Visas required in Asia

I am getting totally frustrated regarding visas required in parts of Asia. We are doing the Ovation of the Seas from Hong Kong to Singapore. First port of call is Sanya on Hainan Island in China. According to the Chinese Visa website, " Sanya is visa-free if you are on an organized tour of more than 5 people". Does this mean if I do a ship tour, it is visa-free but if I get off the ship and wander around, I need a visa?

I have tried to ring the Chinese Visa office and just go around in circles...... if you want English, press 1, if you want information, press 1......music for 2 minutes.....if you want English, press 1" GRRRRR!! I then emailed them and basically asked the above question - their response - ASK YOUR CRUISE COMPANY. I rang RCL, they said contact the Embassy.

Also RCL told me the cost for a visa for Viet Nam is $50. Is that $50 per day plus a booking fee? or $50 total. We are in Viet Nam for a total of 4 days.

Please do not give me advice unless you have the facts - that is, you have been there and know what the procedure is.

What passport are you using? Potential answers depend upon this.

Check DFAT site if you hold an Australian passport. Lots of information there. They always post the disclaimer to check with embassy, but I have found info up to date.

Check if your cruise is still going to Sanya, it has been taken off some RCI sailings from Hong Kong to Singapore, 8 October sailing. I believe it is visa free for cruise passengers.

Vietnam, last two times I have cruised there with Princess and RCI they obtained visa and charged your on board account.

Extra thoughts, check RCI board and also Roll call for your cruise. Also Ports of Call, Asia.

Try visalink.com.au

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What passport are you using? Potential answers depend upon this.

Australian

Check DFAT site if you hold an Australian passport. Lots of information there. They always post the disclaimer to check with embassy, but I have found info up to date.

Check if your cruise is still going to Sanya, it has been taken off some RCI sailings from Hong Kong to Singapore, 8 October sailing. I believe it is visa free for cruise passengers.

Vietnam, last two times I have cruised there with Princess and RCI they obtained visa and charged your on board account.

Can you remember what RCI charged? and for how many days?

We were on a cruise from Shanghai to Singapore late last year. RCI obtained our visas for 2 days in Vietnam and they were only $6 per person. That is a huge price jump if it's correct.

I'm not sure about China. We did get a visa because we went early to spend time in Beijing first. I did find this information about Sanya but didn't go any further as we have decided to change the HK - Singapore cruise we have booked to a TP instead. This is a great site for info about China and I used it a lot (and booked all our transfers and tours) before our trip last year.

On QM2 a couple of weeks ago, we got a visa for the ship's 2 stops.

Were charged $31USD by Cunard.

People travelling on Exempt country passports (e.g., UK), or already holding visas, were charged $3USD "stamping fee."

We were on a cruise from Shanghai to Singapore late last year. RCI obtained our visas for 2 days in Vietnam and they were only $6 per person. That is a huge price jump if it's correct.

 

I'm not sure about China. We did get a visa because we went early to spend time in Beijing first. I did find this information about Sanya but didn't go any further as we have decided to change the HK - Singapore cruise we have booked to a TP instead. This is a great site for info about China and I used it a lot (and booked all our transfers and tours) before our trip last year.

Thanks for your comments. I followed your link and thought the following comment was interesting.

A landing visa is available at ports in Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Hainan, however, it is not guaranteed that a landing visa will be issued to every tourist. It is advisable to get a visa before departure.

I think the safest thing to do will be to get a Chinese visa before we leave. It is so confusing with the Viet Nam visa as everyone tells a different story. I think we will just suck it up and pay whatever RCL charges.

I did Hong Kong to Singapore on Ovation last year. Conflicting information was sent several times but 3 weeks before departure I received the following -

Dear Travel Partner,

We are writing to provide you with important information regarding your clients booked on the November 23

sailing onboard Ovation of the Seas from Hong Kong to Singapore. Please provide this information, as soon as

possible, to your clients booked on this sailing.

Please be informed that we have some updated Visa and Tour information on the ports of call in Sanya and

Vietnam. We ask that you notify your clients of this important update

In addition, in order to facilitate the arrival process in Sanya we kindly ask all guests wishing to go ashore on one of our ships tours to please pre purchase their shore excursions prior to boarding. Please click on the link below or cut and paste it into your web browser.

Sanya - Port Of Call

Guests need to Pre Book their Sanya RCCL Shore Excursion prior to boarding via the Royal Caribbean

International webpage or by clicking or cut and paste into your web browser. http://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruiseplanner. Enter your reservation information and from the menu heading select "Before you Board" and "Shore Excursions".

All Guests irrespective of nationalities wishing to go ashore independently and have not purchased a RCCL Shore excursion will be charged a visa transfer fee of $25 on their onboard account. Guests who already have a valid Chinese Visa stamped in their passports are able to visit Sanya with a stamped passport copy only. No additional visa transfer fee required. Guests need to be advised that securing a Chinese visa in their country of origin could cost higher than the $25 fee charged onboard.

Guests who purchase an RCCL shore excursion are not required to pay the Visa transfer fee of $25.

All guests boarding in Hong Kong need to have in their procession a photocopy of their passport which

will be collected upon check in. (A service charge of USD $10 for guests not having photocopies in their

procession will be added on their onboard account)

Vietnam - Port of call

Ship will assist all guests to secure this visa upon arrival and will charge a one-time nominal fee of USD $6 to the guest’s onboard account. This Visa fee includes a processing charge by our local representative.

Guests wishing to stay overnight after 12 midnight ashore will be charged an additional Visa fee as follows:

All nationalities except United States Citizens: USD $ 28

United States Citizens: USD $155

Thank you for your assistance in notifying your clients about their sailing onboard Ovation of the Seas. As always, we thank you for your ongoing support of Royal Caribbean International.

Sincerely,

Royal Caribbean International

I did not leave the ship in Sanya and there was no charge. In Vietnam we were given landing cards by Vietnam officials. (our itinerary had an overnight stay). Our passports where handed back the day before Singapore.

Re Vietnam Visa - staying in Vietnam overnight -

Interesting that USA citizens charged $155US, whilst everyone else charged $28US. Does this mean the USA charges Vietnamese citizens $155US to visit the USA?

On cruises that we have done in the past the cruise companies in our case P & O and Carnival have organised the visas onboard.

It is interesting we are doing a land based trip to Vietnam at Christmas, and it has been advised by the Viet Embassy that the fee is $95 and we are required to send our passports as well as other documents to Sydney for processing.

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Re Vietnam Visa - staying in Vietnam overnight -

Interesting that USA citizens charged $155US, whilst everyone else charged $28US. Does this mean the USA charges Vietnamese citizens $155US to visit the USA?

The extra slug for US citizens didn't overally impress some of those onboard with some cancelling their plans to stay overnight!

On QM2 a couple of weeks ago, we got a visa for the ship's 2 stops.

 

Were charged $31USD by Cunard.

 

People travelling on Exempt country passports (e.g., UK), or already holding visas, were charged $3USD "stamping fee."

Correct, a breeze. Very efficient operation.:halo:

I did Hong Kong to Singapore on Ovation last year. Conflicting information was sent several times but 3 weeks before departure I received the following -

 

Dear Travel Partner,

We are writing to provide you with important information regarding your clients booked on the November 23

sailing onboard Ovation of the Seas from Hong Kong to Singapore. Please provide this information, as soon as

possible, to your clients booked on this sailing.

Please be informed that we have some updated Visa and Tour information on the ports of call in Sanya and

Vietnam. We ask that you notify your clients of this important update

In addition, in order to facilitate the arrival process in Sanya we kindly ask all guests wishing to go ashore on one of our ships tours to please pre purchase their shore excursions prior to boarding. Please click on the link below or cut and paste it into your web browser.

Sanya - Port Of Call

 

Guests need to Pre Book their Sanya RCCL Shore Excursion prior to boarding via the Royal Caribbean

International webpage or by clicking or cut and paste into your web browser. http://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruiseplanner. Enter your reservation information and from the menu heading select "Before you Board" and "Shore Excursions".

 

All Guests irrespective of nationalities wishing to go ashore independently and have not purchased a RCCL Shore excursion will be charged a visa transfer fee of $25 on their onboard account. Guests who already have a valid Chinese Visa stamped in their passports are able to visit Sanya with a stamped passport copy only. No additional visa transfer fee required. Guests need to be advised that securing a Chinese visa in their country of origin could cost higher than the $25 fee charged onboard.

 

Guests who purchase an RCCL shore excursion are not required to pay the Visa transfer fee of $25.

 

All guests boarding in Hong Kong need to have in their procession a photocopy of their passport which

will be collected upon check in. (A service charge of USD $10 for guests not having photocopies in their

procession will be added on their onboard account)

Vietnam - Port of call

Ship will assist all guests to secure this visa upon arrival and will charge a one-time nominal fee of USD $6 to the guest’s onboard account. This Visa fee includes a processing charge by our local representative.

 

Guests wishing to stay overnight after 12 midnight ashore will be charged an additional Visa fee as follows:

 

All nationalities except United States Citizens: USD $ 28

United States Citizens: USD $155

 

Thank you for your assistance in notifying your clients about their sailing onboard Ovation of the Seas. As always, we thank you for your ongoing support of Royal Caribbean International.

 

Sincerely,

Royal Caribbean International

 

I did not leave the ship in Sanya and there was no charge. In Vietnam we were given landing cards by Vietnam officials. (our itinerary had an overnight stay). Our passports where handed back the day before Singapore.

:D :DThank you for this good information. At last someone who has experienced what I am looking for. RCI is not very good at giving out information and it seems that their phone operators just say whatever they like. My operator was adamant that RCI did nothing for guests at Sanya. But getting information 3 weeks before you leave is not really good enough, in my opinion:D:D

Diane