Viking has announced the completion of the installation of the first full-scale PCR laboratory at sea. This new onboard facility – an industry first – provides unprecedented testing capacity in the cruise industry, enabling Viking to conduct daily PCR tests on all crew members and passengers.
This first laboratory has been installed on the Viking Star, the company's award-winning ocean-going vessel with a capacity for 930 passengers, and will undergo a series of tests to ensure that the procedures and protocols that have been designed are fully effective.
“After months of work, we are celebrating this step today as we move closer to resuming cruise operations without compromising the safety of our passengers or crew. The recently announced CDC guidelines are clearly aligned with our research, and we welcome the agency’s push for testing, as we believe this is the only way to operate safely. In our opinion, continuous PCR testing, along with our extensive onboard hygiene protocols, confirms Viking ships as a safe place to set sail and explore the world,” said Matt Grimes, Viking’s Vice President of Marine Operations.
The Viking will demonstrate the PCR laboratory, as well as the new design and operating procedures, as soon as the Viking Star arrives in Oslo, Norway, in mid-November.
