shadowlover

If viking gives everyone a covid test upon boarding is it really necessary to have a copy of a negative result done prior to coming to the ship?    Does viking ask for these results?  I really rather not pay hundreds of dollars to have a test done in another country if it is not even looked at.

4 minutes ago, ClevelandKid said:

Tell you what I found and how I got around it.  I am looking at the MVJ on my home computer and I generally do not have my web browser set at max.  When that happens, the menu extends below the bottom of the page and you can't scroll to it.  Maximize your browser and see if you can then scroll down.

 

Viking - I know you monitor these pages.  The design flaw we have been talking about should be fixed.  Every menu item translates to a box on the webpage except the booking.  You should a tab to either payments and cart or guest information. 

Thank you!!!!

I can't seem to find the booking summary anymore.  I tried the menu and it is not listed...

Called viking air yesterday to inquire about a flight that showed up on my app for United.  Our trip isn't until November!  The dates of travel were not what we wanted as we hope to travel a week early so I got a little nervous that it had already been ticketed.  The agent on the phone was polite and extremely helpful.  He secured the flights and dates we asked for and it showed up immediately in my app.  We aren't ticketed yet but that is for our benefit in case we need to make some changes.  Had no idea we could reserve flights and seats this far in advance during covid times.  So far I continue to be impressed with viking customer service.

We did the Athens extension before cruising.  The included tours from viking were all day with some long bus travel.  I am not sure exactly what you are asking... Are you hoping to do additional activities on the same days as the viking tours?  We did a tour on our own the "free day" that was provided.  We went to see meteora by train and it was fantastic!  I can pick my husbands brain about the times of the included tours if you have more specific info you need.  His memory is a lot better and he kept a journal.

19 hours ago, JeriGail said:

We just did the opposite - Barcelona to San Juan in December.  I was surprised how warm it was outside - 70's and 80's.  Check the average temps for March for San Juan and Madeira.  You'll start at the San Juan temperature and gradually change to Madeira.  I expected the Atlantic in December to be cool, but it wasn't.   Barcelona was the coolest location - 50's.

I would love to hear more about this cruise- we are on the same leaving this December!  Did you write a review or take any notes?

they have a risk free guarantee... not sure what you're asking?

https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/risk-free-guarantee.html

On 9/13/2021 at 10:43 AM, duquephart said:

Probably should experience Pearl Harbor but Honolulu might be the biggest tourist trap on the planet.

I lived on oahu for three years and I love Honolulu.  It's a very clean city with fabulous restaurants and some good shopping.  Even Waikiki, which is quite touristy, is a beautiful place and so fun to visit.  All of the islands are easy to get around on your own and with plenty to see.  My favorite cruise of all time was one that went to all of the islands.

I booked a guaranteed cabin and received the assigned cabin maybe two days later.  The viking rep said I would most likely get an upgrade.  Instead I got a cabin in the category chosen but not with the ability to actually choose said cabin.    I ended up cancelling the trip.  It is just not the time to cruise yet.  I'm hoping things settle down by next year.

18 hours ago, jtwind said:

Yeah.  Just ignore the studies that say the PCR test will show 100% false negative within the first 48 hours of exposure, and that it can take up to 10-14 days to become positive.  This is why Bermuda wants to quarantine him.  Viking is nuts for thinking that this one test will clear him.  Best of luck, though.

  We are talking about vaccinated people being tested.  Statistically when you mass test a low risk population you will get more false positives.  It is my guess (as well as everyone there by the looks of it) that the positive test was likely a false positive.  But- even if it wasn't a false positive, the risk of a vaccinated person wearing a mask actually contracting covid from this positive person (who was also vaccinated and wearing a mask) is extremely low.

5 hours ago, MRGACRUZR said:

It's good you're comfortable with that but, it's only half the story. There's no evidence that they don't pose a risk. This is all so new.  If there was scientific proof that vaccinated people posed no risk, masks and social distancing would be a thing of the past on a ship half full of completely vaccinated people.

 

I'm here and I purchased a very well advertised and articulated product from Viking. I did not expect to open my Viking box and find a different product. Captain just announced removal of Covid positive passenger.

It's honestly not about being comfortable.  I want to follow the science.  I want to follow the cdc guidelines.  At some point we need to move on and live amongst viruses or just say no to any cruises.  I believe there is some consensus that vaccinated persons who contract covid 19 become less ill and are less likely to transmit - especially to other vaccinated persons.  I thought the whole point in having a cruise with 100 percent vaccinated would be to alleviate some of this constant testing and quarantining.  In the US the cdc guidelines do not have us testing asymptomatic patients and do not recommend quarantining if exposed to someone who is covid positive if you are fully vaccinated.    You only need to test if you have symptoms.  I realize the cruise lines have more stringent guidelines.  This is why I have chosen not to cruise at this time- not because I fear getting sick (I have been vaccinated since January) but because I fear getting unnecessarily tested and or quarantined.

9 hours ago, EJLobster said:

Not to stir the pot, (hah!)  but.....Steve on that other board says he was in a 4 passenger minivan with a woman who tested positive-  so all 4 have to leave the ship, go to a hotel, and enter a 14 day quarantine. 

He's hoping to be all done with this 6 days before his Iceland trip.

 

Although we tested negative, we were in a 4 person minivan for 4 hours today and one tested positive. She is feeling fine — she is asymptomatic. Our contact tracing devices showed that she was not in close contact with anyone else today. Only we 4 had to leave.

Viking treated us very graciously, but the Bermuda government (not Viking) requires us to stay in a hotel in total isolation for a minimum of 14 days. On day 15 if the test is negative, we can fly home the next day making it 16 days really.

It was one of our best cruises ever until this happened. I am a very very active person. I am honestly quite worried that I may go seriously stir crazy.

This means we will probably leave for our Iceland cruise 6 days after we get home.

As we knew in advance, we are required to pay for the hotel, tip and tax and for more PCR tests.

Costs don’t worry us. Isolation does.

Again Viking did exactly what the Bermuda government regulation required them to. We love Viking now just much as we always have.

P.S. We followed all mask protocols.

P.P.S. We 4 were all vaccinated with Pfizer months ago.

 

Hmmm.......

Testing asymptomatic low risk persons for covid will lead to more of this.  There is no science showing that a vaccinated person who is asymptomatic and then tests positive for covid 19  poses any risk of transmission.

Isn't viking requiring vaccination?  Calm down.  The risk of covid for fully vaccinated people is low.  If you are concerned then keep your masks on.  Masking along with vaccination will significantly reduce your risk.  I personally don't think there should be any limitation on group size if all are vaccinated.  The testing prior to going, upon arrival etc is overkill but should also hopefully make you feel "safer".  Keep in mind that daily testing of an asymptomatic low risk group (fully vaccinated) will lead to some possible false positives.  I would worry more about the unnecessary testing of asymptomatic passengers.  This will possibly lead to quarantine and interruption of port visitation.

I can see airfare listed for most of them.  It also says to call for promotion.  

16 minutes ago, What was that? said:

I could use some advice on insurance. I accidentally let the deadline for Viking's trip insurance slip by (also for the insurance offered by my TA), and am challenged to find reasonably priced health-focused insurance to cover our trip. Best so far is a $700 policy that has extraneous (to us) coverage, which is pushing 10% of trip cost. I also encountered much lower-priced insurance offerings which specifically exclude pandemic-related risks. Any suggestions?

Call Steve from the trip insurance store.  He is a wealth of information regarding insurance and will let you know options for what you specifically need.https://tripinsurancestore.com/

I have a cruise booked  with included viking air for December 2022 but our final payment is due the end of June 2021... Do I need to specify and pay for air plus as well as deviation before final payment?  Don't really want to give additional money to viking ahead of time if I don't have to but I also definitely want to have control over my flight and am also hoping to be able to deviate at that time.

We cruised in November and the weather was fantastic!  It is low season and not crowded.  Israel was still quite hot, I can't imagine how hot during summer.  We had rain and chilly weather in Italy but low crowds- even lower with rain.  Got to see so much on our own in Florence- we extended on our own.  We stayed at a farm bed and breakfast in Umbria and were the only guests.  They offered dinner in their restaurant and we dined alone!

4 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Posted another update today.  Three new Malta based cruises added:  one assigned to the Star, one representing back-to-back iterations of Malta & Adriatic Jewels with Malta & Greek Isles Discovery for the Sea; and the third for Venus' transit from Portsmouth to Valletta.  Cancellations (no longer on the VO schedule): Star's sailings of Eastern Seaboard Explorer, Canada & New England Scenic Shores, and the Oct sailing of Panama Canal & Central America.  Given the state of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand's borders  -- not sure what Orion will do after it finishes its sailings of Bermuda Escape in August. Based on what I learned today -- Canada's border remains closed to cruise ships thru Feb 2022; Australia is barring entry to all non-essential travel by non-citizens thru mid 2022; New Zealand is doing the same thru at least the end of 2021 (may follow whatever Australia does in order to preserve the "corridor" for travel between NZ and Australia). And what of the situation in South America esp Brazil? Frankly, I had expected I could stop having to track all these changes by the end of the year but.. I don't think so.  Sigh...😢

 

Posted in the usual place if you don't have a copy already (link in my signature). If you do, use the link on the Read Me tab to download a fresh copy.

Just curious where you read the information regarding Australia barring entry to non essential travel through mid 22?  We pulled out of a February cruise because I was afraid New Zealand would be very slow to open.  We have friends still booked however.  It's a lot of money to keep tied up with viking which is the main reason I pulled out.  I regret it at times.... Not sure how easy it will be in the coming years to jump back into a good deal cruising Australia and New Zealand.

13 hours ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

Pretty hard to misinterpret this:

 

“ID NOWAbbott Diagnostics Scarborough, Inc.-Uses isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology instead of PCR,”

 

ID Now is an isothermal test, of which there are several kinds.  These detect viral dna, like PCR.  But they are not PCR.  Abbott is very careful not to mention PCR in regards to ID Now in any of their communications.

 

But all this is likely moot for anyone flying into Bermuda on embarkation day.

maybe this helps?

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/media-resources/science-in-5/episode-14---covid-19---tests?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4v2EBhCtARIsACan3nx9hBLAEKVE9rzbfVR8p-eoUwByy0yflGyrEvUJbVsMSN11lu4hXzgaApz1EALw_wcB

Honestly I am just trying to help people get their test and travel.  Bermuda has said the test is accepted and I'm not sure why you keep arguing the NAAT technical stuff.  It is all semantics.    

20 hours ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

Unfortunately, ID Now is an isothermal NAAT test, not a PCR test.

 

This is from University of Texas:

 

http://sites.utexas.edu/melamed-lab/blog/covid-diagnositics/

 

 

 

Test Name	Manufacturer	Notes	Sensitivity	Specificity
ID NOW	Abbott Diagnostics Scarborough, Inc.	-Uses isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology instead of PCR, eliminating constraint of thermal cycling.  -Detects the RdRp gene -Detects positive results in 5 minutes, and negative results in 13.	100% (30/30)	100% (30/30)

THE ID NOW IS A PCR TEST!!!! YOU ARE MISINTERPRETING THIS ARTICLE.  CALL WALGREENS AND SPEAK TO A PHARMACIST.  How do I know?  Because it is NOT AN ANTIGEN TEST AND IT IS NOT AN ANTIBODY TEST.  THERE ARE NO OTHER TYPES!!!!! 

Here may be an option for travel to Bermuda- it is already in place for travel to Hawaii:  United and American offer this

Travelers originating from the mainland U.S. or Alaska and going to Hawaii can arrange a self-collected, mail-in COVID-19 test through United and ADL Health. This test is an RT-PCR test that satisfies the entry requirements for Hawaii.

 Mail-in testing 72 hours before travel

• Mail-in nasal swab administered by ADL Health
• If you've already booked a trip, visit the Travel-Ready Center to find more information about the test and order one
• Self-administered test that is observed through a video call to walk you through the process and answer any questions; travelers must take the test and mail it back 72 hours prior to travel
• Travelers will receive a digital copy of results 24-48 hours prior to travel. Please check your destination’s requirements for how to present your results for boarding, entry or bypassing quarantine. Most countries accept digital results, but we recommend printing a copy as backup.
• $119 per test (includes shipping)

Also- The walgreens IDNOW test is a PCR test that is accepted for Hawaii travel (you can call walgreens and speak to a pharmacist to confirm that this is indeed a pcr test). From what I see on Bermuda sight, the pcr is an accpepted test.  Walgreens test is free for most of us.  You fill out an application and if you qualify for testing you can then pick your site and the exact test that you want- this way you will see if your walgreens offers the IDNOW.

22 hours ago, Twitchly said:

 

 

Wonderful!

I would love to know:

- how you booked those private monastery tours in Meteora

 

- the name of the company you used in Israel and any details you care to provide (if you stayed in a hotel or on the ship, how you set things up if you traveled with a group, where you went each day, etc.)

 

- the name of the company that provided the Amalfi Coast tour, since that’s what we want to do when in Naples

 

What time of year did you go? We’re wondering what to expect in January/February …

https://www.guidedtoursisrael.com/     is the company we used in Israel and come very highly recommended.  We did a two day private tour with our friends and then did a group tour with other members of the viking cruise.  Try to post on your roll call to get others to join but you will find out that there is another group you can join.  they are the most popular and also most reasonable.  We did masada and the dead sea one day, stayed in an air bnb in Jerusalem and then did Bethlehem and Jerusalem the next day.  We went back to the ship and the third day we did Nazareth with a larger group but same company.

In meteora we used a lovely lady who's name is Konstantina Konsta and found her through https://beguidedingreece.com/en/home-page/

We did the amalfie coast through the fabulous Peppe Castiglione https://amalficoastdrivingdreams.it/everything-about-us/?fbclid=IwAR2vRgwDWu07ra-RmXXNf5S_noLQH136a-Xa4LaUMosZY29wdl3WJqxN6gE

I can private message Konstantina or Peppe on facebook if you have any other questions.  If you are on facebook you can also find them there.  We did our trip in November and had the most beautiful weather.

1 minute ago, shadowlover said:

We did the greece extension through viking and it is wonderful.  We took the train to meteora on our free day during that extension and booked. a private tour of the monasteries.  That was a true highlight!  The train was. a breeze and actually a lot of fun.  It was a long day but well worth it.  We did all private tours in Israel through a company I found here on cruise critic.  I will have to dig up my information.  The rest of the ports we mainly did the included tours and they were quite good.  We booked a private tour to see the amalfie coast.  I have the names of the tour guides if you would like them.  I honestly should have written a review- I love reading them!  It is truly a trip of a lifetime and viking provided transportation at every port to and from city center.  We were welcomed back with warm or cool wash cloths and drinks.  I can not wait to travel again!

It is called the 4 night classic Greece extension:   

ALL THIS IS INCLUDED IN YOUR FULLY ESCORTED PROGRAM:

• 4 hotel nights in Athens (as shown or similar)
• 6 meals: 4 breakfasts & 2 lunches
• 3 guided tours: Mycenae & Epidaurus; Delphi; Acropolis & Plaka District
• Fully escorted by your Viking Tour Director

2 hours ago, Twitchly said:

Good to know! Anything you’d like to share about ports and such will be most welcome. 
 

What did the Greece extension include? Right now we’re hoping to get up into the north and see Meteora. 

We did the greece extension through viking and it is wonderful.  We took the train to meteora on our free day during that extension and booked. a private tour of the monasteries.  That was a true highlight!  The train was. a breeze and actually a lot of fun.  It was a long day but well worth it.  We did all private tours in Israel through a company I found here on cruise critic.  I will have to dig up my information.  The rest of the ports we mainly did the included tours and they were quite good.  We booked a private tour to see the amalfie coast.  I have the names of the tour guides if you would like them.  I honestly should have written a review- I love reading them!  It is truly a trip of a lifetime and viking provided transportation at every port to and from city center.  We were welcomed back with warm or cool wash cloths and drinks.  I can not wait to travel again!

1 hour ago, Twitchly said:

We’re in a similar situation with Israel. The cruise is next January, but of course full payment is next month. And we’ve already bought the plane tickets, thus my question at the beginning of this thread. 

We did that cruise several years ago and it is an amazing cruise.  There was some unrest in Israel and the cruise behind us had to skip one of the ports.   Regardless, even IF you didn't get to see everything in Israel- the rest of the cruise is amazing.  Do the extension in Greece.  It is well worth the extra and was a highlight for me.  We extended in Italy on our own which was an adventure but loved that as well.