Question re Cabin Pricing

We are in the process of booking a cruise on the Viking Star and have a question about cabin pricing. We selected a Deluxe Veranda 3 category and the travel agent assigned us to a room to the aft of the ship. Because of some mobility issues, we prefer to be near the lifts and requested a DV3 room right near them. Now we are being informed that because of the location of the room, we are being charged a premium. I called Viking for information and they said, No, all DV3 rooms on the same deck cost the same.

We are confused. Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm at the point where I'm about the cancel the reservation as I think it is unfair to charge more for accommodating a disability within the same category of cabin on the same deck.

We have until May 31 to decide. Thanks

We are in the process of booking a cruise on the Viking Star and have a question about cabin pricing. We selected a Deluxe Veranda 3 category and the travel agent assigned us to a room to the aft of the ship. Because of some mobility issues, we prefer to be near the lifts and requested a DV3 room right near them. Now we are being informed that because of the location of the room, we are being charged a premium. I called Viking for information and they said, No, all DV3 rooms on the same deck cost the same.

 

We are confused. Has anyone had a similar experience? I'm at the point where I'm about the cancel the reservation as I think it is unfair to charge more for accommodating a disability within the same category of cabin on the same deck.

 

We have until May 31 to decide. Thanks

I know Viking has a limited number of accessible cabins. Could it be that they are giving you one of those? I don’t know if there is an extra charge for those.

As far as I know the Deluxe Veranda cabins go from DV1 to DV6. The price of the DV1 is higher than the DV6 and location is the main reason. It’s possible that you have been moved from a DV3 to a DV2. I would ask your TA to do a conference call with Viking, so you can tell if there is some miscommunication going on.

You can look at the 2 cabin numbers on their website and see if they are the same category designation. The deck plans are interactive so you can see the different ones.

We had a DV4, but got an upgrade to a PV1 about a week before the cruise. Now I’m spoiled [emoji16]

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I think you may have some miscommunication with your travel agent.

What are the cabin numbers of your original and your new assignment?

D3 cabins are only on deck 5 and are either at front or back of the ship. D2 cabins are mid-ship.

My guess is they moved you from D3 to D2 and that is causing the price difference.

Your travel agent should be able to validate this.

Look here, and select deck 5. You can hover over the category under the deck plan and it will highlight the cabins in that category.

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/ships/viking-star.html

Both replies here have concluded the same thing we did when we were first informed. But we double and triple-checked and we are requesting a move from one DV3 cabin to another DV3 cabin on the same deck. The only difference is the one we prefer is near the lifts. We are being told there is a $500 premium per passenger for this relocation because of the location of the cabins.

They clearly show on the Viking website as all the same category.

I'm very uneasy about this, because there is nothing in the literature saying that same category cabins are different prices depending on their location.

I called Viking and got that answer - that all categories cost the same. But when we talk to our Agent - and she has a Viking Rep online - we get a different answer.

As I say, we are about to cancel our reservation.

I think you may have some miscommunication with your travel agent.

What are the cabin numbers of your original and your new assignment?

D3 cabins are only on deck 5 and are either at front or back of the ship. D2 cabins are mid-ship.

My guess is they moved you from D3 to D2 and that is causing the price difference.

Your travel agent should be able to validate this.

 

Look here, and select deck 5. You can hover over the category under the deck plan and it will highlight the cabins in that category.

 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/ships/viking-star.html

When I go to this site and click on the DV3 cabins, several forward and aft are highlighted as well as 4 towards forward near the lifts. It is these latter 4 that we requested and are being told that they cost more because of where they are.

So to clarify---you were originally in 5106 or 5107? And requesting one of 5024-5025-5026-5027?

I can't say I have looked at every cruise but I have never seen more than one price per category on the Viking website or in their printed materials.

Your travel agent needs to escalate this at Viking and get a more suitable answer because if the pricing on the website does not match what they are quoting your agent---they have a problem.

I would be frustrated too.

When I go to this site and click on the DV3 cabins, several forward and aft are highlighted as well as 4 towards forward near the lifts. It is these latter 4 that we requested and are being told that they cost more because of where they are.

I just chekced the ship deck plan and you are correct. The ones you are looking at are all DV3. Not any more expensive than any other DV3.

It is your travel agent who needs to fix this and do not take the excuse that DV 3 are a different price depending on the area. That is not true.

Is your TA experienced? Is this some kind of special deal from your TA?

I woud have your TA talk to a supervisor at VO, if agent is unwillling to give you any DV3 available cabin at the same price.

I have never heard of any cabin in a specific caterogy having different prices on any cruise line. That is why they have DV 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 each catergory with its own price.

I had cabin 5106. It was lovely but it is a walk to the nearest elevator.

So to clarify---you were originally in 5106 or 5107? And requesting one of 5024-5025-5026-5027?

I can't say I have looked at every cruise but I have never seen more than one price per category on the Viking website or in their printed materials.

Your travel agent needs to escalate this at Viking and get a more suitable answer because if the pricing on the website does not match what they are quoting your agent---they have a problem.

I would be frustrated too.

We were in 5107 and request a change to 5026. All of these are DV3 category and on the same deck. 5026 is near the lifts. While on a conference call with the TA and Viking, Viking said, Yes, the price is higher because of location.

Maybe this is a policy/pricing change?

The new (higher) price---does it correspond to the pricing for DV 1 or DV2 for your cruise?

Is it possible they have re-classified 5026 to a different category and the website is not reflecting the new category?

But that still doesn't make sense if your agent is asking for DV3.

As far as I know, this is the first time that anyone has had Viking quote different pricing for the same category.

I'm assuming this is a longer cruise since $500 per person is a hefty premium for being closer to the elevators. On the cruise we are taking, $500 pp is the difference between DV3 and PV3.

As Azulann stated---this is your travel agents battle. He/she needs to escalate at Viking if the price quoted is not reflected properly on their website.

I'm sorry something that should be so easy is becoming such a problem for you.

Contact tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask if they would kindly step in and help you to clarify things.

Could it be that a guarantee cabin price was booked and there is now a higher price to request a specific cabin?

Okay, the travel agent finally explained what happened between the original quote and the final booking. The original quote was for a Veranda 1 room even though it specified a DV3 category cabin. She doesn't admit that she made a mistake, but says that the price "wasn't changed" on the quote, therefore, the confusion.

When we made the DV3 room change from 5107 to 5026, there was no upcharge - all the DV3 cabins on Deck 5 indeed cost the same. But they are $500 per passenger more than a V1 cabin. We would have been ok with a V1 stateroom had there been one available that was near the lifts, but there was not.

So peace has returned to our planning and booking process. For a 22 day cruise, it's a pretty good deal even at the higher cabin rate. Viking offered a past passenger discount, free air and the travel agent included $1,000 in onboard credit. So, it's all good. We leave Dec 13 from LA and will be onboard for Christmas and New Year's arriving in Miami, Jan 3rd via the Panama Canal and Cuba.

Thanks for the quick responses here which reinforced what our assumptions were. Had there not been a "lack of change" in the figures in the quote, all would have been fine from the getgo.

Okay, the travel agent finally explained what happened between the original quote and the final booking. The original quote was for a Veranda 1 room even though it specified a DV3 category cabin. She doesn't admit that she made a mistake, but says that the price "wasn't changed" on the quote, therefore, the confusion.

 

When we made the DV3 room change from 5107 to 5026, there was no upcharge - all the DV3 cabins on Deck 5 indeed cost the same. But they are $500 per passenger more than a V1 cabin. We would have been ok with a V1 stateroom had there been one available that was near the lifts, but there was not.

 

So peace has returned to our planning and booking process. For a 22 day cruise, it's a pretty good deal even at the higher cabin rate. Viking offered a past passenger discount, free air and the travel agent included $1,000 in onboard credit. So, it's all good. We leave Dec 13 from LA and will be onboard for Christmas and New Year's arriving in Miami, Jan 3rd via the Panama Canal and Cuba.

 

Thanks for the quick responses here which reinforced what our assumptions were. Had there not been a "lack of change" in the figures in the quote, all would have been fine from the getgo.

So glad you can put this behind you. With the 1,000. OBC from your TA, you will will have a great time.

What a wonderful cruise.

I did a Panama Canal cruise during Christmas and New Years a number of years ago.

We transit the canal on Christmas Eve. It was one of my all time favorite cruises.

The ship should be full of great holiday decorations, cheer and tasty Norwegian cookies. :)