River Cruising

[VacationForever]

Yup. But the real part of the offer that makes me consider it is the free air.

We only travel in business and first class and the free air is for economy. The agent said he did not know what would be the arrangement for adding onto the economy fare. I told him that we would pay the upcharge and he could not tell how much it would cost or how it would work.

 

[alwysonvac]

Here’s another helpful site I discovered and bookmarked while researching river cruises.

River Cruise Advisor – Recommendations & Resources for choosing river cruises

Recommendations & Resources for choosing river cruises

www.rivercruiseadvisor.com

Forgot to mention, that I like the Review (link) and Comparison (link) pages on this site.

 

[Blues]

We only travel in business and first class and the free air is for economy. The agent said he did not know what would be the arrangement for adding onto the economy fare. I told him that we would pay the upcharge and he could not tell how much it would cost or how it would work.

Click on the "Price & Build" button for the cruise/date of your choice. I did that, for both the Explorer Suite and for a Veranda Suite. IIRC, the prices were:
Economy air - free
Economy Plus - $799 pp
Business - for the Explorer Suite, this was an additional $1999 pp. For all other suites, it was (IIRC) an extra $3499 pp

 

[DeniseM]

I found this AMAWaterways video interesting:

 

[Blues]

First, a big thank you for everyone's suggestions. I've now done a ton of homework, and we're ready to book the trip in Sept 2023. Except that I haven't fully decided which cruise line

One issue, that I was frankly overlooking but my very wise DW keeps bringing up, is that I'm slightly claustrophobic. She reminds me that when we did 4 days on the Yangtze 23 years ago, we really, really didn't like our original (cramped) cabin which we spent the first night in. Fortunately, we were able to do an on-the-spot upgrade to a huge suite, that included a living room, wet bar, separate bedroom, and bathroom. As she reminds me, most of the passengers we talked to grumbled about the accommodations and consequently didn't enjoy themselves, while we had a splendid time. So it's worthwhile to get a big enough room. Some of the lines (e.g. Uniworld, which I otherwise really like), have standard rooms that are only 150 sq ft. Nope, cannot do - I don't care how little time I spend in the room, it's a no-go. I'd like at least 250 sq ft.

So here's our candidates. I'm strongly leaning toward Viking, despite the warning (since verified) that they need payment almost a year in advance.

Viking, Grand European Tour, 15 days, late fall. I've put a 72 hour hold on a Veranda Suite, which is the next smaller category down from the Explorer Suite. It's mid-ships, so shouldn't suffer from the noise problem. 275 sq ft. I'm really attracted to their air promotion, in which we can upgrade to business class for $1999 per person (despite what I told VacationForever). A friend is going business to Sicily next week, and warned that his business fare was almost $10K.

Avalon, Magnificent Rivers of Europe, 16 days, late fall. Royal Suite, 300 sq ft (their biggest cabin). I really like the vibe from Avalon, which has bicycles on-board, exercise facilities, and typically a younger crowd. The hangup is that their air promo ($399 right now) is economy only. I can book air separately without that promo, but prices for business class air scare me, and make this a much more expensive option. Unless we settle for coach class air; will discuss with DW, but this is a special trip and would like business.

Uniworld, European Jewels, 16 days, late fall. But their biggest suite, which is only 214 sq ft, is sold out for all dates that work for us. We can only get the 151 sq ft rooms. Uh-uh, sorry, no, nyet, nein; despite the fact we can get good discounts via Costco.

I welcome any further comments. Thanks again for the helpful comments.

 

[Luanne]

My daughter and I canceled our river cruise on Viking for several reasons, so I don't have first hand experience. But, before booking the cruise I consulted with several friends who had gone with Viking. They were both very enthusiastic and both of them have booked several Viking cruises.

 

[Blues]

Thanks Luanne. Yes, both my sister and my neighbor have cruised Viking and were enthusiastic. But they both cruised quite a while ago; perusing more recent reviews on cruise critic suggests that their customer service may have gone downhill. Still, it's my leading choice. Thanks for the comments.

 

[Luanne]

Thanks Luanne. Yes, both my sister and my neighbor have cruised Viking and were enthusiastic. But they both cruised quite a while ago; perusing more recent reviews on cruise critic suggests that their customer service may have gone downhill. Still, it's my leading choice. Thanks for the comments.

The most recent that either of these friends went on a Viking cruise was pre-Covid. One of them has a trip planned for this year, I think it might be October. The other is planning to book another trip in the near future. If you'd like the name of the VIking travel agent my friend, and then my daughter and I used I can get that for you. He was very helpful.

 

[Blues]

The most recent that either of these friends went on a Viking cruise was pre-Covid. One of them has a trip planned for this year, I think it might be October. The other is planning to book another trip in the near future. If you'd like the name of the VIking travel agent my friend, and then my daughter and I used I can get that for you. He was very helpful.

Sent DM.

 

[PigsDad]

So Viking requires full payment well in advance, but what is their cancellation policy? Can you cancel 30 days out (or some other duration) and still get a full refund, or are their penalties for cancelling anytime after full payment is made? Just curious.

Kurt

 

[Luanne]

So Viking requires full payment well in advance, but what is their cancellation policy? Can you cancel 30 days out (or some other duration) and still get a full refund, or are their penalties for cancelling anytime after full payment is made? Just curious.

Kurt

We cancelled and got everything back minus $100. You can find their full cancellation policy on their website. The amount you get refunded depends on how far ahead of the cruise you cancel.

You can find the information here:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-220413_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

 

[Blues]

So Viking requires full payment well in advance, but what is their cancellation policy? Can you cancel 30 days out (or some other duration) and still get a full refund, or are their penalties for cancelling anytime after full payment is made? Just curious.

Excellent question, Dave. I neglected to ask that, and you're right, I should have. I'll rectify that before I give them money (in addition to the $50).

According to sources on the internet, their standard cancellation fee is $100 pp up to 120 days in advance. After that, it becomes percentages of full price, starting at 20% and going up to 75% at 30-49 days. Within 30 days, you get nothing. (ETA - I found their T&Cs on their web page, which confirm the above). (ETA the ETA - and I see Luanne beat me to it )

I've elected to get their trip insurance, which includes enhanced cancellation protection through Viking, plus standard trip insurance through TripMate. The enhanced cancellation says it will reimburse you in full up to the day of departure for any cancellation fees. BUT that reimbursement is in the form of vouchers, not cash.

And BTW, Viking graciously gives you about 3 months from booking to make payment. Some of the other lines (e.g. Uniworld) give a 10% discount for paying in full at time of booking. That's a lot of bucks, and difficult to pass up. In the case of Uniworld, it also gives you until 120 days in advance to get a refund.

 

[Luanne]

Excellent question, Dave. I neglected to ask that, and you're right, I should have. I'll rectify that before I give them money (in addition to the $50).

According to sources on the internet, their standard cancellation fee is $100 pp up to 120 days in advance. After that, it becomes percentages of full price, starting at 20% and going up to 75% at 30-49 days. Within 30 days, you get nothing. (ETA - I found their T&Cs on their web page, which confirm the above). (ETA the ETA - and I see Luanne beat me to it )

I've elected to get their trip insurance, which includes enhanced cancellation protection through Viking, plus standard trip insurance through TripMate. The enhanced cancellation says it will reimburse you in full up to the day of departure for any cancellation fees. BUT that reimbursement is in the form of vouchers, not cash.

And BTW, Viking graciously gives you about 3 months from booking to make payment. Some of the other lines (e.g. Uniworld) give a 10% discount for paying in full at time of booking. That's a lot of bucks, and difficult to pass up. In the case of Uniworld, it also gives you until 120 days in advance to get a refund.

Check out the Viking cancellation policy carefully. I read somewhere, or maybe a friend told me, that it's not all that good. Or maybe that it was hard to collect from them. We opted to go through a company that many here have recommended, Squaremouth. They will give you several options and you can choose the one that best fits your needs.

One nice thing about Viking was that we could add, or remove, options (like air, insurance) even after we booked the cruise.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Check out the Viking cancellation policy carefully. I read somewhere, or maybe a friend told me, that it's not all that good. Or maybe that it was hard to collect from them. We opted to go through a company that many here have recommended, Squaremouth. They will give you several options and you can choose the one that best fits your needs.

One nice thing about Viking was that we could add, or remove, options (like air, insurance) even after we booked the cruise.

+1 for Squaremouth

Richard

 

[Blues]

Check out the Viking cancellation policy carefully. I read somewhere, or maybe a friend told me, that it's not all that good. Or maybe that it was hard to collect from them. We opted to go through a company that many here have recommended, Squaremouth. They will give you several options and you can choose the one that best fits your needs.

The basic cancellation is not too bad, probably industry standard. The extra coverage from their trip insurance is not bad, other than the fact that the reimbursement is via vouchers, not cash. I'd imagine that most companies are slow in sending refunds.

One nice thing about Viking was that we could add, or remove, options (like air, insurance) even after we booked the cruise.

Yep. I can even add a travel agent after the fact. That allows me to get the onboard credit that the agent offers.

 

[Blues]

+1 for Squaremouth

I had already checked out insuremytrip, and have now checked out squaremouth. Pretty much the same policies. Almost all of them price out higher than insurance through Viking; some of them much higher (double or more). I'm guessing this is because the premium is based on the cost of the trip, which can be quite high for a river cruise, especially one that lasts 15 days. I'll probably stick with the Viking/TripMate insurance.

 

[Passepartout]

I had already checked out insuremytrip, and have now checked out squaremouth. Pretty much the same policies. Almost all of them price out higher than insurance through Viking; some of them much higher (double or more). I'm guessing this is because the premium is based on the cost of the trip, which can be quite high for a river cruise, especially one that lasts 15 days. I'll probably stick with the Viking/TripMate insurance.

It sort of depends on what you are insuring. If it's simply the cost of the cruise/trip, that's one thing, but if you are covering medical/evacuation/repatriation, etc, and are on Medicare, you'll want to be sure the medical coverage is primary. In other words, if something happens, the provider simply bills the travel insurance, not hands you a bill to pay, then leaves it to you to submit to your Medicare supplement, then (with luck) the travel insurance will pick up the remainder.

 

[Blues]

It sort of depends on what you are insuring. If it's simply the cost of the cruise/trip, that's one thing, but if you are covering medical/evacuation/repatriation, etc, and are on Medicare, you'll want to be sure the medical coverage is primary. In other words, if something happens, the provider simply bills the travel insurance, not hands you a bill to pay, then leaves it to you to submit to your Medicare supplement, then (with luck) the travel insurance will pick up the remainder.

That's well and good, but every policy on squaremouth that I chose for comparison (i.e., reasonable premium) were secondary. I see there are plans where medical is primary, but those tend to be the plans that are nearly double, or more, the Viking insurance premium.

Since my medigap plan G covers foreign medical at 80% up to $50K, I'm not as concerned.

 

[VacationForever]

I would steer clear of buying insurance through the cruise line. Crystal Cruises went belly up and if passengers had bought insurance through Crystal and it was a self-insured situation with the company, then the passengers would have lost all the money. If Crystal Cruises insurance was really through an external 3rd party company, then there is hope to get the money back.

 

[Luanne]

The basic cancellation is not too bad, probably industry standard. The extra coverage from their trip insurance is not bad, other than the fact that the reimbursement is via vouchers, not cash. I'd imagine that most companies are slow in sending refunds.



Yep. I can even add a travel agent after the fact. That allows me to get the onboard credit that the agent offers.

Oh yeah, that was the complaint I remember reading, that the refunds were by voucher credit, not cash or credit card refund.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Thanks Luanne. Yes, both my sister and my neighbor have cruised Viking and were enthusiastic. But they both cruised quite a while ago; perusing more recent reviews on cruise critic suggests that their customer service may have gone downhill. Still, it's my leading choice. Thanks for the comments.

I’ve been giving cruise lines (and other similar providers like hotels) some allowances for reduced customer service currently, given the difficulties they’ve been having in staffing back up after COVID-19 shutdowns. But I also would expect reviews to improve steadily over time.

 

[Luanne]

That's well and good, but every policy on squaremouth that I chose for comparison (i.e., reasonable premium) were secondary. I see there are plans where medical is primary, but those tend to be the plans that are nearly double, or more, the Viking insurance premium.

Since my medigap plan G covers foreign medical at 80% up to $50K, I'm not as concerned.

This was the coverage we got. The company (through Squaremouth) was TinRoof. The cost was the same, or even a little less, than the Viking insurance. And medical coverage was primary. Luckily we didn't have to use any of it.


Benefit Information
Trip Cancellation: 100% of the trip cost ($15,465)
Trip Interruption: 150% of the trip cost ($23,197)
Accident & Sickness Medical Expense: $100,000 per person, Primary coverage
Pre-Existing Condition Waiver: No coverage,
Pre-existing look-back period 180 days
Emergency Medical Evacuation & Medically Necessary Repatriation: $250,000 per person
Medical Deductible: No Medical Deductible
Trip Delay: $500 per person, $150 daily limit, Covered after 6 hour delay
Baggage Delay: $200 per person, Covered after 24 hour delay
Baggage/Personal Effects Loss: $500 per person, $100 first item limit, $100 subsequent items limit, $500 specific items limit

 

[Blues]

This was the coverage we got. The company (through Squaremouth) was TinRoof. The cost was the same, or even a little less, than the Viking insurance. And medical coverage was primary. Luckily we didn't have to use any of it.

Thanks, but TinRoof was not one of the companies listed on my search on Squaremouth. There is a Tin Leg, but they're very pricey. The policy that they sell that has primary medical is 2 1/2 times the cost of the Viking insurance - essentially $5000 for them vs $2000 for Viking, for a $29K trip.

 

[Luanne]

Thanks, but TinRoof was not one of the companies listed on my search on Squaremouth. There is a Tin Leg, but they're very pricey. The policy that they sell that has primary medical is 2 1/2 times the cost of the Viking insurance - essentially $5000 for them vs $2000 for Viking, for a $29K trip.

Sorry, it was Tin Leg. It could be that as with most other things, their pricing has changed. We originally booked in November 2019 (and luckily were able to change the insurance we paid for for a river cruise to our eventual trip to Switzerland in 2022.

 

[Luanne]

Thanks, but TinRoof was not one of the companies listed on my search on Squaremouth. There is a Tin Leg, but they're very pricey. The policy that they sell that has primary medical is 2 1/2 times the cost of the Viking insurance - essentially $5000 for them vs $2000 for Viking, for a $29K trip.

What all are you planning on having covered for $29,000? I know prices everywhere have gone up. My daughter and I basically covered the cost of the cruise and the cost of the airfare. We figured we wouldn't booking any hotels until later and we wouldn't be pre-paying so if we had to cancel we weren't out that money.