Current visa requirements for China, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong

[brandonjordan]

Hello Jade13. How are getting to Siem Reap, on a ship excursion or on your own? We are on the Ocean Princess 1/19 Shanghai to Bangkok and are considering leaving the ship during sea days and doing it on our own. Any info you have would be helpful

[Jade13]

Hello Jade13. How are getting to Siem Reap, on a ship excursion or on your own? We are on the Ocean Princess 1/19 Shanghai to Bangkok and are considering leaving the ship during sea days and doing it on our own. Any info you have would be helpful

 

We are on Azamara Quest and leaving the ship to fly to Siem Reap for one night and than flying to Bangkok to meet the ship which docks at 4:00pm for 2 nights.

 

Azamara is offering a ship excursion which will be behind us since they will be traveling for 2 nights (at a cost of $1,600.00pp double occupancy).

 

We just booked a hotel on our own and driver through the hotel. The Angkor temples are $40.00 entrance for 3 days and hotels driver about $20.00 for the day. They also booked us for a dinner show with traditional dancing and if we take a tuk tuk there from the hotel it is about $5.00 round trip.

 

What is your itinerary and where are the sea days?

[greatam]

Jade13,

 

Better be prepared before you board that ANA flight. This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard from an airline for many years.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1218473/Airline-goes-green-asking-passengers-use-toilet-boarding.html

[greatam]

Azamara is offering a ship excursion which will be behind us since they will be traveling for 2 nights (at a cost of $1,600.00pp double occupancy).

 

 

That price is more outrageous than the MP excursion price. Even an extra night in the fanciest hotel at REP is about $850 for a suite. And you KNOW you are not getting suite accomodations on a ship tour. WHAT A RIP!!!

[brandonjordan]

Hello Jade13. Thank you for your quick response. Before I get into our Siem Reap discussion, let me tell you we just got back (early September) from the Azamara Quest Black Sea cruise. The ship and crew were wonderful. I know you will have a great time.

 

We are on the Ocean Princess 1/19. We will be in HCMC on 1/29 and then spend 2 days at sea, arriving in Singapore on 2/1. We would like to fly to Siem Reap late in the day on 1/29, spend 1/30 there, and then fly to Singapore on 1/31. We would stay in a hotel in Singapore the night of the 1/31 and rejoin the ship on 2/1. The Princess charge for the same thing I believe is more expensive than Azamara's charge. What airline are you flying and where are you staying in Siem Reap? It sounds like you are doing exactly what we plan to do. I wish there were other people on our cruise that were interested in doing it as well. We have almost no activity on our roll call. Would it be possible for you to e-mail direct at Adele@sircoconsultants.com. Thx

[greatam]

Hello Jade13. Thank you for your quick response. Before I get into our Siem Reap discussion, let me tell you we just got back (early September) from the Azamara Quest Black Sea cruise. The ship and crew were wonderful. I know you will have a great time.

 

We are on the Ocean Princess 1/19. We will be in HCMC on 1/29 and then spend 2 days at sea, arriving in Singapore on 2/1. We would like to fly to Siem Reap late in the day on 1/29, spend 1/30 there, and then fly to Singapore on 1/31. We would stay in a hotel in Singapore the night of the 1/31 and rejoin the ship on 2/1. The Princess charge for the same thing I believe is more expensive than Azamara's charge. What airline are you flying and where are you staying in Siem Reap? It sounds like you are doing exactly what we plan to do. I wish there were other people on our cruise that were interested in doing it as well. We have almost no activity on our roll call. Would it be possible for you to e-mail direct at Adele@sircoconsultants.com. Thx

 

VERY easy to do-two one way tickets. Cambodia Angkor Air (new airline partly owned by Vietnam Airlines) from Saigon to REP. Two flights out of Saigon that work with your plans -4:30PM and 7:25PM. About $250.00pp.

 

JetStar Aisa (partly owned by Qantas) from REP through Phnom Penh to Singapore. Only one flight per day on Jetstar-leaves REP at 7:45AM, arrives SIN at noon. $80.00pp.

 

Book a hotel-I highly recommend the FCC Cambodia pool front rooms. The hotel will send a car to pick you up at the airport (charge) and they can even arrange for a car and driver to take your to Angkor for the sunrise or just touring. Enjoy!!!

[Jade13]

Hello Jade13. Thank you for your quick response. Before I get into our Siem Reap discussion, let me tell you we just got back (early September) from the Azamara Quest Black Sea cruise. The ship and crew were wonderful. I know you will have a great time.

 

We are on the Ocean Princess 1/19. We will be in HCMC on 1/29 and then spend 2 days at sea, arriving in Singapore on 2/1. We would like to fly to Siem Reap late in the day on 1/29, spend 1/30 there, and then fly to Singapore on 1/31. We would stay in a hotel in Singapore the night of the 1/31 and rejoin the ship on 2/1. The Princess charge for the same thing I believe is more expensive than Azamara's charge. What airline are you flying and where are you staying in Siem Reap? It sounds like you are doing exactly what we plan to do. I wish there were other people on our cruise that were interested in doing it as well. We have almost no activity on our roll call. Would it be possible for you to e-mail direct at Adele@sircoconsultants.com. Thx

 

I can email you offline (but not today) but you should take Greatam's advise since she helped me with our plans. Btw, we are staying a FCC Angkor and they do included airport pick-up.

 

Our roll call is dead as well, but one other couple on our roll call booked flights and hotel to REP and matched our flight times and hotel.

 

Glad to hear you liked Quest because Celebrity (RCCL) has not been our favored cruise line (even though we are going back on a shortie 4 night in April out of MIA), but I understand Azamara is very different.

[Jade13]

That price is more outrageous than the MP excursion price. Even an extra night in the fanciest hotel at REP is about $850 for a suite. And you KNOW you are not getting suite accomodations on a ship tour. WHAT A RIP!!!

 

Yes, the price is outrageous but I should post the itinerary because they did get that right including tour prior to flight to REP (Palace and Museum), dinner show in REP as well as tour to Grand Palace in Bangkok prior to rejoining the ship.

 

We are only doing one night so we can go back to Quest and off to Kanchanburi and Tiger Temple the following day. We are going to have a very hectic 3 days, but it should be great.

[Jade13]

Jade13,

 

Better be prepared before you board that ANA flight. This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard from an airline for many years.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1218473/Airline-goes-green-asking-passengers-use-toilet-boarding.html

 

You have me laughing :D

 

I can just see this boarding in DC..

[Jade13]

Yes, the price is outrageous but I should post the itinerary because they did get that right including tour prior to flight to REP (Palace and Museum), dinner show in REP as well as tour to Grand Palace in Bangkok prior to rejoining the ship.

 

We are only doing one night so we can go back to Quest and off to Kanchanburi and Tiger Temple the following day. We are going to have a very hectic 3 days, but it should be great.

 

Posted on new thread.

[brandonjordan]

Greatam, thank you very much for your advise. I will let you know what we finaolly do. I do wonder how reliable the flights are and what the chances are that they might cancel last minute and we can't meet up with the ship. I guess that peace of mind is what you pay for when you book thru the cruise line.

[greatam]

Greatam, thank you very much for your advise. I will let you know what we finaolly do. I do wonder how reliable the flights are and what the chances are that they might cancel last minute and we can't meet up with the ship. I guess that peace of mind is what you pay for when you book thru the cruise line.

 

I have flown quite a bit on Vietnam Airlines due to my business in Vietnam. You will be very impressed. On the short flight from HKG to Hanoi, they serve a FULL meal. The plane is on steep descent into Hanoi when they are trying to get all the trays picked up. Better than any USA airline on a short flight. Since Cambodia Angkor Air is a partnership between the Cambodian government and Vietnam Airlines (and they are even using some of the Vietnam Airlines planes), I would expect a good experience and precise flights. There have been no direct flights from Saigon to Siem Rep until this airline started in late July. All flights out of Saigon went through PP or Bangkok previously. The new route is definitely an improvement.

 

JetStar Asia is one of the premier LCC's in Asia. Not as cushy with food, drinks, etc as Vietnam Airlines but 1/3 the price. Good service

 

While all airlines COULD cancel a flight, I have never had that problem in the Middle East or Asia. It happens much more frequently in the USA than any place else in the world. I fly over 100,000 per year worldwide.

[Jade13]

The plane is on steep descent into Hanoi when they are trying to get all the trays picked up. Better than any USA airline on a short flight.

 

Sounds like US Airways shuttle. The flight is so short that they are picking up the drinks while we are descending to land. They do this on a daily basis so have it down and don't seem concerned at all.

[Jade13]

 

We are on the Ocean Princess 1/19. We will be in HCMC on 1/29 and then spend 2 days at sea, arriving in Singapore on 2/1. We would like to fly to Siem Reap late in the day on 1/29, spend 1/30 there, and then fly to Singapore on 1/31. We would stay in a hotel in Singapore the night of the 1/31 and rejoin the ship on 2/1. The Princess charge for the same thing I believe is more expensive than Azamara's charge. What airline are you flying and where are you staying in Siem Reap? It sounds like you are doing exactly what we plan to do. I wish there were other people on our cruise that were interested in doing it as well. We have almost no activity on our roll call. Would it be possible for you to e-mail direct at Adele@sircoconsultants.com. Thx

 

How many nights is this cruise? You would be off the ship for 3 nights/4 days? Is this the route that Princess is taking on their tour? How long is the ship in Singapore?

 

Our risk is really calculated because besides being many flights per day from Siem Reap to Bangkok, the day we are scheduled to return the ship is not departing until 2 days later and ships tour scheduled to arrive back a day after us.

[brandonjordan]

How many nights is this cruise? You would be off the ship for 3 nights/4 days? Is this the route that Princess is taking on their tour? How long is the ship in Singapore?

 

Our risk is really calculated because besides being many flights per day from Siem Reap to Bangkok, the day we are scheduled to return the ship is not departing until 2 days later and ships tour scheduled to arrive back a day after us.

The cruise is 16 nights. The ship arrives in HCMC at 7 AM 1/29, leaves at 5PM that same day and then is at sea for 2 days arriving in Singapore ay 7AM on 2/1. The ships excursion meets the ship on 2/1 in Singapore. What I want to do is fly to Siem Reap late in the day on 1/29, spend only 1 day there 1/30, and then fly to Singapore 1/31, the day before the ship does.

[bsamole]

This is a quote from the China Embassy Web. http://www.china-embassy.org

 

"Visas are not reuired of passport holders of the following countries, who transit throught Pudong Airport or Hongqiao Airport of Shanghai, provided they hold valid passports, ... , final desination tickets and have booked seats, and stay in Shanghai for less than 48 hours. ...United States..."

 

I called the San Fransico China Consule office and they confirmed.

[alanmal]

This is a quote from the China Embassy Web. www.china-embassy.org

 

"Visas are not reuired of passport holders of the following countries, who transit throught Pudong Airport or Hongqiao Airport of Shanghai, provided they hold valid passports, ... , final desination tickets and have booked seats, and stay in Shanghai for less than 48 hours. ...United States..."

 

I called the San Fransico China Consule office and they confirmed.

 

 

But if you are getting on or off a ship, you need a visa. They have not addressed this situation yet and hope to by the end of next year. Also from the China embassy, visa section head man

[Jade13]

This is a quote from the China Embassy Web. www.china-embassy.org

 

"Visas are not reuired of passport holders of the following countries, who transit throught Pudong Airport or Hongqiao Airport of Shanghai, provided they hold valid passports, ... , final desination tickets and have booked seats, and stay in Shanghai for less than 48 hours. ...United States..."

 

I called the San Fransico China Consule office and they confirmed.

 

Now I am confused. We are flying into Bejing, arriving at 8:30pm and leaving two days later at 8:00am, so less than 48 hours. As far as I know we need a Visa.

 

Why is Shanghai different and 48 hours but other places in China 24 hours?

 

"Updated: 19/09/2008

 

★Visa-free entry for visitors: No visa is required for ordinary passport holders from Singapore ,Brunei and Japan to visit China for up to 15 days for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends or transit.

 

★Visa-free transit

1. Visas are not required of aliens who hold air tickets to the final destination and have booked seats on international airliners flying directly through China, and will stay in a transit city for less than 24 hours without leaving the airport.

2. Visas are not required of passport holders of the following countries, who transit through Pudong Airport or Hongqiao Airport of Shanghai, provided they hold valid passports, visas for the onward countries, final destination tickets and have booked seats, and stay in Shanghai for less than 48 hours : Republic of Korea, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland.

 

★Apply for a Transit Visa (G Visa)

 

 

Transit Visa (G Visa) is issued to an alien who transits through China.

Ⅰ.Please submit the following documents with your application: "

[greatam]

The transit situation in Shanghai came up when American Airlines/United/Continental were all bidding on a new route from the USA to/through Shanghai.

 

Because of the strong connection between AA and Cathay Pacific (intra China flights/flights to most of Asia and based in HKG) and the strong connection between United and Air China (same intra China/Asia flights) using Shanghai as a connecting point, the rule for the Shanghai AIRPORTS was put into effect. NO visa needed for ONLY Shanghai airport transit WITH A CONNECTING flight within 48 hours. Can't be a separate ticket.

 

Examples: Book AA from DFW to Shanghai. Connect to Cathay for onward transport to HKG-ALLOWED with no Chinese visa when transiting through Shanghai.

 

Book AA-same DFW flight to Shanghai. Fly Dragon Air/China Southern/etc etc to Beijing on a separate ticket for a 24 hour visit and return to Shanghai for onward travel. NOT ALLOWED. You are NOT transiting. Your final destination is Shanghai per the AA ticket.

 

You will need a Chinese visa for a cruise and about 90% of the time, you will need a Chinese visa for air travel, UNLESS you are using an airline that connects in Shanghai. Not the best of connections for onward Asian travel unless you are flying to Chengdu, Wuhan, etc.(Southern/Western Chinese areas). Most of the intra Chinese flights going to Southern/Western areas transit through Guangzhou (which means 2 connections in China alone if you fly USA/Shanghai)

[greatam]

Now I am confused. We are flying into Bejing, arriving at 8:30pm and leaving two days later at 8:00am, so less than 48 hours. As far as I know we need a Visa.

 

 

You NEED the visa.

[alanmal]

Greatam is 99% right, but a bit confusing, what I found out is, some airlines do not fly everyday, so if you fly into one of the airports but have to connect to an ongoing flight from the other airport or the same airport, which could be up to 2 days later, you DO NOT NEED a visa.

[2cruisetogether]

I understand that if you just visit the one port Sanya in China then you do not need to get a visa before hand, this whole visa thing is a bit confusing for Asia trips