Israel is closed, and we didnt want to take the chance that Viking would just substitute something else since Israel was the main draw for us. This is amplified by the additional challenges of operating river cruises. Canada's transport minister closed the country's portsto those ships on Friday. Woodland hills, CA 91367. No. Deposits are refundable unless otherwise indicated. Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles. Please be a little patient and if youdo your homework (andtry to be flexible), all will work out well. To check what makes the most sense for you, and if your cruise deposit is refundable, read the following information compiled by Cruise Critic. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. The doctor would have to declare one or both unfit to travel. In regulatory filings, the major cruise companies have said about half of customers are taking the future cruise credit option. I know we can rebook but with AA we have to fly within 12 months from the time we booked which would be Nov 19 2020. Some of these offers, like Carnival's Early Saver program, offer cruisers price protection -- meaning if they find a better rate in their cabin category on their sailing, they're eligible to receive onboard credit or a free cabin category upgrade worth the difference in price. 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. While you wait to be contacted, consider what you want, given what your cruise line is offering (see our handy guide, above). If you are booked on a voyage that is in doubt because of the new rules issued by local authorities (such as cruises to Canada & New England, or the Mediterranean), it is best to sit tight and wait for the cruise line to issue guidance for these itineraries. But by then, the price increase had claimed the voucher plus an extra $628. For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Change fees can be incurred if you decide to change ship or sail date with a nonrefundable deposit option. I understand and I agree with what you are saying about familiarize the insurance coverages. Maybe your contract is different from ours? Just got the email cancelling our Jun 27 Majestic Fjords sailing. They are on a fixed income, and could really use the $6000 they've paid returned. As of now, the 30-day moratorium on cruises ends on April 10. Related: Some cruise ships could be laid up for months. This has always been Vikings ambition and will remain so. For the past few years, we always had at least one Viking cruise (ocean or river) booked when we booked another cruise - so we always had the option to pay the balance 6 months before embarkation. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Maybe after a 2-year period? Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. 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. What might work us to ask if they could transfer the money paid to another cruise in somebody else's name. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. CC Help Jenn Deposits are refundable unless otherwise indicated. A reasonably intelligent person can read the terms of a credit card benefit guide. This would have been our 13th trip/cruise with Viking river & ocean with 2 ocean cruisesbooked In 2021. Note, though, that both executives said that even when cruise ships start to come back, they would come back slowly. Find the right card for you. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. (Video), Royal Caribbean Cancels 4 Sailings Amid Omicron Spread What to Know, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises Cancel Cruises What to Know If You're Scheduled to Sail, Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels Sailings Amid Omicron Spread What to Know If You've Booked One, I Took a Cruise Around the Mediterranean Over the Holidays Here's What It's Like to Be on a Ship Right Now, Here's One of the Only Ways to Cruise Alaska This Summer, Cruising Won't Resume in the U.S. Until at Least November, Cruise Association Confirms, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Will Require Passengers to Wear Masks Indoors Due to Rising Onboard Cases, Royal Caribbean Temporarily Suspends New Cruise Bookings Until Jan. 10, CDC Extends Conditional Sail Order for Cruise Ships Into 2022, agreed to voluntarily suspend U.S. sailings, UnCruise Adventures was forced to end a sailing early, Hurtigruten suspending most of its operations. This will typically be spelled out clearly on the cruise line's website at time of booking, or by your travel advisor. jtslattery, August 30, 2021 in Viking Ocean. Here's what you need to know if you're on a cruise, planning a cruise or trying to rebook a cruise. LauraS This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. B. Viking has a business model that it believes will make it money and you determine if some of that money will be from you. We rebooked for July 2021. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. What would we come back for another sailing? What was great? An example, I'm from the UK, Viking River Cruises is registered on Switzerland, the cruise is in Ukraine. Viking Ocean Cruises provide Freyja shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body-wash, replenished daily; frequent cruisers say that the high-quality products are one of the best perks of every trip. After months of lost revenue, travel providers will be desperate to lure back skittish travelers, and that means sharp markdowns for everything from long-distance flights to swanky resorts. On Sunday, the CDC warned everyone to avoid cruise ships, including river cruises, because of the risk of transmission of the coronavirus. Cancellation Policy Due to COVID-19 If however it would accellerate consumer confidence once things start to return to normal, it could prove beneficial. "Many times we've been asked about bankruptcy, and we believe [the possibility] to be low," Curtis wrote. All programs will be modified to . Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. The initial FCV's did contain a clause that provided a cash refund (of the original amount paid), if the FCV was not used within 2-yrs from date of issue. Norwegian plans to resume embarkations on April 12. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics, What Should You Do If Your Cruise Line Cancels Your Cruise. Maybe Viking has some special deal with Israel. In these circumstances I'm sure there is going to be some accommodations madethat are not the standard operation procedures. 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. We rebooked the trip for 10/12-10/23/22. By It's the current Coronavirus situation that has caused this, and is a very tricky time for all. Plus Ups are excluded. Here's how long it will take, Good news for cruisers worried about strict new boarding rules, Some of the year's hottest new ships could be delayed, Stream these 13 movies and shows to get your cruise ship fix, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. We still have $$$ "left over" for excursions. Author: bill March 11, 2020, Updated: May 2, 2020. I would say they are being more than fair. Thank you all for taking the time to respond. Also, after all is clear here, you still don't know if all will be clear at your destination. Rest assured, our reservations team is currently in the process of issuing Future Cruise Vouchers of 125% of all monies paid to Viking. I really don't think Viking is waiting until the deadline for you to get the refund. Disney Cruises suspended its operations Friday. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. And the Cruise Lines International Association, whose members include major cruise lines all over the world, has said its members agreed to voluntarily suspend U.S. sailings through at least Oct. 31. Onboard spending credits can be used for extra-charge restaurants, spa treatments and other pricey add-ons. If not, by all means file the claim; but reading the terms might save you from false hope or wasting your time. What's Next Now that the CDC Is Out of the Cruise Regulation Game? However, if you prefer the alternative, you may choose a refund equal to the amount paid, by contacting your Travel Agent by April 6, 2020. Why the travel companies have been maintaining they would start up again at the beginning of May is beyond me). 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. The CDC cited the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined last month of the coast of Japan. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. VIking has cancelled now through 30 Jun 2020. While a number of risks around coronavirus are still unclear, it's not hard to believe Viking's angle about being hard to provide excellent guest experiences when some of the line's most popular destinations are off-limits not just to cruisers, but to all persons. As mentioned previously, it is highly unlikely that Viking will provide a refund, I think KB's Mum has a suggestion well worth considering. Bookings with refundable deposits are often eligible for price adjustment -- before the final payment date -- as well as changing to a different sail date or ship without penalty. If Viking cancels a pre- or post- cruise experience, a refund of monies paid will be available. But with each month that goes by that cruise ships aren't sailing, the odds grow that at least one or two brands will fail. Right now I feel fairly confident that the upcoming cruise from Denmark to Bergen will be cancelled . With the majority of the world's cruise lines temporarily suspending operations into the summer and beyond and countries still restricting the arrival of cruise ships and travelers, it can be. Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. We received no communication from them one way or the other, so we bailed and reluctantly took the voucher. [CDATA[ The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. In addition to our many award-winning river and ocean cruises, in early 2022 we will launch our expedition journeys to the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as North America's Great Lakes. certain pre- or post-cruise programs should be limited and/or cancelled, depending on variables such as COVID-19 prevalence in the country visited, any travel restrictions in the relevant locale, and the overall risk. Learn more. Best of luck in receiving your refund, I think you made the best decision. None, except that 15 minutes not spent browsing Cruise Critic. Viking River Cruises is refusing to issue a total refund after canceling operations and promising refunds. Celebrity Cruise ships that left U.S. ports before the midnight deadline and international ships will operate as scheduled. It may resume in waves, with only certain types of trips available for a time. Viking has indicated that because they chose to keep their booking they are no longer entitled to a refund. Cruise lines havepausedtheir operations for at least 30 days. What Happens to Cruise Ships During the Pandemic's Hurricane Season? As a side note after reading the Viking Cruise Critic boards and the challenges many have experienced with regards to FCVs and the continued challenges with traveling internationally, we have not used our FCVs from the April 2019 canceled Viking cruise which are due to expire this April 2022. Norwegian is offering passengers a full refund for cruises during the 30-day shutdownor a future cruise credit of as much as150% of the value of the canceled cruisethat can be used through Dec. 31, 2022. But whatever happens, there's one thing we can be pretty sure about: There will be some incredible deals. . We hope they can make it through this. 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. Viking owes you nothing. 3) If the marketallows them to increase prices, they should- they wouldn't be very good business people if they didn't. Refunds will be credited within 90 days, the company said. My hope is to get our money back but FCC two years out is acceptable. Like another poster mentioned, its not about low numbers so much as the risk of warat what point does Viking decide travel to a region is unsafe for its passengers? 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. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. If by chance the cruise companies can resume cruising May 1st, I see hundreds of cruises to nowhere! Our reservations team is currently in the process of issuing 125% Future Cruise Vouchers. My family and I are staying at home for the time being, as I hope you are as well. The company will continue to . Would you be willing to be flexible on where you sailed with the line? the CDC warned everyone to avoid cruise ships, Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group, announced Friday, Princess Cruises said Thursday that it would suspend its operations for 60 days, Carnival said in a letter to passengers Friday, Norwegian is offering passengers a full refund for cruises, Royal Caribbean is offering passengers a full refund, Carnival is offering either a full refund or a 100% future cruise credit, which has been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Refunds come with future cruise credits of 25% to 100%, delay contacting the company until later in the month, Viking will issue full refunds to affected passengers, Disney Cruises will offer full refunds or credits, Viking will resume its operations on May 1, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. That means access to cash, not credits. So who knows. BTW, earlier this year, Viking was offering 6 months to everyone. I feel we have become one large Viking family of 500,000 guests each year and 10,000 employees. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. I am writing to you today from my home, rather than the Viking office. Everything. Difficult situation - hope it works out. Everything else apples to apples. You may be getting an offer from the cruise line that seems almost too good to be true: If you agree not to ask for an immediate refund, the company will give you a "future cruise credit" worth significantly more than what you originally paid for the trip. Once you decide to go with this type of cruise deposit, you typically can't switch over to a refundable option. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Guests can change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departure and Viking will waive any fees. has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA Todays award-winning cruise site. Hang in there! Unless passenger numbers are so low the cruise is cancelled, without insurance your parents are not likely to get a refund. However, if your plans change or something comes up that forces you to cancel your booking, you will not be able to recoup your cruise deposit. We decided just to opt for the refund & forgo the additional 25%. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. After final payment, you will lose your deposit or the deposit and a portion of your cruise fare, depending on when you cancel in relation to your sail date. Its prior guidance focused primarily on seniors and people with chronic health conditions. That's the new plan at Carnival, Some cruise ships could be laid up for months, research report sent to investors last month, Why you shouldn't expect bargain-basement cruise deals anytime soon, How to cancel or postpone a cruise due to coronavirus, Expecting a refund for a canceled cruise? No real reason to plan a vacation if you can't get off the ship. $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. Guests will have 24 months to use their Future Cruise Voucher to make a new reservation on any river, ocean or expedition cruise. 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? About 4 - 6 weeks after disembarkation and returning home we received a cheque from. For all air-inclusive packages cancelled after issuance of an airline ticket, the air portion of the refund, if any, will be subject . Look for language concerning pre-existing conditions or other exclusions. Learn more. Enrollment required. Major cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegianand Celebrity suspended sailing operations to and from U.S. ports for 30 days because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group, announced Friday. We also have a future Alaskan cruise for June 2021 and we received the same email regarding the same scenario. Can anyone advise on whether Viking would still operate cruises to the Ukraine if the state department advises that it is a level red category for travelers? window.__mirage2 = {petok:"5YFK4ZwVWpG_2z6rDcSdiRVz3lCn4ORteBcFe43K3J4-1800-0"}; Do they have any cancellation coverage with their household insurance or connected to a bank account? This Royal Caribbean Announcement Will Make You Cry - And We're Going to Get Up Close to Bring You More. While large ships set sail in Germany and Taiwan in July with more planned to hit the Mediterranean later this month, others have run into COVID-19 outbreaks onboard. Breeze through security with CLEAR lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Assuming that was the original means of payment. With the majority of the world's cruise lines .css-hghiur{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-medium);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;cursor:pointer;color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);}.css-hghiur:focus-visible,.css-hghiur[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-hghiur:hover,.css-hghiur[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;}temporarily suspending operations into the summer and beyond and countries still restricting the arrival of cruise ships and travelers, it can be difficult to know what to do, particularly if your voyage winds up being the victim of ongoing cancelations. Visit TPGs guide to all coronavirus news and updates. Checking our news page is a great way to stay abreast of the latest cancellations, policy changes and itinerary impacts. An increasing number of ports, including Venice, Monte Carlo and Bergen, have temporarily closed to cruise ships; major attractions such as the Vatican and other museums have been closed; and some countries are imposing restrictions on public gatherings and visitors. Copyright 2022 Travel + Leisure Co. All Rights Reserved. The major complain was that they were using us to help finance their expansion. Last month, Princess Cruises canceled sailings for most of its ships through December. Viking announced similar measures Wednesday. In that spirit, we have made the decision to extend our temporary suspension of operations through June 30, 2020. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. 1) Viking like every other cruise line is in business to make money. Get a No-Obligation Quote from a Great Agent. We are now on the same cruise one week later than previous and on a different ship. Our original Viking cruise was booked for July 2020. And they're making the offers enticing. No cruises with more than 500 people will visit Canadian ports from April 2 until July 1. We just got done re-booking for our cancelled mid June cruise. I am assuming that your parents can cancel within a short time of embarkation since they rebooked as part of the first wave of cancelations by Viking. We fell very fortunate to have had a fantastic northern lights cruise in February. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). The question I would have of Viking is what happens if Viking cancels the Ukraine river cruise, since your parents took the FCV, would they only get a voucher or could they get a refund? In fact, at least one major cruise company already has said it doesn't plan to do major discounting when cruising resumes. 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. Check here before booking an award fare. What Are Carnival's Early Saver Cruise Deals. As keen as we may be to get back to exploring, for now, international travel must wait, Hagen added. Fairly painless! Powered by Invision Community. 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. Viking will resume its operations on May 1. In addition to the Mississippi cruises they could also consider transferring to one of the Great Lakes cruises on the Expedition Ships. 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. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. 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. Email ctate@usatoday.com. You can read more about how this all got started here. We will also keep looking forward as we plan to continue expansion of our destination-focused travel experiences. Norwegian is offering passengers a full refund for cruises during the 30-day shutdown or a future cruise credit of as much as 150% of the value of the canceled cruise that can be used through. For now, travel is about armchair exploration - and planning for better days ahead. CruiseHabit.com was created by Billy Hirsch. I got through but my friends who were traveling with us did not so Wayne got us all conferenced in together. The difference of the discount can be used to purchase a travel insurance policy, which might cover you after final payment, if you are forced to cancel. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. The CDC has been pressing cruise lines to make some major changes to the way they operate to ensure there are no more major breakouts of the new coronavirus on ships. will respond. 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. //
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