Cabin Upgrade

[R,D,W]

Hi ,

We have done a river cruise on Viking.  In the fall we will take our first Ocean cruise with Viking.  We have made our final payment (quite some time ago) and would now like to upgrade our cabin.  Do we just contact Viking and pay the difference or do we have to cancel this booking and rebook?

Thanks for your help.

[WanderingBrit]

That's how it worked for us the one time we did it. I just used online chat to request the upgrade when I saw a cabin had come available, and they shared a payment request in the chat which took me to a secure credit card processing page - all pretty simple.

 

Kevin

[R,D,W]

Thank You !

That is encouraging.  Hopefully it will be that simple for us.

[CDR2001]

On your invoice, a Viking agent is listed. I’d contact that person by phone since they helped you before. If you have a TA, they can help with the upgrade. Yes, it is easy if a cabin is available! 

[st5310]

All good (and accurate) information, R,D,W.  Just an alert to add, if I may.  When you pop onto the Viking Ocean site to look up current pricing for the cabin you wish to upgrade to, be aware the prices you see may not be the same prices you will get with an upgrade.  The prices on the consumer site are current promotional rates for new bookings and likely will not apply to your upgrade.  The chat agent will be consulting a different price in the system that will be considerably higher.  Your TA will run into this issue as well.

[Selion]

1 hour ago, st5310 said:

All good (and accurate) information, R,D,W.  Just an alert to add, if I may.  When you pop onto the Viking Ocean site to look up current pricing for the cabin you wish to upgrade to, be aware the prices you see may not be the same prices you will get with an upgrade.  The prices on the consumer site are current promotional rates for new bookings and likely will not apply to your upgrade.  The chat agent will be consulting a different price in the system that will be considerably higher.  Your TA will run into this issue as well.

Yep, first hand experience with that.  Viking will not upgrade you at the current promo fares.  They will only upgrade you at the non-promo fares.  Doesn't matter if you already need to pay more under the promo fares, Viking just wouldn't do it.

[R,D,W]

Oh my goodness.  So, it sounds like we should know what we want and book it with initial booking because changing could result in considerable more money.  HMM.....

[R,D,W]

Thank You All for your valuable information.  

[Selion]

Give them a call.  Who knows?  You may get lucky!  What's the worst that can happen?  Nothing!  You keep your current booking & cabin.

[TayanaLorna]

When you upgrade a cabin you pay the price of what that cabin cost at the time YOU originally booked the cruise not the current sale or promo price.  So if a PV cost $7599 when you booked your cruise and the current promo has it for $6599, you still pay the difference between what you paid for your DV and $7599.

[philw1776]

On 6/13/2023 at 8:44 PM, TayanaLorna said:

When you upgrade a cabin you pay the price of what that cabin cost at the time YOU originally booked the cruise not the current sale or promo price.  So if a PV cost $7599 when you booked your cruise and the current promo has it for $6599, you still pay the difference between what you paid for your DV and $7599.

THIS  ^^^^

[cadburysmom]

On 6/13/2023 at 8:44 PM, TayanaLorna said:

When you upgrade a cabin you pay the price of what that cabin cost at the time YOU originally booked the cruise not the current sale or promo price.  So if a PV cost $7599 when you booked your cruise and the current promo has it for $6599, you still pay the difference between what you paid for your DV and $7599.

Thank you for this information.  My upcoming cruise is now offered at a discount and although I'm not happy with this policy, at least I know what to expect when calling Viking.  I'm actually fine with my present cabin but always nice if something better can be had.

 

This is only my second Viking Ocean cruise so still have questions concerning upgrades for those in the know...

 

I.  If cabins are available on embarkation day, is it possible to ask at Guest Services for a discounted upgrade?

 

2.  And even better, does Viking ever grant free upgrades?  How lovely to arrive at the port to discover one has been granted a Penthouse Suite...I know, I know, only in my dreams.😉

 

 

[Jim Avery]

Cadburysmom you can hope.  We have approximately 10 months onboard with Viking and have never been offered anything remotely like an upgraded cabin.  We still hope for that PS too....🍹

[cadburysmom]

3 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Cadburysmom you can hope.  We have approximately 10 months onboard with Viking and have never been offered anything remotely like an upgraded cabin.  We still hope for that PS too....🍹

Not the news I was hoping for but thanks for chiming in...oh well

Keeping fingers crossed for us both 🤞🤞

[OneSixtyToOne]

Getting an upgrade on Viking is like finding a unicorn. 
 

Seems to only happen if your category is sold out, there is high demand for the sold out class, and the total occupancy of the ship is below some magic number that represents an acceptable profit margin. It’s easier to sell the lower class cabins, so when these rare conditions occur, Viking may be motivated to upgrade.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2023 by OneSixtyToOne

[cadburysmom]

31 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Getting an upgrade on Viking is like finding a unicorn. 
 

Seems to only happen if your category is sold out, there is high demand for the sold out class, and the total occupancy of the ship is below some magic number that represents an acceptable profit margin. It’s easier to sell the lower class cabins, so when these rare conditions occur, Viking may be motivated to upgrade.

 

 

Ugh...not a unicorn in sight

[TayanaLorna]

We do know someone that was given an upgrade from DV to PV but it was on a fairly empty repositioning cruise.  However twice we have purchased a last minute upgrade.  It was a week or less before the cruise and we received an email offer to upgrade from DV to PV.  Once the offer was $399 per person, the second time was $199 pp.  We jumped on it both times as original difference between the cabin categories was between $800 and  $1200 pp.  First time we got a PV 1, second time a PV2.

[cadburysmom]

12 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

We do know someone that was given an upgrade from DV to PV but it was on a fairly empty repositioning cruise.  However twice we have purchased a last minute upgrade.  It was a week or less before the cruise and we received an email offer to upgrade from DV to PV.  Once the offer was $399 per person, the second time was $199 pp.  We jumped on it both times as original difference between the cabin categories was between $800 and  $1200 pp.  First time we got a PV 1, second time a PV2.

That's awesome. Congrats!

 

Did the email come directly to you or was it sent to your travel agent?

Edited October 12, 2023 by cadburysmom

[LindaS272]

38 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

We do know someone that was given an upgrade from DV to PV but it was on a fairly empty repositioning cruise.  However twice we have purchased a last minute upgrade.  It was a week or less before the cruise and we received an email offer to upgrade from DV to PV.  Once the offer was $399 per person, the second time was $199 pp.  We jumped on it both times as original difference between the cabin categories was between $800 and  $1200 pp.  First time we got a PV 1, second time a PV2.

Ditto. Happened to us that way too both times. But now we just book a PV because we prefer them. On our SE Asia cruise in 2019, one couple from our travel mates on an independent excursion was “bumped” into an ES from a PV at check-in—no charge I believe.

[cadburysmom]

3 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Ditto. Happened to us that way too both times. But now we just book a PV because we prefer them. On our SE Asia cruise in 2019, one couple from our travel mates on an independent excursion was “bumped” into an ES from a PV at check-in—no charge I believe.

That's great. Glad to hear it does happen on occasion.  

[Clay Clayton]

On 10/12/2023 at 12:20 PM, cadburysmom said:

Thank you for this information.  My upcoming cruise is now offered at a discount and although I'm not happy with this policy, at least I know what to expect when calling Viking.  I'm actually fine with my present cabin but always nice if something better can be had.

 

This is only my second Viking Ocean cruise so still have questions concerning upgrades for those in the know...

 

I.  If cabins are available on embarkation day, is it possible to ask at Guest Services for a discounted upgrade?

 

2.  And even better, does Viking ever grant free upgrades?  How lovely to arrive at the port to discover one has been granted a Penthouse Suite...I know, I know, only in my dreams.😉

 

 

We had one email to us about three weeks before our 2019 Beijing to Hong Kong cruise offering us a $199pp upgrade from our DV4 to a PV.  We had booked the original cabin during a promo that included a one category upgrade so we had paid for a V but we're able to select the DV at the same price.  We accepted the upgrade and enjoyed the PV but not enough to pay full price for it.
 

Our subsequent cruise was a March 2020 Transatlantic. A few weeks prior we again received an upgrade offer but it was $499pp to a PV and $999pp (I think) to a Penthouse Junior Suite. A week or few before boarding due to Covid concerns, Viking announced people could cancel and receive a voucher so when we boarded there were only 450 fellow passengers.  We asked on boarding about a possible upgrade.  We were told to check with the Future Cruise Consultant the next day which we did.  He offered us upgrades to all categories BUT based upon what we were offered the upgrade price was 50% of the difference between the cost of the upgraded stateroom and what had been PAID for the original booking.  Since we had again booked on a promo where we paid for a V2 but booked a DV.  Since the promo also included a coat savings, this 50% difference was $899pp to go to a PV and waaay more to go to the PJS (is that the correct abbreviation 🤔). My suggestion that since we had been offered it at the lower price by email fell on deaf ears😂. 
 

As always, ymmv 

[cadburysmom]

19 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

We had one email to us about three weeks before our 2019 Beijing to Hong Kong cruise offering us a $199pp upgrade from our DV4 to a PV.  We had booked the original cabin during a promo that included a one category upgrade so we had paid for a V but we're able to select the DV at the same price.  We accepted the upgrade and enjoyed the PV but not enough to pay full price for it.
 

Our subsequent cruise was a March 2020 Transatlantic. A few weeks prior we again received an upgrade offer but it was $499pp to a PV and $999pp (I think) to a Penthouse Junior Suite. A week or few before boarding due to Covid concerns, Viking announced people could cancel and receive a voucher so when we boarded there were only 450 fellow passengers.  We asked on boarding about a possible upgrade.  We were told to check with the Future Cruise Consultant the next day which we did.  He offered us upgrades to all categories BUT based upon what we were offered the upgrade price was 50% of the difference between the cost of the upgraded stateroom and what had been PAID for the original booking.  Since we had again booked on a promo where we paid for a V2 but booked a DV.  Since the promo also included a coat savings, this 50% difference was $899pp to go to a PV and waaay more to go to the PJS (is that the correct abbreviation 🤔). My suggestion that since we had been offered it at the lower price by email fell on deaf ears😂. 
 

As always, ymmv 

Oh wow, quite a difference.

First of all, thanks for sharing. Secondly, "fell on dear ears" ...love that wording. 🤣

 

[cadburysmom]

24 minutes ago, cadburysmom said:

Oh wow, quite a difference.

First of all, thanks for sharing. Secondly, "fell on dear ears" ...love that wording. 🤣

 

oops...meant to write "fell on deaf ears"...old age strikes again

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, cadburysmom said:

oops...meant to write "fell on deaf ears"...old age strikes again

I knew what you meant AND my ears are dear to me😂

[KathyA]

On 10/12/2023 at 5:32 PM, TayanaLorna said:

We do know someone that was given an upgrade from DV to PV but it was on a fairly empty repositioning cruise.  However twice we have purchased a last minute upgrade.  It was a week or less before the cruise and we received an email offer to upgrade from DV to PV.  Once the offer was $399 per person, the second time was $199 pp.  We jumped on it both times as original difference between the cabin categories was between $800 and  $1200 pp.  First time we got a PV 1, second time a PV2.