UK Only Viking Venus Cruise

[friendlyfifer]

On 5/5/2021 at 2:27 PM, arlowood said:

Do your vaccinations not appear on your medical records at your GP practice? Is there not some link set up that recognises you through your NHS number and creates a record that is picked up at your GP practice?

 

Sorry for my ignorance - been an exile Scot for nearly 50 years and I'm a bit rusty on how medical records are handled north of the border. Here locally in the Midlands our vaccines showed up on our medical records within a couple of days of the jab(g) being administered

We don’t have the NHS app in Scotland and Patient Access only allows us to make appointments and obtain repeat prescriptions. There is no link to our medical records. The vaccination record will be held by our GP. I was hoping that Viking would confirm whether evidence is definitely required or not before I tackled our GP practice.

[sugarside]

My Patient Assess here in England was the same as yours and a quick word with GP surgery sorted that out straight away and my records are now up dated.

 

[uktog]

11 hours ago, friendlyfifer said:

We don’t have the NHS app in Scotland and Patient Access only allows us to make appointments and obtain repeat prescriptions. There is no link to our medical records. The vaccination record will be held by our GP. I was hoping that Viking would confirm whether evidence is definitely required or not before I tackled our GP practice.

See post 133 - you can prove it from your NHS Scotland records using the links provided if you kept your vaccine invitation letter

[arlowood]

2 hours ago, uktog said:

See post 133 - you can prove it from your NHS Scotland records using the links provided if you kept your vaccine invitation letter

I've just seen some information issued on Facebook by NHS England. They seem to be pushing the NHS App and are claiming that after 17th May you will be able to access your vaccine status using the app. If you do not have a smartphone they are stating that, after 17th May, you will be able to ring the NHS Helpline on 119 and ask for a letter to be posted to you. You must leave at least 5 days from the completion of your vaccine course before you ring to request the letter. It will take up to 5 days for the letter to reach you after you request one.

They are insisting that you should not call your GP surgery. GP's cannot provide letters showing your COVID 19 vaccine status.

The details are contained in the link below

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/demonstrating-your-covid-19-vaccination-status-when-travelling-abroad

Edited May 8, 2021 by arlowood

[bishopstonierbill]

Viking Venus arrived early today in Portsmouth and she looks great cannot wait to board her on the 5th June. Live in Portsmouth so not far to go.

[uktog]

On 5/8/2021 at 7:05 PM, arlowood said:

I've just seen some information issued on Facebook by NHS England. They seem to be pushing the NHS App and are claiming that after 17th May you will be able to access your vaccine status using the app. If you do not have a smartphone they are stating that, after 17th May, you will be able to ring the NHS Helpline on 119 and ask for a letter to be posted to you. You must leave at least 5 days from the completion of your vaccine course before you ring to request the letter. It will take up to 5 days for the letter to reach you after you request one.

They are insisting that you should not call your GP surgery. GP's cannot provide letters showing your COVID 19 vaccine status.

The details are contained in the link below

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/demonstrating-your-covid-19-vaccination-status-when-travelling-abroad

Thanks - Unfortunately none of that advice works in Scotland.  NHS and NHS Scotland are two very separate entities

Edited May 10, 2021 by uktog

[pcolmer]

I'm not sure if this is open to all of the UK cruises but MVJ has a new section under Guest Information labelled "Comfort Check-In".

 

"At this time, please complete the check-in information for your cruise. Completing this information before your departure will provide our onboard team with the information required to simplify the embarkation process once you arrive at the ship."

 

You need to provide a passport-style photo. Upon completion, you can print or receive via email a boarding pass.

 

 

[arlowood]

3 hours ago, pcolmer said:

I'm not sure if this is open to all of the UK cruises but MVJ has a new section under Guest Information labelled "Comfort Check-In".

 

"At this time, please complete the check-in information for your cruise. Completing this information before your departure will provide our onboard team with the information required to simplify the embarkation process once you arrive at the ship."

 

You need to provide a passport-style photo. Upon completion, you can print or receive via email a boarding pass.

 

 

We're on the 5th June sailing and I just logged in to MVJ this afternoon and stumbled across the Comfort Check-in section. Just need to work out how to create a passport style pic to upload for myself and the OH.

Hopefully it will mean much less hassle when we turn up on the departure date. I'm guessing there will be enough confusion with all the pre-boarding health checks so anything that speed the process up is very welcome.

I'm just a bit surprised that this has not been flagged up by Viking in any of their correspondence to date

[Clay Clayton]

33 minutes ago, arlowood said:

We're on the 5th June sailing and I just logged in to MVJ this afternoon and stumbled across the Comfort Check-in section. Just need to work out how to create a passport style pic to upload for myself and the OH.

Hopefully it will mean much less hassle when we turn up on the departure date. I'm guessing there will be enough confusion with all the pre-boarding health checks so anything that speed the process up is very welcome.

I'm just a bit surprised that this has not been flagged up by Viking in any of their correspondence to date

Thanks for posting this. While looking for the Comfort Check in, I happened upon the “Pre-Cruise Embarkation Requirements. It has been filled our first our Iceland cruise in July but maybe it has for yours!

 

Regarding the comfort checkin- On our first Viking cruise in 2018 we had to email them a picture of our passport. That passport picture was already in their database WW hen we checked in ans on that cruise and since, is the photo that appears when we swipe our Stateroom card.
 

I figured this nee checkin procedure might be doing that rather than emailing the passport. Since we are on the July 10th Iceland sailing I went to the Comfort Checkin but when I click on it, it says checkin opens in 59 days...which is a day after we board the ship?? 😢

Edited May 12, 2021 by Clay Clayton

[NeilP57]

I am not sure how the timings are working with this new feature.

 

On our Iceland, Welcome Back cruise the  "Comfort Check In" opens in 80 days and 4 hours which should be about when we are sitting down for a dinner on our first night!

 

That said in a lowly V2 cabin, who knows what time we will be having dinner?

 

 

 

 

[friendlyfifer]

On 5/10/2021 at 8:41 PM, uktog said:

Thanks - Unfortunately none of that advice works in Scotland.  NHS and NHS Scotland are two very separate entities

I am in Scotland and had no proof of my full vaccination status. I contacted my GP and the kind staff E-mailed me a copy of my medical record showing all the vaccinations I’ve ever had. 

[pcolmer]

Embarkation timeslots can now be booked via MVJ although, as with Comfort Check-In, this may only appear at a time appropriate for your cruise.

 

The timeslots are being booked as "excursions" and the following text is displayed:

 

In line with Viking’s enhanced COVID-19 protocols, all guests must adhere to a dedicated time slot for embarkation. Please reserve yours now. This will ensure a seamless check-in for all our guests while maintaining social distancing and reduce congestion at the terminal. Health and COVID-19 screenings will take place for all guests, which will require a non-invasive PCR test, contactless temperature check and verification of your pre-travel health questionnaire. A dedicated waiting area will be provided while the screening results are processed. Failure to reserve and adhere to a dedicated embarkation time slot may result in boarding being denied. Further details will be provided prior to departure.

 

It isn't clear how many guests are allowed to book a given timeslot, i.e. what Viking's capacity is for processing guests.

 

[NeilP57]

Also it will be interesting to see how they will handle that for those who are using Viking for their Air and transfers?

 

Surely Viking will have a better idea of timing than I will.

 

 

[pcolmer]

Just now, NeilP57 said:

Also it will be interesting to see how they will handle that for those who are using Viking for their Air and transfers?

 

Are Viking providing flights for the UK-only cruises?

 

[NeilP57]

We are booked onto the July 31 Iceland cruise and Viking are arranging flights and transfers. They are only offering London Heathrow flights, which is fine for us as we are less than 1.5hrs from Heathrow. I am not sure whether you could arrange your own flights from elsewhere in the UK or you need to get to Heathrow to take the cruise. 

 

My understanding is that this is not a UK only cruise but there will be a mix of UK and US passengers.

 

The English Scenic Shores cruise is for UK only passengers but all passengers are expected to make their own way to the port of departure; Portsmouth. 

 

 

[Marmaduke]

Maybe this "Comfort Check In" is the reason why CPS cannot provide valet parking at Portsmouth.  If you have to adhere to a time slot for checking in at the port and you turn up early then you could wait in your parked car, only a thought.

[arlowood]

44 minutes ago, pcolmer said:

Embarkation timeslots can now be booked via MVJ although, as with Comfort Check-In, this may only appear at a time appropriate for your cruise.

 

The timeslots are being booked as "excursions" and the following text is displayed:

 

In line with Viking’s enhanced COVID-19 protocols, all guests must adhere to a dedicated time slot for embarkation. Please reserve yours now. This will ensure a seamless check-in for all our guests while maintaining social distancing and reduce congestion at the terminal. Health and COVID-19 screenings will take place for all guests, which will require a non-invasive PCR test, contactless temperature check and verification of your pre-travel health questionnaire. A dedicated waiting area will be provided while the screening results are processed. Failure to reserve and adhere to a dedicated embarkation time slot may result in boarding being denied. Further details will be provided prior to departure.

 

It isn't clear how many guests are allowed to book a given timeslot, i.e. what Viking's capacity is for processing guests.

 

Thanks for the heads up on booking the embarkation time slots. Just to be clear - do you have to click on the "Excursions" section of the MVJ home page or is it past of the Comfort Check-In process after you have uploaded your passport style pic?

[pcolmer]

3 minutes ago, arlowood said:

Thanks for the heads up on booking the embarkation time slots. Just to be clear - do you have to click on the "Excursions" section of the MVJ home page or is it past of the Comfort Check-In process after you have uploaded your passport style pic?

 

The "Excursions" section - it has been added as an excursion on the Saturday.

 

[arlowood]

22 minutes ago, pcolmer said:

 

The "Excursions" section - it has been added as an excursion on the Saturday.

 

Thanks for that. I've just booked our slot for 11am - 11.30am. We're overnighting in Newbury pre cruise so will take a relaxed trundle down the A34 on the Saturday morning. What is strange is that all the slots are before noon with the first available being 8am to 8.30am.

This would suggest that the passengers from the previous cruise will have a very early disembarkation to allow our pax to embark at those time slots.

Alternatively it may be that the pre-cruise health checks add at least an hour or more onto those check-in times.

Just a bit confused as with our previous P&O experience it was unusual to be able to board the ship before noon on the day of departure due to the need to get the previous passengers off (could take up to 10am to disembark everyone) and prepare the ship for the oncoming guests

Edited May 13, 2021 by arlowood

[Dave W 10]

Pcolmer

Are you on the first cruise? Did you receive instructions from Viking on the procedure.

Particularly interested since we sail on No. 2 on 29 May.

[pcolmer]

1 minute ago, Dave W 10 said:

Pcolmer

Are you on the first cruise? Did you receive instructions from Viking on the procedure.

Particularly interested since we sail on No. 2 on 29 May.

 

I am on the first cruise but I didn't receive instructions from Viking. I did get an email saying:

 

"To make the boarding process as comfortable and seamless as possible, all guests will be invited to pre-book their embarkation times via their MyVikingJourney account and this facility will be open for you within the next few days".

 

Then, in the email "Final Viking Journey Summary", I noticed that "EMBARK01 Embarkation Time" was listed as selectable shore excursion so I've just been visiting MVJ every day in my eagerness 🙂

[Janet&David]

1 hour ago, pcolmer said:

Embarkation timeslots can now be booked via MVJ although, as with Comfort Check-In, this may only appear at a time appropriate for your cruise.

 

The timeslots are being booked as "excursions" and the following text is displayed:

 

In line with Viking’s enhanced COVID-19 protocols, all guests must adhere to a dedicated time slot for embarkation. Please reserve yours now. This will ensure a seamless check-in for all our guests while maintaining social distancing and reduce congestion at the terminal. Health and COVID-19 screenings will take place for all guests, which will require a non-invasive PCR test, contactless temperature check and verification of your pre-travel health questionnaire. A dedicated waiting area will be provided while the screening results are processed. Failure to reserve and adhere to a dedicated embarkation time slot may result in boarding being denied. Further details will be provided prior to departure.

 

It isn't clear how many guests are allowed to book a given timeslot, i.e. what Viking's capacity is for processing guests.

 

Very helpful. Thank you.

[Dave W 10]

Slots are up for the second cruise. 4 half hour slots at 9.00, 10.00, 11.00 and 12.00. So slightly later but still surprisingly early.

[Janet&David]

13 hours ago, NeilP57 said:

I am not sure how the timings are working with this new feature.

 

On our Iceland, Welcome Back cruise the  "Comfort Check In" opens in 80 days and 4 hours which should be about when we are sitting down for a dinner on our first night!

 

That said in a lowly V2 cabin, who knows what time we will be having dinner?

 

 

 

 

Hi Neil

It may have been fixed by now but when we tried to make advance reservations in the Restaurant for our May 29 England cruise using MYJ it wouldn't allow reservations for V1/V2 cabins. See my post #124 on 13/4/21 on how to sort out reservations by phone.

David

[arlowood]

25 minutes ago, pcolmer said:

 

I am on the first cruise but I didn't receive instructions from Viking. I did get an email saying:

 

"To make the boarding process as comfortable and seamless as possible, all guests will be invited to pre-book their embarkation times via their MyVikingJourney account and this facility will be open for you within the next few days".

 

Then, in the email "Final Viking Journey Summary", I noticed that "EMBARK01 Embarkation Time" was listed as selectable shore excursion so I've just been visiting MVJ every day in my eagerness 🙂

Surprised you've not been able to book, particularly as you are on the first cruise. We're on the 3rd cruise (5th June) and I had no problem booking our embarkation slot about an hour ago.

As Dave W 10 says above - I'm really surprised at the times being offered for embarkation slots. I think the first one on the 5th June cruise was 8am to 8.30am. At that time I would have thought the previous cruise would still be disembarking.

Anyway I'm sure Viking know what they're doing