JDincalif

17 hours ago, DGHOC said:

I'm so sorry to read this SJD, what a horrible worry for you. I really hope they'll be able to get you sorted really quickly so you can get back and enjoy your next Viking cruise..

 

All good wishes to you.

+1 SJD - hoping that you'll feel supported and sustained by the good wishes of all of us here

On 6/2/2022 at 5:47 PM, AnyWayIsGood said:

I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a high correlation between those Viking pax who accept and approve of the testing protocol and those who also have been longtime Viking customers and thus have that strong sense of loyalty

Our single previous Viking cruise was the March 2019 Sky voyage. Our acceptance and approval of the testing protocol is based on our own assessments of information and personal risk.

* There's that humorous saying: "The risk that I took was calculated, but man am I bad at math"😉

24 minutes ago, lovestx said:

If we knew they would only need to quarantine for 5 of their 14 days if they test positive on board, that would be great.

Based on our recent experience, a positive test in an asymptomatic patient led to five days isolation, followed by return to original stateroom with masking and distancing in public spaces. Uncertain whether positive test in a symptomatic case is handled differently.

Hoping that your son and DIL finally have a delightful cruise honeymoon! 

21 minutes ago, millybess said:

I agree with that, but that was not the point of PasadenaDave's comment.

Response was directed to 

11 hours ago, millybess said:

That test is not proctored and could belong to anybody.

10 hours ago, millybess said:

That test is not proctored and could belong to anybody.

Honorable people honor the honor system. 

6 hours ago, AnyWayIsGood said:

All true, but, can you imagine what would happen to the travel industry if every cruise ship, resort, land tour company, hotel, etc. were to test people on a daily basis?

We'd never want to see the entire travel industry apply Viking's stringent protocols - just that the option remains available to like-minded travelers. 

On 6/1/2022 at 12:40 AM, Jim Avery said:

Such a fun way to spend many thousands.  And how many are actually sick??  Treat the sick.  Stop harassing the well.

For many the issue isn't daily testing - it's the insidious and rapidly transmissible nature of this particular illness and its unpredictable effects on any individual. Testing denial is simply the equivalent of sticking one's head in the sand and pretending there's no risk at all. The sick often don't know they're sick until tested, by which time they've potentially spread illness to others. One can move surprisingly easily from well to seriously ill without seeing it coming. 

3 hours ago, DGHOC said:

Are you back in the US now or are you still on the ship? How was your gifted cruise continuation?

Those five bonus days on the Mars were a delight, shared with each other at last. Malaga was lovely. Viking arranged for us to leave the ship today in Porto, even though they couldn't get us flights home today, but they arranged transportation to a hotel overnight, again at no charge to us. We'll fly home tomorrow morning.

3 hours ago, DGHOC said:

We've both developed Covid now. We feel sure it was the flight home.

We are so sorry to hear that you and C have contracted this aggressive bug. We're keeping fingers crossed that your course will be mild and brief ♥️

8 minutes ago, Haworth said:

We spent about an hour talking to Karine as we left Majorca, she was wandering outside with the dogs and stopped to chat

Spending time with the dogs! - J is green with envy. Karine was probably pretty nice, too, of course 🤭

Nap preference represents neither a character defect nor a moral issue. 

Fun to discuss, ridiculous to challenge or debate.

💤🤭

3 hours ago, AnyWayIsGood said:

I presume a negatively-testing partner is not allowed off the ship at any time?

Partner testing negative can roam the ship unmasked, dine in restaurants, drink in lounges, go to entertainments, participate in shore excursions or explore independently ashore - in short, to have the full *normal* cruise experience.

2 hours ago, AnyWayIsGood said:

I am SO sorry to hear about this...knowing how much you were looking forward to the trip. I alluded to this whole PCR thing in my reply on the roll call thread. This is why I think Viking really needs to address and hopefully revise this practice. Torstein referred, somewhat jokingly, to "drawing the lucky number" (relative to positive test results) during his presentation and seemed to suggest an indefinite continuation of the PCR protocol.

Thank you for your compassion and sympathy. We hope that you enjoyed the Chairman's voyage and that you're now celebrating your daughter's graduation.

However...

Let it be known that Viking has extended to us extraordinary care and accomodations that ultimately made this voyage perhaps even more enjoyable than we'd anticipated.  *Hint: we are currently guests on the maiden/third/whatever-it's-called voyage, happily enjoying the full Viking onboard experience and exploring southern Spain for another couple of days. Valencia was magnificent!

Opinions about the Viking daily testing are all over the place and attempting to sway these opinions is pointless. Here's a summary of our opinions and our conclusions based on our actual experience. We're happy to answer questions but *not" to get into debate about the validity of our experience.

Daily PCR testing is "not* a meaningless exercise for those of us seeking to resume  travel while minimizing this particular risk, certainly to ourselves but also to others  Four vaccine doses, masking, distancing, following all recommended precautions did *not* prevent a healthy J from contracting Covid. Daily PCR testing *did* detect the presence of virus before symptoms emerged. Daily PCR testing *did* allow J to be isolated before virus could be passed along to beloved spouse D *or* to anyone else on the ship.  Guests who tested negative were free to choose either discontinuing or continuing mask use. Anecdotally, during J's five days in isolation, J would peek into the hall to count room service trays outside isolation rooms to estimate how many other guests were there; the number remained steady at about ten. It's impossible to say with absolute certainty that there would have been additional cases without early testing and isolation, but it's not unreasonable to think so.

Much as with the 2019 Viking Sky emergency, the experience we had was very different from the experience we'd anticipated. Yet both were more memorable - in all ways - than we could have imagined.

Chef's Table has always addressed our dietary restrictions with suitable alternative selections. It does help to discuss your needs and preferences with them ahead of time to help ensure the most enjoyable experience.

14 hours ago, deec said:

  I am a bit vague about negative "contacts" while we were using trackers.  Things may be different now

A little more live from the Viking Mars: No trackers are being used so contacts are more difficult to identify. When we were completing a shore excursion, the guide came to each guest on the bus to confirm names and obtain room numbers. It turned out that morning testing results of one of the guests on the tour came back potentially positive, and the information was requested by Viking to notify contacts if necessary.

On 5/25/2022 at 4:04 AM, Lets Go Hawks said:

So on VO, once the cruise has begun, what happens if only one of the couple in the stateroom tests positive for Covid? Is the positive person required to move or are you given the option to quarantine in your booked room.  If allowed to remain together, is the other person allowed to come and go as normal? 

 

Is the positive person required to move to quarantine in a comparable (or random available) stateroom? How do they monitor a

Reporting from quarantine on the current Chairman's Cruise:

* Positive person is required to move to "isolation ward"  - may *not* remain in assigned stateroom

* Isolation rooms all appear to be on Deck 3; all appear to be V1 

* Negative person *not* given option to remain with positive partner; negative person has free access to ship with mask and distancing

* Positive person has no room key; may open and stand in doorway to receive provisions and medical check - not sure what would happen if door slams behind you...not gonna test it ..

2 hours ago, kcpvwill said:

JD, so sorry to hear your news.  After looking forward to the invitational cruise for such a long time this really is awful for you.  I hope that J is not too unwell and is coping with quarantine well.  

 

Thanks for your kind words. While this isn't quite the trip we expected, we're glad we came. J is having only mild cold symptoms, receiving excellent attentive care and service from Viking crew. There are fewer nicer places to isolate than a Viking stateroom!

We'd love to be able to provide live updates. The first full day included Karine Hagen's tribute to the remarkable Viking Sky crew in 2019 and to the crews that kept the ships in good condition during pandemic pause. Later that day Torstein Hagen provided  a recap of the past two years and the vision of Viking's 'path' going forward.

But after four vaccinations, multiple precautions, negative pre-flight and embarkation PCR tests, the day after embarkation J had an inconclusive PCR result that on retesting was negative. The next day J's test was once again initially inconclusive but positive on retesting. Protocol calls for 5 day isolation on deck 3 (which takes us to disembarkation day). D has tested negative to date and has remained in our original stateroom. D is allowed to move freely about the ship but has been requested by ship MD to mask and distance in public areas.

So we do hope that others will bring you additional news from this cruise.

It's a go and there's much excitement! Thanks for your kind wishes.

SAT MAY 21, 2022 Embark in Rome (Civitavecchia)

SUN MAY 22, 2022 Palermo, Sicily, Italy MON MAY 23, 2022 Sicily (Syracuse), Italy TUE MAY 24, 2022 Valletta, Malta WED MAY 25, 2022 Sail the Mediterranean Sea THU MAY 26, 2022 Sardinia (Cagliari), Italy FRI MAY 27, 2022 Menorca Island (Mahon), Spain

SAT MAY 28, 2022 Disembark in Barcelona

J of JD always travels with a champagne bottle stopper, but has learned recently that one may actually be available in the stateroom...will investigate and confirm...

Had the same issue earlier today on our Android devices; now resolved...

...and now not...

We haven't noticed this issue on our Android devices. 

7 hours ago, johneb2 said:

A number of us are scheduled to sail on the Chairman’s cruise right before your cruise.  We have received all our info

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

On 4/5/2022 at 8:22 AM, MAVIP said:

Another very good product is made by Susan Fosse. I only know her own shop in Bergen (in Bryggen). https://susanfosse.com/   

Hi MAVIP - didn't see your response before posting. Pleased to see another who appreciates Susan Fosse 

Highly recommend Susan Fosse knitwear, a small local business located in historic Bryggen. Unique designs and excellent quality. Susan also has a selection of Nordic-inspired cotton sweaters for those of us who live in warmer climates, as well as a nice selection of scarves, hats, gloves and other accessories.

www.susanfosse.com