Passports & Visas

[bet410]

We are planning a world cruise in 2012 which will require several visas (among them Brazil, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, & Australia). We've done the Australia one before and know that it's printed out as a piece of paper and not stamped into the passport. We've also been told that Brazil's visa requires two blank pages and India one blank page in the passport. We aren't sure if the Indonesia or Vietnam visa would go into the passport or if it would be a separate paper like Australia's.

 

I still have eight blank pages left in my passport. Someone commented on one post that when you get visas you need "lots of pages". I'm not sure if eight pages will suffice or not, and I certainly don't want to be on the trip and get into a bind!

 

We have another 35-day cruise planned for this July-August and aren't sure exactly how many stamps we'll get (though my guess would be at least two - one as we set sail from Boston and one as we return to the US).

 

We definitely need to plan ahead as we need time to get our visas lined up, and we also need to plan for the added pages to the passports if we find they are necessary.

 

Can any experienced cruisers who have had to obtain multiple visas give an idea as to whether we might need to have pages added to our passports or if the eight pages we have are enough?

[judithbiggs]

I also will be on the cruise in 2012. I have been on 3 others, and you get lots of stamps, not just at the ports that have visas. I would suggest getting more pages, especially since you will be going on another long cruise out of the country before the world.

 

Judy

[CtheW0rld]

vietnam is stamped in the passport.

 

what a delightful problem to have!

[rkacruiser]

You are going to need more than eight pages. It is possible to send your passport to the State Department and have additional pages added. I don't recall for certain, but I don't think it is as expensive as getting an entirely new passport.

 

To avoid headaches and potential problems, I recommend that you use a Visa Service to get the necessary visas that are required. Yes, it will cost a bit more than trying to do it on your own. But, that is the price of convienence and being sure you really have what you really need. Not funny to arrive at the pier on embarkation day and be denied boarding because your documentation is incorrect.

 

Not 100% certain, but I think the Visa Service can handle getting the additional pages added to your passport.

[rafinmd]

It looks to me like you are in good shape for your Maasdam cruise, and you have just over 4 months when you get back before the WC. That should be plenty of time to get your additional pages and visas. The fee is $82. When you return you should also have more information on what visas you need and which HAL will do in your behalf. Your visa processing service should be able to also take care of the extra pages.

 

Looks like we'll come close in passing in Rekyjavik.

 

Roy

[bet410]

Thanks to everyone for the input! You're right, it's a nice problem to have, but I have to admit that I get very nervous sending my passport in after a bad experience with it being lost in the mail (literally tracked to my post office and lost there somewhere. They paid for a new one, but I was NOT happy!) As a result of that experience, we will probably do expedited just in case (heaven forbid) there's some kind of problem. The thought of it getting lost again makes me shudder! I feel better when I have my own passport in my hot little hands.

 

Does anyone know if passport services in major cities take care of this, or MUST they be mailed in? It would be worth a trip to Chicago for me if it would save having it sent in. Looks like it's not possible, but it's always worth asking.

[HamburgAvonLady]

Just be advised that you cannot apply for the visa for Brazil until

90 days prior to your FIRST arrival in Brazil. So try to get the others done first --- I also agree about using a visa service. Just too many

headaches to try to do on your own. Well worth the fees. We used a great visa service out of NY city and had our passports/visas back in less than a week. Other roll call members waited for several months

before getting theirs back (depending on what area of the US they lived in).

 

Also, be sure that the expiration date of your passport is valid for

6 months past your arrival back into the US after the World cruise.

[bet410]

Thanks!

 

Judy, we look forward to meeting you on the cruise. HamburgAvonLady, I'm cthamburg's sister. We both appreciate the input!

 

Passport expiration dates are absolutely no problem - we got them in 2007. Might be a good idea to use a Visa service. Sounds like it would be far simpler!

[HamburgAvonLady]

Small world we live in, isn't it. Please say "Hello" to Chuck for me.

Still not sure if DH and I will be able to make our Hawaii/S.Pacific

cruise this Sept. --- we see the surgeon next week for more xrays --

just have to wait and see. Sure wish HAL would publish next fall's

cruise schedule in case we have to change our plans.

[bet410]

Small world we live in, isn't it.

 

Definitely a small world! I saw your name on another post, told Chuck, and sent him the link. That was when he posted after you and asked if you were from the "correct" Hamburg.

 

I was going to comment that cruises were available through November 2012, but I see that the Hawaii/Tahiti cruises aren't posted yet. Figures! Hope you're able to do your cruise this year because you're looking forward to it and because it would mean that your DH is well enough to travel!

[Aruba]

It will cost $82 to have pages added to your passport. (I know because I just had to do it myself.)

Here is the website you'll need: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds4085/ds4085_2662.html

[whogo]

Just be advised that you cannot apply for the visa for Brazil until 90 days prior to your FIRST arrival in Brazil.

This is no longer true for citizens of the USA and most other countries.

 

AFTER VISA IS ISSUED - Individuals traveling with passports from Angola, Bahrain, Cambodia, Cape Verde, China, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Switzerland, Tawain, Thailand, Tunisia, must enter Brazil within 90 days from the date that their visa is issued. The visa will expire upon failure to enter within that time frame. It is the visa bearer’s responsibility to monitor this period of time. This requirement no longer applies to individuals traveling with passports from other countries.

http://www.brazilconsulatechicago.org/en-2-10-0.html

 

Visa rules and applications are complicated,completing them is like filling out a US tax return. I suggest the OP thoroughly research the visa issue. If using a visa service, contact them now. Do not put a world cruise at risk because of visa problems. My first impulse would be to send for additional passport pages now.

 

I applied for a Brazilian visa in person in Chicago and I saw three applicants who were denied a visa and a number of others who had not completed their paperwork correctly and were sent away to try again.

[CtheW0rld]

This is no longer true for citizens of the USA and most other countries.

 

http://www.brazilconsulatechicago.org/en-2-10-0.html

 

Visa rules and applications are complicated,completing them is like filling out a US tax return. I suggest the OP thoroughly research the visa issue. If using a visa service, contact them now. Do not put a world cruise at risk because of visa problems. My first impulse would be to send for additional passport pages now.

 

I applied for a Brazilian visa in person in Chicago and I saw three applicants who were denied a visa and a number of others who had not completed their paperwork correctly and were sent away to try again.

 

good to know, thanks. i wonder what prompted the change?

[bet410]

Again, thanks to all for the information. We don't dare send for pages now as we will need our passports for our trip on July 23. We will have to do it immediately after we get home. Wish we'd known this much sooner as we have been sitting around without using them since last September and had no idea we'd need lots more pages until we happened to notice a post on our roll call! Even expedited service would make me nervous at this point!