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

[KarNog]

I'm new to Viking. I've never been on a cruise before!  So excited for my Aug 21 trip!

Noob question:  My partner is thinking about staying home because he cannot be subject to quarantine. He HAS to be back at work. If he cancels, can I still go? I know, I can physically go, but what happens to our funds?

We have insurance. Will we be refunded his share of the cost? Or will they cancel me as well?

 

[amyr]

24 minutes ago, KarNog said:

I'm new to Viking. I've never been on a cruise before!  So excited for my Aug 21 trip!

Noob question:  My partner is thinking about staying home because he cannot be subject to quarantine. He HAS to be back at work. If he cancels, can I still go? I know, I can physically go, but what happens to our funds?

We have insurance. Will we be refunded his share of the cost? Or will they cancel me as well?

 

 

I'm not a travel agent or anyone with specific Viking knowledge, so you absolutely must speak with either your t/a or a Viking agent, but I can tell you what happened to us.  

 

My sister and I were booked on a Bermuda cruise, and it was the same for her.  No way she could afford to accidentally get stuck in quarantine.  She was nervous all along, and when that couple got pulled off and sent into quarantine in Bermuda, that did it.  

 

My travel agent talked with Viking, and while we were still within the 14 day window to cancel for a voucher, we were past the window to get a full refund.  I asked about redoing the booking for me as a solo, especially since there have been great solo rates on these welcome back cruises, but since we were so close, Viking said they would consider my sister to be a 'no-show' and we would lose her money if I went on my own.  Our insurance was not 'cancel for any reason' insurance, and getting scared is not a valid reason for cancelling with regular insurance.

 

We cancelled for the voucher and have already happily reapplied it to another cruise.  You may be able to cancel and use your voucher money on a different Iceland cruise alone (and still have some left over), or you may decide to use it to book something within two years for both of you.  

 

Again, talk to an agent.  This stuff is all so fluid that you may get a completely different answer.  

[bluesea777]

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Reposting from the site which cannot be named-hopefully this might help return the lost SIM card to its owner. 

 

If this helps, if any, the finder should plug the sim card in and search the pictures for any ID.

 

The first picture on every one of my sim cards is a "Lost & Found" and has my name, email & telephone (but no address).

 

 

[Peregrina651]

34 minutes ago, KarNog said:

I'm new to Viking. I've never been on a cruise before!  So excited for my Aug 21 trip!

Noob question:  My partner is thinking about staying home because he cannot be subject to quarantine. He HAS to be back at work. If he cancels, can I still go? I know, I can physically go, but what happens to our funds?

We have insurance. Will we be refunded his share of the cost? Or will they cancel me as well?

 

 

 

Cancelling just one person from a booking is complicated and cancelling just one under the Risk-Free is even more complicated, as amyr's experience shows.

 

For the most part, changing a booking is considered a cancellation and a rebooking at the current rate, which may be higher than what you paid in the first place. Plus, you will be charged the single supplement (in addition, to what roomie already paid and is not being refunded by the cruise line -- and which may or may not be reimbursed by the insurance company).

 

If your roomie cancels out of the reservation, he may or may not be covered by the insurance; it is up to the insurance company.

 

As much as you are looking forward to going on your first cruise, the best way to protect your cash is to cancel immediately and take the voucher. Then you can decide if you want to re-book as a single.

 

 

[jtwind]

14 hours ago, jtwind said:

Can you tell us everything you know about the contact tracing?  Is it a time and distance formula?  Do you know what that is?  Do they take into account whether the people were masked or unmasked at the time?

 

3 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

How is a rfd disk that is designed to record contact with other disks nearby going to know if you have your mask on or not?

So, I guess the answer is that you can't tell us anything about the contact tracing specifics.

 

The rfd time and distance data would be used to generate a list of names.  The people on the list would then be interviewed.

[Lily Feghoot]

47 minutes ago, jtwind said:

The rfd time and distance data would be used to generate a list of names.  The people on the list would then be interviewed.

When I was on the list,  I was told the time and distance formula is 15 minutes within a meter and a half of an infected person. I was interviewed by the public health officer as to my movements the preceding 48 hours, particularly as to where I'd eaten. I have no idea who the infected person was and where I had spent time in his/her presence.

[jtwind]

42 minutes ago, Lily Feghoot said:

When I was on the list,  I was told the time and distance formula is 15 minutes within a meter and a half of an infected person. I was interviewed by the public health officer as to my movements the preceding 48 hours, particularly as to where I'd eaten. I have no idea who the infected person was and where I had spent time in his/her presence.

So, that makes it seem like the tracers tell them where you are relative to other people, but not physically where you are at the time.  Hmmm.  Maybe they just assumed that you were masked everywhere except your cabin and restaurants?

[KarNog]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

 

Cancelling just one person from a booking is complicated and cancelling just one under the Risk-Free is even more complicated, as amyr's experience shows.

 

For the most part, changing a booking is considered a cancellation and a rebooking at the current rate, which may be higher than what you paid in the first place. Plus, you will be charged the single supplement (in addition, to what roomie already paid and is not being refunded by the cruise line -- and which may or may not be reimbursed by the insurance company).

 

If your roomie cancels out of the reservation, he may or may not be covered by the insurance; it is up to the insurance company.

 

As much as you are looking forward to going on your first cruise, the best way to protect your cash is to cancel immediately and take the voucher. Then you can decide if you want to re-book as a single.

 

 

Amyr did NOT have the Cancel for Any Reason insurance "Our insurance was not 'cancel for any reason' insurance, and getting scared is not a valid reason for cancelling with regular insurance." We do have the Cancel for Any Reason. Why wouldn't my roomie be covered by the insurance?

I could understand paying the single supplement if partner is reimbursed for his share of the cruise.

[sprshop]

On 7/27/2021 at 4:51 AM, Heartgrove said:

 

We are in Patreksfjordur in the Westfjords (less populated) right now and driving to Isafjordur today. They do require you to conform to the regulations. Period. They definitely want to keep cases down. 

 

A puffin working on its burrow yesterday at Latrabjarg Cliffs.

 

Jack

 

 

 

Great picture.  Thanks for this picture; our cruise at end of Aug won’t see them😪because they leave Iceland mid to late Aug.  

[Clay Clayton]

50 minutes ago, jtwind said:

So, that makes it seem like the tracers tell them where you are relative to other people, but not physically where you are at the time.  Hmmm.  Maybe they just assumed that you were masked everywhere except your cabin and restaurants?

That is correct. The tracers are not GPS devices. They ping and record other contract tracers when two are in proximity to each other.  

[KarNog]

4 minutes ago, sprshop said:

Great picture.  Thanks for this picture; our cruise at end of Aug won’t see them😪because they leave Iceland mid to late Aug.  

We could always get lucky. Maybe they're slow leaving this year!

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Different, trivial question: If anyone on Jupiter is reading this now (week starting July 27) could you please post the names of the Chef's Table menus Viking is serving, and preferably when the last one ends?  I don't know if this information is on the television or if you have to ask the Maitre d.  But if you know or could find out,  my spouse would be very appreciative. He has a few favorites, and if I know what's in the rotation this week it will help me guess what might be in the rotation later!

[sprshop]

34 minutes ago, KarNog said:

We could always get lucky. Maybe they're slow leaving this year!

🙏👍

[patchicago]

29 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Different, trivial question: If anyone on Jupiter is reading this now (week starting July 27) could you please post the names of the Chef's Table menus Viking is serving, and preferably when the last one ends?  I don't know if this information is on the television or if you have to ask the Maitre d.  But if you know or could find out,  my spouse would be very appreciative. He has a few favorites, and if I know what's in the rotation this week it will help me guess what might be in the rotation later!

Jupiter 8/3

I would also be grateful for the chef’s table menu information. TIA.

[StuLaurie]

2 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Different, trivial question: If anyone on Jupiter is reading this now (week starting July 27) could you please post the names of the Chef's Table menus Viking is serving, and preferably when the last one ends?  I don't know if this information is on the television or if you have to ask the Maitre d.  But if you know or could find out,  my spouse would be very appreciative. He has a few favorites, and if I know what's in the rotation this week it will help me guess what might be in the rotation later!

We just left the Chef Table.  We had the California Cuisine. The food was amazing!  California Cuisine first three nights, La Routo Dos Indos next three nights, Monday is Asian Panorama. 

[patchicago]

44 minutes ago, StuLaurie said:

We just left the Chef Table.  We had the California Cuisine. The food was amazing!  California Cuisine first three nights, La Routo Dos Indos next three nights, Monday is Asian Panorama. 

Thank you! I have copies of all of those menus except the California cuisine. If anyone has that one can you please share? Thank you.I have copies of all of those menus except the California cuisine. If anyone has that one can you please share? Thank you.

[patchicago]

Are passengers being allowed into their cabins according to the promised access times? Or does everybody receive access to their cabins at the same time?

 

TIA

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

43 minutes ago, StuLaurie said:

We just left the Chef Table.  We had the California Cuisine. The food was amazing!  California Cuisine first three nights, La Routo Dos Indos next three nights, Monday is Asian Panorama. 

Thank you, thank you!  My husband was hoping to hear those words "Asian Panorama"  so I might have to see if they have any room for us Tuesday or Wednesday!  I imagine the Chef's Table won't be all that full the first two nights, so we just may have duck in our future! 

[SantaFe1]

4 minutes ago, patchicago said:

have copies of all of those menus except the California cuisine. If anyone has that one can you please share? Thank you.

From 2019, but I imagine still the same.  

[HalenK]

9 hours ago, philw1776 said:

I bid and failed.
Disclosure: I am a descendant of thrifty Scots

We did snd got it. Bid $350 

[bardstowntraveller]

5 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Thank you, thank you!  My husband was hoping to hear those words "Asian Panorama"  so I might have to see if they have any room for us Tuesday or Wednesday!  I imagine the Chef's Table won't be all that full the first two nights, so we just may have duck in our future! 

Yeah!  We have reservations Tuesday night and I was hoping for one of the Asian menus 

[SantaFe1]

7 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

My husband was hoping to hear those words "Asian Panorama" 

Our very favorite, too.  We were able to book it at 6:30 for the last night with just a few hour’s notice, so don’t give up if there is something you really want and didn’t initially get.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

So if we want to ask about the possibility of changing our Chef's Table reservation, where do we go on embarkation day?  And will there likely be a long line? 

[dobbs36]

7 hours ago, jtwind said:

 

So, I guess the answer is that you can't tell us anything about the contact tracing specifics.

 

The rfd time and distance data would be used to generate a list of names.  The people on the list would then be interviewed.

The contact tracer does not track where you are or went. My husband lost his and I asked if they could ping it so we could find it. The agent said that they have no idea where it is. Viking doesn't even know if you are wearing it. They only know if it shows up as having been near a tracker on a person who tests positive.

[SantaFe1]

32 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

So if we want to ask about the possibility of changing our Chef's Table reservation, where do we go on embarkation day?  And will there likely be a long line? 

On our trip, there was a reservations desk at the front of the shore ex room.  I think the longest line I ever saw was about 3.  I imagine on embarkation day it will be longer.  And,  we were on the first Iceland cruise with only 450 people.  

Edited July 29, 2021 by SantaFe1