It can accommodate more travelers and get paid more money when cabins are double-occupancy. . But is a cruise credit refund even possible? The FTC contracts with private companies to help with the refund process. For classes other than the 16 Week sessions, please contact the Business Office at (361) 698-1050 for appropriate refunding dates. 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.. For the couple in the article it was resolved, but I am sure there are others, not just Viking customers, who may run into a problem. Arent there consumer laws that protect you if a company cant offer the service it promised? Theirs or yours? 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. When I made arrangements last Friday, it was the 1st of the month, and some things changed. Cruzingmlt, Friday at 03:19 AM in Viking Ocean. 1.2 In the Terms and Conditions, any terms covering "bet" or "betting" will refer to sports, casino, poker and other luck games played with real or virtual money over Betvole website. Get a cash refund if the returned item is less than $10. Vouchers will be automatically applied to your purchases for this journey, including cruise fare, air, hotel extensions, excursions, beverage package, and prepaid gratuities, Wondering if anyone else has had this experience with Viking. Even if your scheduled travel is months away, you might be weighing your options. 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). It would have been interesting to know the details. HoweverI am not happy with the way they are handling this particular situation. We were 3 weeks from sailing on another line in Mar2020. 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? Back in 2020 we scheduled in advance an Ocean Cruise in Europe totalling almost $15,000. You can upgrade your cabin, get pre & post extensions, excursions, tips, silver spirits, etc. Select refund. I am glad to hear it. 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. I come pick up and pay cash in person. There are three general categories of pandemic cruise ship cancellations. Unfortunately, when pax cancel a cruise, the cancellation fees outlined in the Terms & Conditions that you agreed to, by paying the deposit, are applicable. @Host Jazzbeau thanks for moving this to here. Now it wont refund my $3,606. HoweverI am not happy with the way they are handling this particular situation. Heres our complete guide to travel insurance. Were always here to help. Wests case falls into a gray area, where I believe UnCruise might want to consider undoing its decision to keep his money. NavyVeteran, August 21, 2020 in River Cruising. (Viking River Cruises). Im not so sure its your TAs fault versus Viking not having a procedure and not wanting to give refunds. If youve been affected by two or more suspensions. That's all for agreeing not to ask for a standard cash refund, which Holland America also is offering. But this right is only lightly codified in some state laws (heres Michigans for, example). Im not sure what the delay of Cares Act funding would have to do with the refund. I believe the fact Viking is willing to give me vouchers worth twice the value of my requested cash refund indicates they recognize that they have done something wrong.. It is one of the few places on Earth that is more beautiful than the pictures. Like you,we were stuck dealing with our plane tickets just 8 days out, as well as post cruise hotel and the car service booked to get us to the cruise from LHR. Shame on them. It gives you time and room to manuever should the environment change. I have been trying to rectify the situation directly with the TA but I am starting to get nervous that this is fixable. In cases like this, you can always reach out to an executive at Viking. Wilderness Adventurer. D Dr. Linda Lewis of US Jun 25, 2020 5:02 pm EDT Review updated: Dec 23, 2021 Resolved Replied Featured review 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. Then COVID hit and the trip had to be delayed. They just dont want to part with the cash, Andersen said. Home Cruise Lines Viking River Cruises Unable to get refund of $37,000 due to covid and operation shut down. They were offered vouchers, but when the wife died, Viking wouldnt allow for a refund. 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. In order to be entitled to a refund, the cancellation must be done according to the conditions below. Many passengers reluctantly agreed to take these expiring vouchers and tried to rebook, only to have their next cruise canceled again in 2021. On 2/23/2023 at 8:19 PM, Cruzingmlt said: On 2/23/2023 at 10:19 PM, Cruzingmlt said: 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. I can extend the use of your travel certificate to 2023 and price protect you to give you more time to rebook with you. But six months later, UnCruise got back to West with a final decision. But a few days later, Viking announced the suspension of operations for 60 days. I believe the letter from our CEO Dan Blanchard explained this. 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. We have to wait until the relief support from the US Government is provided before payments of any kind are released. We did not get paid the extra 25% and did not expect to. Indeed, more than 25,000 complaints and inquiriesmany concerning refundswere filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in March and April, up from an average of 1,500 per month . 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! But I digress. Do they really need to analyze call recordings? It is an adjustment for all of us and particularly for someone like me, who spends most of his time traveling. You will get personalized refund information based on . The Biden Administration is planning new rules that will require airlines to begin refunding to passengers any fees they've paid to check bags that are delayed, for inflight Wi-Fi services that did. (Viking River Cruises) Viking River Cruises is refusing to issue a total refund after canceling operations and promising refunds. It turns out its that way for many passengers. West appealed and a few months later received an update from a manager. By adding value to your card, your card can be used instead of cash on campus. 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. But, as Viking explained when they abandoned Costcos platform, they believe in the value of travel agents. Wests tale of a scuttled cruise is all too common. Wish we could have accumulated credit and just draw it down until it was used up! If you need help with any problem,please contact us through this form. I called on 4/8 and the cust. Is this really the end of junk fees in travel? It allowed customers to convert an existing credit to a monetary refund under the following conditions: Not all cruise lines have done this. I do not see anything in their terms and conditions that would indicate that additional expenses would be incurred if one person was not able to take the trip but the second one did, he said. Your situation sounds similarto mine, where Viking is blaming the TA. Further on aforementioned terms will also be referred to as "Services". A. My Chase Sapphire Reserve travel insurance doesnt work. My wife and I paid $10,096 for a cruise and tour on the Viking Idi for April. (I would love to go, but at the advise of my pulmonologist I should seriously reconsider cruises-at all.) Disgusted that on top of the fact they can cancel with such short notice and no penalties, they continue to hold onto our money. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. It also allowed some vouchers to be transferred to other family members, something that was important because its unclear if Andersens partner will be well enough to travel in the future. Not happy about floating cash for Viking. 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. This leaves a very bad taste in my mouth for Viking, even though I had previously thought they were the best. 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. West remained patient, hoping UnCruise would see the error of its ways. And now they are mad because they are not going to use those vouchers. And thats saying a lot. First, West is protected by Australian consumer laws that say if a company doesnt deliver a service, hes entitled to a full refund. 100% of total price - No refund. I called on 4/8 and the cust. UnCruise will return to sail this season starting April 30. Our teammates are making their way through the backlog more quickly now and have completed nearly 60% of refunds so far. Then they rescheduled and then when the 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a refund. Now West wants to unravel the companys future cruise credit offer. you see that you are correct. 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. If you or someone youre sailing with dies. 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. 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. nr. Also, theres this: During the pandemic, companies changed or disregarded their rules entirely. West was heartbroken. This will typically be spelled out clearly on the cruise line's website at time of booking, or by your travel advisor. By land since trip insurance issued precovid almost uniformly excluded losses due to epidemics that has no bearing on the situation at all. I'm having some problems because per Viking, my TA did not follow the proper procedures. It doesnt matter if you havent read the agreement, either. Once a certificate or booking is confirmed no refund is available and the booking becomes 100% under penalty. 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. 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. I called on 3/16 to request a refund, instead of a credit. Check your local consumer laws. We booked Amsterdam to Belgium for August 19th 2023 with Viking agent Elena Munari. He he tried to take the trip solo, he was charged another $10,000. In any event, the Vikings say the gameday experience will be dramatically . Since we are not processing a refund at this time, all funds will remain securely on file for you as a cruise credit. Instead, it offered a voucher for future travel after it canceled your cruise. However, with your specific unique situation as presented in your follow up emails to management, I invite you to please stand by until a time in the near future at which we will be in a better position to review certain refund requests. Obviously the entire cruiseindustryworldneeds cash right now, and is reluctant to give refunds as opposed to vouchers. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/as-cruise-ships-remain-docked-passengers-say-their-vacation-money-is-tied-up/2445625/, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions. Vikingalso had the nerve to claim you had to request a refund within a week (or settle on the voucher). Time to hire a lawyer. Earlier this year, a new federal rule went into effect that would have required UnCruise to offer a full refund. Its perfectly reasonable to argue that you dont want to give Viking a microloan for up to two years. He was willing to take the trip alone. Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works Op said clearly they paid 14000$ for the cruise fare plus insurance. So the company is giving itself a license to keep their money and reschedule over and over, while consumers dont have a right to a refund. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. LauraS But whats this $452 bill? (Look for that story soon.). The orginal cruise was paid by cash. 24 hours after e-filing a tax year 2022 return. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. 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. It later came to an undisclosed agreement with the husband. 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