Donaghadee

Jupiter got that bruise shortly after she was put in service.  If memory serves, some port in Italy where a tug operator fell short.  Lots of wind involved.  The ship came in contact with a pier or dolphin.  There might still be a YouTube video if you dig for it.

We did the same cruise you are planning this last year.  Arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Christmas Eve.

CBP guys were so giddy about being back to work and that sweet Christmas overtime they just glanced at our passports and shooed us out the door.  Easiest entry I've ever experienced.

Duluth Harbor live cams.  Looks like typical Duluth weather.

https://www.duluthharborcam.com/p/blog-page_13.html

Now it looks like something went haywire with the Alpena stop.  See cruisemapper.com

for the track.

Just checked the 2023 North Pacific Passage itinerary.  Petropavlovsk is still on the menu.

Probably just a temporary oversight on Viking part.

Day 10.  The only positive test was of the ships doctor on day 7.  No one else has so much as a sniffle.

TV news makes it sound like we're returning to a plague ridden dystopia on the 24th. I'm not buying it.

Happy travels and Merry Christmas to all. 

Update: Ship's Dr. still on paid vacation in his cabin, feeling good but probably

bored stiff.  Pinch hitter now onboard.

No one else hast tested positive.  Now headed to Jamaica. All is good but the sea a bit lumpy.  A few green faces to be seen.

On the Star now somewhere off Colon Panama.  This morning the Captain got on the PA to tell us the ship's doctor had a positive test.  He's feeling fine but nonetheless hiding in the bilge until cleared.  Star is picking up a healthy doctor tomorrow in Colon.

Meanwhile, all passengers are fine.

Have another...

7 hours ago, deec said:

Did they send some of the crew home?

 

I think they never put them on or moved them to another ship.

Onboard Star now.  Just put off the Cozumel pilot.  So far, no positive cases onboard after day 3.

Passenger count is either 512 or 526 depending on who you ask.  The number of crew has

been reduced accordingly.  Not a ghost ship, but very quiet.

Viking is still testing daily and masks are still worn while inside.  On deck you may go

naked, or at least your face.  Cozumel is all masks all the time, even when driving a scooter.

Absurd.

Service is still excellent and the crew very friendly.  They tell us it is a 90% Philippino staff

for this cruise.

Dining is still limited to six persons sitting together.  The rules at the World Cafe have been

relaxed and now it is back to self serve for most items.

Star in pretty good condition considering her age.  Sunlight has gotten the better of various 

plastic deck fittings and lights. Viking has always been somewhat maniacal about

paintwork.  Oddly, I've seen no sign of anyone touching up rust spots or other faults.

Short staffing might have something to do with that.

Some of the furniture is getting a bit creaky and worn.  A few of the folding seats in the

back of the Star theater will dump you on the floor if you're not careful.

The electronic game tables on deck 1 Atrium are gone, replaced by standard furniture.

More later if I find anything of interest.

5 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

We may never be able to cruise "normally" again if the powers that be have anything more to say....

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We’re so glad you could attend
Come inside! Come inside!

ELP

1 hour ago, CharTrav said:

Learned about some changes today. Basically - it looks  like Hawaii remains closed to cruise ships until mid January 2022, which means both sailings of Hawaiian Islands Sojourn on Orion in Dec 2021 are off the table. I also noticed today that all sailings of Amazon and Caribbean Adventure on the Sea in Jan, Feb, Mar 2022 have been removed from the VO schedule. In both cases, I'm sure Viking is coming up with a Plan B. When these Plan B's are posted to the VO page, I'll update the spreadsheet and post it. 

We have some friends booked on a February Amazon & Caribbean cruise.  They've not receivedany cancellation notice.  Yet.  Past experience has shown  Viking "disappears" cruises from their calendar when doom is imminent.   Last I looked, those cruises were nearly full.  Pity.

Just discovered a new VeriFly "feature".  We had to use it for a Viking cruise in July, now need it again for a December Viking cruise.  Well, after some unknown amount of time, maybe a month, the app or those who run it purge all your particulars except your mugshot. 

I asked Viking about it and yep, not a fluke.  That's what it does.  They're not sure why VeriFly dumps everything either.  I pressed further and asked why then doesn't Viking keep a passenger's first VeriFly submission on file themselves?  I was met with the predictable crickets.

I have mixed thoughts about it.  Glad personal information isn't being stored (maybe) but piqued that I have to fiddle with this annoying app again.

55 minutes ago, gulfjimbo said:

We just returned from a West Indies trip on Orion.  Wonderful cruise even with the daily spit test but prior to departure we got a PCR test at a cost of $250 for 2 to insure the quick turn around.  First Viking said we had a 72 hr window unitl the time our flight left then changed it right before out test to be 48 hrs before we board.  We had to hustle around to make a change but made it ok. They modified their requirement to allow for other non-PCR tests.  Further when we were at embarkation they never asked for proof of the test.  We simply checked a box that said we had completed the test.  We heard of one quest on our trip that tested positive and was removed from the ship.  The ship was only half full which helped with the covid protocol.

Can you give us some detail about onboard protocols?  Masks, distancing, how the restaurants are being operated, theater, shore excursions, and all the other activities that are altered by these procedures?

Thanks.

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

I would definitely want this in writing.  And I would also ask how this test, that has to be administered twice over three days, needs to be taken to fit in with Viking’s 2 days before embarking requirement, I.e. which of the two has to be two days before?  And I would ask how the results are to be conveyed?  Take a photo of the pink line on the card, or what?  That doesn’t seem to fit the electronic and printed results Viking wants.  

Agreed.  That's why it must be in writing, especially how it must be presented to Viking.  Preferably on official letterhead or at least from someone in authority at Viking with their name on the blame line.

Jim Avery is absolutely correct.  Communications from  Viking have been annoyingly nebulous since they went into the ocean cruise business.  It's my single largest complaint with them, it's like nailing Jell-O to the wall.  We learned six years ago to get everything in writing and drag it along with you to the cruise.  At least then you have recourse when it all goes haywire.

25 minutes ago, zelker said:

For those of you embarking in a US port, I just had a voice mail from Stacy in Guest Services at Viking in response to my email to tellus@viking asking if they were or were not going to allow us to do the home proctored telehealth BinaxNOW antigen test and the answer is YES, they are allowed!

Could you ask Stacy if you can please get that in writing?

Regent's policy appears well thought out and sensible.  Viking's policies aren't that much more stringent, masks not withstanding.  There are no documented studies supporting their efficacy. Read the disclaimer on a box of actual surgical masks for clarification. Masks are purely optics, respirators are a whole different beast.

Our shipboard experience on a Viking Iceland cruise in July this year was difficult to characterize. Food and service were excellent as usual.  However, the dearth of interaction with other passengers and crew, plus the inability to read their expressions when engaged in a (rare) conversation was really unfortunate.  We felt masks were a detriment to the experience.

On 10/31/2021 at 8:18 AM, D C said:

However, there are allegations that the Key West mayor and council are acting extralegally, refusing to approve any CDC required paperwork unless the cruise lines follow the nullified Nov 2020 referendum.  

 

 

From the purely anecdotal information I've learned, that's exactly what's happening.

Also some speculation that operators of smaller ships are proactively cancelling KW

calls to avoid any involvement in the impending food fight.

1 hour ago, zelker said:

Any bets as to how long it stays this way??!!??  LOL

 

Thanks for the heads' up!!

 

But wait!!  I just noticed that the link to the PDF says FINAL in the title ... 🤣

 

14-211029-RestartPreCruiseRequirement-UnitedStates_US_CA_FINAL.pdf (vikingcruises.com)

 

It's final until they say it isn't.  This hysteresis reminds me of the Army.  No one really knows what's going on until the suspense date passes.  After that, no one cares.

55 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

Is it just me or is Viking making this up as they go?

 

It's not you.

If you want the deluxe treatment, Celebrity has some pretty good looking cruises on their new ship, Flora.  Prices aren't shockingly outrageous either, just painful.

Have the Galapagos routes been completely scrapped?  Can't find a trace of them anywhere.

I got a good look at cabin 6021.  It was unoccupied, the crew was using it for storage.  They said it was seldom booked.  Unless you are good with a bathroom straight out of a nursing home, stick with a standard cabin.  The rest of the cabin was the same as a standard PS, but some furniture had been removed.

20 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Actually - Octantis' schedule is not what I would call sketchy at all. Pretty well defined from Jan 2022 to March 2023

I should have clarified and stated that Argentina is and will be off limits to foreign visitors for some time.  See here:  https://ar.usembassy.gov/covid-19/

The actual execution of the schedule is what I assert as sketchy.