If your cruise line does not have a specific testing requirement, get tested as close to time of cruise departure as possible (no more than 3 days before you travel). If you haven't cruised since before the pandemic, you might be surprised by how many new health- and safety-related policies cruise lines have implemented to keep COVID-19 off ships. Short on time, most visitors to Iceland head straight for the Blue Lagoon or heavily touristed Golden Circle. Scrivanich also notes an uptick in last-minute bookings (for sailings within six months), especially in Europe and Alaskano matter the price. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Additionally, some countries may require a booster. October 1, 2020 December is already known as the most wonderful time of the year, but its about to get a lot better for cruise lovers. Theres a higher level of comfort around taking a cruise than there is flying on an airplane, staying at a hotel, going to an indoor concert, attending an indoor house party and dining in an indoor restaurant, she says. Should the destination where the ship is located require those who test positive be disembarkedor should guest choose to isolate ashoreViking will help the guest arrange accommodations to recover ashore and help coordinate their travel home. Because individual cruise lines determine their ships' COVID-19-related requirements, your likelihood of catching coronavirus while at sea will depend on the specific ship's guidelines and. This creates an onboard population that is far less likely to experience serious symptoms of COVID-19 than a cross-section of people on land, according to CDC data. As such, guests traveling on either an ocean or river ship may experience minor day-to-day variations in how we implement our overall program. This week, Viking announced that it would resume some river cruises in Portugal, France and along the Rhine River in July. As the leading small ship travel company, Viking takes you closer to the heart of the places you want to visit. Please note: Vikings Medical Team continually monitors conditions and may deem face masks to be necessary while moving about the ship, based on conditions at the time of travel. A river cruise restart this summer is being tested by a new EU advisory regarding U.S. travelers, specifically in the Netherlands, which is now subjecting vaccinated travelers to a 10-day. No plan survives first contact with the enemy, said Dr. Raquel Bono, chief health officer for Viking, after a passenger tested positive for COVID-19 on a recent sailing in Iceland. Today I spent two hours on the phone trying to change my flights. Discover the worldin comforton Viking ocean cruises to . The cruise industry is no stranger to staffing issues. bars and lounges. Cons: Viking is adults only; passengers must be over the age of 18. 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. WORLD DREAM. Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not. This digital library, created by the river and ocean cruise company, will showcase experiential programming that Viking guests have access to onboard their respective cruises, on deck levels or their cabin TV. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. We may earn a commission from your purchases. It's also important to note that the detection of COVID-19-positive passengers or crew on board your ship won't necessarily impact your sailing (unless you are among those testing positive). 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. For added protection, Viking strongly recommends that guests be up to date with their immunizations. 877-66-VIKING. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. The situation is evolving, but its essential to know that some lines, like Azamara, still require guests 12 years of age or older to be fully vaccinated to sailthat includes a booster shot, if guests are eligible for one. Please visit the Resources tab in My Viking Journey to see if your country of entry has this requirement. And its backing that up with action: As of July 18, 2022, the CDCs COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships is no longer in effect. The cruise industry has been highly critical of the designation, arguing that cruise ships are far safer places to be right now than almost anywhere else, given their strict health protocols. RELATED: Unvaccinated People Will Be Barred From This, Starting Feb. 28. The easing of our testing policy marks a step in the right direction toward a return to normalcy for the travel and cruising industry, Carol Cabezas, the president of Azamara, said in a statement. Get up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines before cruise ship travel. Viking Cruises cancelled all operations until May on Wednesday due to the coronavirus. But travelers worried about getting sick aboard a cruise ship can rest assured that cruise lines arent sailing solo in the continuing pandemic. But youd never guess that based on the state of the cruise industry today. Restaurants are sanitized between every service; all other public spaces are fully sanitized at a minimum every 24 hours, with high touchpoints sanitized more frequently every day. 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. Find out if you need a COVID-19 vaccine to cruise and when each cruise line plans to sail again. Hand sanitizing stations and full sink basins were even more prevalent. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. Booster shots are recommended for those who are eligible. If a threshold of COVID-19 is detected on board the ship, the voyage will be ended immediately, and the ship will return to the port of embarkation. Specific protocols and procedures may evolve over time to adapt to various conditions or travel regulations in the destinations in which we operate. Each lunch and dinner was a gourmet-style three-course meal; breakfast . Does Vikings Travel Protection Plan cover COVID-19 costs (e.g., medical treatment, quarantine, repatriation, etc.)? And arise it did. All major cruise lines currently are requiring all or nearly all passengers to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with some also starting to require booster shots, to boot. Viking Cruises has canceled all sailings until at least 2021, the company announced on Wednesday, becoming the latest cruise line to push sailings amid the continuing battle against the. October 5, 2020 As Viking.TV celebrates six months of offering award-winning programming this week, four astronauts will host a special panel discussion on Friday sharing what its like to live and work in space. 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. Speaking from firsthand experience, I can tell you that cruise lines are ready to spring into action if someone exhibits symptoms or tests positive while sailing. The relaxation of the testing policy is in line with the rest of the travel, leisure and hospitality industry worldwide as society continues to adapt and return to a state of normalcy.. Cruisers should stay informed via their travel agent of what to expect when they travel., Reed suggests going straight to the source for COVID-19-related cruise advice. Check here before booking an award fare. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Learn more. As it turns out, perhaps the most crucial measures for our sailing were daily testing and contact tracing. If they test negative, they typically are allowed out of their rooms to rejoin the rest of their fellow cruisers on board. Most guests remained in good spirits, understanding the risks of traveling amid an ongoing pandemic. Viking was not messing around. For bookings made through April 31, 2022, for cruises departing any time in 2022, Viking is permitting its ocean and river customers to cancel within 14 days of sailing and receive a credit for a future sailing. 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. By the summer of 2020, most cruise lines had suspended operations worldwideand the entire travel industry came to a standstill. The crew scrambled to refund cancelled excursions while adding new lectures and movie screenings to what was now effectively a sea day program. sent to you for updated policies and procedures related to covid-19 . They have kept all . In November of 2020, Viking cancelled the Jan 2021 cruise and offered all travelers a 125% refund toward a future booking or a full refund. (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: "38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20" }).render("6ea159e3e44940909b49c98e320201e2"); }); During the pause, we worked to carry out protocols that helped make cruising among the safest forms of travel today, and we offered guests a worry-free promise so they could feel confident booking a cruise, knowing they would be covered if their plans changed, says Beth Bodensteiner, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for Holland America Line. Our opinions are our own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by our advertising partners. Use down arrow key to expand the menu and up arrow key to collapse the menu and hit enter to select the link. WESTERDAM. 2023 Cond Nast. That said, the option to spend your time outdoors versus inside the ship gives you the ability to somewhat lower your risk compared with, say, air travel. Easy peasy. For Further Assistance If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email customerrelations@vikingcruises.com, Monday - Friday, 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM, PT. Contact. One hand hadnt talked to the other, or they were speaking different languages, or simply couldnt agree on whose authority reigned supreme. In Akureyri, I explored at my own paceogling the pastel blooms in Lystigarurinn, the worlds northernmost botanical garden, and the pop realist works of Icelandic artist Err at the Akureyri Art Museum. CDC has determined that the cruise industry has access to the necessary tools [cruise-specific recommendations and guidance, vaccinations, testing instruments, treatment modalities and non-pharmaceutical interventions] to prevent and mitigate COVID-19 on board.. If you do go on a cruise during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-cruise-ship. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. A new itinerary from Viking Cruises, it's an eight-day circumnavigation of the island nation, running clockwise from Reykjavk. Health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few -- or even a lot -- of passengers and crew test positive for COVID-19. Guests must present proof of full vaccination at embarkation and should be prepared to present vaccination documents (original hard copy or electronic) along their journey. Another company that just announced a change in testing requirements is upmarket cruise line Azamara. One region particularly affected is Alaska, where the shoreside personnel staffing levels have impacted excursion availability and staffing, Gray Faust says. 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. Viking had already operated two Welcome Back circumnavigations of the island nation with zero incidents, and we anticipated the same. Virgin Voyages We called customer service the very next day on March 12th at 1:35pm. Viking has taken the pandemic seriously. The pre-embarkation testing requirement will remain in place for guests traveling on voyages departing from destinations with local testing regulations. 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. A growing number of cruise lines are canceling sailings on short notice, citing the disruptions caused by COVID-19. I experienced this myself in late December when on a Silversea vessel where four passengers tested positive for COVID-19. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. Because individual cruise lines determine their ships COVID-19-related requirements, your likelihood of catching coronavirus while at sea will depend on the specific ships guidelines and restrictions. How frequently do you sanitize public spaces such as the restaurants? At present, U.S. port departures remain a no-go under CDC guidelines, despite calls to restart by July 1. 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