Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[NeilP57]

On 6/9/2021 at 9:11 PM, Dave W 10 said:

Neil

Same problem on 24th July sailing. I spoke to Viking on Monday, not aware of error. I followed up with email and still waiting for reply.

 

Dave

 

Any contact from Viking yet?

 

I am also trying to work out why My Viking Journey would not let me access online dining reservations or ShoreX purchases and I was wondering if it is because I had booked through a UK travel agent. In the past this has not been a problem and you have always been able to access ShoreX and Dining bookings even if you have booked through a TA. But as we keep saying, these Welcome Back cruises are different.

 

I suspect from one of your previous posts that you have booked direct with Viking here in the UK, so my question is were you you able to book your ShoreX for your 24/7 sailing directly within MVJ or did you need to do it through a Viking agent?  As I needed to book mine through a Viking agent

 

 

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

1 hour ago, vabeachlady said:

I've been scrolling looking for the post about the spreadsheet for Excursions (AKexplorer! maybe).  Anyways, haven't found it.  Could someone please give me the post number.  I'd love to take a look at that spreadsheet.  Hubby and I are trying to plan our excursions and hoping we can get the ones we want.

 

Thanks.

Vabeachlady, hello from Maryland.  If you just want a concise, easy to read document which describes  excursions, see the attached document I received from peregrina.  It's for the July 3 cruise, but probably pretty close to what's reflected on AKexplorer's spreadsheet.  However, times may be slightly off, plus I think there were a few additions/subtractions made by Viking after the document came out.

ICE ShoreExcursions Descriptions (1).pdf

[Clay Clayton]

3 hours ago, anaco_angler said:

And just to clarify for our UK friends, the SS package was not given to all US passengers. It was only offered on certain sailings. And on those sailings the price per person in the DV cabins was $200 higher than on the early sailings, so the SS package made up for part of that increase.

Not to argue but the price for a DV5 (when I checked on the day the SS promo was announced for the later sailings) was $600 higher than what we paid for our DV5. 

[Dave W 10]

Neil

It was me that told you this morning that US prices would apply. Nothing since then.

Yes we booked direct. We have made restaurant bookings and booked included excursions on MVJ. Had to phone Viking for optional excursions, I think because there is no way to pay on MVJ.

[NeilP57]

Thanks. Hopefully the glitches in MVJ and then the ability to transfer dining reservation to the on board systems will get sorted over the coming weeks. 

[Dave W 10]

Neil

I posted somewhere else but just to reassure, we were on the Viking Venus last week (probably passed you on Tresco) and it was pretty much the full Viking experience, so good in fact that we booked for next week as well!

[gramfrog]

40 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Vabeachlady, hello from Maryland.  If you just want a concise, easy to read document which describes  excursions, see the attached document I received from peregrina.  It's for the July 3 cruise, but probably pretty close to what's reflected on AKexplorer's spreadsheet.  However, times may be slightly off, plus I think there were a few additions/subtractions made by Viking after the document came out.

ICE ShoreExcursions Descriptions (1).pdf 181.25 kB · 3 downloads

Does anyone know if they are the same shore excursions for Jupiter in August?

[MarkTapley]

40 minutes ago, gramfrog said:

Does anyone know if they are the same shore excursions for Jupiter in August?

Check out post #1664, of this thread on the previous page.  This person booked excursions today and is on the August 3 Jupiter cruise.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

22 minutes ago, MarkTapley said:

Check out post #1664, of this thread on the previous page.  This person booked excursions today and is on the August 3 Jupiter cruise.

Yes, post #1664.  I posted that thread, based on today's booking experience.  And I just compared the Viking excursions listed on the July 3 cruise excursion descriptions document to the excursions on offer for my cruise Aug. 3 on Jupiter.  Everything is the same except My Viking Journey shows: 

 

-New Reykjavik excursion "Black Beach by ATV & Lava Tunnel" $299, 8 AM, demanding, only one time slot, now sold out  

-Akureyri - No Akureyri Wildnerness by 4x4 (and think someone reported increased price for Husavik Baths earlier on)

 

For the other ports, the excursions on offer for July 3 are identical to those of August 3 (Jupiter). 

[vslparis]

I was on my VeriFly APP and see that there is now the option to add Viking Trip to your passes.  I did that and filled in the information requested ;  booking number, sail date, birth dates of both passengers ( I have the APP and added my husband as a companion on the Viking pass and added his picture. 

it also requested that I upload a picture of our Covid Vaccination Card . 

[SantaFe1]

3 minutes ago, vslparis said:

I was on my VeriFly APP and see that there is now the option to add Viking Trip to your passes.  I did that and filled in the information requested ;  booking number, sail date, birth dates of both passengers ( I have the APP and added my husband as a companion on the Viking pass and added his picture. 

it also requested that I upload a picture of our Covid Vaccination Card . 

It doesn’t seem to take Delta?  Or am I missing something?

[vslparis]

59 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

It doesn’t seem to take Delta?  Or am I missing something?

I don’t believe that Delta uses  VeriFly , nor does the APP cover trips to Iceland as far as I can see.  I was only able to add a Pass for Viking, and for a trip to France that we are ,hopefully , taking next month .

I did see my status for the Viking trip change to “Ready to Travel” about 30 minutes after I submitted my info.  Since Viking is now on the app, it makes me wonder what, if anything, they will do with the info.  I am going to check with the and will let you know what they say. Don’t believe that I have seen anything on the website or MVJ about it but could have missed it. 

[Envelope21]

4 hours ago, NeilP57 said:

 

 

 

I am also trying to work out why My Viking Journey would not let me access online dining reservations or ShoreX purchases and I was wondering if it is because I had booked through a UK travel agent. In the past this has not been a problem and you have always been able to access ShoreX and Dining bookings even if you have booked through a TA. But as we keep saying, these Welcome Back cruises are different.

 

 

 

 

We are in the US and booked directly with Viking. We have never been able to book shore excursions or dinner reservations through MVJ. Never. I have called and spoke with agents who are very kind and helpful. Everything we have book has been through them. When I go to MVJ, the place to reserve at The Restaurant has always been grayed out.

[id4elizabeth]

2 hours ago, vslparis said:

I was on my VeriFly APP and see that there is now the option to add Viking Trip to your passes.  I did that and filled in the information requested ;  booking number, sail date, birth dates of both passengers ( I have the APP and added my husband as a companion on the Viking pass and added his picture. 

it also requested that I upload a picture of our Covid Vaccination Card . 

Are we supposed to be using this app?  Has Viking or the airlines instructed us to do so?  I'm in the dark about this - can anyone enlighten me?  Thanks!

[vslparis]

1 hour ago, id4elizabeth said:

Are we supposed to be using this app?  Has Viking or the airlines instructed us to do so?  I'm in the dark about this - can anyone enlighten me?  Thanks!

It is just an app that some airlines suggest you use to determine if you have the required documentation  ( valid passport, visa , Covid requirements etc ) to travel . It is not obligatory , just a double check of entry requirements for foreign travel. You create a profile and then when you have a trip you add your flights ( only on certain airlines that seem to be mainly One World ones like AA, BA, Qantas ) and only to certain destinations of which Iceland is not one as far as I can tell.

@Clay Clayton mentioned someone on the Bermuda forum getting an email from Viking about VeriFly . I just happened to see the option to create  a My Pass for a Viking trip on there when I was looking on the app today.

I wouldn’t worry about having the app or doing anything with it if you don’t want to.  

[id4elizabeth]

Thanks vslparis!  I'm only slightly terrified of missing something really important that I was supposed do and not getting it done.  Thanks for setting my mind at rest!

[bardstowntraveller]

If my Viking air reservations shows an eticket number does that mean it is booked?

[vslparis]

11 minutes ago, bardstowntraveller said:

If my Viking air reservations shows an eticket number does that mean it is booked?

It means that it has been ticketed  which is what you want to see 😀

[vabeachlady]

I'm expecting dining reservations to open up very soon for my 21 August cruise on SKY.  Viking still has not posted what is being served at the Chef's Table.  Does anyone know which menu's on which nights.  There are only some of the Chef's Table selections that we like.  Thanks in advance.

 

[johnnyswitzerland]

A few shore excursion questions for this very knowledgeable group…

1. Seems some have had better luck booking shorex by calling Viking directly rather than using the MVJ system.  Can folks who booked using a travel agent call Viking for that purpose?  Or does everything have to go through the agent?  Thanks!
2. Any insight/help/advice for an Iceland newbie torn between the sights of Lake Myvatn and the Húsavik baths?  Fortunately it seems that on either excursion, one gets to experience Godafoss falls.  👍

Thank you, all, so much!  This thread is the best!

[shans]

17 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Not to argue but the price for a DV5 (when I checked on the day the SS promo was announced for the later sailings) was $600 higher than what we paid for our DV5. 

Do you think your $600 difference was due to an additional discount you may have received for being a past passenger or a referral bonus applied to your booking?

[NeilP57]

31 minutes ago, johnnyswitzerland said:

Seems some have had better luck booking shorex by calling Viking directly rather than using the MVJ system.  Can folks who booked using a travel agent call Viking for that purpose?  Or does everything have to go through the agent?  Thanks!

 

Not sure whether it will be the same in the US but I have had mixed responses here in the UK. I have booked through a UK TA.

 

Dining reservations had to be done via my TA. Viking reps were happy to tell me what was available but for some strange reason they needed by TA to contact them to make reservations.

 

As for ShoreX, I called the number of the ShoreX screen as MVJ was not working for me and a very helpful Viking Agent booked all my excursions that I wanted. It was only when I came to pay for them to he notice that my payments had previously come through a TA. Nevertheless he was happy to take the payment direct. I would like to think that if he had spotted I was a TA booked passenger he would have still make my ShoreX bookings but I will never know.

 

Not sure if it will be the same in the US but this is how it looks from the UK.

[JM0115]

According to www.visir.is, Iceland will drop the testing requirement at the border on July 1. It was previously supposed to be June 15th.  Hopefully they will not postpone this further.

 

https://www.visir.is/g/20212121051d/haetta-ad-skima-bol-usetta-og-born-um-manada-motin

 

You may have to translate this using google.

 

This is basically what is says: 

 

"The Minister of Health, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, has decided, in accordance with the proposal of the Chief Epidemiologist, to keep the arrangement of epidemiological measures at the border unchanged until 1 July next.

As of July 1, operations will be relaxed. Those who present certificates of vaccination or previous infection with Covid-19 will no longer be screened. Screening of children for Covid-19 will also be stopped upon arrival in Iceland."

[Clay Clayton]

2 minutes ago, JM0115 said:

According to www.visir.is, Iceland will drop the testing requirement at the border on July 1. It was previously supposed to be June 15th.  Hopefully they will not postpone this further.

 

https://www.visir.is/g/20212121051d/haetta-ad-skima-bol-usetta-og-born-um-manada-motin

 

You may have to translate this using google.

 

This is basically what is says: 

 

"The Minister of Health, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, has decided, in accordance with the proposal of the Chief Epidemiologist, to keep the arrangement of epidemiological measures at the border unchanged until 1 July next.

As of July 1, operations will be relaxed. Those who present certificates of vaccination or previous infection with Covid-19 will no longer be screened. Screening of children for Covid-19 will also be stopped upon arrival in Iceland."

Thanks Jim. Here is Google translation of the whole article:

 

The Minister of Health, Svandís Svavarsdóttir, has decided, in accordance with the proposal of the Chief Epidemiologist, to keep the arrangement of epidemiological measures at the border unchanged until 1 July next.

 From 1 July, operations will be relaxed.  Those who present certificates of vaccination or previous infection with Covid-19 will no longer be screened.  Screening of children for Covid-19 will also be stopped upon arrival in Iceland.

 However, those who are unable to present vaccination or previous infection certificates must continue to present negative PCR certificates and must not be older than 72 hours.  They also need to undergo two PCR screenings in Iceland with a five-day quarantine in between.  However, the plan is to review this arrangement by the middle of next month.

 According to Þórólfur's memorandum, most of the variants of the virus detected at the border from 1 May were the alpha variants of the virus (British).  Several were diagnosed as infected with the delta variant (Indian) and the beta variant (South African).

 The news has been updated.

[SantaFe1]

19 minutes ago, JM0115 said:

According to www.visir.is, Iceland will drop the testing requirement at the border on July 1. It was previously supposed to be June 15th. 

Boo!  We arrive June 26.  Oh, well.  This is what we signed up for so nothing has really changed, except our hopes!