Donaghadee

Octantis (new Expedition ship) is supposed to go into revenue service January 2022.  Inaugural cruise starting in Argentina and visiting Antarctica.  Schedule seems rather sketchy at the moment.  

Rub some Windex on your crystal ball and tell us what you see.

I'll go with one of the following:

1) Items prohibited in Iceland, and they're smuggling stuff.

2) OK in Iceland, but huge tariffs apply.

3) Chemicals or compounds prohibited on aircraft, material vital to operations, sea lift required, commercial shipping too slow.

4) Had time to kill, decided to go for a joyride, blow the carbon out of Star's stacks, deliver some crew mail and the Captain's favorite booze.

Thinking #3

14 minutes ago, KarNog said:

I read on a FB page that Star was there delivering a package to Sky and would be in port for two days until Jupiter showed up for a package delivery.

Pretty expensive way to deliver a "package".  I'll bet it's a partial crew change.

11 minutes ago, BrynMawrPA said:

For your information, Viking Sky and Viking Star are here in Seydisfjordur, Iceland today (7/21/2021).

Star was supposed to be in the Med until early October.  Something odd is afoot...  Anyone have a clue?

2 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

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

I would much rather blow off Iceland and take the five or six day sail to Boston or NY.  I'll even throw in a few (many) grand to avoid 14 days of pointless quarantine.

An option is Viking can charter flights for we, the unclean and get us outta here.

1 minute ago, librarylady19 said:

Indeed. I’m sure the Covid positive person will need to quarantine there but shouldn’t others be able to return to US as long as they have negative tests in hand. 

We have negative tests in hand right now and aren't allowed ashore.

9 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

I thought the 3rd WB is not at full capacity yet.  

Word I got was ~750 pax.

My pessimistic senses are telling me we can expect a repeat of yesterday and today in Heimaey.  This begs the question of what will happen in Reykjavik....

2-1/2 sea days to Belfast.  5 to NYC.

1 hour ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Just checked our Final Documents. Our July 17 cruise has Sue on the "Iceland Through the Lens" on Sunday July 18 for six hours beginning at 10:00 AM. "Snapshots of Reykjavik" is 1.5 hours on July 18.

Can we anticipate a complete review of the TTL excursion from you?  We're sorely in the dark on this one.  BTW, thanks for being a beta tester.

3 hours ago, Porcupine 52 said:

So how do everyone think we can get to the Volcano...Rent a car...shuttle...Just wondering how this will work?

I've been watching the volcano on live cams.  Hate to say it, but it's pretty quiet.  The flow is oozing down lava tubes and not providing near the spectacle it once did.  Just lots of smoke and hot, black basalt is all that's in sight at the volcano.  Downhill from the vent you can watch the lava fill the valley as it creeps toward the ring road.

36 minutes ago, Donaghadee said:

Thanks for all your work.  Hard to figure what Viking is going to do with all their capacity if half the world is off limits for another six months to year.  I did some sleuthing for areas that are open but haven't been added to the Viking cruise catalog.  The only route I could come up with is the Mexican Riviera and Sea of Cortez.  Wonder how that would sell...

Forgot to add this little gem:

https://cruisepassenger.com.au/exclusive-home-affairs-says-all-foreign-flagged-cruise-ships-must-employ-aussie-staff/

On 6/20/2021 at 2:57 PM, CharTrav said:

Orion's schedule has just been updated through early Feb 2024 (appeared yesterday -- know I checked the VO site Friday and it wasn't there then).  Have just updated and posted the spreadsheet.  If you already have a copy, just use the link provided in the ReadMe tab to download a fresh copy; otherwise use the link provided in my signature block or this direct link:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/dk0llty8bgubssk/Viking Ocean Cruises (2021 to 2023).xlsm?dl=0.  No DropBox account required.

Thanks for all your work.  Hard to figure what Viking is going to do with all their capacity if half the world is off limits for another six months to year.  I did some sleuthing for areas that are open but haven't been added to the Viking cruise catalog.  The only route I could come up with is the Mexican Riviera and Sea of Cortez.  Wonder how that would sell...

I'm still looking for an answer to a question Viking seems unwilling to address.  I can't pry anything out of them.

On the last day, Viking likes to have everyone out of their cabins by 08:00 and off the ship by 10:00.  On all our prior Viking cruises, a hospitality room was provided for pax who had afternoon flights.  It was usually a nice centrally located hotel.  You could stay put, go for a walk or take a short tour.  Every hour or so, a bus would take a portion of guests to the airport.  It worked out very well.

I am in the dark with this cruise.  Will there be a midpoint, or is Viking going to dump hundreds of people at KEF all at once?  I'm not enthusiastic about sitting in an airport all day.

4 minutes ago, AKexplorer said:

My wife just added Merlin to her phone. You have to give it access to your pictures. She's having fun with all the bird pictures she has on her phone. Also had to load a pac for the area.

That's odd about wanting access to your pictures.  The iteration I have (2019) asked for but was given no access to anything.  I would have deleted it otherwise.  Maybe I'm funny that way...

7 minutes ago, gramfrog said:

Thanks, Donaghadee!  Just added to my apps.  I suppose we will have walk around WIFI while we are watching and identifying birds???

 

Funny, but ah, no.  The ID software is resident on your phone.

If anyone has an interest in bird watching, Merilin is a really handy app.  It's published by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and has "Packs" specific to regions.  They just happen to have one for Iceland. 

Available for Apple or Android phones.  It's free, but you have to provide your email address so they can pester you for donations.  Look in your app store under "Merlin".

9 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Yes I understand that there is a shortage of seasonal workers.

 

I am upset with Viking as they oversold their product to us, the consumer. It is a corporation with a number of departments that should have taken all things into consideration. If they had sold the first four cruises and left it at that, chances are this situation would not exist. How could they not think that other cruise lines would not have the same idea? Are they gambling that with 19 departures they could tip availability to their favor?

 

If they had a refund policy like other cruise lines have, I could walk away. But they don't and if we cancel the Iceland cruise we will need to spend MORE money to use what they already have from us.

Iceland lives and thrives on tourist bucks.  Don't be surprised if the Iceland government puts the spurs to their guest worker program and perhaps offers a monetary incentive to show up.

Here's something you should keep in mind if you're anxious about booking an excursion through Viking:

Iceland tourism has a fairly high reliance on foreign workers.  Foreigners fill a good amount of the unskilled positions that make the tourism industry in Iceland function.  The tour operators are having difficulties because they can't get enough bodies to fill all the positions. 

The same problems are popping up in Alaska, where the bulk of the tourism industry is staffed by people who live in the lower 48.  US workers can freely travel to Alaska for work and they're still having staffing problems.  Many workers see the squeeze not worth the juice this late in the season.

Europeans seeking summer employment in Iceland must reside in one of the countries that aren't on Iceland's COVID radar.  They must be vaccinated, and they have the equivalent of a green card to work in Iceland.  A number are ineligible for entry because of where they live.  The remainder have to go through the permitting process and have to wait for approval.  Iceland also does not have a minimum wage law.  Many of the foreign workers aren't paid enough to make the trip to Iceland worthwhile, so they'll just sit out the season.

In sum, don't get irritated with Viking.  They're doing the best they can considering the circumstances.

2 minutes ago, vslparis said:

If you book an optional excursion on line, it goes into a shopping cart . You must enter a credit card number to pay for the items in your shopping cart in order to pay for and confirm your optional excursions.  I can’t answer  about whether or not pre registering a credit card would speed up the process as I never do that. 

You can save a few % if you pay via EFT.  Direct and immediate payment to Viking from your bank account.  Viking has that option on MVJ, check it out.

5 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

Covid happened, virtually last minute cruises, major logistics to organize in a changing environment, no time to design pouches or print booklets...I think I will give Viking a break on this issue.  Never got a gift for any cruise.

I might sound a bit cynical, but remember, there's no such thing as a "free gift" when you're paying a fare.  We bought every wool pouch and charge adapter that ever appeared on our doorstep.  Call it an unwitting purchase.

12 minutes ago, BlairsvilleCruiseGirl said:

When do you have to pay for the excursions?  When purchased or closer to sailing?

 

If you want to keep them, pay immediately.

15 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

 

 

I'll probably sign up for that excursion, too.  But as to where the photographer takes us, who knows?  It's a long enough excursion to get out of the city a little bit, and I hope we do.  And for inside the city, I'd love to photograph the church again, which apparently has no scaffolding now, which is good. There's a nice view of it from one of the adjacent streets, plus a nice straight on view, plus view of city from up top. In the city, perhaps we'll be taken inside Harpa Hall -- inside sounds good for photography.  And nosing around the harbor area (not port, but old harbor area) might be decent, though not exactly astounding.  Part of the Golden Circle is less than an hour away by car, so I suppose that might possibly be one place we could go if there aren't whole coach loads of us going.  Or we could take the little ferry over to Videy Island.  I'm not expecting to see much wildlife, and no puffins, as I read that because the seas have warmed up so much, the number of puffins has been decreasing.  But who knows where we'll end up going?  We'll see what happens.     

I've put down my money for this one.  I did a bit of searching trying to determine who actually operates this excursion.  This is the only one I could find that seems to fit the description:

https://icelandictimes.com/iceland-through-the-lens/

Edit: His site: https://arcticexposure.is/

If someone finds a better fit, post it up.  I'd love to see it.

27 minutes ago, CharTrav said:

So much for the idea I started to include after my "Yikes!" comment -- doing the inner passage by sailing around Vancouver from Ketchikan! And I also thought about Seattle .. oh well... so much for that idea!

You apparently didn't look at my post.  Carnival, Holland America and Princess are departing via Seattle.  Don't know which route they will take.  Nonetheless, they will transit Canadian waters.

The Alaska Ferry (500+ pax, US flag) has been running the Inside Passage between Bellingham, WA and Sitka, AK without pause.

Just looking for a guess on Viking joining the fray.

16 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Unfortunately, it isn't quite that simple, as for the TP to sail, Viking has a few more challenges to solve.

 

The Canadian Interim Order banned cruise ships from operating in Canadian Waters, not just the ports. The US waiver eliminates the need for foreign-flagged cruise ships, engaged in domestic trade, to call at a foreign port. However, the waiver does not permit cruise ships to operate in Canadian Territorial Waters.

 

Based on the traffic separation scheme in Juan de Fuca, a cruise ship departing Seattle must transit through Canadian Waters to reach open ocean. The cruise lines still need to address this issue.

 

If/when cruise lines are approved to operate from Seattle, the TP is not possible due to current US CDC restrictions, which would be applicable, if the cruise departed from Seattle, or called at an Alaskan port. If entering US Territorial Waters, the max length of a cruise is 7-days, unless it is one of their recent changes.

Borrowed from the Alaska thread, but is excerpted from the Canadian Act. 

Pay particular attention to: Prohibition Exceptions: 5 (e). 

As well as Foreign Vessels in Certain Waters: 2 (a).

Without these being effective, the Alaska ferry system would not have been continuously transiting from Bellingham to Sitka throughout the Canadian closure.

Carnival, Holland America and Princess know this, otherwise they would not suddenly be offering Alaska cruises from Seattle were it not true.

Prohibition

Prohibition — Canadian waters other than arctic waters

3 It is prohibited to navigate, moor, anchor or berth in Canadian waters, other than arctic waters, if

• (a) the passenger vessel is certified to carry more than 100 persons as indicated on its inspection certificate or Passenger Ship Safety Certificate issued under the Vessel Certificates Regulations or on an equivalent certificate issued by a foreign government; and
• (b) the passenger vessel is equipped with berths or cabins for overnight travel by passengers.

Prohibition — arctic waters

4 It is prohibited for a passenger vessel to enter arctic waters from any other waters.

Exceptions

5 (1) Sections 3 and 4 do not apply to

• (a) a vessel that is in distress or providing assistance to a vessel or person in distress;
• (b) a vessel that is forced to navigate, moor, anchor or berth to avoid immediate danger;
• (c)a vessel that is engaged in research and that is operated by or under the authority of the Government of Canada, or at its request, or operated by a provincial government, a local authority or a government, council or other entity authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group;
• (d) a vessel that carries
  • (i) employees of the Government of Canada or a provincial or territorial government, or
  • (ii) peace officers who require a transportation service in the course of performing their duties or functions;
• (e) a foreign vessel in the territorial sea of Canada that is exercising the right of innocent passage in accordance with international law and article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, done at Montego Bay on 10 December 1982; and
• (f) a vessel that is not in service.

Foreign vessels in certain waters

(2) Despite section 3, a foreign vessel may, in the Great Lakes, the Inside Passage, the St. Lawrence River, the Gulf of St. Lawrence or the St. Lawrence Seaway

• (a) navigate, if passage is expeditious; and
• (b) moor, berth or anchor if those activities are incidental to the passage.

How about a prognostication? 

Orion finishes up in Bermuda on the 10th of August. It takes 16-17 days by ship to go from Bermuda to Seattle, plus around $150K to transit the Panama Canal.  Knowing that, what are the odds Orion does late season Alaska cruises?  Asking for a friend...😉

Edit:  That 16-17 days is non-stop.

Money isn't the issue. We have four other cruises paid for and in the queue.  I just detest being led on unnecessarily.  Viking certainly saw this coming months ago and could have made schedule changes then.  We would have had more time to nab another cruise before it was booked up.  Yes, we could have re-booked voluntarily, but the Viking reps kept telling us not to worry.  Now we're at the tail end of the queue for the North Pacific sailing next year.  I won't make that mistake again...

Canada isn't an issue now that Congress waived the PVSA Act, opening Alaska for business.  Great. The remainder of the itinerary (Russia and Japan) is the problem.  Further, having Oz and New Zed shut for another 12 months just exacerbates the situation.  Orion effectively has no area in the Western Pacific to operate until next year.