West was heartbroken. Op said clearly they paid 14000$ for the cruise fare plus insurance. 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. 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. 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. Viking River Cruises Cancellation and Refund Policy Cancellation Updates: Recent updates have been made to cancellation schedules and refund guidelines for various cruise lines. 2. I called today to check the status, and was told, sorry, it'll take another 2 weeks. I called them the next day to request a refund instead of the voucher. It included the trip insurance. Spent over 1 hour on phone with Viking with a rep and his supervisor. . Interesting. We have contacted them and they continue to refuse. Can a cruise line really turn your cash into expiring credits? If you or someone youre sailing with dies. Tough old world. We understand you would like the decision on your refund to be reviewed. Delaying our trip even to next year isnt an option for us, he says. We seek to provide the best adventure cruises and personalized service to each guest, that is one of the reasons we have so many repeat guests come onboard, a representative told me. The maximum withdrawal amount tends to be lower at gas stations. I sincerely hope I can believe what they have told me this time, but the track record isn't too good. In 2021, NCL finally revised some of its refund rules. First, why is there an arbitrary deadline? She lost her engagement ring in a rental car. You'll be able to redeem this Kohl's Cash at any time within 30 days. Asked for a supervisor but she told me the same thing - 2 more weeks. Can I get my 173,116 Chase Ultimate Rewards points refunded? We have contacted them and they continue to refuse. . But the fact that youre retired has no bearing on this case. First, I do understand the bad position that events have thrust on them. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Vienna and Krems are also off the itinerary. I think that's fair. Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org. Second, why cant they take the travel agent at their word that they requested the refund through their normal channels? Deposits are refundable unless otherwise indicated. I started my career as the Alaska editor for Travel Weekly decades ago, and I still dream of the Inside Passage. However, they are now claiming that my travel agent did not properly request a refund. By adding 25% to the value of what you originally paid, you now have the opportunity to enhance your trip such as choosing a longer itinerary; adding a Pre/Post cruise extension; upgrading your stateroom category; or even upgrading to business class air. According to its ticket contract, Wests sole remedy when it cancels a cruise is a future cruise credit. I'm afraid your post is very unclear and inconsistent. Is this really the end of junk fees in travel? CC Help Jenn I would have to look up the cruise portion cancellation terms. 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 what if he hadnt? Medial Marijuana Recommendations. Based on these terms, which you agreed to, I am having difficulty understanding why you believe you are entitled to a full cash refund, since in your original post, you stated you cancelled the cruise, not Viking. 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. 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. 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. LauraS Can I get a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club Points? Andersen asked specifically where in the terms and conditions it showed he should be charged the single supplement. Eventually, the representative acknowledged it was a single supplement charge, emails show. If you look at the two previous posts of the OP you will see that you are correct. 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. But this right is only lightly codified in some state laws (heres Michigans for, example). Not happy about floating cash for Viking. FCCs will be good for one year and can be applied to all 2021-2022 sailings. Just realized that the cruise booked was from Antwerp to Amsterdam. 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. In 2020, he was about to set sail on a 12-day tour from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska, on the Wilderness Discoverer. And thats saying a lot. They canceled my flight. He sent Viking a certified letter on April 10 asking for a cash refund of the extra $9,898 payment and questioning whether his partner's vouchers could be transferred to another person. Did you hear the recording? 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. For a cruise two months or more from now, you may lose your deposit. Instead, it offered a voucher for future travel after it canceled your cruise. 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. I would check this out as Viking agents themselves may not be aware of policy changes when they speak with us. Refunds rules can vary. We reviewed Andersens letters and emails to Viking, and we asked the company to review his complaint. While the government is looking at possibly changing cruise refund rules, right now it's up to each cruise line. Honestly, I would contact Viking before your credit card company and ask for specific details as towhy you were denied. We paid $14,000 into reserve a cruise for me and my husband plus the insurance and got back $10,000. Im retired. 14 days or less. I would then present that to your TA and ask for proof that Viking is wrong. No refunds shall be made in the event of interruption or cancellation by a passenger after commencement of the cruise unless otherwise expressly stated in your Passenger Ticket Contract or elsewhere in these Terms, or except as provided by applicable law. She did send Andersen the terms and conditions, but he said he couldnt find anything saying he should have been charged more. Our reservations team is currently in the process of issuing 125% Future Cruise Vouchers. 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. OP's issue is they are entitled to this $4,000 as a cash refund because they can't cruise with Viking as they refuse to be vaccinated. 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. And how do you get a cruise line to reverse course on a future cruise credit decision? We couldnt find anything either. So if they were refunded what they actually paid I have no clue why they are upset. When asked what this was for, the reply was that I would get vouchers for future Viking cruises that were worth more than the extra payment, Andersen said. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. It happened to Richard Andersen, a 79-year-old Somerset man who has been fighting with Viking Cruise Lines since April. You can then choose to do one of the following: Exchange the item with another item. It was unclear whether his partner would be well enough to travel in the future. Then they should not be making promises in regard to policy. While we waited for a response, we did a little looking around. The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. 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. No way to hurry it up. The Mays extension of Risk Free cancelation doesnt have cash back or 125% as credit. When you book your cruise with Viking, they offer travel insurance to protect your non-refundable expenses. Whose $4000 did they keep? please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. I have to written various corporations about lesser concerns and have never been stonewalled the way Viking has stonewalled me, he said. 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.. Then they rescheduled and then when the 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a refund. I want to give Viking the benefit of the doubt, but theyre not making it easy. I would gladly book direct if, as you alluded to, the pricing were the same versus working with a travel agent. Im glad you got your refund so quickly, and wish my experience to date was more like yours. Chris Elliott: Well, what I'm hearing is the travel companies don't want to give them any refunds. I cant make Viking refund your cruise because, as I already mentioned, its allowed to keep your money. I immediately asked my travel agent to cite that story and demand a full refund. Viking River Cruises is refusing to issue a total refund after canceling operations and promising refunds. If the cruise line. 42 to 29 days. And a peril like the one West faced wouldnt have been listed in 2020. The 125% Future Cruise Voucher will also be fully transferable. LauraS To that end, I am pleased to let you know that later today you will receive another email from Viking inviting you to join me for a video update about future initiatives, including introducing our new experience channel where we can all continue to explore the world togetherfrom the comfort of our homes. CC Help Jenn This was Iberia, the Med and Malta. Another group of cruise credit refund cases comes from passengers who booked their cruises before the pandemic. these second cruise was cancelled because eat Viking Sun was sold. What is the Viking cancellation policy? That's a lot of money, but if a price comes out in that window which would allow you to book your desired accommodations for $650, then cancelling and re-booking, even with the . When a . Please help! Full Fare is defined as the full cost of any cruise, land or air component purchased from Viking. The hotel must refund the money to the consumer's credit card. They've got lawyers stacked in huge piles. 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