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Overbooked Cruise: 3 Tips to Avoid Getting “Bumped” off Your Ship and Why It Happens

There’s almost a 0% chance you’ll be “bumped” from your cruise.    And even if a cruise line does overbook your cruise, leaving you behind, the likely compensation should definitely ease the pain.

Many people didn’t think this was even possible before news reports out of Brisbane, Australia started circulating last November.

Headlines were made when Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas set sail from Brisbane, leaving behind several passengers with confirmed bookings.  At least 11 cabins that had been booked by potential passengers were given to other cruisers.

The affected customers received a letter from the cruise line outlining their options due to the oversold ship. One option was to wait on standby for a possible stateroom assignment. A couple of waiting families or groups were ultimately allowed to board, but when the ship reached capacity , these 11 remaining parties were left to make other arrangements.

The impacted guests were ultimately offered a full refund, in addition to future cruise credit equivalent to their original cruise fare.  They even received an included beverage package – not a bad consolation prize.

How is a cruise ship overbooked?

Because of the high demand the cruise industry has seen in 2023 and well into 2024, cruise lines allow for a few extra bookings on a ship, knowing that some last-minute cancellations will open up staterooms.

The reality is it’s a high priority for these cruise lines to sail at full capacity, getting the most out of every sailing.

Often a cruise ship will sail at 105% or greater capacity.  This simply means that all of the cabins are occupied, and some have more than two guests in a stateroom, since double-capacity figures are used to reach that 100% figure.

While not common, incidents like the one on Quantum of the Seas are not exclusive to Royal Caribbean . Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your risk of being affected by overbooking:

Read more: 7 biggest cruise cabin booking mistakes

How to avoid getting bumped on an overbooked cruise?

The Royal Caribbean customers who were bumped from their ship in November of 2023 had something in common.  They had booked staterooms with a “guaranteed fare”.

Cruise lines will offer these guaranteed prices at a lower rate if you allow them to assign you a cabin at a later time.  You get to choose a cabin category at a lower price, and you’re “guaranteed” that category.

Keep in mind that these are the “leftover” cabins after all the other passengers have chosen their own staterooms.

Most know the risk is getting a location that’s less than ideal, but very few know it could also mean they could get bumped off an oversold ship because of it.    Although again, this is a very rare occurrence.

Avoid guaranteed fares

Choosing your own stateroom can keep this from happening to you.  It really shouldn’t happen in the first place, and some cruise lines are trying to address the issue as demand for cruising continues to heat up.

But if you have picked out and paid for your specific stateroom rather than a guaranteed cabin category, you won’t have to worry about being bumped off the list.

Check in early

If you do decide to book a cruise with a guaranteed fare, you should take care of check-in as early as possible.  I always set a reminder on my calendar on the exact date that I can check in online.

The exact number of days before a sailing that you can check in varies by different cruise lines.

With Royal Caribbean you can check in 45 days before a cruise and with Carnival it’s 14 days.  But double-check with your particular cruise line.

The check-in process will expedite the cabin selection process and you will be less likely to get the dreaded cruise bump.

Related: 19 things you should do on cruise embarkation day

Get some travel insurance

And thirdly, always pay the extra money for travel insurance.   It might seem like a waste of money or excess spending at the time, but one incident like this will make it all worth it.

Even though those bumped cruise travelers were given a refund and future cruise credit, they still incurred other travel costs that they were not anticipating.

In addition to trip interruption coverage, cruise travel insurance can give you peace of mind if something comes up at the last minute and you need to cancel your cruise.

Read more:   Cruise travel insurance and why you need it

What to do if you do get bumped

It’s unlikely this will ever happen to you, but if it does here are a few pointers.

• Stay calm, be polite and talk it out – While it’s no fun to miss your cruise, keeping your cool and having a friendly conversation with the cruise line can really help. Just tell them clearly what you’d like (maybe a refund, or sailing on another day) and see what they can do. You might be surprised.
• Understand your options – Whether it’s a full refund, future cruise credit, or a rebooking, make sure you know all of your options first.
• Negotiate – While the cruise line will present initial options, you have the right to discuss additional possibilities. Politely present alternative sailings you find suitable or inquire about compensation for non-refundable travel arrangements impacted by the overbooking.

Related:  5 reasons you don’t need a travel agent for your cruise and one big reason you do

Final Thoughts

While overbooking is rare it can happen.  Embracing early booking, strategic cabin selection, and awareness of cruise line policies.  This way you can minimize the risk and maximize your chances of a worry-free cruise.

If these kinds of incidences happened more regularly, it would only incentivize trying to get bumped in order to enjoy some of the make-goods that are often offered by cruise lines.   But with cruise lines trying to take advantage of the strong demand for cruising, it’s likely this could happen again in 2024.

Learn the cruise secrets most people don't know and cruise like a boss. Check out Intelligent Cruiser here for a better cruise vacation. (Sponsored)

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Viking Mississippi Inaugural Sailing Overbooked

By beachbum45 , August 23, 2022 in River Cruising

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Reserved a Terrace Suite 2 years ago for the Viking Mississippi inaugural sailing on 8/27/22. Just received notification from Viking that my cabin is among the cabins that will not be ready and therefore my cruise has been cancelled! I am outraged to be receiving this devastating news so close to departure. Our friends received a notice 3 weeks ago asking if they would give up their cabin in exchange for a FREE CRUISE because the ship was overbooked. Naturally, I was concerned about my booking but was told everything was okay. And now I am being told that my stateroom is "under construction". Right! Viking didn't reserve enough cabins for their big execs! As an added insult, they offered a 110% FCC as compensation for the inconvenience. Mississippi sailings are sold out for the next year but of course Viking wants to hang on to my money for as long as they can. This is unconscionable! My TA has reached out to everyone she knows and Viking is not budging. I used to think that Viking was a first class operation but their unfathomable dishonesty and lack of empathy and accountability confirms the opposite. Their loyalty does not lie with the customer and I will never cruise with this company again. I'm curious to know if anyone else has been "booted off" of this sailing.

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Sounds fraudulent to me to say nothing of totally unethical! Think the fraud supercedes the unethical!

Despite all the glowing reviews from Viking customers, I've read enough here on Cruise Critic from posters like yourself that have me convinced to never book with them- either river or ocean!

I am so sorry that your planned ahead cruise has been sabotaged at the last minute! You deserve a full refund NOW!

notamermaid

3 hours ago, beachbum45 said: As an added insult, they offered a 110% FCC as compensation for the inconvenience.

I am sorry to say that this is a typical reaction of Viking (and potentially a couple of other lines) and while I understand it (the FCC) - but not agree with it - in cases of low water or similar things, I do not understand it here. Unacceptable.

3 hours ago, beachbum45 said: My TA has reached out to everyone she knows and Viking is not budging.

Media - going for bad media, publicly wide range - may be the only, but brutal way forward for you. Newspaper, online sites beyond the circle of river cruisers...

Viking have not been very successful in their approach and planning of the Mississippi cruises, to put it mildly. Negative press is not what they want right now. "Mishaps" may now have a bigger impact than they would in normal circumstances. Go into battle, but prepare well.

So, Viking could not get all state rooms ready in five months: https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Viking-Mississippi-float-out

https://www.travelweek.ca/news/viking-celebrates-25th-anniversary-with-new-video-and-special-savings/

New ships are built on the back of the FCC's receivers, the one year in advance full payers, the payments of very happy sail againers and with money the banks that pump into this and the confidence of the investors behind Viking. It is a very successful business and great product, but for me not the company to sail with, ever. I do not approve of their business practices.

It would be very interesting to hear what happened to other state rooms.

Hope you can sort this out to your satisfaction.

Glad to know that I am not the only one that feels this way. I am pushing forward.

I understand several staterooms have been impacted. Excellent point about FCC's and advance full payers!!

For the third time, the inaugural sailing for Mississippi River has been cancelled!! Wow, just wow.

Unbelievable. Notice given 4 days prior to departure. Those looking forward to a long anticipated vacation now have no vacation and zero time to plan for a replacement trip. Viking should be offering a FULL REFUND plus 110% FCC. Give people their money back that you've had for 2 years!!

Here is the announcement from 23AUG:

Due to circumstances beyond our control, construction of the  Viking Mississippi  has been delayed. Therefore, select early departures of  Viking Mississippi’s  first season have been cancelled. Guests on affected sailings and their Travel Advisors have been notified directly by Viking Customer Relations.

  @beachbum45 , that stinks royally.   I agree with you that Viking should be giving you a full refund and then some, which I would take and book with another line.

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Viking Cruises – Understanding Your Contract

• Post author: James
• Post published: February 3, 2021
• Post category: Travel Blog / Viking / Tips

Updated: 03/20/2023

This post is going to be quite specific and is related to some common questions, concerns and possibly misunderstandings that occur when booking a Viking cruise.  A little over a year ago, we wrote a blog post regarding “ Viking Cruises Frequently Asked Questions ” to address some common questions that other travelers may have about the entire cruise experience.   However, based on concerns being expressed in some Viking-related online forums, there seems to be some confusion over the terms and agreements related to the booking process itself.  Most of the time, the confusion appears to arise from misunderstandings, as opposed to a mistake or issue with Viking.  

In an effort to bring some clarity to these issues, this article will address some of the most common concerns.  But keep in mind, any time you have a question, your Viking agent is the best place to get a definite answer to your concerns.  In addition, this post is intended to address bookings made in the United States.  Bookings made in other countries are governed by different local laws and procedures that may not be consistent with U.S. bookings.

Guest Statement: The first thing to know is that once you have finalized your plans with either a Viking or independent travel agent, you will receive a Guest Statement, sometimes called an invoice.  The Guest Statement contains all the details about your travel.  This statement is extremely important, and we will discuss its contents in this article.

Keep in mind that the Guest Statement is not just an invoice or informative document, it is actually a contract.  You will have 72 hours to review your Guest Statement.  We suggest you first review the entire document with your agent.   Next, review it again on your own.  Take your time, be thorough and check everything!  If there is an error or a question, now is the time to make changes or corrections. Once you are satisfied that you understand everything in the statement and all of your concerns have been addressed, then you can make your deposit and finalize your booking. 

TIP: Some countries will require VISAs to enter.  Although we have never traveled to a country that has required it, if VISAs are required, there will be a section in the Guest Statement with information.

Final Payment Date: This date is probably the most discussed item and point of contention with Viking customers.  Customers are sometimes surprised to find out that their final payment is due well before their cruise date.  This date should never be a surprise.  It is clearly stated in the first section of the first page of the statement.  Be sure you review it and agree. 

Unfortunately, Viking has no publicly stated policy regarding how the final payment date is determined.  Some customers might get a final payment date of 6 months prior to their cruise, while others must pay 2 or more years before they cruise.  While it appears that some of the parameters used to determine the customer’s final payment date may include their number of past and future cruises, itinerary and cost, exactly how Viking uses this information to determine final payment date is not published.  If you are unhappy with the final payment date on your Guest Statement, ask for a Viking Customer Service supervisor to review it.  Sometimes they may offer a better date, but not always.  So, be absolutely sure that you are comfortable with the final payment date BEFORE finalizing your booking.

Vouchers: For the purposes of this discussion, ‘vouchers’ will refer to those issued for cruises cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Beginning in March 2020, Viking began issuing vouchers for canceled cruises. By this time, most vouchers issued during the pandemic have been used.  If you have not applied your voucher to a future cruise yet, be sure you understand the expiration date and the terms surrounding the voucher.

One note of caution, over the course of the pandemic, the exact terms of these vouchers has changed a few times depending on the date issued.  So, if you have received a voucher of any kind, be sure to read its specific terms in order to fully understand your options. You can find the terms here .  The note at the bottom of the page has links to the different voucher terms.

This refund schedule could also mean that you may not need to purchase travel insurance until you are within 120 days prior to departure.  Since you only have $100 at risk and travel insurance is not refundable, you might want to consider delaying the purchase of insurance.  There is one significant exception though.  In order to cover pre-existing health conditions, most insurance companies require the purchase of travel insurance within a few days of booking.  For more information on travel insurance, here is a link to our article on ‘ Understanding Travel Insurance ’ that you may find helpful.

Viking Air/Air Plus

• Viking Air: Choosing Viking Air provides the convenience of having Viking make all of your airline reservations. The Viking Air prices are usually very competitive, but we recommend always comparing their price with what you can obtain on your own.   Although in our experience, Viking frequently offers the best deal.   In addition, if you book your airfare with Viking, you will receive the added benefit of having your transfers to and from the ship or hotel included.  If you are not constrained by dates, be sure to check all the sailing dates for your cruise.  Viking frequently offers discounts on air, including free airfare on particular sailings.  For example, The Grand European river cruise is almost always free air!

The downside of this option is that Viking does not book and ticket you until about 75 days prior to departure.  They also pick your flights, which could result in flights or connection times that you might not prefer.  And, if you want to change your seat, or select a preferred seat, you will not be able to do so until you are actually ticketed, about 75 days before you leave.

• Viking Air Plus: For of a fee of between $100 and $150 per person, depending on the destination, Viking Air Plus allows you to work with Viking to choose the airline, flights and connection times that best meet your needs.  In addition, you can book your flight up to 300 days prior to departure, but you still cannot be ticketed until you have paid in full.  Dur to all the recent air schedule changes, Viking tries to wait until about 90 days to ticket.  But you can call and ask a supervisor to ticket early.  Some airlines require ticketing before you can make seat upgrades.

Deviations: Deviations are a great way to extend your vacation either before or after your cruise, or even before or after your extension.

A deviation is defined by Viking as,” air flights with dates that are different than the ship, hotel or extension arrival/departure dates and/or the package city pairs to or from are different. This can be added on the pre-trip, post-trip or both.” The cost of a deviation is usually $100 to $150 per person.  And that covers deviations on either end or both. 

To find out what deviation options are available for your cruise, just call Viking.

Stopovers: Stopovers are also a great way to expand your trip by including a totally different destination before or after your cruise.  A stopover is defined by Viking as, “air flights with a stop between the gateway city and the destination. This can be added on the pre-trip, post-trip or both.”  

The cost of a stopover is usually between $150 and $300.  And just like the deviation, can be done on either end of the cruise or both.  Again, you can call Viking to find out what stopover cities are available for your cruise.

TIP: Deviations and Stopovers can be a little confusing.  A deviation will always be a flight to and from a destination.  Where a stopover means just that, you will be stopping for some amount of days before your next flight to the final destination.  For example, we flew to Oslo and then took a train to Bergen to meet the ship.  This is still a deviation since we didn’t fly from Oslo to Bergen.  So it was still a single flight out. TIP: You can combine multiple stopovers and deviations.  The good news is that there will only be a single fee.  The cost will be whichever is higher, the deviation or stopover.  For example, you might stopover in London for 3 days, then travel to your embarkation city and arrive early, then stay a few more days at the end of your cruise.  The cost would be only $200 per person, which is the cost of the stopover.

Extensions: Extensions are the packages Viking offers to extend your vacation on either side of the cruise.  Check your cruise itinerary to find out what extensions are available for your cruise.  When you look at the price, be sure to consider exactly what is included.  All extensions do not provide the same amenities.   In addition to your hotel, some include meals and tours, while other extensions do not.  Avoid surprises and make sure you understand what you are getting when you purchase an extension.  

One of the questions that always arises is if you should book a Viking extension or book your own.  We cover that subject in detail in this article: Viking Extension Package versus Plan Your Own.

TIP: Popular extensions can be limited and fill up fast.  If you are interested, reserve your space early.

Shore Excursions: One of the unique perks with Viking is the inclusion of at least one tour in every port of call.  These tours are usually 2 to 3 hours in length.  Typically, they are geared toward providing an overview of the city or region and can help you determine how to spend the remainder of your time in the port.  However, Viking frequently offers optional excursions for an additional fee.

On river cruises, there is usually only one time slot for included tours, so getting a reservation in not an issue.  However, on ocean cruises there are usually multiple time slots for included tours, so if, for example, you are concerned with getting out early, you may want to reserve your time slot as soon as shore excursions open for selection.  Popular optional excursions on both river and ocean cruises fill up quickly.   So, make your selections early.  

Specialty Dining Reservations: On the Ocean Cruise there are several specialty restaurants.   This section of the Guest Statement will provide the date when reservations at these restaurants open.  If you are looking for a special date or time, be sure to make your reservation early.

Many guests have reported that reserving a time at the specialty restaurants prior to going is difficult.  But don’t worry, we have had no issue booking once on board.

TIP: Reservations for both excursions and specialty restaurants are based on the class of service (stateroom level) you have selected.  The higher class of stateroom, the earlier you will be able to make reservations.

That takes us through the very important Guest Statement.  We hope it answered some questions you might have had and maybe even highlighted some things you had not considered.  Just remember though, that the best source of information will always be your Viking agent.

Safe Cruising!

This Post Has 51 Comments

I am confused. You state in your blog that the guest cancellation schedule requires a $100 cancellation charge if cancelled more than 120 days before. Our schedule requires a $1000 charge – what gives?

Hi Thomas, thanks for reading our blog post. Viking charges a $500 per person booking fee ($1,000 for a couple). But if you cancel 120 days or more before departure, then you will get a refund of $400 per person ($800 for a couple). BUT, if you are on a cruise that is over 35 days, then the terms change. You would have a $1,000 cancellation fee per person and you have to cancel 180 days or more before you depart. Since there are only a handful of cruises that long, I didn’t mention it in the blog article because I thought it might be too confusing. I hope this answers your question.

Thanks for this information. I learned a few things. I always wonder why people ask questions on Facebook. It’s always best to ask a Viking agent. We love cruising with Viking Ocean and hope to try a river cruise soon. Viking Air is great and a good value.

Very informative blog. It is amazing to see how many people do not read their paperwork. One other important consideration is that ports of call and even shore excursions to any that are visited are not. guaranteed. These get cancelled for many reasons, usually beyond the control of the company or the ship.

We were also amazed at how many times people were surprised that the final payment was due, or what the cancellation schedule was. For the amount of investment you would think everyone would read all the paperwork. We hope that more people will be diligent in understanding the terms, it helps both the individuals and Viking.

Thanks for sharing this information, I am surprised as well as to how many folks question things that are clearly stated on contract/invoice

My husband and I had a voucher to apply Asa nd and I just realized that the trip mate we purchased does not cover a voucher. Why?

I see this issue often and it comes down to the fine print. You have to have insurance that cover payment with a voucher. Tripmate does not. That is one of the reasons we don’t use Tripmate, along with the high price. There are several tools you can use to look for insurance to meet your specific needs. And be sure to ask specific questions, like using a voucher and the definition of pre-existing conditions.

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You have expanded my world with your explanation of stopovers and deviations! I feel some creative scheduling coming on….

Thank you for your comment. Hope you have great travels.

Great topic. Thank you! We are scheduled for our first VRC Paris to the Swiss Alps in 2023 with a Paris extension and Air Plus. Our flights home from Zurich look to be 18+ hours based on what is currently available (just window shopping air options). I’m wondering if it’s possible to schedule a deviation or stopover for a few days in possibly London on the way home to breakup the long Zurich to US flight home. It sounds possible from what I read on your blog, but not sure if I can add that later, say after the final payment.

Thank you for your comment. London is on the list for stopovers and will cost $200 per person (current price). Yes you can add it after final payment, you will just have to pay when you add it. Not sure how close to your trip you can add that, probably at least 65 days out, but Viking Air can tell you. Safe Travels!

HI Debbie, I don’t work for Viking and sorry but I can’t answer your question about stopovers. What I did want to say is that we did the Paris to Swiss Alps tour in mid April – beginning of May 2022 – We did the Paris extension up front and flew Economy Air. So Basically, we did what you will do next year. We absolutely loved EVERYTHING and would do it again in a heartbeat, except for also now wanting to see other places. Viking arranged our Economy Air Plus from Tampa to Paris. We were worried about flying over night, landing as zombies. It was nothing like that! We were two seats together of about 4-5 rows of three parts of the mid section of the large plane, right behind business class. We had our own restroom. We had regular attendants offering wine, water, snacks, excellent food. Two great meals (dinner and breakfast0, both hot meals on china with silverware. I watched 3-4 very good movies during the flight and was astounded and overwhelmed to see the sunrising right ahead of us, as we neared London the next morning and then finally Paris (it was beautiful). Strangely, not tired at all, though my husband did sleep pretty well through the night. Lovely blanket and pillows. Viking people met us at the airport and took us to the hotel, where we were able to get into our room immediately, We loved the hotel, I was able to walk all over Montparness (shopping, restaurant seeking) and at the end of our extension, we were shepherded to the motor coach to head toward the Luxembourg American cemetery (overwhelming and not to be missed) Our cruise director was excellent and gets a ton of credit for being on call 24-7 (seemingly) and always having an answer to whatever questions I had. We loved our ship the Herja, the crew was outstanding and we still had our delightful cruise director taking care of us all the way.. The food was excellent. When you get to the Rhine and spend the one day floating past all the castles, you will be so glad you took this itinerary! All I can say is we loved every bit of it. Our cruise director even helped me (I’d asked on the first day before he got real busy) get train tickets so we could travel from Basel where the ship docked to Neuchatel, where I’d gone to university years back, and then travel the fast train to Zurich at the end of the day, where our fellow passengers had gone at disembarkation by motor coach. Our cruise director had taken responsibility for our luggage, getting it to our room at the hotel in Zurich! This is probably more info than you need, so not necessary to read all, but I wanted you to know what a marvelous time we had on the exact same trip you are taking next year. All the signs are that your own trip will be as wonderful. caryn mcd

We supposed to have an Europe river cruise last August. Unfortunately we took a voucher. The new terms and condition requires vaccination, that is not acceptable for us. We wanted to cancel trip, but they said that voucher can not be cashed. They did not inform us about the changing of the terms and conditions, we did not accept those changes. We trapped now, they changed their requirement but they do not change the voucher policy.

I understand your situation. You are correct that Viking changed the terms (requiring vaccination) after some already booked cruises. Unfortunately, if Viking said they would refund the cash if you were not vaccinated, then everyone that wanted their money now would just say that. Current Viking policy is the vaccine requirement would be through Sep 30th, then they would review it. So maybe in the future it will change. Your other option would be to call Viking and escalate your issue, but no guarantee they would change the policy. Hope the situation works out for you.

Thanks for the great information. Do you know if I am to extend the trip before and/or after the cruise on my own, the travel protection plan offered by Viking will cover the extension part as well? I am deciding if I am to get the travel insurance with Viking or get on my own

The insurance through Viking will only cover what you pay Viking during the time you are with Viking. If you are staying longer, on either end, I would consider buying insurance separately, not from Viking. We have another article on our site under the TIPS menu. The article covers travel insurance. Safe Travels!

We are on an ocean cruise leaving Rome end of October, but our flights are getting canceled or moved or our seats removed (we paid extra for business class). Some of our friends have had some awful experiences getting home with changed flights, extra stopovers and less premium seating. We are considering canceling.

Unfortunately, because of the pandemic and all of the unknowns, the airlines have continued to modify and cancel flights. This is happening everywhere, not just with Viking. Traveling during these times causes for much more flexibility and patience.

When booking extra 799.00 to Prague Do I and my partner each pay 799.00. Book needs to be much more Explaining then likewise Thanks B

If you are asking if it is 799 each, then yes. The prices are always per person. You can do better on your own, but sme people like it because it includes transfers and a Viking rep at the hotel. Each package can be a little different as far as what is included, so you have to read what is included.

If I pay the deposit (1,000) and cancel before final payment is due, and I am inside the 120 day cancellation period, what would be the penalty assessed? Thanks.

Your guest statement will show the cancellation schedule.

Dear James, For our upcoming cruise in 3 months I have made all my dining reservations for the Restaurant only as that is the only available place at this time even though we would like to eat at Manfredi’s at least a couple of times. I figured when Manfredi becomes available I can cancel some of the reservations I have already made and redo at Manfredi’s. Did I do the right thing? This is our first ocean cruise so we are not too familiar with the protocol.

Your decision is fine. On our cruises last year we made some restaurant reservations but we never needed them. Be sure to cancel your restaurant reservation when making specialty reservations as the system will not let you make two reservations at the same time. We like Manfredi’s, but you might want to also check out the Chefs Table. We also really like the World Cafe, especially on a nice day when you can site outside on the Aquavit Terrace. The good news is you can change and make reservations once on board. Safe travels!

Thank you so much! Appreciate your advice!

We had a Rhine river cruise scheduled for 2020, we canceled because of the pandemic before Viking canceled all of heir cruises. So we were given a 2 year voucher. 2021 canceled again, and rhen we had to rebook for 2022. Recently received an email from Viking outlining vaccine and booster requirements along with daily testing. We are thrilled about this. Travel agency and Viking will not give our money back. Any suggestions? Viking changed the rules by requiring booster and testing.

Thank you for the comment. The terms and conditions are dependent on the country where you booked, but are basically the same. I would encourage everyone to read this document, although it is long and legalistic. The terms and conditions give Viking a great deal of latitude to modify rules, including because of a pandemic. So when you booked, you agreed to these rules. I know back when many people booked, the pandemic was either unknown (prior to March 2020), or they never thought it would last this long. It is frustrating, but I don’t believe you have many options. The best you could do is escalate to Viking with your reasons for wanting a refund, although I think your chances are very slim unless you have a serious extenuating circumstance. Good luck.

We have always used a travel agent, who has delt with Viking. All questions get answers any updates get explained and most agents will take care of their clients needs and wants. Everyone is happy !

Thank you for your comment. We are happy that you have a good travel agent. Others prefer to work directly with the vendor. It is really a personal choice.

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We canceled our Norway cruise due to Covid and moved our voucher to another Norway cruise to February, 2023. However, we are concerned about the unrest that is happening in Europe and we would like to move our monies to a different cruise…the Mississippi River cruise or Iceland, for example. Our travel agent is saying we are stuck because it is a voucher and our only option is to wait and see if Viking changes the itinerary. Is there no way we can change our trip? Any suggestions?

There are several versions of the vouchers depending on when they were issued. In addition to the invoice, there should also be a Risk Free document that outlines the terms of your voucher. If you dont have it, you can get it from your TA. After reviewing that document, have a conference call with your TA and Viking, or just call Viking directly, and discuss what options you have.

Viking has responded and we are able to change our dates and itinerary. Thank you very much for your advice. 👍

Very happy it worked out for you. Safe travels!

When booking the additional days, whether pre or post cruise, is the charge per night per person? Or is the (for example) $799 charge just per person covering both nights?

The cost listed is the price per person for the entire extension. Usually breakfast is included along with whatever else is listed in the details of the extension.

Have a Viking ocean cruise coming up in August 2022. Original cruise was booked in June 2019 for August 2020. It was cancelled by Viking and they offered a voucher and we accepted. We were offered the 125% to rebook so we did. NOW……. Viking has a added a requirement to be vaccinated which we are not due to medical issues. I requested a refund and they have declined. Want us to take another voucher, losing our 125% from the last one. I asked but if you still have they vaccination requirement we still can’t go so now what do we do? HELP!

Very sorry to hear the position you are in. I have a few suggestions you can look in to. First, have you received a letter from your physician stating you cannot receive the vaccination and if Viking will accept that. Second, some vouchers, but not all, are transferable. If yours is transferable, then you can sell it. You can check the voucher or call Viking to check. Third, once a voucher is used it is not refundable UNLESS you have a risk free guarantee on the new cruise. For the August 2022 cruise I am sure you have a risk free, so the voucher is reinstated. But Viking has been phasing that out and most cruises in 2023 and beyond are not risk free. Meaning if you cancel the next cruise the voucher will go away. I hope this helps with your path forward and that you and Viking can come to an agreement. Safe travels!

James – Do you know if once booked/paid for, I will be able to upgrade/make changes with American Air directly? I am a Platinum AA and was told a business upgrade would set me back 25k miles + $300. Viking wants >$5,000 for that upgrade. My booking is 91 days out now, so I am keeping an eye on when it gets actually booked/paid.

Basically, I want to know if I will be free to make independent changes or if Viking “blocks” the ticket as is.

Viking has agreements with several airlines and many times they are restricted tickets (cannot upgrade). If you have not been ticketed yet, call Viking and ask them to ticket it. Ask for a supervisor if they say no. Once ticketed, call your airline to try to upgrade. I have been successful several times in upgrading. Good luck!

Hi we have booked for Frances Finest March 2023. We would like to book business flights from Australia. We have been given an email address however they suggested would be at least three weeks before they will reply to our questions. Is there a phone number we can ring to get answers to our questions? Thanks Melinda

Unfortunately each country is a little different. I am not familiar with the rules in Australia. Just call the general Viking phone number on their web site.

Viking voucher applied to reservation at time of booking, deposit paid via credit card…… now payment is due in 5 days but we are unable to travel. Viking informed me I would lose cost of insurance (understand), the cancellation fee $100 (understand) AND the amount of the voucher $ 3000+ and I DO NOT understand……. have not made final payment yet so why would I not be eligible to have it back…. any opinions…and thanks very much, very much

There are several variations of the vouchers depending on when they were issued. Some are transferable, some can be moved, etc. So the first thing to do is read the details of your voucher. If you don’t have it, you can find all of the details on the Viking Web site. You can look here for the different voucher types: https://www.vikingcruises.com/risk-free-guarantee.html Based on what you are saying, I am guessing that you have a voucher that states that once you apply the voucher to a cruise, if you then cancel the cruise then you lose the voucher. Will you be able to travel in the future? You may be able to move it to a future reservation, but you can’t cancel and get it reissued.

Thank you very much for your response. I will look at the voucher again and pay specific attention to its use. I am wondering if there is a difference between cancelling after full payment is made -and- not making the final payment. Wonder if not making the final payment is viewed as a cancellation….

Not to put too fine a point on this situation but I will … this is my 18th cruise with VRC…

And again, many thanks for your response….

We are taking a cruise in late July, the Danube Waltz. We wanted to deviate and were initially told it would be an extra $100 pp to do so. I called recently to plan for this and was told we would also have to pay $320 to cover our travel protection plan. I intend to call again for clarity of this, but can you explain what this might mean and does it sound correct? Although we want to deviate our trip, we don’t want to take on an additional $520 to do so; that could be a airline ticket in and of itself for another time.

It sounds like you purchased TripMate insurance as part of your Viking package. We wrote a blog article about understanding Travel Insurance you will find under our Tips tab. While the article reviews things you should consider when buying travel insurance, we do not recommend a company, that is for you to decide. The increase in price is due to the days you added to your trip. The Viking insurance is from your departure to return since you have Viking Air. So the extra cost is due to the extra days added for the deviation. Remember, insurance just isn’t for the cost of the trip, but also includes health insurance in case of an accident or medical emergency. So now you have to be covered for more days. Depending on how much you travel, an annual policy can be much more affordable, which is what we have. Unfortunately, travel insurance is not refundable, once you buy it you usually can not get your money back.

Thank you. I couldn’t get a clear answer and, no, didn’t understand how the policy worked. Thank you for the insurance info and I’ll be more in tune next time, especially after I find your article!

Comments are closed.

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Here Are the Overbooking Policies of Ocean Cruise Lines

According to TMR's Second Ocean Cruise Report Card, NCL "manage our inventory based on past booking trends and current market conditions." Photo: NCL.

Overbooking is always a hot topic in the travel industry, and how a supplier deals with these scenarios can make all the difference to travel advisors and their clients. The bottom line is overbooking exists, so when 15 of the most popular ocean cruise lines in the market were asked for Travel Market Report’s Ocean Cruise Report Card for Travel Agents if they overbook and how they handle commissions, here’s what they said:

Azamara Club Cruises – No, we do not overbook.

Celebrity Cruises – No, we do not overbook.

Crystal Cruises – Yes, commission will be paid according to the category booked by the guest.

Holland America Line – Yes, we make every effort to protect commission.

MSC Cruises – No, we manage to the ship’s capacity.

Norwegian Cruise Line – We conservatively and smartly manage our inventory based on past booking trends and current market conditions.

Oceania Cruises – Yes, commissions are paid on sailed business.

Paul Gauguin Cruises – No, we do not overbook.

Regent Seven Seas – Yes, commissions are protected.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line – No, we do not overbook.

Seabourn – Yes, situation is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Viking Ocean Cruises – Minimal overbooking and travel agents don’t lose commission due to overbooking.

Windstar Cruises – Not currently.

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Passengers offered vouchers as compensation after a cruise turned into a 'trip from hell' when 'marine growth' was found on the vessel

• Hundreds of passengers who traveled on Viking Cruises' Orion cruise ship are set to be compensated.
• Passengers missed several stops due to a "marine growth" on the ship's hull.
• Viking Cruises said guests will receive a voucher equal to what they had paid, per Reuters. 

Hundreds of passengers who traveled on Viking Cruises' Orion ship have been offered compensation in the form of vouchers after they were forced to miss several stops.

The cruise ship, which set sail on Boxing Day, had been due to stop at nine ports around New Zealand and Australia, per Reuters .

However, the ship was turned away from four ports, and passengers were instead forced to stay on board due to a "marine growth" on the ship's hull, Insider reported .

The vessel had amassed plants, algae, and microorganisms known as biofoul, on its hull. This needed to be removed before the ship was allowed to dock or enter Australian waters.

In a statement shared with Insider, a spokesperson for Viking Cruises said: "As compensation for the impact to their voyage, Viking has provided all guests on board with a voucher valued at 100% of what they paid to Viking that can be used for any future voyage." At the time of the incident, passengers on board the cruise took to social media to complain about the journey. 

One passenger wrote on Twitter : "People are livid. Thank you @VikingCruises for a horrible journey. Another day sitting at sea where 2 boats are cleaning the ship hull. Negligence plus."

Another passenger described the cruise as a "trip from hell."

She said: "It's been the most surreal and enraging experience. I guessed this morning before they announced it that we'd be missing yet another port. Now, I just want to get off this ship and go home."

Watch: How waste is dealt with on the world's largest cruise ship

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Oversold Cruises.

By Pushka , April 25, 2023 in Viking Ocean

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A poster on our roll call has just posted that they have received an offer which is rather significant, to move from their cruise that starts in Mumbai next week. Given we all have cabin numbers, and I never saw any Guarantee cabins up for sale, the cruise has pretty much been sold out for 12 months, then how does this happen? It's a PH in Australia today so nothing from our Aus office. And then, what happens if no one accepts. 😳

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There was a post on one of the Facebook groups last week reporting that somepone had been contacted by Viking to ask if they were prepared to forego their upcoming cruise (Empires of the Mediterranean) in return for a full refund plus a free future cruise (ocean or river) of up to 14 days. I think there were additional sweeteners but can't recall exactly what they were.

The inference was that Viking had oversold the cruise and had not had the expected number of drop-outs/cancellations.

I must confess that it puzzles me that they are employing the airline approach of over-selling with the expectation that some will cancel before the actual cruise date. 

2 hours ago, arlowood said: I must confess that it puzzles me that they are employing the airline approach of over-selling with the expectation that some will cancel before the actual cruise date.

I think most, if not all, cruise lines utilize overbooking to offset cancellations.  In the Princess forum, people were actually hoping for the Move Over Fairies because the offers to move to a different cruise were very generous.  That was years before the pandemic.  Not sure what Princess are doing now and how their move over offers are currently.

If I used VIking air, and Viking is giving me a full refund including air and a free cruise, I'll take that move over offer in a heartbeat.

3 hours ago, arlowood said: There was a post on one of the Facebook groups last week reporting that somepone had been contacted by Viking to ask if they were prepared to forego their upcoming cruise (Empires of the Mediterranean) in return for a full refund plus a free future cruise (ocean or river) of up to 14 days. I think there were additional sweeteners but can't recall exactly what they were.   The inference was that Viking had oversold the cruise and had not had the expected number of drop-outs/cancellations.   I must confess that it puzzles me that they are employing the airline approach of over-selling with the expectation that some will cancel before the actual cruise date. 

We took advantage of one of these offers a couple of years ago; we went from a 5-day cruise in a standard DV cabin to a penthouse junior suite, 11-day cruise, and $1500 in cash. A very sweet deal!

I guess the learning process, post pandemic, is still in the development phase. It used to be a well honed art to reach exactly the right point, with the right revenue mix.  But, with pent up demand, many vouchers still out there, and a fixed number of cabins, the predictability has diminished.

I have never understood this business plan with cruises.  Pay in full is 6 months out.  Cancellation nearer than that is very punitive.  If they offer these buyouts at 30 days the cabins are all fully paid for.  Now I learned "old math" but paying someone a full refund then giving them a free cruise seems to be a minus two not even counting any other perks.  At the thirty day mark selling the unsold cabins at even half price is a plus half on already paid for cabins, assuming oversold and a need to offer the minus two.  So, in old math plus 1/2 beats minus two every time.  Overselling just seems to be a real dumb move

12 hours ago, Pushka said: A poster on our roll call has just posted that they have received an offer which is rather significant, to move from their cruise that starts in Mumbai next week. Given we all have cabin numbers, and I never saw any Guarantee cabins up for sale, the cruise has pretty much been sold out for 12 months, then how does this happen? It's a PH in Australia today so nothing from our Aus office. And then, what happens if no one accepts. 😳

In addition to the potential for overselling cabins, these issues of late cancellation/offers to rebook can also be caused by cabin(s) being removed from operation for damage and/or maintenance issues.

If the issue is beyond the scope of the onboard engineers, they must hire outside contractors and deal with current supply chain and tradesman short supply issues.

27 minutes ago, Jim Avery said: I have never understood this business plan with cruises.  Pay in full is 6 months out.  Cancellation nearer than that is very punitive.  If they offer these buyouts at 30 days the cabins are all fully paid for.  Now I learned "old math" but paying someone a full refund then giving them a free cruise seems to be a minus two not even counting any other perks.  At the thirty day mark selling the unsold cabins at even half price is a plus half on already paid for cabins, assuming oversold and a need to offer the minus two.  So, in old math plus 1/2 beats minus two every time.  Overselling just seems to be a real dumb move

Jim - I wish PIF was only 6 months out, our latest experience with the L/A Office was 18 months. Will fill you in with the details when you arrive.

26 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:   Jim - I wish PIF was only 6 months out, our latest experience with the L/A Office was 18 months. Will fill you in with the details when you arrive.

In my experience the trick is to ask for six months out to PIF at the time of booking. I've never had the request refused. 

Peregrina651

4 hours ago, austinetc said: In my experience the trick is to ask for six months out to PIF at the time of booking. I've never had the request refused. 

Could it be that every time you have asked, you already had an upcoming cruise booked? I was under the impression that was the requirement for a 6 month PIF (that or booking on board another cruise).

1 minute ago, Peregrina651 said:   Could it be that every time you have asked, you already had an upcoming cruise booked? I was under the impression that was the requirement for a 6 month PIF (that or booking on board another cruise).

You are probably right. I hadn't made the connection. Viking reps never mentioned that as a precondition. They would put me on hold to ask a "supervisor", then come back with "good news". Duplicitous.

2 minutes ago, austinetc said: You are probably right. I hadn't made the connection. Viking reps never mentioned that as a precondition. They would put me on hold to ask a "supervisor", then come back with "good news". Duplicitous.

Perhaps not so much duplicitous as they simply aren't allowed to do it without asking a supervisor? -- which is maybe not a bad system.

Well my cruise is sold out and none on the roll call have said anything about being offered to rebook. I look forward to a full ship. Last two cruises during COVID  we only had about 300 passengers. 

 I am getting so excited that my cruise is less than two months away!   🎉 🥂

9 hours ago, Jim Avery said: I have never understood this business plan with cruises.  Pay in full is 6 months out.  Cancellation nearer than that is very punitive.  If they offer these buyouts at 30 days the cabins are all fully paid for.  Now I learned "old math" but paying someone a full refund then giving them a free cruise seems to be a minus two not even counting any other perks.  At the thirty day mark selling the unsold cabins at even half price is a plus half on already paid for cabins, assuming oversold and a need to offer the minus two.  So, in old math plus 1/2 beats minus two every time.  Overselling just seems to be a real dumb move

Jim, I too come from the "old math" school, but I'm going to quibble with yours a bit, and weigh in on the pros and cons of overbooking (from the sellers' side).

First, if two of us have both booked a cabin and paid up at PIF date, but the cruise line only has one cabin available, they are going to have to refund one of us without question. That means they only have one fare guaranteed - refunding the other is not a "minus one" in my view (especially if they have been able to kite the funds for 6 or 12 months). Deciding to offer a subsequent free cruise (plus whatever else) is clearly a "minus one", but a choice the line makes to avoid an irate pax (for whom there is ultimately no cabin.

The benefit of overselling is that the cruise line has better odds of filling all cabins at the list price - when someone drops out, there's another of us in line who is contracted at the original price - maximal revenue. The better the line is at predicting the dropout / oversell rate, the fewer potential irate pax they have to try and buy off. Most companies that use this strategy are rich in data about what happens and generally good at placing their bet - sometimes they do get it wrong and out come the "would you like to reschedule" offers. We've all seen the airlines do this at the gate - and may have seen the very painful result when they don't get enough takers!

Not overselling means the line will be exposed at PIF time (which for Viking occurs at least twice). There are always going to be multiple dropouts when it's time to pony up - that can leave the line with a sizable percentage of empty cabins to try and fill. Worse, potential pax who were interested would have seen that the cruise was sold out earlier and may never come back for another look post PIF dates, reducing the available market. As well, pax already signed up are unhappy that they can't get the new, great deal.

Consider that if 20% of pax dropped out at PIF time, the line has to take action (likely discounts) to fill those slots. Taking a hit on 20% of inventory is a lot more painful that giving away a couple of cabins when you guess poorly on oversells. Had they chosen to overbook by 20%, the equation would balance perfectly and the line would continue happily on with a full ship at the original prices.

Overselling is clearly a common business strategy in the transportation and hospitality business (ref. hotels) - rather than being dumb, I've always thought it was the organization's best choice between two tough alternatives.

All that said, I shudder at the thought of the cruise lines moving to dynamic pricing such as the airlines have. Just imagine the screaming on all the CC boards! Cheers. 🍺 🥌

The problem with dynamic prices is there may be other cruise lines with better deals. People that pay last minute airfares usually have to fly on that date. Maybe business.

18 minutes ago, oskidunker said: The problem with dynamic prices is there may be other cruise lines with better deals. People that pay last minute airfares usually have to fly on that date. Maybe business.

Dynamic pricing is not simply about last minute fares. It is a system of constant changes based on level of bookings and perceived demand. You can find dramatic pricing differences from one day to the next - even many months before the trip.

Just see the number of posts on these boards from people who found a great airfare one day, only to see it change dramatically a day later - all way in advance of their cruse. 🍺 🥌

FlyerTalker

Two words - Yield Management.

Lots of interesting reading on the subject.  Suffice to say that airlines, hotels and cruiselines pay some hefty salaries to the gnomes who toil away generating the right algorithms in dark, hidden basements.  Call it a combination of forecasting, game theory and lots of real time mathematics.

And yes, it works.  Remember, the goal is not to fill a ship, airplane or hotel.  The goal is to generate the maximum revenue from the available inventories and the vagaries of supply and demand on purchasing decisions.

8 hours ago, FlyerTalker said: Call it a combination of forecasting, game theory and lots of real time mathematics.

An excellent description - but I'd add "voodoo" as well 😈 .    🍺 🥌

17 hours ago, FlyerTalker said: Two words - Yield Management.   Lots of interesting reading on the subject.  Suffice to say that airlines, hotels and cruiselines pay some hefty salaries to the gnomes who toil away generating the right algorithms in dark, hidden basements.  Call it a combination of forecasting, game theory and lots of real time mathematics.   And yes, it works.  Remember, the goal is not to fill a ship, airplane or hotel.  The goal is to generate the maximum revenue from the available inventories and the vagaries of supply and demand on purchasing decisions.      

Yes.  There's also the matter of artificial intelligence and the various algorithms. I expect that Viking knows a great deal about us, even before they pick up the phone, etc.  Our history with them, plus purchased info about our cruising habits, financial situation, etc.

Viking displays ads on various Youtube programs on a TV which is logged into the same email address I use for Viking.  I see several each night.  But I haven't seen a single Viking ad on a large screen TV which is logged into a different email address. I don't think that's an accident.

we are retired and usually quite flexible....I hope they oversell one of our cruises and contact us!

19 hours ago, deec said: we are retired and usually quite flexible....I hope they oversell one of our cruises and contact us!

Us too.  I’d jump on that offer in a heartbeat.

If you buy your own air and it is non refundable would be difficult. 

When we booked our cruise with Viking, we were not able to get a cabin assigned but Viking ‘guaranteed’ that we would get a cabin on that cruise.  We got our cabin number about a week before the cruise.  Once aboard, we found that many people we talked to were offered a variety of sweet deals to give up their cabin for that cruise.  The best offer we heard was for a full refund and a free upgrade to a suite for the rebooked cruise.  The best deals seem to be a day or two before embarkation. 

On 4/28/2023 at 7:26 AM, oskidunker said: If you buy your own air and it is non refundable would be difficult. 

Unless you are buying "basic economy" tickets, you aren't in a full non-refundable situation.  You probably would receive a flight credit for your purchase price - and then you can use that for a new and different trip.

Back in the days of hefty change fees, that might have been the case.  Rarely today.

Thanks. I would be booking business. 

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‘Too Crowded’: New Data Shows Cruises Are Being Overbooked at Alarming Rates. Two major cruise lines have been overbooking cruises, according to a new report

May 26, 2023

The cruise industry has made a staggering comeback after pandemic-era restrictions and distancing protocols were lifted.

But now, it appears that the industry might be too popular.

According to data obtained by the Wall Street Journal, two of the biggest cruise lines — Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCL) — reported over 100% occupancy rates during Q1 of 2023.

RCG saw average occupancy rates of 102.1% while NCL saw 101.5%, according to the report.

Full story https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/cruises-are-being-overbooked-at-alarming-rates-report/452929

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