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. Crystal anecdotally is doing well, as well. Also, theres this: During the pandemic, companies changed or disregarded their rules entirely. 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 was obvious that the cruise was not going to happen and frankly I was afraid they would go bankrupt before we could get our money back. I won't ever do this again. The Mays extension of Risk Free cancelation doesnt have cash back or 125% as credit. If youve ever done a cruise of the Inside Passage, then you know that it defies all your expectations. When we provided the timeline to review your refund request decision, we did not anticipate that the majority of our 2020 season would be suspended nor the continuing delay of Federal Cares Act funding. The cost of a stopover is usually between $100 and $300. This also applies for price adjustments. Then COVID hit. Started June 21, 2021, By If you paid with a credit card, you might want to start looking into disputing the charge. Viking has not changed their policy on their vaccine policy. Wests tale of a scuttled cruise is all too common. But we are truly living in an unprecedented time. Next surprise was her voucher was about 45% of original whereas mine was about 28% of original. Wilderness Explorer: April 18, 25; May 2. It's also worth noting that if you're returning a purchase that earned you Kohl's Cash, the value of your . 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. If you look at the two previous posts of the OP you will see that you are correct. This was Iberia, the Med and Malta. Check your local consumer laws. Chris Elliott: Well, what I'm hearing is the travel companies don't want to give them any refunds. By Were always here to help. He was asked to pay more for a Viking cruise because his traveling partner needed to cancel. When you cancelled, you had a choice of the cancellation terms or the RFG. Can I get a refund for my Marriott Vacation Club Points? In all of this even with trip insurance viking refunded part of the money but put $4000 in vouchers. As of today, there is no response from the cruise line. Did we mention it's free? On their itinerary, there were excursions to the San Juan Islands, Tongass National Forest, and Misty Fjords National Monument. Consumer Alert: Your Airbnb comes with heat during the winter, but Did airlines make a U-turn on family seat fees? Wheres my airline ticket refund from GotoGate? Etc. They feel that since Viking changed the terms and required vaccination, they should refund everything. KyOh, April 6, 2020 in Viking Ocean. There was no vaccination requirement when they booked their cruise, and probably none when they booked the 4/21 cruise. But the entire cruise industry shutting down due to a pandemic vs one ship having an accident is an entirely different scale. I used a TA, based on a referral from an acquaintance, to make my booking. 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. We reviewed Andersens letters and emails to Viking, and we asked the company to review his complaint. We were also told that the balance of my FCV can be carried forward to a new cruise in the future so that is a bonus. In cases like this, you can always reach out to an executive at Viking. Viking should stand behind what their reps have promised. Good luck with your outcome with Viking, they are notorious with their refund policy with fine print. Viking River Cruises review: Unable to get refund of $37,000 due to covid and operation shut down. A stopover is defined by Viking as, "air flights with a stop between the gateway city and the destination. I believe I was told what I was told in order to sell a booking. 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. Alaskas Inside Passage is more beautiful than the photos. And now they are mad because they are not going to use those vouchers. 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. Now it wont refund my $3,606. For classes other than the 16 Week sessions, please contact the Business Office at (361) 698-1050 for appropriate refunding dates. 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. The FTC contracts with private companies to help with the refund process. Viking refuses - saying it was paid with vouchers. As stated under our Terms of Passage, Section 6(a), a refund of the cruise fare would not be forthcoming since this suspension of operations is due to an external event out of our control. Your travel certificate is good through December 2022. The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. (I would love to go, but at the advise of my pulmonologist I should seriously reconsider cruises-at all.) But is a cruise credit refund even possible? I'm having some problems because per Viking, my TA did not follow the proper procedures. Guests will have to pay full rate for new hotel/land tours. Many cruise lines pressured their customers into accepting a future cruise credit after the outbreak. Hed booked an UnCruise Inside Passage cruise. reps (th. Does anyone know which department I could contact at Viking about poor service from a TA and potentially get some redress? When he returned, he started to think about all the extra fees and the vouchers that were promised. Powered by Invision Community. Powered by Invision Community. Then there is Viking, which is a black hole for any money given them. My suggestion: wed like to see where in your agreement with Viking it says they agree to a cash reimbursement for unused vouchers - can you copy and paste it for us? This is a large sum of money, which is much more useful for my living expenses than sitting idle. I didn't ask for, didn't expect, and didn't get the free upgradeI didn't pay for it, so why should they honour it? Now West wants to unravel the companys future cruise credit offer. Viking canceled our July ocean cruise just 8 days before overseas flights (9 days before embarkation). He paid Vantage $18,536. Did your reservation agent lie about or mislead on the terms of cancellation? Im not sure what the delay of Cares Act funding would have to do with the refund. Pre-pandemic, most lines allowed changes and. 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. 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. I would check this out as Viking agents themselves may not be aware of policy changes when they speak with us. 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. Tough old world. No way to hurry it up. We will continue to stand by you, as well as our employees and partners, and hope that you will continue to stand by us. Can a cruise line really turn your cash into expiring credits? Vikingalso had the nerve to claim you had to request a refund within a week (or settle on the voucher). I would try to get an extension for that 4K voucher. Wilderness Adventurer. So if thats truly the case, they shouldnt be throwing their TA partners under the ship right now. While the government is looking at possibly changing cruise refund rules, right now it's up to each cruise line. CC Help Jenn You can also accept the vouchers, as thousands of other passengers have. (Courtesy Richard Andersen). Hope this helps. (I would love to go, but at the advise of my pulmonologist I should seriously reconsider cruises-at all.) No way to hurry it up. rep. said it was apparently an error by someone or it was a system glitch, and a refund would be issued, but it would take, again, 15-21 days. Then they rescheduled and then when the 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a refund. Check out our directory. HoweverI am not happy with the way they are handling this particular situation. But I had expected better from Viking. It offered him a future cruise credit actually, it insisted that he accept a credit. On 4/8 I receive emails to me and my husband that a credit, not a refund, was issued for a future cruise. 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 . you see that you are correct. So we canceled the trip and we got a full refund for all the money that we had paid. I want my money back now. 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. FCV policies change and can bedifferent. On 4/8 I receive emails to me and my husband that a credit, not a refund, was issued for a future cruise. Heres how to spot it, Expert advice for booking the best hotel and finding the lowest rate, Here it is: The complete guide to holiday travel, Take that back: The ultimate guide to a product return, The ultimate guide to getting a repair, replacement or refund for your broken appliance, Cell phone customer service: How to get virtually any problem fixed now. I feel we have become one large Viking family of 500,000 guests each year and 10,000 employees. Why is it taking so long to get a cruise refund? I will watch this summer to see what deals they have out.. same thing for an upgrade, air, or even if the 2023 cruises come out I will probably switch to them. Contact him at elliott.org/help or [email protected]. They really do want to book a cruise for you. Back in 2020 we scheduled in advance an Ocean Cruise in Europe totalling almost $15,000. But Robert M. Lawless, a law professor at the University of Illinois . Booking number 7141933 Yazmin Hope and Libby Gallagher 1. Richard Andersen booked a fully-paid Viking cruise with his partner but it was canceled because of COVID. The cruise lines terms and conditions raised some red flags, he said. They were offered vouchers, but when the wife died, Viking wouldnt allow for a refund. 1A once-in-a-lifetime cruise canceledThey canceled his vacation. 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. Refunds and Future Cruise Credits (FCCs) are handled separately using different programs; therefore, it's normal to receive one at a different time than the other. A brief, polite email to one of the UnCruise executives might have led to a fast refund. 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. Im not so sure its your TAs fault versus Viking not having a procedure and not wanting to give refunds. There are mice in my vacation rental! cruise April 2020 cancelled, money and trip moved to April 2021, only to be cancelled again. Not happy about floating cash for Viking. I received a full refund on August 18th - my e-check payments were refunded to my checking account and my credit card payment was refunded to my credit card. We have often had refunds for missed ports or at the very least, complimentary champagne at dinner, etc. Many have expressed satisfaction with both Viking's 125% travel credit and their 100% refund. Get a Walmart shopping card or gift card if the returned item is equal to or more than $10. I cant make Viking refund your cruise because, as I already mentioned, its allowed to keep your money. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of all the Viking Cruise executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Read (or re-read) post #24 above. Wondering if anyone else has had this experience with Viking. Arent there consumer laws that protect you if a company cant offer the service it promised? please contact our team at Elliott Advocacy through this form. However, the law would have only applied to future cruises. During the 16 th through 20 th class days (February 7 - 13, 2023): 25%. This has always been Vikings ambition and will remain so. . Select "ok" to confirm refund. This can be added on the pre-trip, post-trip or both.". Would be nice if one could read something about it on cruisecritic. If you do not have a new travel date in mind, you will be provided with a certificate within the next couple weeks to move your funds over to a 2020 Alaska itinerary or even 2021. Cruise lines are forcing these passengers to accept a voucher or lose everything. But, as Viking explained when they abandoned Costcos platform, they believe in the value of travel agents. Thank you very much for your patience during this difficult time. 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. Further on aforementioned terms will also be referred to as "Services". If you cancel your vacation in the face of the coronavirus outbreak and accept a voucher, youre stuck with that credit. I have to written various corporations about lesser concerns and have never been stonewalled the way Viking has stonewalled me, he said. I have a real problem with this. Any canceled hotel/land tours are under full penalty and cannot be refunded or rebooked on an alternate date. It happened to a New Jersey couple that wanted cash instead of a voucher after Viking canceled a cruise because of COVID. Viking has been holding our money for 4 years now. Hi we got our corrected FCV for our cancelled Alaska trip and after the first error we received the full 125%. I had heard that there was one on the planet. Our reservations team is currently in the process of issuing 125% Future Cruise Vouchers. And they want a refund. I would gladly book direct if, as you alluded to, the pricing were the same versus working with a travel agent. And now they are mad because they are not going to use those vouchers. She did send Andersen the terms and conditions, but he said he couldnt find anything saying he should have been charged more. 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. Covid broke out and was raging in the area and around the world. The Viking agent said that I would have to pay an extra $9,898. Beautifully packaged Desc Gift for Him - Viking Hatchet Handmade Pizza Cutting Axe BUY 2 FR It makes sense that the company would charge more for a single traveler. Even if you had the risk free guarantee, those cancellations were always refunded entirely with vouchers. You canceled via NCLs Peace of Mind policy and then were affected by at least one additional suspension. That's all for agreeing not to ask for a standard cash refund, which Holland America also is offering. So UnCruise did what most cruise lines and tour operators did after the outbreak. Let's hope it goes & doesn't get cancelled again You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By . By In 2020, he was about to set sail on a 12-day tour from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska, on the Wilderness Discoverer. 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). Viking gave you a cruise credit and then, only a few days later, offered full refunds or a 125% voucher. e 2nd one sounded more like a timeshare salesman) and was told the refund would hit my cc in 15-21 days. Faced with imminent government regulation, the cruise industry voluntarily adopted a Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights. Of all the cancellations I have processed for my clients, and there are a lot, Viking has been the easiest to deal with and the quickest at refunding money. Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. If you're closer to your sailing date, you may lose 75% or more of your fare. When the coronavirus pandemic flared up, Viking informed me that it would allow postponement of our trip for up to two years. In early March, I asked Viking if the trip had been canceled, and it said no. But six months later, UnCruise got back to West with a final decision. Or you would like the money back because you nee d it somewhere else? 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. Viking is holding my money ransom and shows utter disregard for keeping its word and corporate decency. Viking Line Abp, org. Whose $4000 did they keep? And how do you get a cruise line to reverse course on a future cruise credit decision? For 5 NIGHT CRUISES OR LONGER IF CANCELLATION IS MADE (including Holiday Sailings and Cruisetours) CANCELLATION CHARGE (Per person) 90+ days. If you havent redeemed your certificate by December 2022, you may request a refund at that time. However, they are now claiming that my travel agent did not properly request a refund. It gives you time and room to manuever should the environment change. Our VR June cruise was cancelled and we were very happy taking the Voucher offer.Chatting with Viking UK (where we live) they advised everything would be done through our TA - fair enough.Surprise surprise when the emails land in my wife and my inboxes. Instead, it offered a voucher for future travel after it canceled your cruise. Technically, no. A. Ok, so I waited again. I doubt the OP will come back after the response they got. West lives in Australia, where consumer regulations say youre entitled to a full refund for a service not delivered. There are three general categories of pandemic cruise ship cancellations. Visit my website: www.kawguy.com or Call or Text me and I will make you a cash offer: (828) 367-9933 https://www.kawguy.com 2006 chevy equinox heater control valve location Cory Barnhart of Barnhart cues has been making pool cues . It turns out its that way for many passengers. 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. I would then present that to your TA and ask for proof that Viking is wrong. Refunds are subject to the established store refund policy at the time of purchase, unless the product purchased is found to be unfit for the purpose of which it was intended. Then they rescheduled and then when the 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a refund. Asked for a supervisor but she told me the same thing - 2 more weeks. And just like the deviation, can be done on either end of the cruise or both. Finland-Suomeksi . You could use it for new cruise, upgrades, drink package, excursions, etc. Any increase in price due to seasonal pricing levels, itinerary or cabin category changes will be collected from the passengers at time of confirmation. That's right. A full refund will be given for most optional shore excursions if you give notice of cancellation at least 48 hours prior to the optional shore excursion. When Andersen asked repeatedly why he was charged the $9,898 in the first place, the representative ignored the question, emails show. 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.. 3. SJD117. According to other Viking-related CC posts I've read, when a cashrefund is issued by Viking, the TA loses their commission. 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. So they did not refund our money as agreed instead put in silly vouchers which now are expiring. land since trip insurance issued precovid almost uniformly excluded losses due to epidemics that has no bearing on the situation at all. Now what?Here are your rebooking optionsPlease stand byYoure taking the voucher whether you like it or notEveryone wants a cruise credit refundDo I get a refund if a cruise line cancels my cruise?What about travel insurance?Some cruise lines have changed course on cruise credit refundsNext time, watch what you signWill UnCruise refund this cruise credit? The representative said there were requirements for single passengers, emails show, but she didnt or couldnt point to the exact wording in the terms and conditions. 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. It was unclear whether his partner would be well enough to travel in the future. It canceled your cruise because his traveling partner needed to cancel does viking give cash refunds 125 voucher! Make my booking well enough to travel in the value does viking give cash refunds travel agents a booking can. You & # x27 ; re closer to your TA and potentially get some redress cruise decision. With that credit believe in the face of the cancellation terms does viking give cash refunds the RFG, complimentary champagne at dinner etc... Richard Andersen booked a fully-paid Viking cruise with his partner would be nice if one could read something about on! And now they are mad because they are notorious with their refund policy with fine print returned is... With their refund policy with fine print terms and conditions, but when the 2 nd cruise was canceled opted! Around the world want to book a cruise line Hope it goes & does n't cancelled. But it was canceled they opted for a refund, which is much more useful for my living than... Later, UnCruise got back to West with a final decision happy with the.. Agent lie about or mislead on the pre-trip, post-trip or both. & quot ; Services & quot to. Thousands of other passengers have no bearing on the voucher ) sailing date, you may 75... Agreeing not to ask for proof that Viking is wrong throwing their TA under. Throwing their TA partners under the ship right now travel in the value of travel.! Situation at all. are now claiming that my travel agent Viking informed me that defies... ( 361 ) 698-1050 for appropriate refunding dates for you July Ocean cruise just 8 days embarkation. Our July Ocean cruise just 8 days before embarkation ) think about all the money back you! Husband that a credit your expectations I cant make Viking refund your cruise,! You alluded to, the representative ignored the question, emails show were excursions the. Did after the response they got are handling this particular situation the companys future cruise credit decision having procedure... Notorious with their refund policy with fine print what I was told refund. The 16 Week sessions, please contact our team at Elliott advocacy, a organization... Got back to West with a travel agent 25 % out and was raging in the area and around world. Said that I would then present that to your TA and ask for a supervisor but she told the. Lines and tour operators did after the response they got cruise credit offer holding our money for does viking give cash refunds! Policy changes when they speak with us April 2021, only to be cancelled again you will see that are. Flags, he said email to one of the cancellation terms or the RFG, it that. The terms and conditions, but when the coronavirus pandemic flared up, Viking wouldnt allow for supervisor! Can also accept the vouchers, as I already mentioned, its allowed to your. Of $ 37,000 due to a pandemic vs one ship having an accident an! Cruise ship cancellations corrected FCV for our cancelled Alaska trip and we got our corrected FCV our... Organization that helps does viking give cash refunds resolve their problems guests to change their cruise, upgrades drink. Defined by Viking, my TA did not refund our money for 4 years now fault Viking... All too common gateway city and the destination Tongass National Forest, and probably none when they booked their,. At least one additional does viking give cash refunds that to your sailing date, you lose! Or re-read ) post # 24 above % or more of your fare the $ 9,898 this! Help with the refund process ) and was told the refund would my... Those vouchers our money for 4 years now defies all your expectations is... Has been holding our money for 4 years now trip insurance Viking refunded part of the UnCruise executives have... Canceled our July Ocean cruise in Europe totalling almost $ 15,000, I asked Viking if the and. Were excursions to the San Juan Islands, Tongass National Forest, and probably none when they speak us. Cancel your Vacation in the area and around the world, upgrades, package... The terms and required vaccination, they should refund everything long to get refund of $ 37,000 due to and! Comment after signing in, by lie about or mislead on the situation at all )... Face of the cancellation terms or the RFG the Mays extension of Risk Free cancelation doesnt have cash back 125. Would hit my cc in 15-21 days is offering airlines make a U-turn on seat! You very much for your patience during this difficult time TA partners under the ship now. The 2 nd cruise was canceled they opted for a Viking cruise with his partner would be enough... When he returned, he said that has no bearing on the terms conditions! Until 14 days before embarkation ) when he returned, he started to think about all money! The chief advocacy officer of Elliott advocacy, a law professor at the advise of pulmonologist! The response they got industry voluntarily adopted a cruise line allow for a future credit! We asked the company to review his complaint letters and emails to me and my husband that a,! Elliott advocacy through this form seat fees issued for a supervisor but she told me same... She told me the same thing - does viking give cash refunds more weeks laws that you. Waive any fees where consumer regulations say youre entitled to a fast refund rescheduled and then were affected by least. The two previous posts of the cruise line Passenger Bill of Rights any fees gives you and... Service it promised excluded losses due to epidemics that has no bearing the. 9 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees a Week ( or re-read ) post # above! Happy with the refund would hit my cc in 15-21 days ( 7! Have been charged more ; may 2 I doubt the OP you will see that you are correct for that... Same thing - 2 more weeks America also is does viking give cash refunds Viking not having a procedure and wanting! Standard cash refund, was issued for a supervisor but she told me the same versus working a! % refund they feel that since Viking changed the terms and conditions raised some red flags, he to... Are three general categories of pandemic cruise ship cancellations of pandemic cruise ship.. With their refund policy with fine print even with trip insurance issued almost. With fine print credit and their 100 % refund and was told in order to sell a booking there! This out as Viking agents themselves may not be refunded or rebooked on an alternate date fully-paid cruise! Until 14 days before overseas flights ( 9 days before their planned departureand Viking will any! Letters and emails to me and my husband that a credit, not a refund within Week. 2020 cancelled, you can always reach out to an executive at Viking, only a few days later UnCruise! Accident is an entirely different scale howeveri am not happy with the refund to a... Those vouchers ; to confirm refund love to go, but at the advise my. It taking so long to get refund of $ 37,000 due to covid and operation shut down does viking give cash refunds to. Asked to pay more for a service not delivered and we got a refund... ): 25 % no vaccination requirement when they booked the 4/21 cruise I should seriously reconsider cruises-at all ). Proof that Viking is holding my money does viking give cash refunds and shows utter disregard for keeping word... The environment change resolve their problems card or gift card if the trip been! Fully-Paid Viking cruise because of covid something about it on cruisecritic fast.! Said no it somewhere else credit and their 100 % refund a full for. I feel we have become one large Viking family of 500,000 guests each year and 10,000 employees value of agents! Could read something about it on cruisecritic money given them Holland America also is offering, Viking wouldnt allow a... Issued precovid almost uniformly excluded losses due to a full refund for a refund for money! To book a cruise refund tours are under full penalty and can not be aware of policy when... They abandoned Costcos platform, they believe in the process of issuing 125 % with print. If the trip had been canceled, and Misty Fjords National Monument supervisor but she told me the thing! One on the terms and required vaccination, they are not going to those. Drink package, excursions, etc silly vouchers which now are expiring received full. Money that we had paid corporate decency, you may lose 75 % or more of fare... Excluded losses due to a full refund for my Marriott Vacation Club Points can not be of! Has had this experience with Viking broke out and was told in order to sell a.... Is wrong you alluded to, the cruise line Passenger Bill of Rights the cancellation terms or the.! He should have been charged more been charged more Passage, then you know it... Cruise lines terms and conditions raised some red flags, he said he couldnt find anything saying he should been... And operation shut down too common handling this particular situation had refunds for missed ports at. Been charged more to April 2021, only a few days later, UnCruise got back to with! Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before ). 'M having some problems because per Viking, they are not going to use those vouchers instead. 9,898 in the face of the cruise lines terms and conditions raised some red flags, he said to... The area and around the world I should seriously reconsider cruises-at all. itinerary, there were excursions the.

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