Viking River Cruise Booking Woes

[ByTheOcean]

A few weeks ago, my husband and I booked a Viking river cruise in Europe. We are Americans and live in the US. Talking to my mother who lives in the UK with her husband about the cruise, and she said it sounded wonderful and she had always wanted to do something like that but was worried about the cost. I said we would pay for them to come on the same cruise as us and she was delighted. It has proved impossible to book this cruise for them. We booked ours online so I went back to the Viking website and tried to book a cabin for my mother and stepfather but it would not accept their UK address. I contacted Viking who said that they would have to book through the UK office as promotions, Ts and Cs etc vary from country to country. I have sent three emails to the UK office, making it very clear that I have a credit card here in my hand and I am trying to give them money but I have not even had the courtesy of a reply. It appears there is no possibility to book online on the UK website. I am on the west coast so 8 hours behind the UK so I would have to be up very early to call and that would involve the cost of an international call unless I can find a Whatsapp option. 

 

How do people in the UK book a Viking cruise? I am astounded that in 2023 there is no option to book and pay a deposit on line. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

I suggest you find a UK travel agent to handle this for you.  Unfortunately we aren't allowed to name (or hint at) travel agents on Cruise Critic.  But I'm sure if you google for travel agents in the UK you will find some.

[sharkster77]

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I suggest you find a UK travel agent to handle this for you.  Unfortunately we aren't allowed to name (or hint at) travel agents on Cruise Critic.  But I'm sure if you google for travel agents in the UK you will find some.

I was thinking that to access the UK website and pay in pounds, one had to be on a computer in the UK.  Similarly, my US Netflix account a few years ago detected I was accessing the website from Iceland, and wouldn't let me log in.

[*Miss G*]

Option 1:  Give your mother your credit card information and let her make the booking from the UK.

 

Option 2:  Enter your address when booking for them.

 

I travel a lot with my sister.  She lives in the UK and I live in the US.  When I book cruises from the US, the system doesn’t accept her UK address so it defaults to mine.  When she books from the UK, it’s the reverse.  We make it work and make adjustments after the booking.

[ByTheOcean]

8 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

I suggest you find a UK travel agent to handle this for you.  Unfortunately we aren't allowed to name (or hint at) travel agents on Cruise Critic.  But I'm sure if you google for travel agents in the UK you will find some.

I’m thinking that is probably my best course of action. Thank you. I will Google…

[ByTheOcean]

47 minutes ago, sharkster77 said:

I was thinking that to access the UK website and pay in pounds, one had to be on a computer in the UK.  Similarly, my US Netflix account a few years ago detected I was accessing the website from Iceland, and wouldn't let me log in.

I did wonder about that too. 

[ByTheOcean]

22 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

Option 1:  Give your mother your credit card information and let her make the booking from the UK.

 

Option 2:  Enter your address when booking for them.

 

I travel a lot with my sister.  She lives in the UK and I live in the US.  When I book cruises from the US, the system doesn’t accept her UK address so it defaults to mine.  When she books from the UK, it’s the reverse.  We make it work and make adjustments after the booking.

I did consider option 1 but it makes it less of a gift, in my mind. “Here‘s my credit card. Buy a gift from me.” I know she won’t see it like that but I will. 
 

Option 2 I am very reluctant to do after an incident with NCL (I know…different companies, different rules…) where my mother and stepfather were visiting us for an extended stay and decided to book a last minute cruise on NCL from Seattle while they were here. We looked online here at our home, found one, booked it, using my address and credit card, but when they got there they were told that the rate booked was for US residents only. I noticed on the Viking US website, deep in the Ts and Cs it makes reference to promotions and prices only available to Canadian and US residents. 

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by ByTheOcean

[*Miss G*]

11 minutes ago, ByTheOcean said:

I did consider option 1 but it makes it less of a gift, in my mind. “Here‘s my credit card. Buy a gift from me.” I know she won’t see it like that but I will. 

 

 

You could always use a VPN to change your IP address so it appears you are in the UK, and then make the booking.

 

With regard to the T&C’s… you are making the booking and are a US resident.

 

Edited July 2, 2023 by *Miss G*

[dd likes to cruise]

I would try to find a UK travel agent to help. Because rules are different in various countries, it might even be a better deal, with better perks?  It would be worth emailing one and finding out. 

[pontac]

I think the easiest way is as @*Miss G* suggests, or as @Host Jazzbeau says. There aren't many travel agents left in UK but I'm sure that if you do what our host says and Google for UK river cruising agents you'll find one

 

Viking (and others, it's not just a Viking thing) detect where your server is and switch to the website of that country. Thus I am unable to look at US based sites.

 

So hide the location of your server by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). You can find a free one via Google.

 

To answer your question

13 hours ago, ByTheOcean said:

How do people in the UK book a Viking cruise? I am astounded that in 2023 there is no option to book and pay a deposit on line. 

 

People in the UK can book and pay online. UK prices include flights (and on some cruises the option train travel ) to/from the cruise, gratuities and on some cruises the Silver Spirits drinks packages. Plus full payment isn't due till 11 weeks before travel. So T&Cs are different from the USA

Edited July 2, 2023 by pontac

[Daisi]

I am able to access Viking's UK site, and can get all the way to "request a quote". I do notice that terms and conditions are for UK residents only. If you were to go in and book using your parents name, address etc., that would possibly work *but*, once you get to paying with a CC, you would have to use your American card with American billing address. That would be a possible stumbling block.

 

I would say if your parents know a TA they could arrange that you contact them, and you could have possibly see if the TA can help. 

[notamermaid]

I would be wary of mixing countries, in this case I mean booking conditions and credit cards of US and UK. I agree with getting a TA to help with the UK booking. Also T&C in the UK are better overall with Viking due to the different consumer rights laws and what is customary in the UK (and EU). If possible you may be better off doing everything through the UK. But again ask a TA what may cause you a headache at borders, boarding a plane, etc.

 

Good luck sorting this.

 

notamermaid

 

[pontac]

13 hours ago, notamermaid said:

If possible you may be better off doing everything through the UK. But again ask a TA what may cause you a headache at borders, boarding a plane, etc.

 

Worth asking, but I cannot see a problem. The cruiser departing the UK is the OPs mother and her husband who live in the UK. As far at Viking are concerned the booking is made via a TA for passengers with a UK address and Viking are paid by a UK based TA.

 

Borders only concern is the passports, the plane ticket is booked by Viking and the only concern the plane operator will have is whether the passports are valid for the country visited - usually mustn't expire within 6 months of flight.

 

It's not clear where the UK based couple have UK or USA passports, but either should be valid and neither country is in the EU.

 

I do wish @ByTheOcean success, buying a cruise for relatives is a wonderful and generous gift, and I do hope @ByTheOcean will report back with what eventually happened.

[ByTheOcean]

On 7/2/2023 at 8:49 AM, pontac said:

I think the easiest way is as @*Miss G* suggests, or as @Host Jazzbeau says. There aren't many travel agents left in UK but I'm sure that if you do what our host says and Google for UK river cruising agents you'll find one

 

Viking (and others, it's not just a Viking thing) detect where your server is and switch to the website of that country. Thus I am unable to look at US based sites.

 

So hide the location of your server by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). You can find a free one via Google.

 

To answer your question

 

People in the UK can book and pay online. UK prices include flights (and on some cruises the option train travel ) to/from the cruise, gratuities and on some cruises the Silver Spirits drinks packages. Plus full payment isn't due till 11 weeks before travel. So T&Cs are different from the USA

Thank you! You saved my sanity! I used a VPN and selected the U.K. as my location. I then accessed the Viking UK website and it looked completely different. Suddenly I had a “book now” option and was able to complete the entire booking online using my credit card. I was able to select their departure airport also. Obviously the flights are not yet released for 2025. My mother and her husband are now booked on the same cruise as us and I am thrilled. I’m very grateful for all the help from this community. 

[pontac]

Final payment on UK bookings is due 11 weeks before departure. It's probable all the paperwork will go to your mum's email address, so unless you've paid the full amount now, I suggest you put a reminder in your calendar for 12 weeks before departure to pay the balance.

 

Thanks for updating us on your success.  

 

I'm sure @*Miss G* who first suggested using a VPN is as delighted as I am.

 

Enjoy the cruise - all of you 🙂

[ByTheOcean]

15 hours ago, pontac said:

Final payment on UK bookings is due 11 weeks before departure. It's probable all the paperwork will go to your mum's email address, so unless you've paid the full amount now, I suggest you put a reminder in your calendar for 12 weeks before departure to pay the balance.

 

Thanks for updating us on your success.  

 

I'm sure @*Miss G* who first suggested using a VPN is as delighted as I am.

 

Enjoy the cruise - all of you 🙂

I used a spare email address of mine. My mother doesn’t “do” email… I’ve tried but she won’t. So the payment reminder will come to me.