Fall 2021 ABD River Cruises

[mndisfam]

We’re on the same trip, and we’re pretty fed up at this point.

1)We bought airfare to leave from Amsterdam at around one. I don‘t know if it’s even possible for the boat to dock in time in Brussels to take a train and make our flight in Amsterdam.

2) We’re vaccinated, and I’m not too concerned about getting very sick. But I am concerned that we haven’t heard anything about protocols if you test positively asymptomatically. Will they confine you to your cabin? But quarantine is 10 days and the trip is 7...do they kick you off? Where? Where would you stay? what rules would there be for getting back to the US? Reports I read from people quarantine at Heathrow in govt hotels said it was awful...no fresh air, and terrible food for 10 days. Obviously, they ”survived” less than ideal lodgings, but why on earth do I want to chance it happening on VACATION.

3) No clear answers if insurance covers the additional covid costs. Would it cover lodging and new airfare?

4) I’m also concerned that we’re going thru 4 countries, with different rules and protocols.

5) not to mention getting the tests accomplished to get on the boat.

We used DVC points for this trip- our trip last year was cancelled and we moved to this one. Therefore, if this trip gets canceled we have to use these points by January, which is fairly impossible. We’re not happy about any of this.
The lack of information is absolutely disgraceful.

It would be one thing to go to one country, and jump thru the hoops. But navigating 4 countries, and having one of the major cities changed has really tipped my over from my normal flexible self. At some point, it’s too big a risk and hassle, and I feel like we’ve gotten there. Not to mention we’re expected to make decisions with none of the information I detailed above.

6) There’s also something else...if we do go and test positive and are at the mercy of whatever countries protocols ... I feel like we kind of had it coming. Things are pretty grim and uncertain now, and I would feel very “Ugly American” taking an unnecessary trip during difficult times and expecting help. I would think countries would feel concerned for their own citizens, and they’re might be an attitude of “you came here knowing what’s going on, what do you expect? We have more important things than your comfort.”

I’ll get off my soapbox. But this whole thing is nuts.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

We’re on the same trip, and we’re pretty fed up at this point.

1)We bought airfare to leave from Amsterdam at around one. I don‘t know if it’s even possible for the boat to dock in time in Brussels to take a train and make our flight in Amsterdam.

2) We’re vaccinated, and I’m not too concerned about getting very sick. But I am concerned that we haven’t heard anything about protocols if you test positively asymptomatically. Will they confine you to your cabin? But quarantine is 10 days and the trip is 7...do they kick you off? Where? Where would you stay? what rules would there be for getting back to the US? Reports I read from people quarantine at Heathrow in govt hotels said it was awful...no fresh air, and terrible food for 10 days. Obviously, they ”survived” less than ideal lodgings, but why on earth do I want to chance it happening on VACATION.

3) No clear answers if insurance covers the additional covid costs. Would it cover lodging and new airfare?

4) I’m also concerned that we’re going thru 4 countries, with different rules and protocols.

5) not to mention getting the tests accomplished to get on the boat.

We used DVC points for this trip- our trip last year was cancelled and we moved to this one. Therefore, if this trip gets canceled we have to use these points by January, which is fairly impossible. We’re not happy about any of this.
The lack of information is absolutely disgraceful.

It would be one thing to go to one country, and jump thru the hoops. But navigating 4 countries, and having one of the major cities changed has really tipped my over from my normal flexible self. At some point, it’s too big a risk and hassle, and I feel like we’ve gotten there. Not to mention we’re expected to make decisions with none of the information I detailed above.

6) There’s also something else...if we do go and test positive and are at the mercy of whatever countries protocols ... I feel like we kind of had it coming. Things are pretty grim and uncertain now, and I would feel very “Ugly American” taking an unnecessary trip during difficult times and expecting help. I would think countries would feel concerned for their own citizens, and they’re might be an attitude of “you came here knowing what’s going on, what do you expect? We have more important things than your comfort.”

I’ll get off my soapbox. But this whole thing is nuts.

I couldn't agree with you more. You've basically outlined half of my upcoming letter to my TA to ask for our deposit back. ABD has lowered even my low expectations of how they would handle this trip after their abysmal "customer service" in the beginning of the pandemic. It's absolutely ridiculous IMO that none of this information has been conveyed. They haven't even told us about the vaccination requirement! If you look on the website they haven't updated the itineraries for the cruises before ours that have had major itinerary changes. Leave some room on that soapbox because I"m right up there next to you!

 

[partyoffive]

We’re on the same trip, and we’re pretty fed up at this point.

1)We bought airfare to leave from Amsterdam at around one. I don‘t know if it’s even possible for the boat to dock in time in Brussels to take a train and make our flight in Amsterdam.

2) We’re vaccinated, and I’m not too concerned about getting very sick. But I am concerned that we haven’t heard anything about protocols if you test positively asymptomatically. Will they confine you to your cabin? But quarantine is 10 days and the trip is 7...do they kick you off? Where? Where would you stay? what rules would there be for getting back to the US? Reports I read from people quarantine at Heathrow in govt hotels said it was awful...no fresh air, and terrible food for 10 days. Obviously, they ”survived” less than ideal lodgings, but why on earth do I want to chance it happening on VACATION.

3) No clear answers if insurance covers the additional covid costs. Would it cover lodging and new airfare?

4) I’m also concerned that we’re going thru 4 countries, with different rules and protocols.

5) not to mention getting the tests accomplished to get on the boat.

We used DVC points for this trip- our trip last year was cancelled and we moved to this one. Therefore, if this trip gets canceled we have to use these points by January, which is fairly impossible. We’re not happy about any of this.
The lack of information is absolutely disgraceful.

It would be one thing to go to one country, and jump thru the hoops. But navigating 4 countries, and having one of the major cities changed has really tipped my over from my normal flexible self. At some point, it’s too big a risk and hassle, and I feel like we’ve gotten there. Not to mention we’re expected to make decisions with none of the information I detailed above.

6) There’s also something else...if we do go and test positive and are at the mercy of whatever countries protocols ... I feel like we kind of had it coming. Things are pretty grim and uncertain now, and I would feel very “Ugly American” taking an unnecessary trip during difficult times and expecting help. I would think countries would feel concerned for their own citizens, and they’re might be an attitude of “you came here knowing what’s going on, what do you expect? We have more important things than your comfort.”

I’ll get off my soapbox. But this whole thing is nuts.

Could not agree more! This was to be our second ABD but it may very well be our last! The lack of information is disheartening to say the least. It's crazy that we have to find our information on forums and Facebook.
Hubbie and I will be deciding tonight and I suspect we will be cancelling and asking for the deposit to be returned.

 

[mndisfam]

Thanks for your replies. I’m glad a took a chance and put my concerns out publicly. I was expecting push back - but you can see from my ticker we’re big travelers. But this doesn’t feel like a relaxing trip - and nor shd it. These are uncertain and serious times, and pleasure cruises - no matter how much I am desperate to go - just don’t feel appropriate or doable at a level that makes it a wonderful trip.

I’m sure AMA is wonderful. I feel terrible for the entire tour industry. And I can’t wait to get back out there.

I keep thinking of Billy Crystal when he was dragged by cows in City Slickers: “I’m on vacation here!!” I can see myself saying that when things go south...

 

[CM Dad]

We are on the same cruise, and I am grappling with the same as you. Our primary reasons for this cruise were the Wish visit and Amsterdam. From my understanding both have been cancelled for departures through September (read CM Dad's post above and what happened to them--they are on the cruise before ours). I don't see them changing things for our cruise 14-days later. I will be contacting our TA next week and have her contact ABD to see what they say, but given what they did to CM Dad, I do not anticipate honesty.

I just got forwarded the confirmation from ABD that our TA was able to cancel our 9/30 Rhine river cruise and get a full refund. We had also booked the Amsterdam short escape after the cruise, and for some reason that I don't understand, that is not currently eligible for refund without penalty. Seems odd that the cruise can't end in Amsterdam, but they still act like the short escape will happen.

Not sure how long before I actually see the refund returned to my credit card.

 

[mndisfam]

I just got forwarded the confirmation from ABD that our TA was able to cancel our 9/30 Rhine river cruise and get a full refund. We had also booked the Amsterdam short escape after the cruise, and for some reason that I don't understand, that is not currently eligible for refund without penalty. Seems odd that the cruise can't end in Amsterdam, but they still act like the short escape will happen.

Not sure how long before I actually see the refund returned to my credit card.

Hmm. You’re well within the cancellation time, I‘m wondering if DVC will return the points. And give us more than 3 months to use them.

I’ve been so disappointed with them the last year. We pay a lot in maintenance fees, and we certainly aren’t getting the service and use we used to. It’s pretty sad.

 

[CM Dad]

Hmm. You’re well within the cancellation time, I‘m wondering if DVC will return the points. And give us more than 3 months to use them.

I’ve been so disappointed with them the last year. We pay a lot in maintenance fees, and we certainly aren’t getting the service and use we used to. It’s pretty sad.

My ABD was not booked using DVC points.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I just got forwarded the confirmation from ABD that our TA was able to cancel our 9/30 Rhine river cruise and get a full refund. We had also booked the Amsterdam short escape after the cruise, and for some reason that I don't understand, that is not currently eligible for refund without penalty. Seems odd that the cruise can't end in Amsterdam, but they still act like the short escape will happen.

Not sure how long before I actually see the refund returned to my credit card.

Right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. Ridiculous and very frustrating.

 

[mndisfam]

Right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. Ridiculous and very frustrating.

It does feel that way. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, bcs these are very trying times for them. But I truly believed we’d have these answers by now - isn’t a cruise going any day?

Another person asked these questions on cruise critic, and no one has gotten any info there either. The lack of protocol and info really bothers me.

 

[mndisfam]

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/a-...19-on-my-icelandic-cruise-heres-what-happened
This was an interesting article I just saw about what happened when people testing positive on the Viking Sky last week. It addresses some of my concerns...not in a good way!

 

[mndisfam]

Shoot, I can’t seem to get the link to work. It was in an article dated the 27th. Basically, the positive people were taken off the boat and quarantined somewhere off shore. Shore excursions were cancelled in the middle of the excursion by local authorities, one port denied them entry, and they had more sea days.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Shoot, I can’t seem to get the link to work. It was in an article dated the 27th. Basically, the positive people were taken off the boat and quarantined somewhere off shore. Shore excursions were cancelled in the middle of the excursion by local authorities, one port denied them entry, and they had more sea days.

Maybe its blocked in your country, here it is

On July 10, I boarded one of the earliest Nordic sailings open to vaccinated Americans. A new itinerary from Viking Cruises, it's an eight-day circumnavigation of the island nation, running clockwise from Reykjavík. Short on time, most visitors to Iceland head straight for the Blue Lagoon or heavily touristed Golden Circle. This voyage, by contrast, ports in lesser-trafficked idylls like the spectacular Westfjords and small fishing villages dotting the the east coast. My options for shore excursions included glacier treks and ATV rides through surreal volcanic landscapes. It had all the makings of a memorable trip—just not for the reasons I expected.

I was nervous about cruising after 16 months of a largely self-imposed lockdown, but eager to dip my toe back into international waters. I was also impressed by the health and safety measures Viking had instituted since pausing its operations more than a year earlier. In addition to requiring all guests and crew be fully vaccinated before setting foot on board the 930-passenger Viking Sky, the cruise line implemented a robust contact tracing system, daily PCR testing in a dedicated en-ship laboratory, new ventilation technology and a UVC disinfection robot, plus mask mandates and other social distancing protocols (including reduced guest capacity for its first few runs). Without those precautions in place, I wouldn’t have even considered traveling on a cruise ship during a global pandemic.

It was smooth sailing for the first half of the trip. Before leaving the United States, I completed a third-party verification of my vaccination status via VeriFLY, obtained my mandatory pre-registration barcode through the Icelandic government, and took a health survey issued by Viking. (Based on an honor system, that last one is more performative than scientific.)

Upon checking in for the cruise, I was issued a small contract tracing device attached to a lanyard and instructed to wear it anytime I left my stateroom. Staffers conducted digital temperature checks at the entrances to restaurants and cheerfully reminded guests to wash their hands, please and thank you. Staterooms were stocked with hand sanitizer and disposable masks, intended to be worn in any enclosed public space when not actively eating or drinking. Also awaiting me: empty tubes for daily PCR testing.

Masked up and sanitized, it was time to explore. From Reykjavík, I joined an ice cave excursion to Langjökull, the second largest glacier in Iceland. After trundling across its frozen expanse in a former NATO rocket launcher, I slipped into a raincoat and waterproof booties and tunneled to its epic blue center. (The glacier is receding at an alarming speed of six miles per year, so navigating its man-made shafts means sloshing through ankle-deep puddles while water pours down from overhead.)

In Ísafjörður, one of Iceland’s oldest fishing villages, I opted for a hike to Dynjandi, the largest waterfall in the Westfjords. With Arctic terns swarming at its base and carpets of wild blueberries flanking the path, I wasn’t disappointed. In Akureyri, I explored at my own pace—ogling the pastel blooms in Lystigarðurinn, the world’s northernmost botanical garden, and the pop realist works of Icelandic artist Erró at the Akureyri Art Museum.

When I wasn’t hoofing it through port towns, I was making reservations for the ship’s thermal spa and fitness center—essential due to COVID caps on group gatherings. 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. (Admittedly, you don’t realize how difficult it is to fill a test tube with 2 ml of saliva until you’re forced to do it every morning.)

That level of caution turned out to be warranted the day we arrived in Seydisfjördur, a picturesque town in Eastern Iceland with just 676 residents. We were nearly an hour’s drive into my first excursion of the day—a hiking trip rich in Icelandic folklore about elves, faeries, and trolls—when our tour guide announced that our bus must immediately return to port. COVID-19 had been detected on the ship.

With each minute that ticked by, rumors swirled. How many people had tested positive for coronavirus? Would we be sentenced to our state rooms and quarantined indefinitely like those poor Diamond Princess passengers in Yokohama last year? Whatever was happening, it wasn’t good. The anxiety was palpable.

It took several hours but eventually trustworthy information emerged, confirming that one fully vaccinated, asymptomatic guest had likely tested positive for COVID-19. The person was sequestered in a designated part of the ship, along with a second potentially positive case, and instructed to remain in isolation for the duration of the voyage. (The infected individual would eventually disembark in Reykjavík and move to a shoreside hotel for quarantine.)

Our contact tracing devices were activated, and Viking tracked down any person on board who may have encountered said guests for any meaningful amount of time (determined as 15 or more minutes and within six feet of distance). The system worked exactly as it was intended to, and additional PCR testing that day and throughout the rest of the trip confirmed that there were no additional cases.

Still, the Iceland Coast Guard told Viking Sky to leave Seydisfjördur. The crew scrambled to refund cancelled excursions while adding new lectures and movie screenings to what was now effectively a “sea day” program.

The next day’s itinerary had us docking in Djúpivogur, an even smaller hamlet than Seydisfjördur, so you can imagine our surprise when guests were told that most shore excursions would move ahead as planned. Alas, I wasn’t two miles into a nature walk through fields of Alaskan lupine when it was déjá vu all over again. Our guide received an emergency phone call from his boss. After an intense exchange in Icelandic, he announced that we were once again being recalled to the ship—this time with a harsh message about “violating Icelandic law.”

Despite Iceland Public Health clearing Viking Sky for its shore excursions, Iceland Coast Guard prohibited it. One hand hadn’t talked to the other, or they were speaking different languages, or simply couldn’t agree on whose authority reigned supreme. Whatever the case, travelers had no choice but to go back to the ship.

Although no additional positive cases had been detected on board, our final port stop—Heimaey Island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago—was also cancelled and the Iceland Coast Guard ordered Viking Sky to return to Reykjavík post-haste. And with that, our vacation was over.

Viking did everything in its power to protect guests, crew, and the communities it visited. Yet we were still subject to the Icelandic authorities, and that’s the cautionary tale here. Even with these painstaking measures in place, who calls the shots and what shots are called can change by the minute.

Most guests remained in good spirits, understanding the risks of traveling amid an ongoing pandemic. (Surely the jovial attitudes of the exceptionally well-trained staff and 50 percent credit toward future cruises helped.) But if you’re a rigid traveler who isn’t amenable to last-minute changes, or you struggle to find the good or humorous in sometimes lousy situations, you might think twice before undertaking international travel in 2021. Hey, what’s another year of dreaming?

 

[sayhello]

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/a-...19-on-my-icelandic-cruise-heres-what-happened
This was an interesting article I just saw about what happened when people testing positive on the Viking Sky last week. It addresses some of my concerns...not in a good way!

Well! This explains the non-committal comments an acquaintance of mine made on a Zoom call a couple of days ago. He was on a Viking cruise to Iceland, and when he wouldn't get specific on his comments that it was "interesting", told me to google it on cruise critic to "read all about it". I hadn't gotten around to doing that yet. A cautionary tale, indeed!

Shoot, I can’t seem to get the link to work. It was in an article dated the 27th. Basically, the positive people were taken off the boat and quarantined somewhere off shore. Shore excursions were cancelled in the middle of the excursion by local authorities, one port denied them entry, and they had more sea days.

Oh, and the article says the positive people were "move[d] to a shoreside hotel for quarantine", not somewhere off shore.

Sayhello

 

[mndisfam]

Thanks for posting it!

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

The link worked for me (Disboards has been having an issue lately with "spinning" links. They look funny but they still work). Thank for posting. That is indeed a cautionary tale, and pretty much emphasizes why there needs to be a clear protocol. Every traveler should be able to make their own decision as to whether they want to risk those protocols. And yes, ABD has its first trip leaving on the 4th or 5th.

 

[mndisfam]

I looked at the trip report on cruise critic about the Viking Sky. Yes...it was “interesting.” as in 2020 “interesting.”

 

[sayhello]

I looked at the trip report on cruise critic about the Viking Sky. Yes...it was “interesting.” as in 2020 “interesting.”

Exactly!!

Sayhello

 

[abdgeek]

We’re on the same trip, and we’re pretty fed up at this point.

1)We bought airfare to leave from Amsterdam at around one. I don‘t know if it’s even possible for the boat to dock in time in Brussels to take a train and make our flight in Amsterdam.

2) We’re vaccinated, and I’m not too concerned about getting very sick. But I am concerned that we haven’t heard anything about protocols if you test positively asymptomatically. Will they confine you to your cabin? But quarantine is 10 days and the trip is 7...do they kick you off? Where? Where would you stay? what rules would there be for getting back to the US? Reports I read from people quarantine at Heathrow in govt hotels said it was awful...no fresh air, and terrible food for 10 days. Obviously, they ”survived” less than ideal lodgings, but why on earth do I want to chance it happening on VACATION.

3) No clear answers if insurance covers the additional covid costs. Would it cover lodging and new airfare?

4) I’m also concerned that we’re going thru 4 countries, with different rules and protocols.

5) not to mention getting the tests accomplished to get on the boat.

We used DVC points for this trip- our trip last year was cancelled and we moved to this one. Therefore, if this trip gets canceled we have to use these points by January, which is fairly impossible. We’re not happy about any of this.
The lack of information is absolutely disgraceful.

It would be one thing to go to one country, and jump thru the hoops. But navigating 4 countries, and having one of the major cities changed has really tipped my over from my normal flexible self. At some point, it’s too big a risk and hassle, and I feel like we’ve gotten there. Not to mention we’re expected to make decisions with none of the information I detailed above.

6) There’s also something else...if we do go and test positive and are at the mercy of whatever countries protocols ... I feel like we kind of had it coming. Things are pretty grim and uncertain now, and I would feel very “Ugly American” taking an unnecessary trip during difficult times and expecting help. I would think countries would feel concerned for their own citizens, and they’re might be an attitude of “you came here knowing what’s going on, what do you expect? We have more important things than your comfort.”

I’ll get off my soapbox. But this whole thing is nuts.

I can definitely understand your frustration about what happens to your points if ABD cancels your trip. I was very relieved when they canceled my July Danube River Cruise and Budapest Short Escape, which I booked with points. Of course, the one for July 2021 was a replacement for the June 2020 one that was canceled due to COVID. As long as you move the points to another trip if ABD cancels the River Cruise, you shouldn’t loose any points. I was able to move mine to a New Zealand 2022 trip and just had to use a couple more points to make up the difference—ABD even kept the same reservation number from my 2020 trip for the new one. If the new trip is less points, you would need to use those by the end of your use year. If you decided you wanted a refund of your points or canceled the trip on your own before ABD does, that’s where it gets interesting—and a Vacationista told me they couldn’t in good conscience allow us to do that when I was researching my options. Hopefully, you can find an ABD that leaves towards the end of 2022 to increase the possibility it will go, if your trip gets canceled. Good luck.

 

[mndisfam]

I can definitely understand your frustration about what happens to your points if ABD cancels your trip. I was very relieved when they canceled my July Danube River Cruise and Budapest Short Escape, which I booked with points. Of course, the one for July 2021 was a replacement for the June 2020 one that was canceled due to COVID. As long as you move the points to another trip if ABD cancels the River Cruise, you shouldn’t loose any points. I was able to move mine to a New Zealand 2022 trip and just had to use a couple more points to make up the difference—ABD even kept the same reservation number from my 2020 trip for the new one. If the new trip is less points, you would need to use those by the end of your use year. If you decided you wanted a refund of your points or canceled the trip on your own before ABD does, that’s where it gets interesting—and a Vacationista told me they couldn’t in good conscience allow us to do that when I was researching my options. Hopefully, you can find an ABD that leaves towards the end of 2022 to increase the possibility it will go, if your trip gets canceled. Good luck.

Thanks! Great to know another DVCer worked it out with them. We feel pretty “abandoned.”

 

[abdgeek]

Thanks! Great to know another DVCer worked it out with them. We feel pretty “abandoned.”

Thanks. I felt the same way when I was going through the process and was trying to be proactive when it was obvious that the trip would be canceled. When I called DVC they would say no decision could be made, but calls to ABD told me that if I had paid cash I was eligible for a refund and could have already switched trips. In the end, ABD always told me they had to defer to DVC and their booking/cancellation policies. Once I got the email from ABD saying the trip was canceled and to reschedule, I called DVC and they switched me to the new trip. I had already researched the number of points I would need for New Zealand (actually had a cash deposit on the trip I wanted that got refunded when I changed it to a points reservation) and purposely chose a trip that required more points. Everything was done behind the scenes, so they won’t put your points back in inventory and then retake them. When you book a trip using points, DVC converts them to cash and sends a check to ABD for the cost of the trip. I think it’s that process that has made the COVID cancellations challenging for those of us who used points to get “refunds” and why refunds aren’t recommended; unlike people who paid cash.