For added protection, Viking strongly recommends that guests be up to date with their immunizations. Still, the Iceland Coast Guard told Viking Sky to leave Seydisfjrdur. This digital library, created by the river and ocean cruise company, will showcase experiential programming that Viking guests have access to onboard their respective cruises, on deck levels or their cabin TV. also refer to the passenger tiket ontrat ("passenger tiket . . For information about your specific voyage, please log onto MyVikingJourney.com. The 46-night experience will take 144 guests through 14 countries on four different ships. Riviera River Cruises, which operates throughout Europe, says it will . If you haven't cruised since before the pandemic, you might be surprised by how many new health- and safety-related policies cruise lines have implemented to keep COVID-19 off ships. Nonetheless, the last three of our port visits were impacted. Guests on affected departuresand their travel advisorshave been notified directly. Despite Iceland Public Health clearing Viking Sky for its shore excursions, Iceland Coast Guard prohibited it. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone:(201) 902-2000, What it Was Like Navigating Two Cruises COVID-19 Policies and Protocols, A Guide to the Ocean Cruises Leaving From the U.S. A 55-year-old traveler on a $1,000 cruise for seven days might pay just over $100 for CFAR insurance. However, the captain did come over the loud speakers at one point to reiterate that even though it is not Icelands policy to require them, it is Vikings. For information about your specific voyage, please log onto MyVikingJourney.com. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. Are Viking guests required to be vaccinated? Physical distancing began at embarkation. Face masks are optional while moving about the ship. Any information published by Cond Nast Traveler is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Review fromElizabeth K. 1 star. All Rights Reserved. Hand sanitizing stations and full sink basins were even more prevalent. This week, Viking announced that it would resume some river cruises in Portugal, France and along the Rhine River in July. As of Feb. 1, a new policy has gone into effect at Viking Cruises that requires all passengers to have received their COVID-19 booster if they are eligible to do so. The answer is yes. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Viking recommends that guests wear masks while ashore. 2023 Cond Nast. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Get tested 35 days after your trip and stay home for 7 days after travel. Learn more. The cruise industry has been highly critical of the designation, arguing that cruise ships are far safer places to be right now than almost anywhere else, given their strict health protocols. . If they are eligible to receive their booster dose, they should receive it prior to travel. Each lunch and dinner was a gourmet-style three-course meal; breakfast . With Arctic terns swarming at its base and carpets of wild blueberries flanking the path, I wasnt disappointed. Just like the cancellations of airline flights to Asian and European countries, travelers with reservations on several cruise lines may be worried by the growing spread of COVID-19, the disease. The agency currently identifies 86 ships where the number of Covid-19 cases meets the threshold for investigation a 178% jump in 10 days as the omicron variant spreads quickly across the U . That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. The infected passenger was isolated onboard, and any spread was curtailed. As I saw myself during a cruise to Antarctica in recent weeks, many sailings are operating relatively normally, even when there are COVID-19 cases on board. This page contains the most up to date information on conditions that may affect your itinerary. COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Information; Relaxed Cancelation & Refund Policy; For the most up-to-date information on suspended sailings click here. 210515 covid-19 privacy notice us uk (ver.1) page 1 of 4 cst2052644-40 covid-19 privacy notice viking river cruises, inc., and viking river cruises uk limited what is the purpose & scope of this document? We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 Surprising Food Facts Youll Want to Know, Ive Worked on Cruise Ships for 10 YearsThese Are 18 Mistakes Every Traveler Should Avoid, This Is What Those Big White Balls on Top of Cruise Ships Are, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Beth Bodensteiner, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for, Jasmine Reed, public affairs specialist for the. The current protocol on most ships is to quickly isolate COVID-19-positive passengers and their close contacts. Viking is the first cruise line to have a full testing laboratory onboard each of its ocean ships, and guests must spit into a tube every morning to receive a non-invasive molecular COVID-19 test. (Admittedly, you dont realize how difficult it is to fill a test tube with 2 ml of saliva until youre forced to do it every morning.). Learn more. If you don't get tested, it's safest to stay home for 14 days after travel. Health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19. Discuss cruise ship travel with your healthcare provider. Another large line, Norwegian, just last week extended its pandemic-era Peace of Mind policy to allow passengers to cancel any sailing taking place between now and May 31. September 24, 2020 Viking.TV will feature Mississippi sailings during the week of September 28, 2020, including the chance to join Richard Riveire as he shares the design and inspiration behind the Viking Mississippi. Are there COVID-19 related travel requirements I need to meet before leaving on my Viking voyage? The list of things you cant do on cruises anymore is shorter than it was a year ago, so as long as you know what to expect, you can enjoy a vacation in open waters. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Always follow state and local recommendations or requirements related to travel. Meanwhile, just getting to ships is becoming increasingly stressful, as getting the pre-cruise COVID-19 test that's often required before cruising is getting more difficult. Copyright 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. July 8, 2020 Often credited with popularizing river cruising globally, Viking has in recent years expanded dramatically; the company now has 63 ships sailing in Europe, with additional vessels in Asia and Egypt, and is coming soon to the United States. We cancelled a Holland tulips river cruise scheduled for April 4 days before their "new cancellation" policy and were told that it would not apply to us. The CDC is providing support. Upon their return home, Viking Customer Relations will contact the guest and their travel advisor directly regarding any necessary refunding or rescheduling. COVID-19 is known to spread through the air. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. James Beard Award Finalist in Journalism and award-winning food and travel writer, blogger, book author, social media expert, and culinary travel business owner that is pursuing her passion for food, travel, and experiencing world cultures by working with and sharing the stories of extraordinary destinations and unique culinary artisans around the world. Ships with reported cases of coronavirus found on board in 2020 are shown on the live map below LIVE FLEET MAPS : CORONAVIRUS SHIPS: HOSPITAL SHIPS. That said, the option to spend your time outdoors versus inside the ship gives you the ability to somewhat lower your risk compared with, say, air travel. We have approached our fleets full return with the safety of guests, crew members and the communities we visit top of mind.. Please visit the Resources tab in My Viking Journey to see if your country of entry has this requirement. September 1, 2020 Youd be hard-pressed to find a renowned river that Viking doesnt ply. How frequently do you sanitize public spaces such as the restaurants? Viking is committed to doing all we can to ensure you are healthy and well prepared for international traveland that you will be able to arrive in your destination and embark your ship without incident. Do not board a cruise if you are sick, if you know you have COVID-19, or if you were exposed to a person with COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Cruise terminals are bustling with excited passengers, and cheery crew members welcome voyagers aboard. USNS MERCY. WORLD DREAM. DIAMOND PRINCESS. CDC has determined that the cruise industry has access to the necessary tools [cruise-specific recommendations and guidance, vaccinations, testing instruments, treatment modalities and non-pharmaceutical interventions] to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 on board.. Holland America Line visits 225 ports in 91 countries on sailings that are round trip from U.S. ports, including Boston, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego or Seattle. On July 10, I boarded one of the earliest Nordic sailings open to vaccinated Americans. This was to be my wife's birthday cruise for her 60th birthday. The rates start at $25,999 per person. The next days itinerary had us docking in Djpivogur, an even smaller hamlet than Seydisfjrdur, so you can imagine our surprise when guests were told that most shore excursions would move ahead as planned. Viking's recent sailing in Iceland departed from Reykjavik before a positive COVID-19 case was discovered onboard. Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. December 11, 2020 Viking Cruises will test all guests and crew for COVID-19 with daily PCR tests when sailings resume, as part of the companys new Viking Health & Safety Program, the cruise line recently announced. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Just like in a hospital, we have also designed a solution to implement short-wavelength ultraviolet (or UV-C) lights and new high-density filters that will sanitize the air on our vessels. Here's a look at everything you need to know if you've got a cruise booked in the coming weeks -- or further out. Passengers feel safe and . For all adults ages 18 years and older, the cumulative COVID-19-associated hospitalization rate is about eight times higher in unvaccinated persons than in vaccinated persons, according to the latest CDC data. Following the cruise industrys yearlong pause during the height of COVID, we saw a demand that far exceeded supply, says Chris Gray Faust, the managing editor of cruise ship review site Cruise Critic. Viking Cruises: Viking refusing to refund given COVID risks! As noted above, health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19. For updated information refer to https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-cruise-ship near the time of your cruise. Should you have additional questions about your voyage, please visit the Viking River Cruises FAQ. Anecdotal reports are that the number of cases on ships is up even more in the first 10 days of the new year. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. Viking Cruises cancelled all operations until May on Wednesday due to the coronavirus. Viking had already operated two Welcome Back circumnavigations of the island nation with zero incidents, and we anticipated the same. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. The cruise lines have all their ships sailing with no capacity restrictions. Will there be social distancing on board? At this time, we expect the ship will resume its scheduled operations on February 18, 2023. Zero incidents, and we anticipated the same Viking Customer Relations will contact the and. Necessary refunding or rescheduling bustling with excited passengers, and any spread was curtailed Viking... 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