Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[Donaghadee]

2 minutes ago, vslparis said:

If you book an optional excursion on line, it goes into a shopping cart . You must enter a credit card number to pay for the items in your shopping cart in order to pay for and confirm your optional excursions.  I can’t answer  about whether or not pre registering a credit card would speed up the process as I never do that. 

You can save a few % if you pay via EFT.  Direct and immediate payment to Viking from your bank account.  Viking has that option on MVJ, check it out.

[gramfrog]

9 hours ago, id4elizabeth said:

I got a call from a "supervisor" at Viking this evening by the name of Josh.  No good news to report. 

 

The new excuse / reason for ShoreX delays for mid-July and later sailings is no longer "world events in Europe" but "worldwide pandemic".  No logical reason for why the worldwide pandemic has been overcome for the 1st 3 sailings close to 4 weeks ago but not for later except he did say something that alarmed me.  That was that each sailing is different.  And that Viking absolutely stands by their one included excursion in each port.  Optional excursions were different and they were doing their very best to come up with them but they might be totally different than the 1st sailings.  This did not leave me with a great deal of comfort.

 

Next topic is number of passengers.  He told me all cabins were sold out.  Of course they could be holding some cabins back and showing sold out.  I pressed for a number of passengers on our particular sailing of 7/17.  He put me on hold for a while and came back with the number 900 or so.  So this (and my guess is subsequent) sailings will indeed be packed.  I'm trying to imagine tables farther apart in dining rooms, every other row in busses, missing lounge chairs, missing places to sit in the Wintergarten, etc with 900 + passengers on board.  This jibes with the 928 figure I was given earlier if there's been a few cancelations.

 

So, packed ship with few ShoreX so even more people onboard, no place to sit in public areas, awkward dining times due to spread out seating, inability to get into the public capacity controlled "spa" area - - not setting up to be a really fun trip so far.  Oh and not to forget wearing masks in public areas - that's if you can find a seat.

 

I've decided to give up contacting Viking as it's just too frustrating -- I'll just keep trying MVJ and if ShoreX become available and we get some decent ones, great -- otherwise we'll wait to the last minute and cancel.  That way the ship won't be so full for those that gut it out.

 

Elizabeth, yes, this is all so frustrating, but don't fret.  I'm not sure if you have been on a Viking Ocean cruise, but prior to the pandemic the Viking Ocean ships tended to run full.  We have been on five such; the Cuba cruise, for example, had not a cabin left, nor did A New Year's Turquoise Seas.

We never had any real problem with finding lounge chairs in Wintergarden, and just some difficulty around the infinity pool open air at Aft.  Certainly not like the craziness on larger commercial ships carrying three, four, and five times as many people.  

Dining is not a super difficulty when the ship is full; just be flexible. Most likely, table spacing will not be measurably different than 2019.  Not will the buses; after all, we are all vaccinated.  Be prepared for that.  The spa was never a problem with a full ship. There is simply more square ft. per passenger vs. other cruise lines when sailing Viking (and yes, it does cost more for those square feet).  

I totally agree with you that their inside sales and the supervisors on the phone could VASTLY improve; since I need to speak to them several times a week (my career) I note the name of any particular agent and ask if they wouldn't mind sharing their four digit extension   if I have follow-up questions.  And yes, VIking keeps voluminous notes on anything you say, both to your gain and to your detriment. Just saying.  Use it to your advantage.

[Australia08]

2 minutes ago, gramfrog said:

Elizabeth, yes, this is all so frustrating, but don't fret.  I'm not sure if you have been on a Viking Ocean cruise, but prior to the pandemic the Viking Ocean ships tended to run full.  We have been on five such; the Cuba cruise, for example, had not a cabin left, nor did A New Year's Turquoise Seas.

We never had any real problem with finding lounge chairs in Wintergarden, and just some difficulty around the infinity pool open air at Aft.  Certainly not like the craziness on larger commercial ships carrying three, four, and five times as many people.  

Dining is not a super difficulty when the ship is full; just be flexible. Most likely, table spacing will not be measurably different than 2019.  Not will the buses; after all, we are all vaccinated.  Be prepared for that.  The spa was never a problem with a full ship. There is simply more square ft. per passenger vs. other cruise lines when sailing Viking (and yes, it does cost more for those square feet).  

I totally agree with you that their inside sales and the supervisors on the phone could VASTLY improve; since I need to speak to them several times a week (my career) I note the name of any particular agent and ask if they wouldn't mind sharing their four digit extension   if I have follow-up questions.  And yes, VIking keeps voluminous notes on anything you say, both to your gain and to your detriment. Just saying.  Use it to your advantage.

 

I've been on several Viking Ocean trips, too.  However, if Viking is removing or blocking off sitting (info relayed by Viking, and substantiated by photos), a full ship, as reported for the July 17-24 voyage, will change the dynamics on board.  It won't be the interior we are used to unless one prefers standing in all venues.  Also, since we will need to book spa times, a full ship will be much more difficult to book than one of the earlier cruises that is at reduced capacity.  If they drop the need to book spa times and return all the furniture, I think you are correct, a full Viking cruise is no problem, but the rules of engagement are different so the ship may feel much different, too.

[gramfrog]

9 hours ago, NeilP57 said:

Last night I spotted on MVJ that Viking had posted my flights from London on BA arriving into KEF at 9:10am on 31/7  An early start but as it’s only a 3 hr flight from London it means we will be Iceland nice and early, which got me thinking. 
 

At what point do you join the Viking bubble? 
 

Could I get Viking to look after my luggage and transfer it to the ship, whilst I organised a full day Golden Circle private tour starting from KEF and was dropped off at the ship later that same day to be tested by Viking.

 

This would appear to be same situation as those organising there own air and arriving a few days earlier but would have the added advantage of somebody else looking after luggage. 

It is also dependent on Iceland’s entry rules are at the time but maybe by 31/7 proof of vaccination (tick) is all that will be needed to gain entry. 
 

Any thoughts welcome? 

 

 

Viking latest email stated that  you will have a spit test at the airport, and will need to stay with "the bubble" for five hours while tests are verified.  During this time, at this juncture at least, they are arranging a sightseeing tour around Reykjavik on buses for that time to keep us all together, per Iceland authority.  Once onboard, you will take a second spit test and results will be verified in the lab on the ship before you are allowed to move into your stateroom.  

[SantaFe1]

36 minutes ago, bardstowntraveller said:

Will it save time at checkout to pre register my credit card?

No.  You still have to enter your cc info.  We did E-check this time and saved about $50.

[SantaFe1]

10 minutes ago, gramfrog said:

Viking latest email stated that  you will have a spit test at the airport, and will need to stay with "the bubble" for five hours while tests are verified.  During this time, at this juncture at least, they are arranging a sightseeing tour around Reykjavik on buses for that time to keep us all together, per Iceland authority.  Once onboard, you will take a second spit test and results will be verified in the lab on the ship before you are allowed to move into your stateroom.  

No, this is not the latest from Viking.  We are on the first cruise, and got this yesterday: (it’s now on MVJ, under before you go, embarkation requirements)

 

Embarkation Procedure (Iceland): Upon arrival, you will be required to take a COVID-19 test administered by the Icelandic Government. This test will be in addition to the embarkation test required by Viking.
Special Note: The ship is designated as an Iceland quarantine area for Viking guests. You will be transferred to your ship as you await confirmation of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result. You will then proceed to your stateroom where you will be required to provide a saliva sample. Please refrain from consuming any food or beverage item or smoking for at least one hour before submitting your saliva sample. While waiting for your test results, you will be able to use the public spaces on board observing current mask and social distancing requirements.
You will also need to undergo the following COVID-19 screening prior to your cruise:
• Temperature check (a temperature reading of less than 100.4°F/38°C).
• Questions in relation to your general health, COVID-19 symptoms, or possible exposure.
• Accept and agree to using contact-tracing technology during your cruise.
• Complete any required check-in procedures.
 

Edited June 3, 2021 by SantaFe1

[TayanaLorna]

22 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Looking at FB today, another comment to a Viking ad asked the so-far unanswered question: "Where are the excursions for Iceland?"

 

 

Where is this Viking ad of which you speak?  The Viking FB page?  A Viking FB group?  Thx.

[Mpc524]

19 hours ago, Travel2Learn said:

If a tour gets back late, and you are delayed getting to dinner,  how long will a specialty restaurant or the main restaurant hold your table?  

We have had this happen. We returned about an hour late one time. Manfredi’s had called our room a couple of times and we called them immediately upon return. Of course, they said it wasn’t a problem. We got a table immediately.....

[stilltrucking]

2 hours ago, bardstowntraveller said:

 It appears that cruises subsequent to the first 3 are sailing at much higher occupancy. 

II have read multiple times on various threads that the first three sailings will be at reduced capacity.  The Viking agent I talked to three weeks ago gave an answer so vague as to be meaningless.  Does anyone have definite, reliable information about capacity on the first three sailings?  (We're on #3, July 10.)

[gramfrog]

2 hours ago, bardstowntraveller said:

I am beginning to think that the reason that shore excursions are not showing up for our cruises is that Viking is having difficulty lining up vendors. It appears that cruises subsequent to the first 3 are sailing at much higher occupancy. Although they are guaranteeing access to their included excursions, they are not guaranteeing access to the optional tours. Ugh!

Possibly correct.  That is what happened to our June 15 Bermuda.  Viking admitted having problems with contracting vendors.  Bermuda has 300,000 less citizens (approx 64,000 vs approx 364,000) and the same size ship...  then again, VIking has put TWO ships in Iceland....  we (six staterooms) moved to the August 24 Iceland from the 15 June Bermuda, using the Risk Free offer, to give VIking a bit more time to figure this all out....

[TayanaLorna]

19 hours ago, Travel2Learn said:

If a tour gets back late, and you are delayed getting to dinner,  how long will a specialty restaurant or the main restaurant hold your table?  

On our last cruise, they said 30 minutes max but best to ask once on board since reservations are now required for all restaurants and they may not want to upset the flow.

[TayanaLorna]

19 hours ago, Dukefan said:

Some really good news for vacinated folks arriving in Iceland after June 15th:  https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/nature_and_travel/2021/06/02/vaccinated_tourists_not_to_be_tested_in_iceland_as_/

 

My DH says - so now all they have to do is get a fake vaccination card.  

[TayanaLorna]

19 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

We are on the June 26 cruise.  Just got this from Viking.  Answers many of our questions, although it seems we will no longer have to be tested at the airport.

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/14-210524-RestartPreCruiseRequirement-Iceland-US.pdf

We also received this for our July 17 cruise.  It was updated May 24 before the Iceland change.  It does, however, recommend checking often as requirements do change.

[Clay Clayton]

17 minutes ago, stilltrucking said:

II have read multiple times on various threads that the first three sailings will be at reduced capacity.  The Viking agent I talked to three weeks ago gave an answer so vague as to be meaningless.  Does anyone have definite, reliable information about capacity on the first three sailings?  (We're on #3, July 10.)

The only definite, reliable information about this will sadly only be known sometime after July 10th 😢

[NeilP57]

38 minutes ago, gramfrog said:

Viking latest email stated that  you will have a spit test at the airport, and will need to stay with "the bubble" for five hours while tests are verified

 Thanks for the information, I guess it makes sense. Or as much sense as anything does at the moment. 
 

just hope I can book a golden circle tour when they open up. 
 

I was also thinking of flying out a day earlier to do the golden circle tour but it may easier to stay within the Viking bubble from when I get off the plane and embark the ship and then if I have failed to get on the golden circle trip then I could stop an extra day after the cruise and either hire a car for the day or get a private tour to do the golden circle. I could just burn my air ticket through Viking and just get two one way flights with some air miles! 
 

I have done the golden circle in a hire car before and it is that good that we do want to do it again. 

[TayanaLorna]

18 hours ago, ejc14 said:

Yes, I've seen the Iceland information and know that Moderna is accepted, however, it is not listed on the Delta website and they are the ones who will or won't let me on the plane.  If it's not in writing on the Delta website/information, I'm not willing to take that risk.

The Travel Requirement document we received from Viking yesterday says those who booked their own air travel should check the travel requirement to board of the airline they are using.

[ejc14]

1 minute ago, TayanaLorna said:

The Travel Requirement document we received from Viking yesterday says those who booked their own air travel should check the travel requirement to board of the airline they are using.

Exactly! thanks 😉 

[Dukefan]

17 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

My DH says - so now all they have to do is get a fake vaccination card.  

And pass the test once they get to the Viking Ship.  Then pass a test to get back to the US.  If Iceland finds out their card was fake, I think that they are also risking signifact penalties before leaving Iceland.  

[TayanaLorna]

10 hours ago, NeilP57 said:

Last night I spotted on MVJ that Viking had posted my flights from London on BA arriving into KEF at 9:10am on 31/7  An early start but as it’s only a 3 hr flight from London it means we will be Iceland nice and early, which got me thinking. 
 

At what point do you join the Viking bubble? 
 

Could I get Viking to look after my luggage and transfer it to the ship, whilst I organised a full day Golden Circle private tour starting from KEF and was dropped off at the ship later that same day to be tested by Viking.

 

This would appear to be same situation as those organising there own air and arriving a few days earlier but would have the added advantage of somebody else looking after luggage. 

It is also dependent on Iceland’s entry rules are at the time but maybe by 31/7 proof of vaccination (tick) is all that will be needed to gain entry. 
 

Any thoughts welcome? 

 

 

If you organize a full day private tour with pick up at the airport, they should be able to carry your luggage along on the tour.  When we did this either to or from an airport, they just ask how many pieces you have and how big to be sure their vehicle is large enough.  We usually ask if there will be a driver as well as a guide.  We did this especially in Buenos Aires where thievery could be rampant.  The driver would stay with the vehicle while the guide walked with us.  I don't think that would be an issue in Iceland however.

[VI_Lounger]

10 hours ago, id4elizabeth said:

I got a call from a "supervisor" at Viking this evening by the name of Josh.  No good news to report. 

 

The new excuse / reason for ShoreX delays for mid-July and later sailings is no longer "world events in Europe" but "worldwide pandemic".  No logical reason for why the worldwide pandemic has been overcome for the 1st 3 sailings close to 4 weeks ago but not for later except he did say something that alarmed me.  That was that each sailing is different.  And that Viking absolutely stands by their one included excursion in each port.  Optional excursions were different and they were doing their very best to come up with them but they might be totally different than the 1st sailings.  This did not leave me with a great deal of comfort.

 

Next topic is number of passengers.  He told me all cabins were sold out.  Of course they could be holding some cabins back and showing sold out.  I pressed for a number of passengers on our particular sailing of 7/17.  He put me on hold for a while and came back with the number 900 or so.  So this (and my guess is subsequent) sailings will indeed be packed.  I'm trying to imagine tables farther apart in dining rooms, every other row in busses, missing lounge chairs, missing places to sit in the Wintergarten, etc with 900 + passengers on board.  This jibes with the 928 figure I was given earlier if there's been a few cancelations.

 

So, packed ship with few ShoreX so even more people onboard, no place to sit in public areas, awkward dining times due to spread out seating, inability to get into the public capacity controlled "spa" area - - not setting up to be a really fun trip so far.  Oh and not to forget wearing masks in public areas - that's if you can find a seat.

 

I've decided to give up contacting Viking as it's just too frustrating -- I'll just keep trying MVJ and if ShoreX become available and we get some decent ones, great -- otherwise we'll wait to the last minute and cancel.  That way the ship won't be so full for those that gut it out.

 

This doesn't make any sense as things are opening up and getting better. When we struggled to get any shore excursions for two weeks for our July 3 cruise, we considered moving to a later cruise as we didn't want to settle for just a few 1.5 hour included excursions and then watch much better excursions open up for the later cruises. I still think it's going to get better for the later cruises and then we will be jealous of your options, but I know how painful it is to wait for information. We just came to the same conclusion to hold out hope until the cancel deadline date. Easier said than done, I know. 🤦‍♀️

[TayanaLorna]

1 hour ago, bardstowntraveller said:

For those of you who have been able to book shore excursions, do you have to enter your credit card when checking out or does it automatically get charged to the credit card used when booking cruise?  Will it save time at checkout to pre register my credit card?

No, pre registering a credit card makes no difference.  Also if you pick and then pay for one shorex at a time, then you have to enter your credit card number, expiry, CCV each and every time you pay.  Its a real pain especially if you are anxious to get that shorex confirmed and then on to entering your next choice.  

1 hour ago, vslparis said:

If you book an optional excursion on line, it goes into a shopping cart . You must enter a credit card number to pay for the items in your shopping cart in order to pay for and confirm your optional excursions.  I can’t answer  about whether or not pre registering a credit card would speed up the process as I never do that. 

 

[gramfrog]

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

 

No, this is not the latest from Viking.  We are on the first cruise, and got this yesterday: (it’s now on MVJ, under before you go, embarkation requirements)

 

Embarkation Procedure (Iceland): Upon arrival, you will be required to take a COVID-19 test administered by the Icelandic Government. This test will be in addition to the embarkation test required by Viking.
Special Note: The ship is designated as an Iceland quarantine area for Viking guests. You will be transferred to your ship as you await confirmation of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result. You will then proceed to your stateroom where you will be required to provide a saliva sample. Please refrain from consuming any food or beverage item or smoking for at least one hour before submitting your saliva sample. While waiting for your test results, you will be able to use the public spaces on board observing current mask and social distancing requirements.
You will also need to undergo the following COVID-19 screening prior to your cruise:
• Temperature check (a temperature reading of less than 100.4°F/38°C).
• Questions in relation to your general health, COVID-19 symptoms, or possible exposure.
• Accept and agree to using contact-tracing technology during your cruise.
• Complete any required check-in procedures.
 

Thank you for this!  Info from VIking can change at a dime's flip.  These are the times we live in!  Hopefully by August 24 there will be no nonsense to comply with.

 

[SantaFe1]

10 hours ago, vslparis said:

We have travelled on 6 trips ( all international except 2 ) since July 2020 and each one has gotten easier

I believe you are in the travel business.  What is your take on the discussion here about whether Delta will accept the Moderna vaccine.  Iceland accepts it, but you have to go beyond the Delta site to the Iceland site to find that.  Thanks 

[Clay Clayton]

14 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

If you organize a full day private tour with pick up at the airport, they should be able to carry your luggage along on the tour.  When we did this either to or from an airport, they just ask how many pieces you have and how big to be sure their vehicle is large enough.  We usually ask if there will be a driver as well as a guide.  We did this especially in Buenos Aires where thievery could be rampant.  The driver would stay with the vehicle while the guide walked with us.  I don't think that would be an issue in Iceland however.

Agreed! This is what we have arranged for our arrival day.  Airport pickup with transportation to the Blue Lagoon (driver stays with luggage secured in the vehicle) and then transport to the ship.  Hopefully the June 15th change in airport testing means we won’t have to quarantine which means we will be able to go to the Blue Lagoon.  If not, then we will cancel the Blue Lagoon and modify the transport. 🤞

[Clay Clayton]

2 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I believe you are in the travel business.  What is your take on the discussion here about whether Delta will accept the Moderna vaccine.  Iceland accepts it, but you have to go beyond the Delta site to the Iceland site to find that.  Thanks 

But delta gives you the hyperlink to that site so obviously they wrote their page expecting changes.