No way to hurry it up. The cost of a stopover is usually between $100 and $300. Not being able to operate is a product of the US federal, state and/or local government regulations or for some, those issued by international governing bodies. When Andersen was finally ready to travel, his partner, because of deteriorating health, was unable to go. 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. No way to hurry it up. It also lists some . Europe's Danube River is a frequent route for Viking River Cruises. 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. Did you hear the recording? Returns are refunded to your original method of payment. Etc. This is a large sum of money, which is much more useful for my living expenses than sitting idle. 75% of total price. But the entire cruise industry shutting down due to a pandemic vs one ship having an accident is an entirely different scale. Then they rescheduled and then when the 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a refund. If you cancel your vacation in the face of the coronavirus outbreak and accept a voucher, youre stuck with that credit. Consumer Alert: No more automatic refunds for skipped ports? I asked at the explorers desk..Or guest relations. Do they really need to analyze call recordings? Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. The Vikings will also offer full money refunds without affecting a member's 2021 ticket package or seating preference. Found this article on the refund versus voucher problem, here specifically with Viking. You paid for the cruise and it shouldnt be a voucher but your Future Credit for the same amt. Alaskas Inside Passage is more beautiful than the photos. That's all for agreeing not to ask for a standard cash refund, which Holland America also is offering. Ours did not. (Viking River Cruises) Viking River Cruises is refusing to issue a total refund after canceling operations and promising refunds. Viking has not changed their policy on their vaccine policy. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/as-cruise-ships-remain-docked-passengers-say-their-vacation-money-is-tied-up/2445625/, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. Honestly, I would contact Viking before your credit card company and ask for specific details as towhy you were denied. To do this, the business must give the consumer a reasonable estimate of these costs before collecting the product. UnCruise will return to sail this season starting April 30. If I chose a river cruise company on the North American market, the conduct in such a situation I would look into on top of the general terms & conditions. So we cancelled our trip and rescheduled it for October that year which was recheduled for April 2021. My wife and I paid $10,096 for a cruise and tour on the. Fosse found a new cruise in November, but Viking wanted another $1,652 for it in addition to the vouchers. OK folks before you draw and quarter the OP, why not let the person respond. For a cruise two months or more from now, you may lose your deposit. Refunds are made upon receipt and depend on the working times of banks. It just seems unfair even though technically Viking is allowed to do it. Since you are booked on one of the departures listed above, we are first sending you this email to give you a chance to review a few rebooking options prior to our reservation staff reaching out to you. Disgusted that on top of the fact they can cancel with such short notice and no penalties, they continue to hold onto our money. That's right. This has always been Vikings ambition and will remain so. You pulled off a minor miracle, he says. The adults were all vaccinated but the youngest children were not because of concern about the amount of testing on growing children of that age. Then they should not be making promises in regard to policy. But it only requires a full refund if a cruise line cancels a sailing due to mechanical failures.. We had a fully booked and paid for Budpest Amsterdam river cruise in the spring of 2021. On March 11, we were the first cruise line to announce a temporary suspension of operations through April 30, 2020. has a tracker that displays progress through 3 stages: (1) Return Received, (2) Refund Approved and (3) Refund Sent. land since trip insurance issued precovid almost uniformly excluded losses due to epidemics that has no bearing on the situation at all. Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works Karin Price Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Guests will have to pay full rate for new hotel/land tours. Is my warranty dead, too? On 4/8 I receive emails to me and my husband that a credit, not a refund, was issued for a future cruise. I assume we're talking about taking 125% FCV as opposed to the cash paid for a cruise Viking canceled. I wanted to say something about your argument for getting a refund. West appealed and a few months later received an update from a manager. Is this really the end of junk fees in travel? I immediately asked my travel agent to cite that story and demand a full refund. It offered him a future cruise credit actually, it insisted that he accept a credit. Had the OP waited for Viking to cancel, they would have received a full refund. It makes sense that the company would charge more for a single traveler. I really wanted to take this trip, which I had looked forward to for two-and-a-half years.. I found them to be very reasonable in our case. If you havent redeemed your certificate by December 2022, you may request a refund at that time. Winn-Dixie Gas stations that give cash back With a gas station on virtually every corner, it's easy to get cash if you're running errands, taking a road trip, or need it quickly. When Viking cancels your cruise, you are entitled to a full cash refund. Stay Safe Stay HealthySent from my iPad using Forums. Select "ok" to confirm refund. They've got lawyers stacked in huge piles. West was heartbroken. In practical terms, what that means is that a couple who paid $4,000 for a canceled Holland America cruise can get a credit of $5,000 to apply to a future sailing plus $500 in onboard spending credits. We dont mean losing the money paid for the person who cant take the trip. US government now rates Hungary and Germany as Zone 4, " do not travel". She lost her engagement ring in a rental car. And they want a refund. Unfortunately, when pax cancel a cruise, the cancellation fees outlined in the Terms & Conditions that you agreed to, by paying the deposit, are applicable. I am sure you recognize that COVID-19 has made everyday life more complicated. 1A once-in-a-lifetime cruise canceledThey canceled his vacation. It turns out its that way for many passengers. . Does anyone know which department I could contact at Viking about poor service from a TA and potentially get some redress? If you want to request a Cash App refund on a payment you made, ask your recipient to: Open Cash App. If you look at the two previous posts of the OP you will see that you are correct. he was given 60 days to accept or decline the offer. 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. I want my money back now. Medial Marijuana Recommendations. 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. 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. 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. Richard Andersen booked a fully-paid Viking cruise with his partner but it was canceled because of COVID. 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. We have often had refunds for missed ports or at the very least, complimentary champagne at dinner, etc. 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). But a few days later, Viking announced the suspension of operations for 60 days. We have contacted them and they continue to refuse. Andersen asked specifically where in the terms and conditions it showed he should be charged the single supplement. Even if your scheduled travel is months away, you might be weighing your options. Sears couldnt deliver my appliances. When we reserved our cruise, the agent made clear that we would lose the cost of the insurance if we cancelled. This is a common problem during the pandemic. But there are two problems with that. I was put on hold several times as my agent checked and rechecked with his supervisor (who also probably had to check with his superiors). Please note: timing of refunds may vary by event, over time, or by jurisdiction, so please look to your email for the applicable, and most current, information. However, the law would have only applied to future cruises. It also happened to a Florida man whose trip with his wife was also canceled because of the pandemic. 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). In that spirit, we have made the decision to extend our temporary suspension of operations through June 30, 2020. Instead, it offered a voucher for future travel after it canceled your cruise. Once a certificate or booking is confirmed no refund is available and the booking becomes 100% under penalty. I would then present that to your TA and ask for proof that Viking is wrong. My cruise was cancelled by Viking in early March due to Covid. Our teammates are making their way through the backlog more quickly now and have completed nearly 60% of refunds so far. Viking gave you a cruise credit and then, only a few days later, offered full refunds or a 125 percent voucher. A payment or claim form sent as part of an FTC settlement will include an explanation of and details about the case. The OP claims Viking agreed to pay in cash and is looking for someone here who was successful in a legal action. First, I do understand the bad position that events have thrust on them. A. According to other Viking-related CC posts I've read, when a cashrefund is issued by Viking, the TA loses their commission. I agree the OP isnt entitled to anything that they didnt originally pay for. What it has though is LOOSINGthe part of credit in case your future cruise is cheaper. Some locations have caps of only $10. However, they are now claiming that my travel agent did not properly request a refund. Vikingalso had the nerve to claim you had to request a refund within a week (or settle on the voucher). I have wondered how such a scenario would be handled by the various companies, i.e. The 125% Future Cruise Voucher will also be fully transferable. Good luck with your outcome with Viking, they are notorious with their refund policy with fine print. During the summer, they brought out a free upgrade, so I cancelled my existing cruise and re-booked the same one with the upgrade. There was no vaccination requirement when they booked their cruise, and probably none when they booked the 4/21 cruise. In 2021, NCL finally revised some of its refund rules. But what about Andersens vouchers? It promised refunds later, when it suspended operations but not to you. 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. Select refund. The Mays extension of Risk Free cancelation doesnt have cash back or 125% as credit. Viking is holding my money ransom and shows utter disregard for keeping its word and corporate decency. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. It is an adjustment for all of us and particularly for someone like me, who spends most of his time traveling. These pagan Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish warriors were probably prompted to undertake their raids by a combination of factors ranging from overpopulation at . you getting your money back? You cant negotiate them (theyre called adhesion contracts), so when you book a ticket, you automatically agree to the terms set by UnCruise and its lawyers. I am writing to you today from my home, rather than the Viking office. 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