We are fronting them interest free money ----- what part of that is OK with you? Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. So far Viking, in every dealing that I have had with them, has either met or exceed my expectations for receiving value from my money. Two of its ships, the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, have experienced outbreaks of coronavirus in recent weeks in Japan and California, respectively. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Our cruise is May 2 out of London. The price for next year is a little lower. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. In the time since that announcement, many of you have expressed concern for our crew, and I want to reassure you that we are taking good care of them. In a conference call with TPG and several other news outlets last month, Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said itineraries might need to change, at least in the short term, due to both port closures in some destinations and limitations on air travel. We are very pleased. 10 to 15 minutes. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. We will stand by our guests, employees and partners in these challenging times and hope that they in turn will stand by us. The US state department is not relevant to any of us. It's hard to say, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility that we'll see at least partial fleets laid up without passengers until the virus and public panic settle down, destinations open back up, and demand for cruising increases. Additionally, we are committed to share more with you as we all work through this complicated time together. We hope they can make it through this. For most cruise lines, as long as you cancel before your final payment date, there is no penalty. This has always been Viking's ambition and will remain so. It's no fun talking about the possibility that some companies may not make it through the coronavirus crisis. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. Be careful that it is not tied to any pre-existing conditions. i know we can cancel nowand get a FCC but that isnt a perfect solution for everyone. We booked a river cruise with Viking which we cancelled due to Covid and received travel vouchers from Viking for the amount of the trip. Idiots was probably the wrong word. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. We are confident you can weather this storm! Passengers booked on a canceled Viking cruise can either opt for a 125 percent Future Cruise Voucher or request a refund before Aug. 24. Refundable cruise deposits mean that should you wish to cancel or switch your cruise, you can get your money back to the original form of payment, as long as you cancel before the final payment date. What Are Carnival's Early Saver Cruise Deals. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). How Soon Before Your Cruise Can You Cancel Due to COVID-19 and Omicron? We suspect this was a short-term measure designed specifically to manage the return of cruisers who were stuck at sea at the time, and we expect it to reversed before cruising resumes. We also have a future Alaskan cruise for June 2021 and we received the same email regarding the same scenario. What's the upside if the cancellation falls under covered reason? Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. But here's our advice: Skip the future cruise credits. Our cruise in June was cancelled, of course. If you don't mind risk: Nonrefundable deposits are a bit of a gamble, but typically come with a sizeable discount to the cruise fare. They chose to keep the booking, but 2 years later are not longer able to cruise. Further to the previous response. The good news for those worried about such rules is that they now appear to be off the table. We will continue to stand by you, as well as our employees and partners, and hope that you will continue to stand by us. 1) Viking like every other cruise line is in business to make money. They site the risk of quarantine, the spread of disease, as well as the challenges they're having providing excellent guest experiences as many ports and popular attractions are closed to visitors. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Your contract incorporates these Booking Conditions and by making a booking with us you confirm your acceptance of these Booking Conditions. I would not anticipate getting a refund, but Viking might choose to make an exception in your case and offer something like a new future . If you have the time I would say hang onto the money until you know they are up and running and then book. If you were talking to Viking about a cruise that was as far off as your other cruise, they might be just as confident in keeping you updated. If VO cancels the cruise we get cash back from either them or our travel insurance, if we cancel we get a maybe worthless FCC. Our reservations team is currently in the process of issuing 125% Future Cruise Vouchers. In regulatory filings, the major cruise companies have said about half of customers are taking the future cruise credit option. Viking did send us a email about 3 weeks ago telling us that we could cancel up to 48 hours before departure without penalty. What's Next Now that the CDC Is Out of the Cruise Regulation Game? Same friends on Princess booked for the first time with Viking for a March 2021 cruise and won't pay until September. We decided just to opt for the refund & forgo the additional 25%. CC Help Jenn Sounds like everyonehad a different experience. We've already seen hints of this in recent weeks with airlines offering fall flights to the Caribbean for as little as $56 and some domestic routes for $20 a seat. No real reason to plan a vacation if you can't get off the ship. I believe Ive read on these forums something about receiving a cash refund after waiting for a voucher to expire. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Guests will have 24 months to use their Future Cruise Voucher to make a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. I feel we have become one large Viking family of 500,000 guests each year and 10,000 employees. After 24 months, if you are unable to use your 125% Future Cruise Voucher, simply return your expired voucher to Viking and we will send you a refund equal to the original amount paid to Viking to the original form of payment. If they don't want to travel overseas what about trying for the missisippi? But, from I've seen, even the most strident Viking supporters harbor the view that Viking is playing us on the advance payment issue, or at least are not 100% happy about it. You each determine what your own personal price to value ratio is and probably act accordingly. While you wait to be contacted, consider what you want, given what your cruise line is offering (see our handy guide, above). Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. These Future Cruise Vouchers will also be fully transferable. Viking cruises have been canceled since March when it became the first major cruise line to cancel operations at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By It's still unclear how and when travel around the globe will restart. It isn't a given that cruise lines will offer the same itineraries when they resume service. Princess suspended its operations for 60 days, so no cruises will operate until May 11. When I got in touch with Viking a few weeks back once they out out the new temporary policy I was told we did NOT fall under those guidelines since our ship embarkation date is May 1. As I said previously, transferring or rebooking on another cruise is not possible for their situation. Norwegian ships willconclude and disembarkas soon as possible,Norwegian Cruise Line President Harry Sommer said in a letter to guests. However, if you would prefer the alternative please call Viking at 1-833-900-0951 or contact your Travel Agent by March 25, 2020. 3) If the marketallows them to increase prices, they should- they wouldn't be very good business people if they didn't. Future cruise credits can be used on any sailing through May 1, 2022. These Future Cruise Vouchers will also be fully transferable. Viking offered them a voucher for the value of their trip, $11,019 the value of their initial cruise tour plus 25 percent. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Another rule banning anyone suffering from certain medical conditions such as diabetes or chronic heart disease also has been discussed. It is a risk because you will not know if insurance will pay until after the cruise is cancelled and a claim is filed. That said, the discussions between the CDC and cruise lines are ongoing. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. It's also possible cruises won't be among the best deals around. Europe is now seeing the same kind of climate change conditions that are affecting the Western United States. We are a private, closely-held company, which means we do not have to rush the decision to return to service.. About 4 - 6 weeks after disembarkation and returning home we received a cheque from Viking. You will have 24 months to use your Future Cruise Voucher to make a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. We would also lose our non-refundable air cost if we cancel. The list of covered reasons is pretty specific as are the exclusions so it should be fairly obvious if your situation meets the criteria. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Get more from your points with these transfer bonuses, Credit card showdown: Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Venture X, JetBlue adds 3 new NYC-area routes as Northeast Alliance hangs in the balance, It's back: Best-ever bonus of 70,000 miles on the Alaska Airlines Business card. What's the downside to us? What Happens to Cruise Ships During the Pandemic's Hurricane Season? The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Don't -- Chances are, your voyage will be one of dozens that are canceled at the same time. This offer covers all Viking reservations made between Dec. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021, on any 2021 or 2022 voyage. I feel we have become one large Viking family of 500,000 guests each year and 10,000 employees. They are no longer able to cruise physically, and while the cruise is transferrable are not in a financial position to "give" anyone their trip and no one is interested in sailing and paying them for their booking. But in a one-on-one interview with TPG earlier this month, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio said he hoped itineraries would be able to remain the same as cruising starts up. VIking has cancelled now through 30 Jun 2020. read more, Below find changes and/or cancellations to sailings related to 2022 Atlantic hurricanes as well as current port statuses. Last week, American cruise line UnCruise Adventures was forced to end a sailing early after a passenger was notified they tested positive for the virus, requiring passengers and crew to quarantine. While major cruise operators such as Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises arent tipping their hands yet on their comeback plans, were expecting to see a distinct shift to shorter, closer-to-home sailings at least initially. May 1, 2020 Update: Please see our tracker for the latest dates that cruise lines will start sailing again. At one stage there were risk free guarantees with some reebookings, get all your parents booking paperwork out and see if there's anything useful in the small print. Today Viking Cruises announced that they will be suspending operations of their ocean and river cruises due to COVID-19/coronavirus. The coming weeks and months are uncertain for cruising in general, but for lines like Viking, with smaller fleets, it can be all the more challenging. Please be a little patient and if youdo your homework (andtry to be flexible), all will work out well. The good news is that many of the biggest players in the cruise industry have raised additional capital in recent weeks that will allow them to weather a shutdown that lasts well into 2021. Another thought is do they have insurance for the trip? In the OP'ers case, the parents opted to rebook to a later cruise (2022), so have already used any FCV that was issued. Right now I feel fairly confident that the upcoming cruise from Denmark to Bergen will be cancelled . We'll make an effort to keep this current, but if you learn something we don't yet have posted please leave a comment below and let us know so we can keep things current. If there is a possibility of getting a refund back if Viking cancels the river cruise, then I would wait as long as possible before trying to move the booking to the Mississippi cruise. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend operations of our river and ocean vessels embarking from March 12 to April 30, 2020 at which time we believe Viking will be in a better place to provide the experiences our guests expect and deserve. It has for me 4 times over the past few years. Hoping third time is a charm and we go in January! window.__mirage2 = {petok:"5YFK4ZwVWpG_2z6rDcSdiRVz3lCn4ORteBcFe43K3J4-1800-0"}; Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. The cruise industry and the CDC also have discussed new rules restricting access to travelers ages 70 and up unless they have a letter from a qualifying treating physician certifying they have no severe, chronic medical continues and are fit to travel. Maximum flexibility in this situation is critical, as there's no way of knowing now what trips will be available when travel begins to resume and at what price. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is the parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. By Since day one, it has been our mission to create experiences for our guests that focus on the destination and allow them to explore the world in comfort. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Get a No-Obligation Quote from a Great Agent. CruiseHabit.com was created by Billy Hirsch. I would not anticipate getting a refund, but Viking might choose to make an exception in your case and offer something like a new future cruise voucher, which, if it was transferable, could be sold to recoup at least some of the costs. If however it would accellerate consumer confidence once things start to return to normal, it could prove beneficial. Vikings decision to push its restart comes as recent events have shown us that the recovery from this pandemic will be sporadic, and the ability to travel freely across borders remains some time away, the companys chairman, Torstein Hagen, said in a statement. ISHCruising, December 27, 2021 in Viking Ocean. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. I am writing today because the situation has now become such that operating as a travel company involves significant risks of quarantines or medical detentions, which could diminish the travel experiences for which our guests have been planning. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. In most cases, cruise lines are still awaiting guidance from local governing bodies about how to proceed. Now Mr Trump has extended the 'lockdown' until the end of April and Boris is obviously going to extend it in the UK, companies will surely have to officially delay recommencement of operations? On April 4, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said cruise passengers no longer could fly on commercial aircraft when returning home from cruise ships docking at U.S. ports. Cruises wo n't pay until September the table places your Platinum card can get you complimentary entry exclusive... 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