A new Question---I think

[Ships R Great]

We have friends of friends who are citizens of Ukraine. If they book a cruise out of a US port will they need Visas to visit islands of other nationalitie. i.e. Bahamas,Jamaica, St. Thomas?

[kitty9]

Don't rely on third hand information from a travel board. Best for them to contact the embassies of each country the ship will stop at and find out if they need visas.

[Gonzo70]

I think the answer may be yes at least for Bahamas, but as the above poster stated, find out from an official government agency rather than a message board as if they do not have proper documents, they cannot board the ship.

[dalitos]

We have friends of friends who are citizens of Ukraine. If they book a cruise out of a US port will they need Visas to visit islands of other nationalitie. i.e. Bahamas,Jamaica, St. Thomas?

 

I am a citizen of Uruguay and Israel, and have never needed a visa to visit a port when taking a cruise out of a US port. I have visited (while cruising) ports in the Caribbean and Bermuda.

I suggest, regardless of whom they buy the cruise from, that they check with the Celebrity office (representatives) in Ukraine:

Express-Voyage

74b O. Gonchara, OFF 21

Kiev St, Zip 01054

Ukraine

Phone number - +38044499-5454

Fax number - +38044499-5455

E-mail: lsale@express-voyage.com.ua

[fleckle]

We have friends of friends who are citizens of Ukraine. If they book a cruise out of a US port will they need Visas to visit islands of other nationalitie. i.e. Bahamas,Jamaica, St. Thomas?

Under those circumstances, I would also phone and email (or snail mail) the cruise line and ask them that question to see if I receive the same answer from both places.

 

My primary concern would be having verification from the cruise line that their documents were acceptable for boarding the ship.

Not being allowed to visit one of the ports would not be nearly as bad as being refused boarding in the first place.

[Gonzo70]

I am a citizen of Uruguay and Israel, and have never needed a visa to visit a port when taking a cruise out of a US port. I have visited (while cruising) ports in the Caribbean and Bermuda.

I suggest, regardless of whom they buy the cruise from, that they check with the Celebrity office (representatives) in Ukraine:

Express-Voyage

74b O. Gonchara, OFF 21

Kiev St, Zip 01054

Ukraine

Phone number - +38044499-5454

Fax number - +38044499-5455

E-mail: lsale@express-voyage.com.ua

 

That's because of your Israeli citizenship; visas are not required in those places.

[Ships R Great]

Thanks, everyone. I will pass this info on. One of their concerns is that, after obtaining the correct visas, the ship itinerary may change (they are traveling in October-which is still hurricane weather) and then they wil have a problem.

[ISABELLA]

Thanks, everyone. I will pass this info on. One of their concerns is that, after obtaining the correct visas, the ship itinerary may change (they are traveling in October-which is still hurricane weather) and then they wil have a problem.

 

In the case of the port change - they will stay on the ship.

[Denny01]

By the way, that Was a new question! Most countries have websites that list if visas are required. Sometimes, the Cruise Line won't give defnitive info for non-US citizens since it can change and they may not stay up with it.

 

As stated before (by the way, the previous posts are below mine - I selected to see the newest posts first!), they will have to check with their own country/port country and the internet is very handy for that.

 

Den

[kitty9]

Don't bother asking Celebrity. They will not answer. They reply by saying that it's the responsibility of the passenger to determine whether visas or vaccines are necessary for any particular cruise. I know this because I called X once to find out about visas, and they refused to answer the question other than saying I needed to find out on my own and they will not assist.

[fleckle]

Don't bother asking Celebrity. They will not answer. They reply by saying that it's the responsibility of the passenger to determine whether visas or vaccines are necessary for any particular cruise. I know this because I called X once to find out about visas, and they refused to answer the question other than saying I needed to find out on my own and they will not assist.

Hmmm, maybe the response just varies depending upon the person with whom you speak. They were very helpful when I called to ask about visa requirements before our trip to South America.

 

The first woman gave me the correct information, but said she wasn't absolutely sure and even transferred me to someone else who supposedly was more knowledgeable. Then I received a follow-up email as confirmation.

[billie5]

Of course you need to check with the consulates of the respective countries, as well as the cruise line. However, I believe the news you will get will not be all good.

 

The Bahamas will require a pre-arrival visa, unless there is a cruise ship exemption I am not aware of (and lots I'm not aware of!).

 

Jamaica has a history of generally making an exception for cruise ship passengers, and so not requiring a visa. However, as this contradicts a lot of information out there, one really does have to check with a Jamaican consulate (not, alas, that I would expect all of the consulates to give the correct answer). The most valuable advice may come from the cruise line, but again I would try to get confirmation from them from several different sources. Actually, the Miami consulate of Jamaica says even a passport is not required - and so obviously not a visa. Here is their statement:

 

Cruise Ship Passengers

 

Cruise Passengers of any nationality who intend to remain in the island (of Jamaica) during the stay of the vessel by which they arrived and to depart on the same vessel, are not required to hold passports. (Note from Bill: Equivalent ID is required, so one may as well assume the passport is required)

 

St. Thomas is a territory of the U.S., so their U.S. visa will suffice. However, you do need to find out if they will need a multiple entry U.S. visa.

 

Beware, the usual commercial visa sources will likely give incorrect info for cruises (ABriggs, Travisa, etc.).

 

Bill