Best way to book cruise

[sandshark]

We’ll be sailing on a cruise in January, and I am very interested in booking another cruise for January 2025.  Is it advantageous to book a future cruise at the sales desk when I’m onboard?  Or am I likely to get a better price by booking online using a promo code?  Or through a travel agent?  The full price of the cruise I’m considering shows as $7,999 pp.  The price drops to $5,299 when I enter the Thanksgiving promo code.  I received an email today from a travel agency quoting $4,999 for the same cruise - but I’m wondering if I should wait until I’m onboard to talk to the sales desk?  Trying to get the best price from Viking is confusing, to say the least.  Thanks in advance for any advice you all may have…

[duquephart]

51 minutes ago, sandshark said:

We’ll be sailing on a cruise in January, and I am very interested in booking another cruise for January 2025.  Is it advantageous to book a future cruise at the sales desk when I’m onboard?  Or am I likely to get a better price by booking online using a promo code?  Or through a travel agent?  The full price of the cruise I’m considering shows as $7,999 pp.  The price drops to $5,299 when I enter the Thanksgiving promo code.  I received an email today from a travel agency quoting $4,999 for the same cruise - but I’m wondering if I should wait until I’m onboard to talk to the sales desk?  Trying to get the best price from Viking is confusing, to say the least.  Thanks in advance for any advice you all may have…

 

Apples to apples stateroom level? Three grand is a big drop.

[CDNPolar]

5 hours ago, sandshark said:

We’ll be sailing on a cruise in January, and I am very interested in booking another cruise for January 2025.  Is it advantageous to book a future cruise at the sales desk when I’m onboard?  Or am I likely to get a better price by booking online using a promo code?  Or through a travel agent?  The full price of the cruise I’m considering shows as $7,999 pp.  The price drops to $5,299 when I enter the Thanksgiving promo code.  I received an email today from a travel agency quoting $4,999 for the same cruise - but I’m wondering if I should wait until I’m onboard to talk to the sales desk?  Trying to get the best price from Viking is confusing, to say the least.  Thanks in advance for any advice you all may have…

 

Is this Viking?  What itinerary for January 2025?

 

We have booked a few on board, but if you are being offered a 3K drop now, I would say take it.  

 

The onboard bookings generally give you better payment terms, an onboard credit on the cruise you are on, and an on board credit for the cruise you are going on.

 

The only discount that I have seen onboard is whatever current price reduction is available to everyone online.

 

 

[TayanaLorna]

8 hours ago, sandshark said:

We’ll be sailing on a cruise in January, and I am very interested in booking another cruise for January 2025.  Is it advantageous to book a future cruise at the sales desk when I’m onboard?  Or am I likely to get a better price by booking online using a promo code?  Or through a travel agent?  The full price of the cruise I’m considering shows as $7,999 pp.  The price drops to $5,299 when I enter the Thanksgiving promo code.  I received an email today from a travel agency quoting $4,999 for the same cruise - but I’m wondering if I should wait until I’m onboard to talk to the sales desk?  Trying to get the best price from Viking is confusing, to say the least.  Thanks in advance for any advice you all may have…

If you can get the same stateroom category from a TA for $3,000 less do it now.  Promo codes have the best pricing nowadays.  You already have a cruise booked so you should get the 6 month prior final payment date - be sure your TA asks for it.  Plus if you have a good TA you should get anywhere from $150 to $500 per person OBC depending on the number of nights of your cruise.  What's there not to like?  Just be sure all the details on your Guest Statement confirm what you think you booked including Final Payment Date before you pay the deposit.  TA given OBC does not usually appear on the Viking statement so be sure you have it in writing from your TA.  We usually get the Viking Guest Statement and a statement from our TA.

[tobique33040]

4 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

If you can get the same stateroom category from a TA for $3,000 less do it now.  Promo codes have the best pricing nowadays.  You already have a cruise booked so you should get the 6 month prior final payment date - be sure your TA asks for it.  Plus if you have a good TA you should get anywhere from $150 to $500 per person OBC depending on the number of nights of your cruise.  What's there not to like?  Just be sure all the details on your Guest Statement confirm what you think you booked including Final Payment Date before you pay the deposit.  TA given OBC does not usually appear on the Viking statement so be sure you have it in writing from your TA.  We usually get the Viking Guest Statement and a statement from our TA.

Thanks TayanaLorna. I’ve done 6 Viking cruises but I am always learning from you and others on here. Thanks much for the good information. I admit I don’t check the guest statement carefully after booking, so I will do that for sure before booking again. Last time we booked onboard because of the 6 month final payment. So can we use a promo code AND get 6 month final payment because we have an upcoming cruise?Do not have to book onboard for that? If we booked a cruise now for next September, say, and booked with our TA, we could wait until March to pay? Because we have a cruise in this coming February? Thanks again. 

[CILCIANRQTS]

Our experience is that onboard booking begins at the full rack rate and then discounts from there, so the deal looks more attractive than it is. We’ve even been quoted “discount” prices that are above what we’ve seen in recent sale brochures.

[TayanaLorna]

1 minute ago, tobique33040 said:

Thanks TayanaLorna. I’ve done 6 Viking cruises but I am always learning from you and others on here. Thanks much for the good information. I admit I don’t check the guest statement carefully after booking, so I will do that for sure before booking again. Last time we booked onboard because of the 6 month final payment. So can we use a promo code AND get 6 month final payment because we have an upcoming cruise?Do not have to book onboard for that? If we booked a cruise now for next September, say, and booked with our TA, we could wait until March to pay? Because we have a cruise in this coming February? Thanks again. 

Last May I booked a cruise under a really good promo code, got the stateroom I wanted, and the $25 deposit.  My TA had to ask for the 6 month final payment date.  It was not given automatically.  Theoretically March 2024 would be the 6 month payment date for a September cruise since you have an upcoming cruise on the books.

[tobique33040]

9 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

Last May I booked a cruise under a really good promo code, got the stateroom I wanted, and the $25 deposit.  My TA had to ask for the 6 month final payment date.  It was not given automatically.  Theoretically March 2024 would be the 6 month payment date for a September cruise since you have an upcoming cruise on the books.

Great! Thanks very much. I’ll keep my eye on promos and I will make sure my TA asks for the 6 month pay period. 

[Mich3554]

On 11/15/2023 at 4:57 AM, TayanaLorna said:

Last May I booked a cruise under a really good promo code, got the stateroom I wanted, and the $25 deposit.  My TA had to ask for the 6 month final payment date.  It was not given automatically.  Theoretically March 2024 would be the 6 month payment date for a September cruise since you have an upcoming cruise on the books.

This is something new.  We use the same Viking agent for all our cruises, and he knows we have several booked when I recently booked both a river cruise and another ocean cruise.  I had to specifically request the payment date being 6 months out, and he told me without telling me that I had to ask for it.  It was kind of a weird minute or two until I caught his drift.   I think this was in July.  
I know the conversations are recorded, so am wondering if something about this has shifted in the LA home office?  Always before when I’d book something, he’d say ‘of course, since you have cruises already booked you’ll get the 6 month payment date’.  .

[Australia08]

On 11/14/2023 at 11:01 PM, sandshark said:

We’ll be sailing on a cruise in January, and I am very interested in booking another cruise for January 2025.  Is it advantageous to book a future cruise at the sales desk when I’m onboard?  Or am I likely to get a better price by booking online using a promo code?  Or through a travel agent?  The full price of the cruise I’m considering shows as $7,999 pp.  The price drops to $5,299 when I enter the Thanksgiving promo code.  I received an email today from a travel agency quoting $4,999 for the same cruise - but I’m wondering if I should wait until I’m onboard to talk to the sales desk?  Trying to get the best price from Viking is confusing, to say the least.  Thanks in advance for any advice you all may have…

Be careful that the promo code really works for a cruise that far out. Yesterday I tried to book using the Thanksgiving promotion because the October 2024 date appeared to take the promo code. I called to see if there were better rooms and was told the Thanksgiving promo doesn’t apply to the October 2024 cruise, only the March 2024 cruise. When I went back online, it still took the promo code, with the green checkmark next to it when I put in the October cruise (green usually indicates a “go” to me). When you go to the choose a room page, it still shows the Thanksgiving promo. However, when I called another Viking agent he said there was a tiny black star next to the March date, not next to the October date. That made the difference. Seems a bit deceptive to me but at least I found out before completing the booking because we specifically wanted the included Silver Spirits since it is a longer cruise with a lot of sea days. Just be sure the promo applies because in my experience, the good promos seldom apply to cruises more than a year in advance. 

[Ranger Mom]

Personally, I like to wait for the promo codes. I prefer to have my own cabin, and they will sometimes offer a 50% single supplement (rather than 75%, or none). I'm also not so well traveled that I can't find an itinerary that appeals to me. I am still working, but don't need to plan too far in advance. I recently booked the Atlantic Crossing with the Thanksgiving promo and feel it was an excellent value. 

[Clay Clayton]

On 11/14/2023 at 11:01 PM, sandshark said:

We’ll be sailing on a cruise in January, and I am very interested in booking another cruise for January 2025.  Is it advantageous to book a future cruise at the sales desk when I’m onboard?  Or am I likely to get a better price by booking online using a promo code?  Or through a travel agent?  The full price of the cruise I’m considering shows as $7,999 pp.  The price drops to $5,299 when I enter the Thanksgiving promo code.  I received an email today from a travel agency quoting $4,999 for the same cruise - but I’m wondering if I should wait until I’m onboard to talk to the sales desk?  Trying to get the best price from Viking is confusing, to say the least.  Thanks in advance for any advice you all may have…

We knew of a promo code and asked the onboard agent to apply it and he was able to do so. 

[longterm]

To get the onboard discount, we book while on a Viking Ocean cruise, then transfer the booking to our favorite travel agent for the onboard credits. 
 

We plan trips far in advance though—usually about two years. We’re already scheduled out through winter 2025 and will book another Viking cruise for summer 2026, while onboard next summer. 

[Tas353]

Do you use local travel agents or a travel agent specializing in viking cruises? Are you able to get better rates with travel agent opposed to calling a speaking to a viking agent?

[Tas353]

I think I answered my question from reading another thread