Final pmt. due 16 months in advance of cruise????? Typical?

[dcsam]

Wow! I see Viking wants full payment for a cruise 16 months in advance. :-0 Is this typical? That seems excessive. Is this their normal policy?

[Kamloops50]

Wow! I see Viking wants full payment for a cruise 16 months in advance. :-0 Is this typical? That seems excessive. Is this their normal policy?

 

Most cruises are 75 days before cruise. There are a couple of times when it's earlier ( World Voyage and Holiday cruises). This is holdover from their riover cruises. With river cruises full payment is required at booking.

[dln929]

Wow! I see Viking wants full payment for a cruise 16 months in advance. :-0 Is this typical? That seems excessive. Is this their normal policy?

 

And don't forget, if you cancel, it's a $100 pp. ;)

[bala girl]

Any chance this early full payment is in exchange for some additional price discount?

[debrouillarde]

For our May 2017 cruise our final payment was due June 10, 2016 which I considered much too early--even before airline seats were released for our travel dates so we could judge whether to take Viking air or not. We asked our travel agent to request a later payment due date and it was changed to late August which was acceptable. PS. We got better prices for airfare doing our own rather than using Viking plus we were able to choose the most convenient flights. Deborah

[Willem Ruys]

before penalty periods kick in is $500.00 per person

[stretchcruz]

Our final payment for our April Sky cruise is due Oct 31. We booked last Jan or Feb I think.

[Fitzall]

We booked our Viking Cruise in May 15 for Aug 16 departure (incl $au999 p/p airfares) - paid 40% by end of Jun 15 & balance by Apr 16. Thought this was reasonable

[Host Jazzbeau]

Any chance this early full payment is in exchange for some additional price discount?

 

No, it's the regular Viking policy. But my TA was able to get it changed very easily to six months before sailing. They told me Viking originally was very firm on it, but have now eased up so anyone who asks can get the change.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Host Jazzbeau

[Carol From California]

No, it's the regular Viking policy. But my TA was able to get it changed very easily to six months before sailing. They told me Viking originally was very firm on it, but have now eased up so anyone who asks can get the change.

 

I tried to get the final payment delayed for my cruise for February, 2017 and they would not. My TA tried too. The cruise is sold out so maybe that is why they would not extend date for final payment.

[AFL Kiwi]

We booked this cruise when on board our Homeland Cruise in June 2015 and payment is not required until November 2016.

[lastlook]

For our 9/4/16 cruise:

 

3/18/15 Booked/Deposit Paid (just a few cabins left at that point.)

 

6/30/15 Final Payment Due/Paid

[dcsam]

Viking will delay our final payment until 6 months prior to the cruise. Now, that seems reasonable.

[stretchcruz]

Hopefully your TA helped you out. I was just reviewing what we owed etc and she saved us $2,300. Not chump change. And she never wanted payment way out just the $1000 viking deposit.

[Rawmac]

In Viking's 16/17 UK brochure T&C, 25% is paid on booking and the remainder is required ten weeks before sailing. This is fairly standard over here -- longer would not be acceptable to the market. Are y'all being treated as a soft touch by the Vikings or is it just some old-fashioned Norse pillage?

 

Our cancellation terms are: over 10 weeks - lose deposit; 30 - 69 days -- 50% of money (100% already paid by now) ; less than 30 days -- the whole 100% However, if Viking themselves cancel, monies are repaid, but only if their cancellation is within 30 days of sailing do they give any extra for their breach of booking, disappointment, inconvenience and any consequential loss, and then only £30 ($40). Seems a bit one-sided. They don't pay back any interest either!

[sitraveler]

My Viking Ocean 7/2017 was due and paid 12/2015.

My VRC 3/2017 was due and paid 6/2016.

[Peregrina651]

Viking will delay our final payment until 6 months prior to the cruise. Now, that seems reasonable.

 

Yes, but delaying payment is not without the risk of possible penalties:

PRICE GUARANTEE

Once you have paid in full for your trip, you are safe from any additional charges. Airfare increases, currency fluctuations, increased fuel surcharges, new government taxes—none of these will apply to you.

 

I'm not advocating one way or another. I'm just pointing out that this is what it says on the website.

[dcsam]

So, are you saying they could increase our air charges if their air charges go up? Even if booking a cruise that includes their air?

[FM]

As I mentioned in another post, I spoke to a Viking rep directly on the phone re: the Viking Sky sailing of the Caribbean in October 2017 - with the current promotion of air fare included, full payment is due end of August 2016 - a full 15 months ahead of time. He confirmed this was correct when I asked ... but stated I had time to transfer my booking to a TA after I booked with them. If I go with Viking, I would go through the TA first ...

[Fpacifico]

Any chance this early full payment is in exchange for some additional price discount?

 

If you pay by direct bank payment, there is a discount, I forget how much, you save a couple of hundred dollars each

[Host Jazzbeau]

If you pay by direct bank payment, there is a discount, I forget how much, you save a couple of hundred dollars each

 

...and you lose any protection from your Credit Card company.

[NavyVeteran]

...and you lose any protection from your Credit Card company.

 

If you pay 16 months in advance, I doubt you have any protection from your credit card company.

[Host Jazzbeau]

If you pay 16 months in advance, I doubt you have any protection from your credit card company.

 

Well, I get 2.1% cash back and Baggage Delay Insurance, Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance, Travel Accident Insurance, and various travel assistance services with my Barclay Arrival Plus card. That's not nothing.