Risk Free Guarantee?

[jonthomas]

Other lines are beginning to offer it for 2023 and beyond.

 

Need for Viking to do the same in order to feel confident .

 

Any information or opinions are welcome.

[shadowlover]

they have a risk free guarantee... not sure what you're asking?

https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/risk-free-guarantee.html

[anaco_angler]

It is only valid for 2022 cruises, not 2023 and beyond.

[zalusky]

I would not call it a truly risk free guarantee.  

• You can't split the credits amongst multiple future cruises.
• You can only use it once and Tripmate does not insure it so if you need to cancel the second cruise you are SOL.  If they cancel that's different.

We have a cruise this July to the Midnight Sun and the 120 day full refund date is in March.  The above RFG restrictions don't comfort me and If I don't see a return to normal by March, I think I will cancel for money then versus taking a gamble with Risk Free.  Ports, Norway Opening, Masking, Testing Rules, Quarantine possibilities especially for my immune suppressed wife are just a little too risky.   

 

Am I mistaken?  What are other people's thoughts?

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, zalusky said:

If I don't see a return to normal by March,

 

I am rather pessimistic about the whole  return to "normal" thing.  I don't think that we will be seeing a return to normal by March (and if we think we do, it will quickly disappear due to yet another variant); I don't even think we will see it at all in 2022. I personally think that masks, testing and even possible "bubbles" will part of the travel routine for a couple of more years at least.

 

But, I will be happy to be proven wrong.

[CCWineLover]

16 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

I am rather pessimistic about the whole  return to "normal" thing.  I don't think that we will be seeing a return to normal by March (and if we think we do, it will quickly disappear due to yet another variant); I don't even think we will see it at all in 2022. I personally think that masks, testing and even possible "bubbles" will part of the travel routine for a couple of more years at least.

 

But, I will be happy to be proven wrong.

I agree with you, sadly.   People are always saying, "when COVID is over", but I don't think it will ever be over.  What will need to happen is a different approach by governments and countries to allow people to get on with their lives.  Now that might take into 2023 to happen.  The current environment with Omicron, if it continues to 2023, will basically shut things down for most people.

I have hope (perhaps misguided) that after 2022 things will change.

We also are on Midnight Sun in June and are highly aware of the March date.  I also do not think anything will be different in March from now and I don't think Viking will ever cancel cruises - they will just change ports and itineraries.

 

I also would be happy to be proven wrong!  🙂

 

[jonthomas]

23 hours ago, shadowlover said:

they have a risk free guarantee... not sure what you're asking?

https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/risk-free-guarantee.html

 

ah yes, I neglected to mention one important fact... I am looking for "risk free " for 2023 and 2024, so I can move my jan, 2023 further if there isnt one in 2023. Our final payment is in March of 2022. Yes, almost 15 months in advance. 

[zalusky]

45 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

 

ah yes, I neglected to mention one important fact... I am looking for "risk free " for 2023 and 2024, so I can move my jan, 2023 further if there isnt one in 2023. Our final payment is in March of 2022. Yes, almost 15 months in advance. 

Yea but you can only move it once and if something happens on the one you move it to you are screwed.  The certificates are valueless to insurance companies from what I understand.

[zalusky]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

I agree with you, sadly.   People are always saying, "when COVID is over", but I don't think it will ever be over.  What will need to happen is a different approach by governments and countries to allow people to get on with their lives.  Now that might take into 2023 to happen.  The current environment with Omicron, if it continues to 2023, will basically shut things down for most people.

I have hope (perhaps misguided) that after 2022 things will change.

We also are on Midnight Sun in June and are highly aware of the March date.  I also do not think anything will be different in March from now and I don't think Viking will ever cancel cruises - they will just change ports and itineraries.

 

I also would be happy to be proven wrong!  🙂

 

Thats one of my concerns. Viking had a Hawaii cruise recently and Hawaii locked down so instead of cancelling the cruise Viking just told all the passengers you are now going to Mexico.

 

If I planned a Midnight Sun cruise and Viking told me a week or ever two days before sorry you are now going to Bermuda for a week I would be a bit upset.

Yea you have RFG because you are inside the 120 day threshold but as I mentioned the RFG screws you when it comes to insurance at least for Tripmate.

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, zalusky said:

Thats one of my concerns. Viking had a Hawaii cruise recently and Hawaii locked down so instead of cancelling the cruise Viking just told all the passengers you are now going to Mexico.

 

 

We weren't just told "you are now going to Mexico." We were given a choice to keep the booking or cancel for a full refund and as far as I know without losing any vouchers.  We stuck with the trip so I can't speak personally about the cancellation process but none of the people on our roll call reported any issues. Those who stayed on were given an OBC commensurate with the cabin category in recompense; it was more than enough to cover the three tours we wanted to do and the gratuities. 

 

[jonthomas]

Well if one move means I lose the voucher, I am screwed and hence the beef. NO way can I give final payment 15 months ahead of cruise. That is insane. Next Dec we can face what we are facing now. Our govt makes it so difficult to get back into the  country if you travel. Viking really gives you very little choice. Hoping for a risk free in 2023 or 2024 to move it to. Cant see any other way. 

[Twitchly]

16 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

I agree with you, sadly.   People are always saying, "when COVID is over", but I don't think it will ever be over.  What will need to happen is a different approach by governments and countries to allow people to get on with their lives.  Now that might take into 2023 to happen.  The current environment with Omicron, if it continues to 2023, will basically shut things down for most people.

I have hope (perhaps misguided) that after 2022 things will change.

We also are on Midnight Sun in June and are highly aware of the March date.  I also do not think anything will be different in March from now and I don't think Viking will ever cancel cruises - they will just change ports and itineraries.

 

I also would be happy to be proven wrong!  🙂

 

So would I, but so far … just found out that the cruise we recently bailed on, Journey to Antiquities and the Holy Land, just turned into an extended Journey to Antiquities, one week before sailing. (We canceled a week before that.) Israel had to be dropped, apparently. That’s a big deal. Don’t know if Viking offered refunds or just vouchers, but I feel bad for everyone on that cruise. 

[broker1217]

I'm confused---what were your payment terms on your original booking? As far as I know, unless you book onboard and get 6 months, final payment has always been around 12 months.

S you are currently booked on a Jan. 2023 and they want final payment March 2022?

[Squawkman]

11 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

 

We weren't just told "you are now going to Mexico." We were given a choice to keep the booking or cancel for a full refund and as far as I know without losing any vouchers.  We stuck with the trip so I can't speak personally about the cancellation process but none of the people on our roll call reported any issues. Those who stayed on were given an OBC commensurate with the cabin category in recompense; it was more than enough to cover the three tours we wanted to do and the gratuities. 

 

Peregrina651 is correct. We were on a Viking river cruise (Portugal) when we received the 11/16/21 email package announcing the change of the itinerary from Hawaii to Mexico and the additional OBC. We thought about it, but concluded the new itinerary and OBC was fair. We really wanted to go to Hawaii, so I called my Viking agent to cancel. We received a full refund within a week or so.

[jonthomas]

31 minutes ago, broker1217 said:

I'm confused---what were your payment terms on your original booking? As far as I know, unless you book onboard and get 6 months, final payment has always been around 12 months.

S you are currently booked on a Jan. 2023 and they want final payment March 2022?

 

yes the cruise is on Jan 18, 2023 and final pay is before March 31, 2022. Awful.

[Hockeyump]

But you surely knew this when you booked?

[broker1217]

15 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

 

yes the cruise is on Jan 18, 2023 and final pay is before March 31, 2022. Awful.

 

That's less than 10 months.

Your choice is to accept Viking's payment terms, or book a cruise that does not cost any more than your vouchers. 

 

If I had vouchers, I would endeavor to use then sooner rather than later---as in 2022. That way you have the RFG.

I still don't understand the outrage over payment terms that have been in place all along. When did you make final payment on your original booking?

[jonthomas]

Correction...cruise is on March 21, 2023, Full Pay, due March 31, 2022. 

 

 I didnt understand that by moving it to another date, I would lose the vouchers I paid good money for. But that still remains to be seen. As soon as I see something further back, I will attempt to move it. Then I will  know for sure what happens. 

 

Will see, if you feel outrage when  you lose FCVs, for not being able to travel when your govt issues a mandate not to do so. 

[jonthomas]

Right now, I am watching for new itins to come out for 2024. I am sure many are waiting for the same thing to figure out what to do.

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, Squawkman said:

Peregrina651 is correct. We were on a Viking river cruise (Portugal) when we received the 11/16/21 email package announcing the change of the itinerary from Hawaii to Mexico and the additional OBC. We thought about it, but concluded the new itinerary and OBC was fair. We really wanted to go to Hawaii, so I called my Viking agent to cancel. We received a full refund within a week or so.

 

Let's be clear: if vouchers were used they went back to voucher status and cash was refunded. The vouchers were treated as if Viking had cancelled. 

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, broker1217 said:

, final payment has always been around 12 months.

 

Not really. Viking Oceans' final payment policy was based on what it had been when the company was just a river company and the schedule for 2011 was announced in 2010.  At that time, payment was due in the month you booked.  If you were booking in July, 2020 for a November, 2021 cruise on the Danube, you're payment in full was due by the end of July, 2020, 16 months out. 

 

That mentality carried over when VO started booking. In June, 2014 when we booked our first VO for July, 2016, we fully expected to have to pay in full by the end of the month--and were delightfully surprised when we were allowed to push it off until December.  We paid in full over 18 month out. 

 

For a brief period of time, Viking was a bit flexible and those who knew to ask could get 6 months out. That flexibility ended at the end of 2018.

 

Since then, the policy has been firmly closer to the original 'pay at booking' policy, with the ability to maybe negotiate nothing better than 12 months prior unless you have an existing booking when you can ask for 6 months. 

 

[broker1217]

41 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Not really. Viking Oceans' final payment policy was based on what it had been when the company was just a river company and the schedule for 2011 was announced in 2010.  At that time, payment was due in the month you booked.  If you were booking in July, 2020 for a November, 2021 cruise on the Danube, you're payment in full was due by the end of July, 2020, 16 months out. 

 

That mentality carried over when VO started booking. In June, 2014 when we booked our first VO for July, 2016, we fully expected to have to pay in full by the end of the month--and were delightfully surprised when we were allowed to push it off until December.  We paid in full over 18 month out. 

 

For a brief period of time, Viking was a bit flexible and those who knew to ask could get 6 months out. That flexibility ended at the end of 2018.

 

Since then, the policy has been firmly closer to the original 'pay at booking' policy, with the ability to maybe negotiate nothing better than 12 months prior unless you have an existing booking when you can ask for 6 months. 

 

Thanks for clarifying. I have no historical knowledge of Viking River payment policies. Only know that in the last few years, it is generally ~12 months unless you book on board or have existing booking.

Perhaps OP negotiated 6 month terms for an original cruise booked 2018 or prior?

 

 

 

[jonthomas]

During a pandemic, it is very difficult to give final payment that far out. 

 

Over the summer months things were pointing in the right direction. When December/January came around, things changed drastically. Many of us feel the same thing will happen next year. 

 

The cruise in question for me is in March. Will see what craziness is still in effect in March with the cruise lines, itineraries and my own  Country's restrictions. Right now, Canadas airports are also beyond crazy. So this March may gave me a clue on how to proceed with the final payment at the end of that month. 

[alidor]

I think this “risk free guarantee” is somewhat of a marketing tool.   If you have last minute Covid reasons, you are not protected but this policy.  It would be nice if you had to cancel 2 weeks prior because you know you will have Covid or be exposed so close to departure, but it does not work that way.

[CCWineLover]

35 minutes ago, alidor said:

I think this “risk free guarantee” is somewhat of a marketing tool.   If you have last minute Covid reasons, you are not protected but this policy.  It would be nice if you had to cancel 2 weeks prior because you know you will have Covid or be exposed so close to departure, but it does not work that way.

The two week RFG does make it tough.  Fortunately we still have a couple of the old 24 hour RFG's (which ended last Feb 28, '21).  I didn't think much of the change, but certainly after Omicron and Delta, that 13 day extension looms large.

 

We have the 14 day RFG for our March cruise.  We plan to keep a low profile over winter (no family or social gatherings), then take a couple of the free PCR tests about 18 days ahead of time.  If we are safe then, we will really bunker down inside for 2 weeks. 

So many people are walking around with Omicron and don't even know it.  Everytime you go to the grocery store you can bet there's plenty of them in line or wandering the aisles or picking out the fresh vegetables.  Everyone is a suspect.

I guess for everyone it is a personal decision and an evaluation of how much you wish to cruise and how much risk you wish to take.  There is no easy answer.