miller1327

Sorry, we are WEST - big difference. Still on track to scheduled arrival in Auckland Wednesday morning. 

Estimating from the tracker, we are around 50 miles out to the East and approaching the perpendicular to Auckland as we continue Northwest. Nearly direct tailwind and seas maybe 15 feet. Overall, still a pretty comfortable ride. About to go to the theater to watch the Super Bowl. 

Not at all now. Just entering Wellington after a very smooth night. 

On the Orion in Christchurch today and heading north toward Auckland. The Captain just announced he plan. We will stop in Wellington as scheduled tomorrow. Napier and Tauranga are cancelled and we will now go up the west side of the country instead of East. At this point, he is suggesting arrival in Auckland, going behind the storm, on schedule on the 15th to leave the ship on the 16th. Of course all subject to change. 

Thank you! 

The long-range weather forecast for our cruise looks like we'll see some rainy days. Are the Viking Ocean cabins equipped with umbrellas or do we need to bring our own? 

The long-range weather forecast for our cruise looks like we'll see some rainy days. Are the Viking Ocean cabins equipped with umbrellas or do we need to bring our own? 

Sounds like our North Sea crossing a few years back. We'll be prepared. 

On the Viking Orion in 3 weeks. Feb 23. 

We'll be crossing from AUS to NZ in February. What should we expect? 

Don't have contact information but, though my wife was approved immediately, mine took 3 or 4 days to be approved. So, you may be fine. 

Thank you for all the information on this "adventure." Very sorry you had to miss all those ports. As we are taking the same itinerary a month out, we appreciate your "sacrifice" to give us a clean hull - at least for a little while. I do have two questions if someone on board might answer. What is the current Viking COVID testing protocol and how has COVID been on the trip? And my wife wants to ask how the ride was crossing the Tasmanian sea? 

48 minutes ago, Jimmcdaniel said:

Jim here..still on the Jupiter. My wife made an appointment to speak with the ship’s General Manager this morning to get clarification. Here is what we understand:

* The policy is an Iceland policy not a Viking policy.

* The policy applies to tours on buses not tenders or boat tours

* The policy also applies to tours not related to cruise ships (we are doing some private touring after the cruise so this was important to us).

* The policy is that if a guest on a tour bus tests positive everyone on the bus is deemed have been in contact with that person and must be quarantined. 
* For quarantined cruise passengers you have two options:

     1) Stay on the ship in quarantine. At the end of the cruise, if you test negative ,  you are free to go and do what ever you want. 

     2) Leave the ship. In this case you have to leave the country immediately if you test negative. 
* The GM stated that it has been their experience that in almost all the cases so far these breakthrough infections are detected by day 3 or 4 (Thursday or Friday in our case) and no one who was exposed subsequently tested positive. 

We were contemplating canceling all our remaining shore excursions. After speaking to the GM we will probably keep the excursions we have because they involve little if any bus travel. Today we do a walking tour from the pier. We are also comforted by the fact that if we do get nailed, if we stay on board and “do our time” we will be free to continue our holiday after the ship docks (assuming clean tests). 
 

it seems that by testing everyone everyday Viking is exposing its passengers to a higher than “normal” chance of being caught up in the Icelandic “bus policy”. I wonder if passengers on the other lines that are cruising here now (Ponant, NG Lindblad, Silversea, etc) are exposed to this as much. I don’t know if those other lines are doing this daily testing like Viking. 
 

Thank you for the clarity. Since it is only a bus policy, for the negative tests who might remain on board does that restriction mean quarantined to the stateroom or can you move around the ship?