cruise visiting India read this!!

Just returned from an Azamara cruse Dubai to Singapore. On embarkation visas for India should have been checked but somehow some with no visa and a large number (I heard over 70) with an E-visa got on board.

These people were not allowed ashore in our 1st 2 stops in India and it was only with the ships intervention to obtain a group visa for them, at an additional charge, that they were able to get off at the last stop. Actually the ship would have been in their right to deny them boarding at Dubai.

Many thought they would be ok with the e visa but this was only good for entry by the AIRPORTS specified. Some had been told by their TA that the ship would do it.

For all nationalities seek advice from your Indian consulate and embassy. Arrangements are changing all the time so don't rely on old information, check again before you apply. Get the right visa and enjoy India. I know we did!

The cruise line that we sail provides information on what if any visas are required one or more years prior to the cruise. This really makes it a no brainer to figure out requirements. I wish other cruise lines followed suit.

Keith

Keith

I think a lot of people knew they needed a visa. The major confusion was around the e-visa. It was so disappointing for them all.

Like you I always check our requirement before I confirm booking. Lots of cruise lines don't take any responsibility for visas but in this type of destination I wish they would help more!

Tony, good points.

It really is too bad the cruise lines don't take more ownership for this.

In my case I also use a visa service. i pay more but the one we use is very helpful and knows the requirements.

Best to you.

Keith

Last year, there was a discussion on a different line's forum about visas for India on a cruise. One passenger had a business visa for India. He was on board, but was refused entry into the country since he was not on business. Who would have thought!

We had the same issue on our Singapore to Dubai cruise in March/April on Celebrity Century. We heard there were about 300 persons without a visa. Not sure if they made it ashore.

The Indian visa process was a pain and getting through Indian immigration at the first port was terrible. There were about 8-10 slow moving Indian women checking our passports, etc. taking almost two hours to get off the ship.

Not sure I want to go back to India.

It is a pain to get. But now they are valid for 10 years, which makes the pain a little more bearable,

We done a similar trip and needed a Visa. Quiet expensive the India visa. Thats another problem, many times they dont tell you all this before what you need:(

This is for a different country, but for Burma, our travel agent insisted than an evisa would be sufficient but I was the one who confirmed that the evisa was not valid for ships arriving at port and that the evisa was only valid upon arrival at international airports in Burma.