Viking's daily PCR testing needs to stop-- and my conversation with Viking about it

[Canal archive]

We leave a week this coming Sunday for the calm and serenity of the Canal du Nivernais France, all four of us keeping our fingers crossed that covid does not hit as this is our third attempt to take this holiday. No personal service, no butler, no balcony just a small upper deck and two state rooms. So will keep you informed as some may consider this holiday as a challenge for the future!

[kw@sea]

Currently isolating in a hotel room in Lisbon after my April 16 Emerald Secrets of the Douro and Lisbon cruise. I would have welcomed more on board testing or guidelines of some kind, as it was clear that some people on board were sick. Also several staff mysteriously disappeared mid-cruise so that by the end kitchen staff and bartenders were serving tables at dinner.

 

I started getting a sore throat a day before the cruise portion ended (Friday), but my self test was negative. We had three days in Lisbon as part of the Emerald package, and my lab rapid antigen test Monday was positive. Fortunately my mother, who is 84 and was traveling with me, tested negative. She flew home to the US yesterday.

 

I have very mild symptoms but tested positive again today on a self test. My hotel has been wonderful, as has my trip insurance company. I have optimistically rebooked my flight for Saturday and have another lab test scheduled for Friday. If that is still positive the medical advisor at Travel Guard will help me set up a telemedicine appointment to try to get the clearance to fly.

 

I got my second booster two weeks before the trip. I am disappointed to have avoided Covid so long only to let my guard down. Just another data point, hope it’s helpful.

[Gourmet Gal]

So surprising you still contracted Covid even with the recent booster. Thanks for detailing your experience, it could be helpful for others.

[kw@sea]

I know of at least seven passengers from our sailing who have tested positive on their preflight tests. That is just Americans of course, as we were the only ones required to test to go home. Several passengers from other countries were also showing symptoms. 

 

It’s a reminder that you can’t say “100% Covid free” unless you actually test for it.
 

I’m grateful that the vaccines/boosters are probably keeping me from having a more serious illness.

[Coral]

3 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

So surprising you still contracted Covid even with the recent booster. Thanks for detailing your experience, it could be helpful for others.

I know of several who have gotten COVID after their recent booster. I think the vaccines are doing a good job of keeping us from getting severely ill and hospitalized but not necessarily from getting it. I just don't think the vaccines are geared towards the new variants yet - hopefully this fall.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Coral

[slidergirl]

9 hours ago, Canal archive said:

We leave a week this coming Sunday for the calm and serenity of the Canal du Nivernais France, all four of us keeping our fingers crossed that covid does not hit as this is our third attempt to take this holiday. No personal service, no butler, no balcony just a small upper deck and two state rooms. So will keep you informed as some may consider this holiday as a challenge for the future!

are you doing the hotel barge or self-drive?  I'm doing a barge further South (the Rhone canal) in July.  keep us updated on what was needed, COVID-wise.

[Calif-BeachBum]

This would have been our first full day of two B2B Viking cruises, The GE on the Viking Lif and a 22-day Mediterranean on the Viking sky. We have mixed feelings about canceling but did reschedule the same B2B cruises for 2023. Also, we scheduled a 30-Day round trip Baltic/Iceland cruise w/ Princess for this June. The Princess cruise does not include the daily test-stress. 😎

Edited April 27, 2022 by Calif-BeachBum
Minor correction

[Canal archive]

Slidergirl, self drive we’ve both (couples that is) have narrow boats so pretty used to smaller boats. For us covid and France is pretty straight forward. Follow your airline rules but after that as long as you have the details of your vaccinations, we have ours on our phones, and a signed disclaimer details of these are on the French government website. We are just sorting ours out just a word of warning, don’t over think it my daughter, husband and grandson went to Disney Paris just before Easter for their 50TH wedding anniversary and had no problem. As we are they traveled by the Eurostar.

[Gourmet Gal]

On my April 1 trip after flying to France no one on the ground asked to see VAX records.

[Canal archive]

It’s because we are travelling through the Eurotunnel.

[kw@sea]

On 4/24/2022 at 6:54 PM, Gourmet Gal said:

We literally flew under the radar to get home.

Update: just like Gourmet Gal’s husband, my mother tested positive on her arrival back home. She still has no symptoms.

[Gourmet Gal]

Sorry to hear that but it’s good you both made it home!  Makes you wonder how often that happens.

[Coral]

4 hours ago, kw@sea said:

Update: just like Gourmet Gal’s husband, my mother tested positive on her arrival back home. She still has no symptoms.

I hope she stays symptom free.  You may want to have her contact her health provider to see if they have any advice for her.

[KSPlum74]

On 4/26/2022 at 3:50 PM, dtenel said:

I am glad to hear you can head home!!  Can you share how you got the doctors information in CT for the zoom call? Just in case we may need it.

Tauck put me I contact with a concierge doctor who via Zoom talked with me and based on symptoms being resolved and my start of symptoms 4 days before my positive tests, he cleared me to be out of quarantine time.  Advantage I had was early symptoms and early test.  Not sure what one does if no symptoms but positive test the day before flying home. Answer is for Biden to get rid of the mandate. AA check-in agent had to go speak with her supervisor since she didn't read the doc statement just saw the positive test but I am now home.  Was interesting to me the number of sniffling/coughing people on the plane.  Made me wonder about testing.  I did wear a mask all the way home.

[KSPlum74]

On 4/26/2022 at 5:32 PM, ljandgb said:

Please.  We're traveling to France next month.  It would be good to have that info just in case.

 

We traveled to Morocco and a 3 week Danube cruise in the last year.  The added issues with Covid can suck a big chunk of joy from travel.  Just keeping track of requirements is stressful.  Hoping to stay healthy enough, at least on paper with a test,  to get home makes me a lot more hesitant to travel these days.

Tauck put me in contact with the concierge doctor.  Whoever you are traveling with ought to be able to do that.

[slidergirl]

On 4/27/2022 at 7:28 AM, Gourmet Gal said:

So surprising you still contracted Covid even with the recent booster. Thanks for detailing your experience, it could be helpful for others.

Remember - the vaccine does not keep you from getting COVID 100%.  But, it does a good job in making you COVID experience rather mild.  That's why you see so many people saying they only had sniffles.

[slidergirl]

On 4/27/2022 at 11:54 AM, Canal archive said:

Slidergirl, self drive we’ve both (couples that is) have narrow boats so pretty used to smaller boats. For us covid and France is pretty straight forward. Follow your airline rules but after that as long as you have the details of your vaccinations, we have ours on our phones, and a signed disclaimer details of these are on the French government website. We are just sorting ours out just a word of warning, don’t over think it my daughter, husband and grandson went to Disney Paris just before Easter for their 50TH wedding anniversary and had no problem. As we are they traveled by the Eurostar.

@Canal archive - that sounds wonderful.  I am going with 13 other women on a fully-staffed barge.  

Thanks for the details.  I'm not overthinking things, but since I had a terrible case of COVID back in Jan 2020 (before any tests were available) and a little case of Omicron back this last December (with 4 of my 4 co-workers).   call me careful.  

[Canal archive]

Wow that should be quite a party enjoy!

[slidergirl]

6 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Wow that should be quite a party enjoy!

it's always a party when you get a group of old women together 😉

[Canal archive]

Never a truer word spoken, whoops or is it written. Super idea I’m sorting a list as I write.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Canal archive

[flyboydad]

We are leaving for our Mediterranean odyssey cruise on Monday May 9^th (pre-cruise extension).  Viking’s pre-departure checklist requires passengers have a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours (PCR Test) or 24 hours (antigen test) prior to boarding the first international flight. My understanding is that these negative tests are not required air carrier (KLM), or entry into Italy, but by Viking.  Can someone tell me whether a Viking representative is actually checking these test results?  Must passengers present their negative Covid-19 test result upon arrival? 

[Cisterna]

17 minutes ago, flyboydad said:

We are leaving for our Mediterranean odyssey cruise on Monday May 9^th (pre-cruise extension).  Viking’s pre-departure checklist requires passengers have a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours (PCR Test) or 24 hours (antigen test) prior to boarding the first international flight. My understanding is that these negative tests are not required air carrier (KLM), or entry into Italy, but by Viking.  Can someone tell me whether a Viking representative is actually checking these test results?  Must passengers present their negative Covid-19 test result upon arrival? 

YUP

[KSPlum74]

On 4/27/2022 at 2:59 PM, Gourmet Gal said:

Sorry to hear that but it’s good you both made it home!  Makes you wonder how often that happens.

As an update,  I tested negative this morning.   YAY!  How is your husband?

[Gourmet Gal]

Great!  My DH finally tested negative after about 12 days. 

[Sun Lover]

Is there any indication how long Viking is going to keep the daily test requirement?  We are scheduled to depart in August and if the daily testing and mask wearing is still required on the ship, I would like to cancel or maybe book with another company, although it's probably too late now to book something else.  We have been very careful throughout the pandemic and are vaccinated and boosted.  We have already postponed our Viking trip twice so I'm not sure we can even do it again.  I really thought by now things would be a lot better than this.  I just think the stress of daily testing and the thought of possibly being kicked off the ship and having to quarantine would take away from being able to enjoy the trip.  If you do test positive on the ship and they make you leave to quarantine on land, do they make the arrangements?  Would the cost be covered by their insurance?  We purchased the Viking Cancel For Any Reason at the time we booked it.