Question on anyone who has recently sailed on Viking Ocean cruise in US.

[Basket cruiser]

Wondering about the Covid testing daily on Viking cruises?  Has anyone sailed on an Ocean Cruise in the US recently and I was told you have to do a salvia test before leaving your stateroom?  How did this work and was it annoying?  

[Essiesmom]

There is at least one ‘live from’ thread on the Viking Ocean board for one of the earliest Bermuda cruises.  EM

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, Basket cruiser said:

Wondering about the Covid testing daily on Viking cruises?  Has anyone sailed on an Ocean Cruise in the US recently and I was told you have to do a salvia test before leaving your stateroom?  How did this work and was it annoying?  

 

Viking haven't sailed in US Waters since they resumed operations, but you can check the threads for cruises from UK, Bermuda,  Malta and Iceland.

[WestW]

To answer your question, we were on a Viking Ocean cruise around Bermuda in July.  Each evening two tubes were left with the evening turndown.  First thing in the morning, before food, we spit into the tubes to the marked line and then left the tubes for the steward to pick up when we went to breakfast.  It was an extremely easy process and not annoying one bit. In fact, it was reassuring to know people were being tested daily.

[dburns1231]

We were on the Iceland Natural Wonders cruise in August. The exact same procedure that WestW mentioned. Spit into the tubes in the morning when you first wake up. Leave them for the steward to pick up. Yes, it was annoying but that was the price of admission for the cruise so we did it.

[angela miller]

Just returned on September  5th from Viking River, Paris to Normandy. We were tested daily and had no problems with it. Testing is required in  the morning before leaving for a  trip. I thought Viking  did a wonderful job. No one tested positive on our trip.

[fudgbug]

20 hours ago, WestW said:

To answer your question, we were on a Viking Ocean cruise around Bermuda in July.  Each evening two tubes were left with the evening turndown.  First thing in the morning, before food, we spit into the tubes to the marked line and then left the tubes for the steward to pick up when we went to breakfast.  It was an extremely easy process and not annoying one bit. In fact, it was reassuring to know people were being tested daily.

Before food, brushing your teeth or drinking any water.  Not annoying. Just a pain in the backside when you have dry mouth in the morning.

[Azulann]

The other  Viking protocols,  take your temperature  at entrance to World cafe or at Guest relations  each day. They have a monitor you just stand in front of for about 2 seconds , easy peasy. Fill out a short health  questionnaire each day. I did the paper one in stateroom while doing the saliva test tube  thing. You can also do it on your  Viking Voyager app, but mine never worked on my iPhone. 

 I really appreciate their protocols  doing this time of COVID . I felt most safe and relaxed on the ship for my Bermuda cruise. I know I will feel the same way on my Malta cruise beginning on Oct 12. 

It is the  flights and airports that make nervous  before and after my cruises. 

[PA Cruiser]

I agree. The airport procedure at the Iceland airport is  not the best. Long lines for check in, for boarding and especially at immigration checkpoint. More than half the people wore no masks. Once the plane you felt safe. When we returned home we went to our local hospital to be tested again as an insurance policy after going home through the airport in Iceland.

[duquephart]

On 9/21/2021 at 10:57 AM, WestW said:

To answer your question, we were on a Viking Ocean cruise around Bermuda in July.  Each evening two tubes were left with the evening turndown.  First thing in the morning, before food, we spit into the tubes to the marked line and then left the tubes for the steward to pick up when we went to breakfast.  It was an extremely easy process and not annoying one bit. In fact, it was reassuring to know people were being tested daily.

 

Having to spit into a tube every morning is not one bit annoying?

[broker1217]

On 9/23/2021 at 10:41 AM, duquephart said:

 

Having to spit into a tube every morning is not one bit annoying?

 

Nope. Not for the ability to travel. Not annoying any more than doing pre-travel or arrival PCR tests and going through the process for a health visa for whichever country you are visiting.

It is simply the new reality and as much a habit as brushing your teeth.

[imcpa]

To answer your question, we were on a Viking Ocean cruise around Bermuda in July.  Each evening two tubes were left with the evening turndown.  First thing in the morning, before food, we spit into the tubes to the marked line and then left the tubes for the steward to pick up when we went to breakfast.  It was an extremely easy process and not annoying one bit. In fact, it was reassuring to know people were being tested daily.

 

Same as above for my me and my wife last week on the 9/17-9/24 Bermuda cruise.

 

Just a pain in the backside when you have dry mouth in the morning.  

 

Same as above for me last week, but not my wife.  I drink more sparkling wine than her on the SSBP🍾

 

[molymoo]

We were on one of the Bermuda cruises and found the daily testing easy and reassuring.  We read the day's menus on the TV while trying to get enough spit into the tubes.  Not a big deal if you make a bit of a game of it ... we had some good laughs with it!