As the leading small ship cruise line, Viking takes you closer to the heart of the places you want to visit. 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. Developed in coordination with an international team of scientific and medical advisors, the Viking Health & Safety Program is one of the most well-researched and comprehensive COVID-19 prevention and mitigation plans in the travel industry.
On December 8, 2020, Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen introduced the new Viking Health & Safety Program and discussed the research that has informed the basis for our protocol enhancements.
Viking Health & Safety Program – Updated October 15, 2021
The information included here should be considered current for all guests. Specific protocols and procedures may evolve over time to adapt to various conditions or travel regulations in the destinations in which we operate. Please continue to check this site for the most up-to-date version of the Viking Health & Safety Program.
Beginning on May 22, 2021 with the official restart of limited operations in the United Kingdom—and remaining in effect at least through at least September 30, 2021—all Viking sailings will be available exclusively for vaccinated guests.
Viking is requiring vaccinations among all guests in accordance with entry rules in many of the destinations that will welcome Viking ships—and as a complement to our new health and safety protocol enhancements, which were designed to protect guests and crew even while the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is still moving forward. Viking’s medical and operations teams will continue to monitor vaccination rates and entry requirements—and will adjust our protocol and policies as needed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew.
Currently, we will require vaccinations among guests for sailings scheduled to depart at least through September 30, 2021. Viking’s medical and operations teams will continue to monitor vaccination rates and entry requirements—and will adjust our protocol and policies as needed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew.
Viking does not require our guests to take a COVID-19 test before departing from home. Depending on your dates of travel, Viking may require a PCR test as part of the process of embarking your ship. This quick and easy non-invasive PCR test will be conducted via simple saliva sample in a plastic tube and processed in a full-scale Viking-dedicated laboratory.
However, entry requirements can and do vary by country, so guests should be sure to visit the Viking website and read the Pre-Cruise Requirements found under the Resources tab of their itinerary, in addition to following all guidelines that may be provided by email and/or on MyVikingJourney.com.
Viking will use PCR testing, as this is considered the best type of test to detect the virus. The quick and easy non-invasive PCR test will be conducted by simple saliva sample in a small plastic tube, delivered to guests in their stateroom. After guests provide the saliva sample in the tube, they will package the tube in a provided plastic pouch, and a crew member will collect the sample for processing.
Quick and easy PCR tests will be conducted prior to embarkation and on an ongoing, regular basis throughout an itinerary, dependent on prevalence levels from both our guests’ country of origin and the destinations to which we will sail.
All Viking crew will be tested at the same or higher frequency as our guests.
Guests with a positive COVID-19 test at embarkation will be given a second test to validate the first. If the second test confirms COVID-19, Viking will arrange for the guest to recover ashore before returning home once their recovery is complete. Upon their return home, Viking Customer Relations will contact the guest and their travel advisor directly regarding any necessary refunding or rescheduling.
Guests with a positive COVID-19 test will be isolated on board and then disembarked at the first opportunity for quarantine at an appropriate facility ashore. A second test will be performed to validate the first test. If the second test confirms COVID-19, we will arrange for the guest to recover ashore before returning home once their recovery is complete. Upon their return home, Viking Customer Relations will contact the guest and their travel advisor directly regarding any necessary refunding or rescheduling.
Viking’s Health & Safety Program is focused on the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19. Our research shows that because Viking will test all guests and crew daily, the risk of a large number of guests or crew falling ill is very low. However, we plan for all scenarios – and we have contingency plans in place should this unlikely scenario arise.
Our fleet of modern, small ocean and river ships feature independent air handling units, which means each stateroom has “fresh” external air that is not shared with other staterooms or public spaces. Just like in a hospital, we have also designed a solution to implement short-wavelength ultraviolet (or UV-C) lights and new high-density filters that will sanitize the air on our vessels. This solution will ensure that:
Every stateroom is cleaned and sanitized daily. In addition, every stateroom goes through a “deep-cleaning” sanitization process between each cruise.
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.
Face masks may be required for all guests and crew while moving about the ship, depending on conditions at time of sailing.
Viking may require guests and staff to wear a face mask while ashore, depending on local requirements.
We have set up all of our public spaces, including restaurants and lounges, for appropriate social distancing.
Our Viking Health & Safety Program is the same across our fleet of ocean and river vessels. Viking ocean and river ships, however, differ in size and number of venues. 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.
Yes, our Travel Protection Plan helps protect you from many unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, which could include necessary medical, quarantine or repatriation expenses related to COVID-19.
