Squawkman

Viking does offer a Porto to Porto cruise itinerary for UK residents - no need to go to Lisbon.

I wonder what would have happened if you paid before yesterday (I.e., in 2022). BTW, I’ve been on 4 Viking cruises post Covid and had no problems with service at any time. But I do feel Viking blew it by not announcing the SS and gratuities increases in an email. We only find out when we look at MVJ, most likely with a calculator at hand. Question for those who book SS when on board: is the cost immediately charged to your credit card or does it remain in your on board account until late in the cruise (like gratuities)? If it’s treated like gratuities, then you should be able to pay the difference at the end of the cruise and not have it block other functions of MVJ.

So UK folks get a 33% increase while Americans get 25%? Weird.

Here’s something interesting - last month we booked a cruise using a promo which included gratuities. So I just checked MVJ which showed $18 per day - but the following paragraph appears on the right: Pre-Paid Gratuities are included for a portion of your trip. To purchase for the remaining days please contact us at 1-855-706-2326. Then I checked my billing statement which clearly states: Promotional Amenities EHT22 Complimentary Pre-Paid Gratuities I’ll check this out with my Viking agent next time we speak, but I would expect Viking should pick up any increase for gratuities just as it does for cruise fare, prepaid extensions and excursions, etc. Honestly, I have no problem tipping extra, but I am a little perplexed with this policy. Question for anyone who has prepaid SS: do you get a similar statement for SS on MVJ?

Gratuities have always been billed per night seemingly as the first and last days of a cruise are 1/2 days. River cruise gratuities had been odd amounts due to Euro conversion. For the heck of it, I checked the parallel FAQ on gratuities on the river site and it says $20 if prepaid and 20€ if billed on board.

They were always a little more as they were 15€ which up until recently was more than $15.

Just checked MVJ for our river cruise. Gratuities there are now $20pp per day. SS is Los $25.

Yes, it could have depending on the 24 hour window and whether or not you were using Viking air. Read the attached file and see for yourself. 10MAY-210120_RiskFreeGuarantee.pdf

We did Herculaneum 4 years ago and our guide was fantastic. There were a couple of spots that explained the “demanding” classification, but she had work arounds for those of us who felt challenged. My suggestion is to talk to your cruise director ASAP and let her know your concerns.

Sorry for your loss. If the future cruise credit was issued before 2/28/21, you most likely could have had your voucher refunded if you contacted Viking on 12/12 when you first heard about your FIL’s medical status. This past April, my wife broke her small toe 2 days before we were to fly out and we were able to salvage the FCV with no issues. We since rebooked that cruise, but now are aware there is no recourse if we can’t make it. while I’m sorry for your predicament, I can’t heed your advice in your last paragraph - Pax need to read the contract, regulations, etc. before accepting a FCV.

Here’s the email I received with personal info deleted: This is an automated email. Please do not reply. Southern Mediterranean Discovery VIKING SKY Booking Number: Ms Mr 06DEC2018 Limited Time Offer: Upgrade to a Penthouse Veranda for $199 USD per person!* Thank you for choosing Viking for your upcoming cruise. We trust that you will enjoy a cruise line voted #1 by the readers of Travel + Leisure for the third year in a row in their World's Best Awards 2018. Your 8-day voyage travels from Rome to Barcelona one culturally enriching itinerary. For a limited time, based on space availability, we would like to invite you to upgrade your experience. For $199 USD per person, enjoy the extra space, perks, and amenities that a Penthouse Veranda provides, including: 338 sq. ft. (25% more space) to relax and enjoy the views Mini-bar replenished daily with complimentary alcoholic beverages 2 guaranteed priority reservations at each alternative restaurant (must be made onboard if within 7 days prior to departure) Complimentary bottle of champagne Complimentary shoe shine and pressing service 1:00 PM priority stateroom access To view a deck plan, please click here. Call now for details: 1-888-xxxx, Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM PST or email Xxxxc We thank you for your patronage and look forward to welcoming you on board soon. Sincerely, Xxxx Operations Agent, Yield Management 1-888-xxxx Viking ***** *Upgrade subject to stateroom availability. Upgrades on a first come, first-served basis. Offer is only available pre-cruise. Insurance may be affected due to cruise cost increase.

In my case, an email was sent to individuals booked for that specific cruise. No promo codes, just a direct person to call if interested.

I was offered and took a last minute upgrade from DV4 ->PV1 for $199pp 4 years ago. I use the same Viking agent and he didn’t know about it until I told him. Offer was by personal email about a week before embarkation. No explanation why I was picked, except maybe because I had done 2 river cruises and this was our first ocean.

Clay - you’re correct. The workaround is when you cancel an existing booking and rebook it as new. Not always possible or desired. Impossible without losing money if the original cruise was booked after 12/1/21 with vouchers. The original question was if using promo codes were restricted to those who received it directly - my response was a resounding no. When I used promo codes, they were brand new bookings or cancellations and rebooking of existing cruises. None were ever paid in full. As we usually have at least one future cruise booked when we book another, they’re always PIF six months before embarkation.

In our case we requested the voucher to be applied when we cancelled Homelands.

That depends on the stipulations of the voucher. We had booked Viking Homelands with a Covid related voucher. When St. Petersburg was eliminated from the itinerary earlier this year, we were able to cancel and apply the voucher to a 2023 cruise booked a few months earlier.

Absolutely true. Done it a few times. My Viking agent told me as long as you give him a valid code, he can apply the discount.

That was our feeling exactly, so we did book Hawaii. But when Hawaii was closed to cruise ships and the cruise became Mexican Riviera, we bailed and got a full cash refund. We were told publicly (here on CC) and privately by folks who stayed on that we made a good decision.

FYI - on our river cruise last month, there was a limit of 10 certificates per person.

As I mentioned, the default is for any outstanding vouchers to be applied. I needed to be proactive and request the Viking agent not to use the voucher. If the booking is transferred to a TA, I would think that shouldn’t make a difference- but I never did that so I don’t know. I never had any vouchers applied without my knowledge. I do agree that there should be language on the original booking document stating vouchers have been applied. I did 4 Viking cruises (2 river, 2 ocean) since November, 2021, and have 4 more booked over for 2023 and 2024. No outstanding vouchers were applied without my knowledge.

This is another reason I forgo using a TA for OBC and use the same Viking agent for all my bookings. The “default” is to apply any outstanding vouchers of any kind. We always discuss outstanding vouchers and have held back using vouchers when it made sense for us to do so. Whenever we finalize a booking, our agent says on the line until I receive and review the new or revised booking document. If something is incorrect, he fixes it immediately and sends a new document. On at least 2 bookings I found errors that were corrected while we were still on the phone.

I meant it wasn’t necessary to connect to a specific WiFi network to activate WiFi when airplane mode is turned on. Sorry for any confusion.

While on a Viking ship, only the ship’s WiFi is used. I’m always in Airplane mode so no cell service can be accessed. When we’re out on a excursion and have “free time”, I usually look for a Macdonalds or Burger King and use their free WiFi.

The ATT $10 deal lasts 24 hours from when you invoke it - then cell service shuts off. Use or lose the full 24 hours.

It isn’t necessary to connect to a WiFi network - just turn it on even if no network is available. I do this each time I get my seat on the plane. If I’m flying on United, as a Mileage Plus member, I can often get free iMessage during the flight (iMessage only - no text, calls, email, web, etc. unless I pay extra). Other frequent flyer groups might offer other WiFi services.