Viking compared to Oceania?

[Cienfuegos]

20 hours ago, Cienfuegos said:

The spa pools on Going have stairs and rails. That is very helpful for folks with some mobility issues. Climbing out of the main pool involves climbing up a vertical ladder.

 

 

Should be Viking, of course.  $%^& auto-correct!

[Peregrina651]

8 hours ago, Cienfuegos said:

 

 

Should be Viking, of course.  $%^& auto-correct!

 

On the other hand, we can thank auto-correct for some really fine belly-laughs.

 

 

[PoohUnderstands]

On 9/5/2020 at 7:03 PM, Peregrina651 said:

 

I expect that it will continue post Covid. In spite of the future's uncertainty, Viking's ships are filling quickly right now.

 

Except for a period of about 18 months  during which Viking was trying out a different policy, the cruise line has always had a pay in full date that was closer to booking than it was to departure. When we booked our first river cruise in August or September for the following May, 2010, payment in full was due at the end of the month. Viking was announcing cruises a year at a time at that point. We wanted to be sure we got the itinerary and the date we wanted and we booked as early as we could.

 

When Viking opened up its Viking Oceans division and we booked our first Oceans cruise, we booked 2 years in advance and fully expected that we would be paying in full at the end of the month. That has always been Viking's policy and that is what we expected with that booking as well. We were delighted to learn that we would have until the end of the year to pay in full, 18 months prior to departure  -- and by that time, our sailing was sold out.

 

As long as Viking continues to fill its ships two and three years prior to departure with people who are not deterred by the payment policy, it will continue.

I just booked my first Viking Cruise and was a little surprised at final payment date.  My cruise is May, 2023, and they wanted final payment by 12/31/2020!  I got it moved up a tad, but still it is approximately 2 years before the cruise!

 

Pooh

[lackcreativity]

11 hours ago, PoohUnderstands said:

I just booked my first Viking Cruise and was a little surprised at final payment date.  My cruise is May, 2023, and they wanted final payment by 12/31/2020!  I got it moved up a tad, but still it is approximately 2 years before the cruise!

 

Pooh

If you anticipate liking Viking as much as so many Viking cruisers do, you now have a second option. If you are willing to put a deposit on a second cruise while you have another one on the books, you can get a six month from sailing final payment date for the second cruise. You do have to ask for it at booking, as the default setting on their software goes to the earlier date.

 

It is a gamble, but if I knew at our first booking what I know now, I would do it. We always keep an upcoming trip and a spare on the books. It's just that right now, they are farther in the future than I would wish.

[Squawkman]

2 hours ago, lackcreativity said:

If you anticipate liking Viking as much as so many Viking cruisers do, you now have a second option. If you are willing to put a deposit on a second cruise while you have another one on the books, you can get a six month from sailing final payment date for the second cruise. You do have to ask for it at booking, as the default setting on their software goes to the earlier date.

 

It is a gamble, but if I knew at our first booking what I know now, I would do it. We always keep an upcoming trip and a spare on the books. It's just that right now, they are farther in the future than I would wish.

 

Totally agree. This has happened automatically for us as we had 3 cruises cancelled this year. Before Covid cancellations that began in March, we had 2 cruises booked for 2021. We rebooked all 3 cancelled cruises plus added another one. We have a total of 6 booked for 2021, 2022 and 2023. 

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, Squawkman said:

 

Totally agree. This has happened automatically for us as we had 3 cruises cancelled this year. Before Covid cancellations that began in March, we had 2 cruises booked for 2021. We rebooked all 3 cancelled cruises plus added another one. We have a total of 6 booked for 2021, 2022 and 2023. 

 

You are a braver man than I, Gunga Din. I am not sure that I want all that money tied in a cruise line right now. I already have more cash than I feel comfortable about tied up in vouchers and two bookings -- and I am about to make final payment on one of them, so even more cash.

[lackcreativity]

21 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

You are a braver man than I, Gunga Din. I am not sure that I want all that money tied in a cruise line right now. I already have more cash than I feel comfortable about tied up in vouchers and two bookings -- and I am about to make final payment on one of them, so even more cash.

Sadly, I share your concern about investing too much in cruises right now. We took a cash refund on our earliest cancellation, and after that have juggled things so that we haven't had to make a final payment yet. That comes the end of February, and for my own mental health, I have to believe things will be more clear by that time. 

[Squawkman]

On 10/7/2020 at 8:35 PM, Peregrina651 said:

 

You are a braver man than I, Gunga Din. I am not sure that I want all that money tied in a cruise line right now. I already have more cash than I feel comfortable about tied up in vouchers and two bookings -- and I am about to make final payment on one of them, so even more cash.

 

Actually, it sounds like you have more money invested than I do. All of my bookings are payable 6 months before, so most of mine are deposits. In one case (pre-covid), I paid 1/2 deposit. Interestingly, I paid cash (rather than use FCV) for my British Isles cruise March 22, 2021. I figure it has a good chance of being cancelled, so if it doesn't run, I'll get 125%.