Viking Quarantine Protocols?

[Twitchly]

1 hour ago, ssaxsma said:

Well, we made it to the villa. The backyard pool is empty and it has rained all day, but we have much to be grateful for. There is a full fridge and pantry, local restaurant menus we can order delivery from (even sushi - all at no charge to us),  and lots of room to spread out. We have more bedrooms and bathrooms than people here (3, 2, and 2, respectively) spread across two levels. The decor is “eclectic” and the WiFi a little spotty, but all in all, we have won the quarantine lottery. Viking separated the negatives from the positives in two vans on the way here. Very conscientious. We found out 14 people left in total - 7 positives plus 7 spouses/partners/travel companions.

 

We can go outdoors (though it has not stopped raining since we arrived) and enjoy the patio, the olive grove behind that, and the sea 300 meters away (again, too wet today though) so long as we remain separate. Each villa has its own private pool, but they are sadly drained for winter (said with feigned disappointment).

Apparently our two days quarantined onboard “counted” and so the latest requirement of 5 days means a doctor will come 3 days from now and test us all again. If my husband remains negative, I believe we will be free to go even if I were to still test positive, as the proper duration will have passed (unless I have that completely wrong). So we are making sure to stay distant to help ensure he remains a negative and we can go as soon as possible. If he flips positive, the clock will start over. 
 

That’s the latest for now. Not sure there will be much new for the next few days as we will just be waiting. I’d love it if the rain were to let up, but if not, they’ve brought us a selection of books in both the languages we speak (and an iPhone with a wifi connection never leaves one short of options either, naturally). The people running the resort here couldn’t be nicer.

 

Thanks to @gafnewyork for the helpful info on credits and for all the rest rooting for us!

 

@rbslos18 , glad to hear you enjoyed your trip on the beautiful Sky (and had better luck than we have). We will have to rebook this same trip for another year and actually, you know, see something of the cruise next time 🙂

 

(We actually did enjoy a few really beautiful  days in Istanbul on our own before boarding)

 

And @TayanaLorna, yes, you are right. We are aware we are very lucky, and also have to credit Viking in all of this for what parts they have been able to control. It has been stressful, but could have been much more unpleasant without their help and being so considerate.

 

I’ll try to provide another update once we figure out how and when we’re getting home (or if anything else interesting / funny / relevant comes up sooner). Until then, please take care and stay healthy. 

Sounds like Viking is improving its quarantine experience in a big way. Good. If they can continue along these lines, that will go a long way toward making people more willing to cruise. Especially since it sounds like nobody’s getting terribly sick, thank God.

[TayanaLorna]

2 hours ago, ssaxsma said:

Well, we made it to the villa. The backyard pool is empty and it has rained all day, but we have much to be grateful for. There is a full fridge and pantry, local restaurant menus we can order delivery from (even sushi - all at no charge to us),  and lots of room to spread out. We have more bedrooms and bathrooms than people here (3, 2, and 2, respectively) spread across two levels. The decor is “eclectic” and the WiFi a little spotty, but all in all, we have won the quarantine lottery. Viking separated the negatives from the positives in two vans on the way here. Very conscientious. We found out 14 people left in total - 7 positives plus 7 spouses/partners/travel companions.

 

We can go outdoors (though it has not stopped raining since we arrived) and enjoy the patio, the olive grove behind that, and the sea 300 meters away (again, too wet today though) so long as we remain separate. Each villa has its own private pool, but they are sadly drained for winter (said with feigned disappointment).

Apparently our two days quarantined onboard “counted” and so the latest requirement of 5 days means a doctor will come 3 days from now and test us all again. If my husband remains negative, I believe we will be free to go even if I were to still test positive, as the proper duration will have passed (unless I have that completely wrong). So we are making sure to stay distant to help ensure he remains a negative and we can go as soon as possible. If he flips positive, the clock will start over. 
 

That’s the latest for now. Not sure there will be much new for the next few days as we will just be waiting. I’d love it if the rain were to let up, but if not, they’ve brought us a selection of books in both the languages we speak (and an iPhone with a wifi connection never leaves one short of options either, naturally). The people running the resort here couldn’t be nicer.

 

Thanks to @gafnewyork for the helpful info on credits and for all the rest rooting for us!

 

@rbslos18 , glad to hear you enjoyed your trip on the beautiful Sky (and had better luck than we have). We will have to rebook this same trip for another year and actually, you know, see something of the cruise next time 🙂

 

(We actually did enjoy a few really beautiful  days in Istanbul on our own before boarding)

 

And @TayanaLorna, yes, you are right. We are aware we are very lucky, and also have to credit Viking in all of this for what parts they have been able to control. It has been stressful, but could have been much more unpleasant without their help and being so considerate.

 

I’ll try to provide another update once we figure out how and when we’re getting home (or if anything else interesting / funny / relevant comes up sooner). Until then, please take care and stay healthy. 

Glad the Villas are nice.  Wow.  Just read a Washington Post article about Covid on cruise ships in US waters.  In the final two weeks of 2021 cruise lines sailing out of US ports reported  5,000+ Covid cases to the CDC.  People interviewed were on Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Seaborne in the Caribbean.  They report bare bones cabins, waiting hours for room service, receiving no drinking water, barely edible food, not seeing sunlight for days and difficulty getting tested on the ship even though they reported symptoms. Makes me wonder how many Covid cases there really are on these ships.

 

I am really curious about a few things involving your on ship quarantine.  When we were aboard our two Viking cruises in 2021, we were wondering where the Q cabins were located.  So can you tell us what deck - fore or aft - or what cabin numbers were for Q.  Were they Veranda and set up like you were a guest with the bath products and water carafs.  I would think you did not get twice daily housekeeping but did they change your towels?  Was room service brought into the room or delivered to the door only?  Were you able to order items served at the Restaurant during their opening hours or only what was on the Room Service menu?  Were you able to order wine or drinks?

 

When we were on the Sea recently there was a GI outbreak and no one knew if it was norovirus or food poisoning.  We decided to stay in our room for the latter half of a day in case it was norovirus which is transmitted by touch.  We ordered room service, watched the lectures on our TV, the entertainment on the TV that evening.  Ordered wine.  It was a pleasant day and a sea day so why not.  But we were together so that made a difference.

[TayanaLorna]

On 1/8/2022 at 9:49 AM, amyr said:

I'm so glad they're not putting you off in Kusadasi.  A woman and her husband were put off there on the cruise before yours, and she is posting live video updates from her room.  The hotel (it's government housing) and the food are pretty ghastly, and I suspect that's why Viking didn't put you off there as well.  

 

There's also a couple that was put off down in Punta Arenas, Chile, into a hostel.  They're having cheese and jelly sandwiches for dinner.  A woman and her family were off the ship in Rome, and her digs seemed pretty decent, at least from her videos.  I guess it's all a matter of where you test positive.  

 

We have the 14 day Panama Canal coming up, and I've been peering at the itinerary trying to determine where we could end up if we test positive and how much tolerance for that we have.  Several of the ports are wonderful for exploring, but pretty marginal otherwise.  We also had planned on returning to Ft. Lauderdale and driving home.  A flight from Honduras or Panama wouldn't be ideal either, especially since our car would be at Port Everglades.  This is making us think about renting a car to drive the five hours down in case we have to fly home.  We could fly directly to Tampa.  So much to think about.

 

Oddly, none of the 14 or so positives from the World Cruise have been put off.  Different regulations for different cruisers I guess.

 

ssasxma, you sound like you're in good spirits and are comfortable.  Good luck to you, and I hope your companion continues to test negative.  Please check in and let us know how it's going for you.  It will be helpful to cruisers here, and it will be a nice place for you to feel in touch with your cruising community.  I know everyone here wishes you safe travels.

 

 

 

Far as i know the World Cruise positives have not been put off the ship.  Cartegena was cancelled, they stopped at Panama, Costa Rico and Mexico (Cabo).  Not suitable quarantine facilities?  The countries did not want the cases?

[amyr]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

Far as i know the World Cruise positives have not been put off the ship.  Cartegena was cancelled, they stopped at Panama, Costa Rico and Mexico (Cabo).  Not suitable quarantine facilities?  The countries did not want the cases?

That's the million dollar question isn't it?  Which ports are suitable?  Nobody seems to have been put off the World Cruise, no.  I think their positives are starting to emerge out of quarantine and join their fellow passengers, and there will probably be a few new test positive a day or so out of LA.  

I'm guessing they weren't put off because it's the World Cruise, which is totally understandable.  I mean, it's such an expensive and anticipated undertaking for everyone that's prepared for it for so long.  A World Cruise is a big deal.  I suspect Viking has more leeway in who/when/where they disembark positive passengers than they're letting on.  

I don't pay attention to many cruise lines, but I follow Celebrity and HAL, and they have both just isolated their positives for the remainders of their cruises and disembarked them at the originally scheduled port.  Nobody's been kicked off their ships.   The experiences are mixed depending on the ship, but nobody's been left behind.  

[TayanaLorna]

2 hours ago, amyr said:

That's the million dollar question isn't it?  Which ports are suitable?  Nobody seems to have been put off the World Cruise, no.  I think their positives are starting to emerge out of quarantine and join their fellow passengers, and there will probably be a few new test positive a day or so out of LA.  

I'm guessing they weren't put off because it's the World Cruise, which is totally understandable.  I mean, it's such an expensive and anticipated undertaking for everyone that's prepared for it for so long.  A World Cruise is a big deal.  I suspect Viking has more leeway in who/when/where they disembark positive passengers than they're letting on.  

I don't pay attention to many cruise lines, but I follow Celebrity and HAL, and they have both just isolated their positives for the remainders of their cruises and disembarked them at the originally scheduled port.  Nobody's been kicked off their ships.   The experiences are mixed depending on the ship, but nobody's been left behind.  

Where is HAL and Celebrity cruising?

[amyr]

24 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

Where is HAL and Celebrity cruising?

They're both doing Caribbean and Mexico out of FL, and there was a great thread with blog posts from a guy in isolation doing a Mexican Riviera cruise on HAL out of San Diego.  I think he was on Konigsdam.  

 

Reading all the accounts has taught me that if there's any danger of going into isolation you're going to want to take a set of cutlery, a mug and a glass, and your bathrobe.  We cancelled a Celebrity cruise this week, but before we did I told DH that I was planning to squirrel away a whole set of dishes & silverware under the bed for 'just in case' 😆  Aside from the boredom, people seemed to be mostly struggling with the wooden sporks.  

[ssaxsma]

13 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

Glad the Villas are nice.  Wow.  Just read a Washington Post article about Covid on cruise ships in US waters.  In the final two weeks of 2021 cruise lines sailing out of US ports reported  5,000+ Covid cases to the CDC.  People interviewed were on Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Seaborne in the Caribbean.  They report bare bones cabins, waiting hours for room service, receiving no drinking water, barely edible food, not seeing sunlight for days and difficulty getting tested on the ship even though they reported symptoms. Makes me wonder how many Covid cases there really are on these ships.

 

I am really curious about a few things involving your on ship quarantine.  When we were aboard our two Viking cruises in 2021, we were wondering where the Q cabins were located.  So can you tell us what deck - fore or aft - or what cabin numbers were for Q.  Were they Veranda and set up like you were a guest with the bath products and water carafs.  I would think you did not get twice daily housekeeping but did they change your towels?  Was room service brought into the room or delivered to the door only?  Were you able to order items served at the Restaurant during their opening hours or only what was on the Room Service menu?  Were you able to order wine or drinks?

 

When we were on the Sea recently there was a GI outbreak and no one knew if it was norovirus or food poisoning.  We decided to stay in our room for the latter half of a day in case it was norovirus which is transmitted by touch.  We ordered room service, watched the lectures on our TV, the entertainment on the TV that evening.  Ordered wine.  It was a pleasant day and a sea day so why not.  But we were together so that made a difference.

Got the first good night’s sleep in 3, since it was the first where I wasn’t uneasy about where and whether we’d be relocating ourselves the next morning. Haven’t enjoyed much fresh air yet though – it feels like monsoon season here. Just when we think it could not rain any harder, it starts to. But we are safe and well-accommodated and still have no complaints in any material sense. The part of me that is trying to keep looking on the bright side thinks that yesterday would have been a miserable weather day for a shore excursion that consisted primarily of walking anyway.

 

As I write this, a gentleman from the resort just came by bearing a loaf of fresh bread baked by his mother this morning because she heard of our plight and felt bad. Terrible conditions (heavy sarcasm). 

 

To try to answer some of your questions , we were on the port side of deck 3 from the forward stairs / lifts to the front (but not including the explorer suite at front). V1 cabins I believe but with some changes in what was inside. No blue blanket, no QV sets, no water carafe, but a coffee maker added and a dozen plastic bottles of water in lieu of the carafe. Usual bath products. Minor, unimportant changes, really. When I was walking out to leave for our Rhodes quarantine, I saw what I believe were a pair of cabins dedicated solely to donning and doffing the Tyvek-type suits worn by those bringing room service. One cabin for each. They ostensibly suited up in one, brought the food, unsuited in the other, then fogged the hallway afterward. I felt a little guilty ordering as a result, so despite their being willing to accommodate whatever and however often I’d have ordered, I tried to limit myself to one order a day to limit the effort needed. I made my own coffee in the AM and didn’t even need more pods because I had squirreled away the extra Nespresso capsules from our pre-cruise stay at the Ritz-Carlton in my suitcase. Lol. 

 

Room service was brought by on a cart that was set outside the room. The person knocked, moved away, then I grabbed the tray off the cart myself. The dirty trays were requested to be put in the hall on the floor and they were collected periodically (but less frequently than in a regular cabin probably due to having to don all that PPE each time).

 

The night on which we had originally made a reservation for Manfredi’s, they proactively offered to send a menu from there up and we were able to order anything we liked from that menu. Had I asked, I imagine they would have done so again on subsequent nights, but I only did so when it was offered. The rest of the time, I ordered off the menu in the room with one exception. I asked for cookies once not on the menu and received them gladly, but my guess is that they would have reasonably attempted to get me anything else I had asked for if I had done so as well. Though I did not, I know others ordered and received beer and wine. The mini bar was full of the usual stuff and I drank / ate some of that.

 

No housekeeping and no new towels though I didn’t feel I needed more after only two days and I’m confident if I’d asked for more, they’ve have gladly been sent.

 

Like in your experience, I managed to watch all the lectures, some of the entertainment, and a few movies that I have never heard of but really enjoyed.

 

I hope that helps address your questions. The ongoing theme seems to have been that Viking did their best to provide an excellent experience despite it having seemingly been a lot of work (and likely expense) for them at times.

[TayanaLorna]

3 hours ago, ssaxsma said:

Got the first good night’s sleep in 3, since it was the first where I wasn’t uneasy about where and whether we’d be relocating ourselves the next morning. Haven’t enjoyed much fresh air yet though – it feels like monsoon season here. Just when we think it could not rain any harder, it starts to. But we are safe and well-accommodated and still have no complaints in any material sense. The part of me that is trying to keep looking on the bright side thinks that yesterday would have been a miserable weather day for a shore excursion that consisted primarily of walking anyway.

 

As I write this, a gentleman from the resort just came by bearing a loaf of fresh bread baked by his mother this morning because she heard of our plight and felt bad. Terrible conditions (heavy sarcasm). 

 

To try to answer some of your questions , we were on the port side of deck 3 from the forward stairs / lifts to the front (but not including the explorer suite at front). V1 cabins I believe but with some changes in what was inside. No blue blanket, no QV sets, no water carafe, but a coffee maker added and a dozen plastic bottles of water in lieu of the carafe. Usual bath products. Minor, unimportant changes, really. When I was walking out to leave for our Rhodes quarantine, I saw what I believe were a pair of cabins dedicated solely to donning and doffing the Tyvek-type suits worn by those bringing room service. One cabin for each. They ostensibly suited up in one, brought the food, unsuited in the other, then fogged the hallway afterward. I felt a little guilty ordering as a result, so despite their being willing to accommodate whatever and however often I’d have ordered, I tried to limit myself to one order a day to limit the effort needed. I made my own coffee in the AM and didn’t even need more pods because I had squirreled away the extra Nespresso capsules from our pre-cruise stay at the Ritz-Carlton in my suitcase. Lol. 

 

Room service was brought by on a cart that was set outside the room. The person knocked, moved away, then I grabbed the tray off the cart myself. The dirty trays were requested to be put in the hall on the floor and they were collected periodically (but less frequently than in a regular cabin probably due to having to don all that PPE each time).

 

The night on which we had originally made a reservation for Manfredi’s, they proactively offered to send a menu from there up and we were able to order anything we liked from that menu. Had I asked, I imagine they would have done so again on subsequent nights, but I only did so when it was offered. The rest of the time, I ordered off the menu in the room with one exception. I asked for cookies once not on the menu and received them gladly, but my guess is that they would have reasonably attempted to get me anything else I had asked for if I had done so as well. Though I did not, I know others ordered and received beer and wine. The mini bar was full of the usual stuff and I drank / ate some of that.

 

No housekeeping and no new towels though I didn’t feel I needed more after only two days and I’m confident if I’d asked for more, they’ve have gladly been sent.

 

Like in your experience, I managed to watch all the lectures, some of the entertainment, and a few movies that I have never heard of but really enjoyed.

 

I hope that helps address your questions. The ongoing theme seems to have been that Viking did their best to provide an excellent experience despite it having seemingly been a lot of work (and likely expense) for them at times.

Thank you so much for taking the time to outline your quarantine experience on board.  We guessed the Q cabins might be a block either fore or aft on the ship - an area with less traffic.  And those on Deck 3 were V1 indeed.  Having 2 rooms for the Hazmat strategy is interesting.  Geez, you must have felt like you had Ebola rather then asymptomatic Omicron.  But best to keep crew safe. 

 

We went to an Officers Roundtable discussion when we were on the Sea last December where we were able to ask questions.  Our last stop was Maderia and then we would have 6 sea days crossing the Atlantic so someone asked if there were no positive cases at some point, would we be able to remove our masks inside in public.  No was the answer for a couple reasons.  There were 465 crew members on board with 465 families at home all over the world.  They were protecting the guests as well as the crew and all those families.  The Captain said that we go on excursions and off ship and they don't really know where we go or what we do whereas the crew stays on board and masked.  I think the unsaid was - that although the crew was vaccinated, their familes may not have had that opportunity where they live.  The other reason is that mask wearing becomes a habit and if we were allowed to remove them, we might have a hard time remembering to wear them again once required.  So true.  It did take a couple days to see everyone properly wearing their masks and then everyone was great about it for thecrest of the cruise.

 

Enjoy the Greek hospitality and the bread.  Looked at a weather forecast for you in Rhodes.  Upper 50's and a high percentage of precipitation likely.  Windy tonight and tomorrow.  Localized flooding possible.  Sorry.

[sleepybobo]

@ssaxsma Thanks for sharing your experience.  Best of luck to you, your husband and all other people who are in quarantine.  Hope you can exit quarantine and get home safely as soon as possible.

 

Reading all these stories can easily make my head explodes.  I wonder how Viking makes money with the current sailings.  They are sailing at very limited capacity.  There are additional costs for daily testing, PPEs, quarantine accommodations, future vouchers, etc.... May be all the cruise lines are simply trying to tough out this trying time and get ready for future pend up demands?

[phillipahain]

This is scary ....are you seriously saying if a passenger has misfortune to test positive they are put off at next port irrespective ...

 

Sure do not need that stress 

[trtog7]

1 hour ago, phillipahain said:

This is scary ....are you seriously saying if a passenger has misfortune to test positive they are put off at next port irrespective ...

 

Sure do not need that stress 

At the beginning of this tale, it was stated that Viking did not think the next port was suitable for the passenger to quarnantine so kept them on board until Rhodes.

[broker1217]

But yes---if you test positive, the Viking terms clearly state you will be disembarked at the next port.

You can read all the Viking Protocols and procedures on their website.

 

Guests with a positive COVID-19 test will be isolated on board and then disembarked at the first opportunity for quarantine at an appropriate facility ashore. A second test will be performed to validate the first test. If the second test confirms COVID-19, we will arrange for the guest to recover ashore before returning home once their recovery is complete. Upon their return home, Viking Customer Relations will contact the guest and their travel advisor directly regarding any necessary refunding or rescheduling.

[trtog7]

1 hour ago, broker1217 said:

But yes---if you test positive, the Viking terms clearly state you will be disembarked at the next port.

You can read all the Viking Protocols and procedures on their website.

 

Guests with a positive COVID-19 test will be isolated on board and then disembarked at the first opportunity for quarantine at an appropriate facility ashore. A second test will be performed to validate the first test. If the second test confirms COVID-19, we will arrange for the guest to recover ashore before returning home once their recovery is complete. Upon their return home, Viking Customer Relations will contact the guest and their travel advisor directly regarding any necessary refunding or rescheduling.

Note the word appropriate. I hope if it happens to me that they will be sure I am in comfortable, safe and clean environment 

[LindaS272]

21 minutes ago, trtog7 said:

Note the word appropriate. I hope if it happens to me that they will be sure I am in comfortable, safe and clean environment 

Looks like you haven’t been following the Jupiter from Dec. 22 in SA—read the following from post #152: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2749513-viking-jupiter-december-22-2021/page/7/

 

These poor folks were put up in a youth hostel, could not get coffee, wine, not even salt and pepper!

 

[Frenchberet]

4 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Looks like you haven’t been following the Jupiter from Dec. 22 in SA—read the following from post #152: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2749513-viking-jupiter-december-22-2021/page/7/

 

These poor folks were put up in a youth hostel, could not get coffee, wine, not even salt and pepper!

 

It appears that the protocols are country-specific and mostly out of Viking’s control.  The Jupiter folks are stuck in Chile.  Hopefully, their quarantine is almost over.   

[SJD117]

46 minutes ago, Frenchberet said:

It appears that the protocols are country-specific and mostly out of Viking’s control.  The Jupiter folks are stuck in Chile.  Hopefully, their quarantine is almost over.   

That's why the words "at an appropriate facility" (in Viking's Protocols) don't really mean anything. The country determines who is quarantined, where, and how -- not Viking.

[bbtondo]

On 1/11/2022 at 12:43 AM, SJD117 said:

That's why the words "at an appropriate facility" (in Viking's Protocols) don't really mean anything. The country determines who is quarantined, where, and how -- not Viking.

 Can a country tell a cruiseline what to do while on that ship?  Why would a country want a positive person to leave a ship and place them in that country?  Seems to me from a country's point of view they would rather have the positive covid passenger stay on a ship.

 

From a poster:

"Viking says that the hotel the government offered in Kusadasi does not meet Viking standards so they are somehow able to skirt the regulations that require them to disembark positive testing passengers"

 

This is the line regarding Turkey that got me thinking...

 

 

[Twitchly]

I don’t think countries are requiring Viking to discharge Covid-positive passengers into their hotels. Doesn’t make sense. Countries are more likely to want them as far away as possible. And other cruise lines are quarantining passengers onboard (though sometimes in windowless cabins, which would freak me out), which also belies that theory.
 

I’m thinking Viking is removing C-positive passengers to make those left on board feel more safe, and possibly because of concern in case serious medical issues arise that they can’t handle on the ship. Fortunately we haven’t heard of any such cases. 
 

That’s my theory, anyway, and worth every penny you paid for it.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Twitchly

[LindaS272]

25 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

I don’t think countries are requiring Viking to discharge Covid-positive passengers into their hotels. Doesn’t make sense. Countries are more likely to want them as far away as possible. And other cruise lines are quarantining passengers onboard (though sometimes in windowless cabins, which would freak me out), which also belies that theory.
 

I’m thinking Viking is removing C-positive passengers to make those left on board feel more safe, and possibly because of concern in case serious medical issues arise that they can’t handle on the ship. Fortunately we haven’t heard of any such cases. 
 

That’s my theory, anyway, and worth every penny you paid for it.

Arghhh! Misinformation abounds! Every situation has been different. Viking has their stated protocols; sometimes they are able to make the decisions; most times, the country dictates it and Viking must follow the laws and regulations of the country. We’ve followed all Viking reported cases recounted on CC and some on FB and all have been different.

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, bbtondo said:

 Can a country tell a cruiseline what to do while on that ship?  Why would a country want a positive person to leave a ship and place them in that country?  Seems to me from a country's point of view they would rather have the positive covid passenger stay on a ship.

 

This is the line regarding Turkey that got me thinking...

 

 

The Master must comply with the requirements of the local authorities, which in some countries are neither logical, nor negotiable.

 

In 2008, on a B2B SE Asia cruise, the ship experienced a huge Noro infection (about 50%). We were both infected, but by the turnaround port (in China) DW was out of quarantine. The Captain advised we should both remain in our cabin during turnaround.

 

Late afternoon, the Master received a final demand from the Chineses authorities that we be sent ashore to a quarantine hotel. The Master had 1/2 hr to comply, or the entire ship would be quarantined for 2 weeks. The cruise line had no say in where we went and I can assure you it wasn't a villa, more inline with the hostel in S/America, with armed guards on each deck.

 

What cruise lines are currently experiencing with COVID infections is nothing new, as it has gone on for many years.

 

I can assure you that this is factual, since our son was S/2/O, I knew the Captain and had previously sailed with a number of the senior officers.

[SJD117]

2 hours ago, bbtondo said:

 Can a country tell a cruiseline what to do while on that ship?  Why would a country want a positive person to leave a ship and place them in that country?  Seems to me from a country's point of view they would rather have the positive covid passenger stay on a ship.

 

From a poster:

"Viking says that the hotel the government offered in Kusadasi does not meet Viking standards so they are somehow able to skirt the regulations that require them to disembark positive testing passengers"

 

This is the line regarding Turkey that got me thinking...

 

 

“Viking standards” didn’t help the Jupiter passengers who were quarantined for more than two weeks in a Chilean youth hostel. (See post #39.)

[phillipahain]

On 12/8/2021 at 5:22 PM, KBs mum said:

Have you got the info about when you can book Viking excursions? (if you want to) these are also room dependent regarding priority. If you are interested in any of them decide which ones then get online as soon as you can. 

 

[phillipahain]

Ok  were due on Viking Sky on Feb 2 ...however in view of above and having just endured a 19 day sea cruise on ill fated QM2 where 40% of staff were down with Covid and many passengers too although our Day 2 tests cleared this morning ...the thought of the stress of PCR test every single morning and biting your nails in fear of being offloaded we voted with our feet and rolled till July 

 

 

[Twitchly]

1 hour ago, LindaS272 said:

Arghhh! Misinformation abounds! Every situation has been different. Viking has their stated protocols; sometimes they are able to make the decisions; most times, the country dictates it and Viking must follow the laws and regulations of the country. We’ve followed all Viking reported cases recounted on CC and some on FB and all have been different.

I’ll defer to your broader reading. Have you come across any cases allowed to completely quarantine on a Viking ship? That’s happening on other cruise lines. Maybe their itineraries don’t overlap? 
 

The Washington Post ran a piece yesterday about how some cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and P&O) are using separate ships as quarantine quarters, mostly but not entirely for staff. Itineraries weren’t mentioned.  

Edited January 13, 2022 by Twitchly

[amyr]

8 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

I’ll defer to your broader reading. Have you seen any cases allowed to completely quarantine on a Viking ship? That’s happening on other cruise lines. Maybe their itineraries don’t overlap? 

The World Cruisers seem to have been able to completely quarantine/isolate, and so far the C+ folks on Orion doing French Polynesia as well.  That itinerary hasn't had a port stop to boot them off in anyway, so they'll probably test out of quarantine by the time they get to their first port.  Lots of sea days on that one.

 

Interestingly, the poor woman who was doing daily live videos from her marginal quarters in Turkey tested positive in Rhodes, but when the folks most recently tested positive in Turkey, they were allowed to go back to Rhodes and quarantine there in those villas.  Have they reported back in yet?  I hope they're doing well.