LIVE from "Iceland's Natural Beauty" -- All Sailings, 2021

[Peregrina651]

WELCOME BACK and WELCOME ABOARD the Viking Sky and the Viking Jupiter as we sail around the island nation of Iceland.

 

One thread for all sailings so that we can keep the conversation about the changing conditions on board the re-start cruises in one place.

 

The LIVE thread is all about the on-board experience while Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022  and roll calls will continue to be about the pre-departure issues and chat.  Everyone on board is invited participate so that we can paint as detailed a picture of the WELCOME BACK experience as possible.  Question about the ship and the on-board experience are welcomed and encouraged!

 

There is so much to share. Among other things, we can talk about:

 

• arrival procedures and transfers,
• the embarkation procedure,
• dining reservations and service,
• pool/spa/gym,
• how many people are on board,
• the Covid protocols (and any changes that have been made to them),
• the individual shorex (what they are like and how things work) and perhaps even independent tours,
• disembarkation, airport and arrival in the US/UK.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words and internet is free, so hit us with your best shots!

[SantaFe1]

Thanks, Peregrina!

[GVHarrier]

Thanks Peregrina651! We'll be heading there on Wednesday and arriving in Iceland at 7:00 am on 6/24. Hoping we test negative and hear quickly. I'm wondering if they will be able to give us an estimated time and what/how we can expect to hear. 

[Clay Clayton]

Wish I could start adding information today! July 10th seems a long way away.  

Edited June 21, 2021 by Clay Clayton

[NeilP57]

We wish you all a great trip and look forward to all the "real" news.

 

A really big thank you to Peregrina651 for all your hardwork on behalf of us all.

Edited June 21, 2021 by NeilP57

[vslparis]

We are leaving on Wednesday too ( on the same flight as GVHarrier from Newark) . Getting ready to do the Iceland Pre-Registration .  Here's hoping our room will be ready early at the hotel ! 

[gramfrog]

23 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Thanks, Peregrina!

Thank you for setting this up!!

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Peregrina, thank you for doing this!  There has been SO much speculation, it's nice to finally get to a point where we can see what will really go on.  Of course, many of us realize that all of what goes on could change.  But I think this adventure is going to be a good one.

 

Really, about all I would love to know is: 

 

-Whether the "welcome back" cruisers can go off the ship once they test negative with Viking's test (and I guess Iceland's test, for the first cruisers)

-If you made a reservation at The Restaurant, do you need to show up at that time, or are you free to come a different time, or not come at all (e.g., decide to go to World Cafe instead)?  If so, do you need to notify the maitre d (or whoever)? 

[SantaFe1]

6 minutes ago, vslparis said:

Getting ready to do the Iceland Pre-Registration . 

Let us know how that goes and if there is an email option for receiving results. 

[GVHarrier]

2 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

-If you made a reservation at The Restaurant, do you need to show up at that time, or are you free to come a different time, or not come at all (e.g., decide to go to World Cafe instead)?  If so, do you need to notify the maitre d (or whoever)? 

If you know you will not make the reservation, it would be good to cancel so that the spot opens for someone else. You can do it using the your room TV or stopping by the Restaurant. You may also be able to use the Viking Voyager app?

[GonzoWCS]

Thanks for this!

[AndreaB]

We leave tomorrow so will post on Wednesday about our arrival. Safe travels all. 
 

Andrea

[Seaharvest]

48 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

WELCOME BACK and WELCOME ABOARD the Viking Sky and the Viking Jupiter as we sail around the island nation of Iceland.

 

One thread for all sailings so that we can keep the conversation about the changing conditions on board the re-start cruises in one place.

 

The LIVE thread is all about the on-board experience while Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022  and roll calls will continue to be about the pre-departure issues and chat.  Everyone on board is invited participate so that we can paint as detailed a picture of the WELCOME BACK experience as possible.  Question about the ship and the on-board experience are welcomed and encouraged!

 

There is so much to share. Among other things, we can talk about:

 

• arrival procedures and transfers,
• the embarkation procedure,
• dining reservations and service,
• pool/spa/gym,
• how many people are on board,
• the Covid protocols (and any changes that have been made to them),
• the individual shorex (what they are like and how things work) and perhaps even independent tours,
• disembarkation, airport and arrival in the US/UK.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words and internet is free, so hit us with your best shots!

Thanks for getting this started. I am looking forward to getting real live info. 

[Jgg630]

Thank you

[ValarieDennis]

This is great. We’ll have a much better idea of what is in store for all of us in the future.

[GVHarrier]

38 minutes ago, vslparis said:

Here's hoping our room will be ready early at the hotel ! 

Us too! This is what the Hotel told us: 

Early check-in can only be guaranteed, if you book the full prior night.

We can always store your luggage free of charge until the check-in time.

 

I really don't want to pay an extra night's rate for a few hours. We would love to be able to just drop our bags and go until we're ready to drop for the day. I would be okay with walking around outside, doing the Sculpture Shore walk, general sightseeing, people watching or window shopping, if they permitted it and I would be fine with doing it with our KN95 masks.

 

I'm hoping the weather is as good as this forecast....and we can get out and enjoy most of our first day!

[JM0115]

1 hour ago, vslparis said:

We are leaving on Wednesday too ( on the same flight as GVHarrier from Newark) . Getting ready to do the Iceland Pre-Registration .  Here's hoping our room will be ready early at the hotel ! 

Good luck! Have a great cruise!

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, GVHarrier said:

Thanks Peregrina651! We'll be heading there on Wednesday and arriving in Iceland at 7:00 am on 6/24. Hoping we test negative and hear quickly. I'm wondering if they will be able to give us an estimated time and what/how we can expect to hear. 

 

59 minutes ago, AndreaB said:

We leave tomorrow so will post on Wednesday about our arrival. Safe travels all. 
 

Andrea

 

1 hour ago, vslparis said:

We are leaving on Wednesday too ( on the same flight as GVHarrier from Newark) . Getting ready to do the Iceland Pre-Registration .  Here's hoping our room will be ready early at the hotel ! 

 

 

OKAY!!! 

 

FIRST LOGISTICS QUESTION FOR YOU ALL -- and for the folks arriving on June 26

 

I want to hit an ATM in the Arrivals Hall when we land. Will I be able to?

 

TIA

[SantaFe1]

1 minute ago, Peregrina651 said:

I want to hit an ATM in the Arrivals Hall when we land. Will I be able to?

And related to that, will we have time to open our luggage and pull out and on sweaters and raincoats before going outside to get tested.  Or is it a mass, herded exit?  

[GVHarrier]

Just now, Peregrina651 said:

 

 

 

 

OKAY!!! 

 

FIRST LOGISTICS QUESTION FOR YOU ALL -- and for the folks arriving on June 26

 

I want to hit an ATM in the Arrivals Hall when we land. Will I be able to?

 

TIA

I plan to do the same so should be able to let you know. I'd also like to swing by the Duty-Free. I watched a YouTube travel video by a young couple who travelled on their own to Iceland in May. They didn't mention the ATM but they did say they stopped at the Duty Free. They then picked up a rental vehicle and went to their hotel for a nap. They had a message of their negative test results when they woke.

[AndreaB]

I’ll definitely let you know about the ATM because I’ll be on the lookout for one as well. 
 

Andrea

 

[Peregrina651]

17 minutes ago, GVHarrier said:

I would be okay with walking around outside,

 

For current rules, see: https://www.covid.is/categories/how-does-quarantine-work

Scroll down, way down to see what you can and cannot do in quarantine.

 

But do let us know how it actually works out.

[Wander58]

We are on the August 17 Iceland cruise.  We are very interested in your experiences and advice as the first Iceland cruise gets underway.  This will be our first Viking Ocean cruise, but we have been on 6 Viking River trips.

 

Right not, one big plus for us is that Iceland is not going to require any testing on entry after July 1.  We are wishing you all the best and hope everything goes smoothly. 

[GVHarrier]

2 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

For current rules, see: https://www.covid.is/categories/how-does-quarantine-work

Scroll down, way down to see what you can and cannot do in quarantine.

 

But do let us know how it actually works out.

I just checked the rules and this is what it says so I'm wondering how a short walk is defined. I regularly walk 5 miles. So anything up to that would be a normal short walk, wouldn't it?

[Peregrina651]

KEF website has a whole section devoted to money exchange and VAT refund.

https://www.isavia.is/en/keflavik-airport/before-flying/services-and-facilities/currency-and-vat-refunds

 

Airport map marks the ATMs in the arrivals hall.