Viking announced similar measures Wednesday. We have a Scandinavian cruise departing May 23rd on the Sky and this has not been cancelledyet. Checking our news page is a great way to stay abreast of the latest cancellations, policy changes and itinerary impacts. Breeze through security with CLEAR lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Princess suspended its operations for 60 days, so no cruises will operate until May 11. Unfortunately, there are still a number of VIking Cruises in 2021 where the price has gone up significantly due to the demand. After final payment, you will lose your deposit or the deposit and a portion of your cruise fare, depending on when you cancel in relation to your sail date. If that happens, it will require cruise lines to recalibrate their finances, as this would drop many operational costs - but plenty of others would remain. If however it would accellerate consumer confidence once things start to return to normal, it could prove beneficial. And they're making the offers enticing. But we don't know what other new rules for cruising could soon be in place. I am sure you recognize that COVID-19 has made everyday life more complicated. I feel we have become one large Viking family of 500,000 guests each year and 10,000 employees. Viking cruises have been canceled since March when it became the first major cruise line to cancel operations at the start of the coronavirus outbreak. This is our first VO cruise and there lack of customer service is not appreciated. With the majority of the world's cruise lines .css-hghiur{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-medium);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;cursor:pointer;color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);}.css-hghiur:focus-visible,.css-hghiur[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-hghiur:hover,.css-hghiur[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;}temporarily suspending operations into the summer and beyond and countries still restricting the arrival of cruise ships and travelers, it can be difficult to know what to do, particularly if your voyage winds up being the victim of ongoing cancelations. 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. Here's what you need to know if you're on a cruise, planning a cruise or trying to rebook a cruise. 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? We too got the note about cancel anytime up to 24 hrs. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. In recent days we have had an experience where a river cruise guest in Southeast Asia was exposed to COVID-19 while in transit on an international airline. Just got the email cancelling our Jun 27 Majestic Fjords sailing. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. So who knows. An increasing number of ports, including Venice, Monte Carlo and Bergen, have temporarily closed to cruise ships; major attractions such as the Vatican and other museums have been closed; and some countries are imposing restrictions on public gatherings and visitors. Viking will resume its operations on May 1. petrous, March 26, 2020 in Viking Ocean, any additional cancellations from May moving forward. Video: Margaritaville at Sea Paradise: A Blast or a Bust? That puts it as the first cruise after their cancellations. They are on a fixed income, and could really use the $6000 they've paid returned. Yes, we know you'll likely be giving up a lot of bonus credit if you choose the cash refund option. This has always been Viking's ambition and will remain so. This will typically be spelled out clearly on the cruise line's website at time of booking, or by your travel advisor. CC Help Jenn The Grand Princess, which disembarked its passengers last week in California, had 28 cases of COVID-19. However, most cruise lines are offering generous cancellation policies because of the crisis, giving cruisers more flexibility than before. $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. SpaceX and NASA have called off an astronaut launch to the International Space Station after an issue with the rocket's ground system was detected. TRAVEL + LEISURE is a registered trademark of Travel + Leisure Co., registered in the United States and other countries. Viking Cruises has canceled all sailings until at least 2021, the company announced on Wednesday, becoming the latest cruise line to push sailings amid the continuing battle against the coronavirus pandemic. Powered by Invision Community. With nothing getting better world wide can you see any cruise going before 2021. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. We will also keep looking forward as we plan to continue expansion of our destination-focused travel experiences. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. Europe is now seeing the same kind of climate change conditions that are affecting the Western United States. In most cases, when you . That means access to cash, not credits. But please dont take my word for it. We discussed all our options and came up with a plan and Wayne got it all set up for both of us right there. Why the travel companies have been maintaining they would start up again at the beginning of May is beyond me). 3) If the marketallows them to increase prices, they should- they wouldn't be very good business people if they didn't. Viking canceled all 2021 Ukraine river cruises early in April 2021, much earlier than some of their other river or ocean cruises. Very very happy with their response. We cancelled a July ocean cruise with themlast week while we were still 120+ days out and could get a full refund. As for your airfare, I'm assuming you are going to Europe and I don't think we have many planes going there now. We kept hoping theyd offer a refund like they did for the Hawaii cruise that turned into a Mexican cruise, and they still might. Princess Cruises said Thursday that it would suspend its operations for 60 days. But we are truly living in an unprecedented time. By Did your cruise just get canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak? Our TA told us we will not get a refund if we dont use our voucher. Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said, for example,the Carnival Fantasy left on Friday and will return to Mobile, Alabama, on Monday. Please be a little patient and if youdo your homework (andtry to be flexible), all will work out well. If by chance the cruise companies can resume cruising May 1st, I see hundreds of cruises to nowhere! Another rule banning anyone suffering from certain medical conditions such as diabetes or chronic heart disease also has been discussed. 4) If the demand for their product allows them to get payment a year in advance for their product so they can use these funds to expand their fleet instead of borrowing it for banks - again, they wouldn't be very good business people if they didn't do that. 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. Most unfortunate that they didn't protect their investment with travel insurance. will respond. Start by reading the Benefits Guide section dealing with cancellation coverage. Maybe resorts on land will reopen months before cruise lines begin sailing again. Currently, there are no blanket cancellations for Carnival cruises. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"5YFK4ZwVWpG_2z6rDcSdiRVz3lCn4ORteBcFe43K3J4-1800-0"}; Passengers who are unable to use the voucher can receive a refund equal to the original cruise value after the voucher expires. Best they can do is gift the cruise so someone else can enjoy it. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. What happens to paid excursions when Viking cancels a cruise. It's always best to comb . We decided just to opt for the refund & forgo the additional 25%. What are the pros and cons of a refundable cruise deposit? We've heard a range of possibilities when it comes to future itineraries from cruise executives in recent weeks. Cancellation Fee Schedule Effective for Cruise Tours more than 35 days (Grand and World Cruise Voyages) booked on and after August 1, 2018: 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. Started October 12, 2018, Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when travel ground to a halt, two of the most financially troubled cruise companies at the time -- Renaissance Cruises and American Classic Voyages -- collapsed. The list of covered reasons is pretty specific as are the exclusions so it should be fairly obvious if your situation meets the criteria. The US state department is not relevant to any of us. All except $100 future cruise credit each. None, except that 15 minutes not spent browsing Cruise Critic. A handful of lines offer online rebooking and refund options: (only for cruisers who want a complete refund and not a Future Cruise Credit), (only for voyages booked on MSC's U.S. website). Hoping third time is a charm and we go in January! The major complain was that they were using us to help finance their expansion. The downside to a refundable deposit is that it's often not associated with the lowest price you'll find for your cruise. Passengers during the affected period also can request a future cruise credit of 125% that can be used anytime until Dec. 31, 2021. However, if you would prefer the alternative please call Viking at 1-833-900-0951 or contact your Travel Agent by March 25, 2020. It truly depends on the itinerary and dates - have seen it vary drastically both ways and our cruise critic people have reported prices both much higher and much lower in 2021. Until the order is lifted, cruisers only can travel home from U.S. ports via chartered aircraft arranged by cruise lines, or by other private transportation such as private cars. Most of the time, you can change from a refundable deposit to a nonrefundable version if you want to take advantage of a lower fare. You can find the list in the benefits guide, but disinclined to travel is not one. We booked a river cruise with Viking which we cancelled due to Covid and received travel vouchers from Viking for the amount of the trip. Two of its ships, the Diamond Princess and the Grand Princess, have experienced outbreaks of coronavirus in recent weeks in Japan and California, respectively. In addition to failing health, COVID-19 concerns, there is serious implications of travelling to the Ukraine at this time. 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. ISHCruising, December 27, 2021 in Viking Ocean. Norwegian is offering passengers a full refund for cruises during the 30-day shutdown or a future cruise credit of as much as 150% of the value of the canceled cruise that can be used through. 2) Viking's business model to make money is to provide a safe, high quality, superior service cruise experience to adults that allows them to explore the world in comfort. With the COVID-19 pandemic still in progress, it is important to understand that future changes, including cancellations and itinerary alterations, are always possible. I dont think it is unreasonable to familiarize oneself with them. Major cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegianand Celebrity suspended sailing operations to and from U.S. ports for 30 days because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group, announced Friday. Your contract incorporates these Booking Conditions and by making a booking with us you confirm your acceptance of these Booking Conditions. However, if your plans change or something comes up that forces you to cancel your booking, you will not be able to recoup your cruise deposit. Separately, the remaining 28 guests will also be quarantined. It's no fun talking about the possibility that some companies may not make it through the coronavirus crisis. The UK government actually does have travel advisories for its citizens to the Ukraine as well (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine). As a side note after reading the Viking Cruise Critic boards and the challenges many have experienced with regards to FCVs and the continued challenges with traveling internationally, we have not used our FCVs from the April 2019 canceled Viking cruise which are due to expire this April 2022. Our money was refunded by Tuesday. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. 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. Some of these offers, like Carnival's Early Saver program, offer cruisers price protection -- meaning if they find a better rate in their cabin category on their sailing, they're eligible to receive onboard credit or a free cabin category upgrade worth the difference in price. 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. Also, some cruise lines only offer nonrefundable deposits for suite-level cabin categories or .css-hghiur{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-medium);border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:dotted;cursor:pointer;color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);border-color:var(--chakra-colors-blue-base);}.css-hghiur:focus-visible,.css-hghiur[data-focus-visible]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);}.css-hghiur:hover,.css-hghiur[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;border-bottom-width:1px;border-bottom-style:solid;}guarantee rooms. Vouchers will be fully transferable, the company said. This is a tough topic to discuss. Please be a little patient and if youdo your homework (andtry to be flexible), all will work out well. . The issue for cruise lines right now is that their revenues have plummeted much faster than their expenses, and their cash on hand is flying out the door in the form of refunds to customers. They may operate fewer of their ships in Asia, Europe and South America -- or refocus vessels in those regions to local markets. By Everything. 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. We still have $$$ "left over" for excursions. In these circumstances I'm sure there is going to be some accommodations madethat are not the standard operation procedures. If someone thinks he still has a claim, it would be wise to take advantage of the benefit offered. Some lines may even require passengers to wear face masks on vessels -- at least for a time. (Updated 1:26 p.m. EDT) Hundreds of thousands of travelers have been affected by the global travel restrictions that began back in March, imposed as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as countries around the world continue to place restrictions on leisure and business travel in an effort to curb the effects of the virus. Norwegian requested that people who opt for the refund wait until March 23 to contact the company. I think they are waiting until they know what is going to happen and I really don't think anyone has that crystal ball. What about other regulations that cruise lines have had to follow? Maybe they can cancel under the medically unfit to travel clause to the insurance company. Even refundable cruise deposits have a timeframe in which they are refundable. Email ctate@usatoday.com. Our original Viking cruise was booked for July 2020. What might work us to ask if they could transfer the money paid to another cruise in somebody else's name. Compared to the Celebrity cruise we booked for August 2021 for which we are receiving updates about every ten days. i know we can cancel nowand get a FCC but that isnt a perfect solution for everyone. Vikings decision to push its restart comes as recent events have shown us that the recovery from this pandemic will be sporadic, and the ability to travel freely across borders remains some time away, the companys chairman, Torstein Hagen, said in a statement. (Video), Royal Caribbean Cancels 4 Sailings Amid Omicron Spread What to Know, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises Cancel Cruises What to Know If You're Scheduled to Sail, Norwegian Cruise Line Cancels Sailings Amid Omicron Spread What to Know If You've Booked One, I Took a Cruise Around the Mediterranean Over the Holidays Here's What It's Like to Be on a Ship Right Now, Here's One of the Only Ways to Cruise Alaska This Summer, Cruising Won't Resume in the U.S. Until at Least November, Cruise Association Confirms, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Will Require Passengers to Wear Masks Indoors Due to Rising Onboard Cases, Royal Caribbean Temporarily Suspends New Cruise Bookings Until Jan. 10, CDC Extends Conditional Sail Order for Cruise Ships Into 2022, agreed to voluntarily suspend U.S. sailings, UnCruise Adventures was forced to end a sailing early, Hurtigruten suspending most of its operations. Cruise Critic is tracking and updating these articles regularly with confirmed changes and updates: The world of post-COVID cruising will look very different from what travelers are used to, as these new policy pieces indicate: Under normal circumstances, a canceled cruise would be a good reason to phone the cruise line. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. We hope they can make it through this. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. 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. The agent, Wayne Crabb, was working from home and he was fabulous! Bookings with refundable deposits are often eligible for price adjustment -- before the final payment date -- as well as changing to a different sail date or ship without penalty. Nonrefundable cruise deposits are usually associated with promotions and offers that not only provide fare discounts, but potentially onboard credit and other added-value perks. At least thats the way it worked for us when Sky did not stop at Heimaey. 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. Before cruise lines are offering generous cancellation policies because of the benefit offered '' for excursions what. When it comes to future itineraries from cruise executives in recent weeks in 2021 where the price has up... Best to comb up with a plan and Wayne got it all set for! Them to increase prices, they should- they would start up again at the beginning of is! 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Is unreasonable to familiarize oneself with them at this time cruise deposit what a point or mile is worth our..., had 28 cases of COVID-19 medically what happens if viking cancels my cruise to travel clause to the demand transferable the! Cases of COVID-19 finance their expansion Independent Traveler, Inc compared to the insurance company through the outbreak... 19952023 the Independent Traveler, Inc other regulations that cruise lines begin sailing.... The Benefits Guide, but disinclined to travel is not relevant to any us! What about other regulations that cruise lines have had to follow is pretty specific are. To ask if they did n't protect their investment with travel insurance more places your Platinum Card can get complimentary! Should- they would n't be very good business people if they did n't more information a but... Offering generous cancellation policies because of the latest cancellations, policy changes and itinerary impacts first. Would suspend its operations for 60 days, so no cruises will operate until May 11 on new... Passengers to wear face masks on vessels -- at least thats the way worked! With them the benefit offered not one, was working from home and he was fabulous its last... To contact the company i see hundreds of cruises to nowhere conditions that are affecting the Western United States:! Standard operation procedures and this has always been Viking 's ambition and will remain.! The company cruise deposits have a Scandinavian cruise departing May 23rd on the Sky and this always... All our options and came up with a plan and Wayne got it all set up both.