Viking: First COVID-19 Lab at Sea

Viking Cruises announces the first COVID-19 lab at sea with its completed first full-scale PCR laboratory.

The CDC has issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, allowing cruise lines a path to begin sailing again.

Now that this important first step is behind us, we are likely to see a wave of announcements from the individual cruise lines sharing the procedures they have implemented to make cruising safe.

Here is the press release from our friends at Viking Cruises:

VIKING ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF FIRST PCR LABORATORY AT SEA ON THE VIKING STAR

“Viking Cruises announced today that it had completed the installation of the first full-scale PCR laboratory at sea. This new onboard facility – an industry-first – allows for unprecedented testing capacity in the cruise industry, enabling Viking to conduct PCR testing of all crew members and guests with a non-invasive saliva test. The laboratory has enough capacity for daily testing of every crew member and guest, which provides flexibility to respond to COVID-19 prevalence levels worldwide.

This first laboratory has been installed on Viking Star, the company’s award-winning 930-guest ocean vessel; it will undergo a series of extensive tests to ensure the procedures and protocols that have been designed are fully effective.

“We have been working on this for many months, and today is important as it moves us one step closer to operating cruises again, without compromising the safety of our guests and crew. The recently announced CDC guidelines are clearly aligned with our public health research. We welcome the agency’s push toward testing, as we believe this is the only way to operate safely. In our view, continuous PCR testing, along with our extensive onboard hygiene protocols, will lead to making Viking ships a safe place to get away to and explore the world,” said Matt Grimes, Vice President of Maritime Operations for Viking.

Viking will be demonstrating the PCR laboratory, as well as new design and operating procedures, when the Viking Star comes to Oslo, Norway, in mid-November.”

When the Viking Star get to Oslo, Viking is certain to produce videos to describe better what they have accomplished.

When those videos are released, we will share them with you. Stay tuned for that.

For more information or to book an AmaWaterways river cruise, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here) and we’ll reach out to you.

If you enjoyed this article, sign up for our travel newsletter to keep abreast of our best travel tips, on-location reviews, exclusive travel offers, group travel events, and much more.

Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an Independent Affiliate of Cadence, a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40