Folllowing the US ending its COVID-19 testing requirement for air travelers to enter the country, Viking is dropping its pre-cruise testing mandate where allowed by the destination.
Viking still highly recommends a pre-departure COVID-19 test but doesn’t require it,unless one is mandated by the destination.
Select ocean voyages on Viking Orion and expedition voyages on Viking Octantis in the US and Canada will continue to require a pre-departure COVID-19 test. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still mandates pre-embarkation tests for cruisers, vaccinated or not.
In addition, the line is halting its routine onboard testing for passengers unless a passenger reports symptoms, requests a test or if Viking’s medical team deems necessary.
Vaccine mandate holds
Viking’s vaccine requirement for all passengers and crew remains in place and, for the time being, crew will keep testing as needed and will wear masks at all times, Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen said in a video announcement.
PCR labs on ocean ships
Viking installed full-scale PCR labs on all its ocean ships, which enabled it to carry out daily testing of everyone onboardand to quickly isolate any positive cases. This facilitated therestart of operations on ocean ships in May 2021 and, by August 2021, to have its full ocean fleet carrying passengers.
The companyhas been facilitating regular testing on its river vessels by taking samples ashore for processing.
Hagen had indicated in March during its Longships naming in Paris that COVID had ‘become less serious’ and that Viking’s testing, in due course, could be scaled back.
The company’s medical team, including Chief Health Officer, Dr. Raquel C. Bono, will continue to assess Viking’s protocols against the requirements of the destinations visited.
Record bookings
In hisvideo announcement, Hagen said Viking is seeing record bookings this year and next across all its product lines.
