Viking is No Longer Requiring Covid Vaccinations

[donaldsc]

Just got an e-mail from Viking telling us that.  Why?  We are not happy.  Has Covid disappeared.

 

DON

[uktog]

Covid is no longer a pandemic as designated by the World Heath Organisation. It is now in the same category as viruses like influenza or pneumonia where vaccines are available in some situations but not mandated. Covid has not gone away but is managed differently now, just as influenza etc has not gone away. 
In some countries legislation would now be harder to legally enforce that a passenger is vaccinated (what is that 2 dose 3 dose 4 dose - some countries do not offer these extra doses to everyone and you can’t buy them). 
So it’s a pragmatic decision by Viking in the face of changed circumstances. 

[HDS]

"Covid has not gone away but is managed differently now, just as influenza etc has not gone away." 

Vaccination is the best management tool for Covid and influenza.  I am disappointed in Viking.

[Squawkman]

4 hours ago, donaldsc said:

Just got an e-mail from Viking telling us that.  Why?  We are not happy.  Has Covid disappeared.

 

DON

You didn’t mention that not requiring Covid vaccination becomes effective November 1. So if this upsets anyone to the point they don’t want to travel, there’s time to get your money back. 

[basenji56]

CDC Study: Nearly All Americans Had Some Level of COVID-19 Immunity by Last Fall | Health News | U.S. News (usnews.com)

 

Almost all Americans have some level of immunity against COVID-19 through vaccination, previous infection or both, suggests new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[basenji56]

"In some countries legislation would now be harder to legally enforce that a passenger is vaccinated (what is that 2 dose 3 dose 4 dose - some countries do not offer these extra doses to everyone and you can’t buy them). "

 

I've had three doses and still got Covid.  I expect that I will get it again.  If I was very fearful of getting it again, I would cancel all future cruises and stay home.  You can't rely on either your own vaccination, the vaccination of others or even natural immunity to prevent you from getting Covid.    

[CDNPolar]

The world has moved on.

 

Unless you are still not going anywhere outside of your home, you are no different on a ship to in a shopping mall or grocery store.

 

Practice good hand hygiene always and you will have a measure of protection.

[trebor900]

3 hours ago, HDS said:

"Covid has not gone away but is managed differently now, just as influenza etc has not gone away." 

Vaccination is the best management tool for Covid and influenza.  I am disappointed in Viking.

Correct, but it is not a requirement to have an influenza jab either!

[basenji56]

3 minutes ago, trebor900 said:

Correct, but it is not a requirement to have an influenza jab either!

Don’t give them any ideas!

[KaDarr]

So, while we're on this topic....

We will be sailing on the Venus in September (before they lift the vaccination requirement) 

How is one supposed to prove your vaccinations? I don't see anywhere on MVJ to upload it. Are we supposed to bring our cards and show them at check in?

 

[CHammond]

I just sailed with them in April, you don't have to prove you are vaccinated, they take your word for it. When I checked in they didn't ask to see my card.

[TayanaLorna]

27 minutes ago, KaDarr said:

So, while we're on this topic....

We will be sailing on the Venus in September (before they lift the vaccination requirement) 

How is one supposed to prove your vaccinations? I don't see anywhere on MVJ to upload it. Are we supposed to bring our cards and show them at check in?

 

For all our Covid and post Covid cruises, Viking has used the Verifly app to confirm you had vaccinations.  Viking usually notified us about this a month before travel.  When you download and complete the app with uploading your photo and your vax card, Verifly will give you a Green okay to travel message and you are done.  You do not need to show this as Viking is notified or has access to your completed Verifly.  We were also told to bring our original vax card as some countries required it.  Only during our 2021 cruises did we show it.

[TayanaLorna]

26 minutes ago, CHammond said:

I just sailed with them in April, you don't have to prove you are vaccinated, they take your word for it. When I checked in they didn't ask to see my card.

Did you complete the Verifly app before your cruise?  We had to do Verifly before our February cruise.  Never showed vax cards because Viking has access to Verifly when completed for Viking.

[CHammond]

It really depends on where you are going whether you have to do Verifly or not. Our cruises were in Europe so we didn't have to do it, I understand for other places like South America you do. 

[TayanaLorna]

8 hours ago, donaldsc said:

Just got an e-mail from Viking telling us that.  Why?  We are not happy.  Has Covid disappeared.

 

DON

Received that email only and my first reaction was "oh no"!  Then I thought Viking only requires completion of the initial 2 doses one month apart. Thoses doses when received in 2021 protected against the original strain and most likely do nothing to protect against current strains.  Although a hand full of countries required proof of booster vax, Viking did not. So just like if you had a flu vax 2 years ago, a Covid vax 2 years ago no longer provides much protection.

[TayanaLorna]

6 minutes ago, CHammond said:

It really depends on where you are going whether you have to do Verifly or not. Our cruises were in Europe so we didn't have to do it, I understand for other places like South America you do. 

Right...we went to Brazil.

[CCWineLover]

4 hours ago, Squawkman said:

You didn’t mention that not requiring Covid vaccination becomes effective November 1. So if this upsets anyone to the point they don’t want to travel, there’s time to get your money back. 

My thought was that is why they set the date as Nov 1.  That is 148 days away, and lets those who wish to cancel ahead of the 120 days (with just the $100 penalty) or even transfer to a new cruise in the future (like 2025) at no charge, if that makes them feel more comfortable.

[CCWineLover]

38 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

Did you complete the Verifly app before your cruise?  We had to do Verifly before our February cruise.  Never showed vax cards because Viking has access to Verifly when completed for Viking.

Lorna - we had no mention from Viking of Verifly for this cruise tomorrow.  I sort of thought it had been dismissed, but it may be dependent the the countries the cruise goes to.

[Frenchberet]

We’re planning to get shot 6 before our cruise this summer.  Four weeks after shot 4, I got Covid.  Four weeks after shot 5 (bivalent) my BF got Covid.  So, no expectation that the vaccine will prevent us from contracting Covid, we just hope it will prevent us from getting really sick.  Not concerned about anyone else’s vaccine status.

[CCWineLover]

2 minutes ago, Frenchberet said:

We’re planning to get shot 6 before our cruise this summer.  Four weeks after shot 4, I got Covid.  Four weeks after shot 5 (bivalent) my BF got Covid.  So, no expectation that the vaccine will prevent us from contracting Covid, we just hope it will prevent us from getting really sick.  Not concerned about anyone else’s vaccine status.

Agree!  The vaccines/boosters were always intended to reduce the sickness effects for people, not to prevent them from catching it.   We got the 6th shot back in April for our June cruise.  Hopefully we are ready for all the sick and coughing passengers (as reported on the previous Saturn cruise Roll Call).

[uktog]

In the UK for the vast majority aged under 75 no further vaccinations have been made available after our second booster and it is not something we can go out and buy or demand from our health practitioner.

I cannot get our online app to work any more to create a QR code to prove we were vaccinated though I have an old paper document that says we were.  We join a cruise in the USA in August, fingers crossed the old paper stands up to scrutiny!

Edited June 6, 2023 by uktog

[basenji56]

36 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Agree!  The vaccines/boosters were always intended to reduce the sickness effects for people, not to prevent them from catching it.   

I am old enough to remember when they told us that the vaccines were 95 percent effective in preventing us from getting Covid. 
 

[basenji56]

[duquephart]

4 hours ago, basenji56 said:

CDC Study: Nearly All Americans Had Some Level of COVID-19 Immunity by Last Fall | Health News | U.S. News (usnews.com)

 

Almost all Americans have some level of immunity against COVID-19 through vaccination, previous infection or both, suggests new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

"Almost all" = not all.

[basenji56]

5 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

"Almost all" = not all.

Last fall. How many today? More than 96 percent I would bet.