sleepybobo

5 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

 

Impossible! Airlines would never allowed positive tested people on board to mix with other negative tested people to fly back to the USA! That is why airlines need to see negative test results to allow passengers to board planes back to the USA.

 

Looks like they will be in hotel quarantine in Reykjavik until they are cleared to fly home.

 

The bus ride will be a scenic one and they'll be seeing a bit more of Iceland as the route is through the interior (middle). Hopefully there are no other passengers on bus.

 

 

 

They are not tested positive.  They are close contacts because they were in the same tour bus with the positive case.  They are now being asked to be quarantined in their stateroom for the rest of the cruise or get off the ship and fly home provided they get the clearance from Iceland authority.

It seems a bus load of people are in the same situation.

My heart sinks every time I hear people are quarantined because of contact tracing.  Cruising to Iceland now is like rolling a dice.  The risk of quarantine is real.  

3 hours ago, jollyjones said:

No, they don't.

I looked carefully at Viking Ocean when they started but their attitude to solos was so off-putting I didn't look for long.

I stayed with Silversea who treat their solos as valued guests with most sailings at 25% or 50% solo supp, and lots of onboard care and attention (if that's what you want).

 

Viking's current elimination of the solo supplement puzzles me a bit - I thought these welcome back cruises were selling well but maybe that's not so? Otherwise maybe they've realised that solos are actually a valuable and growing demographic and are belatedly reaching out to them? (But I doubt that)

 Agree with you that solos are a growing demographic.  I like traveling as solo.  Some of my friends (in our 40's) do too.  Too bad Viking is not an option (except for these Welcome Back cruises) for me when I want to travel by myself because they don't offer any reduced single supplement.  But I get that they have no problem in filling up their ships so they don't need to do that.  

1 minute ago, Triptkr said:

Well said.  This is my concern...the inconsistency of it all in regards to the close contact thing.  It seems some contacts are sent to their room, retested and if negative can rejoin the population.  However, it also seems we've seen/heard of other times when they (close contacts) had to stay in their staterooms for the rest of the cruise even if they were retested negative.   I'm sure I don't have the full picture but I don't think most of us do and therefore transparency would be awesome right about now.

 

Totally agree.  I'm puzzled by the different quarantine requirements.  The length of quarantine varies from under an hour to days.  It seems the quarantine and compensation policies are fluid.  People in the July 20 sailing (missed three ports) received a 50% voucher.  However, the people being quarantined in subsequent sailings aren't getting any compensation from Viking.  

19 minutes ago, Wander58 said:

Then you'll be retested and on your way if negative...so earlier posts indicated.

Not entirely true.  There are reports of people being quarantined in their cabin for 5 days because they were deemed close contacts of a COVID positive case.  They were tested negative the entire time.  In Malta now, a couple are being quarantined in a hotel room as they are close contacts (daughter and SIL) of a COVID positive case.  Local rules override Viking safety protocols.

3 minutes ago, JeriGail said:

The noise comments I saw were specifically about the cabins on the starboard side - the odd numbers.

Interesting. I wonder why. We have 3017 for Alaska cruise next year. Hope it’s okay. 

3 hours ago, Squawkman said:

I agree. I would imagine that 3055, which is directly over Torshavn, could be noisy. However, I had no problem with 3020 and have 4 cruises booked at opposite ends on Deck 3. 

I had 3022 twice. No noise from Torshavn. We could hear the band rehearsing. But we weren’t bothered by it. We have 3022 booked in our next cruise. 

2 minutes ago, Triptkr said:

Seems like it to me.  I like the amount of light that comes in with the slider option.   Kind of amazed Viking doesn't have a better solution for the door/window option for window coverings.  Those drapes currently in place block most of the view and access to the outside on the door/window situation.

Wonder why there are two different layouts? 

Thanks @Triptkr and @SantaFe1 Looks like you can get a better (wider) view with a slider instead of door/window combo.

Interesting.  Do you know where I can find pictures of room with a door/window combo and room with slider?

For those who were or are currently on the Sky, can you let me know if drawers are installed in the closets?  I heard there were no closet drawers in V and DV rooms in ships before the Sun.  Wondering if Viking retrofitted older ships during the no-sail period.  I, hopefully, will be on the Sea this December.  Thanks.  

Interesting observation!  Good job Viking.

@Clay Clayton  Really great summary.  Thanks.  Love your great attitude!  

I canceled my July 31 sailing on June 21 and received the voucher on July 2. Viking couldn’t apply the amount I paid to another sailing with final payment due in June 23. 
 

I don’t think there will be enough time for you to rebook with voucher unless you book a late August sailing. 

1 hour ago, NeilP57 said:

I am with you just 14 days behind! At least I can cancel today (but not tomorrow). 

We were supposed to be in your cruise.  But I canceled.  I felt disappointed, even a little frustrated.  But I also felt relieved.  It's a mixed feeling.  

My opinion after learning what happened on the Sky and how the situation is dealt with.  I think it depends on how much you enjoy the experience onboard.  Do you think you'll have a good time without going onshore?  We know the Viking ship is gorgeous, the crew is great, food is delicious.  People on the Sky now get a 50% FCV and open bar.  For people (obviously not the poor person tested positive) who really enjoy the ship and don't mind missing ports, this isn't really a horrible conclusion to their trips.  But this happened on Day 5.  So the passengers got some sight seeing done in the first half of their journey.  It's also understandable for people who prefer seeing Iceland rather than being on a floating hotel to feel disappointed, particularly people who had long flight getting there.

No one knows whether Iceland local officials will change course in the subsequent sailings.  Will they allow people who tested negative to go onshore (similar to Bermuda) and continue the cruise? Will they keep the current practice and isolate the entire ship?  

Viking tests all passengers daily.  Positive cases will turn up.  It's like rolling the dice.  

12 minutes ago, saratogian127 said:

Basically, they could do nothing more than the local governments want. Which, I think would be fair and likely less strenuous for Viking. If the local government says we need daily testing, not a problem. As long as I have the proper negative test to come home with, I'm happy. 

I understand Viking has to comply with whatever the local health authority dictates.  Unfortunately, in this incident, there seems to be conflicts and/or misunderstandings between lcelandic Coast Guard and the Icelandic Health authority.  

I was just saying if daily testing is not a requirement, then should Viking just drop this?  May be daily test is one of the criteria Iceland considered when approving these cruises?  I don't know.  

21 minutes ago, Dukefan said:

There is a major difference between doing the right thing and what is most convenient  for yourself.  In trying to prevent the spread of Covid the right thing is doing exactly what Viking is doing -  daily testing, requiring masks and their  other protocols.  Yes, this causes cases that would otherwise be not discovered to be found, but it provents the spread if Covid.  I personally congratulate Viking for doing the right thing even though it costs them in some cases.  It demonstrates to me what a class company Viking is!!!!!

I don't disagree with you that daily PCR testing and contact tracing help prevent any COVID outbreak onboard and in the destination.  However, Iceland currently doesn't require vaccinated travelers to be tested on a daily basis.  Currently, there could be some asymptomatic infected individuals doing land based traveling in Iceland.  Shall this infected person be not on a Viking cruise, he or she would still be wandering around the country.  And there is no scientific basis on how infectious an asymptomatic vaccinated person really is.  The fact that there is no other COVID positive cases on the Sky now may suggest this COVID positive person probably isn't infectious.

I love Viking and I think Viking is a class act.  Based on the reports by the people onboard, Viking management and the crew handle the situation really well.  But I also think it'll be challenging for Viking or other cruise lines to deal with further trip interruptions like this one.  

May be time to rethink the testing protocol, if it's not required by local health authority?  And what's the point of contact tracing if the entire ship is deemed close contact?

1 minute ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Why not?  The ship has a full time medical staff and the capacity for daily testing of all on board.

 

 

If the Sky is being used as quarantine facility for 14 days, then what happen with the July 17th and July 24th sailings?

56 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Completed 2 entire Alaska seasons + a number as a pax and can't really think of any positives of being on the Stbd side. Best views are from the Bridge, with aft cabins probably a close second. In Alaska, it is best to wander the decks on both sides.

 

Trans-Atlantics - favouring the Port side Westbound is a from those pax preferring more sun on that side of the ship. However, this assumes the ship's Latitude remains further North than the Sun's declination. On the S/Atlantic Crossing to B/A the ship will pass south of the sun, so if steering a W'ly course, more sun will be experienced on the Stb'd side.

 

It can also vary based on whether the ship steers the shorter Great Circle route or a Rumb Line course.

Great Circle route? Rumb Line course? You are getting too technical (nautical?) for me. 🤣

@Heartgrove  Thanks!  I found sea days to be enjoyable, especially after a couple port days.  We need the time to rejuvenate.  Not sure if I would enjoy sea days as much on other cruise lines, I'll never get bored on Viking ship.

1 minute ago, angelhelly said:

I have a question since I know people that have cancelled follow this thread.

 

My TA said she called Viking to Cancel our cruise under the guarantee, and it is still showing up in myvikingjourney 3 days later. Is that normal? Should I follow up? Or it takes a while?

 

Thanks,

I emailed my TA on Sunday.  She reached out to Viking on Monday.  I just checked MVJ and the booking is now shown as canceled.  I'm still waiting for the voucher to be processed.  

7 minutes ago, MarkBearSF said:

I can answer that one. When traveling westbound, port side cabins face the sun; starboard will be in shade. Of course the reverse is true when traveling eastbound.

One more east vs. west factor that may not be immediately obvious. There are five or six time zones between NY and Europe. That means when traveling eastbound, you lose 5-6 hours and it's like the "bad" daylight saving time change for most of the days of the crossing. Much better, when traveling west, you gain an hour on five or six nights. Woo hoo! 

Much thanks.  Never considered the time zone impact.  Gaining an hour of sleep is much better than losing an hour.  😉

On 6/8/2021 at 2:47 PM, Heartgrove said:

There is a website that has the majority of the cruise lines fleet. You need  mapper to look  deck of  cruise.  😏  It has a free site and a member site that is 15 a year. The advantage of the member site, besides other things, is that it has a tool that you click on the cabin and it will tell you what is above and below that particular cabin.

 

Some rules of the thumb for us are "Sunny Port side Westbound/Sunny Starboard side Eastbound on Transatlantics. Also Port side leaving Venice and Starboard side arriving in Venice.

Interesting.  We had a portside leaving Venice.  We were able to see St. Marks Square and Ducal Palace sailing away.  For Alaska insider passage northbound, the cruise consultant suggested starboard.  Could you enlighten me on why portside westbound on Transatlantic? Not that I've booked a transatlantic.  But I'd love to be on one in the future.

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

But if I’m going ashore I want to do some type of touring, whale watching, etc and I can’t afford to charter a boat for three of us or want to afford a private car for Golden Circle so I feel like traveling with other folks we know are being tested and have been vaccinated is a lower risk than with the general public. 

Exactly! I don’t have the budget to arrange private tours for the two of us. If we go with Viking tours, there’s a risk of quarantine if we are in the same tour bus with someone tested positive. If we explore on our own and join local tours, we run a chance of spending a whole day with unvaccinated strangers. 
 

21 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Thank you molymoo - for your voice of reason. Still waiting for Viking to issue some sort of statement.

The fact that the person who got quarantined off the ship is very well known among Viking cruisers may prompt Viking to say something. 

What worries me the most is not his dinner party, it’s the fact he got into trouble because he had the misfortune of being in a excursion with someone who tested positive. This can happen to anyone. Doesn’t matter if only keep to ourselves and wear masks everywhere.