Viking "Watch Outs"

[Selion]

Multiple threads in the last few weeks made me think we should have a post talking about things to watch out for when booking Viking, using Viking vouchers, and purchasing TripMate insurance through Viking.  Here are a few of them, feel free to add more...

 

Final Payment Due & Repricing

• 12 to 18 months prior to embarkation
• Could be reduced if you have another Viking cruise booked or the promo allows it.
• Viking does not allow repricing, period.  What you booked is what you get.  You can attempt to cancel (for the applicable penalties) and rebook, although there are rumors that Viking is clamping down on this practice.

 

Viking Vouchers

• Vouchers has NO cash value. 
• TripMate will not provide coverage for bookings made with vouchers unless you pay for an "upgrade."
• Vouchers can only be used ONCE.  Once it's applied to a booking voucher is considered as used and Viking will not reissued a used voucher.
• No refunds on unused voucher balance.  Example: Voucher has a face value of $13000.  New cruise is $10000 and you applied the voucher towards the balance.  You either need to spend $3000 in onboard services & excursions, or you lose $3000.  Viking will not refund the unused portion.

 

TripMate Insurance  (IMO just avoid it, but if you must...)

• Cancel for Any Reason Waiver is provided by Viking through the use of Viking vouchers (see above).
• TripMate will not provide coverage for bookings made with vouchers unless you pay for an "upgrade." (I think it's worth repeating)
• Want refunds?  You must cancel under a covered reason outlined in policy and file a claim with TripMate.
• Must be purchased 120 days (or 180 days for cruises longer than 35 days) prior to embarkation date.

 

COVID Vaccine Requirement

• Viking requires all passengers to be fully vaccinated for cruises departing on or before October 31, 2023

 

[dd57]

AFAIK, you must request the later final payment date before making a deposit.  Once you have paid the deposit, Viking won't change the final payment date.

[WanderingBrit]

19 minutes ago, dd57 said:

AFAIK, you must request the later final payment date before making a deposit.  Once you have paid the deposit, Viking won't change the final payment date.

That is not correct, per my very recent experience. I requested a change to final payment date after paying deposit.

[Heidi13]

7 minutes ago, WanderingBrit said:

That is not correct, per my very recent experience. I requested a change to final payment date after paying deposit.

 

Which in itself is another issue, which is lack of consistency in booking procedures. You can talk to 6 different agents and get 6 different responses.

[WanderingBrit]

2 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Which in itself is another issue, which is lack of consistency in booking procedures. You can talk to 6 different agents and get 6 different responses.

I just emailed customer service requesting the change, which they made without further question and in under 24 hours.

[island lady]

Try booking with other lines...you will get the same problems.   Pick your poison.  Been there...done that.   Worse now after Covid restart. 

[Squawkman]

1 hour ago, Selion said:

What you booked is what you get.  You can attempt to cancel (for the applicable penalties) and rebook, although there are rumors that Viking is clamping down on this practice.

I just did this 4 weeks ago. I use a Viking agent - he gave me an email address where I was instructed to send the following message:

 

 Here’s my booking number - XXXXXXX - and I am cancelling as I am taking advantage of a new offer. I am accepting a penalty of $50.

 

I guess this is a way to discourage rebooking. So it cost me our deposit to get more when I rebooked.

[dd57]

1 hour ago, WanderingBrit said:

That is not correct, per my very recent experience. I requested a change to final payment date after paying deposit.

Oh, thank you!  I hadn't tried recently after being denied a few years ago.  Good to know it is possible. 

[Mich3554]

2 hours ago, WanderingBrit said:

That is not correct, per my very recent experience. I requested a change to final payment date after paying deposit.

Ditto.  I messaged my rep and reminded him we had 3 cruises on the books.  He immediately changed the final payment date to 6 months before sailing.

[Baron Barracuda]

Recently cancelled and rebooked to take advantage of price drop.  We were only in the $100 cancellation penalty stage  and ended up saving $ thousands .  However Viking would not allow us to transfer our Tripmate to either re-booked cruise or another one we had just booked.  Simply cancelled it.  Went through several layers of management to no avail.   Ended up purchasing new policy through Insuremytrip.  No cancel for any reason but much stronger coverages.  Will avoid Tripmate in future.

[ropomo]

I did it a few weeks ago. Was told by the rep on the phone that they have no problem doing it as long as final payment has not been made.

[Selion]

Clarification on "Repricing", as practiced by other cruise lines:  You keep your existing reservation and reservation number.  Cruise line will reprice your booked reservation at the current/prevailing fares & promos.  This can be done before final payment date, and even after final payment date if you wish to upgrade to a higher category cabin with additional money paid to cruise lines.

 

With that definition, Viking does not reprice.  Viking requires you to cancel with applicable penalties and book a new reservation.

[Babr]

1 hour ago, Selion said:

Clarification on "Repricing", as practiced by other cruise lines:  You keep your existing reservation and reservation number.  Cruise line will reprice your booked reservation at the current/prevailing fares & promos.  This can be done before final payment date, and even after final payment date if you wish to upgrade to a higher category cabin with additional money paid to cruise lines.

 

With that definition, Viking does not reprice.  Viking requires you to cancel with applicable penalties and book a new reservation.

How does “repricing” / rebooking impact Viking insurance since you have to cancel? Are you rebooking with vouchers from CFAR? Does the insurance coverage for medical carry forward?

[FlyerTalker]

5 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Which in itself is another issue, which is lack of consistency in booking procedures. You can talk to 6 different agents and get 6 different responses.

 

Which is at least better than talking to 6 different agents and getting 7 or 8 different responses (as they change mid-phone call).

 

 

[mariners]

We currently have two cruises booked with Viking Ocean.  For the first cruise, to be taken in late 2023, our final payment was due on the date that was clearly stated when we booked the cruise.  Although we have yet to take that cruise, we chose to book a second cruise for late 2024.  I misread the date the final payment was due and contacted Viking to ask if it was possible to delay the payment to a later date.  Viking agreed to give us a one time exemption and we agreed to the new date.  Then, the 2024 cruise was part of a sale.  Our Viking representative cancelled our original cruise and rebooked the cruise under the terms of the sale.  The sale had an earlier final payment date and, under the terms of the sale, we had to agree to make the final payment by that date.  In our case, there was no ambiguity to Viking's terms of sale, and it was my error in misreading the payment date.  As yet to be first time Viking cruisers, I was impressed that they permitted us to make final payment at a later date.  This, however, became a moot point when we rebooked.  So far, we are impressed with all of our interactions with land based Viking, and can't wait to be onboard the ship(s).

 

Because we live in Canada, our insurance is different than those who live in other countries.  We are also not eligible for Viking insurance.  

[longterm]

I know that someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that virtually ALL trip insurers follow the rule that you can't transfer trip insurance from one trip to another if you cancel a trip and then rebook another. 

 

On the other hand, we booked a Viking British Isles cruise for next summer, then tacked on a Rick Steves Scotland tour that we'll take in the 2 weeks before the cruise. We were able to extend our trip insurance and alter the trip costs to cover the 2-week land trip. So, you can extend your insurance to include more days or higher cost, but you can't transfer it from one trip to another if you cancel the first.

 

Again, someone will kindly and graciously let me know if I'm wrong. </sarcasm>

 

[Selion]

1 hour ago, Babr said:

How does “repricing” / rebooking impact Viking insurance since you have to cancel?

Per @Baron Barracuda earlier post, TripMate insurance does not transfer.  You'll need to cancel the existing insurance (any refunds???) and purchase a new policy.

 

1 hour ago, Babr said:

Are you rebooking with vouchers from CFAR?

If you are cancelling existing reservation only to rebook at the current promo, you are likely not going to be cancelling using the CFAR Waiver since the penalties are $100 per person up to 120 days prior to sailing.

 

If you are withing 120 days of sailing, the penalties are much higher and even cancelling under CFAR may not make financial sense.  Remember Viking vouchers are not refundable.  You are not getting your money back if you cancel under CFAR.

 

1 hour ago, Babr said:

Does the insurance coverage for medical carry forward?

I assume the entire question is: "If I rebook using Viking voucher from CFAR, does the insurance coverage for medical carry forward?"

 

For any coverages related to Trip Costs, I'm going to guess and say "No."  Because TripMate determined that Viking voucher with no cash value.  If you need to cancel the cruise (rebooked with voucher) due to sickness or injury (a normally covered reason), TripMate will not provide you with a refund because the new booking was paid with a voucher.

 

You may still have coverage if you experienced a medical emergency while on the cruise.  You'll need to verify that with TripMate (not Viking).

 

DISCLAIMER:  I have never bought TripMate.  These are my educated conjectures.

[Selion]

7 minutes ago, longterm said:

virtually ALL trip insurers follow the rule that you can't transfer trip insurance from one trip to another if you cancel a trip and then rebook another. 

Not sure if this falls under "transfers" for insurance, but Travel Guard allows policy holders to "modify" travel dates, coverage amounts, and areas of travel.  I had modified a Travel Guard policy last year when I cancelled the Viking River cruise and booked a Viking Ocean cruise.  TG kept the policy number the same, and we only need to pay the difference in the premiums (VO was more expensive than VR).  That was the second modification.  The first modification was changing the cruise from an MSC cruise in the Med to the VR.  Different reservations, but same policy.

 

Another time (pre-pandemic) I had to modify a TG policy, they said it would be easier to cancel and purchase a new one.  TG issued a voucher, minus $7 USD admin fee, and I used the voucher toward the cost of the new policy.

 

The different approach might be due to DOBs.  TG calculates premiums based on the trip costs and travelers' age when the policy is purchased.  Example: Traveler DOB is in June.  Original policy was purchased in May.  Modification request was made in July.  TG may not want to do a modification due to their premium calculations.

[CCWineLover]

Our trick to get great promo deals after we already have a reservation is to just "transfer" the booking number to some dummy cruise reservation way in the future (like 2 years).  Then book the promo fare on the cruise we had, often for thousands less.  This is especially worthwhile with the $25 deposits.  Then we can cancel the "dummy cruise" at a later date.

 

We never buy Tripmate, which thus gives us flexibility with insurance.  

That would be my number one advice - NEVER get Tripmate.  But there are exceptions (as age may play a factor for some).

[shadowlover]

2 hours ago, longterm said:

I know that someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that virtually ALL trip insurers follow the rule that you can't transfer trip insurance from one trip to another if you cancel a trip and then rebook another. 

 

On the other hand, we booked a Viking British Isles cruise for next summer, then tacked on a Rick Steves Scotland tour that we'll take in the 2 weeks before the cruise. We were able to extend our trip insurance and alter the trip costs to cover the 2-week land trip. So, you can extend your insurance to include more days or higher cost, but you can't transfer it from one trip to another if you cancel the first.

 

Again, someone will kindly and graciously let me know if I'm wrong. </sarcasm>

 

Yes actually in some cases you can transfer travel insurance from one trip to another.  I have done it.

[Vineyard View]

3 hours ago, longterm said:

I know that someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that virtually ALL trip insurers follow the rule that you can't transfer trip insurance from one trip to another if you cancel a trip and then rebook another. 

 

On the other hand, we booked a Viking British Isles cruise for next summer, then tacked on a Rick Steves Scotland tour that we'll take in the 2 weeks before the cruise. We were able to extend our trip insurance and alter the trip costs to cover the 2-week land trip. So, you can extend your insurance to include more days or higher cost, but you can't transfer it from one trip to another if you cancel the first.

 

Again, someone will kindly and graciously let me know if I'm wrong. </sarcasm>

 

We use Insuremytrip and an another site. I always online chat for records purposes with their agents. There are highly qualified insurance policies that will allow you to not only transfer your booking (you have to go through a request process to do so), but also allow you to book deposit only for pre-existing coverage within a time frame of usually around 14 days (some longer) and then pay more for your insurance as you pay more for your trip. Excellent insurance policies. We’ve had to use one in the past and fully covered. You just have to ask the questions to be sure the company you choose allows this. And obviously, read the contract before paying. 

Viking has more than one competitor that will allow you to reprice before final payment. You need to give up any perks included in your previously booked itinerary in order to do so, but that can be an advantage over Vikings policy. 
We do not use any cruise line’s insurance for a myriad of reasons. 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Vineyard View

[dd57]

We have moved an Alianz policy to a different date, trip type, and destination without an issue.

[longterm]

That's good to know; I've used AIG in the past, will have to look at some others.

[JDincalif]

3 hours ago, Selion said:

Not sure if this falls under "transfers" for insurance, but Travel Guard allows policy holders to "modify" travel dates, coverage amounts, and areas of travel.  I had modified a Travel Guard policy last year when I cancelled the Viking River cruise and booked a Viking Ocean cruise.  TG kept the policy number the same, and we only need to pay the difference in the premiums (VO was more expensive than VR).  That was the second modification.  The first modification was changing the cruise from an MSC cruise in the Med to the VR.  Different reservations, but same policy.

 

Another time (pre-pandemic) I had to modify a TG policy, they said it would be easier to cancel and purchase a new one.  TG issued a voucher, minus $7 USD admin fee, and I used the voucher toward the cost of the new policy.

 

The different approach might be due to DOBs.  TG calculates premiums based on the trip costs and travelers' age when the policy is purchased.  Example: Traveler DOB is in June.  Original policy was purchased in May.  Modification request was made in July.  TG may not want to do a modification due to their premium calculations.

Our experience with TravelGuard in quite similar situations has been the same as yours. 

[CDNPolar]

12 hours ago, Selion said:

Clarification on "Repricing", as practiced by other cruise lines:  You keep your existing reservation and reservation number.  Cruise line will reprice your booked reservation at the current/prevailing fares & promos.  This can be done before final payment date, and even after final payment date if you wish to upgrade to a higher category cabin with additional money paid to cruise lines.

 

With that definition, Viking does not reprice.  Viking requires you to cancel with applicable penalties and book a new reservation.

 

No, we had our cruise booked and then a promo came out with free air.

 

We called and rebooked and got the free air.

 

The only requirement was that we had to book new dates, so we booked 2 weeks earlier departure but we saved 4K and there was no penalty and we did NOT cancel - we kept the same booking number.