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Hi @jessaugust I would recommend getting the visa. The documentation officers were very strict about me needing a visa and advised that I would have to remain onboard during stopovers in French Polynesia. I got lucky, and circumstances allowed me to arrange being allowed onshore, however the whole ordeal caused a lot of stress on what was meant to be a very relaxing holiday. Needless to say, if I was doing the cruise again I would get the visa! Good luck and apply for your visas as soon as possible! 🙂

Hi everyone I am traveling on the Celebrity Solstice from Honolulu to Sydney in October 2023. I have organized all the required visas I need as a South African (US, Australian, New Zealand) except for a French Polynesia visa. The reason being that according to the French Polynesia border police website, and the French embassy in Sydney as long as I have a "Stopover Certificate" and stay in each port for less than 24 hours I won't need a visa. I've called my travel agent and Celebrity directly to confirm if I will get this Certificate and it seems like no one is sure what they mean by "stopover certificate". The Celebrity support desk said "only the crew on the Solstice can give you that information", and suggested I email customer care who will try get the information. Problem is the expected response time is 30 days... Exact wording for legislature: "holders of a valid [South African] passport, passengers on a cruise ship, for a stopover not exceeding 24 hours and subject to being in possession of a stopover certificate issued by the cruise company before getting off the boat. The list of passengers likely to benefit from this exemption is transmitted by the cruise company managers to the police department responsible for border control at least 24 hours before the date of entry into the port concerned. The list includes the following information: surname, first name, date of birth, nationality, number and expiry date of each passenger's passport. In eligible ports, this information is transmitted via the port single window." Link to legislature (will need to translate to English) Link to French Embassy info (see point 2) My concern is that I am denied entry aboard the Solstice because I do not have a visa for French Polynesia, should I print the French legislature confirming I don't need a visa? Or will the staff checking documentation be more concerned about a visa for the destination country (Australia)?

Hi there I am a South African passport holder living in Australia sailing on the Celebrity Solstice from Hawaii to Australia on 01 October 2023. During our trip we spend a day at a different ports (less than 24 hours per port) in French Polynesia. I have acquired all the required visas for US, AUS, NZ. While researching what visa I would need for French Polynesia I found the following info on French Polynesia's border police website (and a few other French websites): According to the "Order of December 29, 2011 relating to the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners into the territory of French Polynesia" or "Arrêté du 29 décembre 2011 relatif aux documents et visas exigés pour l'entrée des étrangers sur le territoire de la Polynésie française" here's the link In Annexe II (the countries with exemptions) it states the following: I also found this on the Australian French Embassy FAQ page which seems to relate to the above mentioned document: My questions are: Does the Celebrity Solstice provide passengers that need a Stopover Certificate with one? If not, does the Celebrity Solstice provide a document that would prove I am carrying on my journey with the cruise to the next point (within 24 hours)? Will I be allowed to board the ship with the above mentioned document printed out (instead of a visa)? I contacted the French Embassy in Australia and they said (referring to their FAQ page) that I must enquire with my cruise company about a "Stopover Certificate", when I contacted Celebrity directly they told me they weren't sure if the Solstice provided these certificates and to ask the French Embassy... After I told them the situation they said I should email Celebrity's support team and get an answer in writing so that I can board the ship. The estimated wait time for a response is 30 days. I seem to be stuck without a concrete answer and my first cruise experience which might be ruined by a piece of paper 😞 Are there any South Africans on here that have visited French Polynesia on a cruise without being asked for a "Stopover Certificate"? Thanks in advance Nic