Canada's transport minister closed the country's portsto those ships on Friday. Indeed. Your contract is with Viking River Cruises UK Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (Co. No.01283655) whose registered office is at Nelsons House, 83 Wimbledon Park Side, London, SW19 5LP. Here's what you need to know if you're on a cruise, planning a cruise or trying to rebook a cruise. Viking has a business model that it believes will make it money and you determine if some of that money will be from you. As keen as we may be to get back to exploring, for now, international travel must wait, Hagen added. . "Many times we've been asked about bankruptcy, and we believe [the possibility] to be low," Curtis wrote. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. What to Expect on a Cruise: Booking a Cruise, Cruise Line Cancellation Policies: A Closer Look, Mega-Chart: Compare Hurricane Sandy Cruise Line Compensation, Booking a Cruise Onboard: How to Score Extras and Discounts, Can I Cruise While Pregnant? 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. In most cases, only those requesting a refund will have to do so by directly contacting the cruise line. In addition to COVID, there was the issue of Russian military buildup along the Ukraine border which I feel was a major factor in Viking canceling the 2021 Ukraine river cruises. Refunds are made upon receipt and depend on the working times of banks. Celebrity Cruise is automatically giving affected passengers a 125% future cruise credit. Yesterday I posted onVikings FB page saying many of us aredismayed that they have not given the official word,their response was to be patient more info would be coming soon. LauraS We've heard a range of possibilities when it comes to future itineraries from cruise executives in recent weeks. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By Get a No-Obligation Quote from a Great Agent. Viking has everyone's full payment 6 to 12 months out and they do not want to refund any of the cash they have from it's customers. On April 4, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said cruise passengers no longer could fly on commercial aircraft when returning home from cruise ships docking at U.S. ports. I am writing to you today from my home, rather than the Viking office. "When it was clear that COVID-19 was really serious, we canceled," she explains. Maybe your contract is different from ours? Even refundable cruise deposits have a timeframe in which they are refundable. The UK government actually does have travel advisories for its citizens to the Ukraine as well (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine). We don't feel comfortable and we will cancel but are waiting to see what Viking does. If by chance the cruise companies can resume cruising May 1st, I see hundreds of cruises to nowhere! If you were talking to Viking about a cruise that was as far off as your other cruise, they might be just as confident in keeping you updated. Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. Idiots was probably the wrong word. At Holland America, the credits must be used by Dec. 31, 2022. Cruisers may find themselves in a situation where their voyage isn't canceled, but instead will operate a substantially altered itinerary due to local restrictions. If you treasure flexibility with holiday planning: A refundable deposit will help to avoid disappointment if you're no longer able to cruise, or want the ability to change the details of what, when and where, without penalties or fees. Then again, they might not. We'll make an effort to keep this current, but if you learn something we don't yet have posted please leave a comment below and let us know so we can keep things current. CC Help Jenn Like they were when you first booked this cruise, so long ago and no one knew about the virus. Same terms for cruises cancelled in window. We hope they can make it through this. In 2019, airlines canceled nearly 135,000 flights. Deposits are refundable unless otherwise indicated. 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? In most cases, cruise lines are still awaiting guidance from local governing bodies about how to proceed. Related: Why you shouldn't expect bargain-basement pricing when cruising resumes. Everything else apples to apples. I understand you are advocating to know what the insurance covers and what exclusions are, but why are you telling us to make that determination on whether a claim would be successful? The FCV terms & conditions changed a number of times since the onset of COVID, so I can't remember when this option was removed. Rest assured, our reservations team is currently in the process of issuing Future Cruise Vouchers of 125% of all monies paid to Viking. Viking owes you nothing. Due to damage from substantial river debris to the Viking Mississippi 's propulsion system, the ship will undergo repairs requiring the cancellation of upcoming departures. Recent updates have been made to cancellation schedules and refund guidelines for various cruise lines. 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. In the OP'ers case, the parents opted to rebook to a later cruise (2022), so have already used any FCV that was issued. It's always best to comb . Currently, there are no blanket cancellations for Carnival cruises. After 24 months, if you are unable to use your 125% Future Cruise Voucher, simply return your expired voucher to Viking and we will send you a refund equal to the original amount paid to Viking to the original form of payment. 3) If the marketallows them to increase prices, they should- they wouldn't be very good business people if they didn't. Travel + Leisure is published by Meredith Corporation under license from Travel + Leisure Co. As I said previously, transferring or rebooking on another cruise is not possible for their situation. Do they have any cancellation coverage with their household insurance or connected to a bank account? Change fees can be incurred if you decide to change ship or sail date with a nonrefundable deposit option. It then would put a few more ships into service every month. Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination were also sent to long-term storage with no timeline for their return. Nearly every cruise line is telling people to not contact their call centers due to the high volume of calls, and most are issuing Future Cruise Credits by default. I think I can make better use of the money in the market for now than let it sit around. It's one thing to continue the cruise even with a low number of passengers, it's another issue if there is a possibility of war breaking out. Started June 21, 2021, By will respond. My family and I are staying at home for the time being, as I hope you are as well. Related: Heres how to cancel or postpone a cruise due to coronavirus. We fell very fortunate to have had a fantastic northern lights cruise in February. If you are comfortable taking the risk, these rewards can pay off once onboard. What are the pros and cons of a nonrefundable cruise deposit? We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. Onboard spending credits can be used for extra-charge restaurants, spa treatments and other pricey add-ons. Our TA told us we will not get a refund if we dont use our voucher. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. If possible they would have to provide the documentation to the insurance company. Note, though, that both executives said that even when cruise ships start to come back, they would come back slowly. For those guests whose cruise falls within this window of suspended operations, we are offering the choice of a Future Cruise Voucher valued at 125% of all monies paid to Viking or a refund equal to the amount paid. I am writing today because the situation has now become such that operating as a travel company involves significant risks of quarantines or medical detentions, which could diminish the travel experiences for which our guests have been planning. Vouchers will be fully transferable, the company said. In a research report sent to investors last month, leisure industry analyst Harry Curtis of Instinet suggested all three of the giant cruise companies that dominate cruising -- Carnival Corp., Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean Cruises -- had enough liquidity and borrowing capacity to survive a period of near-zero revenues into . 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. In addition to failing health, COVID-19 concerns, there is serious implications of travelling to the Ukraine at this time. Take the cash. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By I imaginethat Viking will announce the May cancellations very soon. This will typically be spelled out clearly on the cruise line's website at time of booking, or by your travel advisor. You each determine what your own personal price to value ratio is and probably act accordingly. If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. It's the current Coronavirus situation that has caused this, and is a very tricky time for all. This has always been Vikings ambition and will remain so. Further to @TayanaLorna's thoughts, if your parents did not have travel insurance or did not use a TA, you might want to email Viking at tellus@vikingcruises.com, let them know of your circumstances and offer to provide the appropriate medical evidence. Two of its ships, the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, have experienced outbreaks of coronavirus in recent weeks in Japan and California, respectively. Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Inspiration have been permanently retired. Our cruise is May 2 out of London. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. I feel we have become one large Viking family of 500,000 guests each year and 10,000 employees. Future cruise credits must be used by Dec. 31, 2021. Some lines are offering even more. Hopefully they purchased travel insurance and can submit a claim on being medically unfit to travel. Future cruises must be taken before Dec. 31, 2022. [CDATA[ VIking has cancelled now through 30 Jun 2020. Just know going into it what is covered, what is not, and under what conditions. 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. Very very happy with their response. Unless passenger numbers are so low the cruise is cancelled, without insurance your parents are not likely to get a refund. Viking will resume its operations on May 1. Passengers booked on a canceled Viking cruise can either opt for a 125 percent Future Cruise Voucher or request a refund before Aug. 24. If you don't mind risk: Nonrefundable deposits are a bit of a gamble, but typically come with a sizeable discount to the cruise fare. Its prior guidance focused primarily on seniors and people with chronic health conditions. 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. Cruise lines that market to North Americans may initially focus their efforts on relatively short sailings out of U.S. ports such as Miami and New York, to such places as the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Bermuda. This is an unprecedented situation.". But in a one-on-one interview with TPG earlier this month, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio said he hoped itineraries would be able to remain the same as cruising starts up. Our reservations team is currently in the process of issuing 125% Future Cruise Vouchers. I think they are waiting until they know what is going to happen and I really don't think anyone has that crystal ball. Assuming that was the original means of payment. Related: Some cruise ships could be laid up for months. CruiseHabit.com was created by Billy Hirsch. Thanks Viking! Refunded to your credit card. 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