scurrymd Posted July 19 #1 Share Posted July 19 Just booked a Viking River Christmas Markets cruise for Dec 2025. The Viking site is telling me that final payment is due in Sep 2024, 15 months prior to sailing! This is my first Viking cruise….is this normal? I’m used to final payment being due approximately 90 days prior to cruise date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted July 19 #2 Share Posted July 19 This is Viking's standard policy. Only Viking does this. There are many other river cruise lines you should look at (see the Stickies at the top of this forum) who have 90-120 day final payment dates. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pontac Posted July 19 #3 Share Posted July 19 Just for readers not in the USA. Early payment may be standard policy in the USA but it's not standard policy everywhere. I believe it's only in the USA. Booking through the UK and one pays deposit on booking and the balance 10 weeks before cruise departure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel54 Posted July 19 #4 Share Posted July 19 That's one of the main reasons I would never cruise with Viking. Better payment options with Avalon and others. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted July 19 #5 Share Posted July 19 Basically, Viking uses its customers as its bank. No need to borrow money when your customers will make interest free loans. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exploretheworldkb77 Posted July 19 #6 Share Posted July 19 If you are booking more than a year in advance with Viking, you can negotiate the final payment to one year in advance. If you have an existing sailing with Viking that you haven't traveled on yet and then decide to book a second cruise, the second cruise final payment date can be extended to six months prior to departure. It's still due a lot earlier than Avalon but those are some loop holes you can consider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare notamermaid Posted July 19 #7 Share Posted July 19 I just say it clearly. 14 hours ago, scurrymd said: is this normal? Yes with Viking in the US. It is not practice in Europe and I doubt that consumer rights would allow it. It is in my European eyes bad business ethics and I would never, ever sail with Viking for that reason alone. 3 hours ago, exploretheworldkb77 said: you can negotiate the final payment to one year in advance Again - unethical "baiting". Cancel and shop around if you are not willing to accept it. There are many other lines that offer Christmas markets cruises. notamermaid 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted July 20 #8 Share Posted July 20 Call and ask for one year. If the reservation agent does not give you that one year, then thank them and call back to another agent. If you don't get that from reservations, email tellus@vikingcruises.com quoting your booking number and ask for better payment terms. This group at this email address has more authority. Or, play the game and do what we do. Viking are offering many, many itineraries at a $25pp deposit. Book something for mid 2026 - that you think you might be interested in taking - and pay the $25pp deposit. Because you have one other booking you now qualify for the 6 months payment for the 2026 cruise. Get that date on your invoice. Call back and address your first booking and ask that now that you have a second booking can you have the 6 months on your first booking. Even if you in the end don't want that specific 2026 cruise, you can move the deposit to any other cruise - that is not a cancellation and lost deposit, that is just a revision to the booking you have. Worse case scenario, you lose the $50 bucks in 2026 but you got 6 months payment terms on your current cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkster77 Posted July 20 #9 Share Posted July 20 18 hours ago, notamermaid said: .Again - unethical "baiting". I disagree--I wouldn't call Viking's payment schedules 'unethical baiting'---anyone spending 5 minutes researching Viking would find that out. I submit that it's more a case of someone not doing their homework--the policy is well-known and screamed from the rooftops all over the interwebs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel54 Posted July 20 #10 Share Posted July 20 On 7/18/2024 at 10:36 PM, scurrymd said: Just booked a Viking River Christmas Markets cruise for Dec 2025. The Viking site is telling me that final payment is due in Sep 2024, 15 months prior to sailing! This is my first Viking cruise….is this normal? I’m used to final payment being due approximately 90 days prior to cruise date. Just my two cents. Look at another line such as Avalon. I think the prices are similar but Avalon offers more options with included excursions, the cabins are larger and there are less people on the same size ship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted July 21 #11 Share Posted July 21 23 hours ago, sharkster77 said: I disagree--I wouldn't call Viking's payment schedules 'unethical baiting'---anyone spending 5 minutes researching Viking would find that out. I submit that it's more a case of someone not doing their homework--the policy is well-known and screamed from the rooftops all over the interwebs. Agree - this is not baiting in any way shape or form. Viking fill their ships with people that pay when asked. Their payment terms are not hidden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted July 21 #12 Share Posted July 21 I personally will not sail on Viking due to this. I encourage you to look at other lines and you may find that you could be sailing on a higher quality line for around the same price, plus pay final payment 90 days in advance. I wish the US would have polices that would prevent companies from paying 1 year in advance for vacations like Europe has. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted July 21 #13 Share Posted July 21 7 hours ago, CDNPolar said: Viking fill their ships with people that pay when asked. Their payment terms are not hidden. I pay my cruise line when asked, but they don't ask for payment 1-2 yrs. in advance. 😁 Most people go right to Viking and don't know other lines exist. Even if they do, they just assume everyone follows Viking's policies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canal archive Posted July 22 #14 Share Posted July 22 The amount Viking must lay out to keep their name to the forefront of people’s minds must be worth it to them, and needs to be to fill their many vessels. Here in the U.K. apart from individual advertisements they also sponsor various television companies and or programs. I have no problem with this it’s the way of the corporate world and apart from the theme music which is absolutely grating I’d let it by. I can also understand why many feel that they are the only river cruise company/supplier, I applaud the marketing person/s (note I did not attribute a man) who devised this especially the latest with the owner himself smoothing. I’ve been married to so lived with a brilliant marketing man for over 50 years so understand the system. I now enjoy sitting back and watching!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted July 22 #15 Share Posted July 22 Viking know how to reach THEIR AUDIENCE. It is evident on the ships when you see the demographic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzsnooze Posted August 4 #16 Share Posted August 4 What you loose in interest on the several thousand dollars is money you are essentially paying for your cruise to Viking. I will only book within 60-90 days of sailing for this exact reason. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted August 4 #17 Share Posted August 4 On 7/22/2024 at 5:18 AM, CDNPolar said: Viking know how to reach THEIR AUDIENCE. It is evident on the ships when you see the demographic. What is Viking's demographic, and how is it different from other river cruise lines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted August 4 #18 Share Posted August 4 1 minute ago, Roz said: What is Viking's demographic, and how is it different from other river cruise lines? Viking is 70% + American guests with the rest being UK, Canadian, and Australian. Viking focus their marketing to these countries. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare notamermaid Posted August 4 #19 Share Posted August 4 On 7/19/2024 at 5:36 AM, scurrymd said: The Viking site is telling me that final payment is due in Sep 2024, 15 months prior to sailing! Would you like to tell us what you have decided to do, if you have already decided? notamermaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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