DaveSJ711

6 minutes ago, Ballerina Sweetie Pie said:

I was so excited to finally be taking a vacation that we have scheduled an Alaska cruise to take Iceland’s place in September. It’s our ‘go to’ vacation as we’ve been many times & know all of the ports. Ordered the ‘drink pkg & wi-fi- with a balcony to sit back & soak up the cool air & beautiful scenery. Getting excited all over again

You'll have a great time! I lived for 10 years in Alaska and know the state very, very well.

1 minute ago, Ballerina Sweetie Pie said:

Oops- sorry about that

Nothing to be sorry about! It's the reality for everyone who's booked a cruise and is considering whether to travel. (My wife and I just canceled a September cruise for Malta, Croatia, and Montenegro.)

This thread appears to have evolved from "All Iceland Sailings 2021" to "All Iceland Cancellations 2021."

If I recall correctly from prior trips to Tahiti, Fiji and Rarotonga, "our" winter is the cloudy/rainy season in that part of the world. So be prepared.

13 minutes ago, hehny said:

Simply being on a bus with a positive passenger does not mean quarantine in Iceland.  Both Sky and Jupiter had positive cases reported this past week. Only one ship required every bus passenger that toured with the positive person to quarantine regardless of status.  This was because the bus stopped for a long lunch indoors where social distancing was not possible.  Indeed, passengers reported being nearly on top of each other without masks.  Both Viking’s Chief Medical Officer and the Icelandic authorities agreed on quarantine.

 

 Keep in mind this was on Thursday and the cruise ended that Tuesday.   You need to have time to account for the transmission time before you test due to an exposure. There was a far greater likelihood of transmission under these circumstances than on the other ship’s bus ride where everyone was masked inside at all times. 

But what if a future bus excursion happens to schedule a "long lunch" with "passengers nearly on top of each other"? That's a potential quarantine situation according to your comment. I suppose the passengers can always decline lunch if they see the meal setup and it's problematic from a safety standpoint. But shouldn't Viking and the excursion operator ensure that the setup isn't a problem, and that people on the excursion wear masks all the time except when eating? 

1 hour ago, hodges97 said:

Also.....this thread has digressed a lot.  But folks, you have to understand that the frustration lies at Viking's feet.  If they would send out an email and say, if you go on a bus and we find your back seat neighbor is positive, you are going to have to quarantine.  Period.  But, we hear these scenarios from other travelers who may or may not be getting the story straight.  Viking's failure is in communicating.  Transparency is a must.

Amen.

1 minute ago, SBRworld said:

We will NOT welcome debate or opinion about medical, scientific, or political aspects of the pandemic. 

This thread discusses Viking's daily testing policy. It's entirely appropriate on that basis, though it veered off the rails with member-directed comments by KarNog in particular. 

5 minutes ago, Dukefan said:

The basis for my approach to Viking's daily testing is (as I have stated in at least two other times - (I'm not being "snarky" here - just factual) that I want to know if I have Covid so as to not give it to others and I would like to know if the people around me have Covid.   If I could spit in a tube at home every morning when I wake up and have it picked up and tested (and all my friends and the people I'm around could), I would do it in a minute but unfortunately the resources don't exist to make that happen.

 

I understand your personal feelings about testing. It's your right to have those feelings. What I don't understand, however, is your belief that hospitals don't follow best practices when they don't require daily testing. That's a different issue altogether -- and why I asked about the basis for your belief about the hospital approach. 

22 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

 

So am I although HAL does have the cruises to Hawaii from Vancouver without the overnight probably because of the extra distance from BC.

 

The 18-day was perfect for us as it was my wife`s first time (my fourth thanks to Uncle Sam) so rented a car the first day for a circle drive around the island. Next day to Pearl Harbor, and then enjoying ourselves into the evening at Waikiki Beach before starting the sail back about 10:00 pm local time.

 

Jack

 

I've visited Hawaii close to 25 times. On my first trip, in 1976, I hitchhiked around the islands for a month. I spent a total of $80 exclusive of air fare. Those days are long gone!

3 minutes ago, KarNog said:

I'm glad for daily tests. That's why I'm sailing with Viking and not with Carnival or Disney or DaveSJ711's cruise line.

Stop the snark, please. My line is Viking. I have the right to comment on a practice that, IMO, is medically unnecessary. I also have the right to go on a cruise notwithstanding that practice. The rights aren't mutually exclusive. 

22 minutes ago, Dukefan said:

The question that I ask was why wouldn't you want to know if you have Covid and why wouldn't you want to know if the people you are around have Covid?   It has nothing to do with hospitals doing daily testing.   I repeat for clarity "Why wouldn't you want to know if you have covid?" - "Why wouldn't you want to know if the people you are around have Covid?"   Especially if all you had to do was spit is a tube everyday!

You said, quote, "I really have trouble understanding the complaints about daily testing." I gave you the medical reason, i.e., that this frequency of testing is medically unnecessary. I assume hospitals know something about what is medically necessary and what is not.

As to your questions: I would be fine with an initial test, upon boarding, that shows I don't have Covid. That information and my vaccinated status would give me peace of mind. After that, I don't need to know, day in and day out, whether the guy in the cabin next to mine has Covid. He's fully vaccinated, too; he tested negative, too; and he and I will wear masks and socially distance around each other.  

5 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

Wow, someone else actually read the Passenger Ticket Contract.

No reason to be so cynical. I’m a lawyer, and I’ve read that contract from top to bottom.

26 minutes ago, DaveSJ711 said:

As to the value of daily testing, this comment from the Iceland thread stands out:

 

"I work in a hospital. We must wear masks and be vaccinated. We DO NOT get tested unless symptomatic. 
we take care of the sickest and most vulnerable patients. If daily testing was a good idea, we’d be doing it."

And a follow-up from the same commenter (Chilicatx) on the live Iceland thread:

"As I said above, if everyone is vaccinated ALL infections will occur in vaccinated people. However, those infections so far very rarely result in hospitalization and incredibly rarely in death. The vast majority are asymptomatic. 
Testing asymptomatic vaccinated people is stupid if they will only interact with other vaccinated people"

17 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

CBC is reporting that Carnival Vista docked in Belize on Wednesday with 27 COVID cases aboard the vessel - 26 crew + 1 pax. With that many cases, it is proof that Viking's daily testing is working.

As to the value of daily testing, this comment from the Iceland thread stands out:

"I work in a hospital. We must wear masks and be vaccinated. We DO NOT get tested unless symptomatic. 
we take care of the sickest and most vulnerable patients. If daily testing was a good idea, we’d be doing it."

12 minutes ago, BQEC said:

It doesn’t. However, the fat lady has yet to sing. Hopefully we will hear that our 26 intrepid souls were able to complete their trips home uneventfully. 
Now if you are up for some enlightening reading and you have not already done so, go to Iceland’s official website. Several items of note 1) each situation is handled on a case by case with respect to contacts and 2) daily testing is not recommended!

Also great reading is Viking’s Passenger Ticket contract with respect to Covid. (Found on Viking website)
 

What "official website" are you talking about? Do you have a link?

12 minutes ago, TERRIER1 said:

Who is Mike? What group? So confused but nothing new for me. I knew who Steve is but not Mike.

Mike is Clay’s husband. 

2 hours ago, Jchivers said:

 

Just an anecdote: we had an extra-long layover in Frankfurt because we missed our connection, and wanted to buy an aspirin.  Apparently, the sundries & news & stuff shops inside security don't sell anything useful like aspirin -- you need to go through passport control to get to an airport pharmacy.  We were told "no big deal, no lines, you'll just zip right through".  So we went, got the aspirin, came back through passport control....and ran into *extremely* officious agents. Flipped slowly through our passports, page by page (including all the blank pages)...."How long do you plan to stay in Germany?"  "I'M NOT!  I'M TRYING TO CATCH A FREAKIN' PLANE AND GET ON MY FREAKIN' CRUISE!!!!" (or words to that affect.).  

 

Scowl.  Stamp.  Got my passport stamped 4 times on our cruise, all in German airports.  

 

The moral: don't change planes in Germany.

Using the word "FREAKIN" (or any of its close cousins) in front of a passport control agent isn't generally a good idea.

2 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Last post on the site that cannot be named is that they are in a quarantine hotel in Reykjavik. The poster who up until then had been positive and had a great attitude said it was “DISGUSTING”. They are supposed to fly home tomorrow. 

What a way to have your trip end -- prematurely, in a hotel not of your choosing, and one that's DISGUSTING to boot. The Icelandic Tourist Board won't feature that experience on its website.

1 hour ago, broker1217 said:

 

Could not agree more. That may be the best option for those who cannot tolerate a trip interruption from a time or $$ standpoint.

More specifically, a trip interruption that could drag on for up to 14 days -- thus effectively canceling the trip altogether.

53 minutes ago, CLBSC said:

No doubt making a final decision with changing information is difficult. We are two weeks out today so looks like a go for us....

 

I am still wondering if this Malta Mom and Daughter flew directly from the USA to Malta and had a 72 hour test before traveling....

 

Also wondering why our 8/23 MaltaCruise is the only August Viking cruise with free airfare..do you think they need more passengers? 

 

I liked the previous statement of " The odds are still in our favor and we are willing to take the risk."

Risk assessment is more than just the existence of a risk. It also involves the likelihood that a particular event will occur; the cost or financial loss if the event does occur; the extent to which the risk can be controlled or reduced; and each person’s degree of risk tolerance.

My wife and I have a pretty high level of risk tolerance. We’re also fully vaccinated, so we believe it’s highly unlikely that we’ll contract Covid on or off a Viking ship.

Our problem, however, is the quarantine issue. Potentially, we could be swept up and ordered to a hotel, perhaps for as much as 14 days, simply because we come too close to a person later diagnosed with Covid. The likelihood that this will happen is probably quite low. But the risk very much exists. Worse yet, there’s not much we can do to manage the risk, short of keeping our distance from everybody on shore and off shore. And if we are swept up, a large chunk of the time and money we invested in the trip will go down the toilet. 

Se we’re still on the fence about our September cruise. Under Viking’s Risk Free program, we have two more weeks to make up our mind and decide whether to go. Stay tuned!

13 minutes ago, FirstTimeFreddy said:

**NEWS REGARDING CROATIAN PORT STOPS**

 

Viking in cooperation with the Croatian authorities have now made it possible to roam freely at all Croatian port stops from Wednesday 28th July. This means that once you've completed your required morning PCR test, health screening questionnaire and temperature check, you'll be able to roam the cruise ports to your heart's content.

 

This means Shopping, Bars, Restaurants, as well as the freedom to create your own itinerary.

 

You must still take every precaution possible to keep yourself and the crew safe from Covid-19 and Vikingare asking you to remain masked. However  this is fantastic news for our cruise and all those that follow.

 

This DOESN'T apply to Montenegro or Malta. Only Croatia at this stage. 🥳😉

That's fabulous news, Freddy! Let's hope Malta and Montenegro follow suit.

Thanks for keeping us posted. 

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

It also shows that if you need to know exactly what will happen on your cruise in advance of going, that you probably should not be traveling.

Did I read a different interview? I didn't get a "no traveling" message from the piece I read. As Linda said, the interview added to the discussion about what it's like to travel these days. It's helpful to understand Viking's actions and the rationale for those actions.

17 hours ago, Geoffa30 said:

Thank you for posting this Linconian. Ignore what the first response said above. This is relevant to Viking as others have said. Sometimes people need to remember there other countries besides the US.

I can't say what amused me more: your assumption that our Canadian friend was from the U.S., or the mutual apologies once his U.K. bona fides became known. Plus, I learned that "shirty" is actually a word. Good work!

5 minutes ago, photogranny said:

I am also curious as to car and overnight accommodations, just in case!

Best hotel chain in Iceland is Fosshotels -- start from there. They have locations throughout the country.

6 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

You missed one rainbow street but got to see another.  Yay.

My picture of the same street, looking the opposite direction. Beautiful!