Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[SantaFe1]

I have a question, as this is coming up in the next week for us.  This is what Viking says about the health survey:

 

Digital Health Survey: Five to seven days before your departure, you will be sent a link to the Viking Digital Health Survey that will need to be completed and submitted on MyVikingJourney.com. 

 

I thought MVJ closed down and became read-only 7 days before the cruise.  Do you suppose they have suspended that?  Or maybe just the health survey will stay open?
 

[mikew8]

1 hour ago, cfgrandma said:

Yes I got mine last Friday.

 

Lucky you.  We are still waiting for our refunds too.

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, Envelope21 said:

 

Recent post from DaveSJ711 (Post #1860) who is in Iceland now is very disconcerting --  reporting that it has been over 11 ours and still no Covid test results given. Yikes! I had been hoping worst case scenario might be 4 or 5 hours. So much is still up in the air. Hoping for more reporting from folks on the earlier cruises.

Spouse of Davesj711 here: It’s possible they sent us results around 1:30 pm because a notification flashed on each phone around then, and the Rakning app which we had to get before arriving now shows a red “1” on it but no message shows when you open the app.

 

We received texts right after testing telling us to quarantine until we get results, but no word since. They also have our email addresses. On trip/advisor various folks in the Iceland travel forums say they got their results from either texts, email or the app. One or two people say they never got a result but Covid.is says after 24 hours, consider your result negative.

 

P.S. We ate in the hotel tonight and it was functionally quarantine because we were the only guests there!

[TayanaLorna]

3 hours ago, Donaghadee said:

If anyone has an interest in bird watching, Merilin is a really handy app.  It's published by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and has "Packs" specific to regions.  They just happen to have one for Iceland. 

Available for Apple or Android phones.  It's free, but you have to provide your email address so they can pester you for donations.  Look in your app store under "Merlin".

Thanks!  Will check it out.  I was going to bring my Willdlife of the North Atlantic field guide but it doesn't cover inland birds.

[TayanaLorna]

42 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I have a question, as this is coming up in the next week for us.  This is what Viking says about the health survey:

 

Digital Health Survey: Five to seven days before your departure, you will be sent a link to the Viking Digital Health Survey that will need to be completed and submitted on MyVikingJourney.com. 

 

I thought MVJ closed down and became read-only 7 days before the cruise.  Do you suppose they have suspended that?  Or maybe just the health survey will stay open?
 

I never had MVJ close down until after my cruise was over.  However one cannot book or cancel shore excursions, spa appointments or restaurants within 7 days of the cruise.

[Queenie1603]

On 5/9/2021 at 3:57 AM, LindaS272 said:

I’m remembering our TA cruise in Sept. 2019 from Bergen to Montreal. Many port talks showed pictures of puffins but I didn’t see even one. I think they’d all flown the coop by that point. But to echo Clay, they are real and my favorite northern climes bird. Have seen them on a Kenai Fjords tour in Alaska; Fingal’s Cave off Iona & Mull in Scotland; Skellig Michael off the Ring of Kerry in Ireland; and various spots in Newfoundland. 🙂 

The best time to see Puffins in the U.K. is from April to July with the peak season May till June. I imagine Icelandic puffins are about the same time frame. There are about 43k breeding pairs on the Farne Islands, just off the Northumberland Coast. A fantastic place to visit in you are ever in the North East of England its on the Scottish Border too. 

[LindaS272]

18 minutes ago, Queenie1603 said:

The best time to see Puffins in the U.K. is from April to July with the peak season May till June. I imagine Icelandic puffins are about the same time frame. There are about 43k breeding pairs on the Farne Islands, just off the Northumberland Coast. A fantastic place to visit in you are ever in the North East of England its on the Scottish Border too. 

A great idea. I will jot it down. I’ve always wanted to go to Lindisfarne but have not yet made it.

[FoggyEthan]

FYI in Heimaey the "extension" hike to the volcano is a standalone tour not connected to the included walk. It's just a mistake. So spake a customer rep with whom I spoke a week ago and took the time to research the issue and call me back.

[Crockett&Darla]

2 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

I have a question, as this is coming up in the next week for us.  This is what Viking says about the health survey:

 

Digital Health Survey: Five to seven days before your departure, you will be sent a link to the Viking Digital Health Survey that will need to be completed and submitted on MyVikingJourney.com. 

 

I thought MVJ closed down and became read-only 7 days before the cruise.  Do you suppose they have suspended that?  Or maybe just the health survey will stay open?
 

We are cruising 6/15. At the 7 days left mark...we got an email asking us to complete this survey on MVJ. As we recall is was just a few basic questions....and you selected your answer from a picklist. Basic Covid 19 health screening questions. We don't recall if MVJ was otherwise locked down at that point.

[shipster60]

4 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

We have planned the same. Which cruise are you on?

We are on the July 13 sailing.

[johnnyswitzerland]

Oh no!

 

I've been watching vids about the Viking Ocean ships, and now I don't care about Iceland anymore!  LOL  😆🤣  I booked for Iceland but now I just want a week onboard!  Anywhere  —  please!

[bardstowntraveller]

Just saw a Facebook post indicating Viking is now allowing independent excursions in Bermuda. Hoping that will be the case in Iceland by our 8/3 cruise. I don’t think I would change my booked excursions but I like the ability to walk around town on my own

[Clay Clayton]

40 minutes ago, shipster60 said:

We are on the July 13 sailing.

Shucks. Was hoping you would be our guinea pig…but instead we will be yours! LOL

[SantaFe1]

3 hours ago, johnnyswitzerland said:

Oh no!

 

I've been watching vids about the Viking Ocean ships, and now I don't care about Iceland anymore!  LOL  😆🤣  I booked for Iceland but now I just want a week onboard!  Anywhere  —  please!

With all the angst of going on the first Iceland cruise, your posts make me happy!!  You will love it. The ship is everything you think and hope it to be.  I wish we had a few sea days on Iceland, because they are wonderful.  We will have several on the Holiday Panama cruise in December, so I can wait.  

[Envelope21]

14 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Spouse of Davesj711 here: It’s possible they sent us results around 1:30 pm because a notification flashed on each phone around then, and the Rakning app which we had to get before arriving now shows a red “1” on it but no message shows when you open the app.

 

We received texts right after testing telling us to quarantine until we get results, but no word since. They also have our email addresses. On trip/advisor various folks in the Iceland travel forums say they got their results from either texts, email or the app. One or two people say they never got a result but Covid.is says after 24 hours, consider your result negative.

 

P.S. We ate in the hotel tonight and it was functionally quarantine because we were the only guests there!

Thanks for the additional update. I have a question. When you got your Covid test at the airport, did you have to go outside to another building? Someone posted a nice video of a young couple traveling to Reykjavik and when they went to get their tests, the had to wait outside at another building. It looked really cold and I would certainly want to be prepared for that!

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, Envelope21 said:

Thanks for the additional update. I have a question. When you got your Covid test at the airport, did you have to go outside to another building? Someone posted a nice video of a young couple traveling to Reykjavik and when they went to get their tests, the had to wait outside at another building. It looked really cold and I would certainly want to be prepared for that!

Yes,we went outside to another building. We did not have to wait outside, though. There was room inside to queue up, but it went very quickly.

[gskimmel]

18 hours ago, shipster60 said:

A few people have commented that they have done the same. I made a direct call to the Keflavik airport Enterprise office. They said the Enterprise facility at the port is still closed and probably will be in July. The closest drop off location is at a bus terminal that's a 10 min. drive from the port.  We would then need to take a bus or taxi to the port. I wanted to report this for those that assumed, like us, that if they let you choose the port drop off location online, it would be available. 

We've decided against this route. Our goal was to go to the Blue Lagoon after arriving at 7 am on the way to the port. We thought a rental car would allow us to do a little touring of Reykjavik on our way. We're now renting a private car with driver from AirportDirect. It will cost a little more but will be easier for us. 

The Enterprise website said that although the port location is closed, cars can still be dropped off there. Unless I misread it. 

[LindaS272]

15 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Spouse of Davesj711 here: It’s possible they sent us results around 1:30 pm because a notification flashed on each phone around then, and the Rakning app which we had to get before arriving now shows a red “1” on it but no message shows when you open the app.

 

We received texts right after testing telling us to quarantine until we get results, but no word since. They also have our email addresses. On trip/advisor various folks in the Iceland travel forums say they got their results from either texts, email or the app. One or two people say they never got a result but Covid.is says after 24 hours, consider your result negative.

 

P.S. We ate in the hotel tonight and it was functionally quarantine because we were the only guests there!

We finally surmised that the flash notice on our phones at 1:30 pm must have been the confirmation of our negative test results. We tested at 6:22 am. The app when opened just showed “you have not been exposed” but was generic, not personalized as every other notice had been. We were expecting another text saying “your results are negative and you are free to leave quarantine.” Oh well.

 

Out looking at waterfalls today. Our hotel is on the south coast near the ferry to the Westman Islands. The hotel is in a stunning setting underneath an escarpment which is itself underneath the volcano that shut down European air travel in 2010.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, gskimmel said:

The Enterprise website said that although the port location is closed, cars can still be dropped off there. Unless I misread it. 

 

Someone else who was planning on using Enterprise called and found out that you cannot drop vehicles there. They ended up booking with another car company.

 

 

 

[Dukefan]

I just saw that the Viking Bermuda Travelers will now be allowed to travel outside the "Viking Bubble" on their own at the various Bermuda ports.  I hope that Viking and the Iceland authorities let us do that as well.  I basically see it as no different that allowing folks to travel on their own prior to boarding the ship.  The fact that we have onboard testing as well as contact tracing provides a significant means of early detection and tracing should a breakthrough case occur in order to minimize its impact..

[shipster60]

3 hours ago, gskimmel said:

The Enterprise website said that although the port location is closed, cars can still be dropped off there. Unless I misread it. 

That’s what I thought too. I asked if we could just drop them off and he said no because no one is there. We could have been having a lack of communication, but we just decided not to chance it. You might call and see what you can find out. 

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, shipster60 said:

he said no because no one is there.

 

In any case, I would be wary of dropping off without someone to inspect the vehicle-- especially after our experience in France, where the lot attendant decided that the mud on the car was damage and was going to charge us for it. I think he thought by little sister (in the short tiny sense) was going to be a pushover. Boy, was he wrong!

[Bejay219]

Since we cannot go out of our "bubble" in ICELAND, what if you forget something or need something (toothpaste, etc.) which you would normally walk to a drug store/convince store to get?

Does Viking have hair  products and bath salts in the spa for sale?

Trying to start to pack....

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Not sure if Europcar is at the cruise port, or has/doesn't have a person there for drop offs. But if so, that's a good company. We've used them a couple times in Europe.

[SantaFe1]

Just now, Bejay219 said:

Since we cannot go out of our "bubble" in ICELAND, what if you forget something or need something (toothpaste, etc.) which you would normally walk to a drug store/convince store to get?

Does Viking have hair  products and bath salts in the spa for sale?

Trying to start to pack....

 

Viking has a little shop where you can buy toothpaste etc.  we used it several times when we were on 8+ sea days on the WC.  Do t know about bath salts…