Viking announced Tuesday that it will continue restarting limited operations with a collection of sailings around Bermuda and Iceland beginning in June 2021. As a result of strong demand among past Viking guests in the United Kingdom, Viking has also added two additional sailings of the “England's Scenic Shores” itinerary in June 2021.
All of Viking's new “Welcome Back” voyages will be available exclusively for vaccinated guests, in accordance with local entry rules in many of the destinations that will welcome Viking ships—and as a complement to Viking's new health and safety protocol enhancements, which were designed to protect guests and crew while the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is still moving forward.
For the new “Bermuda Escape” itinerary, Viking Orion will homeport in Hamilton for eight-day roundtrip itineraries; with the new “Iceland's Natural Beauty” itinerary, Viking Sky will homeport in Reykjavik for eight-day roundtrip itineraries. For both itineraries, the small size of Viking's ocean ships will allow convenient access to both small and large ports in Bermuda and Iceland—and both itineraries will be available for a limited time this summer.
Viking says it has been working closely with officials in the U.K., Bermuda and Iceland for months; these destinations were chosen because of their popularity among Viking guests, as well as their commitment to welcoming Viking ships, offering enriching experiences and reviving the travel industry in their respective countries. The company is additionally working on developing “Welcome Back” sailings in a variety of other popular destinations, including Greece, Turkey and Malta—with the goal of announcing further 2021 sailings as soon as government approvals are given.
The news follows Viking's recent announcement that it would initially restart operations with domestic sailings in England for U.K. residents on board Viking Venus beginning in May 2021. These initial sailings sold out within a week. Reservations for the new Bermuda, Iceland and U.K. voyages are now open.
Those who sail the new “Welcome Back” voyages will also experience Viking's health and safety program. Utilizing a full-scale laboratory installed on every Viking ocean ship, all guests and crew will receive quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests at embarkation and frequently throughout the itinerary. New air purification technology has also been installed on all Viking ships, which have always had independent air handling units for all guest staterooms. Additional health checks, sanitization and physical distancing measures will provide further protection for Viking guests and crew at all points of the journey.
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