Questions that only those on the Bermuda cruises (Jun 15......etc) can answer

[Azulann]

So happy to see  guests leaving the ship ( Bermuda webcam)this morning  to explore Bermuda for the day.

After 56 pages  on the general Bermuda thread, I  am starting this one for specific  details...

 

Is the pool roof open?

Are folks out in the infinity pool and hot tub?

Is there trivia?

Who is the resident Historian ?  What are the topics, port talks etc? 

Does Viking provide  walking  maps of the port towns? 

How are the excursions you have done? 

Who is the Captain

Who is the Cruise Director? 

How are various music venues around the ship? 

Chef Table menu schedules? 

Best drink you have had on the ship?

I assume the food is as good as always, everywhere on ship.

 

Enjoy your breakfast  the balcony, Explorer Lounge, Viking Bar and Living room, Wintergarden , you are indeed Trail Blazers.

The rest of us will be along in the coming weeks...

Cheers,

Patti

 

 

 

Edited June 18, 2021 by Azulann

[WanderingBrit]

Keenly paying attention 🙂

[LindaS272]

3 hours ago, Azulann said:

So happy to see  guests leaving the ship ( Bermuda webcam)this morning  to explore Bermuda for the day.

After 56 pages  on the general Bermuda thread, I  am starting this one for specific  details...

 

Is the pool roof open?

Are folks out in the infinity pool and hot tub?

Is there trivia?

Who is the resident Historian ?  What are the topics, port talks etc? 

Does Viking provide  walking  maps of the port towns? 

How are the excursions you have done? 

Who is the Captain

Who is the Cruise Director? 

How are various music venues around the ship? 

Chef Table menu schedules? 

Best drink you have had on the ship?

I assume the food is as good as always, everywhere on ship.

 

Enjoy your breakfast  the balcony, Explorer Lounge, Viking Bar and Living room, Wintergarden , you are indeed Trail Blazers.

The rest of us will be along in the coming weeks...

Cheers,

Patti

 

 

 

The cruise director is Brian Rodriguez—the fabulous Broadway-style singer. My husband showed me a FB posting of the staff—and there he was! Brian was the cruise director on our Nov. 2019 SE Asia cruise on the Orion. He was ass’t. CD in July 2019 on the Sky. Sorry I can’t help beyond that.

Edited June 18, 2021 by LindaS272

[JerryInIL]

Any positive Covid tests?

[WanderingBrit]

37 minutes ago, JerryInIL said:

Any positive Covid tests?

It appears so, yes. We are told that a passenger tested positive and 4 others in close contact to her have been disembarked to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine

[vslparis]

6 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

The cruise director is Brian Rodriguez—the fabulous Broadway-style singer. My husband showed me a FB posting of the staff—and there he was! Brian was the cruise director on our Nov. 2019 SE Asia cruise on the Orion. He was ass’t. CD in July 2019 on the Sky. Sorry I can’t help beyond that.

He and his brothers have a wonderful concert on Viking .tv .  So much talent . 

[Heidi13]

13 minutes ago, vslparis said:

He and his brothers have a wonderful concert on Viking .tv .  So much talent . 

 

We had Manny on the Sun as ACD, brilliant singer. Performed a couple of his own shows.

[GonzoWCS]

11 hours ago, JerryInIL said:

Any positive Covid tests?

Yes - Cut and paste from another platform:

 

"Although we tested negative, we were in a 4 person minivan for 4 hours today and one tested positive. She is feeling fine — she is asymptomatic. Our contact tracing devices showed that she was not in close contact with anyone else today. Only we 4 had to leave.

Viking treated us very graciously, but the Bermuda government (not Viking) requires us to stay in a hotel in total isolation for a minimum of 14 days. On day 15 if the test is negative, we can fly home the next day making it 16 days really.

It was one of our best cruises ever until this happened. I am a very very active person. I am honestly quite worried that I may go seriously stir crazy.

This means we will probably leave for our Iceland cruise 6 days after we get home.

Again Viking did exactly what the Bermuda government regulation required them to. We love Viking now just much as we always have.

P.S. We followed all mask protocols.

P.P.S. We 4 were all vaccinated with Pfizer months ago.

SR"

[Azulann]

New question :   are the excursions done in mini van with only four people?

Or was this a private  excursion done by the FB guy, his wife and another couple. 

I thought all excursions were through Viking. 

Which excursions were you on this week, Gonzo?

[molymoo]

On 6/18/2021 at 9:42 PM, WanderingBrit said:

It appears so, yes. We are told that a passenger tested positive and 4 others in close contact to her have been disembarked to spend 14 days in hotel quarantine

Actually it was one positive test and while four were initially sent to quarantine, two were allowed back on the ship to complete the cruise after a test confirmed their negative status.  Only the person with the positive test and her/his travel companion stayed in quarantine.  

[molymoo]

On 6/19/2021 at 8:23 AM, Azulann said:

New question :   are the excursions done in mini van with only four people?

Or was this a private  excursion done by the FB guy, his wife and another couple. 

I thought all excursions were through Viking. 

Which excursions were you on this week, Gonzo?

Somewhere in the myriad of discussions about the “incident” a person on the trip stated that the last minute change in the itinerary for that cruise had Viking scrambling to organize excursions.  This might explain the use of the mini-vans which did not facilitate social distancing.   

[surfcitygirl]

Azulann - some additional answers to your questions. We just returned and didn't do Cruise Critic while gone.

 

Pool Roof open - yes, but dependent on the weather

People in hot tub and infinity pool. I loved hanging over the back. Limits were 4  to 6 people and usually most complied. Towards the end a few more at a time.

There were 4 speakers daily, mostly about astronomy and Bermuda.

Excursions were good - we did only Boat tour of bay pointing out famous properties and their owners and the catamaran, which included a lot of time to swim and snorkel in a beautiful bay and the sail out on the way back.

Music - guitar, duo, pianist mostly in atrium. # shows with singers - ABBA, Beatles, Pop.

Chef's Table - Asian and Mexican.

 

We were the first people on the ship at around 11 AM. First to be served at the World Buffet for lunch. It was an experience we will never forget. The staff in the buffet were just so excited to have passengers to serve and be working again that their eyes said it all. So much emotion and excitement. This pretty much continued for the entire cruise. 

 

The food was generally very good. We thought they handled the different issues covid presented very well. No complaints.

 

We did not have an issue at the airport since we arrived three days early. We got through the airport in about half an hour. The airport is quite small and having 3-4 full flights at the same time would be a lot for them to handle.

 

 

[Azulann]

Thanks so much Surfcitygirl for the answers to our questions. 
Plan to use the infinity pool deck on sea days. Sounds like the crew are so happy to be back on board . We are doing the same excursions so good to know your impressions. 
looking forward to the chef table menus!

[Pyroforyou]

Bermuda does not have big busses except for public transit. Visitors cannot drive cars as well. The mini vans are the best way to get around except if you are adventurous and rent a scooter. Sometimes at the airport you can tell who the adventurous people were and not so good at riding the scooter. 

[cadburysmom]

3 hours ago, surfcitygirl said:

Azulann - some additional answers to your questions. We just returned and didn't do Cruise Critic while gone.

 

Pool Roof open - yes, but dependent on the weather

People in hot tub and infinity pool. I loved hanging over the back. Limits were 4  to 6 people and usually most complied. Towards the end a few more at a time.

There were 4 speakers daily, mostly about astronomy and Bermuda.

Excursions were good - we did only Boat tour of bay pointing out famous properties and their owners and the catamaran, which included a lot of time to swim and snorkel in a beautiful bay and the sail out on the way back.

Music - guitar, duo, pianist mostly in atrium. # shows with singers - ABBA, Beatles, Pop.

Chef's Table - Asian and Mexican.

 

We were the first people on the ship at around 11 AM. First to be served at the World Buffet for lunch. It was an experience we will never forget. The staff in the buffet were just so excited to have passengers to serve and be working again that their eyes said it all. So much emotion and excitement. This pretty much continued for the entire cruise. 

 

The food was generally very good. We thought they handled the different issues covid presented very well. No complaints.

 

We did not have an issue at the airport since we arrived three days early. We got through the airport in about half an hour. The airport is quite small and having 3-4 full flights at the same time would be a lot for them to handle.

 

 

Thanks so much for this wonderful info!

 

I was wondering about the temperature on the ship and if I should bring a wrap/sweater for evenings. I've found some cruise ships tend to overdo it when it comes to air conditioning in warm weather ports so that walking from outside to inside feels like an arctic blast.

 

 

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, Pyroforyou said:

Bermuda does not have big busses except for public transit. Visitors cannot drive cars as well. The mini vans are the best way to get around except if you are adventurous and rent a scooter. Sometimes at the airport you can tell who the adventurous people were and not so good at riding the scooter. 

As someone who has been  a regular visitor to Bermuda for about 35 years, I think some of what you said needs clarification/amplification/correction. 

 

 Some of the "mini" buses can hold 20, and a few nearly 30 passengers, not much less than the regular Bermuda public buses, which  are quite small compared to buses commonly used in the US and elsewhere .

 

For a couple of years now two seater electric  mini cars have been available for rent by tourists in Bermuda. Here are descriptions of the four different vehicle models available:

https://www.gotobermuda.com/article/bermuda-car-rental-options

 

I'd also like to add that taxis as well as the public transit system of buses and ferries are considered by many to be the best ways to get around in Bermuda. 

 

[Dukefan]

9 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

As someone who has been  a regular visitor to Bermuda for about 35 years, I think some of what you said needs clarification/amplification/correction. 

 

 Some of the "mini" buses can hold 20, and a few nearly 30 passengers, not much less than the regular Bermuda public buses, which  are quite small compared to buses commonly used in the US and elsewhere .

 

For a couple of years now two seater electric  mini cars have been available for rent by tourists in Bermuda. Here are descriptions of the four different vehicle models available:

https://www.gotobermuda.com/article/bermuda-car-rental-options

 

I'd also like to add that taxis as well as the public transit system of buses and ferries are considered by many to be the best ways to get around in Bermuda. 

 

We rented the Renault Twizy in Bermuda two years ago for several days and loved it.  It was fun to tool around in and we felt much safer thn on the mopeds we had always previously rented in Bermuda.  From now on in Bermuda it is Twizy's for us!

[bobitegirl]

I just read on another forum that passengers were confined to their cabins until Vikings saliva test results were available. Poster said 3-4 hours

 Does that mean I can't make my 7pm Chefs Table reservation on first night.(I was already worried about it due to all the airport requirements. Thought I MIGHT have time to change and make it). 

[Pronsias OhAodha]

1 hour ago, bobitegirl said:

I just read on another forum that passengers were confined to their cabins until Vikings saliva test results were available. Poster said 3-4 hours

 Does that mean I can't make my 7pm Chefs Table reservation on first night.(I was already worried about it due to all the airport requirements. Thought I MIGHT have time to change and make it). 

Everything I've read indicates you are free to move around the ship pending the test result. That means, of course masked, unless eating, drinking or at the pool.

 

[Crockett&Darla]

1 hour ago, Pronsias OhAodha said:

Everything I've read indicates you are free to move around the ship pending the test result. That means, of course masked, unless eating, drinking or at the pool.

 

Yes...we were on the June 15 and that was the case for us.

[bobitegirl]

Great! Thanks. People on the Iceland Cruise (on that other forum) are saying they have to wait in their stateroom.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, bobitegirl said:

Great! Thanks. People on the Iceland Cruise (on that other forum) are saying they have to wait in their stateroom.

 

The requirements can vary based on the local authorities, as when docked you are also subject to National Laws and Port Authority rules. Guidelines are changing on a frequent basis, so your best answer will be from those most recent pax on your sailing.