Viking Sky survivors

[OnTheJourney]

You mean with regards to the compensation cruise I assume...we're not sure what to do there. We like the idea of a riverboat cruise - the Eastern Europe one sounds good, and I also really like the Undiscovered China. There are lots of nice itineraries to choose from. 

[TexasTraveler54]

3 hours ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

 

Just what is this "Viking Sky Survivors Hotline"?   And how is it contacted? 

I called the number on the letter from Mr. Hagen.  

[TexasTraveler54]

On 6/17/2019 at 3:17 PM, ptkelley said:

Thank you.  Yes, I should have clarified, I do have that information.  I was mainly wondering about maximizing the full amount of the voucher if I booked a cruise that had a value less than the voucher.  I have now called three times and had 3 slightly different answers.  Perhaps booking a cruise of equal or greater value than the voucher is the way to go. Thank you so much for responding

I have gotten different answers as well.  So, we just decided to upgrade and 'shoot the whole wad'!  Doing one of the 10 day Mediterranean cruises with pre-cruise to Lake Como.

[OnTheJourney]

We haven't made any plans yet, but I was figuring also on just shooting the works....get the most expensive cabin that the voucher will accommodate - or add pre/post days, etc. "Use it or lose it" as the saying goes! 

 

Edited June 22, 2019 by gretschwhtfalcon

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, TexasTraveler54 said:

I called the number on the letter from Mr. Hagen.  

Ahh...ok....have to check that out again...for awhile we were getting so many mailings from Fed Ex that included various reimbursement checks...so when that letter came it just sort of got filed away for now. I recall reading it but didn't focus on contact info. Thanks...

[JDincalif]

On 6/22/2019 at 6:18 AM, gretschwhtfalcon said:

The real heroes, in my book, are the crew of the Sky, CHC helicopter pilots and officials that coordinated and conducted the rescue efforts, and all the volunteers, Red Cross, police, etc. whose attentiveness and graciousness in handling the 400+ people in such an emergency was beyond reproach. 

And let's also include among those heroes the crews of the Vivax and the Ocean Response, the emergency rescue vessels who came to our aid in that intense storm. These vessels and their courageous crews stayed with us throughout the night until they could attach lines to the Sky and guide us safely to Molde. 

[OnTheJourney]

Absolutely....I tend not to think of those vessels as much since we were among some of the first to get off the ship. I know in the AIS animation of the Viking's path there were several ships near us. 

[OnTheJourney]

3 hours ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Absolutely....I tend not to think of those vessels as much since we were among some of the first to get off the ship. I know in the AIS animation of the Viking's path there were several ships near us. 

 

Actually, JD,  I'm not familiar with the Vivax. Was that one of the tugboats?   3 months ago today.....

[JDincalif]

3 hours ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

 

Actually, JD,  I'm not familiar with the Vivax. Was that one of the tugboats?   3 months ago today.....

 

Yes, this tug was with us through the crisis, and also had guided us into port in Alta previously.  Here's a link to a press release describing its role on that fateful day.  The video shows the Vivax, the relatively small but powerful blue tug that stayed with us all those hours, ultimately connecting to our ship and guiding us safely to shore.

https://ostensjo.no/escorting-viking-sky-to-safety/

We wrote to the crews and owners of both the Vivax and the Ocean Response expressing our thanks and gratitude. Their responses acknowledged the unusual circumstances and challenges of this operation, and also, as one of the officers wrote, "Nice to hear when people know what tugs can do, even if the vessel is small in size 😉." Small but mighty, indeed!

 

Edited June 24, 2019 by JDincalif

[OnTheJourney]

JD....interesting...thanks!  I was familiar with the Ocean Response, but not the Vivax. Those who routinely ply the waters around Norway are so used to adverse conditions, but, still, to place themselves in harm's way for so many hours....can't say enough about those crews. You folks who stayed on the ship had a very different, but certainly equally interesting, experience than we did. Lucky to be here...all of us. I think it very possible that there may not have been much of a ship to rescue had we gone into the rocky lee shore. 

Edited June 24, 2019 by gretschwhtfalcon

[Haworth]

1 hour ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

JD....interesting...thanks!  I was familiar with the Ocean Response, but not the Vivax. Those who routinely ply the waters around Norway are so used to adverse conditions, but, still, to place themselves in harm's way for so many hours....can't say enough about those crews. You folks who stayed on the ship had a very different, but certainly equally interesting, experience than we did. Lucky to be here...all of us. I think it very possible that there may not have been much of a ship to rescue had we gone into the rocky lee shore. 

We stayed on the ship, I said to my wife that assuming we don’t get lifted off by helicopter then we have to hope and prey that we stay afloat, we would not have survived in the water more than 3 or 4/minutes and I doubt they could have launched the lifeboats.

 

But, we all survived to sail another day

 

Also, may I add great idea to thank the tug crews, I am embarrassed to admit it did not occur to us.

[Windymiller]

Ive made a FB group for chit chat and support, please join its called Viking Sky Cruise Survivors Northern Lights March 2019 

trying to find passengers and crew 

[JDincalif]

21 minutes ago, Windymiller said:

Ive made a FB group for chit chat and support, please join its called Viking Sky Cruise Survivors Northern Lights March 2019 

trying to find passengers and crew 

 

Thanks for the invitation; however, we're among the very few remaining earthlings not on Facebook. 😄

[OnTheJourney]

LOL....sheepishly I have to admit the same!  Often thought about it but just never signed on yet. Windymiller...this is a WONDERFUL idea. Please let me know the address and I'll have to check it out. Might be time to join up. 

[Haworth]

8 hours ago, JDincalif said:

 

Thanks for the invitation; however, we're among the very few remaining earthlings not on Facebook. 😄

Plus one and no intention of having anything to do with that organisation.

[Windymiller]

Im not allowed to post a link on here but if if you search the title i posted you will find it, there  is a pic of the northern lights that i took as the cover photo 

[OnTheJourney]

23 hours ago, Haworth said:

Plus one and no intention of having anything to do with that organisation.

 

I understand the skepticism completely...I've never been a real big 'social media' type person, though there are so many local interests I have that all use FB sites, would probably be ok. Hate when those stories come up though about data breaches and personal info being compromised. 

[OnTheJourney]

22 hours ago, Windymiller said:

Im not allowed to post a link on here but if if you search the title i posted you will find it, there  is a pic of the northern lights that i took as the cover photo 

 

Not sure I can even do a FB search though as a non-member....always requests that I either log in or sign up whenever I try to view photos or other info on various FB sites - sort of get tired of always clicking the "not now" box!

[Snowsranch]

We have been following this thread and talked with Viking today about the chairman's invitation to take the Viking Venus on its maiden voyage. We were told (someone told someone) by Viking that it looks like the survivors will be invited to take the Viking Venus from Venice where it is being built, to Barcelona, pick up the paying passengers in Barcelona, with a final destination of London. If that's how it shakes out, sounds fantastic. However, things still seem fluid, so we have our fingers crossed. We understand invitations are tentatively scheduled to be sent out in the next couple of weeks. Travel dates for this trip are approximately mid-January to Feb. 2, 2021 when the Venus then starts on its "In search of Northern Lights" cruises, for those interested in completing our interrupted cruise.

[Haworth]

8 hours ago, Snowsranch said:

We have been following this thread and talked with Viking today about the chairman's invitation to take the Viking Venus on its maiden voyage. We were told (someone told someone) by Viking that it looks like the survivors will be invited to take the Viking Venus from Venice where it is being built, to Barcelona, pick up the paying passengers in Barcelona, with a final destination of London. If that's how it shakes out, sounds fantastic. However, things still seem fluid, so we have our fingers crossed. We understand invitations are tentatively scheduled to be sent out in the next couple of weeks. Travel dates for this trip are approximately mid-January to Feb. 2, 2021 when the Venus then starts on its "In search of Northern Lights" cruises, for those interested in completing our interrupted cruise.

Thanks for the update, for us the most important part of the cruise was "seeing the lights" and we were well treated in that respect, I like Stavanger as a port and had planned to visit the oil and gas museum, don't feel the need to repeat the cruise to do that so we will disembark and allow others the chance to enjoy the 12 days we enjoyed.

[Symmes99]

I don’t see how we’d be on the Barcelona-to-London leg. Viking is already selling cabins on its website for that journey. Someone (not a Viking Sky survivor) may have already booked that cabin.  

[DGHOC]

There seem to be mixed messages coming through that differ in the US to the UK office. As far as I understood my conversation with London, the Chairman's invite cruise will be from somewhere in Italy to Barcelona where the ship then starts its first paid passenger cruise to London. Therefore mid Jan for about a week ending in Barcelona.

 

I have stuff in the diary for early 21, hope concrete info will be confirmed quickly now.

[Symmes99]

I'd be very happy with a Venice-to-Barcelona cruise! There are a lot of great ports along the way. 

[OnTheJourney]

19 hours ago, Snowsranch said:

We have been following this thread and talked with Viking today about the chairman's invitation to take the Viking Venus on its maiden voyage. We were told (someone told someone) by Viking that it looks like the survivors will be invited to take the Viking Venus from Venice where it is being built, to Barcelona, pick up the paying passengers in Barcelona, with a final destination of London. If that's how it shakes out, sounds fantastic. However, things still seem fluid, so we have our fingers crossed. We understand invitations are tentatively scheduled to be sent out in the next couple of weeks. Travel dates for this trip are approximately mid-January to Feb. 2, 2021 when the Venus then starts on its "In search of Northern Lights" cruises, for those interested in completing our interrupted cruise.

Hmmm....that does indeed sound interesting. Often these maiden voyages, from other cruisers I've talked to, are only 7 days - but sounds like the itinerary you mention would likely be longer. What they told you sounds like the way it might go. It makes sense, .being that you'll have the 'reserved' part of the trip for Sky guests (be interesting to see how many) and then the true "maiden voyage" continuing on from Barcelona - the part that is already open to the public. Only problem, of course, is wouldn't there be conflicting room reservations (as in not enough rooms) on the Barcelona-to-London cruise if most of the Sky guests stay on? Idle speculation...will wait for Viking to announce it. 

 

Edited July 16, 2019 by gretschwhtfalcon

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Symmes99 said:

I'd be very happy with a Venice-to-Barcelona cruise! There are a lot of great ports along the way. 

 

I'm sure...but probably only 7 days. I've always preferred not to fly to Europe for any trip less than 2 weeks.