We have set up all of our public spaces, including restaurants and lounges, for appropriate social distancing. While conditions have stabilized, allowing for independent exploration, they may change and vary by country. Viking Health & Safety Program Pre-Departure COVID-19 Testing Viking is committed to doing all we can to ensure you are healthy and well prepared for international traveland that you will be able to arrive in your destination and embark your ship without incident. We called customer service the very next day on March 12th at 1:35pm. Celebrity Cruises from Florida and Viking Cruises from Iceland since June 12. January 9, 2020 Number 1: Founded in 1997, Viking River Cruises plies the waterways of Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt with its fleet of more than 60 vessels. The answer is yes. In addition, every stateroom goes through a deep-cleaning sanitization process between each cruise. For 25 years, we have always had the highest standards for health and cleanliness, and our protocol enhancements make Viking even safer. The crew scrambled to refund cancelled excursions while adding new lectures and movie screenings to what was now effectively a sea day program. Things are getting iffy again for cruisers -- at least for those with near-term bookings. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Credit card showdown: Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Venture X, JetBlue adds 3 new NYC-area routes as Northeast Alliance hangs in the balance, It's back: Best-ever bonus of 70,000 miles on the Alaska Airlines Business card, Thrills for all ages: 6 best rides at Universal Studios Hollywood. No longer are all passengers corralled together for a lifeboat or muster drill, but instead, we were individually led and introduced to our muster station and given a personal demonstration on how to don a life jacket. Cruise ships also have had to cancel stops recently at the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaao, and at San Juan, Puerto Rico, due to local worries about COVID-19-positive passengers and crew on board and/or tighter COVID-19-related entry requirements. This includes both its river cruises and . The current protocol on most ships is to isolate COVID-19-positive passengers and crew but otherwise continue on with voyages as planned. So can you still find a deal? For information about your specific voyage, please log onto MyVikingJourney.com. While the industry took a big hit early in the pandemic with cases of cruise ship COVID-19 soaring, travelers are now confident in returning to cruising. January 22, 2020 Tear into fresh-baked bread, pulled from an ancient oven fueled by wood and grapevines, in one of the last old-school bakeries in tiny Favaios. Masked up and sanitized, it was time to explore. If they test negative, they typically are allowed out of their rooms to rejoin the rest of their fellow cruisers on board. Tubes are provided to each cabin in the evening, and stewards conveniently take them to the lab the next morning on every guests behalf. Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol). Viking River Cruises. If you are a Travel Advisor representing a group booking, please email us at: GroupInfo@Uniworld.com or call our Groups department at 1-800-425-0043. or activities executed and escorted by Viking-approved tour operators who maintain Viking's level of COVID-19 controls to help limit potential . General information will be listed below, with details of any affected departures. Viking is bringing its signature Scandinavian style to the U.S., and just released details of its holiday-themed voyages along the Mississippi River. The reviews from recent cruisers show that onboard service is still stellarratings for crew service remain incredibly high, she says. After all, everybody onboard, including guests and crew, were fully vaccinated against the virus as the line currently requires and a multitude of other protocols were in place for added precaution. Hand sanitizing stations and full sink basins were even more prevalent. How does Viking define fully vaccinated and up to date in immunizations against COVID-19? Several ships recently had to skip port calls in Mexico, for instance, after passengers and crew on board the vessels tested positive for COVID-19. also refer to the passenger tiket ontrat ("passenger tiket . This week, Viking announced that it would resume some river cruises in Portugal, France and along the Rhine River in July. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. For more than 23 years, we have always had the highest standards for health and cleanliness, and our new protocol enhancements make Viking even safer. Whats more, our temperatures were taken daily at digital kiosks as we entered various venues such as the buffet, which itself is now fully served. Take cruise giant Carnival Cruise Line. On my recent trip to Antarctica, I underwent six COVID-19 tests in just eight days -- three in advance of stepping on board the vessel (including a PCR test required by Chile, where my trip began) and three while on board. Anecdotal reports are that the number of cases on ships is up even more in the first 10 days of the new year. Viking's 930-passenger Viking Star will begin its world cruise this week by heading south from Los Angeles to Central America and South America instead of sailing westward toward Asia, where it was scheduled to spend a significant amount of time in India. 10511 covid-19 policies and procedures (us) page 1 of 3 cst0544-40 covid-19 policies and procedures (international voyages) viking river cruises, inc., d/b/a viking cruises, viking ocean cruises & viking expeditions ("viking") important notice for our us and canadian guestsplease read carefully: the following Viking While the Delta variant of Covid-19 continues to swirl, many travel companies are cautiously churning back to business, albeit with modified protocols. If anything, the positivity rate is far lower on ships than on land, thanks to much stricter health protocols (more on that in a moment). Your subsequent travel home may be restricted or delayed. We recommend that, ahead of departing, guests check with their provider to ensure their travel protection policy covers any necessary medical, quarantine or repatriation expense related to COVID-19. And of those who have cruised within the past six months, 87% say they felt safe on board.. Copyright 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Holland America Line visits 225 ports in 91 countries on sailings that are round trip from U.S. ports, including Boston, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego or Seattle. We are the most knowledgeable, experienced cruise travel company. I overheard numerous cruisers griping about wearing masks and taking daily PCR tests despite being fully vaccinated, calling the measures excessive; others seemed to appreciate the extra caution. In other words, you cant eliminate the risk of COVID-19 on a cruise, but you can change your behavior. Adults and crew must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19. You can't cancel your trip at . Even if you test negative, stay home for the full 7 days. For most travelers, cruise ship travel is voluntary and should be rescheduled for a future date. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone:(201) 902-2000, What it Was Like Navigating Two Cruises COVID-19 Policies and Protocols, A Guide to the Ocean Cruises Leaving From the U.S. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Jun 03, 2020 at 4:02 pm. Will I be required to wear a face mask when going ashore? Hes sailed on more than 150 ships. The cruise lines have all their ships sailing with no capacity restrictions. Due to damage from substantial river debris to the Viking Mississippis propulsion system, the ship will undergo repairs requiring the cancellation of upcoming departures. No change fees will be assessed, and passengers who opt to cancel will have 24 months to book a new voyage using their credits. If you do go on a cruise during the COVID-19 pandemic: Guests who decide to travel are advised to take the following precautions to protect others for 14 days after their return from a cruise ship voyage: The above warnings and recommendations above are subject to change without notice. Please continue to check this site for the most up-to-date version of the Viking Health & Safety Program. And youll probably come across a few new sinks for hand-washing and additional hand-sanitizing stations around the ship. Pros: Viking is, by far, the largest river cruise company. Pricing remained stableno need for the lines to discount faresthroughout the year. Its current flexible cancellation policy allows passengers to cancel as long as a public health emergency remains in effect and receive 100% of the cruise fare paid in the form of a future cruise credit. How frequently do you sanitize public spaces such as the restaurants? Bermuda requires visitors 10 and older to show a negative COVID-19 PCR test no more than five days before arrival and fill out a travel authorization online. For information about your specific voyage, please log onto MyVikingJourney.com. Viking. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. - Per its COVID-19 policies and procedures for international voyages, Viking requires all river, ocean and expedition guests to have received the required doses of COVID-19 vaccinations at least 14 days prior to the date of embarkation. July 23, 2020 Plan ahead for sailing along the mighty Mississippi with Viking. Credits for canceled cruises and pent-up demand meant cruise lines had no trouble filling their ships in 2021. Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Will I be required to wear a face mask while on board? Sign Up for Our Monthly Cruise Newsletter. If you don't get tested, it's safest to stay home for 14 days after travel. For updated information refer to https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-cruise-ship near the time of your cruise. Of course, if you do test positive for COVID-19 on a ship, you will, unfortunately, face what could be several days of isolation in a cabin on a ship or on land. Specific protocols and procedures may evolve over time to adapt to various conditions or travel regulations in the destinations in which we operate. But on a whole, whether youre taking a singles cruise, couples cruise, adults-only cruise or all-inclusive cruise, there are almost no reminders of the pandemic. They are also one of the most affordable river cruise options. And with that, our vacation was over. Even though we thought the rest of the cruise would continue as planned, tours were recalled the second day amid confusion about regional jurisdiction. We have also seen a surge in bookings, with June showing our highest booking levels for Alaska cruises since early 2020, she says. If you are an American cruising overseas, you also won't be able to return to the U.S. until you have tested negative for COVID-19 (or until you recover from the illness and are cleared in writing to travel by a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official). The Policies and Procedures set out below are in addition to Viking's COVID-19 Terms and Conditions which form However, the captain did come over the loud speakers at one point to reiterate that even though it is not Icelands policy to require them, it is Vikings. The new ship, aptly namedViking Mississippi, will sail between New Orleans and St. Paul, Minnesota, with the inaugural trips slated for August. 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