Covid Positive aboard Viking Sky 7/14/22

[Triptkr]

29 minutes ago, kaymoz said:

A passenger from one of the Viking cruises that experienced covid-related disruptions (Jupiter) posted a youtube video while the ship was in Akureyri commenting that the local authorities had questioned the ship's "covid protocols."  I wondered what that meant, since I was under the impression that the testing that Viking was doing was not required.  Does anyone have more info about these "protocol" concerns?

 

 

Would you mind posting the link to the YouTube you're referring to? Thx!

[kaymoz]

Yes -- here the utube video I mentioned:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUXwd1PB_zk

[GVHarrier]

We wear my homemade masks or disposable masks when we are indoors in public places even though we have both been vaccinated. but for our travels, we decided to purchase KN95 masks for our Iceland cruise on 6/26. After reading about these break through cases on Viking ships, I think I would do as others have suggested and wear those masks everywhere I go, at least before and during travel.

[Heidi13]

27 minutes ago, kaymoz said:

Yes -- here the utube video I mentioned:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUXwd1PB_zk

 

Local officials having to inspect some part of the ship's operation. Oh so common, and normally a feeble excuse for local officials to come aboard for a free lunch.😒

[bluesea777]

In the Cruise Critic News … detailed report about the covid on Sky ….

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/6305/

 

 

[uktog]

15 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Local officials having to inspect some part of the ship's operation. Oh so common, and normally a feeble excuse for local officials to come aboard for a free lunch.😒

In some parts of the world can also involve wives, children and parents as well 🙂 

[Liz55]

Can anyone tell me if the person who tests positive can get off the ship and complete their journey as planned?  Or do they have to continue to quarantine somewhere else?

[stbiehn]

18 minutes ago, Liz55 said:

Can anyone tell me if the person who tests positive can get off the ship and complete their journey as planned?  Or do they have to continue to quarantine somewhere else?

They had to quarantine in Iceland.  They were not free to walk around the country.

[rcdave]

Okay, I know everyone is tired of the talk about Covid-19 but, I have questions. We (3 couples) are scheduled for the Aug. 21 Viking Star sailing. My daughter and son-in-law are considering canceling since they are both working and do not want to take a chance on being quarantine in Iceland for an extended period of time. Questions - what happens if someone tests positive for Covid  - does Iceland make you quarantine in a hotel of their choice, if so for how long or do they just want to get you out of the country as quick as possible. Are you required to do anything when entering back into the US, further testing, quarantine, etc.  Does Viking do anything for you, i.e. some cruise lines are paying for the return flight.  Thank you.

 

Now for my soap box: It would be nice if a Covid-19 expert (if there is such a person) would confirm or deny that a fully vaccinated individual who tests positive is able to transmit the virus to other individuals. I have heard it is highly unlikely and also have heard that you are highly contagious - I assume the truth lies in the middle.    

 

[bluesea777]

 

A tip: self-isolate yourselves for 2 weeks before your travel to Iceland. Start wearing the masks again when going into stores, don't eat out, no parties or gatherings, etc. Since Iceland doesn't require pre-travel covid test (THIS may change) I would suggest you go for a PCR test (nasal swab) yourselves a couple or so days before you travel, just to make sure you're in the clear.

 

 

[Snit13]

1 hour ago, rcdave said:

Okay, I know everyone is tired of the talk about Covid-19 but, I have questions. We (3 couples) are scheduled for the Aug. 21 Viking Star sailing. My daughter and son-in-law are considering canceling since they are both working and do not want to take a chance on being quarantine in Iceland for an extended period of time. Questions - what happens if someone tests positive for Covid  - does Iceland make you quarantine in a hotel of their choice, if so for how long or do they just want to get you out of the country as quick as possible. Are you required to do anything when entering back into the US, further testing, quarantine, etc.  Does Viking do anything for you, i.e. some cruise lines are paying for the return flight.  Thank you.

 

Now for my soap box: It would be nice if a Covid-19 expert (if there is such a person) would confirm or deny that a fully vaccinated individual who tests positive is able to transmit the virus to other individuals. I have heard it is highly unlikely and also have heard that you are highly contagious - I assume the truth lies in the middle.    

 

We will probably never know the answer to your question as I have yet to see/hear a true Covid-19 expert.  They constantly contradict one another and the advice they give changes daily.  Scary.

[KarNog]

1 hour ago, rcdave said:

Okay, I know everyone is tired of the talk about Covid-19 but, I have questions. We (3 couples) are scheduled for the Aug. 21 Viking Star sailing. My daughter and son-in-law are considering canceling since they are both working and do not want to take a chance on being quarantine in Iceland for an extended period of time. Questions - what happens if someone tests positive for Covid  - does Iceland make you quarantine in a hotel of their choice, if so for how long or do they just want to get you out of the country as quick as possible. Are you required to do anything when entering back into the US, further testing, quarantine, etc.  Does Viking do anything for you, i.e. some cruise lines are paying for the return flight.  Thank you.

 

Now for my soap box: It would be nice if a Covid-19 expert (if there is such a person) would confirm or deny that a fully vaccinated individual who tests positive is able to transmit the virus to other individuals. I have heard it is highly unlikely and also have heard that you are highly contagious - I assume the truth lies in the middle.    

 

From what I've read, Icelandic government puts you up in a  hotel - there are currently five in Reykjavik, three meals a day. I do not know the length of quarantine at this time, but if I find it somewhere, I'll let ya know.

[kaymoz]

7 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

In the Cruise Critic News … detailed report about the covid on Sky ….

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/6305/

 

 

Thanks for posting this well-written summary which provides lots of insights.  It's super relevant to me right now since we leave for Iceland ourselves in one week to do a circumnavigation cruise!  But not with Viking.  We'll sail on the much smaller Ocean Diamond (<200 passengers) with Iceland ProCruises.  So I expect they will have their own learning/experience curve with the local authorities as covid protocols are worked out across the nation.

[Snit13]

1 hour ago, bluesea777 said:

 

A tip: self-isolate yourselves for 2 weeks before your travel to Iceland. Start wearing the masks again when going into stores, don't eat out, no parties or gatherings, etc. Since Iceland doesn't require pre-travel covid test (THIS may change) I would suggest you go for a PCR test (nasal swab) yourselves a couple or so days before you travel, just to make sure you're in the clear.

 

 

We were discussing pre travel tests yesterday.  Since you are not from FL I doubt you would have the answer.  We knew where to go last year but have not heard anything about where to go in 2021,  We don't sail until end of August so I guess we have time to consult with our respective doctors or county health departments.  I had one pre op last year at the hospital and it took about 4 days to get my negative results back.

[Snit13]

1 minute ago, KarNog said:

From what I've read, Icelandic government puts you up in a  hotel - there are currently five in Reykjavik, three meals a day. I do not know the length of quarantine at this time, but if I find it somewhere, I'll let ya know.

Who pays for hotel stay?

[KarNog]

10 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

Who pays for hotel stay?

Icelandic government. Originally they required a flat fee, but a court case overruled that, so it's free to Iceland residents and tourists.

Go to government.is for lots of interesting info on Covid in Iceland.

Edited July 18, 2021 by KarNog
Further info available

[hodges97]

We bought the Viking cancel for any reason trip insurance when we booked our labor day cruise on the Jupiter.  It has medical as part of the package.  I guess it would pay for quarantine?  What a strange time we are living in.  If we don't decide to cancel, I intend to do a test 3 days beforee we fly to Iceland and I intend to take 30 days supply of my meds, etc.

 

[kaymoz]

4 minutes ago, Snit13 said:

We will probably never know the answer to your question as I have yet to see/hear a true Covid-19 expert.  They constantly contradict one another and the advice they give changes daily.  Scary.

It's the nature of scientific inquiry while exploring "the unknown" that different people ("experts") will have different theories, while the details are getting flushed out.  And even tho eventually a consensus about the "truth" may eventually be reached, it can always be revised when more/better information comes along.  I know it's hard to accept what can seem like waffling, especially when it's a really serious matter, and people like certainty.  Think about the days of the European explorers who sailed into uncharted waters based on differing  theories about how the earth was configured & how to reach Asia....now we know better, but for a long time those explorations were a big gamble, and many mistakes were made while arriving at knowledge summarized in the maps we take for granted today!  (sorry, tried to find a somewhat cruise-related example!)

[arlowood]

1 hour ago, rcdave said:

Okay, I know everyone is tired of the talk about Covid-19 but, I have questions. We (3 couples) are scheduled for the Aug. 21 Viking Star sailing. My daughter and son-in-law are considering canceling since they are both working and do not want to take a chance on being quarantine in Iceland for an extended period of time. Questions - what happens if someone tests positive for Covid  - does Iceland make you quarantine in a hotel of their choice, if so for how long or do they just want to get you out of the country as quick as possible. Are you required to do anything when entering back into the US, further testing, quarantine, etc.  Does Viking do anything for you, i.e. some cruise lines are paying for the return flight.  Thank you.

 

Now for my soap box: It would be nice if a Covid-19 expert (if there is such a person) would confirm or deny that a fully vaccinated individual who tests positive is able to transmit the virus to other individuals. I have heard it is highly unlikely and also have heard that you are highly contagious - I assume the truth lies in the middle.    

 

That's interesting because Viking are currently promoting 3 UK based itineraries on Viking Star based out of Portsmouth UK. The first is scheduled for the 7th August followed by sailings on the 14th and 21st. Have you got documentary confirmation that you are defijnitely sailing on Viking Star on the 21st.

 

If so Viking have a few questions to answer from a host of UK passengers who have booked on the Star in August.

[LindaS272]

4 minutes ago, arlowood said:

That's interesting because Viking are currently promoting 3 UK based itineraries on Viking Star based out of Portsmouth UK. The first is scheduled for the 7th August followed by sailings on the 14th and 21st. Have you got documentary confirmation that you are defijnitely sailing on Viking Star on the 21st.

 

If so Viking have a few questions to answer from a host of UK passengers who have booked on the Star in August.

On the website the Aug. 21 Iceland cruise is on the Sky.

[KarNog]

39 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

On the website the Aug. 21 Iceland cruise is on the Sky.

Sometimes the names can get confusing. I keep wondering why anyone would want to sail on the Viking Onion.

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, uktog said:

In some parts of the world can also involve wives, children and parents as well 🙂 

 

So true, I still remember the days of being on gangway watch, and watching the officials board with their entire extended family in tow.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, hodges97 said:

I guess it would pay for quarantine?

 

Don't guess. Read the fine print or call the insurance company and ask.

 

Also, "cancel for any reason" is a misnomer. Before you tell your cruise company that you are canceling, check with the insurance company to make sure that your reason for canceling is a covered reason and that you will be getting your money back -- and get it in writing from the insurance company.

[stbiehn]

2 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

On the website the Aug. 21 Iceland cruise is on the Sky.

 

2 hours ago, arlowood said:

That's interesting because Viking are currently promoting 3 UK based itineraries on Viking Star based out of Portsmouth UK. The first is scheduled for the 7th August followed by sailings on the 14th and 21st. Have you got documentary confirmation that you are defijnitely sailing on Viking Star on the 21st.

 

If so Viking have a few questions to answer from a host of UK passengers who have booked on the Star in August.

I heard on another board here that The Star is currently on it's way to Iceland.  

[LindaS272]

6 minutes ago, stbiehn said:

 

I heard on another board here that The Star is currently on it's way to Iceland.  

Yes, I believe that’s a mystery that has yet to be solved. Maybe crew transfer of some sort?