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

Peregrina651

By Peregrina651,
in Viking Ocean

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sleepybobo

sleepybobo

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

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.  

If we are talking about risk of quarantine, not risk of getting infected, then it is still a Russian Roulette. You can pick a less popular excursion, but if you are in a bus with a positive case, you will be in quarantine. 

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yuhome

yuhome

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I have dry mouth too. Was hard first day and needed maybe 5 tries.  But it got easier. Leaving bagged tube in bathroom (spouse's on table), spitting into tube over sink (was messy once, learned!), and rolling tongue around vigorously for a few seconds helped. I got this down to as little as two spits, less than half a minute.  You only have to fill to 2 ml line, second line. Our steward quickly figured out our schedule, knocked very softly and said our name a few days around 8 to see if we had something for his bag of samples.  If so, we dropped it in the bag.  If he hadn't come by the time we wanted breakfast or coffee, we left bagged samples on the table. If you're on Jupiter and have Eesa (Isa?) and Cyril (deck 3 aft, starboard/odd numbers) please say hello from Howard & Ruth, 3063.  They were awesome.   

Did anyone take the nose swab test instead of saliva test?  I have very extreme dry mouth which produces no saliva.

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Bruce4fun Great Review Rare

Bruce4fun

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

 

Impossible! Airlines would never allowed positive tested people on board to mix with other negative tested people to fly back to the USA! That is why airlines need to see negative test results to allow passengers to board planes back to the USA.

 

Looks like they will be in hotel quarantine in Reykjavik until they are cleared to fly home.

 

The bus ride will be a scenic one and they'll be seeing a bit more of Iceland as the route is through the interior (middle). Hopefully there are no other passengers on bus.

 

 

 

My friends are negative, they were merely on same bus as the 1 positive guest

 

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Heartgrove

Heartgrove

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

If we are talking about risk of quarantine, not risk of getting infected, then it is still a Russian Roulette. You can pick a less popular excursion, but if you are in a bus with a positive case, you will be in quarantine. 

 

Being on the same bus does not automatically classify you as a contact. There are parameters for the contact tracer to actually classify you as someone who has been in proximity to someone testing positive. That is why there are only 30 passengers or less on the bus and two rows separate the driver and guide to the passengers.

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Rappersmom

Rappersmom

Posted
Posted
40 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

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.  

That's a logical response, but as long as Iceland considers being on the same bus with a positive person an exposure, you will be quarantined regardless. The only way to avoid that is just not get on a bus at all. That might be okay if you have been to Iceland before or plan to go again. If I can't see the sights I want to see, then it's not worth it.

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sleepybobo

sleepybobo

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Being on the same bus does not automatically classify you as a contact. There are parameters for the contact tracer to actually classify you as someone who has been in proximity to someone testing positive. That is why there are only 30 passengers or less on the bus and two rows separate the driver and guide to the passengers.

Seems the parameters for close contacts are tightened. The passengers who are now being quarantined were at the back of the bus sitting several rows apart from the other passengers. 

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Rappersmom

Rappersmom

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Being on the same bus does not automatically classify you as a contact. There are parameters for the contact tracer to actually classify you as someone who has been in proximity to someone testing positive. That is why there are only 30 passengers or less on the bus and two rows separate the driver and guide to the passengers.

If Iceland classifies it as a contact, then it's a contact. Their country, their rules.

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rbslos18

rbslos18

Posted
Posted
40 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

If we are talking about risk of quarantine, not risk of getting infected, then it is still a Russian Roulette. You can pick a less popular excursion, but if you are in a bus with a positive case, you will be in quarantine. 

Precisely. The Delta variant can be contracted at up to15 feet. 

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Heartgrove

Heartgrove

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

Seems the parameters for close contacts are tightened. The passengers who are now being quarantined were at the back of the bus sitting several rows apart from the other passengers. 

 

Maybe the positive person was also at the back of the bus? The person testing positive will never be identified.

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Heartgrove

Heartgrove

Posted
Posted (edited)
42 minutes ago, Rappersmom said:

If Iceland classifies it as a contact, then it's a contact. Their country, their rules.

 

It is actually Viking classifying the contact. They then may report it to the Ministry of Health. I am sure that Iceland has tightened down now on Viking and the other cruise lines sailing in their waters.

 

The Delta variant is running rampant in Iceland right now. It is about 2-1/2 worse right now than early July. It was still Green when we were there. Very happy when we tested negative after two weeks in Iceland, including the cruise, so that we could return home. Two days after returning we were individually contacted by Virginia Departmen of Health. Daily health questionnaire  emailed for 14 days and then returned to them.

 

 

Edited by Heartgrove
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sprshop

sprshop

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, CruiserDoc said:

What date was your departure? Did you get a refund or Future Cruise Vouchers? No Risk Guarantee gives Future Cruise Vouchers for cancellation during penalty period.

Vouchers for booking new cruises (2yr time period) but due to circumstances (being COVID) we can use them on a cruise we booked for 2023😍

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sleepybobo

sleepybobo

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Maybe the positive person was also at the back of the bus? The person testing positive will never be identified.

Who knows? Like you said, the identity of the positive case is not identified.  All we know is that most of the bus tours arranged by Viking are not socially distance.  One can pick the least popular excursion but still can't be sure that they can get on a socially distance bus.  

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hodges97

hodges97

Posted
Posted

My group of 4 is canceling Monday which will be day 15.  We arranged our own flights.  I hate it.  What I hate even more is that Viking isn't stepping up and canceling and giving us our money back.  But, I knew the rules. There is no way we can go on with our plans and enjoy the trip.

 

 

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sprshop

sprshop

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, hodges97 said:

My group of 4 is canceling Monday which will be day 15.  We arranged our own flights.  I hate it.  What I hate even more is that Viking isn't stepping up and canceling and giving us our money back.  But, I knew the rules. There is no way we can go on with our plans and enjoy the trip.

 

 

We felt the same, would not be able to enjoy ourselves.  Sorry, know how disappointing it is😪.  

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