Princess is now charging a processing fee on Indonesian and Vietnamese visas

[MicCanberra]

We chose not to go ashore when our last cruise stopped at Bali, partly for that reason.

 

Bali is not a place I am eager to get to.

[OzKiwiJJ]

This was the crux of the matter. If Princess is just charging for the sake of what was done or if it is a legitimate claim from the Indonesian officials, they should come clean and tell the passengers.

 

Agreed!

 

I'm going to avoid cruises that stop in Indonesia where possible.

[Pushka]

Ha ha. Health issues apart we are off to Bali for a land trip in September and have a Lombok and Bali cruise in December. I agree the cruise excursions aren't fantastic but if you know where to go (ie not Kuta) Bali is fabulous.

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Ha ha. Health issues apart we are off to Bali for a land trip in September and have a Lombok and Bali cruise in December. I agree the cruise excursions aren't fantastic but if you know where to go (ie not Kuta) Bali is fabulous.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

So I have heard, and also that the Balinese are wonderful. I still have no desire to go to a place (Indonesia) that doesn't want us going there. There are too many other places that do want us coming and are also beautiful.

[mrs and mrs]

so i have heard, and also that the balinese are wonderful. I still have no desire to go to a place (indonesia) that doesn't want us going there. There are too many other places that do want us coming and are also beautiful.

 

bingo.:)

[OzKiwiJJ]

The other downside to Bali and other Indonesian ports of call is the amount of pollution there these days. I was quite shocked how bad it was in April, and we didn't even go ashore. Even staying on the ship the pollution got to me.

 

I don't recall it being so bad in Lombok the previous August but we did an excursion there so spent a lot of time on a bus. However I do remember watching the sun sink slowly into a brown murk one evening, so dense the sun looked like a dull red balloon instead of a fiery golden ball as it reached the horizon.

 

Most of the pollution in that part of SE Asia is coming from forest burnoffs in Indonesia, clearing the land for palm oil production. The Indonesians are destroying native forests and pumping massive amounts of smoke into the atmosphere. Another good reason to boycott Indonesia. They won't be getting my tourist dollars anytime in the foreseeable future.

[MicCanberra]

There was that forest fire that was burning out of control for a few weeks.:(

[OzKiwiJJ]

It's not just a few weeks, Mic. It's constant once the wet season is over. I have a friend that lives in Singapore and they really suffer from the haze that drifts over from Indonesia. I'm not sure how long it's been going on for, at least the last couple of years from comments I've heard from my friend. I spent a week or so in Singapore in Septemver 2013 and don't recall any pollution problems then so it may have started after that, or maybe I was just lucky that week.

[MicCanberra]

It's not just a few weeks, Mic. It's constant once the wet season is over. I have a friend that lives in Singapore and they really suffer from the haze that drifts over from Indonesia. I'm not sure how long it's been going on for, at least the last couple of years from comments I've heard from my friend. I spent a week or so in Singapore in Septemver 2013 and don't recall any pollution problems then so it may have started after that, or maybe I was just lucky that week.

 

That is bad then. I know it is a issue over on Borneo and other Malaysian areas.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

It's not just a few weeks, Mic. It's constant once the wet season is over. I have a friend that lives in Singapore and they really suffer from the haze that drifts over from Indonesia. I'm not sure how long it's been going on for, at least the last couple of years from comments I've heard from my friend. I spent a week or so in Singapore in Septemver 2013 and don't recall any pollution problems then so it may have started after that, or maybe I was just lucky that week.

 

It started quite a while ago...

In 2005 we did Bangkok to Capetown on Pacific Princess and had to miss KL because of the smoke from Indonesia.:eek:

They gave us an overnight in Singapore instead..:)

[OzKiwiJJ]

That is bad then. I know it is a issue over on Borneo and other Malaysian areas.

 

Apparently the burn-offs are also happening in Malaysia, and our tour guide to Bangkok also said it is happening in North Thailand as well.

 

Most of the port stops on that April cruise, from Bali onwards, had some degree of pollution in the air. Nha Trang was the least affected. I came down with bronchitis which I'm sure was triggered by the day sitting up on deck at Bali. Anyone who has respiratory health issues could be seriously affected by the pollution in that region. It's such a shame because that part of Asia is a beautiful and fascinating part of the world.

[MicCanberra]

Terrible waste and pollution but then you cannot blame them for trying to earn more money.

[mrs and mrs]

The majority is from burn-offs for palm-oil plantations.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The majority is from burn-offs for palm-oil plantations.

 

Do they still have burn offs for the sugar cane every year ?

Dont forget how much land Australia and NZ burnt off to get the gazing lands we now enjoy.:rolleyes:

[Pushka]

So I have heard, and also that the Balinese are wonderful. I still have no desire to go to a place (Indonesia) that doesn't want us going there. There are too many other places that do want us coming and are also beautiful.

 

 

Mmmm. Why do you think that?

 

I thought the burn offs were Malaysia. And as a girl we were taught Queensland sugar cane had annual burns.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Pushka

[mrs and mrs]

Do they still have burn offs for the sugar cane every year ?

Dont forget how much land Australia and NZ burnt off to get the gazing lands we now enjoy.:rolleyes:

 

Not quite sure of your point, yes they do burn off sugar cane, overnight(not 8 mnths of the year)

 

Believe me I couldn't forget how much land was cleared, its been drilled into since I was born. Plus it is part of our culture to burn-off land.

 

Plus all I was doing was stating a fact,not sure what the eye-rolling is about.

Edited July 28, 2016 by mrs and mrs

[NSWP]

I just spotted elsewhere that Princess has started charging a processing fee for the visas required for port stops in Indonesia and Vietnam.

 

The Indonesian visa has gone up from US $35 to US $60, and increas of $25.

 

The Vietnamese visa has gone up from US $31 to US $46.

 

I checked online and the visa-on-arrival fee for Indonesia is still US $35.

 

Apparently a Princess rep stated that the increase was a processing fee. :eek:

 

I'm a bit annoyed as we don't even want to go ashore at Bali on our upcoming Golden cruise. US $120 for nothing! Although theoretically I shouldn't pay that fee as I travel on an NZ passport and NZ is on the visa exemption list.

On QM2 in March 2017 Syd-HK, we have two stops in Vietnam and on our booking/voyage documentation, Cunard says Vietnam Visa is US$31, ship obtains it and charges your on board a/c. One would think all the Carnival stable of ships would charge the same.

 

Such is life, part of the cost of travel, at least we got a total of US$450 OBC ($200 booking promo obc and $250 defence force obc,) pays for a couple of visas and a few bottles of plonk. Cheapest I can find on Cunard is the Chilean vino, drinkable @ $30 a botella.

Edited July 28, 2016 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

For many years now, very little of the Queensland sugar cane has been burnt prior to harvesting. That was how it was done when the cane was harvested by hand, but for many years harvesters have been used and most cane is cut green.

[mrs and mrs]

For many years now, very little of the Queensland sugar cane has been burnt prior to harvesting. That was how it was done when the cane was harvested by hand, but for many years harvesters have been used and most cane is cut green.

 

Thanks,not-to sure if KK was having a shot or not.

Don't really care.

But am happy to debate traditional burn-offs and clearing of traditional lands.;););)

In both countries.

Edited July 28, 2016 by mrs and mrs
additional info

[MicCanberra]

Mmmm. Why do you think that?

Because of this.

http://smartraveller.gov.au/Countries/asia/south-east/Pages/indonesia.aspx

 

I thought the burn offs were Malaysia. And as a girl we were taught Queensland sugar cane had annual burns.

 

A lot of countries do a burn off to clear land but it is supposed to be banned here in Australia now as with many other developed countries.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I thought the burn offs were Malaysia.

 

Yes, Malaysia are doing burn offs too but apparently the worst of it has been coming from Indonesia in the last year or so.

 

The air was noticeably dirty in Bali in April. Given the ships anchor in the south of Bali, and given the prevailing winds there, I doubt that burn-off smoke from Malaysia would reach Bali. It must have been coming from somewhere closer. probably Java or Sumatra, and there must have been a lot of it given the level of pollution. Of course the forests may have been still damp from the rainy season thus producing more smoke. According to our friend in Singapore the haze doesn't usually start until May. They must have been jumping the gun this year.

 

It's tragic in a way. In the early days of colonisation of Australia and New Zealand no-one really thought twice about the consequences of clearing the land, particularly by burning. Now the world is supposed to be more educated about such things but it's still going on, worse than ever. The only thing we, as individuals, can do is to avoid using products with palm oil, and avoid spending our tourist dollars in those countries.

Edited July 28, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[OzKiwiJJ]

They welcome the tourist dollar :D

 

Unfortunately you are right, there are a certain percentage of Australians and NZer that treat Bali as party central, and disrespect it's customs. Those same people can also be found in resort towns in Australia/NZ and on cruise ships.

 

But there are also a large number of other Aus/NZ tourists that don't do that, that enjoy Bali for its beauty, and respect its culture. One thing to keep in mind is that the people of Bali are primarily of the Hindu religion, and are very gentle people. These people welcome tourists from all countries, as long as they are respectful.

[mrs and mrs]

They welcome the tourist dollar :D

 

Unfortunately you are right, there are a certain percentage of Australians and NZer that treat Bali as party central, and disrespect it's customs. Those same people can also be found in resort towns in Australia/NZ and on cruise ships.

 

But there are also a large number of other Aus/NZ tourists that don't do that, that enjoy Bali for its beauty, and respect its culture. One thing to keep in mind is that the people of Bali are primarily of the Hindu religion, and are very gentle people. These people welcome tourists from all countries, as long as they are respectful.

 

I concur,

but will still stand by my statements.

Tread very warily in that country.

[Pushka]

Because of this.

 

http://smartraveller.gov.au/Countries/asia/south-east/Pages/indonesia.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot of countries do a burn off to clear land but it is supposed to be banned here in Australia now as with many other developed countries.

 

 

So France is off the list too?

As far as Australia and burn-off. My point was simply that we are lucky we have the industrialisation and technology that means we no longer do this so I think its a bit rich to expect other less developed countries to do the same on our timeline.

 

How often have you been to Bali mrs and mrs? I think your comments are way over the top in personal insult.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Pushka

[Fitzall]

The above warning is the standard warning issued by the Australian Govt and hasn't changed for some time. Corruption is rife in Indonesia but the Indonesian people are lovely and very friendly. If one uses common sense then one should have no issues. Stay in the tourist areas and avoid back streets and places not normally frequented by tourists. You will have one day ashore make the most of it.

 

Prior to our cruise, we will be in Turkey in 10 days time. ... Same Oz warning as Bali. Agree with the common sense line.