Possibly the end of daily testing?

[Berlin Bear]

13 minutes ago, SLCSkier said:

I have hesitated about posting because I am so weary of talking about our situation. We were supposed to be on the May 19 Homelands sailing (third try). We were going to be traveling on our own in Norway prior to boarding the cruise so we were not required to test before leaving the USA. We are vaccinated and double boosted. The day of our flight SEA to Oslo we did a home test, I thought it was my allergies and my husband had mild cold symptoms, we both tested positive. So we needed to cancel the entire trip, we were shell shocked.

 

We live in Salt Lake but flew to Seattle a week before our flight to Oslo. We mask all the time, especially since we were getting ready for a trip. We had also limited our interaction with folks prior to leaving Salt Lake and while we were in Seattle (we have a small condo so we are able to isolate). I am sure we caught Covid it the airport or plane even though we were masked (N95) since there are very few people wearing masks and I am sure there are people with Covid that think they just have a cold.

 

We traveled last Sep-Oct, a Viking river cruise and on our own in Ireland, masking was still in effect so we had no problems. I am beyond angry that the mask mandate for public transportation was dropped, the airports are so crowded.

 

In the process of rebooking for July 2023. I don't think there was anymore that we could have done, these current strains are just so contagious.

And we are almost certain that we were infected at Heathrow airport in mid-March where we had to spend a whole day before our evening flight to Buenos Aires. We wore our FFP2 masks the whole time except for eating and drinking, which we had to do several times during the day. The majority of people around us wore no masks at all. We both tested positive 3-4 days later when we embarked the Jupiter. Spent the first 10 days of our cruise in quarantine.

[OnTheJourney]

On 5/24/2022 at 12:22 PM, Berlin Bear said:

The majority of people around us wore no masks at all. We both tested positive 3-4 days later when we embarked the Jupiter. Spent the first 10 days of our cruise in quarantine.

Most sorry to hear this. There were positive cases reported on the recent Chairman's cruise. We don't foresee doing an upcoming January cruise due to issues associated with the daily testing. I don't see them removing this protocol anytime soon either, having spent big money on setting up the labs. 

[OnTheJourney]

On 5/20/2022 at 9:54 AM, cmaasfamily said:

A little spit in the morning?

Actually a good deal more spit than we expected.. We never anticipated how much was actually required till we saw the tubes and the marking. The bottom is funnel-shaped, so that's not too bad, but then it takes a good bit more yet to reach the required amount. Not sure what would happen if a sample is submitted only half-full or at least below the mark. Throw in a bit of dry mouth upon waking and we found ourselves spending up to 20 minutes with it. Probably the nervousness of knowing that we HAD to do it didn't help. It delayed our medication schedule. Given the choice, at this point, between going with Viking and having to do this, and going with a different line that doesn't require it - we'll probably opt for the one that doesn't require any testing except for the pre-cruise. I'm saddened by this however, given that I am (or at least was) hoping to do more cruises with Viking - and have two booked for '23. 

Edited May 31, 2022 by AnyWayIsGood

[Jim Avery]

9 minutes ago, AnyWayIsGood said:

Actually a good deal more spit than we expected.. We never anticipated how much was actually required till we saw the tubes and the marking. The bottom is funnel-shaped, so that's not too bad, but then it takes a good bit more yet to reach the required amount. Not sure what would happen if a sample is submitted only half-full or at least below the mark. Throw in a bit of dry mouth upon waking and we found ourselves spending up to 20 minutes with it. Probably the nervousness of knowing that we HAD to do it didn't help. It delayed our medication schedule. Given the choice, at this point, between going with Viking and having to do this, and going with a different line that doesn't require it - we'll probably opt for the one that doesn't require any testing except for the pre-cruise. I'm saddened by this however, given that I am (or at least was) hoping to do more cruises with Viking - and have two booked for '23. 

Such a fun way to spend many thousands.  And how many are actually sick??  Treat the sick.  Stop harassing the well.

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

Treat the sick.  Stop harassing the well.

Agree completely!  Torstein referred to it (testing positive) as "drawing the lucky number". While I enjoyed his presentation very much, that particular wording was perhaps a tad ill chosen. 

[Twitchly]

https://www.kwwl.com/news/national/us-airlines-travel-industry-push-white-house-to-end-pre-travel-testing/article_65f70b04-e22f-5a4d-897c-36f93d0d8e79.html

 

There’s hope …

[Ray4Fun]

Just looking at the statistics from this week. Covid appears to be on the up-swing. In the past 60 days the number of cases went from 30K new weekly cases too well over 110K. WOW I say, then looked at the number of deaths during the same time period. During this same period the number of weekly deaths went from 1300 down to 370. 

 

Medical advances? A less deadly virus? We have all been infected? Boosted? 

 

The information I read shows Covid has become another virus we all need to be aware of. It is not the Covid of 2020 or 2021. We are well beyond that. Time to move on with the knowledge. Testing daily is not a vacation. Being locked in a room is not my idea of a vacation. Having the threat of Being pulled off a ship is not a holiday I wish to book. 

 

Do a Google Search "Covid Stats". 

 

If your that worried of diseases, nothing will change your mind. Not what I am trying to do. 🙂
 

Edited June 1, 2022 by Ray4Fun

[bbtondo]

10 hours ago, Twitchly said:

https://www.kwwl.com/news/national/us-airlines-travel-industry-push-white-house-to-end-pre-travel-testing/article_65f70b04-e22f-5a4d-897c-36f93d0d8e79.html

 

There’s hope …

Thanks so much!  Keeping fingers crossed that testing before flight to US is over for my Oceania cruise in August.  Jumped ship from Viking due to testing every day. I personally know a lot of friends who were loyal Viking customers that are also jumping ship.  Curious how all this testing is affecting Viking's profits?

[OnTheJourney]

12 minutes ago, Ray4Fun said:

Testing daily is not a vacation.

Well said. I have to agree. As much I we really enjoyed the Chairman's cruise, we're hesitant to get back on another Viking ship at present. Maybe next time we won't be so fortunate (as to all negative tests). 

[OnTheJourney]

4 minutes ago, bbtondo said:

Jumped ship from Viking due to testing every day. I personally know a lot of friends who were loyal Viking customers that are also jumping ship.  Curious how all this testing is affecting Viking's profits?

I'm starting to think, based on replies I'm seeing here in a few threads, that a good percentage of the Viking loyal pax are simply willing to accept the risks and whatever inconveniences the daily testing might incur in order to continue cruising with them. I don't really have that same feeling of loyalty having only sailed with them twice. First time was the Sky incident. 

Edited June 1, 2022 by AnyWayIsGood

[CDNPolar]

Often the negative outweighs the positive on any site like this.... Don't hate me because I fully support everyone's point of view when it comes to Covid and testing and masking.

 

I can fully understand why someone would not want to do daily testing, and perhaps it is time to stop this, but for the moment, it gives me some comfort to know that it is still there.

 

Yes, statistics are showing that illness is less serious in majority of cases, but the Viking guest demographic is still that of some of the highest vulnerability to severe disease.

 

We are all tired of masking and testing and isolation.  Not one of us ever wanted to do any of this, but the fact is there are still unknowns and we still don't know the absolute future and safety of travel.

 

In my mind, Viking are trying to protect us, they are not trying to irritate us.

 

If someone is willing to jump ship (no pun intended) because of having to spit in a tube daily, then I don't think that their loyalty was that high to begin with.  

 

Just my personal opinion.

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

11 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

I don't think that their loyalty was that high to begin with.  

Agreed, and certainly pertains to me I suppose. Kind of difficult to be loyal to a line after only one sailing. Hated to turn down the invitational cruise, but otherwise would not have traveled overseas yet. As I've said on other threads, I DO very much like Viking's product and how the ship operates. I really like everything about it except for the testing. 

 

11 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

the Viking guest demographic is still that of some of the highest vulnerability to severe disease.

 

This is most certainly true!  

 

11 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

In my mind, Viking are trying to protect us, they are not trying to irritate us.

 

Also true, but still doesn't change my mind as to the seeming illogic associated with requiring daily PCR and yet allowing people to roam freely unmasked ashore and onboard. It seems that it's almost inevitable that positive cases will show up. I was in those small towns the past two weeks in the narrow streets crowded with thousands of people. Most of the time a high % of Viking pax don't mask, and that's ok - since it's not required, but then that just increases the chance of positive results onboard. It's easy to accept and support the protocol if you're not one who winds up quarantined and loses most or all of their trip. 

Edited June 1, 2022 by AnyWayIsGood

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Ray4Fun said:

 

The information I read shows Covid has become another virus we all need to be aware of. It is not the Covid of 2020 or 2021. We are well beyond that. Time to move on with the knowledge. Testing daily is not a vacation. Being locked in a room is not my idea of a vacation. Having the threat of Being pulled off a ship is not a holiday I wish to book. 

 

 

You give the impression that quarantine and being medically disembarked are just for COVID. This couldn't be further from the truth.

 

While it may not be widely known and certainly is rarely discussed, quarantine has been in effect on cruise ships, ever since I went to sea in 1975. I have no doubt it was in effect well before that.

 

Any crew member or pax that contracts a communicable disease is immediately quarantined. Prior to COVID, the most common cause was Noro. However, when you cruise to 3rd World countries, you can also catch other diseases.

 

With respect to medical disembarkation, this again is nothing new. DW & I were forced by the local authorities in China to medically disembark a cruise ship in 2008 and were housed in a local hotel that could best be described as a slum. Throughout the incident, about 40% of the pax were in quarantine.

 

So even without COVID, both of your concerns could occur on any ship, at any time.

[Twitchly]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

In my mind, Viking are trying to protect us, they are not trying to irritate us.

I’m sure you’re right. But I’d rather Viking didn’t try to assume that role in my life. I neither want nor need their protection, such as it is.

Daily testing doesn’t exist anywhere else, not in the cruise or hotel industry (imagine if Marriott or Hilton required daily tests), not even in hospitals or nursing homes. Viking’s testing regime seems extremely heavy-handed to me. 
 

I recognize that others feel quite differently and enjoy the feeling of being looked after and “kept safe” in a way I personally find oppressive and unhelpful. They are the demographic Viking is targeting with its daily testing, not me. So after our voucher cruise, we’re done.

 

It makes me sad because I love the rest of Viking’s excellent product. But thankfully there are other wonderful ways to see the world.

 

Edited June 1, 2022 by Twitchly

[Jim Avery]

59 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

Often the negative outweighs the positive on any site like this.... Don't hate me because I fully support everyone's point of view when it comes to Covid and testing and masking.

 

I can fully understand why someone would not want to do daily testing, and perhaps it is time to stop this, but for the moment, it gives me some comfort to know that it is still there.

 

Yes, statistics are showing that illness is less serious in majority of cases, but the Viking guest demographic is still that of some of the highest vulnerability to severe disease.

 

We are all tired of masking and testing and isolation.  Not one of us ever wanted to do any of this, but the fact is there are still unknowns and we still don't know the absolute future and safety of travel.

 

In my mind, Viking are trying to protect us, they are not trying to irritate us.

 

If someone is willing to jump ship (no pun intended) because of having to spit in a tube daily, then I don't think that their loyalty was that high to begin with.  

 

Just my personal opinion.

 

 

I also really enjoy Viking's product.  But you speak of loyalty.  I feel that my loyalty to Viking is just as strong as Viking's loyalty to me.  Haha,  corporations only feel "loyalty" to the bottom line.  As it should be.

[Heidi13]

34 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

Daily testing doesn’t exist anywhere else, not in the cruise or hotel industry (imagine if Marriott or Hilton required daily tests), not even in hospitals or nursing homes. Viking’s testing regime seems extremely heavy-handed to me. 

 

 

Hardly a valid argument, since I'm not aware of other cruise lines that required daily onboard testing even during the height of COVID. In fact, the CLIA brands all refused, due to the cost. Their motto being, safety is our # 1 Priority, provided it doesn't cost much.

 

Viking is the only cruise line that really placed the safety and health of their crew & pax as the # 1 priority, throughout the entire pandemic.

 

I'm also not aware of hotels that required daily testing, as in our experience no COVID test was even required to check-in to a hotel.

 

 

Edited June 1, 2022 by Heidi13

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, Twitchly said:

It makes me sad because I love the rest of Viking’s excellent product.

I feel the same way. DW and I were just talking about this again today. We REALLY like everything that Viking does, except for the testing - but we feel that alone is enough of a deal breaker at least for the present. As you said, there are other options out there. 

 

I think your post pretty much captured the feelings of many of us. Well said!!!

Edited June 1, 2022 by AnyWayIsGood

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Viking is the only cruise line that really placed the safety and health of their crew & pax as the # 1 priority, throughout the entire pandemic.

 

This is unfortunately devolving into yet another disagreeable issue with no resolution, much the way masking / distancing, etc. has been so politically contested since the start of the pandemic. Those on either side of the PCR testing coin will likely remain there. So there will be continued posts defending both positions. I don't see Viking changing the protocol, so one either accepts it and continues cruising, or not. 

Edited June 1, 2022 by AnyWayIsGood

[rizello]

I'm all for being as safe as I can be.  And I am all for eliminating daily testing. I think the two are not incompatible.

 

I don't test myself daily at home, but I do test myself if I think I have any symptoms.  I go through life at home being exposed to people and not expecting them to prove to me they aren't contagious, just to go to the grocery store, or to work, or anywhere else.. Seems like it makes sense to have the same policy when traveling. 

 

Testing those with symptoms makes sense.  Testing everyone all the time seems excessive.

[Twitchly]

45 minutes ago, AnyWayIsGood said:

I don't see Viking changing the protocol, so one either accepts it and continues cruising, or not.

Over on The Site That Must Not Be Named, one poster says Viking is only testing at the beginning and end of the River cruise she’s currently on (Paris and Normandy). So there’s hope!

[SailorPaulH]

3 hours ago, Twitchly said:

So after our voucher cruise, we’re done.

 

It makes me sad because I love the rest of Viking’s excellent product. But thankfully there are other wonderful ways to see the world.

 

Same with us - we have abandoned our intentions of a VRC and another VOC in 2023/24. There are comparable cruise lines if we want, and we have devised some nice ideas for the next year or two - a ring-road trip in Iceland; road-tripping in the Faroe Islands and a vacations by rail in Switzerland/Austria. That being said we enjoyed our previous VRC and hope to enjoy our upcoming VOC and hope it's not a "Be Anxious: Explore the World in Quarantine" rebranding exercise.

[SailorPaulH]

13 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

Over on The Site That Must Not Be Named, one poster says Viking is only testing at the beginning and end of the River cruise she’s currently on (Paris and Normandy). So there’s hope!

I keep seeing references to The Site That Must Not Be Named, and have no idea what it is (and nor will I as you can't tell me, LOL).

[Twitchly]

17 minutes ago, SailorPaulH said:

I keep seeing references to The Site That Must Not Be Named, and have no idea what it is (and nor will I as you can't tell me, LOL).

Rhymes with Lace Cook. First word is your visage. Last word is the thing with pages that you read. 
 

No idea why it can’t be mentioned here.

[Ceegeefl]

We also very much liked our recent Viking  cruise. It was our first cruise with Viking and we enjoyed  every aspect of it except  for the testing before,during and to reenter the US. We've been home almost a week and after careful consideration  decided not to sign up for another Viking cruise at this time.  I also feel they are going after a different demographic from what we are.This is certainly their right and  I know some are very happy with this.  It does sadden me though

[brianw123]

5 hours ago, AnyWayIsGood said:

This is unfortunately devolving into yet another disagreeable issue with no resolution, much the way masking / distancing, etc. has been so politically contested since the start of the pandemic. Those on either side of the PCR testing coin will likely remain there. So there will be continued posts defending both positions. I don't see Viking changing the protocol, so one either accepts it and continues cruising, or not. 

Probably the only way Viking will change their protocol is if they are not filling up their ships. Profitability trumps everything. Hopefully there aren't enough "covid worriers" to keep filling up the ships as time goes on. But there will be people that will wear masks indefinitely so who knows. Of course, there will be people who will say I'm insensitive. Don't care. It's not 2020 any more. Time to move on folks.