Bermuda Escape Cruises - insights, information, and more just on Bermuda

[MRGACRUZR]

1 minute ago, molymoo said:

WOW!  That  means approximately 99 people didn't "make the cut".  I wish I know what the problem(s) were ... we have invested a great deal of time and money trying to make sure we "tick all all the boxes" ... it would be devastating to get left behind!

Pretty sure if you keep following here, you'll be fine.

TODAY you need the following:

Your passport

Bermuda Travel Authorization (dependent on neg PCR test done on Friday b4 cruise)

Covid shot cards (carry with even though you attach digitally to Travel Authorization)

Negative PCR test done no sooner than Friday before your cruise.

Proof that you have reservation on Viking Orion

A lot of patience and organization of your documents.

 

Obviously, this can all change tomorrow. 

[Hockeyump]

3 hours ago, B_A_H said:

I have access to the e-mails for Viking senior management.  I e-mailed a couple of them to ask for an explanation as to why they'd allow 10% of the ship to bypass all the protocols they've have in place and have been promoting so heavily.

 

I don't know who Steve is and don't mean to rain on his parade but what has been described is not OK.  It's risky enough to be sailing right now without Viking being totally hypocritical about all they've done to ensure our safety.  If random exceptions are allowed then their is no protocol.  A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. 

 

I'm seriously thinking about canceling. I'm booked in the Yacht Club on the MSC Seashore out of Barcelona in October and they have a safety record and seem to adhere to their published protocols.  I only booked in July because I drank Viking's Kool-Aid about how seriously they took safety. 

 

I know being on a vaccinated cruise poses lower risks.  So did the two people who tested positive on the Millennium that had to be airlifted out of St. Martin.  I still work and don't have time to turn a 7 day cruise in to a 21 day adventure including14 days of quarantine. 

Steve is the main mover and shaker of the biggest forum on another medium. He is apparently a Viking ambassador so it seems he gets what he wants.

[bluesea777]

26 minutes ago, MRGACRUZR said:

Pretty sure if you keep following here, you'll be fine.

TODAY you need the following:

Your passport

Bermuda Travel Authorization (dependent on neg PCR test done on Friday b4 cruise)

Covid shot cards (carry with even though you attach digitally to Travel Authorization)

Negative PCR test done no sooner than Friday before your cruise.

Proof that you have reservation on Viking Orion

A lot of patience and organization of your documents.

 

Obviously, this can all change tomorrow. 

 

Reason this is so strict is because we're a small island surrounded by sea and the first covid cases were imported by air and spread, and now Bermuda is worried about the new variants.

 

Back in late Feb we had about 9 active cases and the number was going down but bam! it shot up and reached over 900 3 weeks later .... several imported cases from the UK and US, some illegal parties/functions were held .... and one person (resident) attended a party straight from the airport after landing from the UK without quarantining awaiting for his arrival test results! He tested positive and had already spread! That was a terrible time and we were sent back into complete lockdown for over 3 weeks! And we had more deaths in March/April this year than in 2020 (whole year).

 

People here must have learnt hard lessons from those things - more lined up and got jabbed, and now the vaccine batch (Pfizer) has exhausted (except for the 2nd doses due from now until 29 June) but we're expecting a new batch flown in from the UK next week. Not sure about the exact figures but I guess we're now over 60% fully vaccinated. Quite a number of kids (12-15) have already registered for the new batch!

 

[molymoo]

53 minutes ago, Hockeyump said:

Steve is the main mover and shaker of the biggest forum on another medium. He is apparently a Viking ambassador so it seems he gets what he wants.

Mover and shaker aside, if giving him “what he wants” means deviating from the safety protocols you have put in place to protect your passengers (all of them, not just his minions) then that’s not okay.  I’m surprised he (supposedly such a supporter of Viking … ahem) would ask them to do so.  Come on … two max in an elevator, four in a pool, and six in the spa … twenty in a stateroom is simply over the top not okay.

[B_A_H]

@molymoo and @Hockeyump, what you've shared is the picture I had in my mind.  Someone with money, influence, or both wanting to show off their money, influence, or both decided to hold court. The surprise isn't that he (and the plenty of people like him) would attempt to do something like this but that Viking actually facilitated it.  

 

To be honest we're all playing the odds in attempting to cruise so early in the industry's return. Granted those odds for people that are vaccinated are good but anyone of those 326 passengers could end up a breakthrough case.  Viking deviating from their own protocols, and on the first of the series of Bermuda sailings, doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies about their commitment to safety.  If they are bowed so easily by money, influence, or both where's the line? I wonder if this lapse of judgment was ship-based or something corporate was actively involved in. 

[bluesea777]

A note of warning for current Orion cruisers .... this coming Monday (June 21st) is public holiday here (National Heroes Day), and although some stores will be open to tourists/cruisers in Hamilton, not all stores will be open. 

 

So, if you want to buy local booze to take home better do so in the Dockyard Mall. Gosling's Black Seal Rum is lovely drunk with local ginger beer (either Barritt's or Gosling's) ... this drink is called Dark n Stormy. I'm not sure if Gosling's booze shop on Front Street, Hamilton will be open on Monday.

 

 

[bluesea777]

@B_A_H let's hope Viking has now perhaps given it a thought and learnt their lesson and this sort of thing will not happen on your and my cruise ....

 

We, for once, will not attend any Meet n Greet this time (we have always attended one on every one of our NCL cruises), but will talk to people we meet on the ship during the cruise.

 

[SRHall64]

Just now, B_A_H said:

@molymoo and @Hockeyump, what you've shared is the picture I had in my mind.  Someone with money, influence, or both wanting to show off their money, influence, or both decided to hold court. The surprise isn't that he (and the plenty of people like him) would attempt to do something like this but that Viking actually facilitated it.  

 

To be honest we're all playing the odds in attempting to cruise so early in the industry's return. Granted those odds for people that are vaccinated are good but anyone of those 326 passengers could end up a breakthrough case.  Viking deviating from their own protocols, and on the first of the series of Bermuda sailings, doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies about their commitment to safety.  If they are bowed so easily by money, influence, or both where's the line? I wonder if this lapse of judgment was ship-based or something corporate was actively involved in. 

 

1 hour ago, molymoo said:

Mover and shaker aside, if giving him “what he wants” means deviating from the safety protocols you have put in place to protect your passengers (all of them, not just his minions) then that’s not okay.  I’m surprised he (supposedly such a supporter of Viking … ahem) would ask them to do so.  Come on … two max in an elevator, four in a pool, and six in the spa … twenty in a stateroom is simply over the top not okay.

I understand your concern but Viking already abandoned the protocols before those cruisers ever arrived in Bermuda.  When they announced the itinerary change on Monday they also removed the Viking shore excursion only limit.  Given that passengers are allowed to go out on their own and interact with others on the island who may not be vaccinated it wouldn't be logical for Viking to have prohibited a group of vaccinated passengers from getting together.  I would be more worried about the independent travelers on shore then a group of vaccinated Viking lovers who I'm sure want the Welcome Back cruises to succeed.

[bluesea777]

4 minutes ago, SRHall64 said:

 

I understand your concern but Viking already abandoned the protocols before those cruisers ever arrived in Bermuda.  When they announced the itinerary change on Monday they also removed the Viking shore excursion only limit.  Given that passengers are allowed to go out on their own and interact with others on the island who may not be vaccinated it wouldn't be logical for Viking to have prohibited a group of vaccinated passengers from getting together.  I would be more worried about the independent travelers on shore then a group of vaccinated Viking lovers who I'm sure want the Welcome Back cruises to succeed.

 

I can understand your concern but Bermuda is as safe as can be - and much better than the UK or USA. Over 60% fully vaccinated, and we STILL wear masks in stores, on buses, in taxis, when entering restaurants, buildings. Slogan "No mask, don't enter" is still enforced. Al Fresco dining everywhere ... 

 

You'll be surprised with Bermuda.

 

 

[B_A_H]

2 minutes ago, SRHall64 said:

 

I understand your concern but Viking already abandoned the protocols before those cruisers ever arrived in Bermuda.  When they announced the itinerary change on Monday they also removed the Viking shore excursion only limit.  Given that passengers are allowed to go out on their own and interact with others on the island who may not be vaccinated it wouldn't be logical for Viking to have prohibited a group of vaccinated passengers from getting together.  I would be more worried about the independent travelers on shore then a group of vaccinated Viking lovers who I'm sure want the Welcome Back cruises to succeed.

You sound like the people on the Celebrity forum saying the two people getting infected was a good thing because it proved the protocols worked.  Relaxing onboard protocols raises risk - period.  

 

A ship is not the same environment as walking around outdoors or in stores or attractions with ample square footage where you can control your movement.  Nor are you around the same people everyday for 7 days in a confined space. 

 

Candidly, between Celebrity, RCI, and Crystal I chose Viking specifically for what appeared to be their diligent commitment to safety.  I chose wrongly and they are hypocrites.  Like @Hockeyump said what's the point of capacity restrictions in the pool, elevator, and elsewhere on the ship when all you have to do is know someone at Viking and it can all be thrown out the window.

 

 

[sleepybobo]

Since I booked one of the Iceland sailings, I keenly follow Venus's British Scenic Shore and Orion's Bermuda Escape.  From what have been shared here and the other site so far, I see different dynamics between the two ships.  More social distancing and low key on Venus.  If not because of the crew's mask wearing, one would think that things are back to normal on Orion.  This seems to mirror the difference in attitudes between Americans and British.  While both countries have similar vaccination rates, people in Britain are still taking a more cautious approach.  

 

I'm glad that people are having a good time on Orion.  I believe the organizer of the dinner party is one of the most enthusiast Viking fans.  I think he meant well.  But this may have unintentionally presented an issue for Viking.  How can Viking enforce a 2-person elevator, 4-person pool and 6-person spa rules while allowing 12 maskless people spending hours in a stateroom?

 

It is indeed a confusing time.  

[LeRenardrouge]

3 hours ago, molymoo said:

Mover and shaker aside, if giving him “what he wants” means deviating from the safety protocols you have put in place to protect your passengers (all of them, not just his minions) then that’s not okay.  I’m surprised he (supposedly such a supporter of Viking … ahem) would ask them to do so.  Come on … two max in an elevator, four in a pool, and six in the spa … twenty in a stateroom is simply over the top not okay.

 

 

Sadly, a precedent has been set.  In the last 22 hours, two different people in the same big FB group have announced they are setting up Meet and Mingle type events on upcoming Welcome Back cruises.  

 

“June 26 sailing friends! Please plan to stop by the bar on deck 1 on Saturday, June 26, Day 1, 7:00 to whenever you need to leave, before or after dinner—whenever! Let’s connect, say hello, and celebrate the link we’ve made on this FB site and our return to cruising. Come when you can. Leave when you must. Sign up if you like on the events tab with my name attached.” He had asked Steve how to go about arranging it yesterday. 

 

And a post by another member this afternoon:

 

“If you will be on the Viking Ocean Iceland cruise on July 3 and would like to join a get together ( maybe cocktail party or dinner), would you please send me your first and last names? Trying to get a count and know how many name tags to bring!!”

 

 

 

[Hockeyump]

22 minutes ago, LeRenardrouge said:

 

 

Sadly, a precedent has been set.  In the last 22 hours, two different people in the same big FB group have announced they are setting up Meet and Mingle type events on upcoming Welcome Back cruises.  

 

“June 26 sailing friends! Please plan to stop by the bar on deck 1 on Saturday, June 26, Day 1, 7:00 to whenever you need to leave, before or after dinner—whenever! Let’s connect, say hello, and celebrate the link we’ve made on this FB site and our return to cruising. Come when you can. Leave when you must. Sign up if you like on the events tab with my name attached.” He had asked Steve how to go about arranging it yesterday. 

 

And a post by another member this afternoon:

 

“If you will be on the Viking Ocean Iceland cruise on July 3 and would like to join a get together ( maybe cocktail party or dinner), would you please send me your first and last names? Trying to get a count and know how many name tags to bring!!”

 

 

 

Not going to talk about safety concerns as made my views known as have others.  What I don't like about these events is that I don't think Viking is about Ra Ra events with name badges. Meet and mingle for less than an hour is fine. Quiet conversation with fellow guests and staff members. Not inclusive events that can deliberately exclude others.  I recall a river cruise where 90% of guests were part of a school reunion organised by said person. If I had been one of the other 10% I wouldn't have been happy. Apparently they sang their school song before dinner each evening. Sorry, not what I want on holiday.

[CCWineLover]

39 minutes ago, LeRenardrouge said:

 

 

Sadly, a precedent has been set.  In the last 22 hours, two different people in the same big FB group have announced they are setting up Meet and Mingle type events on upcoming Welcome Back cruises.  

 

“June 26 sailing friends! Please plan to stop by the bar on deck 1 on Saturday, June 26, Day 1, 7:00 to whenever you need to leave, before or after dinner—whenever! Let’s connect, say hello, and celebrate the link we’ve made on this FB site and our return to cruising. Come when you can. Leave when you must. Sign up if you like on the events tab with my name attached.” He had asked Steve how to go about arranging it yesterday. 

 

And a post by another member this afternoon:

 

“If you will be on the Viking Ocean Iceland cruise on July 3 and would like to join a get together ( maybe cocktail party or dinner), would you please send me your first and last names? Trying to get a count and know how many name tags to bring!!”

 

 

 

Not good.  Viking are seeing this?????

[LeRenardrouge]

4 minutes ago, Hockeyump said:I recall a river cruise where 90% of guests were part of a school reunion organised by said person. If I had been one of the other 10% I wouldn't have been happy. Apparently they sang their school song before dinner each evening. Sorry, not what I want on holiday.

I recall seeing the postings from that cruise and I agree with you.  It would have been very disappointed.  Viking should have essentially chartered it for that group only IMHO.  

[Azulann]

1 minute ago, Hockeyump said:

Not going to talk about safety concerns as made my views known as have others.  What I don't like about these events is that I don't think Viking is about Ra Ra events with name badges. Meet and mingle for less than an hour is fine. Quiet conversation with fellow guests and staff members. Not inclusive events that can deliberately exclude others.  I recall a river cruise where 90% of guests were part of a school reunion organised by said person. If I had been one of the other 10% I wouldn't have been happy. Apparently they sang their school song before dinner each evening. Sorry, not what I want on holiday.

Point of Information:

Viking Ocean  cruises have participated in Cruise Critic" meet and greets "since they started their Ocean  cruises.  Currently, these  events are on pause on Cruise Critic.

One would sign up through roll call  and CC. If a roll call got 25 folks to sign up, Viking and CC hosted a cocktail party.  Crew members were present, Cocktails and appetizers were served. They were held in the Wintergarden. On my cruise, it was so fabulous that the cruise director said we  will have another. So Viking did. This was on a Transatlantic  cruise with 6 sea days in a row. 

Most cruise lines on CC  hold Meet and greets , but again they are on pause.

 What one does individually  in these welcome back cruises should follow the protocol set by Viking, if Viking changes social distancing   then let them notify us. 

[shadowlover]

Isn't viking requiring vaccination?  Calm down.  The risk of covid for fully vaccinated people is low.  If you are concerned then keep your masks on.  Masking along with vaccination will significantly reduce your risk.  I personally don't think there should be any limitation on group size if all are vaccinated.  The testing prior to going, upon arrival etc is overkill but should also hopefully make you feel "safer".  Keep in mind that daily testing of an asymptomatic low risk group (fully vaccinated) will lead to some possible false positives.  I would worry more about the unnecessary testing of asymptomatic passengers.  This will possibly lead to quarantine and interruption of port visitation.

 

[sleepybobo]

20 minutes ago, shadowlover said:

Isn't viking requiring vaccination?  Calm down.  The risk of covid for fully vaccinated people is low.  If you are concerned then keep your masks on.  Masking along with vaccination will significantly reduce your risk.  I personally don't think there should be any limitation on group size if all are vaccinated.  The testing prior to going, upon arrival etc is overkill but should also hopefully make you feel "safer".  Keep in mind that daily testing of an asymptomatic low risk group (fully vaccinated) will lead to some possible false positives.  I would worry more about the unnecessary testing of asymptomatic passengers.  This will possibly lead to quarantine and interruption of port visitation.

 

I agreed with you.  I think the daily saliva test is an overkill.  The 4-person pool and 6-person spa rules really should be relaxed.  We are vaccinated and we don't mind wearing masks when deemed necessary.  So we feel safe.  But I can understand there are people who feel comfortable booking with Viking precisely because of the testing and safety protocols.  Now that we've seen pictures of people ignoring social distancing, we know these rules are not strictly enforced.  Or was that dinner party just an isolated incident? Just yet another uncertainty.  

 

 

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

2 hours ago, B_A_H said:

@molymoo and @Hockeyump, what you've shared is the picture I had in my mind.  Someone with money, influence, or both wanting to show off their money, influence, or both decided to hold court. The surprise isn't that he (and the plenty of people like him) would attempt to do something like this but that Viking actually facilitated it.  

 

To be honest we're all playing the odds in attempting to cruise so early in the industry's return. Granted those odds for people that are vaccinated are good but anyone of those 326 passengers could end up a breakthrough case.  Viking deviating from their own protocols, and on the first of the series of Bermuda sailings, doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies about their commitment to safety.  If they are bowed so easily by money, influence, or both where's the line? I wonder if this lapse of judgment was ship-based or something corporate was actively involved in. 

@B_A_H I agree completely & am shocked this was allowed to happen. Previously, I felt a warm glow watching the earlier video with Torstein Hagen calmly explaining the rigorous safety protocols. This lapse concerning whether the OK decision was from corporate or shipboard, is unacceptable. I'll be contacting Viking through the TellUs to firmly express my displeasure with this situation. Hopefully others will too.

Edited June 18, 2021 by Myrtle Ave. Mayhem

[Britcnm]

Here’ s a novel thought to those of you complaining about what’s going on.. if you aren’t comfortable, don’t go. We all have a choice! 

[molymoo]

1 hour ago, Britcnm said:

Here’ s a novel thought to those of you complaining about what’s going on.. if you aren’t comfortable, don’t go. We all have a choice! 

Yes we have choices but the issue gets muddled when the rules seem to be constantly changing.  If I recall, somewhere in the myriad of hoops we have had to jump through for these cruises we had to agree that we understood and would abide by the safety protocols outlined by Viking.  

I am a bi girl and can take care of myself so we are choosing to proceed as planned knowing that I will abide by the protocols when we sail and am sincerely glad we choose NOT to sail on the inaugural cruise … there were a number of reasons, not the least of which was avoiding the gentleman administering the site and his “fan club”.  I could have predicted what has taken place but really thought Viking might have handled it better.  I will do my best to avoid that sort of thing if it is still an issue when we go.  
Meanwhile it’s back to packing, studying for our “tests” 😆, and getting ready for a really nice time.  
 

 

[EJLobster]

Not to stir the pot, (hah!)  but.....Steve on that other board says he was in a 4 passenger minivan with a woman who tested positive-  so all 4 have to leave the ship, go to a hotel, and enter a 14 day quarantine. 

He's hoping to be all done with this 6 days before his Iceland trip.

 

Although we tested negative, we were in a 4 person minivan for 4 hours today and one tested positive. She is feeling fine — she is asymptomatic. Our contact tracing devices showed that she was not in close contact with anyone else today. Only we 4 had to leave.

Viking treated us very graciously, but the Bermuda government (not Viking) requires us to stay in a hotel in total isolation for a minimum of 14 days. On day 15 if the test is negative, we can fly home the next day making it 16 days really.

It was one of our best cruises ever until this happened. I am a very very active person. I am honestly quite worried that I may go seriously stir crazy.

This means we will probably leave for our Iceland cruise 6 days after we get home.

As we knew in advance, we are required to pay for the hotel, tip and tax and for more PCR tests.

Costs don’t worry us. Isolation does.

Again Viking did exactly what the Bermuda government regulation required them to. We love Viking now just much as we always have.

P.S. We followed all mask protocols.

P.P.S. We 4 were all vaccinated with Pfizer months ago.

 

Hmmm.......

[WanderingBrit]

The chap at the center of this discussion will be spending the next 14 days, at his expense, in a Bermuda hotel because he was in close contact to a passenger who tested positive - even though he has tested negative.

 

My reading of Bermuda regulations suggests this only occurs if you are unmasked, and in close contact for 15 minutes or more. Steve says they were in a minibus and masked at all times …

 

No more parties in the Owner’s Suite it seems

[Hockeyump]

I call that karma!

[MRGACRUZR]

8 hours ago, EJLobster said:

Not to stir the pot, (hah!)  but.....Steve on that other board says he was in a 4 passenger minivan with a woman who tested positive-  so all 4 have to leave the ship, go to a hotel, and enter a 14 day quarantine. 

He's hoping to be all done with this 6 days before his Iceland trip.

 

Although we tested negative, we were in a 4 person minivan for 4 hours today and one tested positive. She is feeling fine — she is asymptomatic. Our contact tracing devices showed that she was not in close contact with anyone else today. Only we 4 had to leave.

Viking treated us very graciously, but the Bermuda government (not Viking) requires us to stay in a hotel in total isolation for a minimum of 14 days. On day 15 if the test is negative, we can fly home the next day making it 16 days really.

It was one of our best cruises ever until this happened. I am a very very active person. I am honestly quite worried that I may go seriously stir crazy.

This means we will probably leave for our Iceland cruise 6 days after we get home.

As we knew in advance, we are required to pay for the hotel, tip and tax and for more PCR tests.

Costs don’t worry us. Isolation does.

Again Viking did exactly what the Bermuda government regulation required them to. We love Viking now just much as we always have.

P.S. We followed all mask protocols.

P.P.S. We 4 were all vaccinated with Pfizer months ago.

 

Hmmm.......

Well, If none of his followers turn up positive, Viking dodged a bullet.  Following mask protocols is only part of the total protocol and means nothing if you don't maintain social distancing when eating, drinking, socializing etc.

 

If I was on the same Iceland cruise with him I would demand that Viking get him under control or refund my money. I'm no lawyer but I think there is a case here for Viking breaking their T&C and Passenger Ticket Contract for facilitating exactly what they promised, and made us promise to abide by to ensure a healthy and safe voyage.

 

I guess Bermuda and Covid did Vikings job, after the fact.

 

How completely arrogant for someone to facilitate such risky behavior and put the rest of us in peril. SMH