SailorPaulH

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

The Trip Mate insurance is two-fold.  The insurance company reimbursed you for covered cancellation reasons one of them being illness preventing you from traveling among many other things.  You must provide whatever documentation they require within their stated time frame.  This is the only way you can get up to a 100% cash refund.  However it will be minus the cost of the insurance.

 

The 14 Day Risk Free Guarantee or the clause in the Trip Mate policy of cancel for any reason up to 24 hours prior to the cruise are Viking coverages.  You will only receive a voucher for another cruise not a cash refund.  It would be either 14 days or 24 hours before your first Viking event - whether it is a Viking Air flight or boarding the ship.

 

You should have this policy and read it.  I am not a lawyer and understand it.  However I have never used it.  If you don't know where it is just go on MVJ to request a Guest Invoice.  A summary of the Trip Mate coverages will be in one of the 4 or 5 attachments in that email.

 

Good luck.  It's stressful.  And I feel your back pain.

Tayana thank you. It took a while but I got through to insurance company. That's likely our best route - less hectic for decision making, and better than the constraint of using a voucher on a cruise by the end of 2022 that we may not be able to go on anyway (or even want to go on). That way there might even be a shot at going on our cruise in 2023 or 2024. If we are lucky, we can still go in a couple of weeks - doc appointment tomorrow 😜. I am blessed to only have such problems as just a messed up trip .....

3 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

Good for you.  A thought here however.  It seems you have 2 cancellation options if you want a voucher for a future cruise: 1) the 14 day risk free guarantee and 2) the 24 hour cancel for any reason clause that Viking offers in conjunction with the Trip Mate policy.

 

Hope your health issues successfully resolve.

Thank you Tayana - I indeed have option 2 via insurance and that would be a reimbursement of appropriate $$$, I believe? I wasn't able to get through to insurance company yet - I don't even know what the deadline is for that (24 hours before first flight??).

Thanks for the help all - this is first time I have been in all of a sudden potential cancellation situation. Lower back nerve impingement (we think) is no joke.

Thanks all for input - I finally got through to Viking. I can indeed use the value of my cruise as a future voucher (my particular RFG guarantee indicates it must be a cruise before end of 2022) and I have a few more days to make that decision (and find an alternate cruise). I guess I can still book the one we really wanted to go on for 2024 - then it will 5+ years of waiting for that one! 😜

Please some VOC veteran help me with this question. I am having hard time getting through to call numbers and Live Chat.

We have a medical situation come up that may - but hopefully may not - require us to cancel a July 2 - 18 VOC cruise. Either way, we don't have much time to decide. 

First flight = June 30, Last flight = July 20 (deviations done through Viking Air Plus). This cancelation would be of a cruise booked through a voucher that came from our original July 2021 cruise that was canceled by Viking due to Covid-19. When we rescheduled we received the 'Risk-Free Guarantee - Temporary Cancelation Policy'.

Looking at this , it appears we must cancel at least 14 days prior to the date of flight departure (for flights arranged by Viking) and then we will get a Voucher for 100% actual monies paid to be applied to a future cruise to be booked within 24 months. Am I right?

If I am understanding this correctly I have until June 15 to cancel and make this happen?

Additional note: We do have Viking TripMate coverage also.   

6 hours ago, duquephart said:

The test before first flight should go away as well. Too much to hope for?

Viking web-site update:

My Trip - Updates on Current Sailings (vikingcruises.com)

"Additionally, Viking highly recommends, but no longer requires, a pre-departure COVID-19 test—unless one is required by the destination."

It's over.

"Please note that Viking is in the process of notifying guests about these changes to the Viking Health & Safety Program, as well as updating specific requirements for all voyages across documents channels, including on MyVikingJourney.com. We expect that all relevant documents will be updated on June 14, 2022."

5 minutes ago, duquephart said:

Whoa!

Just in time for you!

5 minutes ago, keokukjoe said:

Letter to passengers on Viking Mars dated 6/11. Looks legit to me.

I have seen postings like this for other ships also. That removes a lot of hoops to jump through!

4 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Agree!  I think even more people will cancel/bail on Viking this summer because of their testing policies.  It is interesting that people who proclaim to be for testing say they like that Viking "keeps them safe", yet that now would be so far from the truth.  Even Viking effectively enables the passing of COVID by not enforcing masking onboard, by allowing people to gather together at bars and eating, by allowing people to go maskless on excursions, and by allowing people to wander around on their own in ports and mingle with locals.  Not sure how Viking is keeping people "safe" then.  Kind of duplicitous in my opinion.

But their ship, their rules.  We'll just have to see how they respond since the majority of their passengers are from USA. 

How many readers have already checked their MVJ to see if there was a change in the policies? LOL.

The testing policy is based on the notion that the virus can be prevented - it's endemic, so that cannot be true. Viking cannot eliminate the potential for exposure, and I agree that the activities of a normal day of VOC cruising that you mentioned mean exposure is very possible. This week I went to a number of my work locations, a supermarket and a department store - all with more potential for exposure than a Viking ship or a Norwegian mountain-top, and I did not have to do daily tests to perform those functions.

37 minutes ago, rizello said:

 

I see no reason to do any more testing at all.  Most of the countries have eliminated all restrictions and now the US has removed the re-entry restrictions. Not sure the reason to continue any testing.

Agree. Now, the only requirements on our upcoming trip are those of Viking. There is no reason to continue testing.

1 hour ago, longterm said:

We just tested this morning for the return home and are negative, but another person was positive. We also had a temporary fill-in guide test positive, after our original guide tested positive as well. 
 

So of the original 25 guests plus guide, there are 10 remaining (spouses left the tour)—8 positive guests and 2 guides. 
 

i just spoke to a friend who just did the Viking River cruise from Budapest to Prague; there were 6 cases on their cruise. I heard from someone who was on another River cruise, where they had 40 cases. 
 

We did 2 ocean cruises—one in December in the Caribbean (11 days), one in March from Time to Athens (24 days including pre and post extensions); we had dinner with several couples on the first cruise, a few on the second, and made it home without Covid. There was no reporting of cases, so we don’t know if there were any. 
 

it seems to be hit and miss; why we didn’t get it on this trip is a mystery. None of the 7 spouses of positive people on this trip have tested positive—go figure. 
 

We won’t be doing any more group traveling or cruises until fall 2023; the problems caused in this trip are enormous. My sister in law, who was on this trip with us, tested positive again this morning, 4 days after her first positive test; my brother and she are stuck in France until she tests negative. Others are stranded all over France until they test negative. 
 

i really believed it was safe to travel, or we wouldn’t have gone on this trip. These new variants are much more virulent than anything before. 
 

Would I go on an ocean cruise soon? Sadly, no. 

 

Glad to see you made it back OK, and belated thanks for your reports on your Med cruise that gave us ideas for our own future plans.

Here is a question for you, though: have you ever tested positive previously? If so, I believe there is a strong possibility (that in combination with being vaxxed/boosted) you are resilient to the currently circulating more infectious but less dangerous variants. I, personally, don't know anybody that got COVID twice when they are vaxxed (I concede that it is possible, but I believe it is relatively rare), so the natural immunity factor is protective, IMO.

I know everyone's immune system is unique, but my own experience is that I have been exposed to COVID positives a number of times since last October when I had Delta, but tested negative each time, so my primary concern on upcoming trip is running afoul of a false positive. I am not afraid of getting COVID or acting as a conduit for someone to get if from me, but I will act safely and responsibly (masking in airports, flights and certain crowded indoor settings), and hope for the best.

42 minutes ago, JDincalif said:

Neon colored Post-It notes are useful to alert the cabin steward about specific requests or flag items needing specific attention. 

My wife uses this system on me 🤪

20 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

All I know is the PCR test I had at CVS in March was NAAT.

Same for me: CVS in April --- "SARS-COV-2 RNA, QL NAAT, RT PCR/TMA (COVID-19)"

2 hours ago, Twitchly said:

I have one, but I will miss Viking’s 90-day window by a couple of weeks. If they followed Canada and Austria (among other countries), I’d be good for 6 months. But nope.

What we need are cruises for fully vaxxed AND previously infected passengers 😜 - I would bet there would be little to no positives on such cruises. I think the most vulnerable are those without a prior infection and that is the population that is the remaining primary vector for spread, but time will tell.

20 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

I wouldn’t sweat it. I’ve yet to hear of anyone unable to board because they took the wrong test in the wrong time frame. Viking just tests you again regardless. 
 

That said, we plan to get a PCR/NAAT test rather than antigen before we go.
 

When I had COVID last month, my first two antigen tests (24 hours apart) came up negative. I then took a PCR test because I was pretty sure they were wrong, and sure enough, they were. The antigen test didn’t read positive until my symptoms were pronounced. 

 

So I’ll take a PCR test when the time comes to see if I’m still testing positive. No point in going if I am. 

I don't understand - if you just had COVID recently, why can't you just get a letter of recovery? Testing positive for months after an infection is not unusual.

3 hours ago, 55Division said:

While Walgreens administers the NAAT test, I'm not sure they provide a lab certified report for travel.

From their site - for the drive through testing it states their PCR test is a lab test and 'meets pre-travel testing requirements: COVID-19 Testing | Select Location | Walgreens

CVS says the same for their drive-through PCR Lab Test.

I scoured Viking web-site and can't find answer to a couple of questions:

• What time does the Bar open in the Living Room (Deck 1) open in the morning? (The word is this is the place to get great coffee in the morning)
• What are the opening times of the Fitness Center?

Thanks.

10 minutes ago, jasardeax said:

Thank you for a civil and reasoned response. 
But, do you think that symptomatic  passengers will voluntarily submit to a test, and live with the consequences if positive?

 

I am in agreement with Rizello with this one.

I can't speak for other people but if I had symptoms I would get a test and self-quarantine as required.

My wife and I both work in health and health/fitness fields and we have not encountered anybody who has caught covid more than once who was fully vaccinated (I concede the possibility of exceptions) so my own take on the current situation is that Covid positives on board are first-timers or what concerns me (fully vaxxed and covid positive in the past) the most: false positives (with no re-test recourse). Also, I have seen nothing to suggest that passengers are statistically in any great danger. I see stories of dozens of people being removed (or quarantined) from many cruises on Ocean and River, but I do not see associated hospitalizations or fatalities associated with those actions. I, sincerely, believe it's time to move on.

For our non-Viking Iceland extension, we booked tests at

covidtest.is

13 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

Over on The Site That Must Not Be Named, one poster says Viking is only testing at the beginning and end of the River cruise she’s currently on (Paris and Normandy). So there’s hope!

I keep seeing references to The Site That Must Not Be Named, and have no idea what it is (and nor will I as you can't tell me, LOL).

3 hours ago, Twitchly said:

So after our voucher cruise, we’re done.

 

It makes me sad because I love the rest of Viking’s excellent product. But thankfully there are other wonderful ways to see the world.

 

Same with us - we have abandoned our intentions of a VRC and another VOC in 2023/24. There are comparable cruise lines if we want, and we have devised some nice ideas for the next year or two - a ring-road trip in Iceland; road-tripping in the Faroe Islands and a vacations by rail in Switzerland/Austria. That being said we enjoyed our previous VRC and hope to enjoy our upcoming VOC and hope it's not a "Be Anxious: Explore the World in Quarantine" rebranding exercise.

I have tried to find an answer to this on CC, but so far no luck. Hopefully a VOC vet can help me out. We want to try the Chef's Table restaurant on our first VOC cruise, but one of us has a shellfish allergy. Shellfish seems to be a common course in most of the sample CT menus I have seen. Is there an option for an alternative provided or is it an 'out of luck' situation and best to go to another restaurant? Thanks.

38 minutes ago, ROTONDA said:

I do read many different stories of Covid positive on ocean and many different ways the ship deals with those passengers. 
My first hand experience here on Orion~ Alaska 

We boarded on the 23rd around 11: 30 with many line ups and finally got on an hour later and were stopped to do spit test because of a delayed disembark.   We were all directed to go have lunch until our rooms were ready. Once in our rooms we unpacked and then the phone rang around 5 ish. DR saying my DH tested positive! We had done a test the night before at our Hotel in Vancouver. Negative! 
So our option was to flee~ or stay put? For 10/days quarantine. We know 5/days in Canada so said we would go! Well~ because we received result so late and we’re leaving the dock they did try and get customs to come back and take us because we are Canadian and still in Canada. 2hrs waiting in the bay so we had to stay on. Guest services did look into Ketchikan to disembark but were told no positive passengers. So here we are 4 days in with no symptoms.  We both had nasal test given by a nurse the 2nd day that concluded I had tested positive also. Our stateroom attendant has been fabulous. I have been leaving sticky notes for towels and sheets along with cleaning supplies. They said no to the vacuum! Lol. Apparently we are still in 2019 and they would have to disinfect it! The food has been great and yes they did let us order from Manfredis which is always a treat! 
 

There are I hear 6 rooms in quarantine as of day 2. With more to come as the trip continues because people are off the ship or already infected and not positive yet.  We see no masks from our balcony going on excursions and that first day they had all of us in the World Cafe for over an hour and lots of people had no mask roaming around there and the bar. While they did say we should keep  masks on until we leave dock. 
We have contacted Trip Mate and they have confirmed that our entire trip was interrupted. They said make sure that we have all our Covid Documents and record of quarantine signed by the lab doctor. 
 

We also heard that over 60 passengers and staff  from last week were positive and quarantined.  
 

Passing my days reading and doing Yoga! Except they would not give me a mat to use.  DH is gym guy. We travel with bands that we purchased in Canada when our gyms were closed down for 2 years!  He uses them in the gym in hotels ~ Door knob is working well here.  
 

Final note~ all our excursions were deleted from our account on the second day and show as credit voucher. I had booked a couple of spa treatments that show as appointments on my calendar until you actually pay at the time of treatment service so no issue with them. 
 

let me know if you have any questions ~ I have lots of time to reply! 

Sorry for your bad luck, and glad to see you are doing well and will get some resolution to ease the loss of real vacation. If I may ask, is this your first positive test/infection? I have been (and am) curious if the positive tests that are being seen on cruises are people's first encounter with Covid.

2 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

Where have you gotten tested for antibodies? That’s something we might want to look into before getting a second booster.

My cardiologist ordered it as a prescription as part of my routine bloodwork - he is very much a dot the "i" and cross the "t" doc. The wife got it done as she works in a health setting and they did a screening of employees on a volunteer basis. I don't think antibodies testing is routine - you might be able to get it as a paid service test.

53 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

Recovering from Covid within Viking’s 90-day window would feel like winning a lottery. I missed it by a month.

I think (additional) immunity derived from prior infection is underrated - both DW and I had Covid back in October 2021 and still test high for antibodies, so we haven't had the mis(?)fortune to pick it up in our 90-day window, despite being exposed on 4 different occasions: we tested negative every time. I'm beginning to suspect that most positive cases on the cruises are first time infections/positives and/or false positives.

6 minutes ago, Squawkman said:

We were on the Jupiter in April and there were no Covid announcements of any kind at any time. There were at least 14 people quarantined.

Is there any data on whether covid infections on Viking cruises are first time infections for the passengers involved?