Travelers beware of Vikings new travel voucher policy. NEVER purchase travel insurance through Viking!

[ginnyb51]

Viking future cruise vouchers have no cash value and trip insurance is worthless if you need to cancel.  We purchased travel insurance through Viking but missed a general “notification” for an April, 2023 only offer to upgrade insurance to cover vouchers issued after Vikings Risk Free Guarantee expired.  We paid $6,000 in cash to Viking in 2020.   We have health problems and may need to cancel.  Just learned travel insurance we purchased through Viking will not reimburse for trip cancellation, cannot be refunded, and Viking will not refund or issue new vouchers under their Cancel for Any Reason Waiver.  This unethical money grab does not live up to the hype that Viking is putting out nor to the excellent customer service and retention activities of the past.  If we must cancel for health reasons we lose everything we paid.   Extremely disappointed in Viking!

[Selion]

Welcome to CC!

 

Sorry to hear about your situation.  The shortcomings of Viking vouchers and TripMate had been discussed time & again on this board.  Unfortunately what you had experienced isn't something new.  TripMate as a travel insurance provider leaves A LOT to be desired.  For one, they won't cover cruises booked with vouchers unless you paid for the "upgrade."

 

Instead of cancelling the booking, have you asked Viking if you could transfer your booking to a later sailing date?  Hopefully by that time your health has improved to be able to make the trip.

[Frisky070802]

I totally agree with your dismay about vouchers not being refunded. Didn’t realize part of our payment, left over from 2020, would not be covered until we paid more to upgrade to include it. Talk about “fine print”!  Very disappointed. 

[ginnyb51]

Thank you.  We have tried negotiating with Viking.  Over half our trip was paid for with vouchers for prior cruise that missed key ports and for inconvenience early in COVID.   Issuing new vouchers was refused.  I offered to cancel for 65% of cash we paid as we are in cancellation period and I would think they could resell our cabin and it would be a win win for all.  No dice, they are adamant that they have no responsibility to us and if we have to cancel it is because we missed their obviously not meant to be noticed email about trip insurance.  We have submitted a request to use a mobility scooter onboard and if they refuse it we must cancel with no recourse.

 

I loved Viking and thought they treated us well during COVID but would never sail, recommend, or speak politely about this cruise line again!  Shocking corporate behavior that was totally unexpected!  Cruise the World in Comfort looks to turn into Stay Home in Disgust! 

[HHI Cruiser1]

Sorry for your hassle and loss as Viking has become very inflexible recently.  Viking's land based customer service is poor and not customer focused anymore.  Many have experienced this, so you are not alone.  Hope others learn from your experience and consider experiences like this when booking future cruises.

[Heidi13]

14 hours ago, ginnyb51 said:

Viking future cruise vouchers have no cash value and trip insurance is worthless if you need to cancel.  We purchased travel insurance through Viking but missed a general “notification” for an April, 2023 only offer to upgrade insurance to cover vouchers issued after Vikings Risk Free Guarantee expired.  We paid $6,000 in cash to Viking in 2020.   We have health problems and may need to cancel.  Just learned travel insurance we purchased through Viking will not reimburse for trip cancellation, cannot be refunded, and Viking will not refund or issue new vouchers under their Cancel for Any Reason Waiver.  This unethical money grab does not live up to the hype that Viking is putting out nor to the excellent customer service and retention activities of the past.  If we must cancel for health reasons we lose everything we paid.   Extremely disappointed in Viking!

 

Your situation is most unfortunate, but I believe in your situation Viking are just following their stated policies and procedures, which have been discussed extensively on this and other social media platforms.

 

The reason the Tripmate Insurance is not covering the vouchers is because you did not pay any premiums on the portion of the cruise fare covered by the vouchers. When I booked a cruise with partial vouchers, the first question I asked is why is the premium is so low. It was explained that Tripmate does not cover the value of the vouchers. Since you had a previous cruise booked to have had vouchers, surely you could have noted the difference in insurance premiums. Had you received multiple quotes, I expect the Tripmate would have come in lower, which should have raised a "Red Flag"

 

When receiving vouchers, the terms & conditions are also provided and further information/clarification on their use is readily available. When we were provided the offer of a significant voucher at a 25% uplift, I thoroughly researched the risks involved and elected to take the lower cash amount. A 25% uplift is a significant return on the investment, but it also came with significant risks. With the exception of the very first vouchers, the key T&C is once a voucher it has ZERO cash value.

 

Upon receiving vouchers, did you also have the option of receiving cash at that time. If you had the cash option available, I assume you also did a risk assessment, accepting the potential for the loss of the original cruise fare.

 

Any competent Travel Agent could advise you of these potential issues, which would have prevented your current predicament. If you don't use a Travel Agent, then you are responsible for asking all the right questions, or even joining this social media platform before you have an issue, as the information is readily available.

[LibertyBella]

I cannot blame Viking if people do not understand the voucher "rules." 

 

It is not Viking's job to hold everyone's hand and make sure they thoroughly read terms and conditions.  Many, many people on this website want to do everything themselves, and then blame the cruise line if it does not work out, instead of taking responsibility for not learning the travel parameters.

 

I used a Viking voucher this year, left over from the pandemic, and my mother had one as well which she decided not to use.  I learned all the rules about the vouchers and I had her transfer the voucher to my brother.  I warned my brother that if you cancel and do not use it, you lose it.

 

Travel insurance is not always a fail-safe anyway, as it has its own set of terms and conditions.

 

The bottom line is never accept vouchers unless you fully understand how to use them.

[Hanoj]

7 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Your situation is most unfortunate, but I believe in your situation Viking are just following their stated policies and procedures, which have been discussed extensively on this and other social media platforms.

 

The reason the Tripmate Insurance is not covering the vouchers is because you did not pay any premiums on the portion of the cruise fare covered by the vouchers. When I booked a cruise with partial vouchers, the first question I asked is why is the premium is so low. It was explained that Tripmate does not cover the value of the vouchers. Since you had a previous cruise booked to have had vouchers, surely you could have noted the difference in insurance premiums. Had you received multiple quotes, I expect the Tripmate would have come in lower, which should have raised a "Red Flag"

 

When receiving vouchers, the terms & conditions are also provided and further information/clarification on their use is readily available. When we were provided the offer of a significant voucher at a 25% uplift, I thoroughly researched the risks involved and elected to take the lower cash amount. A 25% uplift is a significant return on the investment, but it also came with significant risks. With the exception of the very first vouchers, the key T&C is once a voucher it has ZERO cash value.

 

Upon receiving vouchers, did you also have the option of receiving cash at that time. If you had the cash option available, I assume you also did a risk assessment, accepting the potential for the loss of the original cruise fare.

 

Any competent Travel Agent could advise you of these potential issues, which would have prevented your current predicament. If you don't use a Travel Agent, then you are responsible for asking all the right questions, or even joining this social media platform before you have an issue, as the information is readily available.

@Heidi13 (with respect, I know your name but we’ve not established the familiarity such use entails), I commend you for your objectivity. It’s exemplary. Many, myself included I suspect, would have taken a shot at disparaging Viking when the fruit hangs so low. You didn’t, you ale drinking saint (I’m reminded of Martin Luther who enjoyed discussing theology over a pint or two!). I’m sincere in my compliments. It’s refreshing observing such integrity.

 

Anecdotally, we opted to take the cash refund in lieu of future cruise vouchers with the 25% uplift when Viking canceled our May 2020 cruise. As a financial professional I weighed the risk of whether Viking would survive the shutdown against the likelihood of increased fares upon resumption. I didn’t wade through the details of the vouchers, but would have carefully considered the terms before accepting the vouchers if I had been inclined toward their offer.

 

Unfortunately, caveat emptor, as a principle in law, remains highly relevant. 

[Frisky070802]

@Hanoj, you were lucky. We canceled our June 20 cruise just before Viking would have, so we got no extra sweetener, and were forced to take some of the cancellation $ in vouchers. 

[longterm]

Someone will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can tell by searching the web, Trip Mate isn't owned by Viking, although they do offer it. So, I'm not clear on why Viking gets the blame for this unfortunate situation.

 

We had a thorny problem with an upgraded cruise in 2021; we agreed to delay our cruise in lieu of some money, a suite, and a longer cruise. Then, Covid came along and our cruise was cancelled, and the Viking rep didn't want to give us a replacement cruise at the value of the upgraded cruise. I argued for almost an hour with successive reps, until a helpful person told me to contact the "move-over" department directly. They honored the upgrade and we were able to rebook a cruise with the value of the upgrade.

 

The lesson I learned was to be persistent; it took me more than an hour on the phone, and then a plaintive email, but we managed to prevail. Should that have been necessary? No, probably not.

 

I bought Trip Mate for my very first Viking cruise (the Grand European river cruise), but subsequently realized they weren't the company to use. We use Travel Guard now, and when arranging an Africa trip that we're taking, my TA told me that if you don't get Travel Guard within 14 days of paying the first payment for a trip, the "cancel for any reason" clause isn't in effect. I took him at his word, planning to get insurance anyway, and immediately got insurance for the trip.

 

Regarding mobility scooters, my understanding is that they're not allowed on Viking ships, but again, if I'm wrong I have no doubt that someone will set the record straight. 🙂

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by longterm

[Selion]

Just watched Black Mirror S6 Ep1 on Streamberry.  It's in our nature to ask "How can they do this?" when it is us who accepted the T&Cs without fully understanding them.

[Cienfuegos]

1 hour ago, longterm said:

Someone will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can tell by searching the web, Trip Mate isn't owned by Viking, although they do offer it. So, I'm not clear on why Viking gets the blame for this unfortunate situation.

 

 

In my extended issues with TripMate and Viking over their shortcomings on Cancel For Any Reason, TripMate made it clear they act as a plan administrator for Viking. Using rules established by Viking.  TripMate isn't on the hook for payments.

 

My understanding is Viking re-insures / shares the risk with highly reputable, financially stable insurance companies and takes a piece of the profits.

[Heidi13]

8 minutes ago, Cienfuegos said:

In my extended issues with TripMate and Viking over their shortcomings on Cancel For Any Reason, TripMate made it clear they act as a plan administrator for Viking. Using rules established by Viking.  TripMate isn't on the hook for payments.

 

My understanding is Viking re-insures / shares the risk with highly reputable, financially stable insurance companies and takes a piece of the profits.

 

The policy document clearly outlines who provides the insurance coverage in the 2-part policy.

 

Part A - is provided by Viking cruises. It includes:

   - Trip Cancellation

   - Trip Interruption & Delayed Arrival

   - Occupancy Upgrade - 2nd person cancels

   - Missed Connection

   - Travel delay

   - CFAR Waiver

 

Part B - is underwritten by an Insurance Company, which I note has changed a few times with the policies we purchased. It includes:

   - Accidental Death and Dismemberment

   - Accident and Sickness Medical Expense

   - Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation

   - Baggage and Personal Effects

   - Baggage Delay

 

So yes, Tripmate is the plan administrator, but they administer the plan for both Viking (Part A) and an insurance company (Part B).

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, longterm said:

Regarding mobility scooters, my understanding is that they're not allowed on Viking ships, but again, if I'm wrong I have no doubt that someone will set the record straight.

 

Motorized scooters are not allowed on board, the key word here being motorized. Mechanical aides are permitted. See the Viking Oceans FAQ, in the section "Life on Board."

[CurlerRob]

25 minutes ago, Cienfuegos said:

In my extended issues with TripMate and Viking over their shortcomings on Cancel For Any Reason, TripMate made it clear they act as a plan administrator for Viking. Using rules established by Viking.  TripMate isn't on the hook for payments.

 

My understanding is Viking re-insures / shares the risk with highly reputable, financially stable insurance companies and takes a piece of the profits.

It's complex. Viking obviously markets the insurance under the TripMate branding.

 

The CFAR portion of the policy is underwritten by Viking itself and, as you observe, they make the rules for that portion of the policy. The rest of the policy (a more traditional set of insurances) are underwritten by Generali. It's not clear to me if the plan administrator is a separate company or a division of Generali.

 

None of which matters other than to say read the policy very carefully, no matter who fronts it! 🍺🥌

[longterm]

9 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The policy document clearly outlines who provides the insurance coverage in the 2-part policy.

 

Part A - is provided by Viking cruises. It includes:

   - Trip Cancellation

   - Trip Interruption & Delayed Arrival

   - Occupancy Upgrade - 2nd person cancels

   - Missed Connection

   - Travel delay

   - CFAR Waiver

 

Part B - is underwritten by an Insurance Company, which I note has changed a few times with the policies we purchased. It includes:

   - Accidental Death and Dismemberment

   - Accident and Sickness Medical Expense

   - Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation

   - Baggage and Personal Effects

   - Baggage Delay

 

So yes, Tripmate is the plan administrator, but they administer the plan for both Viking (Part A) and an insurance company (Part B).

That's really disappointing to learn; I didn't realize how involved Viking actually is with the decision-making at TripMate. 

 

It sounds like Viking's insurance division is run like most insurance companies, where the knee-jerk stance is to deny coverage, then fight to prevent paying out on any claims. I understand that they all look at the bottom line, but bad customer service always leads to a bad public perception. 

 

Fortunately, we haven't had to cancel a cruise yet, but as we get older, the chances of that naturally increase. We have a huge trip to Africa planned for 2025, and this thread has prompted me to read the policy we bought for that trip.

 

I would encourage the OP to stick with it, try to reach the upper echelons of Viking management regarding this situation, but since vouchers are a major sticking point with trip policies, I would doubt that they'll get anywhere with this situation.

[Cienfuegos]

I believe TripMate is mostly owned by Generali. TripMate functions as a plan administrator which interacts with cruise passengers. . I expect Viking is a minority owner.  It's not unusual for insurance companies or consumer businesses to establish a public facing business. That way, any potential negative blow back hits TripMate, not Generali or Viking.  If you have a massive blow up, you dissolve the plan administrator, and use the people and systems to create a new public facing business with a new name.

 

The management of the plan administrator often have a piece of the action, expressed as a % ownership of the business or some significant profit share.

 

For a traveler, one lesson is that the plan administrator's objective is to control and minimize costs relative to revenues received. So, it isn't in their interests to say "Sure, here's a check on day one". Their ability to keep expenses low, and issue vouchers in lieu of cash payouts, is critical to their success. Viking was paying 11% for money, now lowered to 8% range, holding onto "free" money is crucial to their success

 

The same plan administrator protocol is used by many companies to administer pension plans, honor warranty claims, etc.

[ginnyb51]

Well this has been entertaining!  I have never posted on Cruise Critic before and the responses are all over from sorry it happened to why didn't you play attention.    It must be nice to have time to research everything you should or might, but that is not the life am living, so blaming the victim is not helpful.   Discussion of trip insurance was enlightening, and if Viking reinsures that puts them at financial risk and would explain the one obscure notification email that only mentioned insurance in the body and did not have Insurance in the email title.   I missed it because I get several marketing emails a day from Viking and sure don't have time to open and read all of them.  Cruising is marvelous and I am sorry to see Viking turning away from previous customer friendly policies.   I think it likely they are under more financial strain than they want to acknowledge between COVID and the fact that it coincided with an obvious expansion.    Although I don't like our situation at all and do not think it fair to me as a consumer I can recognize their may be reasons for Viking's change.    I stand by my statement that travel insurance should not be purchased from Viking, especially if they reinsure and bear the risk for travel insurance claims.    Just buy travel insurance from an independent broker that you find through your travel agent or on your own.    This was my first experience buying travel insurance, we usually take the risk or rely on trip cancellation coverage with travel credit cards.   I consider this a beginner's mistake and hope other's don't make the same error.  The vouchers were great until they weren't!

[Cienfuegos]

To be clear, "reinsurance" is the process of an insurance company securing additional or backup coverage from another financial entity. On its own, it's not good or bad. Sometimes it is the result of a decision to let experts handle the pricing and terms of bearing the risk. Viking runs a transportation / hospitality business. Writing insurance against travel related risks may not be the business they choose.  But competitive forces or profit potential may make it necessary.

 

From a practical standpoint, you don't want the same series of events (like serious financial problems) to put both the cruise / cruise line and the entity underwriting the travel insurance in the same situation at the same time.

 

 

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, ginnyb51 said:

Well this has been entertaining!  I have never posted on Cruise Critic before and the responses are all over from sorry it happened to why didn't you play attention.    It must be nice to have time to research everything you should or might, but that is not the life am living, so blaming the victim is not helpful.   Discussion of trip insurance was enlightening, and if Viking reinsures that puts them at financial risk and would explain the one obscure notification email that only mentioned insurance in the body and did not have Insurance in the email title.   I missed it because I get several marketing emails a day from Viking and sure don't have time to open and read all of them.  Cruising is marvelous and I am sorry to see Viking turning away from previous customer friendly policies.   I think it likely they are under more financial strain than they want to acknowledge between COVID and the fact that it coincided with an obvious expansion.    Although I don't like our situation at all and do not think it fair to me as a consumer I can recognize their may be reasons for Viking's change.    I stand by my statement that travel insurance should not be purchased from Viking, especially if they reinsure and bear the risk for travel insurance claims.    Just buy travel insurance from an independent broker that you find through your travel agent or on your own.    This was my first experience buying travel insurance, we usually take the risk or rely on trip cancellation coverage with travel credit cards.   I consider this a beginner's mistake and hope other's don't make the same error.  The vouchers were great until they weren't!

 

As with any insurance policy, it is critical to read and understand the policy document to determine what is covered and more especially what is not covered. Some 3rd party policies also don't insure vouchers.

 

You could be experiencing the same issues with a 3rd party insurance policy if you didn't take the time to research and ask the right questions.

[Packman1000]

Wondering if everyone buys travel insurance.   On our upcoming Viking cruise, the insurance quote I got from Tripmate (Viking) was 15% of the cruise cost.  I declined and purchased insurance on my own for about 7% of the cruise cost, which I thought was still high.  I know many fellow cruisers simply take the insurance directly from the cruise provider and at 15% that is too much.  Most people sailing on Viking are likely well off financially, and can self insure.  I have taken 33 cruises and bought insurance on all but the first 3 or 4.  Have never filed a claim.  That's a lot of money spent.

[Mich3554]

30 minutes ago, Packman1000 said:

Wondering if everyone buys travel insurance.   On our upcoming Viking cruise, the insurance quote I got from Tripmate (Viking) was 15% of the cruise cost.  I declined and purchased insurance on my own for about 7% of the cruise cost, which I thought was still high.  I know many fellow cruisers simply take the insurance directly from the cruise provider and at 15% that is too much.  Most people sailing on Viking are likely well off financially, and can self insure.  I have taken 33 cruises and bought insurance on all but the first 3 or 4.  Have never filed a claim.  That's a lot of money spent.

Nope.  DH prefers to self insure.  I did some tooth gnashing about the World Cruise we recently completed, but we did wind up picking up medical insurance for the cruise from another source.  
Both of us are fairly young and healthy, but I suspect there will be a time where it becomes a more serious consideration.

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, Packman1000 said:

Most people sailing on Viking are likely well off financially, and can self insure.  I have taken 33 cruises and bought insurance on all but the first 3 or 4.  Have never filed a claim.  That's a lot of money spent.

 

It only takes one major medical emergency to bankrupt many people. Also Medicare, which I'm sure many of Viking's customers are on, won't cover most international travel situations.

[Packman1000]

1 minute ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

 

It only takes one major medical emergency to bankrupt many people. Also Medicare, which I'm sure many of Viking's customers are on, won't cover most international travel situations.

I understand the medical part of the insurance is a risk you wouldn' want to self insure.   I also understand that many international cruisers, as well as others that travel overseas,  buy a separate international medical policy.   That might negate the purchase of a comprehensive travel policy.

[SJD117]

1 hour ago, Mich3554 said:

Nope.  DH prefers to self insure.  I did some tooth gnashing about the World Cruise we recently completed, but we did wind up picking up medical insurance for the cruise from another source.  
Both of us are fairly young and healthy, but I suspect there will be a time where it becomes a more serious consideration.

I’ve received treatment for metastatic cancer for most of the last five years. I’ve also taken five cruises during this period. There is zero chance, given my condition, that I would self-insure a cruise or a DIY international trip. (I’ve made one insurance claim due to cancer surgery and another for Covid during this period.)