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

[SBRworld]

[BQEC]

Any word from or about our 26 intrepid travelers—did they make it out of Iceland without incident?? Allowed back to the USA? (Assuming all are US citizens)

[Sea-Traveller]

8 minutes ago, BQEC said:

Any word from or about our 26 intrepid travelers—did they make it out of Iceland without incident?? Allowed back to the USA? (Assuming all are US citizens)

Which sailing are you referring to? Many of them lately have 1-3 dozen people affected, US and not..

Edited August 16, 2021 by Sea-Traveller

[LindaS272]

I’ve found this thread about Viking’s Covid policies very helpful in discerning just how those policies are not medically necessary and have the huge potential to disrupt cruising. What’s not helpful of course, are the rude responses to sane discussions.

[Independent]

8 minutes ago, Sea-Traveller said:

Which sailing are you referring to? Many of them lately have 1-3 dozen people affected, US and not..

I think the question might refer to a group of 26 discussed earlier in this topic, beginning about post #2514.  I also hope they made it hoeme without further trouble.

[Sea-Traveller]

10 minutes ago, Independent said:

I think the question might refer to a group of 26 discussed earlier in this topic, beginning about post #2514.  I also hope they made it hoeme without further trouble.

We had no trouble getting on the plane after repeatedly testing negative. We made it back to the US and after a few days took another voluntary test, as per CDC guidelines, all negative as expected. I guess were were good to fly but not to sail, according to the current regulations..

Edited August 16, 2021 by Sea-Traveller

[sleepybobo]

8 minutes ago, Sea-Traveller said:

We had no trouble getting on the plane after repeatedly testing negative. We made it back to the US and after a few days took another voluntary test, as per CDC guidelines, all negative as expected

 

Are you one of passengers on Jupiter who were traced to a positive case and were sent home? If so, I’m so sorry your cruise was cut short. I hope you get fairly compensated for your nightmarish experience. I’m sure the claim filing process is another stress. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by sleepybobo

[Sea-Traveller]

Just now, sleepybobo said:

 I’m so sorry your cruise was cut short. I hope you get fairly compensated for your nightmarish experience. I’m sure the claim filing process is another stress. 

nothing so far 😞

[Sea-Traveller]

6 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

 

Are you one of passengers on Jupiter who were traced to a positive case and were sent home? If so, I’m so sorry your cruise was cut short. I hope you get fairly compensated for your nightmarish experience. I’m sure the claim filing process is another stress. 

No, we were on the Sky.

[SBRworld]

5 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

 

Are you one of passengers on Jupiter who were traced to a positive case and were sent home? If so, I’m so sorry your cruise was cut short. I hope you get fairly compensated for your nightmarish experience. I’m sure the claim filing process is another stress. 

I’m interested to hear about this too. I don’t see in the thread what happened. 

[SBRworld]

Just now, Sea-Traveller said:

No, we were on the Sky.

I am sorry things didn’t go well for you. Is there a post where we can read about your experience? 

[Sea-Traveller]

1 minute ago, SBRworld said:

I am sorry things didn’t go well for you. Is there a post where we can read about your experience? 

No (or not yet). We don't want to stir the waters too much, so to speak. We also want to give Viking a fair chance to respond before going public with the entire account. Hope you understand.

[taylorbun1]

 unless some new information comes out over night, we are cancelling tomorrow...we are on motorcoach tours the first 4 days.  i can't imagine spending the trip in our room.  that is a crazy way to spend money

[hodges97]

We have already instructed our TA to cancel tomorrow.

 

[sleepybobo]

8 minutes ago, Sea-Traveller said:

No, we were on the Sky.

 

8 minutes ago, SBRworld said:

I’m interested to hear about this too. I don’t see in the thread what happened. 

A group of passengers in the August 10 Jupiter sailing, approximately 26 individuals, were traced close contacts to a positive case. They were close contacts because they were on the same tour bus in the Golden Circle excursion. They were given the choice to be quarantined in their staterooms the rest of the cruise or disembark and fly home after getting clearance from Icelandic authority. About 26 people disembarked on Aug 13, being bused to Reykjavík, stayed at a “disgusting hotel” (not my words. This is how the person who posted his ordeal on FB described it) overnight and returned home on Saturday. 
 

I was not aware there were other similar incidents in Sky. 

[SBRworld]

9 minutes ago, Sea-Traveller said:

No (or not yet). We don't want to stir the waters too much, so to speak. We also want to give Viking a fair chance to respond before going public with the entire account. Hope you understand.

I think this makes perfect sense. Again, I’m sorry you didn’t have the hoped for vacation. 

[Sea-Traveller]

1 minute ago, sleepybobo said:

 

A group of passengers in the August 10 Jupiter sailing, approximately 26 individuals, were traced close contacts to a positive case. They were close contacts because they were on the same tour bus in the Golden Circle excursion. They were given the choice to be quarantined in their staterooms the rest of the cruise or disembark and fly home after getting clearance from Icelandic authority. About 26 people disembarked on Aug 13, being bused to Reykjavík, stayed at a “disgusting hotel” (not my words. This is how the person who posted his ordeal on FB described it) overnight and returned home on Saturday. 
 

I was not aware there were other similar incidents in Sky. 

Yes, about a dozen people on 8/11.

[BQEC]

37 minutes ago, Independent said:

I think the question might refer to a group of 26 discussed earlier in this topic, beginning about post #2514.  I also hope they made it hoeme without further trouble.

Yes, Independent. Thank you. 

[firefox33]

1 minute ago, Sea-Traveller said:

Yes, about a dozen people on 8/11.

We’re you on a tour bus?

[Sea-Traveller]

3 minutes ago, firefox33 said:

We’re you on a tour bus?

We were on a few tour buses as well as the bus transport from the airport. Neither of them was socially distant (though everybody was fully vaccinated and masked up). Viking would not disclose where exactly the contact might have happened and no parties in the group sent back home recognize each other even remotely.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Sea-Traveller

[BQEC]

42 minutes ago, Sea-Traveller said:

We had no trouble getting on the plane after repeatedly testing negative. We made it back to the US and after a few days took another voluntary test, as per CDC guidelines, all negative as expected. I guess were were good to fly but not to sail, according to the current regulations..

I am so relieved to know that you are back in the USA. And are healthy. Thank you for your update. 

[LindaS272]

2 hours ago, Sea-Traveller said:

You might be contact-traced to another person on a bus or elsewhere who tests positive (even when you are taking a transfer to the port, not necessarily a Viking-provided excursion). Viking defines the rules of what a close contact means, this is not entirely transparent. If you are identified, it is downhill from that moment. You will be asked to quarantine in a room on the ship or leave immediately, even if you repeatedly tested negatively and have no symptoms. There is no way to maintain social distancing on the bus provided by Viking (for transfers or excursions) so even if you are healthy, negative, double-vaccinated, and masked up, your vacation can be cut short, so expect that and manage it through your insurance and/or other means. When it gets to an end, don't expect Viking to be sympathetic. There is a point when you move from a paying guest to a liability.

Thank you again for being this forthcoming. It has helped us make decisions about our upcoming cruises. I hope it has informed others as well—and that Viking begins to recognize how ill-advised their policies are for contact-traced, negative tested, asymptomatic, fully-vaccinated and masked pax.

[Independent]

I want to thank BQEC and others for sharing their experiences with us.  The information helped me make a better decision about cancelling our booking for Aug 31.  

 

I’m glad to hear that everyone seems to be home ok.

[hodges97]

21 minutes ago, Sea-Traveller said:

Make arrangements for not being offered any vouchers, i.e. discuss with your insurance, if you want to stay on the safe side.

I talked to my insurance and they feel bad but it's in viking's court at this point,.  

 

[firefox33]

3 minutes ago, Sea-Traveller said:

We were on a few tour buses as well as the bus transport from the airport. Neither of them was socially distant (though everybody was fully vaccinated and masked up). Viking would not disclosed where exactly the contact might have happened and no parties in the group sent back home recognize each other even remotely.

It is very possibly  due to contact on a tour bus.

Icelands policy is that when a person on a tour bus has tested positive, everyone on that bus is deemed to have been in contact and is to be quarantined.  This per the General Manager of the Jupiter.

So why is Viking no longer allowing “independent exploration” per their August 4 email.  Instead explorations can only occurr through Viking!!!
This is the risk in daily testing in this circumstance.  Guests get up in the morning, do their tests, leave it behind and go off on an excursion in a tour bus.  A couple hours later authorities stop the bus and everyone is notified that are subject to quarantining.  Again Viking knows this and insists on its continuance.   Disappointing.   Too late to cancel the cruise but will certainly reconsider our list of excursions.