Final Payment Question

I received an email reminder from Viking today requesting final payment for our cruise that does not sail for another 14 months.

I was surprised and of course immediately checked our original booking information to confirm. Sure enough full payment is due June 30th 2017 for a sailing that occurs August 2018.

Based on my experience with other cruise lines this seems awfully early. Why does Viking require full payment so far in advance

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Did your fare include airfare? I had Viking quote me for a river cruise that included airfare and they wanted final payment super early. When I questioned it the agent said they needed it early because of the airfare, but they were able to extend it by another 6 months.

Yes, my price does include Air.

My previous Regent Cruise also included air but final payment was about 4 moths before sail date. I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with this 14 month full payment policy

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That's how I felt. As I said they offered me a 6 month extension when I asked.

Viking does have a different business model for booking their cruise. I was used to final payment 90 days before actual sail date. Paid up in full Jan 2017, for a cruise departing in March 2018.

It cuts down on folks who put deposits on multiple cruises and then decide months later which cruise they will actually take. Never understood that method of booking.

Some of the Viking cruises categories fill up or are sold out a year in advance, so it must work for them.

Why does Viking require full payment so far in advance

 

 

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Because they can. People are willing to pay years in advance of sailing because they want to sail on Viking and they want to make sure they have a spot on the cruise they want. Vikings early passengers even paid in full to sail on a ship that had not yet been built on cruise line that had not yet made its first ocean voyage.

That said, it looks like Viking is in the process of changing its policy as a number of people have reported lately that on recent bookings the payment in full date is 6 months before sailing.

I booked early June 2016 for a July 2017 cruise, popular sold out itinerary.

I booked through a TA including Viking Air. The fine print in the brochure indicated that final payment would be due in 30 days of booking. I was a little hesitant to pay that far in advance but I was willing to do so.

When the TA confirmed our booking and deposit they indicated final payment was not due until 6 months before departure which is what happened.

Go figure.

Because they can ... is not reason enough.

I'm not blaming Viking, the final payment date was in the original contract. My eye probably didn't catch the 2017 part. Likely I thought it was June 2018 which would be more reasonable - or even 6 months prior as someone else mentioned

It's not about being able to pay so much as being WILLING to pay in full 14mths ahead

I know their cruises are popular and sell out but they are not the only cruise line in the small ship/luxury category

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Final payment for July 2019 cruise due January 2019, so also 6 months. I think Regent was about 4 months? I know I booked it so late, full payment was like a week later.

We've just booked the Japan to Vancouver cruise in 2019. My full payment is 12/31/2017. This does prevent idle cancellations close to sailing. If the ships weren't as popular as they are, Viking couldn't get away with it. But they are, so they can.

This is standard Viking policy. Will be on Viking Sea, with air included, on 1/6/2018 and final payment is due 7/31/2017. As others have mentioned it is possible, I think, to get an extention of time.

According to their cancellation schedule, if you cancel 121 days or more before departure, you will get a full refund minus $100 booking or handling fee. I was very leery of paying/committing so early as we may have family events that conflict (imagine a wedding or birth of 1st grandchild!). :D

Mia

Final payment for July 2019 cruise due January 2019, so also 6 months. I think Regent was about 4 months? I know I booked it so late, full payment was like a week later.

We're doing June 2019 cruise and have been told twice that final payment is December of THIS year. Hadn't thought of asking for an extension, 18 months is a long way off.

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My ta pushed for it, because it was a deal breaker for me.

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We leave on March 28, 2018, ou final is due September 28, 6 months in advance.

Paid in full 7/31/16 for a sailing in September of 2017 with "bargain" airfare. And then we are in last category to book for optional excursions. Unless business drops off these policies are likely to continue.

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Onboard Viking has a new policy offering cruise discounts and with payment due not until 6 months before departure.

This thread is interesting as it highlights how different the T&Cs are both sides of the Atlantic. Here in the UK the final payment is due 90 days before the cruise departure. Ditto the USA, but according to Viking, special promotions may require an earlier payment, which is presumably what some people have experienced in this thread. We also have to pay a deposit of 25% of the full cruise fare (compared to $500 pp in the USA), and if we cancel more than 70 days before departure, we forfeit the full deposit :-(

This thread is interesting as it highlights how different the T&Cs are both sides of the Atlantic. Here in the UK the final payment is due 90 days before the cruise departure. Ditto the USA, but according to Viking, special promotions may require an earlier payment, which is presumably what some people have experienced in this thread. We also have to pay a deposit of 25% of the full cruise fare (compared to $500 pp in the USA), and if we cancel more than 70 days before departure, we forfeit the full deposit :-(

Yes VERY different offers & Ts & Cs in different sides of the pond.

My only nit is that on this side, the side where Brits burned Washington DC to the ground 200 years ago, Viking has traditionally required (your TA can sometimes postpone this) final, full payment over a year in advance. The "only" 6 months before is a new policy for Colonials. Maybe only for reservations made on board? I do not know.

Viking has traditionally required ... final, full payment over a year in advance.

And yet on the Viking US website it says:

A deposit for cruise/land of $500 per person is required to secure a confirmed reservation. When more than one cruise is booked, deposit and payment policies apply per cruise. The final balance is due no later than 90 days prior to sailing but special promotions may require an earlier payment ... Promotions and special offers may have different payment terms – please refer to promotion or special offers.

PS I'm sure we Brits wouldn't have been so reckless as to raze Washington DC to the ground. It must have been an accident! ;-)

This 6 months is a NEW policy as stated at least the US. Read many posts proceeding where payment is >1 year in advance.

And yet on the Viking US website it says:

 

A deposit for cruise/land of $500 per person is required to secure a confirmed reservation. When more than one cruise is booked, deposit and payment policies apply per cruise. The final balance is due no later than 90 days prior to sailing but special promotions may require an earlier payment ... Promotions and special offers may have different payment terms – please refer to promotion or special offers.

 

PS I'm sure we Brits wouldn't have been so reckless as to raze Washington DC to the ground. It must have been an accident! ;-)

The thing is that it is rigged so that most of us book under a special promotion of one sort or another. The 2-for-1 business and the air deals and the "early booking" discount are all "promotions and special offers" and thus have different terms.

The thing is that it is rigged so that most of us book under a special promotion of one sort or another. The 2-for-1 business and the air deals and the "early booking" discount are all "promotions and special offers" and thus have different terms.

We've always booked with a special promotion and for our last three Viking cruises, final payment has been six months prior to sailing despite what the terms and conditions say. Our TAs have just asked. We were too inexperienced to request it for our first cruise.

Same with us. Our first Viking cruise we booked through a TA and had to pay within 30 days. Our next two, which we booked directly with Viking, we asked for a later final payment date and got 6 months before sailing with no problem.

This thread was beginning to worry me until I saw jimgri's response re the differences between different countries. I'm travelling on the Viking Sun's maiden voyage on 4th October and we don't have to pay the balance (75%) till the 26 July - 70 days. It may be a EU thing rather than a Brit thing - Viking is a Norwegian company and though Norway is not in the EU it complies with most of the EU legislation. I know some companies like Cunard have 2 different tiers of fare in the UK whereby you can get a good deal but have to pay the full cost rather than a deposit.

Does feel like a rip off though - I know interest rates are low but that is a long time to have your money.