PBodek

Thank you for all your input.  We just booked the Mariner.  Excited, but nervous about crossing the Atlantic.  First time cruising with Regent.  Can't wait! 😃

Hello!

We've never sailed with Regent before and are looking at the Transatlantic cruises in November.  Both board in Barcelona and end in Miami, the major difference is the Mariner stops in Bermuda and the Navigator stops in Puerto Rico.  I know the Navigator is a smaller ship, how does it handle the open waters of the Atlantic?  Which ship would you choose and why?  Thank you! 🛥️

In New York it is free.

https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing

11 minutes ago, molymoo said:

Wouldn't that be nice!  Actually am a senior on medicaid but when I completed the questionaire to see if I was eligible for a free test it said NO ... the questions specified symptoms, exposure, and referral from health provider ... all were no from me so I guess I would have to fudge a bit to get it free.  The "girl scout" in me has a problem with that.

I don't think you need to "fudge".  CVS is free, period!

4 minutes ago, molymoo said:

Actually, I do not qualify for free test with CVS.  

Sorry, you must be a "youngster" !

23 minutes ago, molymoo said:

This has probably been covered but my mind is boggled.  If we are doing a Viking extension prior to embarkation who will look and and assess the "validity" of our pre-flight tests.  We have multiple options for getting this testing done and the prices range from "nominal" to $300.00 each.  We are going to Oslo then to Bergen to board and Norway does not require any testing at this point ... certainly don't want to spend $600 if one of the more nominal ones will do.  

We're going to CVS for a PCR test.  It doesn't cost anything.

10 minutes ago, Virgo61 said:

Is it 72 hours or 3 days? My first international flight is 5/27 at 5:10 PM. I originally scheduled a PCR test at 11:00 am on the 25th. That was clearly inside of the window. Then I realized that we have the 1 day risk guarantee and I was afraid that if either of us tested positive we would get the results too late to cancel under the guarantee so we moved the test to 11 am on the 24th. Will this be OK. I remember hearing that 72 hours was actually 3 days but I'm not sure if it was Viking.

My information from Viking says 72 hours, so your test on the 24th would be outside of the 72 hours.  We're going to schedule an Antigen (1-2 hour) test the morning of our flight (8pm) in case we haven't heard the PCR results taken 2 days before.

20 hours ago, Wbaildon14 said:

We are sailing on the Viking Sea Empires of the Mediterranean (Venice - Athens) June 6 - 15th.  We are doing a pre-cruise extension in Venice so are flying from the US on June 3rd. Viking’s requirement is that we have a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to boarding the first international flight.  Does the 72 hour requirement still apply if we are doing a pre-cruise extension?   Or does it need to be sooner since we are doing the extension?

We are leaving close to the same time you are only we will be on Viking Mars from Bergen to London.  We are doing an Iceland extension.  We have to have a PCR test within 72 hours or an antigen test within 24 hours of our international flight.  The agent at Viking said we will have a Covid test at the hotel in Iceland on the last day before we board the plane to Norway to board the cruise.  

8 hours ago, Flyer55 said:

6/11 cruise.  One tour we wanted was sold out.   We are hoping they are able to add extra or someone cancels.  Two other tours we had picked out for 2020 and 2021 before getting cancelled are no longer offered.  All-in-all we got what we wanted and still have a chance to get the one tour we were too late for.

We found the selections minimal in some of the ports.  Do they remove it if it's sold out?  Disappointed in what they are offering for the Scotland ports.

Hopefully we'll be cruising with Viking next month from Norway.  We like to do plane/helicopter excursions.  I only see helicopter excursions from Bergen, Geiranger and Honningsvag.  Can't afford to do all three.  Any experience/recommendations with any of these would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

58 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Not missing the ship is definitely one of every cruise line's selling points. However, that is not totally factual.

 

The Master makes the decision to delay the sailing, or to sail. A number of issues may dictate the Master must sail, such as:

• If the next voyage was a full speed sailing, the ship would arrive late at the next port
• They have tidal/weather issues, or
• The pilot, tug or longshoremen are not available for a delayed sailing

 

Any of these issues and many others could dictate that the Master must sail. In this situation, the cruise line most likely will pay the costs of getting you to the next port.

 

However, many of the vendors I use provide the same guarantee.

They will get you to the next port which would have been 2 days later at the end of the cruise in Sydney.  

All I can say is just know what can happen by booking an excursion not provided by the cruise line.  We were on a bus/train excursion in New Zealand and the bus broke down.  The replacement bus was hours away and we were 3 1/2 hours late (and past departure time).  If we had booked that on our own the ship wouldn't have waited for us and that was the last stop in New Zealand before heading to Australia.  It's NOT worth it to save a few buckS

2 hours ago, duquephart said:

This is an ocean forum.

I get it that is is an ocean forum, I can't comment about the possibility of ending daily testing?

4 minutes ago, duquephart said:

A view expressed elsewhere is that Viking, having spent so much installing the labs, will now stubbornly refuse to quit using them.

I agree with you, but some form of Covid will be with us for a very long time.   So sadly I'm guessing these labs will be used.

Just saw on another board from a person currently on a Viking River cruise that they are stopping the daily Covid testing.  I can't find anything about it anywhere else.  We'll see!

5 minutes ago, Flyer55 said:

I got a call from Viking on Thursday, and was told the excursions should be released in about 10 days.

I haven't heard anything from Viking.  Did you book directly with them?  You are talking about the 6/11 cruise, correct?

1 hour ago, JDincalif said:

Just checking: Have you received final documents/instructions/luggage tags yet? We're awaiting this voyage more eagerly than usual!

We have received nothing!  I did notice that our flights have been ticketed.

On 4/16/2022 at 10:17 PM, Flyer55 said:

They aren't listed yet for the June 11 sailing.

 

We're on the June 11th cruise as well.  Very frustrating not seeing excursions.  I found it interesting that yesterday there were many cabins available in many categories.  Today it's sold out.  Not sure what's going on.

We're scheduled to sail on the Mars' second sailing out of Bergen to London on 6/11.  In MVJ, there is nothing to book, no restaurants or shore excursions and we are exactly 6 weeks from sailing.  Yesterday there were many cabins available.  Today the cruise is "Sold Out".  I'm getting the sinking feeling (pun intended) that this cruise will be canceled, possibly Mars isn't ready?  Do they cancel for too few passengers?

Hello!

We're scheduled for "Ultimate Iceland" a 5 day pre-cruise extension in June. While the extension does include many excursions there are parts of days where we are on our own for exploring and dining.  We are staying at the Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel.  We're on our own the whole first day.  Any recommendations for sightseeing and dining within walking distance of the hotel?  On day three we travel to Snaefellsnes and are staying at the Fransiskus Hotel.  Sights and dining there?  Thanks so much for any input.

Hello,

I've read that Covid protocol is changing, but when doing a pre-cruise excursion will we be quarantined to the hotel room in Reykjavik pending a negative Covid test?  We'll have a Covid test before boarding the plane.  Will we be able to wander about in Reykjavik or only be able to take the Viking excursions?

Thank you!

99 days and counting!