Viking Venus - What is the status of her build?

[MaynardsMom]

We've booked the Greek Odyssey for December 2021.  We're very grateful that NC opened their 65+ vaccination program to non-residents.  We live so close to Charlotte that we forget we're South Carolinians until it comes to something like this!!  We got our first vaccine February 1 and will get our second on March 2.  We're hoping that by December the world will start to right its self and we can go.  This year was supposed to be our BIG travel year celebrating 20 years of marriage and my 70th birthday but after staying home for 2020 and most of 2021, one cruise will seem big!

[OnTheJourney]

On 2/14/2021 at 8:06 AM, MaynardsMom said:

This year was supposed to be our BIG travel year celebrating 20 years of marriage

Yeah..same here... only '21, with the Chairman's Cruise followed immediately by the Iberian Explorer, was supposed to be a big trip for our 40th. Oh well...looking ahead to celebrating the 41st hopefully with some sort of trip. Wishing you luck with Greece - we're booked for "Cities of Antiquity" in '23. Things SHOULD be ok by then (?)

Edited February 16, 2021 by OnTheJourney

[Heidi13]

Viking Venus is now showing Norwegian Registry on her AIS, so we should be seeing a press release shortly that she has been handed over to the owners.

[Jim Avery]

Then they can get cracking on Neptune hopefully.🍸

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

Then they can get cracking on Neptune hopefully.🍸

 

Jim - could be as late as May/June/July before we receive notification the first blocks are going into the building dock. 

 

Hard to believe we have all booked and have a great roll call and they haven't even officially started building the ship.

[Peregrina651]

40 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Jim - could be as late as May/June/July before we receive notification the first blocks are going into the building dock. 

 

Hard to believe we have all booked and have a great roll call and they haven't even officially started building the ship.

 

That's how we booked out first VO in 2014 (to sail in 2016) -- with a cruise line that had yet to sail its first ocean-going itinerary and on a ship that had yet to be built.

[Mcobean]

5 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Jim - could be as late as May/June/July before we receive notification the first blocks are going into the building dock. 

 

Hard to believe we have all booked and have a great roll call and they haven't even officially started building the ship.

It will have that new ship smell

[What was that?]

14 minutes ago, Mcobean said:

It will have that new ship smell

Hold on - that's MY line!

[OnTheJourney]

On 3/11/2021 at 1:05 PM, Peregrina651 said:

That's how we booked out first VO in 2014 (to sail in 2016) -- with a cruise line that had yet to sail its first ocean-going itinerary and on a ship that had yet to be built.

Does seem sort of weird! Same here with having booked one of the Mississippi cruises in '23. Wonder if similar occurs in other phases of the travel industry, like possibly booking a room at a Disney hotel that is not yet built?  

[Jim Avery]

19 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Does seem sort of weird! Same here with having booked one of the Mississippi cruises in '23. Wonder if similar occurs in other phases of the travel industry, like possibly booking a room at a Disney hotel that is not yet built?  

It's a Florida condo developers dream too.  They are forever selling condos before the first shovel turns.  With Viking, have faith baby..😎

[Peregrina651]

19 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Does seem sort of weird! Same here with having booked one of the Mississippi cruises in '23. Wonder if similar occurs in other phases of the travel industry, like possibly booking a room at a Disney hotel that is not yet built?  

 

What other segment of the travel industry opens booking 2 to three years in advance?

[OnTheJourney]

6 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

What other segment of the travel industry opens booking 2 to three years in advance?

I don't know...maybe passenger flights to outer space and/or to other colonized off-earth locations at some point in the future (?) I guess I was speaking pretty much hyperbolically. 

[OnTheJourney]

6 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

With Viking, have faith baby..😎

I do have faith in them, but not necessarily as much in the mass of consumers anxious to get back out there, especially those who might think it's party time simply cause they've now had 2 doses of a vaccine. Much unexplored country yet in this "long strange trip", to quote the Grateful Dead, though they would never have imagined it being associated with a pandemic most likely. 

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

I don't know...maybe passenger flights to outer space and/or to other colonized off-earth locations at some point in the future (?) I guess I was speaking pretty much hyperbolically. 

 

And who knows, maybe it will be our grandchildren who will be rushing out to book those flights.

[OnTheJourney]

Yeah, really. A quick jaunt around the solar system. I'd be up for that, though would likely get sick as a dog on the way up and back down. It all looks too easy on "Star Trek"  🖖

[Mrs Miggins]

Apparently Venus is going to be offering round UK Scenic Cruises at the end of May and in June.  Viking have a large UK following so perhaps only for UK residents ?

[DGHOC]

We received this email from Viking this morning re the Chairman's Inaugural cruise on Venus.

 

I hope this letter finds you healthy and well and that your 2021 is off to a positive start. I am writing today to provide an update on our operations, and to keep you informed on the status of our Chairman's Cruise on board Viking Venus. 

In March 2020, when we suspended operations at the start of the pandemic, we did not expect that now, just over a year later, our operations would still be suspended.

But, there is hope on the horizon. We are optimistic about the accelerated distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world, and the UK Government has recently announced it will allow the resumption of domestic cruises beginning in May 2021. These developments will allow Viking to restart limited operations in May, beginning with several special sailings for UK residents along England's Scenic Shores. In fact, Viking Venus will sail these new UK domestic voyages, and will be the first ship in our fleet to host guests as we return to service.

While these recent developments are encouraging, local travel restrictions continue to make international journeys particularly complicated. As a result, we still need some time to confirm the details of our Chairman's Cruise. Rest assured that my invitation to sail together on Viking Venus still stands. We are working on options for an alternative, and equally special, voyage that will be confirmed when we are confident that we can travel with all our guests, regardless of their home country. Of course, when we do, we will provide you ample time to make arrangements and support you in your planning. 

Additionally, as you may be aware, we have recently announced new protocol enhancements to make Viking even safer. Developed in coordination with an international team of scientific and medical advisors, the Viking Health & Safety Programme is one of the most comprehensive COVID-19 prevention and mitigation programmes in the travel industry.

You can learn more at www.viking.com/health-safety.

I look forward to sharing more information about our Chairman's Cruise soon. In the meantime, please continue joining us on the award-winning Viking.TV, where for almost a year we have been hosting daily livestream video sessions with some of the world's most fascinating people. 

Thank you for your loyalty, understanding and support. We eagerly await the day we can travel together.

Sincerely yours, 

http://docs.vikingcruises.com/envogram/TH-Signature.jpg

Torstein Hagen
Chairman

[Medeba]

2 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Apparently Venus is going to be offering round UK Scenic Cruises at the end of May and in June.  Viking have a large UK following so perhaps only for UK residents ?

Yes, the cruises will only be open to UK residents.  The email I received this morning says there will be three 8 day roundtrip cruises from Portsmouth: two in May and one in June.  There was no information about ports of call but It does mention "curated shore excursions".  There was nothing about whether passengers will need to be vaccinated.  Awaiting further details.

[OnTheJourney]

6 hours ago, DGHOC said:

We received this email from Viking this morning

Yes....saw that. Encouraging that Mr. Hagen still wants to honor that Chairman's cruise idea. Be interesting to see what it turns out to be - and when. 

[philsuarez]

Surely vaccinations should be required?

[Medeba]

16 minutes ago, philsuarez said:

Surely vaccinations should be required?

Certainly hope so!

[CCWineLover]

58 minutes ago, philsuarez said:

Surely vaccinations should be required?

I happened to be called by Viking this morning regarding my email to them (asking them to show some leadership and publish a decision on vaccination requirements).

We spoke about the UK cruises.  I specifically asked the vaccination question and the Viking rep said that the decision still had not been made as to the requirements but would be shortly.  I suggested that Viking seemed to be testing the waters to see how receptive people in UK would be to sailing with limited restrictions.  Also learned the 3 cruises are first being offered to UK Past Guests only and then would be opened up to non-Viking customers in the UK.

Will be curious to see how many UK folks want to sail without vaccination requirements.  Perhaps Viking is curious as well.

[OnTheJourney]

18 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

the decision still had not been made as to the requirements

this apparent indecisiveness, to me, doesn't exactly inspire full confidence as to their being sure of how they want to handle things going forward. It'll sure be interesting. 

[Peregrina651]

29 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

this apparent indecisiveness, to me, doesn't exactly inspire full confidence as to their being sure of how they want to handle things going forward. It'll sure be interesting. 

 

Perhaps what we see as indecisiveness is actually deliberation and refusal to be rushed into a decision just to appease public opinion.

[kcpvwill]

11 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Perhaps what we see as indecisiveness is actually deliberation and refusal to be rushed into a decision just to appease public opinion.

Well said Peregrina, too many things are rushed without considering all the facts and implications.    Gathering information is not indecisiveness.