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

[schnapperin]

The risk might be higher at the moment then in July.

 

cases are risking in the US rapidly aswell as in Iceland (for a post stay) and with travel there are more contacts, airport, transport, drinking & eating on a plane = no mask and so on

[Ballerina Sweetie Pie]

2 hours ago, Rappersmom said:

I just called Viking and they said their official protocol is to retest someone who tests positive. If they get another positive test, that person and anyone in the cabin is removed from the ship ASAP to go into quarantine on land. The other passengers are tested twice and once everyone tests negative twice the cruise continues. No one else is required to quarantine. I asked if the captain had the latitude to change the protocol. The Viking customer service rep said the captain had a little latitude but not that much. So not sure what is going on here. I am trusting that cases will drop before my Sept. 7 cruise.

From what I’m reading from a Facebook Viking Friends group- Iceland’s policy is to quarantine the entire bus when one person tests positive. I asked Viking about this last week & they just quoted their policy (like you stated above)- not Iceland’s policy…This is the 2nd case I’ve heard about.

[broker1217]

1 hour ago, BQEC said:

My friend and I decided to cancel our Iceland cruise, Sky 8/28, flying 8/27. Today is the last day to qualify for the future cruise credit, a loan to Viking you might say. 

We had a long discussion this morning about the uncertainty of events in the case of testing positive or being deemed to have been in close proximity to a positive person. This report reconfirms our concerns.

Viking daily testing and contact tracing goes above and beyond Iceland's requirements. Holding the entire busload of Viking passengers in quarantine for 7 days goes above and beyond what Viking anticipated, I'll bet.

Another thread reported 71 people being taken off the ship. First hand from two passengers part of the 71 person contingent. They were released after a day and missed their flight. Nothing more heard about that.

I am truly sorry for the passengers.

 

 

 

Could you provide a link to the thread about 71 passengers?

[Snit13]

I just got off phone with Viking rep.  For those of you booked on August 30/31 - September 7 cruise if you are concerned you have until August 16 to cancel and receive a Future Cruise Credit which is good for 2 years from the book by date if you booked under Risk Free Guarantee like we did.

He also said if you are considering canceling because of the current situation/rules you should contact your travel insurance company if you have one.

I told him we were not considering canceling until I read this thread a few minutes ago.  I don't believe if you were on the bus with someone who was not practicing safe distancing/masking on the way to Iceland you should be quarantined and/or sent off the ship to go home because they tested positive, if you were negative.

The 4 of us will now have to talk and make a decision before August 16.

[KarNog]

40 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I have to admit I was kind of thinking the same thing, as I was on the previous Jupiter cruise, and didn't see or hear of anyone testing positive. And with a few exceptions, people were complying with Covid protocols quite well, though masks alone are certainly no guarantee of safety. But people can take chances, get infected at home or on the plane, etc.  Who knows what they did after they were tested and before they stepped on Jupiter in Reykjavik?  Given Iceland's protocols, I gather all it takes is one positive person to get a lot of people quarantined.  It was always in the back of my mind.....

While I'm still planning on going, I'm certainly rethinking my shore excursions. Maybe being on a bus for 8 hours is a bad idea? I'd hate to miss the Circle Tour, but then I'd hate to miss the rest of the cruise as well.

[susanlik]

4 minutes ago, KarNog said:

While I'm still planning on going, I'm certainly rethinking my shore excursions. Maybe being on a bus for 8 hours is a bad idea? I'd hate to miss the Circle Tour, but then I'd hate to miss the rest of the cruise as well.

Then you are not planning on ever getting off boat

all tours will be groups of 20 or more

[KarNog]

2 minutes ago, susanlik said:

Then you are not planning on ever getting off boat

all tours will be groups of 20 or more

But not all the tours are 8 hours on a bus with 40 other people. Some tours are on a boat or on ATVs or hiking or walking.

[TERRIER1]

13 minutes ago, KarNog said:

But not all the tours are 8 hours on a bus with 40 other people. Some tours are on a boat or on ATVs or hiking or walking.

But to get to some of these tours you need to go by bus. The question is how long must the "contact" be before you need to quarantine?

 

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, schnapperin said:

Iceland’s quarantine & isolation regulations didn‘t change since spring 

 

if you are a contact to someone who tested positive it’s a 14 day quarantine period with the option to test out on Day 7 (if Viking is telling people to simply fly home and breaking quarantine regulations I hope the officials will take further steps)

 

if you test positive it’s a 14 day isolation period - no testing out or less if fully vaccinated. Also it’s 14 days and 7 days after last symptoms so it could even be longer

Viking is not “telling people to break quarantine regulations”—Iceland is telling them they can do this. If Viking violated regulations set down by Iceland they wouldn’t be allowed to cruise there. Please don’t promulgate misinformation.

[CanuckCurlers]

27 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

I just got off phone with Viking rep.  For those of you booked on August 30/31 - September 7 cruise if you are concerned you have until August 16 to cancel and receive a Future Cruise Credit which is good for 2 years from the book by date if you booked under Risk Free Guarantee like we did.

He also said if you are considering canceling because of the current situation/rules you should contact your travel insurance company if you have one.

I told him we were not considering canceling until I read this thread a few minutes ago.  I don't believe if you were on the bus with someone who was not practicing safe distancing/masking on the way to Iceland you should be quarantined and/or sent off the ship to go home because they tested positive, if you were negative.

The 4 of us will now have to talk and make a decision before August 16.

Just remember, if you were exposed to someone positive on the bus and test negative the next day-that means virtually nothing. You need to wait 4-14 days, then if you test negative—you are fine.

This is not some sort of instant read test. It takes time for your body to build up enough virus to test positive. 

Iceland is doing what they deem necessary to keep things under control.

Our opinions are immaterial and we are subject to their regulations.

 

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, bbtondo said:

Again, if it's true that they are quarantining the entire bus, this is NOT following the science.  Negative is negative.  If this is Iceland's rule for cruiselines, there's nothing Viking can do.  But is this Viking's rule?

 

I am questioning whether the contact tracers that Viking have people wear, is possibly making more trouble then necessary.  I say this since Viking tests EVERY day on a fully vaccinated ship.  IMHO I think testing everyone every day is sufficient.  

It’s not Viking’s rule. Their FAQs for Health & Safety still say it’s their policy but they fudge:

“Viking’s policy is that close contacts who are fully vaccinated do not have to quarantine. This policy is in line with current CDC guidelines. However, a different approach may be required when in a destination, depending on the local situation at the time.”
 

I agree that the contact tracers are more trouble than necessary, as you say. But note that Iceland didn’t take into account the contact tracers IF they said the entire bus had to quarantine.

[susanlik]

31 minutes ago, KarNog said:

But not all the tours are 8 hours on a bus with 40 other people. Some tours are on a boat or on ATVs or hiking or walking.

You are on bus to get to boat or atv

[schnapperin]

10 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Viking is not “telling people to break quarantine regulations”—Iceland is telling them they can do this. If Viking violated regulations set down by Iceland they wouldn’t be allowed to cruise there. Please don’t promulgate misinformation.

Viking is telling them they can - who knows what Viking is reporting back to the officials 

 

nobody knows what Iceland’s regulations are for cruises - it’s hard to believe that those are totally different to those on a land base tour or for independent travelers. 
 

 

[Triptkr]

16 minutes ago, TERRIER1 said:

But to get to some of these tours you need to go by bus. The question is how long must the "contact" be before you need to quarantine?

 

If what we're reading here is true then it would seem you're taking a huge risk getting on an excursion bus whether it's a 1.5 hour excursion or an 8 hour excursion.   A bit of Russian Roulette going on here...

[susanlik]

From the Facebook Viking friends it seems like Iceland is considering anyone on a bus tour with some that is positive is considered a contact...private companies or Viking , however only Viking is testing everyone every day to find those positives

[LindaS272]

3 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

Looks like Iceland got more strict since their numbers went up.  Being allowed to leave the country gets people out and less risky for more Icelanders becoming infected.  They also have a negative test to fly home with.

 

I have a November cruise coming up but I don't expect Viking to notify me every time there is a positive on board the cruises and what the protocol is for that week.  It is ever changing as are the virus numbers.  It is my responsibility to be informed and make my decision accordingly.  Viking is providing as safe as experience as they possibly can.  It is up to us to evaluate the risk and have appropriate insurance and back up plans.

 

But we can’t be informed if Viking is not transparent. I spoke with a Viking senior Customer Relations person last week and asked, in light of people in Iceland quarantining who are contact traced to Covid positive cases, what arrangements/agreements does Viking have for our upcoming Malta/Adriatic cruise? Do Malta/Montenegro/Croatia require contact traced people to quarantine when on the cruise—thus overriding Viking’s policy not to quarantine people? The rep either did not know or could not say. Tough to make an informed decision when they won’t tell you what the country’s requirements are of cruise ships.

[sleepybobo]

5 minutes ago, Triptkr said:

If what we're reading here is true then it would seem you're taking a huge risk getting on an excursion bus whether it's a 1.5 hour excursion or an 8 hour excursion.   A bit of Russian Roulette going on here...

Exactly!  Unless the only excursions you take are walking tours and only do room service, there is no way not to be someone's close contacts.  Like you said, it's like Russian Roulette.  Some have been lucky to be in covid-free sailings/buses.  Some are not. 

[Liz Masterson]

So if you go on a land tour by yourself and are not tested daily.. you can continue to tour....

But if you do all the extra protocols.... and a person you are with on a bus tests positive you have to quarrentine. 

 

Hmmm... 

[rbslos18]

42 minutes ago, Liz Masterson said:

So if you go on a land tour by yourself and are not tested daily.. you can continue to tour....

But if you do all the extra protocols.... and a person you are with on a bus tests positive you have to quarrentine. 

 

Hmmm... 

The current approach is untenable. Why risk spending 10, 15 or $20,000 and having a cruise end prematurely? You can gladly follow all of the requirements and still be kicked off! It basically makes eating anywhere onboard near people, going to the Theater, or traveling on any Viking bus tour with a N95 mask a risk for quarantine and your cruise ending.

This protocol needs to be rethought especially with vaccines being required and daily PCR testing, both of which I strongly support. I don't mind any inconvenience. I am a rules follower. But gladly following all of the rules and still having a chance to be quarantined off the ship doesn't make sense. If this is Iceland calling the shots, Viking should find other countries to bring people.

Edited August 12, 2021 by rbslos18

[LindaS272]

33 minutes ago, Liz Masterson said:

So if you go on a land tour by yourself and are not tested daily.. you can continue to tour....

But if you do all the extra protocols.... and a person you are with on a bus tests positive you have to quarrentine. 

 

Hmmm... 

Yep. We’re glad we did our land tour in Iceland June 14-29 and decided against the first Iceland cruise on June 26. We tested on arrival in Iceland, quarantined at our arrival hotel for four hours until results came back; drove the Ring Road; then tested June 27 in Reykjavik (PCR) before flying out on June 29. No other testing in between. In restaurants outside our hotels, reception took our names and contact info in case someone near us tested positive—but in two weeks, no one did. We didn’t have the pesky contact tracing devices, nor did we do any bus tours. We were on the ferry to Heimay but it was only mask requirements then.

[NeilP57]

1 hour ago, susanlik said:

You are on bus to get to boat or atv

 Not totally true. Many of the boat trips and also ATV trips are walks from the the ship/tender.
 

[TravlingGato]

1 hour ago, LindaS272 said:

But we can’t be informed if Viking is not transparent. I spoke with a Viking senior Customer Relations person last week and asked, in light of people in Iceland quarantining who are contact traced to Covid positive cases, what arrangements/agreements does Viking have for our upcoming Malta/Adriatic cruise? Do Malta/Montenegro/Croatia require contact traced people to quarantine when on the cruise—thus overriding Viking’s policy not to quarantine people? The rep either did not know or could not say. Tough to make an informed decision when they won’t tell you what the country’s requirements are of cruise ships.

US Dept of State travel advisory, 2 August 2021. Malta is Level 4 - Do not travel.

[Moonlion]

Hmm, sounds like a catch 22.  Viking is forcing passengers to remain within the bubble, but the bubble is turning out to be a potentially dangerous place.  If people could go out on their own, social distance while out touring, and avoid being in close proximity to other passengers, they would be less likely to be exposed to the virus.  Of course, Viking cannot be sure that everyone will practice social distancing, wear masks, etc. if allowed to venture out on their own. 

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

2 hours ago, KarNog said:

While I'm still planning on going, I'm certainly rethinking my shore excursions. Maybe being on a bus for 8 hours is a bad idea? I'd hate to miss the Circle Tour, but then I'd hate to miss the rest of the cruise as well.

There may be things you can do to minimize risk: spread out more on the excursion coaches (it IS usually possible), take the lesser popular excursions or outdoor excursions, and possibly take mid-day excursions as they're more likely to be less popular/populated.  Vigur Island boat and Heimaey Wildlife of Heimaey boat were fairly close encounters.  But if you can grab them early, outdoor seats are available on the Vigur boat, and outdoor is probably a little better than indoor when it comes to safety.  As an avid photographer, I liked it back there, although it was hard to hear the guide when she spoke to the group.   On the Heimaey boat, we were allowed to stand, walk around, or sit downstairs - so there ARE options.  For tendering, you can be fairly close together, but sometimes you can sit somewhere farther away from people.  And the tenders run pretty frequently, so if you see a crowded boat, you can wait for another, unless Iceland or Viking wants the bubble so tight that you MUST tender with your group. 

 

In the end, though, I think you just have to act safely and hope for the best.  

[sprshop]

We cancelled this cruise today.  Tomorrow is the deadline.  No fuss, no hassle, all monies refunded due to No Risk Guarantee when booked.

 

We are disappointed but feel relieved.  Too much uncertainty and what if’s!