What if Covid Rules Change After Booking?

[jtwind]

I am satisfied with the current rules in place to minimize the chance of this pandemic ruining my trip.  What happens if the rules change between now and the time the cruise actually take place?  Can I get a refund?  Future cruise credit?  Or is it all on me to get "cancel for any reason" trip insurance?

 

(Example:  Viking decides to do away with vaccination requirements before I'm comfortable with that change.)

[Dukefan]

This is a summary of what you can do if you change your mind:

 

Book Now! Plan Your Voyage Risk Free.

✓ Change Your Cruise Date Up To 14 Days Prior To Departure

✓ All Change Fees Are Waived

✓ The Ultimate Flexibility: You Have 24 Months to Select Your New Cruise Date

✓ Combinable with All Other Viking Offers

Call a Viking Expert at 1-800-2-VIKING or see your Travel Advisor.

Offer Expires May 31, 2021.

 

Basically if you change your mind 14 days prior to the cruise, you get a cruise credit for the full amount you spent and 24 months to use it.   

[ohiojohn]

If the rules change inside the 14 day risk free, I may order this from Amazon for my Bermuda cruise.  (Just Kidding)

Edited May 17, 2021 by ohiojohn

[CCWineLover]

GOod question John.  That 14 day rule is confounding us greatly.  RCL is allowing their passengers all the way up to leaving to cancel.

I had not thought of the one you brought up (which is a good one), but our concern is with the COVID testing - 1.  the almost unattainable 72 hours which is over a Sunday (stupid!!) and 2- the chance of getting a false positive, even if you don't have COVID.    In case 1, not thru your own fault, but the lab or whatever gets delayed and you don't get the results in time to get posted....  In case 2, you are branded and don't have a chance to take a 2nd test.

In either case you are well under the 14 day rule, and will lose every single dollar you have on the cruise.  Not good odds in my opinion.

Edited May 18, 2021 by CCWineLover

[Twitchly]

58 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

GOod question John.  That 14 day rule is confounding us greatly.  RCL is allowing their passengers all the way up to leaving to cancel.

I had not thought of the one you brought up (which is a good one), but our concern is with the COVID testing - 1.  the almost unattainable 72 hours which is over a Sunday (stupid!!) and 2- the chance of getting a false positive, even if you don't have COVID.    In case 1, not thru your own fault, but the lab or whatever gets delayed and you don't get the results in time to get posted....  In case 2, you are branded and don't have a chance to take a 2nd test.

In either case you are well under the 14 day rule, and will lose every single dollar you have on the cruise.  Not good odds in my opinion.

Do you have travel insurance? Ours allows cancellation right up to the minute of departure for medical reasons.

[ohiojohn]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

GOod question John.  That 14 day rule is confounding us greatly.  RCL is allowing their passengers all the way up to leaving to cancel.

I had not thought of the one you brought up (which is a good one), but our concern is with the COVID testing - 1.  the almost unattainable 72 hours which is over a Sunday (stupid!!) and 2- the chance of getting a false positive, even if you don't have COVID.    In case 1, not thru your own fault, but the lab or whatever gets delayed and you don't get the results in time to get posted....  In case 2, you are branded and don't have a chance to take a 2nd test.

In either case you are well under the 14 day rule, and will lose every single dollar you have on the cruise.  Not good odds in my opinion.

 

25 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

Do you have travel insurance? Ours allows cancellation right up to the minute of departure for medical reasons.

Twitchly is correct.  Your cruise insurance provider will however need documentation that you are medically not fit to travel.  Having COVID probably satisfies a medical condition, but a doctor must sign off on this unfit to travel condition.  But each cruise insurance may be different, so check with them.

[TayanaLorna]

11 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

GOod question John.  That 14 day rule is confounding us greatly.  RCL is allowing their passengers all the way up to leaving to cancel.

I had not thought of the one you brought up (which is a good one), but our concern is with the COVID testing - 1.  the almost unattainable 72 hours which is over a Sunday (stupid!!) and 2- the chance of getting a false positive, even if you don't have COVID.    In case 1, not thru your own fault, but the lab or whatever gets delayed and you don't get the results in time to get posted....  In case 2, you are branded and don't have a chance to take a 2nd test.

In either case you are well under the 14 day rule, and will lose every single dollar you have on the cruise.  Not good odds in my opinion.

Kent, I am confused.  Are you saying for the Bermuda or Iceland cruises we need to do a Covid test BEFORE we leave home?  Viking will test us before boarding and, in the case of Iceland, that country will test us at the airport.  Or are you just thinking of getting yourselves tested at home to make sure you don't test positive.

[bafinegan]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

Kent, I am confused.  Are you saying for the Bermuda or Iceland cruises we need to do a Covid test BEFORE we leave home?  Viking will test us before boarding and, in the case of Iceland, that country will test us at the airport.  Or are you just thinking of getting yourselves tested at home to make sure you don't test positive.

Absent any further instructions from Viking( and THAT is becoming very difficult)  the Bermuda tourism office states a PCR test taken within 3 days must be attached to the travel authorization all visitors must obtain prior to flying in.  The problem is Bermuda wants this application not later than 24 hours prior to arrival.  This means the COvid PCR test must be done with results within 48 hours-OVER A WEEK-END (because the Bermuda cruise leaves on a Tues.)

 

There are rumors that Viking has a plan- but no one on the Bermuda cruise board has gotten any written info- so who knows.

 

Not sure about the Iceland cruises.

Edited May 18, 2021 by bafinegan
spelling

[Dukefan]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

Kent, I am confused.  Are you saying for the Bermuda or Iceland cruises we need to do a Covid test BEFORE we leave home?  Viking will test us before boarding and, in the case of Iceland, that country will test us at the airport.  Or are you just thinking of getting yourselves tested at home to make sure you don't test positive.

For Iceland, a test is not currently required before you leave home.  That said, we plan to self quarantine at home 7 days before we leave for Iceland and to take a rapid home Covid test about 2 days before we leave.  These tests are only about 90% acurate but it will provide us some assurance that when we arrive in Iceland we won't fail the test at the aitport or at the ship.  These tests are less than $30 for a kit that contains two tests  at CVS.  We believe it is a wise expeniture before boading a plane and getting stuck in Iceland and missing the cruise because we test positive. In other words, it improves our odds of making it on the ship. 

[TayanaLorna]

19 minutes ago, bafinegan said:

Absent any further instructions from Viking( and THAT is becoming very difficult)  the Bermuda tourism office states a PCR test taken within 3 days must be attached to the travel authorization all visitors must obtain prior to flying in.  The problem is Bermuda wants this application not later than 24 hours prior to arrival.  This means the COvid PCR test must be done with results within 48 hours-OVER A WEEK-END (because the Bermuda cruise leaves on a Tues.)

 

There are rumors that Viking has a plan- but no one on the Bermuda cruise board has gotten any written info- so who knows.

 

Not sure about the Iceland cruises.

Ok, I missed that travelers to Bermuda need to do their own Covid test for entry.  Makes sense.  I just returned home to Puerto Rico from Florida and had to have a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of arrival.  My flight was on Monday, I made an appointment at a CVS Pharmacy Minute Clinic for Saturday at 11 am, and i had my results on Sunday by 3 pm.

[TayanaLorna]

8 minutes ago, Dukefan said:

For Iceland, a test is not currently required before you leave home.  That said, we plan to self quarantine at home 7 days before we leave for Iceland and to take a rapid home Covid test about 2 days before we leave.  These tests are only about 90% acurate but it will provide us some assurance that when we arrive in Iceland we won't fail the test at the aitport or at the ship.  These tests are less than $30 for a kit that contains two tests  at CVS.  We believe it is a wise expeniture before boading a plane and getting stuck in Iceland and missing the cruise because we test positive. In other words, it improves our odds of making it on the ship. 

It does make sense for all of us to be very careful during the two weeks before our cruise.  Go out minimally, wear masks even if we don't have to, stay away from unvaccinated people and be very careful on domestic flights.  Self testing before leaving home is a good idea for self assurance.  

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Bermuda-bound pax please be aware that the CVS MinuteClinic rapid test is not accepted by Bermuda, it is an antigen test.  Only the “lab test” PCR test is acceptable, but it can take “1 to 2 days, or longer at times of peak demand”.  In our area at least, it is the “drive-thru” test, and not available inside the store.

 

https://www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing?icid=coronavirus-lp-nav-general-testing

 

For Bermuda bound pax, the only safe bet, at the moment, is the $200-$300 “same-day” PCR test available at specialized clinics.  Any other test type risks either rejection by Bermuda or getting results too late to meet Bermuda’s vetting window.

 

Keep an eye out for guidance from Viking.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Ragnar Danneskjold

[Clay Clayton]

18 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

GOod question John.  That 14 day rule is confounding us greatly.  RCL is allowing their passengers all the way up to leaving to cancel.

I had not thought of the one you brought up (which is a good one), but our concern is with the COVID testing -2- the chance of getting a false positive, even if you don't have COVID.    .  In case 2, you are branded and don't have a chance to take a 2nd test.

In either case you are well under the 14 day rule, and will lose every single dollar you have on the cruise.  Not good odds in my opinion.

This section of Viking’s T&C appears to me to cover you for your Case 2 scenario:

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Someone should volunteer to make up t-shirts for our cruise with guinea pigs pics on them, and the Viking logo 🙂  But don’t look at me, I’m far too lazy.  I’m an idea man...

[Heidi13]

51 minutes ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

Someone should volunteer to make up t-shirts for our cruise with guinea pigs pics on them, and the Viking logo 🙂  But don’t look at me, I’m far too lazy.  I’m an idea man...

 

Haha. Just like the "Magical Mystery Tour" t-shirts made by a pax on the 20 WC. It became a collector's item.😁

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I will require a size CT (Circus Tent).

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

In case anyone on this thread missed it, Bermuda relaxed the three day test requirement to four days.

[Jim Avery]

42 minutes ago, Ragnar Danneskjold said:

I will require a size CT (Circus Tent).

I thought you were into the Hindenburg line of Speedos.😱🍸😎

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

I thought you were into the Hindenburg line of Speedos.😱🍸😎

No that’s me