Welcome Back Cruises 2021 - Malta & Adriatic Cruises and General Discussion

[Pwalczyk]

2 hours ago, FirstTimeFreddy said:

Here is the last Viking Daily from the Viking Venus for its Adriatic itinerary. For all those that follow us, we wish you a healthy and happy cruise on this wonderful ship. We'll be back in late September to enjoy the Greek itinerary 👍

20210802_200357.pdf 549.19 kB · 15 downloads

You guys are great.   Safe travels!

[gma1]

3 hours ago, FirstTimeFreddy said:

It's hard to fault given the level of hospitality, as well as the quality of the food. This was our first time with Viking and we've been very impressed. So much so that we jumped at the chance to return in September. We'd give them a solid 9/10. Of course with so few people on board we do appreciate that this wasn't the normal cruise experience. We most definitely expect a much more fully loaded ship in September and are looking forward to a different vibe on board. 😃

Thanks for all your helpful info. Welcome to our "we love Viking" family!  It is still awesome with a full load of guests.

[MikeyB]

I'm sorry to ask such a basic question-

For the Malta and Adriatic Jewel cruises- Are we in a Viking bubble for these cruises?  I hear that Croatia is open and want to know if this applies to Viking passengers.  Thanks

[LindaS272]

2 minutes ago, MikeyB said:

I'm sorry to ask such a basic question-

For the Malta and Adriatic Jewel cruises- Are we in a Viking bubble for these cruises?  I hear that Croatia is open and want to know if this applies to Viking passengers.  Thanks

It’s probably on a cruise-by-cruise basis, but Freddy reported from the cruise just finished on the Venus that they were given notice the night before their first Croatia stop (Dubrovnik, I think) that they could roam freely in Croatia and did not need to be on a Viking excursion. Still the bubble for Montenegro and Malta/Gozo, though.

[Alan2504]

Linda is quiet correct the Croatian rules changed on the 28th of July so you can be independent on the four Croatian stops at the moment, they all are great! 😎

Sibenik and Split are walkable straight off the ship, hopefully Viking will do a shuttle for Dubrovnik and Zadar ☺️

[Alan2504]

August 2nd and 3rd Viking Daily

viking daily.pdf 3rd August Dailt.pdf

[FirstTimeFreddy]

12 hours ago, CLBSC said:

Are there any special Viking deals onboard for future bookings? I am most anxious to see Norway.....

Viking sent out emails to UK customers offering discounted cruise fares for August & September 2021 on specific itineraries. That's why we're returning in September for Malta & the Greek Isles. We got an on board price of £1395 per person + $200 (£145) on board credit + gratuities and flights included. That was even cheaper than the price we paid for the Adriatic cruise. 😯

 

Considering the online price for our cabin on this Greek cruise is £3390 per person for a Deluxe Veranda (DV2), this price was an absolute steal, saving over £4100 😲

 

There wasn't any mention of Norwegian cruises or other itineraries, but I guess you could call Viking and ask what special offers they currently have which aren't showing online.

Edited August 3, 2021 by FirstTimeFreddy

[les37b]

2 hours ago, FirstTimeFreddy said:

Viking sent out emails to UK customers offering discounted cruise fares for August & September 2021 on specific itineraries. That's why we're returning in September for Malta & the Greek Isles. We got an on board price of £1395 per person + $200 (£145) on board credit + gratuities and flights included. That was even cheaper than the price we paid for the Adriatic cruise. 😯

 

Considering the online price for our cabin on this Greek cruise is £3390 per person for a Deluxe Veranda (DV2), this price was an absolute steal, saving over £4100 😲

 

There wasn't any mention of Norwegian cruises or other itineraries, but I guess you could call Viking and ask what special offers they currently have which aren't showing online.

That is insane.

 

I think I'd move in for a year at those prices.... Though the gangway on disembarkation may be a tight squeeze! lol!

 

I know they made a similar offer for people on the Seacations for these itineraries.

 

Glad it all worked out well.... Even more gutted I didn't get the opportunity.

 

 

 

 

 

[FLORIDA FLOUNDER]

3 hours ago, FirstTimeFreddy said:

Viking sent out emails to UK customers offering discounted cruise fares for August & September 2021 on specific itineraries. That's why we're returning in September for Malta & the Greek Isles. We got an on board price of £1395 per person + $200 (£145) on board credit + gratuities and flights included. That was even cheaper than the price we paid for the Adriatic cruise. 😯

 

Considering the online price for our cabin on this Greek cruise is £3390 per person for a Deluxe Veranda (DV2), this price was an absolute steal, saving over £4100 😲

 

There wasn't any mention of Norwegian cruises or other itineraries, but I guess you could call Viking and ask what special offers they currently have which aren't showing online.

OMG! That's a phenomenal price!

I agree with les37b, I'd move in for a year at that rate! 😜

[rizello]

That is an incredible bargain they are offering!  Do you think Viking is open to revisiting the fare those of us have already paid for the August cruises?  
 

Also, do you think that Viking will reconsider doing these itineraries at all considering these areas are now on the CDC and State Department ‘do not travel’ list?

[LindaS272]

1 minute ago, rizello said:

That is an incredible bargain they are offering!  Do you think Viking is open to revisiting the fare those of us have already paid for the August cruises?  
 

Also, do you think that Viking will reconsider doing these itineraries at all considering these areas are now on the CDC and State Department ‘do not travel’ list?

I will hazard a guess and say probably not for a US issued “do not travel.” It’s not the same for us insurance-wise as it is for the Brits. It’s more a matter of whether those countries will continue to let foreigners enter and under what conditions.

[rizello]

I do not want to hijack this thread to discuss insurance coverage, so please redirect me to another forum if more appropriate.  But I am curious whether the level 4 travel advisory would invalidate any travel insurance protections in case something happened?  

 

I guess the answer is for me to check my coverage, just curious if this would be an issue.

 

Can you tell I’m getting nervous this trip might not happen for some of us?  🙂

[Alan2504]

Kalamata  today, be prepared for some high temperatures we did the Palace of Nester today and it hit 42 deg C quite brutal  😳

[Azulann]

Just booked the Western Med. repositioning cruise. Oct 12-18.

Cannot beat the price  and free air!!!!.

We did deviation ($100pp)  and Air Plus($50.00 pp). Staying in Barcelona for an extra day. I cannot take leaving a cruise ship and going directly to airport, too depressing. 

Been to some of the countries before but only repeat port is Valencia  and of course Barcelona. 

Cheers! 

Don't care if we have to maintain a bubble for excursion. And the  the COVD safety requirements are easier than our Bermuda cruise in July.  Already have Verifly on my phone!

 

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

On 8/2/2021 at 11:46 AM, FirstTimeFreddy said:

It's hard to fault given the level of hospitality, as well as the quality of the food. This was our first time with Viking and we've been very impressed. So much so that we jumped at the chance to return in September. We'd give them a solid 9/10. Of course with so few people on board we do appreciate that this wasn't the normal cruise experience. We most definitely expect a much more fully loaded ship in September and are looking forward to a different vibe on board. 😃

Hello @FirstTimeFreddy

So you really enjoyed your first Viking cruise & now you're hooked!

Viking has a way of doing that. They truly have their finger on the pulse of who their clientele are & what we like. I tent to get evangelical with my praise for the entire Viking Ocean experience. 

 

Regarding what the onboard experience/ambiance is when the ship is full I can attest everything is still uncrowded & relaxed. I've been on two trans-Atlantic crossings with a lot of sea days & there's still that phenomenon I've only seen aboard Viking of walking into a public room & having the whole place to myself. There's always activity & music, so nothing is ever boring. 

 

Bonus points that you're going back again soon! These promotions aren't to be missed!  With the single supplement waiver, I couldn't say no. I just booked two weeks as a back-to-back in September in Bermuda!

Edited August 3, 2021 by Myrtle Ave. Mayhem

[ebtrip]

A big thanks to all the Malta cruisers.. just finished Malta Health survey and VeriFLY.. all your helpful hints made it easier then it would have been.✈️🚢👌

[Jchivers]

Did anyone actually use VeriFLY? I’m sitting at O’Hare on my way home, all done with showing forms and IDs and paperwork, and never brought up VeriFLY. 

[LindaS272]

7 minutes ago, Jchivers said:

Did anyone actually use VeriFLY? I’m sitting at O’Hare on my way home, all done with showing forms and IDs and paperwork, and never brought up VeriFLY. 

It’s required now to get into Malta (as of Aug. 1), so new arrivals will need to fill out Verifly for “Malta trip” & “Viking cruise.” Malta will want to see it on arrival, and the Viking info gets submitted directly to Viking by Verifly.

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/14-210729-RestartPreCruiseRequirement-Malta-US-UK.pdf

[travelguy19]

50 minutes ago, ebtrip said:

A big thanks to all the Malta cruisers.. just finished Malta Health survey and VeriFLY.. all your helpful hints made it easier then it would have been.✈️🚢👌

Does the Malta VeriFLY and the Malta forms have to be done in a particular order? I think someone posted that you needed to fill out the Malta PLF form (and get a QR code) before the Malta VeriFLY? I also remember someone said you couldn’t fill out the Malta PLF until you had a negative PCR test to upload? So confusing 😀.

[gma1]

12 minutes ago, Jchivers said:

Did anyone actually use VeriFLY? I’m sitting at O’Hare on my way home, all done with showing forms and IDs and paperwork, and never brought up VeriFLY. 

Did you use most of the other forms and such? This new State Dept. warning today has us pretty nervous. Its upped to a level 4. We aren't due to travel until Aug. 29.

[Alan2504]

August 4th Daily for Athens another hot day coming up !

com.google.android.apps.photos.Image (1).pdf

Edited August 3, 2021 by Alan2504
File

[LindaS272]

38 minutes ago, travelguy19 said:

Does the Malta VeriFLY and the Malta forms have to be done in a particular order? I think someone posted that you needed to fill out the Malta PLF form (and get a QR code) before the Malta VeriFLY? I also remember someone said you couldn’t fill out the Malta PLF until you had a negative PCR test to upload? So confusing 😀.

Here’s the link about the order in which to fill out the form:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2781798-viking-venus-malta-adriatic-jewels-aug-23-sep-2-2021/?do=findComment&comment=61536692

 

As for the PCR test, Malta is not requiring one right now if you are vaccinated, so you should be able to fill out the form without test results.

 

[ebtrip]

36 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Here’s the link about the order in which to fill out the form:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2781798-viking-venus-malta-adriatic-jewels-aug-23-sep-2-2021/?do=findComment&comment=61536692

 

As for the PCR test, Malta is not requiring one right now if you are vaccinated, so you should be able to fill out the form without test results.

 

As of today, we are on United to Newark September 1, they state that a covid test  is necessary for our connecting flight on Lufthansa..  all very confusing.  Also filled out the Malta health form after printing it.  Lots of paper work.

[JessM66]

12 hours ago, les37b said:

That is insane.

 

I think I'd move in for a year at those prices.... Though the gangway on disembarkation may be a tight squeeze! lol!

 

I know they made a similar offer for people on the Seacations for these itineraries.

 

Glad it all worked out well.... Even more gutted I didn't get the opportunity.

 

 

 

 

 

The deal is still on, well apart from the onboard credit, we didn’t get that. We booked at the weekend. The prices aren’t quoted on the website, but just mention the special email Malta deals

[LindaS272]

34 minutes ago, ebtrip said:

As of today, we are on United to Newark September 1, they state that a covid test  is necessary for our connecting flight on Lufthansa..  all very confusing.  Also filled out the Malta health form after printing it.  Lots of paper work.

Ugh. We are flying Sept. 8 on Lufthansa SEA-FRA-MALTA. I will double check to see what Lufthansa is telling us but pretty sure the German govt. does not require PCR test for transit if you are vaccinated. I’ve seen others say United is giving them conflicting information. We are flying United home MALTA-FRA-SFO-SEA with a night in FRA in transit.