Gojagators

10 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I even went to far as to tell the rep that when our final payment is due in June, six months before the cruise, we will cancel if we don’t know that vaccines will be required.  That seemed to give him pause...

We have until next month to cancel our trip this summer and receive a full refund.  If Viking calls me I'll tell them that we will cancel also if vaccines aren't required.  We have a few bucket list trips left on our list including the back to back cruises we have booked this summer with Viking.  I really want the best chance that we can do all the planned itineraries on this trip.  Anything can happen that can interrupt a trip at any time but a vaccine at least reduces the chance that covid is the cause.   

Well add me to the group that emailed Viking to express my desire that vaccinations should be required.   I completely understand people expressing the their opposition to any restrictions and I'm not thrilled with masks and shore excursion limitations either but I understand the need for them during the start up of operations.  I'm really wanting to start traveling again but only if we can do it as safely as possible.  I have no desire to be stranded on the boat looking for a port due to an outbreak of covid onboard.  Adding a vaccine requirement is the last step for viking to adopt.  It will be interesting to see where this all goes. 

11 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

I have heard they are setting aside a block of cabins for isolation if needed.  Don't know which cabins.  Removing some tables in the World Cafe and Dining Room would imply less capacity.  Not a bad thing.  I was saying, pre-covid, that Viking would be absolutely perfect with about 500 passengers. 🍸

Isolation cabins totally makes sense and I believe that was already announced.  Inevitably, someone will get sick with something (covid, noro or whatever).  I was thinking 600 passengers to restart but I like your idea of 500 better!  I think I'll include that in my email to Viking also. 

@Peregrina651  Great idea about personal emails to Viking.  Its time for Viking to step up and truly set the industry standard for a return to travel with pre and onboard testing and requiring everyone to be vaccinated.   I'll send an email today.  Viking, Are you listening??   I'm ready to once again "Travel the world again in comfort" with you if you take the last step to minimize the chance of a travel interruption.   

I will be shocked and disappointed if Viking doesn't require vaccination to sail at least for the near future.  My wife and I are scheduled for a B2B (British Isles and Viking Homelands) starting the August, but we will cancel if vaccines are not required. 

Life is not without accepting some level of risk, but with onboard testing and a vaccinated crew and passenger load it will be about as safe as can be achieved.  Viking should step up and announce that vaccines are required or we will also reconsider who we will travel with going forward.  We've already lost over a year of the prime travel time we have left.  Its time for Tor to record a new video announcing that once again Viking will take the lead in setting the industry standard.    

1 hour ago, Porcupine 52 said:

Will be interesting to see what is going to happen.  Cruise Ships may not have an option if they want to get back sailing.  I will be very surprised if they let customers pick a guide.  I think all excursions will be approved by the cruise line.  But we still are a ways off from them starting.

How the excursions are handled will be real interesting to see.  I might be able to live with ship arranged excursions only for a while, but they will have to be more than a 2-3 hour bus tour/walking tour and then back to the boat.  We cruise for the chance to explore the stops as much as we can.  The trips we have planned are true bucket list items and a brief overview of a city is not going to do it for us.  

Requiring all passengers to be vaccinated for covid would not surprise me at all during the initial start up period.  Its likely that some countries will require the vaccine to enter anyway, and the last thing the cruise lines can afford to have happen would be a repeat of last years outbreaks onboard.   

We did an optional tour viking offered (Highlights of Rome and the coliseum) and I agree with vslparis and Heidi13 that going inside the coliseum is a must.  It was an all day excursion with a fair amount of walking but we saw most of the must see sites of Rome. The other option is to spend a day at the vatican. Our tour only had a drive by of St Peters at the very end of the day but I don't think its possible to both in one day.  

Thank you CharTrav for posting the link.  Its nice to finally have some idea of what things will be like when we are finally traveling again.

I don't know if I'm more optimistic or just tired of isolating and not going anywhere, but I find myself really looking forward to our b2b British Isles explorer and Viking homelands cruises scheduled for August/ September in 2021.  Hopefully we will be vaccinated by then and hopefully all the ports will be open to explore.  We had 2 bucket list cruises cancelled this year and the lack of travel is really weighing on me.  My wife is still very pessimistic about traveling in 2021 and has forbidden me from even looking at Vikings website until cruises actually resume.  Here's to hoping for a trip in 2021.