LIVE from "Iceland's Natural Beauty" -- All Sailings, 2021

[Steve NH]

9 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

Would be nice if Viking informed their agents of these rules.  If I am reading correctly it does say it cannot be the ANTIGEN or ANTIBODY TEST.  Where did you find these new directions?  Thanks for sharing.

This was sent yesterday from Viking:

 

Viking is committed to ensuring that you will be able to travel safely to your destination and join your cruise without incident. As travel requirements change frequently, we recommend you take a COVID-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction, nasopharyngeal/nasal swab) test no more than 72 hours before boarding your flight to Iceland.

If a PCR test is not available, an antigen test will be accepted by Iceland.

As of July 27, fully vaccinated travelers must present a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction, nasopharyngeal/nasal swab) or antigen (rapid) test that is taken no more than 72 hours before boarding your flight to Iceland.

 

Apparently Viking realized that their initial requirement was more stringent than Iceland's so they made this change. Wonder if it was all the phone calls from future passengers and their travel agents??

[Snit13]

12 hours ago, AKexplorer said:

just received a Viking email with the following at the top in red:

Viking is committed to ensuring that you will be able to travel safely to your destination and join your cruise without incident. As travel requirements change frequently, we recommend you take a COVID-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction, nasopharyngeal/nasal swab) test no more than 72 hours before boarding your flight to Iceland.

If a PCR test is not available, an antigen test will be accepted by Iceland.

As of July 27, fully vaccinated travelers must present a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction, nasopharyngeal/nasal swab) or antigen (rapid) test that is taken no more than 72 hours before boarding your flight to Iceland.

Thanks for sharing.  We should all receive this email from Viking.

[Snit13]

13 hours ago, CKforensic said:

What time is your flight on Monday? PCR test needs to be within 72 hours of flight. We are getting ours done on Sat at Walgreens for our Monday night flight. Walgreens states results back within 48 hours. 

Unless Delta changes it again 12:50 pm

[BarbRN]

3 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

The weather is not cooperating with rain at Heimaey for the Viking Sky today. We arrived on time even after leaving Dyupivogur late. The swells are too high to tender safely and the captain even checked an alternate anchorage to no avail.

 

So we are proceeding directly to Reykjavik where Viking has arranged shuttle buses to the city. Sue and I were really looking forward to our day on  Heimaey as we were doing the ATV excursion!

 

Jack

 

 

 

Yuck

[BarbRN]

I see an Iceland information form with barcode mentioned. Where do we get this?

[LindaS272]

12 minutes ago, BarbRN said:

I see an Iceland information form with barcode mentioned. Where do we get this?

Visit.Covid.is

[NeilP57]

7 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Visit.Covid.is

 It is the outcome of completing the process of the pre-registration with the Icelandic authorities. You will get further detail from Viking ahead of your August 21 departure.

 

Further information can be found under the resources tab on the Welcome Back Icelandic cruise page on the main Viking website.

Edited July 23, 2021 by NeilP57

[AKexplorer]

1 hour ago, BrynMawrPA said:

For those who will be traveling from US to other countries, be careful about the differences between PCR and Rapid PCR tests versus Rapid antigen and antibody tests. Please follow the airline's directions to perform either a PCR or a Rapid PCR test if that is needed. The airline agents at the terminal may not let you on the plane if you have done the wrong test. I saw a lot of folks rushing over to JFK Terminal 1 to pay US$220 to get a last minute test done.

 

Secondly, please make sure that the name in the test report is exactly the same as the name in your passport. Some US lab may skip the middle name or list only the middle initial. That could be a no no.

 

Finally, requiring the test done 72 hours before the departure time of your flight is firm for leaving US to your destination. For example, if your direct flight to Iceland is 12 pm Friday, the test has to be done on or after 12pm Tuesday. If your initial flight departs at 8am and your connecting flight is at 12pm Friday, getting the test done before 12pm Tuesday will exceed the 72 hours restriction. On returning to US, the requirement is 3 days that is less stringent than 72 hours.

 

Please check. We had great weather and a great voyage until today. We are skipping Heimaey due to bad weather and are going directly to Reykjavik.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful voyage. 

I just looked at my Covid-19 Vaccination card and it only has my first and last name written on it. My wife's card has her middle initial. Will this be an issue? Viking has already approved both our cards on the Verifly app.

[TayanaLorna]

32 minutes ago, BarbRN said:

I see an Iceland information form with barcode mentioned. Where do we get this?

When you register your trip on the visit.covid.is website 72 hours before your trip and provide the required information you get the barcode from Iceland.  You will get a very very detailed email from Viking with a step by step timeline of what you have to do and when.  Look for it about 2 weeks before your trip.

[TayanaLorna]

2 minutes ago, AKexplorer said:

I just looked at my Covid-19 Vaccination card and it only has my first and last name written on it. My wife's card has her middle initial. Will this be an issue? Viking has already approved both our cards on the Verifly app.

It does not need to exactly match your passport like your airline tickets do.

[CatefromNH]

12 hours ago, EJLobster said:

Although we arrive on the 24th in Iceland, we decided to do a Covid test today.  Went to Walgreens drive-up at 4:30 pm- and did the self administered nasal swab for the antigen test while sitting in the car.  The results came in an e-mail at 6:46 pm.  It was free.  Good!!

Safe travels! Will see you tomorrow morning. 😁😁😁

[Australia08]

19 hours ago, Steve NH said:

Thank you so much for the info! We are going on this excursion. How cold was it? My husband doesn't eat fish unless it's lobster, scallops or clams, preferably fried, but he is going to on this trip!! 

It was cool and breezy on the zodiac but they give you very warm jackets to wear.

[Retired2016Cruiser]

16 hours ago, BarbRN said:

Effective with arrivals on 27 July 2021, all passengers will need to be in possession of a negative pre-departure COVID test regardless of vaccination or recovery status. 

16 hours ago, BQEC said:

Amazing. Iceland Air says PCR and Rapid acceptable for vaccinated/recovered with documentation. I note that there is a click through highlighted in blue in your post. More information there?

I have similar msg from United for my SFO-EWR-KEF Flight.  Says test can't be older that 72 hrs from departure from EWR (2nd leg of flight).  Clicking on the linked info takes you to Iceland rules which say 72 hrs from FIRST leg of flight AND, linked info says Antigen OK.  So United's rules more stringent on both counts than Iceland.  I tried to do a chat with United last night, but no live agent was available  

(this makes quite the difference for us as we could get a test Friday morning instead of Friday night for Monday morning flight from SFO; Otherwise, due to prior commitments, we'll need to test Sunday afternoon the day before our flight...cutting it a bit close)

 

[BarbRN]

12 minutes ago, Retired2016Cruiser said:

I have similar msg from United for my SFO-EWR-KEF Flight.  Says test can't be older that 72 hrs from departure from EWR (2nd leg of flight).  Clicking on the linked info takes you to Iceland rules which say 72 hrs from FIRST leg of flight AND, linked info says Antigen OK.  So United's rules more stringent on both counts than Iceland.  I tried to do a chat with United last night, but no live agent was available  

(this makes quite the difference for us as we could get a test Friday morning instead of Friday night for Monday morning flight from SFO; Otherwise, due to prior commitments, we'll need to test Sunday afternoon the day before our flight...cutting it a bit close)

 

Exactly. Nobody has their stuff together yet. 

[BarbRN]

Varying opinions on which leg of the trip?

[BQEC]

I was curious so I looked. Not on United so looked at the general information. Says both tests are ok. Possibly your linked information was created at another time or they think that you are unvaccinated??

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, AKexplorer said:

I just looked at my Covid-19 Vaccination card and it only has my first and last name written on it. My wife's card has her middle initial. Will this be an issue? Viking has already approved both our cards on the Verifly app.

We had no issues-our CDC cards had only first and last names whereas passports include middle names and in my case, a “III” after my name😳

[KD34]

@Tom.in.nc thank you for that heads up.  Trying to clarify now.  

[Jaea]

16 hours ago, anaco_angler said:

I don't believe there is a shuttle to downtown Reykjavik on debarkation day. We had a late flight, 5:05 pm, and had purchased Viking Air with transfers, so when we left the Jupiter on the 20th we were taken to Perlan Museum by bus at 7:45. You claim your luggage, bring it to the bus for loading, and then you're off to the museum. There's a space on the 5th floor where Viking had arranged coffee or tea, "one sweet bite," and soup and bread. We left for the airport at 2:00. You could visit the museum (20% discount) or just relax on the 5th floor. Obviously this doesn't apply for those doing a post stay.

Thank you. Very helpful!

[BrynMawrPA]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

We had no issues-our CDC cards had only first and last names whereas passports include middle names and in my case, a “III” after my name😳

When we traveled to Iceland for the Viking cruise on 7/17/2021, the United Airlines agent did not pay much attention to anything.  All that the KEF folks did were scanning the bar code on the way out of the airport. So if you got the bar code, you were good to go. Clay's experience properly was similar. But that was before Iceland required a negative Covid test result.

 

I know for facts that the discrepancies between the names on the vaccination card, the Covid test report and the passport will not get you on a Japan Airline or a Cathay Pacific plane. Moreover, some destinations require that the test be conducted by a US FDA Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulated laboratory. note that I only try to provide facts to assure that your trip is uneventful and pleasant.

 

By the way, we have arrived Reykjavik. The ship has been cleared. Shuttle buses are running every 30 minutes till midnight. Time to go. Have a great voyage and weekend.

 

 

   

 

 

[Jaea]

11 hours ago, minka34 said:

We got a taxi from the port to downtown Reykjavik on disembarkation day $22. We were picking up a rental car at the bus terminal.

Thank you. Did you book the taxi in advance, call when you arrived in port or grabbed an open just hanging around?
 

[MarkTapley]

Has anyone taken the Vok Baths excursion from Seydisfjordur?  One of the folks on our cruise (August 14, Sky) asked on our roll call thread.  I think the main concern is how accessible this excursion is for someone with mobility issues.  Thanks!

[VI_Lounger]

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

We had no issues-our CDC cards had only first and last names whereas passports include middle names and in my case, a “III” after my name😳

We had an issue as my partner's CDC card had his name listed as Joe instead of Joseph and it was rejected by Verifly so no middle names like on passports, but had to be his formal first name.

[VI_Lounger]

6 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

July 10-Sky

That is apparently the case. The only rough seas we had during our week aboard were on the day/evening we bypassed Heimaey and sailed directly to Reykjavik. I had figured it would be rougher in the north🤪

July 3 - Sky, yep, also our only bad weather day at this port but we were able to anchor and tender so we were the crazy fools out on a RIB with full body rain suits, goggles and rain in our faces but the guide ended up making it a lot of fun so we just went for it and figured we should at least experience some Iceland rain! 

[joepeggy]

Anyone arrange their own transfer from the airport to the ship and return to airport?