Automatic tip addition to account

[MikeyB]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

at 30 days.   Not sure what you mean by CC fee.  Use a CC that doesn't charge a fee and gives rewards in cash or miles/points.

I believe, but I might be wrong, it is 14 days.

[CCWineLover]

15 minutes ago, MikeyB said:

I believe, but I might be wrong, it is 14 days.

You might be right today.

My situation was last spring.  I specifically tried to do the pre-paid gratuities via 3.3% discount checking account and it wouldn't let me.  It was 25 days out.  I talked to Viking and the rep said the cutoff is 30 days so I had missed it.   Whatever it was, I could not process it which says the system knew at that time.

Perhaps it is 14 days now or perhaps it was 14 days a year ago or whatever.

In any case, buyer beware.

[MikeyB]

9 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

You might be right today.

My situation was last spring.  I specifically tried to do the pre-paid gratuities via 3.3% discount checking account and it wouldn't let me.  It was 25 days out.  I talked to Viking and the rep said the cutoff is 30 days so I had missed it.   Whatever it was, I could not process it which says the system knew at that time.

Perhaps it is 14 days now or perhaps it was 14 days a year ago or whatever.

In any case, buyer beware.

Same here.  I tried making a payment for Silver spirits and gratuites  at about 11 days. They lock you out of reservations/ excursions at one week so I thought I had time.  I'm pretty sure, the message said 2 weeks.

[TravlingGato]

On 10/18/2023 at 5:57 AM, longterm said:

We're finishing our Grand European tomorrow morning, and although this is the Viking Ocean forum, I assume that the same policy applies on ocean cruises and wanted to mention this.

 

I've always understood that using Viking's prepaid gratuities option was totally optional. We intended all along to pay the prepaid gratuities, but I hadn't gotten around to adding it. This morning, it appeared on our account without our having asked for it, but a lot more than I remember it being. The fee was 280 euros for each of us, which amounted to about $600 for the trip.

 

Two things:

 

1. Wasn't this fee significantly lower just a few years ago?

2. Rather than automatically applying it per person, it should NOT appear on my account unless I expressly ask for it. We always tip our room steward and also others we particularly like on the cruise; we did this already this morning for our room steward and a couple of waiters, including the breakfast chef.

 

Now, I'm a generous tipper, and always want to show my appreciation to the staff, but I would have preferred to ASK to have gratuities added, rather than Viking automatically charging us for it. 

 

Our next Viking cruise is an ocean cruise on the British Isles Explorer; I'll be sure to address this beforehand, but I don't remember this happening on our previous Viking cruises--but perhaps I just didn't notice, or I had already signed up for it so wasn't surprised when it showed on our account before the end of the cruise.

 

 

My cruise experience on several lines  has been that if you don't opt for pre-paying the "gratuity," it is automatically added to your end-of-cruise statement; pay me now or pay me later. You can contest the amout on the end-of-cruise billing (expect a line at the service desk).  Tipping amounts have increased as cruise lines recover from the Covid-19 business drop.  I accept the pre-pay as a cost of the cruise and give individuals additional for excellent service (don't know if they must share, therefore, use small bills).