NWT Cruiser

@Fouremco Can you please assist me with the above message. @broberts Thank you for letting me know how to notify people on this Message Board. Frances (NWT Cruiser)

The following is from the Royal Caribbean Cruiseline; Fully vaccinated guests 5 years of age and older must bring a negative test result for a COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken within the 3 days before boarding day on sailings that are 10 nights or longer only. Testing is not required for fully vaccinated guests on shorter itineraries. I can't remember how this works ... our 14 night cruise leaves Cape Liberty on Oct. 27th. We are leaving our hometown on Oct. 25th at 6 AM and will be spending two nights in New York City. If we receive a rapid antigen test on Oct. 24th would we be safe (and within the 3 days before boarding) or is Oct. 27th considered one day (which would then mean we need to get our test no sooner than Oct. 25th)? Fouremco, maybe you can assist me and give me your advice on this. Thank you. Frances (NWT Cruiser)

Thanks for this link. I'll pass it on to my daughter. It's just so crazy ... a family of 4 having to pay $800 just to go from the cruise port to the airport. As they say, "it is what it is". Hope that it changes before they get there. Thanks, again. Frances (NWT Cruiser)

Fouremco; I'm hoping you can help with the following question. Has anyone cruised to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? My daughter, her hubby and their two boys aged 8 and 11 will be docking in Jeddah and going directly to the airport to fly to Dubai. When we look up any information on e-visas, transit visas or maritime visas, it looks like a visa is required. We called MSC Cruiselines to see if a visa is necessary and they said it was up to us to apply for one (didn't quite answer the question we had). The cost for any of the above visas is approx. $195 Cdn. each which, of course, for their family of four would be $800. Don't want to apply for these if they are really not required. Any help on whether a visa is mandatory would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Frances (NWT Cruiser)

Just a note to let you all know that plans have changed ... not sailing on this particular sailing. My daughter and her family are still sailing with MSC (Cairo to Saudi Arabia) and will fly to Dubai to meet up with me. We will then drive to Abu Dhabi and stay a couple nights and fly to Athens where we are booked on a 9 night cruise with Norwegian (from Athens into Israel, Cyprus, Greece & Turkey and return back to Athens). I had my heart set with this cruise, but it didn't work out. Saudi Arabia back on the bucket list for me. Cheers, Frances (NWT Cruiser)

Thanks for the link. I should have posted the link that I had also googled, which I believe is the same one you are looking at. https://www.saudiarabianevisa.com/e-maritime-visa/ I see it in American dollars and when I look at the value of our Cdn dollar to U.S., it looks like the visa will cost approx. $195 per person Cdn. That's pretty steep considering Saudia Arabia is trying to boost their tourism sector and we're only there 10 hours. But, all this aside, I'll get my evisa since I would love the opportunity to go into SA. Yay, great to see more Canadians booking this cruise. Sounds like you have a great life avoiding the winters by having a home in Myrtle Beach and also in southern Canada. I'm living way up north and the winters are long and cold. Chat later, Frances (NWT Cruiser)

I emailed MSC re a Saudi visa and this is the response I received: "Good afternoon Frances, Thank you for contacting MSC Cruises Canada. It’s every guest’s responsibility to apply for the required documents to travel to all destinations. MSC Cruises does not apply for passenger’s visa. Thank you for your understanding. Kind regards, Marc-Antoine San Luis MSC Cruises Consultant" MSC Cruises Canada Ltd. 2810 Matheson Blvd E Mississauga ON L4W 4X7 Phone: +1-833-253-9978 Visit our website: msccruises.ca Learn more about our environmental stewardship practices: https://www.msccruises.ca/about-msc/sustainability Discover our media centre: www.mscpressarea.com Visit our consumer website: www.msccruises.ca

Hello fellow Canadian; I'm trying to get ahold of MSC (on the phone) to ask if they would do a "blanket visa" for our port in Saudi Arabia, but the lines are busy and I don't want to be put on hold for more than 1/2 hour ... I've tried umpteen times and I hang up after my 1/2 hour on hold. lol I also sent them an email with this question, but have not received a reply. By the way, where are you from in Canada? I'm from Yellowknife, NT. Chat later, Frances (NWT Cruiser)

Hello to all of you; I am flying from Yellowknife to Vancouver and then through Delhi to Dubai (Air Canada/Air India). Will spend 3 nights in Dubai. My daughter and family are flying from Calgary (I don't know what routes) but are flying to Cairo for 3 nights beforehand and will meet up with me in Dubai. We still haven't confirmed which hotel to book ... I was booked at Dusit Thani in the past (very near to Burj Khalifa) but it's all sold out. I checked other booking sites and this particular hotel are sold out for the days we need them. We're only booked to Rome and will disembark then. Easier for me to catch my flight rather than going into Portofino. My daughter and family will also disembark in Rome but will fly to Morocco for 3 nights, then to Paris for a couple nights and back to Calgary. I was just in Spain in April/May so continuing on to Barcelona wasn't an option for me. I am still working and need to save some of my annual leave. lol I'm trying to get ahold of MSC (on the phone) to ask if they would do a "blanket visa" for our port in Saudi Arabia, but the lines are busy and I don't want to be put on hold for more than 1/2 hour ... I've tried umpteen times and I hang up after my 1/2 hour on hold. lol I also sent them an email with this question, but have not received a reply. Happy to hear of other Canadians on this roll call. Cheers, Frances (NWT Cruiser)

I seen this cruise and booked it as I like the itinerary. I've been on cruises to Dubai in the past (Suez Canal), but now that Saudi Arabia is one of the cruise ports, I am excited about it. I will be joining my daughter, her husband and my two grandsons (ages 11 and 8). I'm from Yellowknife (northern Canada) and my daughter and her family are from Calgary, Alberta. Chat later, Frances (NWT Cruiser)

Thank you so much for this link. Very helpful. Thank you also for this link. Very informative. I know Saudi Arabia has only recently (2019) agreed to allow cruises to sail into their ports. I am also going to phone MSC to find out if they will be doing a "blanket visa" for all passengers ... fingers cross they will. I have been on cruises in the past that have done this, and only one time they added the visa fee to your booking. If they look after this, I don't care how much they charge to get their money back (it just would be easier for the passengers not having to fill out more forms). I also noticed in this link that it's mandatory for passengers to have valid health insurance that covers the costs of COVID-19 treatment. I'm glad I seen this. Cheers Frances (NWT Cruiser)

Does anyone know if an e-visa is required for cruises that stop in Saudi Arabia? We are booked on a cruise with MSC in March 2023 from Dubai, United Arab Emirates to Genoa, Italy and one of the ports the ship stops in is Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for 10 hours. Thanks.