lovestx Posted May 18, 2020 #1 Share Posted May 18, 2020 Our son and his fiance are booked on a Viking Ocean cruise on July 12 from London to Bergen. I am just now reading that Norway has extended its border closings for international travel until mid-August. We have been expecting Viking to cancel this cruise and would prefer to wait until they cancel so that we can get our money back. I know no one has a crystal ball, but would you think that Viking will cancel cruises whose itinerary includes multiple Norwegian ports? Or will they simply re route elsewhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kcpvwill Posted May 18, 2020 #2 Share Posted May 18, 2020 We are on this sailing too and are expecting it to be cancelled. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhb1757 Posted May 18, 2020 #3 Share Posted May 18, 2020 I would just recommend sitting tight for now. If the Norwegian borders are closed I feel certain Viking will cancel. If you hold off until they cancel your options will be much better. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted May 19, 2020 #4 Share Posted May 19, 2020 Read this morning that the Norwegian Govt is proposing a new law closing the border to all foreign citizens other than diplomats, truck drivers and fishermen until 1st January 2021. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw1776 Posted May 19, 2020 #5 Share Posted May 19, 2020 Was gonna wait for Viking to cancel my In the Wake of the Vikings cruise this August departing from Bergen with pre is Oslo Norway but instead flipped it ahead one year when they opened up that option because I was afraid of possibly getting shut out. No 125% for me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BQEC Posted May 19, 2020 #6 Share Posted May 19, 2020 Hi, Cool Cruiser 1776. No 125% for you -- did the $ transfer without a penalty or an upcharge for switching to 2021? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emairs Posted May 19, 2020 #7 Share Posted May 19, 2020 We’re waiting for our July 6 cruise from Bergen to Reykjavík to be cancelled. Wish they would hurry up, so we can cancel flights, hotels etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duquephart Posted May 19, 2020 #8 Share Posted May 19, 2020 1 hour ago, emairs said: We’re waiting for our July 6 cruise from Bergen to Reykjavík to be cancelled. Wish they would hurry up, so we can cancel flights, hotels etc. Can't imagine what they're waiting for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emairs Posted May 20, 2020 #9 Share Posted May 20, 2020 It appears that Norway’s border will be closed at least until August 20, so come on Viking, please cancel the affected cruises! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
czrunner Posted May 20, 2020 #10 Share Posted May 20, 2020 For the July 6, 2020 cruise from Bergen to Reykjavik Viking could shorten the section in Norway (perhaps exploring the fjords while staying on the ship for a couple of days), and spend more time in and around Iceland. We would be fine with that, but others may not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emairs Posted May 20, 2020 #11 Share Posted May 20, 2020 16 minutes ago, czrunner said: For the July 6, 2020 cruise from Bergen to Reykjavik Viking could shorten the section in Norway (perhaps exploring the fjords while staying on the ship for a couple of days), and spend more time in and around Iceland. We would be fine with that, but others may not. We still would have to board the ship in Bergen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SantaFe1 Posted May 20, 2020 #12 Share Posted May 20, 2020 12 hours ago, Heidi13 said: Read this morning that the Norwegian Govt is proposing a new law closing the border to all foreign citizens other than diplomats, truck drivers and fishermen until 1st January 2021. 11 hours ago, philw1776 said: Was gonna wait for Viking to cancel my In the Wake of the Vikings cruise this August departing from Bergen with pre is Oslo Norway but instead flipped it ahead one year when they opened up that option because I was afraid of possibly getting shut out. No 125% for me! I was glad to see this. We have been waffling about whether to book this so far out, but you are right, others will flip From 2020 to 2021. So, we scrapped our Galapagos trip in August 2021, and transferred the down payment and insurance to Wake of the Vikings in 2021. Got some good deals, don’t have to pay anything else until 6 months out, but did notice that business air with Viking has gotten quite expensive. We have really been wanting to do this trip, so seems a safe distance out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cienfuegos Posted May 20, 2020 #13 Share Posted May 20, 2020 The access to Norway may expand at some point in the future as Norwegian Air Shuttle advances. The financially troubled line has given control to its lenders, including Chinese and Irish leasing companies. It is expected that long haul operations may be expanded as the airline seeks to find a profitable cruising altitude. https://techxplore.com/news/2020-05-china-large-shareholder-norwegian-air.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jab843 Posted May 22, 2020 #14 Share Posted May 22, 2020 (edited) Really wish viking would call this considering the 50% deadline is coming up soon! On the same trip, I don't know why they are delaying pulling the trigger. It's somewhat aggravating. Edited May 22, 2020 by Jab843 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrina651 Posted May 23, 2020 #15 Share Posted May 23, 2020 4 hours ago, Jab843 said: Really wish viking would call this considering the 50% deadline is coming up soon! On the same trip, I don't know why they are delaying pulling the trigger. It's somewhat aggravating. I know no one wants to even think about it BUT they could be looking at re-routing the Bergen itineraries -- which under the Terms and Conditions, is entirely their decision -- so let's not ignore the possibility. Forewarned is forearmed, etc. etc. Hopefully they figure it out sooner rather than later -- and opt to cancel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emairs Posted May 23, 2020 #16 Share Posted May 23, 2020 Icelandair emailed last week to advise cancellation of our flight to Bergen for our July 6 cruise. I phoned Viking and mentioned that Norway is closed until August 20, and was told they do not have that information. The cruise is still showing as available for booking on their website. Ridiculous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrina651 Posted May 23, 2020 #17 Share Posted May 23, 2020 8 minutes ago, emairs said: Icelandair emailed last week to advise cancellation of our flight to Bergen for our July 6 cruise. I phoned Viking and mentioned that Norway is closed until August 20, and was told they do not have that information. The cruise is still showing as available for booking on their website. Ridiculous! A lot depends on who you are talking to. All too often those who answer the phones only know what they are told and have no idea what is going on in the back offices or what the people who are making decisions for the company actually know. Getting people in and out of Bergen is going to be a big problem for Viking. If Bergen airport is closed to international traffic, as it seems to be, the only alternative will be Oslo (14 flights a day or the train). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emairs Posted May 23, 2020 #18 Share Posted May 23, 2020 50 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said: Getting people in and out of Bergen is going to be a big problem for Viking. If Bergen airport is closed to international traffic, as it seems to be, the only alternative will be Oslo (14 flights a day or the train). If Norway’s borders are closed, that would include Oslo, and the rest of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duquephart Posted May 23, 2020 #19 Share Posted May 23, 2020 22 minutes ago, emairs said: If Norway’s borders are closed, that would include Oslo, and the rest of the country. Says the guy with the map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrina651 Posted May 23, 2020 #20 Share Posted May 23, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, emairs said: If Norway’s borders are closed, that would include Oslo, and the rest of the country. No. It is not a blanket closure halting all travel in and out of the country but the borders are closed to leisure travelers, at least according to this article: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/norway-travel-restrictions-to-remain-in-place-over-summer/ Edited May 23, 2020 by Peregrina651 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emairs Posted May 23, 2020 #21 Share Posted May 23, 2020 9 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said: No. It is not a blanket closure halting all travel in and out of the country but the borders are closed to leisure travelers, at least according to this article: https://www.lifeinnorway.net/norway-travel-restrictions-to-remain-in-place-over-summer/ Yes, restrictions might be eased for Nordic countries and select European countries, but North Americans will not be allowed into the country until late August. Most Viking passengers on our July cruise are probably North Americans, and we will not be allowed into the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrina651 Posted May 23, 2020 #22 Share Posted May 23, 2020 See https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2750374-viking-star-cruise-to-iceland-and-norway-mid-july-should-be-cancelled/?tab=comments#comment-59994810 for further discussion of this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz Masterson Posted May 25, 2020 #23 Share Posted May 25, 2020 I've wondered if the reason Viking waits to cancel, even knowing they must, is to stagger the work load. Dealing with just amonth at a time... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jammy Bun Posted May 25, 2020 #24 Share Posted May 25, 2020 3 hours ago, Liz Masterson said: I've wondered if the reason Viking waits to cancel, even knowing they must, is to stagger the work load. Dealing with just amonth at a time... Yes, except that the last round of cancellations, which was announced at the end of March, was for TWO months (May and June sailings). It would make more sense to me if they would cancel just a month at a time, or even a couple of weeks at a time, to reduce the workload of their agents - but they must have a reason for doing it the way they do! Finances I guess. It's hard not knowing if we will travel or not, however soon it is... patience is needed. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovestx Posted May 26, 2020 Author #25 Share Posted May 26, 2020 I wonder if Viking is waiting until the Risk Free Guarantee May 31, 2020 deadline passes before cancelling the cruises. I am considering starting a new booking for July 2021 before the deadline so that I will still have that protection and then take my refund for the 2020 cruise when they finally cancel it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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