Viking is No Longer Requiring Covid Vaccinations

[SJD117]

15 hours ago, rbslos18 said:

At this point, over two years since the original vaccinations were offered, Viking’s policy requiring just the original two vaccinations is of little effectiveness. Only 18% of eligible people received the bivalent booster. People seem unaware of the latest booster or overconfident on their level of immunity. 

We just got our second bivalent shot (available for those over 65) in preparation for our July cruise. We aren’t taking COVID tests with us or anti-viral medication. 

We’re cruising next month, too. And like you, we’ll get bivalent shots this month. But we intend to bring Covid antigen tests with us on the cruise. Having suffered an especially nasty “rebound” case (which caused us to cancel a DIY trip to Europe in April), I’d like to know if I get another rebound, bivalent shot or no bivalent shot, so I can self-quarantine on the ship and not infect others.

[Pushka]

7 hours ago, SJD117 said:

We’re cruising next month, too. And like you, we’ll get bivalent shots this month. But we intend to bring Covid antigen tests with us on the cruise. Having suffered an especially nasty “rebound” case (which caused us to cancel a DIY trip to Europe in April), I’d like to know if I get another rebound, bivalent shot or no bivalent shot, so I can self-quarantine on the ship and not infect others.

I think all of us need to simply isolate when unwell and not spread our bugs to others, regardless of which virus it is. We had many people coughing and taking cough medicine on one of our excursion buses last month. May not have been Covid but it was clearly a virus. Thankfully we didn't catch anything. Actually given where we went on this cruise, I'm amazed at how few people were seemingly unwell. We went through crowded markets in India, Bethlehem and Jerusalem and Cairo was packed with tourists from around the world but we stayed well. 

Edited June 10, 2023 by Pushka

[rbslos18]

9 hours ago, SJD117 said:

We’re cruising next month, too. And like you, we’ll get bivalent shots this month. But we intend to bring Covid antigen tests with us on the cruise. Having suffered an especially nasty “rebound” case (which caused us to cancel a DIY trip to Europe in April), I’d like to know if I get another rebound, bivalent shot or no bivalent shot, so I can self-quarantine on the ship and not infect others.

I agree we should not expose others when we are sick. If I had a virus or infection I would self-quarantine. I’m struggling with where to draw the line as far as testing. If I am feeling sick enough to test, I should isolate regardless of what type of virus or the test says. 

[SJD117]

16 minutes ago, rbslos18 said:

I agree we should not expose others when we are sick. If I had a virus or infection I would self-quarantine. I’m struggling with where to draw the line as far as testing. If I am feeling sick enough to test, I should isolate regardless of what type of virus or the test says. 

 

One’s symptoms are only part of the puzzle. There’s also the communicability of the disease and the time for isolation.

 

As I learned first with Covid and then with Covid “rebound,” the disease can be strikingly virulent. I became so sick, and so suddenly, that Linda and I had to cancel a long-planned trip to Europe just two days before we were supposed to leave.

 

During our trip next month, we’ll bring test kits because we want to know if my history with Covid will repeat itself. Perhaps it will; perhaps it won’t. But if I get any symptoms at all, I want to know whether Covid is at fault so I can take appropriate precautions — including staying away from other people as much as possible, seeking treatment in a port of call, and/or conceivably cutting the cruise short and isolating on shore. That’s the conservative and sensible approach for me in my position and with my first-hand Covid experience.

 

The other issue is duration of isolation. The CDC is very clear on this. Due to the disease’s infectious period, a Covid patient should isolate for at least five days from initial symptoms. So knowing that I have Covid (or not) would help determine the length of my isolation period. 

[dd57]

Has Viking stopped doing onboard on demand Covid tests; is that why you are bringing your own?

 

There used to be some advantages of the ship knowing you have Covid (not that they are worth having Covid!).  When my husband tested positive in 2022, he could order room service from any restaurant, his excursions were refunded even after the cutoff date, and we had free laundry.  I had to wear a mask when out of the room, but I  would think your partner would do that anyway.

Edited June 10, 2023 by dd57

[SJD117]

1 hour ago, dd57 said:

Has Viking stopped doing onboard on demand Covid tests; is that why you are bringing your own?

 

There used to be some advantages of the ship knowing you have Covid (not that they are worth having Covid!).  When my husband tested positive in 2022, he could order room service from any restaurant, his excursions were refunded even after the cutoff date, and we had free laundry.  I had to wear a mask when out of the room, but I  would think your partner would do that anyway.

The antigen tests are easy to use and take up very little luggage space. I’m quite familiar with them.

 

I don’t know and don’t care whether Viking still does testing. My guiding light is William Ernest Henley:

 

”I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.”

 

(Invictus)

[rbslos18]

My advice is for each individual to discuss their unique health situation and experiences with COVID with their physician. Ones personal history and the current variants need to be considered. If you have access to an epidemiologist, you will get great advice. The advice I have received is to get a second bivalent shot pre-cruise; to wear a mask on the plane; to take a few spare masks and to above all have a good time. 

[crispy23]

Interested reading the comments on this topic having had our dramas recently so personally cannot ever understand anyone contemplating a cruise holiday without taking sensible precautions for example being properly vaccinated.

 

We have recently returned from a 3 week trip from Mumbai to Athens on the Mars and it sounds like the same itinerary as Pushka commented on.

Unfortunately after about a week onboard I started to feel very unwell and within a short time needed to call on the ships medical services in the early hours of the morning and very quickly it was established I had a very bad dose of covid, we don’t want to think what the outcome might have been had I not have been fully vaccinated.

Fortunately following guidance from the ship’s medics I did not need to leave the ship for medical treatment at the next port in Saudi Arabia which was a possibility as was quite unwell.  Following a number of days of isolation I started to recover, however one interesting aspect we found strange was my wife who admittedly tested negative did not have to isolate, however she did as felt it was the correct thing to do.

There was an area of concern, we noticed a lack of basic hand hygiene in particular the world cafe, very few people were washing their hands when entering, admittedly you cannot force people to do so but there was no encouragement from any staff to do so. After about a week into the cruise and coincidentally when I became ill were there suddenly tannoy announcements from the cruise director to remind about hand washing, obviously there was a problem onboard. We don’t know to what extent but did speak to other guests who had also had to isolate so something was going through the ship.

The good news, I have almost fully recovered and despite our experience we have to commend the assistance we received onboard from the ship, in particular the medical team and also the room stewards. At the time I first became unwell we needed to call on the ship’s medics at 3am, we were two days from the next port so quite an unnerving experience for both of us and the manner and swift response from them was reassuring. 
I think the one thing we all dread is being taken ill on holiday especially on a cruise ship many miles from anywhere, the one big positive for us that we can take from this experience is that Viking did really look after us for which we are most grateful and it’s not put us off too much travelling again! We hope going forward though they do encourage more hand hygiene when entering their restaurants something we have communicated to them strongly since our return.

 

 

 

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, crispy23 said:

Interested reading the comments on this topic having had our dramas recently so personally cannot ever understand anyone contemplating a cruise holiday without taking sensible precautions for example being properly vaccinated.

 

We have recently returned from a 3 week trip from Mumbai to Athens on the Mars and it sounds like the same itinerary as Pushka commented on.

Unfortunately after about a week onboard I started to feel very unwell and within a short time needed to call on the ships medical services in the early hours of the morning and very quickly it was established I had a very bad dose of covid, we don’t want to think what the outcome might have been had I not have been fully vaccinated.

Fortunately following guidance from the ship’s medics I did not need to leave the ship for medical treatment at the next port in Saudi Arabia which was a possibility as was quite unwell.  Following a number of days of isolation I started to recover, however one interesting aspect we found strange was my wife who admittedly tested negative did not have to isolate, however she did as felt it was the correct thing to do.

There was an area of concern, we noticed a lack of basic hand hygiene in particular the world cafe, very few people were washing their hands when entering, admittedly you cannot force people to do so but there was no encouragement from any staff to do so. After about a week into the cruise and coincidentally when I became ill were there suddenly tannoy announcements from the cruise director to remind about hand washing, obviously there was a problem onboard. We don’t know to what extent but did speak to other guests who had also had to isolate so something was going through the ship.

The good news, I have almost fully recovered and despite our experience we have to commend the assistance we received onboard from the ship, in particular the medical team and also the room stewards. At the time I first became unwell we needed to call on the ship’s medics at 3am, we were two days from the next port so quite an unnerving experience for both of us and the manner and swift response from them was reassuring. 
I think the one thing we all dread is being taken ill on holiday especially on a cruise ship many miles from anywhere, the one big positive for us that we can take from this experience is that Viking did really look after us for which we are most grateful and it’s not put us off too much travelling again! We hope going forward though they do encourage more hand hygiene when entering their restaurants something we have communicated to them strongly since our return.

 

 

 

 

Im really sorry to hear you were greatly unwell. I met with an elderly  lady in the lift as we berthed in Saudi Arabia and as she was going to Level 1 (disembarkation level) I asked what she was doing in Port. She said her husband was extremely unwell and she was going to the hospital deck (also deck 1) where he'd been and he was being taken to a Saudi Hospital. I thought how terifiying for her, being worried about her husband and being elderly and all alone in a port like Saudi Arabia. 
 

The hand washing call is interesting. It was policed early in the day then about the last week they stopped manning the stations. Many times they weren't even functioning and so many just walked straight by. I suggested to hubby they clearly weren't concerned as we were nearing the end. 
 

I did notice our cabin attendant started wearing a mask about a week into the cruise and wondered then if it was on the rise. Deck 8?

[rbslos18]

Crispy/Pushka your posts are sobering. Crispy, I wish you a quick recovery. It is surprising people are still neglecting to wash their hands. How soon some forget the past few years. Pushka, the story about the elderly lady’s husband was sobering. This is the ultimate cruise nightmare. Our last cruise in December 2021, some people refused to follow Viking’s mask rules. I felt bad for staff tasked with asking adults to follow the rules passengers knew and had agreed to pre-cruise. 

[stephenandrew]

On 6/6/2023 at 10:47 AM, pavementends said:

And maybe there is a degree of protection in using the "better" cruise lines, where the customers managed to accrue enough bucks to afford the cruise, which is not usually done by being stupid.

 

On 6/10/2023 at 7:34 PM, rbslos18 said:

Our last cruise in December 2021, some people refused to follow Viking’s mask rules. I felt bad for staff tasked with asking adults to follow the rules passengers knew and had agreed to pre-cruise. 

I think rbslos18's observation pretty much refutes pavementends' speculation.  

[Meander Ingwa]

I have never observed that having money = having intelligence or even common sense.  i know some very wealthy people who are also very foolish and very unread.

 

I still have my supply of masks a good supply of test kits and all my vaccines.  My trip is in January, the height of the influenza season.  I will pincushion myself in the Fall like usual.

 

I read on a forum somewhere else, about taking those little disposable food service gloves to the World Cafe.  If they are doing self serve, not a bad idea.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Meander Ingwa

[dd57]

I carry a tiny vial of hand sanitizer in my pocket, even before Covid.  After getting my food at the World Cafe (I just can't abbreviate that to WC! ) and sitting down, I use the hand sanitizer before eating or handling the utensils. I caught Noro once years ago and don't want to repeat that experience.  One could also walk back to the entrance after putting your food down to wash your hands again.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, dd57 said:

I carry a tiny vial of hand sanitizer in my pocket, even before Covid.  After getting my food at the World Cafe (I just can't abbreviate that to WC! ) and sitting down, I use the hand sanitizer before eating or handling the utensils. I caught Noro once years ago and don't want to repeat that experience.  One could also walk back to the entrance after putting your food down to wash your hands again.

At World cafe we always get our food, set it on the table and go wash our hands again.  After all, you’ve just touched everyone else!  We observed only one other couple that did that on our current Saturn cruise.  People just don’t care or figure the odds won’t get them.

[stephenandrew]

19 hours ago, dd57 said:

I carry a tiny vial of hand sanitizer in my pocket, even before Covid.  After getting my food at the World Cafe (I just can't abbreviate that to WC! ) and sitting down, I use the hand sanitizer before eating or handling the utensils. I caught Noro once years ago and don't want to repeat that experience.  One could also walk back to the entrance after putting your food down to wash your hands again.

Yeah, forgetting about COVID entirely, your point about contracting the Noro virus is certainly relevant.  Washing one’s hands after handling /touching a bunch of shared serving utensils seems prudent to me.  I wouldn’t argue with anyone who said I was neurotic for doing so, but seems like taking some relatively easy precautions (like frequent hand washing) don’t take much effort, and might prevent a trip to the ship’s doctor.

[deec]

18 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

At World cafe we always get our food, set it on the table and go wash our hands again.  After all, you’ve just touched everyone else!  We observed only one other couple that did that on our current Saturn cruise.  People just don’t care or figure the odds won’t get them.

IF I eat in the WC that is always what I do...I have seen too many worrisome actions when people don't think or care!!!    I am only a germmphobic on cruise ships!

Edited June 21, 2023 by deec

[SailorPaulH]

On 6/19/2023 at 8:00 PM, Meander Ingwa said:

 

I read on a forum somewhere else, about taking those little disposable food service gloves to the World Cafe.  If they are doing self serve, not a bad idea.

Not a bad idea at all - a small investment that may safeguard a much bigger one. My packing list just grew by another item.

[Meander Ingwa]

4 minutes ago, SailorPaulH said:

Not a bad idea at all - a small investment that may safeguard a much bigger one. My packing list just grew by another item.

a hazard of reading this forum.  I have a bag set aside collecting little suggestions and a few major items for my Northern Lights.  My calendar pages are filling with notes ideas and possible to dos

 

 

[bison2013]

Use of hand sanitizer alone provides a false sense of security for minimizing exposure to noro virus-'wash those hands' remains the best guidance...

 

from CDC: Prevent Norovirus | CDC