ABC Toronto

We were in Rio a few years ago (actually about 12 years ago). I don't plan to get off the ship in the two Brazil ports but my husband wants to do a couple of tours so he is getting the Visa. Not me. I will enjoy time on board instead. I don't like all the crime and certainly don't care for the Visa application process or the cost.

Like those before me said, please check your documentation carefully. I know for our cruise we MUST have our Argentina paperwork before we get on the ship in Brazil. We won't have the option to simply not get off the ship in Argentina. I agree with the others that you will likely be denied boarding without a Brazilian visa. And allow LOTS of time to get it too!!

We spent hours today trying to fill in the application for Brazil (online and scan a picture). Could not get the picture to fit and we are told we have to do it online and submit it. We can't bring the application and the picture to the Embassy. Frustrated and wonder why the picture won't be accepted. Anyone else have this problem?

Like you, I struggled with the application for several hours. Finally I found http://www.picresize.com and that really helped me get everything to the right size. I am presuming your application in the States would be similar to our one in Canada. I had my special size passport photo taken (not the same size as our normal passport photos here). Then I scanned it to the right size and copied it to the application. Then stretched it so that my face fit the head shape on the application. With work, everything worked. Stick with it. Just take a few breaks to get back your sanity!! I figure that now we have the visas, we will definitely need to plan another cruise to Brazil, just to make all that work worthwhile!!

Are you referring to South Excursions? We are booked with them for a San Antonio pickup, tour and drop at our hotel in Santiago. I've found them to be very quick to respond, even when we got the call about the port change. Perhaps you should recheck the address you are sending your email to. Good luck!

We never had a problem getting a machine on either of our cruises on that ship..

Stryker by far. He is the only player who, once we discovered him, lured us into going to the piano bar every night. And we are not bar people!! I've checked his Facebook site to find where he is playing, but have never happened to be on his cruises again. Maybe sometime!!!

I find the casino rate is not always the best rate for us. Yes, sometimes they give a fantastic offer!! But most times it is a couple of hundred off. Yet HAL won't let us use the shareholder benefit on a casino rate. And we never get any addition SBC from the travel agent or HAL when we use the casino rate. On our next South America cruise, it was cheaper overall to NOT book the casino rate as we got way more SBC if we didn't use it.

We always take our Nexus cards with us on cruises. It saves us at least a half hour of standing in line for customs as we get off the ship.

I have always used one of the sparkly lanyards that they sell on the ships for ten dollars. I take off the plastic envelope part (tacky, IMO) and get the front desk to punch a hole in my key so that it fits on the end of the lanyard. The only way to cruise, in my mind!!

Yes, I just used it and was astonished to see that they let me also apply the FCC....a real bonus!!

Here's a site with info re the cruise center there.

 

http://www.grandturkcc.com/

Bob, thanks so much for putting the link to the cruise center. I found it had much more detailed info than any other place I had found online. It was so helpful!!:)