. On Dec. 30, the CDC added cruise ships to its list of "Level 4" destinations you should avoid visiting for now due to high levels of COVID-19. Please visit the Resources tab in My Viking Journey to see if your country of entry has this requirement. Jun 03, 2020 at 4:02 pm. And with that, our vacation was over. Please note: Vikings Medical Team continually monitors conditions and may deem face masks to be necessary while moving about the ship, based on conditions at the time of travel. Before leaving the United States, I completed a third-party verification of my vaccination status via VeriFLY, obtained my mandatory pre-registration barcode through the Icelandic government, and took a health survey issued by Viking. The bright return of holiday river cruising in 2021, heralded as the year the European Christmas markets would return, has dimmed even further as the German states of Bavaria and Saxony have also. We have approached our fleets full return with the safety of guests, crew members and the communities we visit top of mind.. To ensure your journey is smooth and that you are able to fully enjoy your voyage as planned, we highly recommend that all guests take a pre-departure COVID-19 test, no more than three days prior to beginning your journey. If the recent advisory or relaxed policies do not cover your cruise please refer to these Cancelation Policies and General Conditions, Rules & Regulations. 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. Still, the Iceland Coast Guard told Viking Sky to leave Seydisfjrdur. If the trip cost $5,000, the premium would be closer to $500. For more cruise guides, tips and news, sign up for TPGs cruise newsletter. USNS MERCY. Developed in coordination with an international team of . The details of the COVID-19 boarding procedures will be provided to guests in an . As noted above, cruise lines also are requiring passengers to undergo COVID-19 tests before boarding ships -- a screening process that is keeping many COVID-19 positive people from ever stepping on board a vessel. Anecdotal reports are that the number of cases on ships is up even more in the first 10 days of the new year. In either of those cases, you can rest assured that the following will occur. or Vikings River-cruising vessels. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. (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.). After an intense exchange in Icelandic, he announced that we were once again being recalled to the shipthis time with a harsh message about violating Icelandic law.. In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. The information included here should be considered current for all guests. While health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few passengers or crew test positive for COVID-19, the presence of the illness on board a vessel still could result in notable disruptions to your itinerary. If a destination requires masks be worn, onboard staff and local guides will confirm the local requirements. Riviera River Cruises, which operates throughout Europe, says it will . It was smooth sailing for the first half of the trip. Copyright 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. SILVER EXPLORER. Should you have additional questions about your voyage, please visit the Viking River Cruises FAQ. Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link, Notice to Guests Regarding Advice from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 and Cruise Ship Travel. Of course, a requirement for one cruise line may be a nonissue for another. It had all the makings of a memorable tripjust not for the reasons I expected. A growing number of cruise lines are canceling sailings on short notice, citing the disruptions caused by COVID-19. The 46-night experience will take 144 guests through 14 countries on four different ships. If anything, the positivity rate is far lower on ships than on land, thanks to much stricter health protocols (more on that in a moment). Some passengers who were deemed close contacts of the passengers who tested positive were isolated for a short period while being tested for COVID-19. Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is investigating an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness on a recently concluded Viking Cruises' voyage. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. We were nearly an hours drive into my first excursion of the daya hiking trip rich in Icelandic folklore about elves, faeries, and trollswhen our tour guide announced that our bus must immediately return to port. The new rule, which was first announced on Jan. 5, states that travelers must provide proof of the supplemental shot to board ships at embarkation. When necessary, guests and their travel advisors will be notified directly and this page will be updated. The number of passengers being quarantined on ships (after testing positive for COVID-19) also is on the rise. Check here before booking an award fare. One region particularly affected is Alaska, where the shoreside personnel staffing levels have impacted excursion availability and staffing, Gray Faust says. 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. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Viking, meanwhile, has suspended all of its operations - river and ocean-going cruises - through at least January 2021. We recommend that, ahead of departing, guests check with their provider to ensure their travel protection policy covers any necessary medical, quarantine or repatriation expense related to COVID-19. 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. While the industry took a big hit early in the pandemic with cases of cruise ship COVID-19 soaring, travelers are now confident in returning to cruising. And youll probably come across a few new sinks for hand-washing and additional hand-sanitizing stations around the ship. However,. Sign Up for Our Monthly Cruise Newsletter. 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. For more than 23 years, we have always had the highest standards for health and cleanliness, and our new protocol enhancements make Viking even safer. Review fromElizabeth K. 1 star. When COVID-19 is detected on a ship, cruise lines sometimes then test passengers multiple times to ensure it isn't spreading. The cancellations come as lines struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels on some ships due to crew members testing positive. Health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19. Today I spent two hours on the phone trying to change my flights. Viking Cruises. Hand sanitizing stations and full sink basins were even more prevalent. For added protection, Viking strongly recommends that guests be up to date with their immunizations. Since returning to service a year ago, we have seen record guest satisfaction scores. We provide a risk-free solution for the crew when cleaning filters, as viruses are killed and not simply trapped in the filters. I spoke to two travel agents onboard, and each considered Vikings health measures, masks in particular, to be excessive for a completely vaccinated ship. As the leading small ship cruise line with 190-guest river vessels and identical all-veranda 930-guest ocean ships, Viking takes you closer to the heart of the places you want to visit. Your subsequent travel home may be restricted or delayed. To learn more, visit Viking River Cruises' website. Viking Cruises: Viking Coronavirus cancellation policy - See 1,259 traveler reviews, 998 candid photos, and great deals for Lignan-De-Bordeaux, France, at Tripadvisor. Travelers worried about cruise ship COVID-19 cases, which continued to climb. No other segment of the travel industry has been as uniform in requiring almost every customer to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. For Further Assistance If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email customerrelations@vikingcruises.com, Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM, PT. The Great Cruise Shutdown is finally coming to an end. Please visit the Resources tab in My Viking Journey to see if your country of entry has this requirement. 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. 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. Short on time, most visitors to Iceland head straight for the Blue Lagoon or heavily touristed Golden Circle. But if youre a rigid traveler who isnt amenable to last-minute changes, or you struggle to find the good or humorous in sometimes lousy situations, you might think twice before undertaking international travel in 2021. Effective July 25, 2022, it will no longer require pre-cruise testing, except in ports where the country requires it. July 23, 2020 Plan ahead for sailing along the mighty Mississippi with Viking. In addition, every stateroom goes through a deep-cleaning sanitization process between each cruise. 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 infected individual would eventually disembark in Reykjavk and move to a shoreside hotel for quarantine.). sent to you for updated policies and procedures related to covid-19 . With the discontinuation of the CDCs program, cruise lines are announcing updated COVID-19 protocols. The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard far fewer than on land and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore, the main trade group for the industry, the Cruise Lines International Association, said in a statement to TPG. Citing the growing spread of the new coronavirus, the line late Wednesday said its entire fleet of more than 70 river ships and six ocean ships would stop operating as current sailings come to an end.. All sailings scheduled to start tomorrow through April 30 have been canceled. For a truly epic river cruise itinerary, it may be worth waiting until June 1, 2023, when AmaWaterways will sail its longest river cruise everthe "Seven River Journey Through Europe.". Learn more. or activities executed and escorted by Viking-approved tour operators who maintain Viking's level of COVID-19 controls to help limit potential . What to Know About Riding on the Alaska Railroad, Katmandu Park Punta Cana Is Opening March 15, 14 of the Best New Cruise Ships Launching in 2023, The Top Hotels in Mexico for a Romantic Getaway. With the new CDC announcement regarding the technicality for pre-cruise testing requirements, no onboard mask requirements and even vaccine requirements being relaxed, I think its important to stress that cruise lines may interpret this differently, says Annie Scrivanich, senior vice president of Cruise Specialists, a Seattle-based luxury travel agency. 79. Virgin Voyages: August 2021. Its current flexible cancellation policy allows passengers to cancel as long as a public health emergency remains in effect and receive 100% of the cruise fare paid in the form of a future cruise credit. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Individual cruise lines will determine their own specific COVID-19-related requirements for cruise travel, as well as safety measures and protocols for passengers traveling on board, based on CDC recommendations for reducing the risk of COVID-19, Reed says. Local requirements it was smooth sailing for the first 10 days of the COVID-19 boarding procedures will be to. Shoreside personnel staffing levels on some ships due to crew members testing positive for COVID-19 process between each.. While being tested for COVID-19 local guides will confirm the local requirements for ). 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