LIVE from "Iceland's Natural Beauty" -- All Sailings, 2021

[jeremybe]

4 minutes ago, vslparis said:

They have stopped those busses ; Blue Lagoon is  not allowing anyone to come directly from the airport . However, that will most likely be changed shortly as Iceland suspends the Covid test on arrival program .

our guide today said that Iceland is suspending that restriction tomorrow, but I haven’t confirmed that ( just got back from our Golden Circle tour ) .

 

 

Thank you!!! Thats kind of what I thought..  Hope you had a great tour! Guess we'll wait a week or so and see..

[vslparis]

1 minute ago, jeremybe said:

 

Thank you!!! Thats kind of what I thought..  Hope you had a great tour! Guess we'll wait a week or so and see..

I believe the official word at the moment is the Covid test requirement is to be suspended on 01 July according to the covid.is site. 

[JM0115]

New rules for border control announced at 11 am

Edit: " At the border, samples will no longer be taken for arrivals who have been vaccinated or who had previously contracted the coronavirus. " (From July 1)

 

The government will convene a press conference at 11 a.m. on the lifting of disease control and border controls. The meeting will be broadcast live on Sjónvarpina and sign language interpreted on RÚV2. There will also be a live broadcast on ruv.is. Significant relaxation of disease control is expected. The epidemiologist said in RÚV news yesterday that there was a reason to relax, as close to nine percent of people aged 16 and older were vaccinated with at least one previous injection.

The press conference will take place in the Museum in Reykjavík and will begin at 11 am or immediately after the government meeting. 

https://www.ruv.is/frett/2021/06/25/rikisstjornin-bodar-til-fundar-um-aflettingu-sottvarna

 

 

The border from July 1

The Minister of Health has decided on changes to border control rules that will take effect on 1 July and apply until 15 August. These changes are also in accordance with the epidemiologist's memorandum.

• On 1 July, sampling will be stopped for those who present valid vaccination certificates with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency and / or the WHO. Vaccination is considered valid two weeks after the person concerned received the second dose of vaccine, but if people have been vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine, one week must have elapsed since vaccination.
• Sampling will be stopped in children born in 2005 or later.
• Those who present valid certificates of vaccination and previous infection caused by Covid-19 and children born in 2005 and later do not have to present negative PCR certificates upon arrival in Iceland from 1 July.
• In the case of those who are unable to present valid certificates of vaccination against Covid-19 or a previous Covid-19 infection, a negative PCR certificate must continue to be presented at the port and at the border, undergo screening with a PCR test upon arrival in the country and stay in quarantine in 5 days and undergoes a second screening after it.

[LindaS272]

6 hours ago, ericfromri said:

yes viking does that, but if you stay a few days afterwards , it has to be within 72 hours of the flight

It is not 72 hours from your flight, it is specifically 3 days. See the CDC website—it’s there, and numerous people have reported on it on trip/advisor. Some airlines have to be reminded of the specific CDC language that it’s not 72 hours (Icelandair, for instance).

[Bookworm114]

Clean Ships
 

I found an interesting blog that mentions that Viking Ships are some of the cleanest, if not the cleanest of the ocean vessels. Blogger includes a link to the CDC site for the text reports. 
 

https://www.cruzely.com/the-cleanest-cruise-line-according-to-cdc-inspections/

[bobchico]

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

We have just completed the first leg of our trip.  A report on check in.  The gate agent wanted our passport and vax certificate.  She then said, so, you know need a negative test and printed our boarding passes.  They said DOCS OK.  She had no idea about the bar code, and didn’t want to see it.

Please clarify "you know need a negative test"

[vslparis]

17 minutes ago, bobchico said:

Please clarify "you know need a negative test"

Pretty sure that phrase was an “autocorrect “ issue . More than likely the agent said, “ no you don’t need a negative test ; because you don’t😉.

Our check in agent told us we did and I had to point out to her where the 

“vaccination exemption “ notes were on the kiosk screen😬

[Snit13]

1 hour ago, covergirl1300 said:

We are also booked on the August 31 cruise, 4 of us traveling from Florida. We are arriving on the 29th early morning. We have been on 1 other Viking Ocean in 2019. We are planning to do a Golden Circle tour on the 30th, getting that out of the way before boarding the ship.

We look forward to meeting some of our fellow cruisers perhaps before boarding the ship. We are staying at the Radisson Blu 1919. Let me know if you will be coming in early.

We will not be coming in early as we booked our air thru Viking.  Three of us will be flying from Tampa on Aug. 30 and arriving in Reykjavik Aug. 31.  Our 4th will be flying from Las Vegas and meeting us in Minneapolis.  

Enjoy meeting fellow Cruise Critic roll call members night before for drinks/giggles.

[shipster60]

2 hours ago, jeremybe said:

Has anyone had any success finding a Reykjavik to Blue Lagoon shuttle/bus? We are coming in early and wanted to hit the Blue Lagoon on the way from the airport - It looks like all the bus lines are suspended - Anyone have any other luck/advice??

 

Thanks 

We used BTI Travel (Back to Iceland). We rented a minibus with a driver. They will meet us at the airport, take us to Blue Lagoon and wait up to 3 hrs. keeping our bags in the van, then drive us to the port. The cost was about $207 USD. You also have to buy your own tickets to the Lagoon online. I already reserved mine. Both have cancellation policies of about 48 hrs. if I remember correctly.  I'm sure that's much more than the buses will be, but more convenient. It holds 4 people, so if you found someone to share that would help with the cost. 

[Clay Clayton]

13 minutes ago, shipster60 said:

We used BTI Travel (Back to Iceland). We rented a minibus with a driver. They will meet us at the airport, take us to Blue Lagoon and wait up to 3 hrs. keeping our bags in the van, then drive us to the port. The cost was about $207 USD. You also have to buy your own tickets to the Lagoon online. I already reserved mine. Both have cancellation policies of about 48 hrs. if I remember correctly.  I'm sure that's much more than the buses will be, but more convenient. It holds 4 people, so if you found someone to share that would help with the cost. 

That’s the same price and plan we are doing with AirportDirect.  

[FoggyEthan]

24 minutes ago, shipster60 said:

We used BTI Travel (Back to Iceland). We rented a minibus with a driver. They will meet us at the airport, take us to Blue Lagoon and wait up to 3 hrs. keeping our bags in the van, then drive us to the port. The cost was about $207 USD. You also have to buy your own tickets to the Lagoon online. I already reserved mine. Both have cancellation policies of about 48 hrs. if I remember correctly.  I'm sure that's much more than the buses will be, but more convenient. It holds 4 people, so if you found someone to share that would help with the cost. 

Can you tell me where they specified a 3 hour limit? I didn't see that when I booked. Thanks!

[shipster60]

3 minutes ago, FoggyEthan said:

Can you tell me where they specified a 3 hour limit? I didn't see that when I booked. Thanks!

Honestly, I could be remembering that wrong. I didn’t go back and check the details, I just thought that’s what I had read. We are flying in the day of, so 3 hrs is all I wanted to spend anyway. 

[shipster60]

4 minutes ago, shipster60 said:

Honestly, I could be remembering that wrong. I didn’t go back and check the details, I just thought that’s what I had read. We are flying in the day of, so 3 hrs is all I wanted to spend anyway. 

You made me curious so I went back to the site to read the details. You are right. It says they will wait for you “until you have fully satisfied your soaking needs”!  

[Peregrina651]

Ladies and Gentlemen, the lights in the lobby are blinking and members of the audience are asked to kindly take their seats as the show is about to begin.

 

This "LIVE from" thread is about what is happening right now on board the ship -- and at least for now, at the airport -- and nothing else.

 

If you aren't heading to the ship or on it, you are a member of the audience and are asked to refrain from posting here unless it is a specific question for those on board. Members of the audience, even those who have already sailed, are also asked to refrain from answering questions.  Unruly audience members will be reported.

 

Please give your whole-hearted attention to those who are currently on board the Viking SKY and soon the Viking JUPITER. They don't have to do this but they are taking time from their vacations to make your experience better.

 

Thank you all very much for your cooperation.

 

And now ... CUE DRUM ROLL!   CUE SPOTLIGHT!  <Stage slowly fills with weary but smiling pax  keyboards at the ready as curtain slowly rises> 

 

CUE CURTAIN UP

 

 

[shipster60]

1 hour ago, shipster60 said:

 

52 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Ladies and Gentlemen, the lights in the lobby are blinking and members of the audience are asked to kindly take their seats as the show is about to begin.

 

This "LIVE from" thread is about what is happening right now on board the ship -- and at least for now, at the airport -- and nothing else.

 

If you aren't heading to the ship or on it, you are a member of the audience and are asked to refrain from posting here unless it is a specific question for those on board. Members of the audience, even those who have already sailed, are also asked to refrain from answering questions.  Unruly audience members will be reported.

 

Please give your whole-hearted attention to those who are currently on board the Viking SKY and soon the Viking JUPITER. They don't have to do this but they are taking time from their vacations to make your experience better.

 

Thank you all very much for your cooperation.

 

And now ... CUE DRUM ROLL!   CUE SPOTLIGHT!  <Stage slowly fills with weary but smiling pax  keyboards at the ready as curtain slowly rises> 

 

CUE CURTAIN UP

 

 

Sooo sorry! I’m reading so many boards I hadn’t paid attention to which one it was. I will do better!

[SantaFe1]

2 hours ago, vslparis said:

Pretty sure that phrase was an “autocorrect “ issue . More than likely the agent said, “ no you don’t need a negative test ; because you don’t😉.

Our check in agent told us we did and I had to point out to her where the 

“vaccination exemption “ notes were on the kiosk screen😬

Yes, jet lag strikes again.  

[vslparis]

17 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Yes, jet lag strikes again.  

Been there, done that 😉

[Dukefan]

It would be wonderful if someone on each of the first several cruises could take a few minutes and take pictures of the four pages of Viking Daily each day and post them on this site   Since the Viking Daily lists the schedules of all the Viking activities each day it will be helpful for those following the first cruises.  If there are no changes for each of the days after the first several cruises, then this would no longer be needed.   This was something that I didn't see anyone do on either the earlier UK & Bermuda Cruises which really surprised me.   Thanks.

[TayanaLorna]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Ladies and Gentlemen, the lights in the lobby are blinking and members of the audience are asked to kindly take their seats as the show is about to begin.

 

This "LIVE from" thread is about what is happening right now on board the ship -- and at least for now, at the airport -- and nothing else.

 

If you aren't heading to the ship or on it, you are a member of the audience and are asked to refrain from posting here unless it is a specific question for those on board. Members of the audience, even those who have already sailed, are also asked to refrain from answering questions.  Unruly audience members will be reported.

 

Please give your whole-hearted attention to those who are currently on board the Viking SKY and soon the Viking JUPITER. They don't have to do this but they are taking time from their vacations to make your experience better.

 

Thank you all very much for your cooperation.

 

And now ... CUE DRUM ROLL!   CUE SPOTLIGHT!  <Stage slowly fills with weary but smiling pax  keyboards at the ready as curtain slowly rises> 

 

CUE CURTAIN UP

 

 

Thank you!!!

[Heartgrove]

My opinion so I am going to say this now as we are at #195 without anyone onboard yet.This is going to become very unwieldly as we go on with having it serve all of the cruises. Each cruise should have its own Live Thread.

[SantaFe1]

Sort of a meet and mingle here in MSP Asia’s we wait for our flight.  10-12 people with red tags chatting!  We are all excited,

[hodges97]

Would it be possible for one of you to post a list of excursions and prices?  We are sailing August 31 and can get nothing from Viking at this time.

[Peregrina651]

48 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

My opinion so I am going to say this now as we are at #195 without anyone onboard yet.This is going to become very unwieldly as we go on with having it serve all of the cruises. Each cruise should have its own Live Thread.

 

SantaFe1 (June 26), Clay_Clayton (July 10) and I (July 3) hatched this scheme when there were only four cruises scheduled and we will probably stick with at least through the first three cruises.  Since we were, at that point, plowing new ground, we thought that having everything in one place would make it easier to keep with changing information that we hoped to report. 

 

That said, regardless of the title of this thread, we have no control over who opens what thread and anyone who wishes may start a LIVE thread.

[Peregrina651]

17 minutes ago, hodges97 said:

Would it be possible for one of you to post a list of excursions and prices?  We are sailing August 31 and can get nothing from Viking at this time.

 

There is a link to a pdf in this thread, post #77.

[flaladyB]

How full does it look for the flight from MSP to REY? Y'all should be boarding soon..........