Live from the Viking Star World Cruise 2021-22

[dottythecat]

Garry,

 

I have so enjoyed your blog, and was pleasantly surprised when you continued on to the Homelands. We embark on Homeland on Wednesday on Jupiter.

You and Arlona have been great guides through your journey. I will look for her "quarantine period" artwork. I already miss your daily selfies together. Hopefully only a few more days.

We are also Floridians from Michigan-originally Traverse City, now Venice.

[TERRIER1]

4 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 143/152 Viking Homelands - Oslo, Norway - Nearly a sea day, and now sailing alone

 

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/05/world-cruise-day-143152-viking.html

I wish your wife posts negative as soon as possible and you stay negative. I can't believe you guys stayed negative this whole trip until now. Best of luck.

[GKTV32162]

3 hours ago, Rabbit27 said:

Hi Garry I am pleased she is feeling well and your are negative!

I have a question, with 25 cases that’s 25 cabins taken on deck 3 how many cabins do the have for quarantine cases? 
 

We are booked in a DV6 cabin on deck 3 🙈🙈

I am not sure. I was given the option to go into quarantine with her, so perhaps couples might go together. I don't know how many cabins they have set aside. On the World Cruise, some folks on 3 were relocated when they developed the COVID ward concept. The rooms are 3 forward and I believe all port side (even numbers).

[Rabbit27]

1 hour ago, GKTV32162 said:

I am not sure. I was given the option to go into quarantine with her, so perhaps couples might go together. I don't know how many cabins they have set aside. On the World Cruise, some folks on 3 were relocated when they developed the COVID ward concept. The rooms are 3 forward and I believe all port side (even numbers).

Ahh thanks Garry for the info 😊

[WNCtourist]

Best wishes to Arlona for a quick recovery and that you continue to test negative. As others have said, I've been greatly enjoying your blog and your wonderful photos. Thanks for all the time and effort you are investing in it.

[TayanaLorna]

8 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

I am not sure. I was given the option to go into quarantine with her, so perhaps couples might go together. I don't know how many cabins they have set aside. On the World Cruise, some folks on 3 were relocated when they developed the COVID ward concept. The rooms are 3 forward and I believe all port side (even numbers).

A gal who was quarantined in the Med on another Viking ship reported that the quarantine cabins were on Deck 3 forward portside also.  

[deec]

That is where they were on the Jupiter from late Feb to early May while we were onboard!

[cruiselvr04]

So sorry to hear about Arlona.  What a bummer to come this far and then get covid.

 

I think the US has more cases then reported simply because people aren’t getting as sick, just cold symptoms and have gotten tired of testing.  
 

We just took a 4 day trip to DC.  Very few people were masked.  We wore a mask on the plane, airports, subway and in crowded areas but I’ll be surprised if we don’t come down with it this week. The museums were very crowded. 
 

We’ve cruised twice since the restart and decided if one was positive, the other would not quarantine so they can advocate for the other.  
 

Hoping you stay well and Arlona feels better quickly.  

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 144/152 Viking Homelands - Oslo, Norway Day 2 - And you thought the Greeks and Romans liked nudity...

 

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/05/world-cruise-day-144152-viking.html

[Twitchly]

Great read, as always. 
 

At the end of April, more than 30 of us (myself and friends and friends’ family members) got Covid within the same week after a series of shared events, and our trajectories have all been pretty much identical: sore throat, mild headache, slight cough, congestion and sniffles. And a bit tired. Basically, the symptoms of a cold or mild flu. (I had a very slight fever for a day or two.) Lasted just a few days for all of us. Most of us were back out and about after our five-day quarantines.
 

Ages in our Covid club range from 6 to 80+, and we range from vaccinated and boosted (me) to completely unvaccinated. (The unvaccinated friend had some digestive issues as well and was sick a few days longer — he also has some of those “pre-existing conditions” — but is thankfully fine.)
 

It has taken a bit longer for our singing voices to fully return (some of us sing in a choir). But aside from that, no lingering effects.

 

All of which is to say that Arlona’s symptoms sound very similar to what all of us experienced, and there’s every reason to hope she’ll be feeling much better very soon. 
 

 

[Insanityx4]

I could definitely visualize you and Arlona posing together as a few of those statues, clothed of course! Glad to hear she is not terribly ill. Great painting! At least she has a few things to help pass the time while in quarantine. Sorry you can't experience your upcoming ports together!

[GKTV32162]

11 minutes ago, Insanityx4 said:

I could definitely visualize you and Arlona posing together as a few of those statues, clothed of course! Glad to hear she is not terribly ill. Great painting! At least she has a few things to help pass the time while in quarantine. Sorry you can't experience your upcoming ports together!

Yeah, we certainly would have posed.  😀

 

Thanks!

[Jim Avery]

Garry, what about a negative test for the flight home?  

[deec]

if she is still testing positive and it has been 10 days but she is exhibiting no symptoms the ship's doc will write a letter that she is recovered and able to travel.  At least that is what happened early May.

 

Sure wish the USA would drop that requirement it adds such STRESS to the end of a trip!

[FLORIDA FLOUNDER]

On 5/14/2022 at 4:54 PM, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 142/152 Viking Homelands - Stavanger, Norway - Preikestolen, Hengjanefossen, and waffles - oh, and COVID

 

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/05/world-cruise-day-142152-viking.html

Noooo!!!😩😥

[GKTV32162]

7 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Garry, what about a negative test for the flight home?  

Documentation of recovery is also acceptable. The ten days will satisfy that and Viking will provide the document.

[Kamfish642]

On 5/15/2022 at 12:24 AM, GKTV32162 said:

Yes, but with their daily testing, they catch cases immediately so they no longer isolate close contacts. 

Unfortunately, according to CDC, you can be contagious for days prior to showing symptoms.  Cruise ship is like a petri dish; you ae bound to get exposed.  Just need to be fully vaccinated and take whatever precautions you personally feel is needed to minimize health effects if/when you get exposed.

[GKTV32162]

5 minutes ago, Kamfish642 said:

Unfortunately, according to CDC, you can be contagious for days prior to showing symptoms.  Cruise ship is like a petri dish; you ae bound to get exposed.  Just need to be fully vaccinated and take whatever precautions you personally feel is needed to minimize health effects if/when you get exposed.

To be fair, quarantine happens on Viking as soon as you show positive and for most, that is well before they show symptoms. That's the point of daily testing. And, with daily testing, we are sure the folks we are with are clean. The recent variable was the embarkation of 570 new passengers that travels under unknown conditions. That's what did it.

[PasadenaDave]

9 minutes ago, Kamfish642 said:

Unfortunately, according to CDC, you can be contagious for days prior to showing symptoms.  Cruise ship is like a petri dish; you ae bound to get exposed.  Just need to be fully vaccinated and take whatever precautions you personally feel is needed to minimize health effects if/when you get exposed.

My sister says the same thing about cruise ships….Petri dishes.  She has a ten year old child, that is the definition of a Petri dish.  Sister is 58 and her husband is 63 their who household is down with respiratory infections, due to child going to Petri dish, I mean school.

[Kamfish642]

4 minutes ago, GKTV32162 said:

To be fair, quarantine happens on Viking as soon as you show positive and for most, that is well before they show symptoms. That's the point of daily testing. And, with daily testing, we are sure the folks we are with are clean. The recent variable was the embarkation of 570 new passengers that travels under unknown conditions. That's what did it.

 

4 minutes ago, GKTV32162 said:

To be fair, quarantine happens on Viking as soon as you show positive and for most, that is well before they show symptoms. That's the point of daily testing. And, with daily testing, we are sure the folks we are with are clean. The recent variable was the embarkation of 570 new passengers that travels under unknown conditions. That's what did it.

Agree, but no absolute measure to prevent.  Travel is a risk and personal decision.  My wife and I have gotten 2nd booster, take vitamin D and Zinc supplements, and mask when in crowds.  We plan to continue cruising smartly.

[Jim Avery]

44 minutes ago, Kamfish642 said:

 

Agree, but no absolute measure to prevent.  Travel is a risk and personal decision.  My wife and I have gotten 2nd booster, take vitamin D and Zinc supplements, and mask when in crowds.  We plan to continue cruising smartly.

But with all that you still run the risk on Viking of being quarantined for most of your cruise or put ashore in a port not of your choosing.  Not a fun cruise imho.

[GKTV32162]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

But with all that you still run the risk on Viking of being quarantined for most of your cruise or put ashore in a port not of your choosing.  Not a fun cruise imho.

Quarantine, yes.  Put ashore, no.  That's only if you choose that option.  Fun is a personal choice.  If you don't like the options, you're free to not come.  We choose to continue living our lives.  It is unfortunate that Arlona got it, thanks to new passengers that came on board, but we'll deal with it and adjust accordingly.  Viking has been outstanding throughout.

[deec]

I felt much better while on the ship knowing that I could quarantine and be treated onboard if I tested positive rather than some of the horror stories about being forced to leave the ship and having to stay in substandard accommodations.

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 145/152 Viking Homelands - Aalborg, Denmark - Alphabetically, our first stop!

 

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/05/world-cruise-day-145152-viking.html

[Jim Avery]

36 minutes ago, GKTV32162 said:

Quarantine, yes.  Put ashore, no.  That's only if you choose that option.  Fun is a personal choice.  If you don't like the options, you're free to not come.  We choose to continue living our lives.  It is unfortunate that Arlona got it, thanks to new passengers that came on board, but we'll deal with it and adjust accordingly.  Viking has been outstanding throughout.

We are living our lives as well.  Some of the "protections" are more trouble than they are worth.  Very fortunate to have taken two wonderful Viking World Cruises before the world went through the change.  Wish y'all safe travels home.