Dukefan

21 minutes ago, EJLobster said:

So many numbers- when I looked up the positivity rate in US-  I saw that it is now 3%.   https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/individual-states

 

But it is a moving target- can change considerably before you embark.

3% would be wonderful!   It would put us in orange even if the we can't get the USA 14-day notification rate down enough to qualify for green status!

32 minutes ago, DaveSJ711 said:

Be prepared:  Downtown Reykjavik is notorious for its Friday night and Saturday night pub crawl -- and Hotel Borg is right in the center of the action. Your cruise leaves on Saturday, so the night before will be a crawl night. Don't rely on double-paned windows to keep out the noise -- bring the best ear plugs you can find/buy if you want a good night's sleep. (For more accounts of crawl noise, read the Borg reviews on Tripadvisor.)  

Hopefully I'll get my tests results back and be able to participate in the Friday Night Pub Crawl!

13 minutes ago, Donaghadee said:

Numbers that are out there are really funky.  This has been fairly reliable:

 

https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/countries-and-territories/united-states/

Thanks, you have been helpful.   We are averaging about 10 cases per 100,000 population per day and the puts our 7-day average at 70 and our 14 day average at about 140.  This puts us in the red.  So my poor memory has moved us from Green to Orange to Red. It appears we now know that  USA 14-day notification rate at around 140 cases per 100,000 and the test positivity rate at around 7.6%.

The full table for coding if anyone is interested is:

green: if the 14-day notification rate is lower than 25 cases per 100 000 and the test positivity rate below 4%;

orange:  if the 14-day notification rate is lower than 50 cases per 100 000 but the test positivity rate is 4% or higher or, if the 14-day notification rate is between 25 and 150 cases per 100 000 and the test positivity rate is below 4%;

red: if the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate ranges from 50 to 150 and the test positivity rate of tests for COVID-19 infection is 4% or more, or if the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is more than 150 but less than 500;

dark red: if the 14-day cumulative COVID-19 case notification rate is 500 or more;

grey: if there is insufficient information or if the testing rate is lower than 300 cases per 100 000.

Maybe by the end of June or in July, we can make it to green or orange.

Thanks everyone for helping with this exercise.

5 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

That’s why I posted this.  I wanted to see what our numbers are and what others thought.  I think this is a way around Iceland’s problem of being overwhelmed by the airport testing.  Yes, this is what I am hoping for, too, and very very good news.  But, we shall see.

Well it is not as good of news as I orginally thought.   I found the US's current test positity rate and it was not 2.5% like I thought I remembered seeing but it is currently 7.6% probably putting the US in the orange group.

26 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

• green if the 14-day notification rate is lower than 25 cases per 100 000 and the test positivity rate below 4%;

 

 

Interesting,  I believe (and I am not sure) that the data I have seen has the USA notification rate at around 10 cases per 100,000 and the test positivity rate at around 2.5%.    If this is the case, then if I am reading this correctly the test at the airport for vacinated visitors from the US would no longer be required.   Could someone confirm my understanding of both the US numbers and my interpretation of these potential new rules?

If this is correct vacinated folks from the US would not have to test or quarantine on arrival and therefore be free to tour before getting on the ship including going to the Blue Lagoon.    That would be very good news for all of us!

12 minutes ago, DJVKN said:

Hotel Borg in the city center.

 

We are on the July 10th cruise but we are also staying at the Hotel Borg before going to the ship.

1 hour ago, jtwind said:

Yes, flawed.  Going to the cruise terminal and possibly exposing other passengers before the airport test comes back?  Plus, I think that would be against Iceland's rules, right?

How is this different from what you are experiencing in today wherever you live. 100% of the people you pass on the street or in a grocery store have not been vacinated or even tested for the virus.   If you are traveling to Iceland according to their rules there is a good chance that most of the folks arriving have been vacinated and are still being tested.  They are required to be masked and to practice social distancing in getting to their quarantine location where they are required to stay until they get their test results back.    I, for one, think Iceland has a very good and reasonable system in place.  When you really think about it, don't you?

One of life’s biggest challenges is balancing risk vs. reward.   I had a younger brother who would always overthink everything.   He could always find more reasons for not doing something than for doing something.   As a result, he did extraordinarily little, yet he would always express how lucky I was to be doing the things I was doing.  

I would often talk with him about how he needed to spend more time looking for reasons to do things and balance that with the reasons he always found for not doing those same things.   When the reason for doing something was greater than the reasons for not doing something – THEN DO IT, recognizing that some of the things you worry about happening will in fact happen.  When they do, be flexible and find a solution on the go.   Well, I was never able to convince him that my approach to life was better and certainly more fun that his.   He died at the age of 50 never really enjoying enough of the adventures our time on this earth provides.

The lessons here apply to each of us that are venturing out on one of the first cruises since the pandemic began.   The key, I think, is to recognize both the risks and the rewards of this adventure and to be willing to shift gears which one of the risks happen. It is often little things this that make life the wonderful adventure it is.

Under normal circumstances, I would say that you will not feel out of place traveling solo on a Viking cruise.  I have found the Viking passengers to be very friendly and welcoming.   Normally early in the cruise we have a "Meet & Mingle" of Cruise Critic members and this event allows you to form relationships with out travelers.   Also you get a chance to make friends at the Explorers Lounge and on Excursions.   But these are not normal times and I am not sure what to expect.  For example, there is no "Meet & Mingle".    I know the spacing in the Restaurants and Lounges will be larger making striking up a conversations more challenging.  I expect more folks than normal will be spending more time on their verandas and less time in the Explorer Lounge.  So like so many things on this cruise, it is difficult to know exactly what to expect.    I do know that whatever happens, it will be great to get back on a cruise ship with outstanding food and service and to enjoy the spectular scenery Iceland provides.  

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

Kent, I am confused.  Are you saying for the Bermuda or Iceland cruises we need to do a Covid test BEFORE we leave home?  Viking will test us before boarding and, in the case of Iceland, that country will test us at the airport.  Or are you just thinking of getting yourselves tested at home to make sure you don't test positive.

For Iceland, a test is not currently required before you leave home.  That said, we plan to self quarantine at home 7 days before we leave for Iceland and to take a rapid home Covid test about 2 days before we leave.  These tests are only about 90% acurate but it will provide us some assurance that when we arrive in Iceland we won't fail the test at the aitport or at the ship.  These tests are less than $30 for a kit that contains two tests  at CVS.  We believe it is a wise expeniture before boading a plane and getting stuck in Iceland and missing the cruise because we test positive. In other words, it improves our odds of making it on the ship. 

This is a summary of what you can do if you change your mind:

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✓ Change Your Cruise Date Up To 14 Days Prior To Departure

✓ All Change Fees Are Waived

✓ The Ultimate Flexibility: You Have 24 Months to Select Your New Cruise Date

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Call a Viking Expert at 1-800-2-VIKING or see your Travel Advisor.

Offer Expires May 31, 2021.

Basically if you change your mind 14 days prior to the cruise, you get a cruise credit for the full amount you spent and 24 months to use it.   

From today’s REYKJAVIK GRAPEVINE:

10 Tourists Detained At Keflavík Airport

On Saturday, 10 people arriving at Keflavík Airport were stopped from entering the country. Due to a new regulation by the Minister of Justice, unnecessary travel from and to specified danger areas is banned from the April 27th and valid until the end of May. The people arriving did not meet the conditions for entering the country, as they arrived from Spain.

Sigurgeir Ómar Sigmundsson, chief police officer at Keflavík, stated in an interview with RÚV, “We have ten people in our custody who are not allowed to come into the country on the basis of a regulation by the Minister of Justice. These people are not vaccinated and their trip is considered unnecessary. They don’t have residency or family ties here. They are tourists.”

Foreigners coming from or having stayed in an area where the 14-day incidence infection rate exceeds 700 per 100,000 population for more than 24 hours in the last 14 days, or when sufficient information from an area is not available, are not allowed to enter the country.

Spain has just been put on the danger list last Friday. The ban applies to all foreigners, both EEA and EFTA citizens, as well as all third-country nationals. Exceptions are given in the new regulation and do not apply to those with permanent residency and those vaccinated.

When asked what will await the 10 people from Spain, Sigurgeir answered, ”The National Commissioner of Police’s support department will take care of the transport and they will probably be sent back with the next machine.”

He mentioned further that those people have apparently not reacted well to the news.

A fun article about what it is like working on a cruise ship:  https://www.insider.com/interesting-fun-things-about-working-on-a-cruise-ship-2021-5

1 hour ago, jtwind said:

Ok.  So, with the possibility of having to quarantine for up to 24 hrs, plus the off chance of flight delays, how far in advance are y'all planning on arriving in Iceland?  48 hours?

 

And please, please.  I hope no one here is planning on ducking the quarantine rules and potentially ruining things for everyone else.

The fine for violating Quarantine in Iceland is currently 50,000 - 250,000 ISK (approximately 400 - 2,000 USD) depending on gravity of the offense.   Hopefully everyone will show enough patience and respect for the Icelandic population to fully comply with their Covid policy.

In answer to your question we plan to arrive about 30 hours before we plan to board the ship for our cruise and are fully prepared to spend the first 24 hours in quarantine if neccesary.   Since we are arriving at about before 8 am, we are in hopes we can get our results back by 8 pm so that we can go out for a nice dinner and a walk.   If not, we will eat dinner in our room and go for the walk the next morning.  To reduce the risk of a surprise positive test on arrival, our current plan is to self quarantine seven days prior to our departure for Iceland and get tested about a couple of days before our departure. 

jtwind - glad to see you are reading the information that is available on Iceland's Covid travel rules.  I believe they are doing a great job on managing the pandemic based on the number of cases that they have had.   Of course, there is a possiblity that if you travel there you could end up with Covid and have to quarantine there.   Quite frankly, I beieve that your odds of getting Covid are much higher in the US where if you got Covid you would also have to quarantine.  We each have to go through life deciding what risks we are willing to take.  This process is different for each of us.   I am very comfortable with taking a trip to Iceland at this time.   You may not be. Neither of us are right and neither of us are wrong.    I still wear a mask when I am out and about.   I have friends that threw away their masks after they got their shots.  They hopefully have looked at all the risks and are doing things that they are comfortable with and so am I.  That said, I do have a travel policy that will cover my stay in Iceland should I get Covid.   If that happens, it will spoil a potentially wonderful trip, living in a hotel room in quarantine until I recover.  This risk is more than balanced for me by the opportunity to spend a potentially wonderful vacation seeing a specticularly beautiful country.   Life and how much we each get out of it is a result of the choices we make.

The only thing that they say on their website is that if someone in your party tests positive, they will have to quarantine with you. They do not state clearly what your party means.   In the flights that have arrived during the past few months while a few folks have tested positive they have never quarantined the whole plane.   

If someone in the grocery store you visit tests positive for Covid do you think the whole store and all their customers should quarantine?

10 hours ago, Cruiser1854 said:

Where did you access Viking Chat?  Can’t seem to find it.

Thanks.

When you sign into MVJ a little red "Live Chat" box appears on the right.  Clink on it and chat away.

7 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Over on that other social website where faces are often buried in books 😉, someone mentioned that MVJ chat was able to book an included tour for one of the ports where no excursion was listed. 
 

I just got finished with a chat and while the initial response was “we are aware and are working to resolve-check back on MVJ in a few days”, after I stated that another guest was able to book, I was told, “technically we aren’t supposed to do this but let me see what I can do” 🤪

 

It appears they do not have access to an included tour for Akureyri but there is an 1.5 hour walking tour of Seydisfjördur and we are now reserved on it. 
 

The rep also was able to tie our two bookings together which he said should make it easier for me to book alternative dining next week for the three of us. 

Clay, thanks for this tip.  We were able to book the "Seydisfjordur on Foot" tour through Viking Chat.  The Viking representive was very helpful.

6 minutes ago, EJLobster said:

I haven't looked into the geography yet-  would it be possible to see the volocano- ? certainly not an included option- close enough to port/airport to see either before or after??

You can see the volocano live stream here - https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2021/04/08/webcam_destroyed_by_stream_of_lava/

I have been watching it for a couple of weeks.

I should have also mentioned in my previous post that the Explorer Lounge is basically a Lounge for conversation and viewing - no loud music. Vikings only spot that can get a little and I stress little noisy is Torshavn which is on Deck 2.   Viking passengers are not a very rowdy group.

11 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Clay, I hear ya.

 

Day 4 -- Panoramic Akureyri listed on the website but does not appear on MVJ

Day 5 -- no included tour listed on the website or MVJ

 

I agree with what you are seeing. Two ports do show no included tour for that day. It is possible that they are still negotiating and these will appear later but that is just thinking out-loud.

 

Can only suggest a note to TellUs.

 

Other things to note re shorex. Someone was told and then shared here on CC that when the shorex opened that 1) Viking would notify us and that 2) booking would still be by cabin category. Neither of these two bits of information turned out to be true. Therefore, just to be clear:

 

Shorex booking for those of us whose "booking opens" date has already passed was first come, first served.

I believe that there is one more Included Tour to be posted (probably in Akureyri since one was shown there on the Viking Website).   We currently have 5 listed and the Booking Website promised 6.  MVJ currently shows 1 in Reykjavik, 1 in Isafjordur, 1 in Djupivogur and 2 in Heimaey.  There are currently none shown for either Akureyri or Seydisfjordur.

We have stayed on the Deck 8 and loved it!  The upper deck of the Explorer Lounge is a short distance away and a great spot to relax with a cocktail.   Never had any noise problems from the Explorer Lounge below or the sports deck above at any time during our 15 day Viking Homelands cruise where we had our cabin on this deck.  

Have Shore Excursions been listed in MVJ for any of the Welcome Back Cruises yet?  Those of us on the Iceland's Natural Beauty Cruise have been hearing for several weeks that they should be available soon.  

The fact that Viking has added so many new cruises around Iceland may slow the release of the shore excursions as Viking will probably use these newly added cruises to improve their negotiated pricing and services with their local shore excursion providers.  That is probably not good news for those of us that are impateint to see what shore excursions are offered and the pricing.

I have booked a transfer to the airport from the ship on board before.  We always book ur own flights and on our last cruise we decided to book a transfer to the airport.   We went to guest services and arranged it.  It was no problem.