Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[jtwind]

Are the vaccine and testing requirements for the Iceland cruises on the Viking website somewhere?

[Clay Clayton]

6 minutes ago, jtwind said:

Are the vaccine and testing requirements for the Iceland cruises on the Viking website somewhere?

Iceland’s requirements are not. They can be found here:

https://www.covid.is/categories/travel-to-and-within-iceland

 

Viking’s procedures are here: 

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/14-210511_COVID-19PoliciesAndProcedures-US.pdf
 

 

[librarylady19]

They either didn’t read far enough: 

As noted above, under exemptions: “ foreign nationals who are able to show a certificate of vaccination or a certificate that they have had COVID-19 and are no longer infectious.....”

 

OR, they are just trying to get people riled up. 

[jtwind]

https://www.covid.is/categories/travel-to-and-within-iceland

 

This thing is pretty poorly written.  

 

So people from the US who have been vaccinated have to apply for an exemption?  Does Viking help with that?

[jtwind]

Do residents of the EEA/EFTA area also have to show proof of vaccination?

[oakridger]

1 hour ago, jtwind said:

https://www.covid.is/categories/travel-to-and-within-iceland

 

This thing is pretty poorly written.  

 

So people from the US who have been vaccinated have to apply for an exemption?  Does Viking help with that?

Everybody must undergo testing on arrival to Iceland. This includes children, those who have been vaccinated and those who have already had COVID-19.

Everyone should quarantine, but passengers who present a vaccination certificate or a certificate of previous infection only need to be quarantined until a negative result is obtained from the border testing. If you don´t get a message within 24 hours the result is negative.

[jtwind]

OK.  So there may be non-vaccinated people on the flights to Iceland, but everyone on the cruise ship will be required to be vaccinated?  Is this correct?

[anaco_angler]

jtwind, suggest you consult icelandair.com and click on the Covid 19 Travel Information banner at the top of the page. It should answer all of your questions.

 

[vslparis]

14 minutes ago, jtwind said:

OK.  So there may be non-vaccinated people on the flights to Iceland, but everyone on the cruise ship will be required to be vaccinated?  Is this correct?

D

 

14 minutes ago, jtwind said:

OK.  So there may be non-vaccinated people on the flights to Iceland, but everyone on the cruise ship will be required to be vaccinated?  Is this correct?

Yes, everyone ( including crew) on the Viking ship needs to be fully vaccinated ( this means that their last shot has to be 14 days or more before the cruise ) . More than likely , although not required, the majority of the people on the flight to Iceland ( talking about the segment that goes nonstop from someplace in the US to Iceland, not the connecting portion if you have to do that  ) will be vaccinated as there are still pretty stringent rules about pre trip testing and quarantine if you are not vaccinated .  

[Clay Clayton]

Here is a report that just was posted (on that site which can’t be named)about their arrival at Reykjavik this morning. While procedures may change it does answer the what kind of test - both!😝

[sleepybobo]

55 minutes ago, vslparis said:

D

 

Yes, everyone ( including crew) on the Viking ship needs to be fully vaccinated ( this means that their last shot has to be 14 days or more before the cruise ) . More than likely , although not required, the majority of the people on the flight to Iceland ( talking about the segment that goes nonstop from someplace in the US to Iceland, not the connecting portion if you have to do that  ) will be vaccinated as there are still pretty stringent rules about pre trip testing and quarantine if you are not vaccinated .  

Regarding the crew being vaccinated part, I still haven’t seen any direct confirmation from Viking. So far, Viking just said the crew will be tested everyday.

 

I’d definitely feel more comfortable if the crew are also vaccinated. 

[LindaS272]

21 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

Regarding the crew being vaccinated part, I still haven’t seen any direct confirmation from Viking. So far, Viking just said the crew will be tested everyday.

 

I’d definitely feel more comfortable if the crew are also vaccinated. 

Not true. Viking HAS said that staff and crew will be vaccinated. You’ll have to search either here on Cruise Critic or the Viking website, or Tor’s interviews to find it. But it was announced.

[sleepybobo]

6 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Not true. Viking HAS said that staff and crew will be vaccinated. You’ll have to search either here on Cruise Critic or the Viking website, or Tor’s interviews to find it. But it was announced.

Okay. Thanks. So the crew on Sky and Jupiter, not just Venus, are also vaccinated. Great news! I must have missed the announcement. 

[Cruiser1854]

Hi,

 

Just browsed Viking cruises, new bookings.  Looks like all the cruises not already booked are being offered 

free Silver Spirit packages ?

[SantaFe1]

Yes, I saw that too.  We are thinking about Greek Odyssey in October, and that cruise has it too.  So not just the Welcome Back cruises. 

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, sleepybobo said:

Regarding the crew being vaccinated part, I still haven’t seen any direct confirmation from Viking. So far, Viking just said the crew will be tested everyday.

 

I’d definitely feel more comfortable if the crew are also vaccinated. 

 

We chatted recently with a crew member from our WC, who signed-on the Orion. He mentioned all crew are receiving vaccinations once they complete their quarantine.

[jtwind]

Does anyone know what Iceland's response will be if someone on your flight tests positive?  I think Iceland is pretty serious about contact tracing.  Is it even addressed anywhere?

[LindaS272]

17 minutes ago, jtwind said:

Does anyone know what Iceland's response will be if someone on your flight tests positive?  I think Iceland is pretty serious about contact tracing.  Is it even addressed anywhere?

Go to Covid.is and read up on requirements.

[Dukefan]

The only thing that they say on their website is that if someone in your party tests positive, they will have to quarantine with you. They do not state clearly what your party means.   In the flights that have arrived during the past few months while a few folks have tested positive they have never quarantined the whole plane.   

 

If someone in the grocery store you visit tests positive for Covid do you think the whole store and all their customers should quarantine?

[LindaS272]

They use the app for contact tracing—so I presume they would notify you. Have not seen any info here or on Iceland TripAdvisor forums that anybody was notified if someone on their plane tested positive.

[jtwind]

44 minutes ago, Dukefan said:

The only thing that they say on their website is that if someone in your party tests positive, they will have to quarantine with you. They do not state clearly what your party means.   In the flights that have arrived during the past few months while a few folks have tested positive they have never quarantined the whole plane.   

 

If someone in the grocery store you visit tests positive for Covid do you think the whole store and all their customers should quarantine?

 

There was an instance in Europe months ago in which everyone on the same shuttle bus from an airport were quarantined because one person tested positive.  So if it's not specifically written somewhere, who knows?

 

Anyone know of trip insurance policies that would cover last minute cancellation due to quarantine?  Are 'cancel for any reason' policies covering such a thing these days?

[jtwind]

1 hour ago, LindaS272 said:

Go to Covid.is and read up on requirements.

This is from covid.is:  They are contradictory, since they currently classify the US as a 'B' high risk area.

 

In very short: 

People who present a vaccination certificate or a certificate of previous infectionare allowed to enter the country. 

Unnecessary traveling of people who don´t live in Iceland, from high-risk countries is banned.

 

[jtwind]

This, from icelandair.com, indicates that the vast majority, if not all of the people on the plane, should be vaccinated.  But another site was indicating that one could fly there without a vaccine, but they would have to quarantine for 5 or 6 days:

 

From USA and Canada: External Schengen borders are closed to USA and Canada, therefore we are currently unable to welcome US or Canadian passport-holders who do not hold proof of vaccination or prior infection. Note that some exceptions apply for close family ties and for essential travel - read more at the official site: Regarding travel restrictions to Iceland as a result of COVID-19.

[Dukefan]

jtwind - glad to see you are reading the information that is available on Iceland's Covid travel rules.  I believe they are doing a great job on managing the pandemic based on the number of cases that they have had.   Of course, there is a possiblity that if you travel there you could end up with Covid and have to quarantine there.   Quite frankly, I beieve that your odds of getting Covid are much higher in the US where if you got Covid you would also have to quarantine.  We each have to go through life deciding what risks we are willing to take.  This process is different for each of us.   I am very comfortable with taking a trip to Iceland at this time.   You may not be. Neither of us are right and neither of us are wrong.    I still wear a mask when I am out and about.   I have friends that threw away their masks after they got their shots.  They hopefully have looked at all the risks and are doing things that they are comfortable with and so am I.  That said, I do have a travel policy that will cover my stay in Iceland should I get Covid.   If that happens, it will spoil a potentially wonderful trip, living in a hotel room in quarantine until I recover.  This risk is more than balanced for me by the opportunity to spend a potentially wonderful vacation seeing a specticularly beautiful country.   Life and how much we each get out of it is a result of the choices we make.

 

[Doc who loves to travel]

We have one full day in Iceland before cruise.  Would you a) go to blue lagoon or b) hike to view volcano?  We are very active people.  Haven't found anything to do both in same day.