D Dr. Linda Lewis of US Jun 25, 2020 5:02 pm EDT Review updated: Dec 23, 2021 Resolved Replied Featured review Good luck with your outcome with Viking, they are notorious with their refund policy with fine print. Now they cant take a cruise until they get a vaccine. Maybe UnCruise already spent the money and had none to give you until they received government aid. I would have to look up the cruise portion cancellation terms. Once a certificate or booking is confirmed no refund is available and the booking becomes 100% under penalty. Wests tale of a scuttled cruise is all too common. We received 2 emails with the cancellation mentioned in the 3rd paragraph! Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. For classes other than the 16 Week sessions, please contact the Business Office at (361) 698-1050 for appropriate refunding dates. Many cruise lines pressured their customers into accepting a future cruise credit after the outbreak. I have to add that I use the sameViking agent rather than a TA. Let's say you paid $1000 for a cruise, and the cruise line will charge 25% if you cancel between 90 and 75 days prior to your sail date, returning $750 back to you. These ticket contracts are tricky. All rights reserved (About Us). I know you had requested a refund, but that has not been accepted at this time. Viking has been holding our money for 4 years now. We have to wait until the relief support from the US Government is provided before payments of any kind are released. Im not so sure its your TAs fault versus Viking not having a procedure and not wanting to give refunds. My cruise was cancelled by Viking in early March due to Covid. Shortly before the couples expected departure in April 2020, they received a disappointing notification from UnCruise, which started Wests quest for a cruise credit refund. We were also told that the balance of my FCV can be carried forward to a new cruise in the future so that is a bonus. Some locations have caps of only $10. Started June 21, 2021, By My Chase Sapphire Reserve travel insurance doesnt work. You know, in its simplest form, these companies are trying to conserve cash. Theirs or yours? But I had only been offered a future voucher at 100%. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of all the Viking Cruise executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. If you or someone youre sailing with dies. Finland-Suomeksi . Your bank promptly returned your money. Many thanks. Ten days later, on March 30, Viking announced the cruise was canceled and 100% cash refunds would be given to customers but only for those who hadn't canceled previously. It promised refunds later, when it suspended operations but not to you. Even if you had the risk free guarantee, those cancellations were always refunded entirely with vouchers. Dear Viking Guests, Then they rescheduled and then when the 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a refund. Vrbo took my $1,270! CC Help Jenn Other than waiting another two weeks and hoping they are good on their word, has anyone else run into this and how did you handle it? #24 states a different situation than yours, so maybe your TA is at fault. Deposits are refundable unless otherwise indicated. But six months later, UnCruise got back to West with a final decision. Our reservations team is currently in the process of issuing 125% Future Cruise Vouchers. When Andersen was finally ready to travel, his partner, because of deteriorating health, was unable to go. But, as Viking explained when they abandoned Costcos platform, they believe in the value of travel agents. If you don't have the required documentation, the cruise line has the right to refuse boarding, as per the Terms & Conditions. Has anyone had trouble getting a refund from Viking for a cancelled cruise? Started August 27, 2021, By Many passengers reluctantly agreed to take these expiring vouchers and tried to rebook, only to have their next cruise canceled again in 2021. I wanted to say something about your argument for getting a refund. Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works I have to agree with Viking here as you had 1 cruise canceled and getting credit for 1 new cruise - with extra $$$ that can cover increased cost, upgrades, extensions, excursions, tips, etc. 59 or less. Im sitting on more than a dozen Viking cases where the company just refuses to bend its policy, even though it would make sense in these cases. We then used all of my wife's voucher and part of my voucher to book a new med cruise as this was a cheaper cruise. Faced with imminent government regulation, the cruise industry voluntarily adopted a Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights. Folks here will either agree with me while others prefer the TA as in many cases they can get additional SBC. The Viking agent said that I would have to pay an extra $9,898. In early March, I asked Viking if the trip had been canceled, and it said no. They have another 14 days to return the goods once they've told you . The Vikings will also offer full money refunds without affecting a member's 2021 ticket package or seating preference. Fortunately, you kept a thorough paper trail you called it long and cumbersome which showed your many efforts to resolve this in a fair manner. I believe I was told what I was told in order to sell a booking. Our award-winning daily newsletters keep you posted on our random acts of consumer advocacy. (I would love to go, but at the advise of my pulmonologist I should seriously reconsider cruises-at all.) It included the trip insurance. Asked for a supervisor but she told me the same thing - 2 more weeks. Then they rescheduled and then when the 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a refund. Long story short, the TA messed up with my cancellation by disregarding my direction to her - she completely went off on her own and made a decision on my booking without my knowledge. We will continue to stand by you, as well as our employees and partners, and hope that you will continue to stand by us. Not happy about floating cash for Viking. Asked for a supervisor but she told me the same thing - 2 more weeks. Date of experience: August 2020 Ask Departure768546 about Viking Cruises Here are the terms of UnCruises cruise credit: To West, it was simple. Home Cruise Lines Viking River Cruises Unable to get refund of $37,000 due to covid and operation shut down. Due to my cancellations, Viking held onto $8,000 of my Funds for about two years. Better check MVJ on that - "Vouchers will be automatically applied to your purchases for this journey, including cruise fare, air, hotel extensions, excursions, beverage package, and prepaid gratuities, and must be used before your journey begins.". While we waited for a response, we did a little looking around. (Courtesy Richard Andersen). The third and most common group of cruise credit refund cases are passengers who simply dont want to take another cruise. Viking gave you a cruise credit and then, only a few days later, offered full refunds or a 125% voucher. Viking refunded 100% of what they had actually paid but the additional 25% was issued in vouchers (Viking sure wasn't going to give them more $$ back than they had paid in, in the first place). And then theres the nuclear option disputing the charges on your wifes credit card and forcing Viking to refund your cruise. And now they are mad because they are not going to use those vouchers. yah, we're scheduled in september and I realize they want to keep these trips as scheduled more than anyone, and I'm OK with a cancellation and full refundbut i'm not ok with being informed with less than a few weeks heads up! Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link And it goes way beyond Alaska. Why in the world would you rebook with them - giving them more time to fail? LauraS By adding value to your card, your card can be used instead of cash on campus. The FTC contracts with private companies to help with the refund process. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. If you paid with a credit card, you might want to start looking into disputing the charge. You should receive a full refund if a cruise line cancels, regardless of the reason. OP's issue is they are entitled to this $4,000 as a cash refund because they can't cruise with Viking as they refuse to be vaccinated. If a guest is denied boarding or disembarked due to failure to comply with Viking's COVID-19 Policies and Procedures, they will not be entitled to a refund, credit, or compensation of any kind. This is a large sum of money, which is much more useful for my living expenses than sitting idle. . For additional flexibility, if you are unable to use your voucher, we will automatically send you a refund equal to the original amount paid to Viking after the voucher expires. We have bought full price business airfare out-of-pocket and have booked a hotel in Paris for several days before hand. You say that youcancelled and rescheduled your trip. Beautifully packaged Desc Gift for Him - Viking Hatchet Handmade Pizza Cutting Axe BUY 2 FR The 125% Future Cruise Voucher will also be fully transferable. Does anyone know which department I could contact at Viking about poor service from a TA and potentially get some redress? Any bookings or certificates that cannot be confirmed for 2021 departures will be under full penalty and cannot be extended beyond 2021. Can you help me get back the $12,490 we spent? he asked. Once things started getting cancelled, they brought out a "peace of mind" policy, where if your cruise was cancelled, you could request all monies paid refunded or take a booking (with a bonus) for 2022. Still, something about your case is not sitting right with me. Clickherefor more information about your 125% Future Cruise Voucher. This will typically be spelled out clearly on the cruise line's website at time of booking, or by your travel advisor. They really do want to book a cruise for you. 4. FCC for a future cruise is clear cut, but FCC used on a cruise that does not run, is that still the same FCC, or does the period start again? While specifics vary by cruise line, in general, the possibility of a refund shrinks (or disappears) the closer one gets to the departure date. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. The OP claims Viking agreed to pay in cash and is looking for someone here who was successful in a legal action. 6 months or more after filing a paper return. And now they are mad because they are not going to use those vouchers. Refunds rules can vary. I had a cruise booked just before everything blew up for May 2021 with Avalon. Also post #22 cites the procedure and due date tom request cash. Let's hope it goes & doesn't get cancelled again You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By Full Fare is defined as the full cost of any cruise, land or air component purchased from Viking. I think that's fair. Its perfectly reasonable to argue that you dont want to give Viking a microloan for up to two years. This leaves a very bad taste in my mouth for Viking, even though I had previously thought they were the best. Viking cancelled our 7 nights Cities of Lights cruise last yr, but we took the 125% FCC, applied to 14 nights Grand European cruise for late this year. Check your local consumer laws. Is this really the end of junk fees in travel? It's always best to comb. A full refund will be given for most optional shore excursions if you give notice of cancellation at least 48 hours prior to the optional shore excursion. Youre taking the voucher whether you like it or not. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. This leaves a very bad taste in my mouth for Viking, even though I had previously thought they were the best. KyOh, April 6, 2020 in Viking Ocean. We are continuing to monitor the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation daily, and even hourly, to determine adjustments to scheduling, which is based on a number of factors, including long term community support, advice, and relationships within our areas of operation. Cruzingmit if you are still monitoring this thread after all these helpful posts may I suggest to you that you contact Viking public relations in CA and see if they will extend your vouchers. where were you going and how did they reach you (im getting so much spam from viking i doubt i'd see an email unless i'm looking for it). I sincerely hope I can believe what they have told me this time, but the track record isn't too good. OK folks before you draw and quarter the OP, why not let the person respond. On March 11, we were the first cruise line to announce a temporary suspension of operations through April 30, 2020. He was willing to take the trip alone. It would have been interesting to know the details. It also lists some . Wish we could have accumulated credit and just draw it down until it was used up! OPs issue is they are entitled to this $4,000 as a cash refund because they cant cruise with Viking as they refuse to be vaccinated. 100% of Full Fare. And I do know an honest used car salesman as well. these second cruise was cancelled because eat Viking Sun was sold. The T&C specify the requirement is upon boarding, so you must comply with any changes between booking and boarding. This has always been Vikings ambition and will remain so. As a private company we do not have to worry about quarterly profit expectations and that flexibility allows us the ability to do what is best for our guests and our employees. . Now it wont refund my $3,606. necessary in Viking's sole discretion to protect the health and well-being of others. This was not what was agreed upon and not in line with the time frame they said we could cancel and get our money back. I have a real problem with this. 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