Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[id4elizabeth]

2 minutes ago, FoggyEthan said:

Just a reminder, though, that the rep I spoke to said my ship was at 100% capacity, and even double checked. So I think we have to accept that we don't know.

Was this the same rep that told you 195 bookings?  100% capacity and 195 booking doesn't seem to track.  But in any case, be sure to let us know when you get on board.

[Heartgrove]

25 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

Chicago?  We were born and raised in Chicago.  Moved to NJ for work in 1985.  I wouldn't say we have an accent, we just pronounce some words and vowels differently.

 

Actually the "Inland North American Dialect." It has to do with the tongue placement for making vowel sounds. And Chicago adds the dangling participle to sentences.

[FoggyEthan]

42 minutes ago, id4elizabeth said:

Was this the same rep that told you 195 bookings?  100% capacity and 195 booking doesn't seem to track.  But in any case, be sure to let us know when you get on board.

A rep told me 100% capacity, a "tellus" person said 195 bookings with the rest blocked off. Irreconcilable.

[Clay Clayton]

3 minutes ago, FoggyEthan said:

A rep told me 100% capacity, a "tellus" person said 195 bookings with the rest blocked off. Irreconcilable.

Was this the same “rep” who assured me that I didn’t need reservations for The Restaurant...it was open seating? 😢

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Trying to speculate how booked the Portsmouth-Malta cruise would be.

 

The Viking agent today said that all cabins are available for sale. But all cabins (that I can afford!  ) are available for booking at a discount of $250 x 2 from the posted discount price at this point. My thought that needing open-jaw flights will discourage potential customers. Only three ports plus both Malta islands might not be that attractive for a 12 day cruise. Thoughts?

 

IAD-LHR RT would be booked using points on UAL but cash for Air Malta MLA-LHR.

Our friends in Scotland who want to do this cruise are concerned whether they will be able to get to the disembarkation port due to Britain’s Covid rules....are you sure you will be able to?

[vslparis]

7 hours 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 

Yes, I am semi retired but have been in the business over 25 years. My take is that Delta has not updated their info or someone at Delta did not fact check the standard requirements.

As someone else mentioned, it makes no sense ( although don't get me started on airlines and "making sense" ) not to list Moderna .

 

My question would be, are you looking at just the generic requirements for Iceland or  looking on the Delta site under My Trips and entering your Record Locator to see the specific requirements for your flight . I don't normally deal with Delta ; mainly AA from DFW . On AA once you get inside your actual res then there is a section to click on requirements.  Same thing for my United flight to Reykjavik. There they refer me to the Iceland site and also Timeatic which is a site used by the airlines at check in to confirm needed documentation. AA uses that and Sherpa.  All 3 sites show Moderna as an accepted vaccination for Iceland. 

 

If you are looking at My Trips and it still shows that list without Moderna, I would be on the phone to Delta.  

[SantaFe1]

The delta site under my trips says nothing.  They send you to a destination map, you choose Iceland, you click COVID test and then vaccine exemption.  It does not list Moderna.  But there is a click here for more info tab, and when you click that, it takes you to the Iceland web page which DOES list Moderna.  Go figure.  But who knows what the checkin person will say when we go the morning of June 25.  But surely 40-45% of Delta’s passengers to Iceland have Moderna certificates.  They can’t be turning all these people away.  I will try to call Delta, but I’m not sure a booking agent will have any info, and I would want something in writing!  Thanks for the help.

[vslparis]

7 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

A question to all about the Travel Requirement document that Viking just sent out.

 

If you are working with a Travel Agent, did you receive the e-mail directly from Viking or through your TA?

 

TIA

I am wearing both hats ( TA and regular passenger ) and I only received that email at my "regular passenger" email, not my TA one.  This does not surprise me though.  Some things like Dining Reservations they send to the TA and not the client and others, like this Travel Requirement, they send only to the client.  Drives me nuts 😬

[philw1776]

The concern is it is DELTA who decides if you can board. I'd say that despite what Delta says, the fact is that they of course will accept Moderna. It's an oversight on the part of some employees responsible for the web content. Disconcerting but not an actual issue.

[Heartgrove]

14 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Our friends in Scotland who want to do this cruise are concerned whether they will be able to get to the disembarkation port due to Britain’s Covid rules....are you sure you will be able to?

 

Even though I spent a few hours investigating this cruise, I am going to put it aside. Red , Amber, and Green requirements for GB  (US is Amber) gets too cumbersome. No credit given for being vaccinated is a minus. 

 

With shore excursions allegedly opening tomorrow for our cruise, and Iceland relaxing the testing at the border makes it a lot simpler. See what tomorrow brings. 

 

Thanks for the help!

[vslparis]

6 minutes ago, philw1776 said:

The concern is it is DELTA who decides if you can board. I'd say that despite what Delta says, the fact is that they of course will accept Moderna. It's an oversight on the part of some employees responsible for the web content. Disconcerting but not an actual issue.

I agree that it is Delta and it is the person doing web content that missed something.  Like we all need more headaches and concerns about what is needed ! 

 But the agent at the airport can check with Timeatic or whoever they use at the airport and will see that Moderna is fine.   It would be nice for everyone's peace of mind if Delta would just update their info though. 

[vslparis]

25 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

The delta site under my trips says nothing.  They send you to a destination map, you choose Iceland, you click COVID test and then vaccine exemption.  It does not list Moderna.  But there is a click here for more info tab, and when you click that, it takes you to the Iceland web page which DOES list Moderna.  Go figure.  But who knows what the checkin person will say when we go the morning of June 25.  But surely 40-45% of Delta’s passengers to Iceland have Moderna certificates.  They can’t be turning all these people away.  I will try to call Delta, but I’m not sure a booking agent will have any info, and I would want something in writing!  Thanks for the help.

I am going to contact someone and see if I can get it in writing.  Just the kind of challenge I like 😉

[SkystheLimit]

6 minutes ago, vslparis said:

I agree that it is Delta and it is the person doing web content that missed something.  Like we all need more headaches and concerns about what is needed ! 

 But the agent at the airport can check with Timeatic or whoever they use at the airport and will see that Moderna is fine.   It would be nice for everyone's peace of mind if Delta would just update their info though. 

yes it would.  Working on that.

 

[SantaFe1]

24 minutes ago, philw1776 said:

The concern is it is DELTA who decides if you can board. I'd say that despite what Delta says, the fact is that they of course will accept Moderna. It's an oversight on the part of some employees responsible for the web content. Disconcerting but not an actual issue.

OK, just called Delta, customer service, not reservations.  This is what he said.  Delta checkin agents don’t use the Delta website.  He will report that is is missing Moderna.  Then he walked me through to see what the agents DO use.  (Timeatic)
GO to your trip details.  At the top click the blue international destination requirements.  Pull up the document and fill in Iceland under itinerary and usa under traveler, that’s all, check the blue check box at the bottom of the page.  It then takes you to a document, and go to the red restrictions section, and in paragraph 4 click the exemptions.  It takes you to the Iceland requirement page where lo and behold it lists Moderna!  Voila!! Done and done.  I am satisfied.  And if I’m left sitting at the tarmac, I will let everyone know, since we are on the first cruise.

Edited June 3, 2021 by SantaFe1

[SantaFe1]

8 minutes ago, vslparis said:

Timeatic

This is what they use!

[vslparis]

1 minute ago, SantaFe1 said:

OK, just called Delta, customer service, not reservations.  This is what he said.  Delta checkin agents don’t use the Delta website.  He will report that is is missing Moderna.  Then he walked me through to see what the agents DO use.  
GO to your trip details.  At the top click the blue international destination requirements.  Pull up the document and fill in Iceland under itinerary and usa under traveler, that’s all, check the blue check box at the bottom of the page.  It then takes you to a document, and go to the red restrictions section, and in paragraph 4 click the exemptions.  It takes you to the Iceland requirement page where lo and behold it lists Moderna!  Voila!! Done and done.  I am satisfied.  And if I’m left sitting at the tarmac, I will let everyone know, since we are on the first cruise.

Great !   Glad that you got a knowledgeable rep. As I mentioned, at the airport they use a totally different system to check that stuff.   It sounds  like the agent directed you to what I can use on the AA and United sites for my actual reservations to check requirements.

 

This is the great thing about Cruise Critic; if someone has a problem, then it gets discussed and solutions are found 😄.  One less thing to worry about.

[EJLobster]

...

Edited June 3, 2021 by EJLobster
old news!

[vslparis]

11 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

This is what they use!

Now if you get to the airportand the agent gives you grief about Moderna, you can just say, please check with Timeatic 😂

[cfgrandma]

As a first time Viking cruiser will it save time to pre-register my bank account if I want to use the E-check method for our excursions to save the 3/3%?  Have made my list of what we want to do.

 

Carolyn

[TayanaLorna]

4 hours ago, AKexplorer said:

We used my Saphire points to book on Icelandair after Air Canada cancelled our flights. Some weird glitch with flights being booked through Jetblue on Icelandair - result is we cannot prepay for luggage or preselect seats. We're caught in the never-never land between two "partner" airlines whose system can't talk to eachother. Not very happy with that - but at least the cost was half of what we were initially paying for Viking Air (if paying in dollars) so that's a little consolation. Though using points for a budget airline is really a poor way to leverage their value.

We booked Icelandair as a code share with Jet Blue.  We start in San Juan, fly to JFK on Jet Blue and then Icelandair to KEF.  No problem getting Jet Blue seats but same as you for Icelandair.  I even got the booking number for Icelandair from Jet Blue and called them.  Still couldn't get seats or baggage.  They said 24 hours before or at JFK.  Apparently we will have the same issue flying codeshare to Barcelona with American/Iberia in the Fall.

[anaco_angler]

It's hard trying to choose some of the shore excursions based on descriptions. Does anyone have any more information about the In the Footsteps of the Elves tour in Seydisfjordur? Is there any chance of seeing the elusive puffin on this tour? It's a bit pricey so it would be helpful to know what we might see. And taking that tour precludes taking the included tour. Appreciate any insight.

[madrone]

56 minutes ago, anaco_angler said:

It's hard trying to choose some of the shore excursions based on descriptions. Does anyone have any more information about the In the Footsteps of the Elves tour in Seydisfjordur? Is there any chance of seeing the elusive puffin on this tour? It's a bit pricey so it would be helpful to know what we might see. And taking that tour precludes taking the included tour. Appreciate any insight.

I asked that question several times prior to our ability to book excursions and I got no answers.  But I did NOT contact Viking directly on this one.  To me the description looks like there could be the potential of the majority of the trip being a long bus ride without many stops.  We passed on it.  However I did inquire about the Golden Circle and the rep sent me a timetable blow by blow account of that excursion. 

 

[TayanaLorna]

1 hour ago, anaco_angler said:

It's hard trying to choose some of the shore excursions based on descriptions. Does anyone have any more information about the In the Footsteps of the Elves tour in Seydisfjordur? Is there any chance of seeing the elusive puffin on this tour? It's a bit pricey so it would be helpful to know what we might see. And taking that tour precludes taking the included tour. Appreciate any insight.

What I did is go to Google Maps, plug in Seydisfjordur and all the locations mentioned in the Elves description to get a sense of where it went.  Google Maps also had photos of the areas too.  Did a directions from place to place and it's a bit over an hours drive.  

[anaco_angler]

Thank you, TayanaLorna, that helps. An 1hr 17min drive one-way is not bad and it looks like it will be more than just a long ride.

[MN2Cruise]

Has anyone on any of the earlier Iceland cruises (we are on the July 17 cruise) used E-check for payment of their Optional Excursions (saving the 3.3% like we have done for the cruise fare)?

I think someone mentioned this earlier (though perhaps they had not actually done it), and my sister called today and the Viking rep said they could not take E-check for excursions.

Just wondering since we hope to book optional excursions tomorrow!!

Mark