Percentage of Viking passengers testing positive for Covid?

[Sun Lover]

We have a river cruise planned for this August and are thinking of canceling based on some recent posts on these boards saying a good portion of the passengers tested positive, were asymptomatic, and had to quarantine in their cabin until they could be sent off the ship to a hotel for the remainder of the quarantine.  I would like to hear from anyone who has recently been on a river cruise with Viking as to what their experience was and if they know if a large number of people tested positive.  I'm wondering if this is just a small minority of people that have been affected and if people feel it's generally safe to be on a river cruise.  Is Viking still requiring the daily testing and masks while onboard the ship as well as on excursions?  I'd appreciate any information or advice about this as we need to make a decision soon.  Thanks.

[Kris36]

I was just on the Tialfi, Amsterdam to Basel. We were tested for the first 3 days. I know for sure that one couple had to leave because one of them tested positive; that person was asymptomatic at the time but did get sick afterwards. The rumor mill says 6 other people left the ship, but I don't know if that's true or if it was covid related.

 

People were generally pretty respectful about mask wearing on our ship, especially while we were getting tested, but of course there were a few exceptions. Viking staff did not act as enforcers. After the testing, people became more lax. It's complicated, because we're in such close quarters and eating together and all that. 

 

Buses were full on the excursions I went on. Most people but not all wore masks on the buses at the beginning.

 

I was part of a family group so we filled a table ourselves. I didn't see any 2 person tables or places where people could eat alone. Especially for lunch or dinner.

 

I had a great trip and most people made it through successfully, but I definitely understand the stress. 

[MrsFops&FopsC5]

Was on Lyon to Avignon 5/15 - 5/22 Viking no one of the 149 tested positive.  However, 4 others were removed due to other health issues.  Please keep these folks in your thoughts🙏

[pontac]

22 hours ago, Sun Lover said:

We have a river cruise planned for this August and are thinking of canceling based on some recent posts 

 

You posted the same on my thread 'Just off Viking Rhine Getaway-ask away' so I'll repost my reply here:

 

You must do what you feel is best for you, but the situation changes fast and a lot can happen in two months.

 

I don't think a lot of people tested positive on the cruise I was on. I don't know of any, but they made no announcements, but other passengers weren't talking about anyone testing positive.

 

Our friends were on another VRC at the same time in the Rhone and they said announcements were made every day on their boat. On two occasions a person had tested positive and they and their partner were disembarked and taken to a hotel. So not a large amount - and if it were a high proportion of passengers, bearing in mind the other person in the room also has to disembark, then would cruising still be profitable for Viking?

 

You ask if Viking are still requiring daily testing. They did in the last week of April, but @Kris36 has on the same route later   posted above that testing then was only for 3 days. Who knows what it'll be in August?

 

Viking were requiring masks while moving about on board, and on yours and on buses. Mask on buses was also required by the countries we were in, so if Viking dropped the mask requirement masks would still be needed on busses until national law changed.

 

Personally I did not find mask wearing onerous, and the FFP-2 masks supplied free by Viking protected me,

 

Viking sent out regular emails with their Covid requirements so we knew exactly what the situation was. The situation changed before we went, they re-instituted mask wearing.

 

I wrote above that the EU required mask wearing on all planes flying into and out of the EU. We flew BA into Basel in Switzerland which is not in EU and didn't need to wear masks on the plane and BA out of Netherlands which is  in EU and did need to wear masks on the plane.

 

In the week after our cruise the EU dropped the mask on planes requirement.

 

As I said, the situation changes fast. Suggest you check what the cancellation policy is; for us we could cancel at short notice and reschedule at a later date with no penalty.

 

A number of rules affect, Viking is only one, the journey is also ruled by regulations of the country you fly into and the country you fly out of and each country you travel through, also the country you fly back to.

 

I'm glad we went.

[Sun Lover]

Thank you for replying!

[Norman P]

I was on the Viking Delling 17/5-24/5, Lyon-Avignon. Viking announced that one couple had COVID by the second day and were disembarked. Viking said there would be no future announcements. By day five I tested positive, and was disembarked the next day, with my partner. There were another three couples, that I saw, who were also disembarked that day. We quarantined at Hilton Paris CDG airport hotel. We only had saliva COVID tests on the morning of day 2,3,4. None were required after that, but why? We also shared a taxi from the Hilton to the terminal, with a couple who had been disembarked from the Avignon-Lyon cruise.

[Travel_Maven]

5 hours ago, Norman P said:

I was on the Viking Delling 17/5-24/5, Lyon-Avignon. Viking announced that one couple had COVID by the second day and were disembarked. Viking said there would be no future announcements. By day five I tested positive, and was disembarked the next day, with my partner. There were another three couples, that I saw, who were also disembarked that day. We quarantined at Hilton Paris CDG airport hotel. We only had saliva COVID tests on the morning of day 2,3,4. None were required after that, but why? We also shared a taxi from the Hilton to the terminal, with a couple who had been disembarked from the Avignon-Lyon cruise.

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to how Viking is handling the testing!  They need to get their act together so travelers can make educated decisions about their cruises.

[Squawkman]

9 hours ago, Travel_Maven said:

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to how Viking is handling the testing!  They need to get their act together so travelers can make educated decisions about their cruises.

I disagree - there are many moving parts to dealing with Covid. Everyone impacted will have an opinion, but procedures will vary in different countries, etc. US airlines don’t mask on transatlantic flights and I believe that is a major factor. We have friends who did a 16 day transatlantic on Princess where masking wasn’t enforced and testing only done before disembarkation. They wound up having to quarantine in London a total of 2 weeks. I prefer Viking’s testing. Regardless, there will be a risk for at least the next few months - and possibly more testing (we had every other day on our Douro cruise last November - with zero positives).

[BOB999]

My recent Viking River cruise they did the spit tests on Days 2, 3 and 4.  On day 3 they announced 2 positives (who were offloaded) and on day 5 I was passing down the hall as another group was being notified of positives.  The next day I saw food being delivered to their stateroom so perhaps they were allowed to remain onboard.

 

The last night they had announced that the total cases was 4.  Not sure if that included the main bartender who disappeared on Day 4 with a "cough" and did not return.

 

ETA - It was certainly a refreshing change from Celebrity who never announced anything in a late December cruise out of Florida (while Omicron was surging).

Edited June 4, 2022 by BOB999
ETA

[Aardfark]

We just returned from Viking Danube cruse aboard the Eistla leaving 5/27/22. Data provided by the Cruise Director: crew of 50, 152 passengers, 12 passengers put off the boat for failing Covid test during the 7 days. The anxiety of potentially being booted off the boat was unpleasant and everyone I talked to shared the same concern. Additionally, there was the risk of a failed Covid test requirement  to return to the US putting you into a 5 day extended hotel stay.  

[loge23]

22 hours ago, Aardfark said:

We just returned from Viking Danube cruse aboard the Eistla leaving 5/27/22. Data provided by the Cruise Director: crew of 50, 152 passengers, 12 passengers put off the boat for failing Covid test during the 7 days. The anxiety of potentially being booted off the boat was unpleasant and everyone I talked to shared the same concern. Additionally, there was the risk of a failed Covid test requirement  to return to the US putting you into a 5 day extended hotel stay.  

I can relate with the angst. We're on a July Rhine trip with a four-day pre-cruise land tour and we're having considerable anxiety about what seems to be an almost impossible task of staying COVID-free these days - let alone the travelling risks. I'm sure that the testing days will definitely put a damper of the fun - kind of like a Lifeboat scenario, or one of those TV talent contests where they have to face the judges to see if they're still in the game! Not a great activity for a vacation, by any means.

12 passengers sure seems like a lot on a 152 consist. 

 

[Wings55]

My wife just noticed via a Facebook post that a friend and her husband we disembarked in Regensburg due to positive COVID tests. There was a total of 35 passengers who had to leave the cruise; I believe about 25% of the passengers were affected. In a situation like that I believe continued testing would be the prudent call. 

Paul

[Vineyard View]

Viking just announced that there will be no more required testing on Oceans. I wonder if that will be the case for rivers. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

11 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Viking just announced that there will be no more required testing on Oceans. I wonder if that will be the case for rivers. 

 

 

[loge23]

On 6/5/2022 at 2:41 PM, loge23 said:

I can relate with the angst. We're on a July Rhine trip with a four-day pre-cruise land tour and we're having considerable anxiety about what seems to be an almost impossible task of staying COVID-free these days - let alone the travelling risks. I'm sure that the testing days will definitely put a damper of the fun - kind of like a Lifeboat scenario, or one of those TV talent contests where they have to face the judges to see if they're still in the game! Not a great activity for a vacation, by any means.

12 passengers sure seems like a lot on a 152 consist. 

 

Very happy to see that the testing requirements have gone away for now. I would think that the hassle and cost of removing passengers with a positive test (that may or not be accurate), with little or no symptoms was causing more problems than it was solving. We'll be careful anyway as we have been so far and are very happy to be looking at a stress-free cruise - as we have always had with Viking.

[milling73]

Norman P --- Just out of curiosity, when you were put off boat into a hotel --- was the hotel and meals at your expense?  Or did Viking cover?  Was the Paris airport the return airport for your trip?  While many have posted about people testing positive and being removed, no one has said what happened following that, as to hotel, meals, how they reached  end of trip airport, or if a new flight was arranged, etc.  

The cost of all of that would be substantial.

 

I know the policy has since been rescinded, but it also just as quickly be re-instated, and Viking's website is vague on how those details or expenses would be handled.

 

Thanks..and hope you had a quick recovery.

[Norman P]

milling73 Viking paid for a taxi to take us the the Hilton CDG Airport. Just as well, this was a 7 1/2 hour journey from Arles. The taxi from our airport hotel, to the terminal, was also supplied by Viking. Viking had an arrangement with the Hilton, with reduced rates, and a limited menu. I had to pay for this, and I'm hoping to get this back from my travel insurance. A new flight was arranged by Viking. Because Americans needed a negative COVID test to fly, at that time, Viking made sure that everybody had a negative result, from their test on day five. The swab was inserted into my mouth for a second, probably not making contact with any part of my mouth, then the swab was dipped into the liquid for a second. And, sure enough, I was negative, although my lateral flow test showed I was positive for another five days. I believe POSITIVE LFTs are very accurate. Negative LFTs less so, because of the technique of the executor. Although Viking were saying that the testing that had to be done was to ensure the safety of its guests, that no longer seems to be the case. Now that the USA doesn't require the tests, Viking have dropped compulsory tests from 10 June.

Thanks for your good wishes. The worst symptom I had was a runny nose, so not very ill. My LFT showed negative after the tenth day..

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by Norman P

[travelwiththediva]

On 5/24/2022 at 10:27 AM, Sun Lover said:

We have a river cruise planned for this August and are thinking of canceling based on some recent posts on these boards saying a good portion of the passengers tested positive, were asymptomatic, and had to quarantine in their cabin until they could be sent off the ship to a hotel for the remainder of the quarantine.  I would like to hear from anyone who has recently been on a river cruise with Viking as to what their experience was and if they know if a large number of people tested positive.  I'm wondering if this is just a small minority of people that have been affected and if people feel it's generally safe to be on a river cruise.  Is Viking still requiring the daily testing and masks while onboard the ship as well as on excursions?  I'd appreciate any information or advice about this as we need to make a decision soon.  Thanks.

On our April 1 cruise 6 people out of 112 tested positive and were removed from the ship for quarantine in a hotel.  I felt it was safe.  I believe Viking lifted the testing requirements, check the website for the latest information.