Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link. (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: "38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20" }).render("6ea159e3e44940909b49c98e320201e2"); }); During the pause, we worked to carry out protocols that helped make cruising among the safest forms of travel today, and we offered guests a worry-free promise so they could feel confident booking a cruise, knowing they would be covered if their plans changed, says Beth Bodensteiner, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for Holland America Line. We recommend our users to update the browser. Reducing regulations and restrictions regarding COVID-19 has been the cruise industrys focus since the pandemics beginning. Please visit the Resources tab in My Viking Journey to see if your country of entry has this requirement. 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 new ship, aptly namedViking Mississippi, will sail between New Orleans and St. Paul, Minnesota, with the inaugural trips slated for August. Viking Sea cruise ship near Fort. If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected. Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are in shared spaces, including when using public transportation. On July 10, I boarded one of the earliest Nordic sailings open to vaccinated Americans. Viking's bookings are up more than 40% from the same time in 2019 and guest satisfaction, according to post-cruise surveys, is at least as high as it was pre-pandemic. 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. Anecdotal reports are that the number of cases on ships is up even more in the first 10 days of the new year. Physical distancing began at embarkation. Viking Cruises cancelled all operations until May on Wednesday due to the coronavirus. The current protocol on most ships is to quickly isolate COVID-19-positive passengers and their close contacts. Short on time, most visitors to Iceland head straight for the Blue Lagoon or heavily touristed Golden Circle. Review fromElizabeth K. 1 star. Take, for instance, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., the parent company for Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Face coverings are also still required indoors while moving about the ship, in elevators and on tour buses. Cond Nast Traveler does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 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. Viking highly recommends, but does not require, a pre-departure COVID-19 testunless one is required by the destination. I overheard numerous cruisers griping about wearing masks and taking daily PCR tests despite being fully vaccinated, calling the measures excessive; others seemed to appreciate the extra caution. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Find the right card for you. All major cruise lines currently are requiring all or nearly all passengers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with some also starting to require booster shots, to boot. Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. So can you still find a deal? It was smooth sailing for the first half of the trip. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. One hand hadnt talked to the other, or they were speaking different languages, or simply couldnt agree on whose authority reigned supreme. Viking's recent sailing in Iceland departed from Reykjavik before a positive COVID-19 case was discovered onboard. Case in point: Lengthyand priceyworld cruises with lines like Viking, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises sold out in record time. Which Cruise Lines Require COVID-19 Vaccinations? 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 company's new Viking Health & Safety Program, the cruise line recently announced. If you are an American cruising overseas, you also won't be able to return to the U.S. until you have tested negative for COVID-19 (or until you recover from the illness and are cleared in writing to travel by a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official). COSTA MAGICA. And its backing that up with action: As of July 18, 2022, the CDCs COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships is no longer in effect. 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. Cruise lines are going to extreme measures to make ships safe, but local regulations and authorities can complicate things. 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. - Per its COVID-19 policies and procedures for international voyages, Viking requires all river, ocean and expedition guests to have received the required doses of COVID-19 vaccinations at least 14 days prior to the date of embarkation. River cruises are coming back to Europe this summer. The CDC cautions that any travel poses a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, including travel by air, bus or train, automobiles, and cruises. or activities executed and escorted by Viking-approved tour operators who maintain Viking's level of COVID-19 controls to help limit potential . We recently surveyed travelers who cruised within the past six months, and 89% of those surveyed said they would sail again under the same circumstances. Additionally, some countries may require a booster. The cruise industry is once again at sea thanks to the Omicron coronavirus variant, with some ships experiencing outbreaks and disruptions. If your cruise line does not have a specific testing requirement, get tested as close to time of cruise departure as possible (no more than 3 days before you travel). For what it's worth, more than 80 countries around the world -- including a good chunk of all the places you might want to travel -- are on this list. The CDC cautions that any travel poses a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, including travel by air, bus or train, automobiles, and cruises. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Will I be required to wear a face mask when going ashore? Find out if you need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise and when each cruise line plans to sail again. Masked up and sanitized, it was time to explore. Are Viking guests required to be vaccinated? 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.. Guests may explore independently while following requirements in the country they are visiting. The cancellations come as lines struggle to maintain adequate staffing levels on some ships due to crew members testing positive. 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. Due to the current virus the company Viking River Cruises cancelled the cruise. Viking has taken the pandemic seriously. For information about your specific voyage, please log onto MyVikingJourney.com. (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.). 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. A growing number of cruise lines are canceling sailings on short notice, citing the disruptions caused by COVID-19. The total cost was $15,599,. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). 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. The rates start at $25,999 per person. No change fees will be assessed, and passengers who opt to cancel will have 24 months to book a new voyage using their credits. or activities executed and escorted by Viking-approved tour operators who maintain Viking's level of COVID-19 controls to help limit potential . Even though we thought the rest of the cruise would continue as planned, tours were recalled the second day amid confusion about regional jurisdiction. They were scheduled by Viking well before what . If the recent advisory or relaxed policies do not cover your cruise please refer to these Cancelation Policies and General Conditions, Rules & Regulations. Every stateroom is cleaned and sanitized daily. 877-66-VIKING. We provide a risk-free solution for the crew when cleaning filters, as viruses are killed and not simply trapped in the filters. Cruise ships also have had to cancel stops recently at the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaao, and at San Juan, Puerto Rico, due to local worries about COVID-19-positive passengers and crew on board and/or tighter COVID-19-related entry requirements. It was still complimentary, but temporarily serving guests by appointment only to limit capacity. 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. The reviews from recent cruisers show that onboard service is still stellarratings for crew service remain incredibly high, she says. But things are different this year, what with reduced restrictions on cruise ships and delayed or canceled flights across the country. USNS MERCY. As the leading small ship travel company, Viking takes you closer to the heart of the places you want to visit. If you're booked on a cruise in the coming weeks, and you're having second thoughts, there's a good chance you can get out of your trip. Plus, a "perfect storm" of soaring COVID-19 cases and rough winter weather has wreaked havoc with airline operations for weeks. A new itinerary from Viking Cruises, it's an eight-day circumnavigation of the island nation, running clockwise from Reykjavk. 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