a few cruises and received $200pp even though it had been over a year since we actually sailed.

 

one more point re: my previous post about the “Welcome Home” promotion. Unlike booking on board, you only get FP in 6 months if you have another cruise booked. I checked that with my Viking agent.

My Viking agent told me that everything offered on board he could give us within 2 weeks of our return.  That was not true because he could not extend the 6 month final payment deal.  We did not book.