Viking post Covid-19

[JerryInIL]

Viking should be really nice to those that take and use the 125% voucher.  

[ClevelandKid]

6 hours ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

But on a high-density cruise, with shore excursions, pax (and crew) would have to be tested every day, and could be far out at sea, so much harder to do isolation if positives are found.  And to find a port willing to take the sick.

 

 

I am going to be more than a bit cynical here - the cruise industry is worth billions of dollars, with a strong lobbying capabilities in a lot of countries.  I am betting that some laws get changed that would allow cruise lines to do things like changing what you can sue them for, etc.  Shore excursions may change so you are required to stay with a group and are not allowed to mingle except with fellow passengers and the tour guide.  And for the quite foreseeable future, you will be required to sign a waiver acknowledging the risks.  I am 65, in good shape with few health concerns - I may take that risk.

We did the West Indies in February, and had a norovirus scare onboard.  Viking really turned the screws as to what you could do onboard (no self serve anywhere, no pool, and other restrictions).  Just some thoughts from someone who thinks companies have different priorities than us individual people do.

 

[Captain_Morgan]

Surprised nobody has mentioned that little issue of ports allowing ships to enter??  The cruise industry is no doubt chomping at the bit to get back up and running as sitting idle with no paying passengers means no revenue coming in, whereas the opposite is the backbone of the business model.  We're already seeing issues with ships carrying ill passengers having to cobble together a 'plan' just to get into port to disembark people so until the localized paranoia subsides I think its going to be a closed shop for a good while.

 

Even once countries do reopen, and some intrepid travelers decide their risk tolerance is acceptable, good luck trying to find an insurance provider who will cover you on that trip in the event you contract COVID-19.  Insurance companies are already notorious for ruling people out due to 'pre existing conditions' which seems to be a never ending movement of the goal posts so it would be a non-starter for them to rule out a collective group of people deemed more susceptible to contracting a respiratory illness. 

[Jim Avery]

Good point Captain Morgan.  Cruise ships will have a tainted reputation to correct.  I suspect more than a few ports will re open with contingencies.  Venice for instance.  Opeining up to 50,000 tons or less and only up to two at a time.  We shall see.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

On 4/2/2020 at 10:02 PM, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

And likely more time for ports to be accepting of ships full of cruisers coming ashore for shore excursions.

I mentioned that issue.

 

This is more than academic with me as we have our eye on a long circum-pacific cruise starting in January of 2022.  But my confidence level in it actually going is too low at the moment to make a deposit.  Hopefully they repeat it in 2023....

[Baron Barracuda]

A vaccine may be 1-2 years away but I'm hopeful a therapeutic emerges much quicker than that.  If they are able to develop something that reduces the severity of the disease, mostly eliminating respiratory distress and mortality risk travel may be able to resume sooner.  

[duquephart]

8 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

A vaccine may be 1-2 years away but I'm hopeful a therapeutic emerges much quicker than that.  If they are able to develop something that reduces the severity of the disease, mostly eliminating respiratory distress and mortality risk travel may be able to resume sooner.  

 

As pointed out elsewhere, ports and countries may not be as eager to "open things up" as cruisers are to resume cruising. I think we, realistically, need to be prepared for a longer haul.

[lackcreativity]

The extent to which the economy of a  port depends on revenue from tourism and cruising will likely have an impact on how anxious they will be for the return of visitors. I have no idea how long this will take, but I am looking forward to the day!

[Twitchly]

A vaccine may be 1-2 years away but I'm hopeful a therapeutic emerges much quicker than that.  If they are able to develop something that reduces the severity of the disease, mostly eliminating respiratory distress and mortality risk travel may be able to resume sooner.  

That’s my hope, too. Something that puts this bug on par with the flu — still unfortunate but more manageable.

[Captain_Morgan]

19 hours ago, lackcreativity said:

The extent to which the economy of a  port depends on revenue from tourism and cruising will likely have an impact on how anxious they will be for the return of visitors. I have no idea how long this will take, but I am looking forward to the day!

 

Interesting to think though, the ports do rely on the ships to visit for a source of revenue but they in themselves are a small piece of a larger puzzle within their specific country and as such can function just fine without cruise ships.  Cruise ships on the other hand rely more on the ports than the other way around due to the fact that without ports the ship just floats and is nothing more than a hotel at sea.  In the case of Viking where they have invested so much of their product on port stays, a lack of willing and open destinations will surely hurt them (and others) far more than the countries they visit in the short and long term.

[Baron Barracuda]

17 hours ago, Twitchly said:

 

That’s my hope, too. Something that puts this bug on par with the flu — still unfortunate but more manageable.

 

 

Once came down with bad case of flu on day 3 of a 14 night X cruise.  Ships doctor gave me Tamiflu, a Z-pack and a few rounds of something delivered through a  nebulizer.  Totally recovered in only 3 days.  That's what we need.

[Baron Barracuda]

On 4/4/2020 at 2:12 PM, duquephart said:

 

As pointed out elsewhere, ports and countries may not be as eager to "open things up" as cruisers are to resume cruising. I think we, realistically, need to be prepared for a longer haul.

 

Need to consider that Viking has 10x as many river boats as oceangoing ships and total passenger capacity for VR is double that of VO.  While VR has a presence in Asia and North Africa the majority  of their itineraries are in central Europe.  Getting the Rhine and Danube reopened  is key for Viking's recovery.  Even then much comes down to the willingness and ability of American tourists to travel to Europe.  For us, we have no intention of taking our Grand European sailing this July regardless of what medical developments emerge.

[InDaPast]

 

As I have no experience with Viking, I asked for opinions in my thread >>

 

 

about this Viking Statement which seemed straight forward & impressed me>>

 

https://viking.tv/index/story/a-message-from-our-chairman

 

Haven't gotten a response to that question. You folks seem to have been the ones to ask...what's your take on it?

 

The main thrust of my thread is actually what Jim said (focusing only on their handling of the refunds issue)>>

On 4/4/2020 at 6:13 AM, Jim Avery said:

Cruise ships will have a tainted reputation to correct

[Heidi13]

On 4/3/2020 at 4:41 PM, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

Heidi13,

 

Seeing as you were/are in the maritime business, and are honorary commodore of your “yacht”, have you heard any scenarios where cruising can come back sooner than what I outline above?

 

Ragnar D.

Ragnar,

 

The entire cruise industry is often tarred by the worst performers.

 

While Viking have taken some amazing steps to ensure their ships all remain healthy, sadly some other cruise lines were not so diligent. How long it will take to restart and then rebound to current levels is impossible to predict, unless they can develop a test kit that provides instant results and/or a vaccination.

 

If you are correct, many cruise lines will be out of business, unless they can find other uses for the tonnage.

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

On 4/3/2020 at 12:47 PM, Jim Avery said:

 If one becomes immobile by fear as is current conventional wisdom, then one would avoid anything with  potential danger.  Not a realistic way to live.  No travel, no sports, no concerts, no nothing.....  And who pays for housing, food, medical care, utilities for all the millions doing nothing?  Sooner or later we must get back to living or what's the point?

 

Jim, very well said. I have to agree. Been thinking about this sort of thing alot. This isolationist, stay-at-home mode of living is fine for the moment and needs to be done; however, if you take a step back from it all and try to view it from the standpoint of someone randomly approaching any of us as we went our way about the world before CV and described this scenario we're now experiencing - virtually nothing taking place, most things canceled indefinitely - schools, church, theaters, sports, travel, restaurants, whole cities shut down, millions out of work, staying home, wearing masks, staying 6 ft apart from everyone else, paranoid about catching some new and dangerous virus - I suspect most of us, without too much hesitation, would have said that we'd just as soon not even be alive in that 'twilight-zone' sort of world. It's pretty hard to be objective when you're in the midst of such a very SUBjective, emotionally-charged situation such as this, but I'm wondering more and more if I, for one, would have said I'd just as soon not be here under these conditions - and most certainly if the terms were that these conditions were to stand indefinitely. The key, of course, is that hopefully we're in a temporary condition rather than doomed to live life inside something like Michael Crichton's "Andromeda Strain"! I'm not a Trump fan in any way, shape, or form, but there is some validity to point out that society cannot go on like this for real extended periods of time. Indeed...as you also pointed out...who pays for all the idleness? Given the possibility, or even likelihood, of this virus continuing to mutate into other strains, have to wonder if the 'new normal' will not be anywhere close to what we we are all used to. "Not a realistic way to live" for sure.

 

However, all that being said, people have been down these sorts of paths before - perhaps not quite in the same way - and come out on the other side. The plague could have wiped out the better part of humankind, but it didn't. During the depression, if you'd have told people that some 70+ years later the Dow would be close to 30,000, they'd have laughed. I'm reminded of a line from 'Apollo 13' when Hanks says, "you never know what events are to transpire to get you home." 

Edited April 6, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

OK..that post was way too much schmaltz...and a bit off topic!  My thoughts are that cruising will definitely be set back, but money talks. I don't foresee a non-cruising scenario going on for even a year, though there may well be lots of regulations as to certain ports not being open and most likely strict policies as to evidence of having been vaccinated, even maybe age limitations, proof of health, whatever. Then, as times goes on, though, some of that could easily start to be relaxed again. A real interesting thought - dealt with in a now-locked thread over on (I think) the Oceania forum - has to do with non-vaxers and how that group might be handled from the perspective of traveling going forward. It was a very interesting discussion but ventured too far into contentious areas and was shut down. 

Edited April 7, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[Jim Avery]

18 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

OK..that post was way too much schmaltz...and a bit off topic!  My thoughts are that cruising will definitely be set back, but money talks. I don't foresee a non-cruising scenario going on for even a year, though there may well be lots of regulations as to certain ports not being open and most likely strict policies as to evidence of having been vaccinated, even maybe age limitations, proof of health, whatever. Then, as times goes on, though, some of that could easily start to be relaxed again. A real interesting thought - dealt with in a now-locked thread over on (I think) the Oceania forum - has to do with non-vaxers and how that group might be handled from the perspective of traveling going forward. It was a very interesting discussion but ventured too far into contentious areas and was shut down. 

Back in the Olden Days one needed a yellow folded card showing all required immunizations.  This was as necessary as a passport to travel overseas.  I suspect some form of this will be required again.  

[OnTheJourney]

On 4/5/2020 at 3:03 PM, InDaPast said:

 

As I have no experience with Viking, I asked for opinions in my thread >>

 

 

about this Viking Statement which seemed straight forward & impressed me>>

 

https://viking.tv/index/story/a-message-from-our-chairman

 

Haven't gotten a response to that question. You folks seem to have been the ones to ask...what's your take on it?

 

The main thrust of my thread is actually what Jim said (focusing only on their handling of the refunds issue)>>

 

I can tell you this much...having been through a crisis onboard a Viking ship (actually having to evacuate about half of the passengers) and then having Mr. Hagen personally visit the hotels where the guests were temporarily housed and talk to all of us....the guy is a class act. The manner in which we were treated, compensated, well cared for during a difficult time, was beyond reproach. I know I speak for many in saying this. I can near guarantee that he means everything he says in that message. 

[OnTheJourney]

Just now, Jim Avery said:

Back in the Olden Days one needed a yellow folded card showing all required immunizations.  This was as necessary as a passport to travel overseas.  I suspect some form of this will be required again.  

 

..and probably should be required. What is incomprehensible to me are these idiots who are intentionally going around coughing on people - telling them they are infected and now hope you are too, etc. Also people NOT adhering to social distancing - still congregating in large groups - it is happening right in my small, conservative hometown. I mean, really? Someone coughed on a whole meat counter in a grocery store and then $30k+ worth of meat had to be thrown out. I don't get that mindset. 

[Jim Avery]

I don't get it either.  One thing I do know is that stupid is a far more dangerous virus than Covid19.

[InDaPast]

3 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

I can tell you this much...having been through a crisis onboard a Viking ship (actually having to evacuate about half of the passengers) and then having Mr. Hagen personally visit the hotels where the guests were temporarily housed and talk to all of us....the guy is a class act. The manner in which we were treated, compensated, well cared for during a difficult time, was beyond reproach. I know I speak for many in saying this. I can near guarantee that he means everything he says in that message. 

 

Thanks for that info. I come from a background of straight-talk'n & appreciate when I get it in return. I sensed the gentleman was such a person & your tale confirms it.

[OnTheJourney]

12 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

I don't get it either.  One thing I do know is that stupid is a far more dangerous virus than Covid19.

 

"stupid is as stupid does".....

[terrydtx]

24 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

"stupid is as stupid does".....

And you can't fix stupid, but the Covid19 will be fixed.

Edited April 7, 2020 by terrydtx

[OnTheJourney]

16 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

And you can't fix stupid, but the Covid19 will be fixed.

 

Agree....

[DaveSJ711]

Here's another look at the cruise industry in today's NYT.  The article calls the industry the "symbol of the pandemic."  The focus is on Carnival, predictably, but one can extrapolate to our favorite line.

 

BTW, it's worth reading some of the comments to the article.  I don't see much love.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/business/coronavirus-cruise-industry-carnival.html?action=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Edited April 7, 2020 by DaveSJ711