viking---unbelievable and even worse

[Cyber Kat]

I've been giving the OP's comments a great deal of thought.

Yes, Viking does require payment in advance. You could have waited to book your cruise much closer to your travel date and your up front expense would be the same, but for a shorter period of time. The two for one deal is something Viking offers all the time, so you wouldn't have "missed" it had you waited months to book.

Viking is running a business. It may not be the same business model as other cruise lines or how some of the posters here would like to run it, but that's their business model--if it's so unpleasant, then pick another cruise line. If Viking is the cruise line of choice for whatever reason and you're still upset with their payment policy, feel free to express that in their customer satisfaction survey they ask everyone to complete before the end of each cruise.

I don't think it's really the customer's business to know "why" a cruise was cancelled. Does it matter? Point is, you're not going on THAT cruise. I think Viking was more than willing to provide an alternative trip at no additional cost to you. Which sounds like their policy. I would imagine they don't often get customers who flat out refuse that offer and demand a refund. So I can completely understand their policy or practice of issuing a refund on their timeline. Does it suck? Sure, but it's their business.

What would have happened to your happiness factor if you'd have taken the cruise as scheduled and 1) the flowers bloomed early/late 2) snowfall ruined the flowers 3) heavy rain impeded your travels? I mean, there's a LOT of thing that can go sideways when planning and going on a trip. When we did the Danube Waltz Christmas Market Cruise in 2013, the day we sailed through the Wachau Valley we were completely socked in by fog. Couldn't see the end of the ship. Our poor CD was beside himself trying to appease pissed off cruisers--as if HE had the power of God himself to move the fog. Bless his heart.

 

I have been in upper level management in a customer service driven industry for over 35 years. I can tell you that the more loudly and unpleasantly a customer complains and bellyaches and tries to assert their opinion and disgust and displeasure over something that's very likely out of the control of the person being yelled at--especially when a reasonable accommodation has been offered... there is an equal and opposite reaction on the other side. I suspect that's why Viking has a delayed refund policy. I think they are well within their rights to charge a cancellation fee...you've indeed cancelled a booked trip. They are being generous in waiving that fee. They offered you a reasonable alternative. Was it the trip of your dreams? I don't know, since you didn't describe what the other trip or trips were that they offered.

 

I'm a lemonade girl...I don't get upset when I have to change plans or do something unexpected. You never know what you're going to find down that unexpected path.

 

So it was foggy on the Wachau. Guess what? I sat in the lounge chatting with a lovely couple I might not have met and we are friends to this day.

 

That's kind my thoughts on the subject. I've learned when traveling to never count on anything. I was recently listening to people moaning and groaning to the cruise line when their cruise to Bermuda was changed to other ports due to Hurricane Joaquin. They didn't care that their was a hurricane between them and Bermuda. They didn't care that the hurricane hit Bermuda - they wanted to go to Bermuda - period, end of story. When I suggested that if they really wanted to go to Bermuda that bad, they should fly in and stay - and NOT during hurricane season. That suggestion was not taken well ;)

 

Same with wanting to see Holland at Tulip Time. After this trip, I will have been there twice, and have yet to see a tulip :)

 

I'm hoping I get to sail on a river ship, not ride around in a bus. I chose Viking because they have so many ships, I think I'll spend at least some time on the river - even if I have to do a ship swap. I did lots of research, and I think I'm prepared for most things - or at least have things in the back of my mind that I will prepare to prepare for.

 

I see you've been on Viking quite a few times, perhaps we need a thread just for people who LIKE Viking! All the people in the roll calls seem happy with their cruises, so far.

 

High hopes, low expectations! And bring some vodka or gin for the lemonade!

[JVilleGal]

The art of making Lemonade from Lemons is a time honored tradition! Enjoy your trip :)

[Bailey Swedishfish]

Why is it so hard to believe? I don't AGREE there SHOULD be a fee assessed--and clearly there wasn't. But from a purely legal contractual standpoint, Viking has that right.

 

We book all of our trips (Viking and otherwise) directly and don't use a TA. I can't speak to the experience of the TA but it seems from reading these forums, there are often issues that arise when booking thru TAs. I can't say I remember ever having a problem booking directly with a travel vendor...

 

It wasn't my intention to call out the OP. It's tough when you're disappointed when something is changed or cancelled through no fault of your own. But rather than demand an explanation and then jump to outrage, I tend to try and mediate a solution that works for both parties. I think Viking was reasonable in offering a different trip of equal or greater value. I wonder how often they need to cancel trips outright--and of those passengers, how many take an alternate trip, vs. asking for a full refund.

 

That's all.

[Bailey Swedishfish]

I read it as the cancellation policy only applies if initiated by the travel agent or guest. It was Viking that cancelled the sailing thus the policy above does not apply.

 

 

Viking did cancel THAT particular cruise, but offered alternate cruises. They technically didn't cancel all cruises. It'd be like a waiter saying "oops, we're out of prime rib tonight, but instead, would you like filet, salmon, shrimp, surf and turf, hamburger, pizza, lasagna or turkey dinner?" The diner then says, "NO! I don't want ANY of it! I want a full refund!"

 

So, technically, the diner cancelled dinner. NOT the restaurant.

[roothy123]

Thank you, positive posters. You'd better be careful, though, lemonade people. Several people were pretty rude to me on the Viking Ocean forum because I wouldn't support their doom and gloom evaluations of the new Viking Star. I've been really shocked by how many people jump on Viking when something goes wrong, expecting to be reimbursed. I just went through a summer of getting mad because a very vocal minority of people on the Viking Ocean forum were complaining about this and that, and expecting to be compensated for little things that most of us wouldn't even think about, especially in the first 4 months a new cruise line and cruise ship was cruising. It really made me fear that the people on my cruise in September (a mere 6 months after Viking Star started cruising) were going to be really nitpicky and negative and I would have to hide so I wouldn't get mad on my long-awaited vacation. I also set my expectations a little lower than I might have, after hearing so many people not liking so many things. It didn't help that several Viking cruisers didn't treat me well on the VO Forum. (One person told me I shouldn't comment on things until I had actually sailed, and until I did, maybe I should (I quote) "get a life." I was only trying to be helpful, as it was obvious that some of the posters had never been on an ocean liner and didn't know how it operated. They said I had rose colored glasses. When I met the folks on my Roll Call, someone thanked me for all that info, and said, "I see you DO have a life.)

 

But guess what? The cruise was fabulous. So were the passengers. There was very little complaining, and they seemed to be having a wonderful time. I was happy. It's easy to forget that there are plenty of people out there who love Viking, have never been screwed by them, or had someone there talk rudely to them, or anything else. As someone stated, perhaps there are more complaints because Viking has more ships and passengers. I know there are plenty of us who love what they do and have had many great cruises on them.

 

I'm not saying that the OP here is complaining and being unreasonable (although I would certainly would not have demanded a refund), and I do truly understand how disheartening it is to have your plans turned upside down. However, there IS plenty of time to choose another cruise, and lots of choices, so I don't think it's unreasonable for Viking to give a credit. Nor did I think it was unreasonable when Viking Ocean Cruises "only" offered a partial refund when the new ship had an electronics problem that required fixing before it could finish the rest of its cruises. People did almost half of the cruise, stayed longer in Tallinn, were flown to Norway for additional cruising or flown home if they wanted to go home, and were given a partial refund to cover the part of the cruise they missed. Some people wanted a 150% refund, and some people threatened to sue. I just don't get it. Stuff happens. If you read the passenger contract, the cruise lines can do a whole lot more than I'm comfortable with, and there's no mention of compensation. Luckily, the cruise lines I've used (including Viking on the low-water Danube) have managed to make things right when something unexpected happened.

 

OK, just go ahead and flame me now.

[KathyK13]

There's a huge difference between cancelling a cruise then offering a different one and being offered seafood when the restaurant is out of steak. Viking should have offered either a full refund or an alternate cruise. They have no way of knowing why the OP chose this particular cruise or if he could reschedule his vacation to go on the other available cruises. Bottom line, just calling it a 'redeployment' doesn't change the fact that Viking cancelled the cruise.

 

I am not a 'Viking basher' and have never said I wouldn't cruise on Viking. But I do think they have customer service issues and when there's so much money involved,customer service is a top priority.

[TravelerThom]

Viking did cancel THAT particular cruise, but offered alternate cruises. They technically didn't cancel all cruises. It'd be like a waiter saying "oops, we're out of prime rib tonight, but instead, would you like filet, salmon, shrimp, surf and turf, hamburger, pizza, lasagna or turkey dinner?" The diner then says, "NO! I don't want ANY of it! I want a full refund!"

 

So, technically, the diner cancelled dinner. NOT the restaurant.

I'm trying to decide if your arguments are a joke. By your logic if I decided to show up for a different cruise than the one I booked, this would not be a cancellation, and Viking should happily accommodate me.

 

Thom

[Los_Pepes]

Viking did cancel THAT particular cruise, but offered alternate cruises. They technically didn't cancel all cruises. It'd be like a waiter saying "oops, we're out of prime rib tonight, but instead, would you like filet, salmon, shrimp, surf and turf, hamburger, pizza, lasagna or turkey dinner?" The diner then says, "NO! I don't want ANY of it! I want a full refund!"

 

So, technically, the diner cancelled dinner. NOT the restaurant.

 

The logic you used is head scratching to say the least... but let's play with it. In your situation the diner could get up and leave and not incur any expense. The OP can't.

 

For a dining analogy I would use going to McDonalds and ordering a Big Mac and paying for it only to learn later that they were out of stock. With your logic McDonalds is perfectly fine to tell the diner "We are keeping your money but feel free to order something else that you don't want."

[Mark_T]

Some of these analogies are getting a bit weird but lets not forget that Viking have not refused a refund, they have merely suggested that it may take roughly one billing cycle to come through, which is not particularly unusual in terms of what CS are told to tell customers, but like most businesses I imagine they will endeavor to do it faster.

 

Under promise and over deliver is still best in my book.

 

Obviously this is not ideal but if I recall correctly Viking are not the only line that has been doing a little rearranging recently and changing plans for next year this far out is a lot better than leaving it until the last minute.

[JVilleGal]

I know I would rather know a year out rather than 60 days (or worse)!

[broberts]

A far closer analogy would be the purchase of an full-size SUV only to have the dealer deliver a compact 2-door sedan of equal value.

 

A careful reading of the OP posts suggests that no refund has been promised.

 

I do take issue with the though that is is reasonable for a company to take a "billing cycle" before processing a refund. The cruise line cancelled the cruise. It had to have known before making the decision that at least some if not most passengers would ask for a refund. In anticipation of this the company should have insured sufficient cash reserves to immediately handle refunds. The fact that this line did not suggests either unreasonable avarice or significant financial constraints.

[Host Jazzbeau]

A far closer analogy would be the purchase of an full-size SUV only to have the dealer deliver a compact 2-door sedan of equal value.

 

A careful reading of the OP posts suggests that no refund has been promised.

 

I do take issue with the though that is is reasonable for a company to take a "billing cycle" before processing a refund. The cruise line cancelled the cruise. It had to have known before making the decision that at least some if not most passengers would ask for a refund. In anticipation of this the company should have insured sufficient cash reserves to immediately handle refunds. The fact that this line did not suggests either unreasonable avarice or significant financial constraints.

 

National Lampoon's Vacation ;)

Edited October 29, 2015 by Host Jazzbeau

[Hydrokitty]

Viking did cancel THAT particular cruise, but offered alternate cruises. They technically didn't cancel all cruises. It'd be like a waiter saying "oops, we're out of prime rib tonight, but instead, would you like filet, salmon, shrimp, surf and turf, hamburger, pizza, lasagna or turkey dinner?" The diner then says, "NO! I don't want ANY of it! I want a full refund!"

 

So, technically, the diner cancelled dinner. NOT the restaurant.

 

Why would the diner request a refund when he hasn't paid for the dinner? Viking offered OP steak, he ordered it and paid for it, then the chef comes out and says "sorry, I don't have any steak, but I can give you a lovely salmon and I won't even charge you for the difference in price....you want a refund? Come back next month, I'll see what I can do". The OP selected what he wanted from the trips offered by Viking and paid for it in full. The contract between Viking and OP is very clear: "...The following TA or guest requested situations are considered cancellations and penalties will apply...". It does not address what happens if Viking makes those changes, only if the TA or guest does....OP ordered and paid for his trip... Viking offered him a different trip and he doesn't want it....he gets his money back.

 

As for "Viking bashing"...I'm with Kathy K. most of the time when I read complaints about Viking, it's rarely about the crew on board the ship, it's about the front office...so you can love Viking trips but hate their corporate policies.

[Mark_T]

I do take issue with the though that is is reasonable for a company to take a "billing cycle" before processing a refund.

 

Read again what I wrote.

 

I did not say it was reasonable to take a billing cycle before processing a refund.

 

I said that it is normal to have CS staff tell customers to expect it to take a billing cycle and then deliver the refund earlier than that.

 

Depending on both internal processes and the original method of payment it can be tricky to predict exactly when a customer may see the refund on their side so it is easier to have CS staff give a generic answer that will usually be beaten by reality.

 

If they say 'we will process that immediately' people will ring back a few hours later to complain it hasn't been done yet...

 

Better to set a slightly long expectation and they deliver it as quickly as possible.

[Los_Pepes]

Why would the diner request a refund when he hasn't paid for the dinner? Viking offered OP steak, he ordered it and paid for it, then the chef comes out and says "sorry, I don't have any steak, but I can give you a lovely salmon and I won't even charge you for the difference in price....you want a refund? Come back next month, I'll see what I can do". The OP selected what he wanted from the trips offered by Viking and paid for it in full. The contract between Viking and OP is very clear: "...The following TA or guest requested situations are considered cancellations and penalties will apply...". It does not address what happens if Viking makes those changes, only if the TA or guest does....OP ordered and paid for his trip... Viking offered him a different trip and he doesn't want it....he gets his money back.

 

As for "Viking bashing"...I'm with Kathy K. most of the time when I read complaints about Viking, it's rarely about the crew on board the ship, it's about the front office...so you can love Viking trips but hate their corporate policies.

 

Best post of the thread.

[squarevanman]

Members may be interested in my experience with the now defunct easycruise. My friend and myself went on the barge trip easycruise2 from Brussels to Amsterdam. We enjoyed this trip and booked to do the reverse journey a few months later. In the meantime Boonstra River Line the franchisee folded. Easycruise not only refunded my money within 7 days they paid for my unused air tickets London to Amsterdam and gave me a free 10 Greek island cruise the following year on easycruise1. It made me talk to friends and family about what happened and has resulted in easy jet being favoured in my group over other low cost airlines. To me this is the type of customer service I would hope to get from other businesses wishing me to spend money with them.

[Cyber Kat]

Thank you, positive posters. You'd better be careful, though, lemonade people. Several people were pretty rude to me on the Viking Ocean forum because I wouldn't support their doom and gloom evaluations of the new Viking Star. I've been really shocked by how many people jump on Viking when something goes wrong, expecting to be reimbursed.

 

 

OK, just go ahead and flame me now.

 

No flames from me! I cruise Carnival - I'm used to this :cool: I've enjoyed all of my Carnival cruises and I expect to enjoy my Viking cruise. I tend to take overly negative or overly positive with grain of salt as they say. I'm neither a glass half full or a glass half empty person - it's just clear the glass has room for more wine ;)

[Cyber Kat]

Read again what I wrote.

 

I did not say it was reasonable to take a billing cycle before processing a refund.

 

I said that it is normal to have CS staff tell customers to expect it to take a billing cycle and then deliver the refund earlier than that.

 

Depending on both internal processes and the original method of payment it can be tricky to predict exactly when a customer may see the refund on their side so it is easier to have CS staff give a generic answer that will usually be beaten by reality.

 

If they say 'we will process that immediately' people will ring back a few hours later to complain it hasn't been done yet...

 

Better to set a slightly long expectation and they deliver it as quickly as possible.

 

Having worked more than I cared to in customer service this is so very true. Promise to deliver in one billing cycle, then process sooner makes for a happier customer in the long run, than if you promise to process at once, and can't deliver for what ever reason. That makes an unhappy customer even MORE unhappy. Been there, done that!

[Cyber Kat]

To me this is the type of customer service I would hope to get from other businesses wishing me to spend money with them.

 

I always expect to get good customer service from any company, but when the company or corporation is large - I don't hold out much hope. I think it's mostly a crap shoot. Sometimes you get a CSR who will do what it takes to make a customer happy and sometimes you get a pencil pusher who could care less. The bigger the company, the less likely they are to weed out the latter. If the CSR is saving money, they're happy.

[Mark_T]

Having worked more than I cared to in customer service this is so very true.

 

I feel there is a good book or two to be written from the inside view of CS :)

 

Listening back to recordings after a complaint can be very enlightening.

 

I've lost count of the number of times that 'rude and unhelpful' turned out to be 'wouldn't say yes to my unreasonable demand'.

 

As I travel a lot, I've given my card to a number of crew and ground staff after witnessing someone storm off threatening to 'complain and get them fired' after receiving perfectly courteous and correct assistance but still not getting whatever the impossible demand was at the time.

 

Best advice I could give when dealing with CS staff after something has gone wrong is stay calm and think through what you are asking for. Try to find a path where it is possible to get a 'yes' as for the most part CS staff don't want to say 'no' but if what you are asking for is impossible or close to it, you leave them no choice.

[QueenofEverything]

No flames from me! I cruise Carnival - I'm used to this :cool: I've enjoyed all of my Carnival cruises and I expect to enjoy my Viking cruise. I tend to take overly negative or overly positive with grain of salt as they say. I'm neither a glass half full or a glass half empty person - it's just clear the glass has room for more wine ;)

 

HAHAHA! I like your thinking! :D

[JVilleGal]

Yep, the accusation of Rude generally turns out to be not getting the answer they wanted.

Absolutely my experience!

Edited October 29, 2015 by JVilleGal

[roothy123]

HAHAHA! I like your thinking! :D

Well if there's always room for wine (not whine) you guys will love Viking. It flowed freely during meals on our Viking Ocean cruise.

 

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

[Cyber Kat]

I feel there is a good book or two to be written from the inside view of CS :)

 

So very true! I usually try to get them to give me a supervisor - they usually have more leeway.

[Cyber Kat]

Well if there's always room for wine (not whine) you guys will love Viking. It flowed freely during meals on our Viking Ocean cruise.

 

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

 

 

Awesome! Everything is better with wine - not whine!