Norway and Americans

[KBs mum]

Might be coincidence, but viking are advertising a lot more than usual in the UK

[JeriGail]

13 hours ago, seaquay said:

Just received a message in My Journey that shore excursions were open for us to book today, but no shore excursions showing.  As this is our first time sailing with Viking is this normal or perhaps a sign that without travellers from the USA our early January cruise in search of the northern lights is a non starter?

Don't worry - that happened for our cruise too.  Viking did not have the excursions confirmed when the first booking windows opened.

[Mich3554]

On 10/17/2021 at 12:03 AM, seaquay said:

Just received a message in My Journey that shore excursions were open for us to book today, but no shore excursions showing.  As this is our first time sailing with Viking is this normal or perhaps a sign that without travellers from the USA our early January cruise in search of the northern lights is a non starter?

Viking seems to be releasing excursions later than they normally would have.  We are on an Oct 31 cruise and there was a segment of the cruise (about 6 ports) where excursions were released only a few weeks ago, and one port still slows no excursions in MVJ.

[SoBaycruiser]

We are on the Mar 1 Northern Lights cruise and I find the whole Covid protocols scary as heck even though we are fully vaccinated and about to get our booster.  I’m afraid that I won’t do something right, or timely enough… or that the cruise will be canceled.  Oh how I wish for the old days!
 

Does Norway only accept National vaccination cards?  Los Angeles County (CA) made available digital vaccination cards with a QR code with details that I carry in my Apple wallet.  But I doubt this will help if most Americans only have the paper copy and Norway doesn’t let the ship dock.

 

[elizpeace]

9 hours ago, SoBaycruiser said:

We are on the Mar 1 Northern Lights cruise and I find the whole Covid protocols scary as heck even though we are fully vaccinated and about to get our booster.  I’m afraid that I won’t do something right, or timely enough… or that the cruise will be canceled.  Oh how I wish for the old days!
 

Does Norway only accept National vaccination cards?  Los Angeles County (CA) made available digital vaccination cards with a QR code with details that I carry in my Apple wallet.  But I doubt this will help if most Americans only have the paper copy and Norway doesn’t let the ship dock.

 

 

I have to admit, this is what worries me most! Trying to keep track of the different rules in different places and countries. We are supposed to be on the Jan 12 Northern Lights, so I completely understand your concerns!

[SoBaycruiser]

4 minutes ago, elizpeace said:

 

I have to admit, this is what worries me most! Trying to keep track of the different rules in different places and countries. We are supposed to be on the Jan 12 Northern Lights, so I completely understand your concerns!

I see you are from CA also. Are you starting your cruise in London or Bergen?  Ours starts in London and getting the PCR tests required by the UK (day 2) and one within 72 hrs before getting on the ship is tricky.  I’m just waiting a while to see if there is a winter surge to see if our trip is canceled.  Good luck!  

[KBs mum]

The UK rules are changing to a lateral flow test on day two. Same providers as the PCR tests. Not certain if this is for all arrivals or just certain countries 

 

If you allready have a PCR test booked you will be fine with that. 

 

Sorry the details are still a bit unclear. 

Best advice I can give is to check on www.gov.uk our government's website for all regulations. Can be as clear as mud, but the info should be there somewhere. 

The test providers on the website are not vetted or approved, it is just a list of companies who have said they do the tests

 

Welcome to the UK, at the moment there are no covid restrictions in place in England, unless you test positive, in Scotland masks should be worn indoors unless seated at a table eating or drinking, and on public transport. 

We may go to masks and social distancing over winter, at the moment there is no talk of restricting travel

Edited October 21, 2021 by KBs mum

[MissMimi1912]

15 hours ago, SoBaycruiser said:

We are on the Mar 1 Northern Lights cruise and I find the whole Covid protocols scary as heck even though we are fully vaccinated and about to get our booster.  I’m afraid that I won’t do something right, or timely enough… or that the cruise will be canceled.  Oh how I wish for the old days!
 

Does Norway only accept National vaccination cards?  Los Angeles County (CA) made available digital vaccination cards with a QR code with details that I carry in my Apple wallet.  But I doubt this will help if most Americans only have the paper copy and Norway doesn’t let the ship dock.

 

We are booked for the March 1st sailing also. Our travel agent told us nothing about the problems with Norway and US vaccination cards and now I am freaking out. We are in Georgia and there is, so far, no option for electronic vaccination records. This is our first cruise and, honestly, I am thinking we should have waited.

[KBs mum]

11 minutes ago, MissMimi1912 said:

We are booked for the March 1st sailing also. Our travel agent told us nothing about the problems with Norway and US vaccination cards and now I am freaking out. We are in Georgia and there is, so far, no option for electronic vaccination records. This is our first cruise and, honestly, I am thinking we should have waited.

Is there a way for you to contact the US Norwegian embassy or look at any website they might have? The Norwegian government may have an English language website that will give accurate information

[seaquay]

My understanding was that at the moment travellers from the USA cannot enter Norway for Tourism purposes and that Norway is now on the USA level 4 - do not travel.  There are many websites explaining the rules - I found udi.no the easiest to understand.

 

Have to admit not feeling that optimistic that our 12 Jan sailing will happen if passengers from the USA are not allowed into Norway

[Mrs Miggins]

Our late September cruise to Norway was cancelled in May due to the the local rules.  

[elizpeace]

On 10/21/2021 at 7:19 AM, SoBaycruiser said:

I see you are from CA also. Are you starting your cruise in London or Bergen?  Ours starts in London and getting the PCR tests required by the UK (day 2) and one within 72 hrs before getting on the ship is tricky.  I’m just waiting a while to see if there is a winter surge to see if our trip is canceled.  Good luck!  

We start from London as well.

 

[zalusky]

We have one starting in London next summer.  Hopefully all is well by then but I will interested to hear how you all dealt with the test logistics.

[SoBaycruiser]

50 minutes ago, zalusky said:

We have one starting in London next summer.  Hopefully all is well by then but I will interested to hear how you all dealt with the test logistics.

Edited… am rethinking my plan.

Edited October 22, 2021 by SoBaycruiser

[uktog]

I am reassured a little to see my flight bookings to Bergen for March 2022 have appeared in my My Viking Journey this morning (and it’s the route/timings we hoped for with KLM). 

[Haworth]

4 hours ago, uktog said:

I am reassured a little to see my flight bookings to Bergen for March 2022 have appeared in my My Viking Journey this morning (and it’s the route/timings we hoped for with KLM). 

Afternoon, I assume you are doing the Northern Lights cruise, we did it in March 2019 (yes that one) it was a brilliant trip with several excellent sightings of the lights, I am sure you will have a brilliant time.

[uktog]

11 minutes ago, Haworth said:

Afternoon, I assume you are doing the Northern Lights cruise, we did it in March 2019 (yes that one) it was a brilliant trip with several excellent sightings of the lights, I am sure you will have a brilliant time.

Yes we are and we are very much looking forward to it.  I so hope we see the lights but also I love Norway having done several summer cruises there. I so wanted to see Norway in Winter but in comfort so when our South America trip on Viking was cancelled once and we pulled out of this years one (unbelievably it is going when Brazil is still such a no no) we jumped at the chance to do the lights instead.

[les37b]

On 10/21/2021 at 10:30 PM, seaquay said:

My understanding was that at the moment travellers from the USA cannot enter Norway for Tourism purposes and that Norway is now on the USA level 4 - do not travel.  There are many websites explaining the rules - I found udi.no the easiest to understand.

 

Have to admit not feeling that optimistic that our 12 Jan sailing will happen if passengers from the USA are not allowed into Norway

 

Interesting - though I wonder what the ratio is on this. Of 497 on Viking sea to croatia, approx 150 were from the UK. I'd expect the London start would increase that number dramatically. 

 

I'm also booked on the 12th Jan so watching with interest. I booked it because a Silversea Cruise I've got booked (and already the 3rd attempt on this booking) was obviously going to get cancelled as at the time I booked Viking Venus 3 weeks ago, we couldn't go to 8 of the countries on the list. It's now down to 3 and certain it will now sail regardless of Peru, Ecuador and Panama being red. Obviously needs to be zero else no insurance.

 

Hopefully one will sail (or both!).... and I'm allowed to cancel right down to 48 hours on Silversea if any country is Red. On Viking, we can change up to 14 days....... So I will have a decision to make at T-5 on the Viking cruise as the Silversea sails on the 3 Jan 22.

 

Crazy situation I've got myself in, but if I can sail the Panama canal, then having the option to rebook the Northern Lights by giving notice on 28 December, leaves all options open to as late as possible.

[les37b]

5 hours ago, uktog said:

I am reassured a little to see my flight bookings to Bergen for March 2022 have appeared in my My Viking Journey this morning (and it’s the route/timings we hoped for with KLM). 

 

Ours appeared 2 days ago - and not what we wanted flying to LHR from Bergen via Oslo. I'f I didnt have the dilemma explained above, I think I would have booked direct flights on Norwegian to LGR for about £50 with luggage!

[KBs mum]

41 minutes ago, les37b said:

 

Ours appeared 2 days ago - and not what we wanted flying to LHR from Bergen via Oslo. I'f I didnt have the dilemma explained above, I think I would have booked direct flights on Norwegian to LGR for about £50 with luggage!

The only LHR - Bergen direct flight we could find for next year were once daily with Wideroe, Logan Air fly from Edinburgh, otherwise there's always a connection involved somewhere. 

Last time we went from Bergen to Oslo on the train and flew back from there. Worth doing for the scenery. 

[Frenchberet]

1 hour ago, uktog said:

Yes we are and we are very much looking forward to it.  I so hope we see the lights but also I love Norway having done several summer cruises there. I so wanted to see Norway in Winter but in comfort so when our South America trip on Viking was cancelled once and we pulled out of this years one (unbelievably it is going when Brazil is still such a no no) we jumped at the chance to do the lights instead.

If you are able to travel and move freely around Norway, suggest you book a private tour to chase the lights.  We did the Northern Lights cruise in February 2019 but didn’t see the lights.  So disappointed.  Love Viking but the group tours had too many people and were too short on time to view.  Folks who booked small shuttle bus tours to Finland did see the lights.  That’s what we’d do if we made the trip again.

[les37b]

How quickly things change! With yesterdays UK announcement that there were no longer an red zone countries or need to quarantine in a hotel at enormous cost, it meant our original Silversea booking to Panama would now be possible - and since the price hike to move it forward one year was a 70% increase, we pulled the plug on Norway and have now moved it way into the future to Bali in Mar 2024 on Viking Orion

 

Just a little bit different!

 

Fingers crossed for Jan for Norway and Panama!

[uktog]

On 10/26/2021 at 9:48 AM, uktog said:

I am reassured a little to see my flight bookings to Bergen for March 2022 have appeared in my My Viking Journey this morning (and it’s the route/timings we hoped for with KLM). 

My reassurance may have been a little premature.  As I have status with KLM I went online to try and reserve our seats free of charge and check we had the additional baggage allowance I am entitled to.  It let me sort the seats (although then would not save it) but would not give the correct baggage allowance so I went online chat with KLM.  It turns out our reservation is "not fully ticketed" so I was a little ahead of myself being excited to be nearer the boarding gate.

[seaquay]

Still no excursions and yet bookings for restaurants and spa available.  Hard to know what time to make bookings for dinner without knowing what time excursions get back.

 

As I understand passengers from the USA still cannot enter Norway I have to wonder if the cruise is actually going to sail

[SoBaycruiser]

On 11/5/2021 at 12:46 AM, seaquay said:

Still no excursions and yet bookings for restaurants and spa available.  Hard to know what time to make bookings for dinner without knowing what time excursions get back.

 

As I understand passengers from the USA still cannot enter Norway I have to wonder if the cruise is actually going to sail

 As of a few days ago Norway extended their COVID restrictions and Americans are not allowed in.  See link here.   While we have 3.5 months to our cruise, I’m getting concerned this will go because of the probable winter surge.