We had $1050 on board credit from our travel agent

[jebbs]

Wow!  Had a wonderful segment, Sydney to Durban on Viking Sun.  Fantastic ports, outstanding staff, insightful lectures and shore excursions.  Our shipboard credit from our travel agent was very generous and we planned to use it for the billed tips and occasional adult beverage.  The Viking Voyager app allowed us to monitor our spending with headings of BOTH, Jebbs, then spouse.  Each heading outlines charges, although when my husband and I had cocktails the charges always came to his column.  The evening before disembarking, the account of BOTH showed a credit of 75 cents.  We were pleased with our use of credit and expected no charges as we headed for our Durban stay. Surprise, surprise!  In the morning the BOTH column now showed a credit of $624.25 (which is noted as nonrefundable] my column says zero balance and my husbands account has been charged $623.50, which means his tips and all of our cocktails!  We get an alert on our credit card of pending charges.  FORTUNATELY, we have time at disembarkation to deal with this, although our credit card was still hit, and upon calling credit card a few days later a credit had been applied.

My point for you all is to check your Viking Voyager accounts in the morning of departure.  While we might have been able to argue the issue once we returned home, it shouldn’t be necessary.......

[Marykatesmom]

Excellent point. 

 

Something similar happened to us.  As I was walking to the shop to purchase some Dale of Norway sweaters, I checked the account and our TA credit had not been applied.  Contacted TA they said it was a mistake and Viking would not let them add it so they would give us a credit and refund it to us.  Did not buy the sweaters which I wanted but did not need.  Sunday AM we left the ship early to overnight in Florence, returned early evening exhausted, ate dinner, packed and got up Tuesday early AM for a flight out of Rome and never checked the account.  Viking did apply the credit late Sunday night.  Only after a couple of weeks did I see we left behind a non-refundable credit.  Lesson learned.

[Pushka]

That’s quite an annoying ‘hiccup’ in their accounting practice. OBC should be per cabin not person but that doesn’t explain why one persons account gets hit with all the drinks charged for both. 

[zitsky]

My TA usually gives us a credit.  Is it normal that it doesn't show up?

[Paulchili]

Sounds like the VV app is good for many things but not the final bill.

In view of this I think I will go to the desk on last morning (sea day) and get a statement in writing - nothing should change after that as we don't drink and can't get off the ship.

[ebtrip]

I just got off he Sky and had the same problem..  the column for both of us read $105.00 , but when we received the final bill they charged our credit card 356.00, with a 251.00 unused non refundable SBC on my bill.  I went to guest services immediately and had them apply my SBC to our bill.  I told them it is deceiving and the SBC was for both our accounts not one.  Viking needs to reevaluate how they charge the accounts..

[zitsky]

If you use the Viking app can you see balance for both pax?  What if you use the TV in your cabin?

[jebbs]

Hi Zitsky,

That's the point. The Viking Voyager showed under My Account a column of BOTH, then a column for me, then a column for my husband.  The column for both combined our purchasing and expenses.  I never bothered to look at the television version, however I expect it shows a similar version.  On the evening prior to disembarking, the BOTH column showed a credit of 75 cents.....in the morning, it seemed to recalculate and gave Me the full $1050 credit, which resulted in me having a credit balance of $624.25, my husband having a zero balance as they charged the credit card on file for $623.75. That means the BOTH column now showed a credit balance, non refundable of $624.25 and credit card was charged $623.75. Not playing fair by Viking....just my opinion.

[just_dont]

The question I have is how did you end up with so much OBC in the first place?
For our upcoming 15-day cruise, our TA got (gave?) us $125 each ($250 total) OBC, but that disappeared as soon as we booked our first excursion 2+ months before the cruise.
Did you not book any Viking excursions?
Also how can you tell whether the OBC is from Viking or the TA?


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[zitsky]

2 minutes ago, just_dont said:

The question I have is how did you end up with so much OBC in the first place?
For our upcoming 15-day cruise, our TA got (gave?) us $125 each ($250 total) OBC, but that disappeared as soon as we booked our first excursion 2+ months before the cruise.
Did you not book any Viking excursions?
Also how can you tell whether the OBC is from Viking or the TA?


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2 months before the cruise, did the OBC show up in your Viking account?

[just_dont]

 
2 months before the cruise, did the OBC show up in your Viking account?

It was in my Viking account from the day I booked the cruise last year. MVJ would notify me every time I logged in that I had obc to spend.

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[zitsky]

11 minutes ago, just_dont said:

It was in my Viking account from the day I booked the cruise last year. MVJ would notify me every time I logged in that I had obc to spend.

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I wonder why that doesn't work for the rest of us.  I hope the OBC shows up in my account!  LOL

[Pushka]

Our OBC always showed up in MVJ as it was provided by Viking. I’m wondering if the OBC in the OPs post was actually Viking OBC rather than the TA being extremely generous. We likewise received $1000 OBC as we booked our own air and that was Vikings offer at the time. 

[Heidi13]

For our upcoming WC, our TA provided us with the maximum OBC permitted by Viking - for 15 day & longer cruises the max OBC is $500 pp in the currency the cruise is paid. Our TA will provide this credit to Viking when we make final payment in early July.

 

Therefore, at present we see the OBC provided by Viking in MVJ and expect to see the additional credit from our TA after we make final payment.

[jebbs]

Our credit was from our travel agent. Extremely generous, they apologized for not being able to provide more, that it was the maximum allowed by Viking. I’m not certain when it posted, as I never thought to look for it when I booked shore excursions. I am one of those crazy people who set the alarm clock for three am on the day of my category to book included and optional excursions.  We paid for those up front. We knew the tips would take most of the credit, and then the Casio always beverage.  With wine at lunch and dinner included, and our refrigerator stocked daily with gin, scotch, rum, etc, the bill in the lounge wasn't  much!

[zitsky]

Exactly where in MVJ does OBC show up?

[just_dont]

Exactly where in MVJ does OBC show up?

As I said, for me it was just there as a notification every time I logged in. I never really looked for it. And I didn't even have the option to NOT use it when booking excursions.

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[stretchcruz]

We booked a back to back for 2020, a 15 day and a 12 day, and we are getting $1,600 shipboard credit from our TA ($500 pp for the 15 day and $300 pp for the 12 day). That is the maximum that Viking allows TAs to give. 

 

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, zitsky said:

Exactly where in MVJ does OBC show up?

It’s the first thing that pops up when you access the relevant cruise booking reference. Can’t miss it if it’s there and you have to ‘dismiss’ it each time. I’ve spent mine now so I don’t see it anymore. 

[just_dont]

We booked a back to back for 2020, a 15 day and a 12 day, and we are getting $1,600 shipboard credit from our TA ($500 pp for the 15 day and $300 pp for the 12 day). That is the maximum that Viking allows TAs to give. 
 

Apparently I need to find a better TA. She made it sound like $125 pp was a big deal.
She's actually really good, but apparently not very generous. She unintentionally emailed us HER copy of our cruise statement showing that she automatically gets a commission of 5% of our cruise fare.

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[Vineyard View]

On a 15 day, is the $500/pp applied regardless of the cost of that 15 day Itinerary? Meaning you could be spending any range of money for that 15 days and still receive the same OBC from your TA, or is there a sliding scale, so to speak, based on the price of the itinerary? 

Edited April 22, 2019 by Vineyard View

[Heidi13]

13 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

On a 15 day, is the $500/pp applied regardless of the cost of that 15 day Itinerary? Meaning you could be spending any range of money for that 15 days and still receive the same OBC from your TA, or is there a sliding scale, so to speak, based on the price of the itinerary? 

The $500 pp is fixed regardless of length of cruises over 15 days. On our 119 night WC, our TA can only provide the same OBC as others booking a 15-night cruise. To comply with the policy, the only way to increase the OBC is to book B2B cruises.

 

Our TA was most apologetic, as we could only receive Canadian $500 pp, which gets us about US $400 pp, as we are paying in CAN $.

[zitsky]

Checked with my TA and she says to expect it on Day 2 of the cruise.  At least for me, it won't show up on MVJ.

[Vineyard View]

4 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

The $500 pp is fixed regardless of length of cruises over 15 days. On our 119 night WC, our TA can only provide the same OBC as others booking a 15-night cruise. To comply with the policy, the only way to increase the OBC is to book B2B cruises.

 

Our TA was most apologetic, as we could only receive Canadian $500 pp, which gets us about US $400 pp, as we are paying in CAN $.

Thank you. I just looked again at the invoice from my TA. Our OBC for 15 days was quite a bit less than this, so I am curious whether it has a spend ratio tied to it as well....now to decide whether to go back to her on this or not as we do not sail until October 

Edited April 22, 2019 by Vineyard View

[Heidi13]

13 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Thank you. I just looked again at the invoice from my TA. Our OBC for 15 days was quite a bit less than this, so I am curious whether it has a spend ratio tied to it as well....now to decide whether to go back to her on this or not as we do not sail until October 

The TA's probably work from a percentage of commission received, but Viking limit it based on number of days. Since our TA will receive a healthy commission, they would have provided more, but were limited by Viking.