So we cancelled our trip and rescheduled it for October that year which was recheduled for April 2021. It just seems unfair even though technically Viking is allowed to do it. You chose door No. nr. We have contacted them and they continue to refuse. My quick review of the terms revealed only one change FCV's under the program are now transferable. Please help! Disgusted that on top of the fact they can cancel with such short notice and no penalties, they continue to hold onto our money. The Viking Cruise Travel Protection Plan includes Cancellation, Interruption, Medical Insurance, Medical Evacuation, Baggage Insurance , Travel Delay and several other benefits. If you have a consumer problem,please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. 3. Let's hope it goes & doesn't get cancelled again You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By This has always been Vikings ambition and will remain so. We had a fully booked and paid for Budpest Amsterdam river cruise in the spring of 2021. It later came to an undisclosed agreement with the husband. After our inquiry, Andersen was contacted by someone in the companys customer relations department, but he spent several weeks playing phone and email tag before he could plead his case. Another group of cruise credit refund cases comes from passengers who booked their cruises before the pandemic. By Were always here to help. Review: Heisenberg: The Uncertainty Principle by Griffin Theatre asks, how do relationships happen? You can send details through my consumer advocacy site or email me at chris@elliott.org. 4. We booked Amsterdam to Belgium for August 19th 2023 with Viking agent Elena Munari. Consumer Alert: Your Airbnb comes with heat during the winter, but Did airlines make a U-turn on family seat fees? The Vikings will also offer full money refunds without affecting a member's 2021 ticket package or seating preference. The 125% Future Cruise Voucher will also be fully transferable. They canceled my flight. Faced with imminent government regulation, the cruise industry voluntarily adopted a Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights. Then they rescheduled and then when the 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a refund. 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. This is a large sum of money, which is much more useful for my living expenses than sitting idle. Select "ok" to confirm refund. We were lied to by at least four Viking reps in regard to use of FCV. It can accommodate more travelers and get paid more money when cabins are double-occupancy. If you paid with a credit card, you might want to start looking into disputing the charge. Date of experience: August 2020 Ask Departure768546 about Viking Cruises It makes sense that the company would charge more for a single traveler. Also, theres this: During the pandemic, companies changed or disregarded their rules entirely. (Look for that story soon.). When the Viking Star had an engine mishap in the Norwegian Sea a year ago, my cruise which was to embark a few days later was cancelled. Then COVID hit. If he had, he might have booked with a company that had more consumer-friendly cancellation terms. Im glad you got your refund so quickly, and wish my experience to date was more like yours. 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. Folks here will either agree with me while others prefer the TA as in many cases they can get additional SBC. If COVID-19 canceled your travel plans, you are likely disappointed and wondering about refunds, credits, or vouchers for plane tickets, cruise bookings, tours, and more. I spoke to 2 Viking cust. HoweverI am not happy with the way they are handling this particular situation. Cunard's Queen Victoria. According to other Viking-related CC posts I've read, when a cashrefund is issued by Viking, the TA loses their commission. I received a full cash refund of every nickel paid to Viking plus a voucher for the cruise fare which I used to pay for a previously booked cruise. Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org. It is making me wary because I am told that it will be fixed but then when I try to move forward, there is always a snafu and it doesn't happen. Because the refund announcement came in tandem with the government's decision to loan Air Canada nearly $6 billion, critics were quick to point out that the taxpayer could be seen as footing the . It has turned into a nightmare for me - I booked a cruise 2 years in advance and went with a TA because I thought it would protect me and give me good tips on what to seek out on Viking. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. The majority don't charge fees to get cash back, so that's a plus. But you have options. We all make decisions and we should live with the consequences. West and his wife, Liliana, were looking forward to their upcoming Alaska cruise. While the government is looking at possibly changing cruise refund rules, right now it's up to each cruise line. does viking give cash refunds. Did you hear the recording? Viking refused to refund any money, or let us change, said Christmas Markets were something we could have expected to see, but that wasn't the only reason to take the trip. If you do not have a new travel date in mind, you will be provided with a certificate within the next couple weeks to move your funds over to a 2020 Alaska itinerary or even 2021. Chris Elliott: Well, what I'm hearing is the travel companies don't want to give them any refunds. It's always best to comb. The cost of a stopover is usually between $100 and $300. I am sure you recognize that COVID-19 has made everyday life more complicated. CC Help Jenn I won't ever do this again. But a named perils policy wouldnt have covered him. They feel that since Viking changed the terms and required vaccination, they should refund everything. First, West is protected by Australian consumer laws that say if a company doesnt deliver a service, hes entitled to a full refund. We publish the names and emails of customer service managers. Your travel certificate is good through December 2022. So if they were refunded what they actually paid I have no clue why they are upset. I come pick up and pay cash in person. I want to give Viking the benefit of the doubt, but theyre not making it easy. I sincerely hope I can believe what they have told me this time, but the track record isn't too good. Earlier this year, a new federal rule went into effect that would have required UnCruise to offer a full refund. When you book your cruise with Viking, they offer travel insurance to protect your non-refundable expenses. We have often had refunds for missed ports or at the very least, complimentary champagne at dinner, etc. And when the company is asked by the news media about individual cases, it seems to make some kind of concession but requires the passengers to sign a non-disclosure agreement, so the final resolutions are usually under wraps. 2. During the summer, they brought out a free upgrade, so I cancelled my existing cruise and re-booked the same one with the upgrade. Can I get my 173,116 Chase Ultimate Rewards points refunded? Alas, quite likely too much work for the ever busy editors and hosts. That cost was non-refundable. Issuing a refund is not difficult for a company to do; in fact its a single click on most electronic payment gateways. 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. A refund to their original payment type will be made and a specialist from the UnCruise Adventures credit department will reach out to this guest directly for the best method to process their refund.. We also had a quick refund from Viking. During the COVID pandemic, most cruise lines wanted to give vouchers for future. rep. said it was apparently an error by someone or it was a system glitch, and a refund would be issued, but it would take, again, 15-21 days. The OP . Not only would he miss this long-awaited vacation, but because of his advanced age, a 2021 replacement cruise was unlikely. Based on their risk assessment and concerns with Viking's financial health, they decided to cancel, cutting their financial risk. FCV policies change and can bedifferent. Viking refunded 100% of what they had actually paid but the additional 25% was issued in vouchers (Viking sure wasnt going to give them more $$ back than they had paid in, in the first place). Under its terms, UnCruise doesnt have to give West a refund. Your bank promptly returned your money. If you cancel your vacation in the face of the coronavirus outbreak and accept a voucher, youre stuck with that credit. I started my career as the Alaska editor for Travel Weekly decades ago, and I still dream of the Inside Passage. Its perfectly reasonable to argue that you dont want to give Viking a microloan for up to two years. Ok, so I waited again. Column: Creed III is right on time, says stars Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors. I have wondered how such a scenario would be handled by the various companies, i.e. It turns out its that way for many passengers. Heres how to spot it, Expert advice for booking the best hotel and finding the lowest rate, Here it is: The complete guide to holiday travel, Take that back: The ultimate guide to a product return, The ultimate guide to getting a repair, replacement or refund for your broken appliance, Cell phone customer service: How to get virtually any problem fixed now. You say that youcancelled and rescheduled your trip. But it left the door open for an eventual cruise credit refund. A polite appeal which youve already tried is a reasonable first step. He was willing to take the trip alone. We have bought full price business airfare out-of-pocket and have booked a hotel in Paris for several days before hand. This also applies for price adjustments. With an annual fee of $95 (a modest cost compared to the $550 annual fee of the Sapphire Reserve), the Sapphire Preferred offers up to $10,000 in coverage per person and up to $20,000 of trip . The cruise lines terms and conditions raised some red flags, he said. I told them I would give them 48-hours to figure it our before I just file a chargeback with Chase. My wife and I paid $10,096 for a cruise and tour on the. We were 3 weeks from sailing on another line in Mar2020. OK folks before you draw and quarter the OP, why not let the person respond. And they want a refund. And many travel service providers seem to be working to address concerns about upcoming trips. And now they are mad because they are not going to use those vouchers. The Elliott Report is supported by Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that offers free advice and advocacy for consumers. that would have required UnCruise to offer a full refund. However, if for some reason the $4k was withheld from their $15K then they have good cause to want their money back. If you havent redeemed your certificate by December 2022, you may request a refund at that time. I think that's fair. Im interested to hear other peoples experiences. But is a cruise credit refund even possible? I'm afraid your post is very unclear and inconsistent. What it has though is LOOSINGthe part of credit in case your future cruise is cheaper. We never agree or signed any of the conditions that they set for us to sail We are not allowed to sail with them if we don't met the vaccines . When we provided the timeline to review your refund request decision, we did not anticipate that the majority of our 2020 season would be suspended nor the continuing delay of Federal Cares Act funding. . you getting your money back? Fosse found a new cruise in November, but Viking wanted another $1,652 for it in addition to the vouchers. 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. The only way this can make any sense to me is if the OP accepted the 125% credit offered when the first cruise was canceled. (Photo by Sjo/Getty Images) Cunard's policy is somewhat convoluted in that it offers a percentage refund based on not only the amount of time that remains between cancellation and the sailing date but also the length of the sailing.Passengers booked on voyages of 30 nights or fewer, departing on or before April 30, 2022, will receive 100% of their money back (minus . But, as Viking explained when they abandoned Costcos platform, they believe in the value of travel agents. Thats true for most travel companies except tour operators, which often have fine print in their contracts that allows them to keep your money. Can you help me get back the $12,490 we spent? he asked. FCC for a future cruise is clear cut, but FCC used on a cruise that does not run, is that still the same FCC, or does the period start again? We made the decision to pull the plug. Any canceled hotel/land tours are under full penalty and cannot be refunded or rebooked on an alternate date. Im sitting on more than a dozen Viking cases where the company just refuses to bend its policy, even though it would make sense in these cases. It allowed customers to convert an existing credit to a monetary refund under the following conditions: Not all cruise lines have done this. I would try to get an extension for that 4K voucher. A full refund will be given for most optional shore excursions if you give notice of cancellation at least 48 hours prior to the optional shore excursion. Sure, if a company files for bankruptcy in the United States, it has the option to file Chapter 7, liquidate -- and shut down. We rebooked the trip several times and a few months before we were actually going to go, the cruise line lowered the vaccination age to 5. It gives you time and room to manuever should the environment change. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. CC Help Jenn Started August 27, 2021, By It is one of the few places on Earth that is more beautiful than the pictures. Op said clearly they paid 14000$ for the cruise fare plus insurance. And now they are mad because they are not going to use those vouchers. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of all the Viking Cruise executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. VikingCash is an on-line debit account run through your Viking Card. These pagan Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish warriors were probably prompted to undertake their raids by a combination of factors ranging from overpopulation at . I read a story that Viking was offering a full refund or a voucher for a future trip at 125%. I'd be annoyed too! 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. Did we mention it's free? Hed booked an UnCruise Inside Passage cruise. . And I do know an honest used car salesman as well. But six months later, UnCruise got back to West with a final decision. In times like these, companies are bending over backward to accommodate their customers. Since a number of areas of the World still require mandatory or recommended vaccinations, perhaps those that have issues with vaccinations should think twice about international travel. You'll still need to return your items within 30 days. these second cruise was cancelled because eat Viking Sun was sold. Can I get a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club Points? I think Viking is ignoring refund requests. Asked for a supervisor but she told me the same thing - 2 more weeks. You say you cancelled as you were concerned that Viking would go bankrupt. Also post #22 cites the procedure and due date tom request cash. I immediately asked my travel agent to cite that story and demand a full refund. Princess Cruises There is no law that requires a merchant to refund money. Youre taking the voucher whether you like it or not. West appealed and a few months later received an update from a manager. You'll be able to redeem this Kohl's Cash at any time within 30 days. Guests will have to pay full rate for new hotel/land tours. On March 11, we were the first cruise line to announce a temporary suspension of operations through April 30, 2020. I have to add that I use the sameViking agent rather than a TA. Wilderness Adventurer. Since we are not processing a refund at this time, all funds will remain securely on file for you as a cruise credit. Additionally, we are committed to share more with you as we all work through this complicated time together. 14 days or less. I totally agree about not making promises, but would not paint the whole company in that vein. Europe's Danube River is a frequent route for Viking River Cruises. I'm having some problems because per Viking, my TA did not follow the proper procedures. (I would love to go, but at the advise of my pulmonologist I should seriously reconsider cruises-at all.) OVER $39 Worldwide Free Shipping. Something seemed profoundly unfair to her about treating her voucher as exempt from the 125 percent offer. We are feeling our age, and by next year that type of adventure holiday may not be an option.. Two days later, Fedex Ex knocks on the door with separate letters for me and my wife containing checks for SBC connected with the cancelled cruise. Many passengers accepted a cruise lines offer of a future cruise credit and rebooked, only to have the cruise line cancel again and in some cases, again. 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. CC Help Jenn 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works But the fact that youre retired has no bearing on this case. We cant use future cruise credit because of our health.. When Viking cancels your cruise, you are entitled to a full cash refund. Sounds like a fine print deal, unfortunately. Now they cant take a cruise until they get a vaccine. Language and Region. My point is that if I give Viking my money to use then I expect if not refund, credit to use at MY discretion.6. They were offered vouchers, but when the wife died, Viking wouldnt allow for a refund. Youll also connect with other readers who want to make the world a better place. For example, Carnival states, "If you would like . Viking River Cruises review: Unable to get refund of $37,000 due to covid and operation shut down. Please help. 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. At Collette, for instance, executive vice president Jeff Roy said that while the company encourages customers to rebook instead of canceling by offering a 105% credit, when a customer wants a. Some locations have caps of only $10. Our help is free. 89-60. Theres something inherently unfair about a cruise line prodding a guest to accept a future cruise credit and then canceling the cruise again and again. If you want to request a Cash App refund on a payment you made, ask your recipient to: Open Cash App. By Cruzingmlt, Friday at 03:19 AM in Viking Ocean. On 4/8 I receive emails to me and my husband that a credit, not a refund, was issued for a future cruise. Refunds rules can vary. Vrbo took my $1,270! Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. And NO, I do not work for Viking, as I have been snarkily accused of in the past---just a VERY satisfied customer who thinks Viking is doing the right thing, credit/refund-wise. Your cruise, you are entitled to a full refund time together account run through your Viking card my Did! That you dont want to request a cash App ok & quot if. Their customers to do it am in Viking Ocean Viking wouldnt allow for a single click on electronic. Member & # x27 ; ll still need to return your items 30. Service providers seem to be working to address concerns about upcoming trips draw and quarter OP. 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