Visas & Immunizations

[Sheindoors]

We are going on a cruise next October from Hong Kong to Singapore, visiting Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangkok. As we have UK passports it seems to be only Vietnam that a visa is needed. Can anyone tell me how to go about sorting this out and also whether we need immunizations? Or do we get in touch with the cruise line for help?

 

Di

[John Bull]

Immunisation.

Yellow Fever certificate/exemption certificate depends whether you're travelling from a high risk country, which I'm guessing you're not.

For full details, click in the Nat Health website at http://www.nathnac.org/travel/

That takes care of legal requirements, for the protection of others. But for advice for your own health risks, fix an appointment with your surgery, probably the practice nurse. They're used to such appointments & they are free. Advice will depend on your own health history & whether you're up-to-date with jabs. Advice on clothing etc as well as jabs & tabs. Go armed with your itinerary, including any overnites in port or ashore and proposed trips inland.

Prospects are no precautions required - but I'm not your doctor, so get advice from your surgery.

 

Visas.

Vietnamese visa for visits as a port of call are different to those for folk flying in/out. Normally arranged on-board by your cruise line & the cost (somewhere around £15 to £30) charged to your on-board account, but it's worth confirming this with your cruise line. The one visa covers all Vietnamese ports, & not dependant on whether you take ship's excursions.

No other visas required for "British Citizen" (see nationality on details page of passport) but I don't know about other Brit passports.

 

JB :)

[Sheindoors]

Thanks very much John Bull, you've covered it very well, no worries now:)

 

Di

[Sheindoors]

I have read a lot of previous posts which say you can purchase visas on board, which we would prefer but when I sent an e-mail to Royal Caribbean I received a reply saying that it is the guests' responsibility to obtain the necessary visas before commencing their cruise. I am tempted to leave it until we board to see if this is correct but we might miss out. What do you think?

 

Di

[John Bull]

I have read a lot of previous posts which say you can purchase visas on board, which we would prefer but when I sent an e-mail to Royal Caribbean I received a reply saying that it is the guests' responsibility to obtain the necessary visas before commencing their cruise. I am tempted to leave it until we board to see if this is correct but we might miss out. What do you think?

 

Di

 

Hmmm, surprise, surprise.:rolleyes:

Stock standard reply from head office staff who've not checked.

Can I suggest you go to the RCI RollCalls, choose a couple of threads that have recently done this itinerary & ask on there. Some will still be keeping an eye on their RollCall & can tell you first-hand.

Ask on the RCI cruise line forum too.

 

I'm a bit short of cash. So before you ask, can we have a small wager that the response you got from RCI is wrong?

Just a bit of fun, a wager of no more than a few thousand dollars. :D

 

Taiwan - my info for Brit Citizens, don't know about other nationalities.

 

JB :)

[Sheindoors]

Hmmm, surprise, surprise.:rolleyes:

Stock standard reply from head office staff who've not checked.

Can I suggest you go to the RCI RollCalls, choose a couple of threads that have recently done this itinerary & ask on there. Some will still be keeping an eye on their RollCall & can tell you first-hand.

Ask on the RCI cruise line forum too.

 

I'm a bit short of cash. So before you ask, can we have a small wager that the response you got from RCI is wrong?

Just a bit of fun, a wager of no more than a few thousand dollars. :D

 

Taiwan - my info for Brit Citizens, don't know about other nationalities.

 

JB :)

 

Thanks for that JB. I'll have to raid my piggy bank for the wager but I doubt whether it has that much in :D

 

Di

[Ashland]

I have read a lot of previous posts which say you can purchase visas on board, which we would prefer but when I sent an e-mail to Royal Caribbean I received a reply saying that it is the guests' responsibility to obtain the necessary visas before commencing their cruise. I am tempted to leave it until we board to see if this is correct but we might miss out. What do you think?

 

Di

I would think that RCI "if" you are on a ship booked excursion would then include your visa.."if" you are booking privately independantly you would need to obtain your own visa through your tour provider...much like we did when in St Petersburg Russia.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Ashland

[John Bull]

I would think that RCI "if" you are on a ship booked excursion would then include your visa.."if" you are booking privately independantly you would need to obtain your own visa through your tour provider...much like we did when in St Petersburg Russia.

 

No, not the case in Vietnam with any cruise line I know of.

 

And not the case in St Petersburg either ;)

In St Pete's, tours provided by the ship & by independent operators aren't visa-included, they're visa-free. Your St Pete's tour operator didn't provide you with a visa, but your tour ticket admitted you through immigration without a visa. Ditto the ship's tours.

I appreciate that's a subtle difference, & that the result's the same.

 

Errr, do I spot the opportunity for another wager? :D

 

JB :)

[Ashland]

No, not the case in Vietnam with any cruise line I know of.

 

And not the case in St Petersburg either ;)

In St Pete's, tours provided by the ship & by independent operators aren't visa-included, they're visa-free. Your St Pete's tour operator didn't provide you with a visa, but your tour ticket admitted you through immigration without a visa. Ditto the ship's tours.

I appreciate that's a subtle difference, & that the result's the same.

 

Errr, do I spot the opportunity for another wager? :D

 

JB :)

I guess my impression of a "blanket visa" was then incorrect..Regardless you are correct, same outcome. The process couldn't have been easier when we used TJ Travel for our 2 day private tour in St Petersburg..

 

Nooo...no wager here..I prefer not to lose and when it comes to your experience...I surely would :D

[John Bull]

 

Nooo...no wager here..I prefer not to lose and when it comes to your experience...I surely would :D

 

Dammit. Business is slow this week. :D

 

JB :)