Visas needed for the Far East

[garethllewellyn]

We are going on the Volendam from Hong Kong on January 20th. I have tried all the embassy pages for Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand and they all imply that visas should be procured before we sail. Some other sources indicate that they can be sorted onboard - but I am nervous because if we get it wrong it will ruin the trip. Has anybody actually taken cruise excursions in Hanoi etc that could enlighten us? Garethllewellyn

[CruiserBruce]

I think the embassy websites would be a lot more important than "other sources". It is my understanding for China and Vietnam, you are required to get your own visa. Don't know about Cambodia.

 

If you get your own, you are safe. If "other sources" are wrong, you may not even board the ship at the start of the cruise, as the cruise won't let you without proper documentation. So, trust the embassy websites.

[petrakae]

We are doing a similar cruise in Feb. 2013. You do not say where you are from, so I can only comment from an Australian point of view. From my research, we need a visa for China, Vietnam and Philpines, but Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand we are given one at the disembarkation point providing we are only there for less than 90 days. I may be incorrect in this, but I go to an Aust. Govt. web-site to research these issues. Keep me posted if you find any more details please...

[Beejay4016]

We are going on the Volendam from Hong Kong on January 20th. I have tried all the embassy pages for Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand and they all imply that visas should be procured before we sail. Some other sources indicate that they can be sorted onboard - but I am nervous because if we get it wrong it will ruin the trip. Has anybody actually taken cruise excursions in Hanoi etc that could enlighten us? Garethllewellyn

 

Hi there. We are doing the reverse trip in January. Have you joined your roll call yet? You will find quite a lot of discussion probably on the subject. It seems that all visas are obtainable on board, in some cases more expensive than getting them yourself, in others a bit cheaper. For instance, after checking out the Vietnamese embassy website here I have opted to get our visas onboard. It's also worth checking with HAL, perhaps email them or phone them, to get their advice on the visas and to find out what the cost is. This close to a trip I would be very reluctant to send off my passport and risk any delay or - horror of horrors - it getting lost in the mail.

 

Thousands of people have done these cruises and visited these countries, and I have no doubt that HAL have a handle on it all. Have a wonderful trip. :)

[BassettMom]

I did a SE Asia and China cruise no Princess in March and embarked in Singapore with ports Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki, Busan, and disembarking in Beijing. For our cruise, US citizens were required to obtain visas for China and Vietnam. Princess stated they would obtain the Vietnam visa and we would be charged for that on board (everyone on our roll call got the same email), so that one was easy. However, it was our responsibility to obtain the appropriate dual entry visa for China.

 

Although I'm telling you what I experienced, I recommend checking the visa requirements for each of the countries you are visiting just to be sure. If HAL states they will obtain the visa for all passengers, then you won't need to get them, but if they don't specifically tell you this, then you will need to obtain the necessary visas yourself. You don't want to be denied boarding for not having the appropriate visas--and yes, this can happen (electing to remain on board is not an option).

[wander]

Has not HAL sent you this information already? It seems we have always receive the appropriate instructions close to 2 months before the cruise. We have sailed to and or in Asia with HAL a number of times and they always kept us well informed about what Visas we had to get and which they would provide, and bill us for, on the ship. Do have your TA check on this asap, or if you booked directly call your HAL reservation contact.

 

The only advice I would act on is what HAL tells you in writing as they will be the ones to decide if you can even get on the ship depending on what Visas you need to personally obtain and which ones they will provide.

 

Unless things have changed, you will have to get your own China visas, which version HAL can tell you. Having been to China about 6 times, I have always had to get my own Visa (well, I did use a Visa service) whether I traveled by air, ship or land. BUT this may be old news.

[Ineke]

Don't know whether you booked direct or through a T.A. If through a T.A., that person would be the person to check all of this for you and sort it out.

[Beejay4016]

Not sure where the OP is located, but I have just visited a great website, part of the government SmarTraveller, which can handle all visa applications for Australians. According to their website, you can get a visa for Cambodia and Vietnam which both last for 30 days. The Cambodian one allows one entry, the Vietnamese one I checked out was multiple entries within a 30 day period. No visa require of source for Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. I had not wanted to send off our passports to the two embassies, but with this service you actually apply and pay on line - and there are discounts for multiple visas (such as two each for husband and wife) - and you send them your passport and relevant photographs. You can opt to have them returned by express within a couple of days or alternatively it's, I think, a seven day return. That sounds like a great service.

 

Having said that, I know that Australians on the same cruise in December and January have chatted on their rollcalls about getting the visas onboard and the cost isn't much at all, so again I'd urge you to check out the rollcalls, and then to check with HAL as well.

[garethllewellyn]

Thank you for all your kind replies. It still looked cloudy so for the second time I phoned HAL CIBTvisa on 02079633857 from the UK (I live in Bolton) and the nice lady there assured me that nothing needed to be done at any of the ports other than have a passport and a handful of US dollars. All visas would be arranged on board for all of the excursions (all day trips). I enquired about costs and she said Vietnam would be about 30 US dollars and Cambodia changed from day to day so she didn't want to put a figure on it. Vietnam certainly looks cheaper than applying through their Embassy in London. Do I feel happier? Perhaps a little but it would be interesting if any other cruisers have been told something different.

Garethllewellyn

[Beejay4016]

Thank you for all your kind replies. It still looked cloudy so for the second time I phoned HAL CIBTvisa on 02079633857 from the UK (I live in Bolton) and the nice lady there assured me that nothing needed to be done at any of the ports other than have a passport and a handful of US dollars. All visas would be arranged on board for all of the excursions (all day trips). I enquired about costs and she said Vietnam would be about 30 US dollars and Cambodia changed from day to day so she didn't want to put a figure on it. Vietnam certainly looks cheaper than applying through their Embassy in London. Do I feel happier? Perhaps a little but it would be interesting if any other cruisers have been told something different.

Garethllewellyn

 

Hi Gareth,

 

I actually figured you were in Wales - hm, I wonder why I would think that. I've emailed HAL also. I would love to know that we can get the visas onboard as the cost is so much less. I'm just concerned that that option may be open only to US citizens, but if I get an email back from them confirming it in writing then I'll certainly rely on that because it would sure save quite a lot of money.

 

Cheers .. Bev

[sing]

Thank you for all your kind replies. It still looked cloudy so for the second time I phoned HAL CIBTvisa on 02079633857 from the UK (I live in Bolton) and the nice lady there assured me that nothing needed to be done at any of the ports other than have a passport and a handful of US dollars. All visas would be arranged on board for all of the excursions (all day trips). I enquired about costs and she said Vietnam would be about 30 US dollars and Cambodia changed from day to day so she didn't want to put a figure on it. Vietnam certainly looks cheaper than applying through their Embassy in London. Do I feel happier? Perhaps a little but it would be interesting if any other cruisers have been told something different.

Garethllewellyn

 

We're sailing on volendam from Singapore to Hong Kong in two weeks' time! Our itinerary does not take us to Cambodia so I can't help you there. When we booked we received this information from HAL via our TA:

 

Some countries require you to obtain official authorization, called a visa,

before entering their country. Usually there is a fee charged.

A visa for Vietnam is required for U.S., Canadian, Dutch, German, Australian, and UK nationals. This visa is available on board for a fee for all

nationalities.

Please understand that this is the requirement of Vietnam and not Holland

America Line's requirement.

I have checked on various boards. It seems that as long as you don't fly out of Vietnam, the visa organized by the ship is good.

 

Hope this helps.

[Beejay4016]

We're sailing on volendam from Singapore to Hong Kong in two weeks' time! Our itinerary does not take us to Cambodia so I can't help you there. When we booked we received this information from HAL via our TA:

 

Some countries require you to obtain official authorization, called a visa,

before entering their country. Usually there is a fee charged.

A visa for Vietnam is required for U.S., Canadian, Dutch, German, Australian, and UK nationals. This visa is available on board for a fee for all

nationalities.

Please understand that this is the requirement of Vietnam and not Holland

America Line's requirement.

 

I have checked on various boards. It seems that as long as you don't fly out of Vietnam, the visa organized by the ship is good.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Hi Sing,

 

Thanks for that - sounds great, and what I was hoping for. We sail on 7 January but have had nothing along those lines as yet from either HAL or the agency we booked through (an internet agency). I'm sure all will be fine.

 

Have a wonderful time on your trip. We went down to the port at Fremantle when she was here a couple of weeks ago and she is just lovely, much nicer than I had even hoped, and so our excitement levels really soared.:)

 

Cheers .. Bev

[Hawaiidan]

Ok, visitors from all countries do not need a Visa for Hong Kong.. it is in an exempt zone of China any other ports in China... YES... Hong Kong NO.

That saves about $150 pp

 

Vietnam requires it and I think its about $15 If you dont get off I dont think you need one. On my next cruise I dont plan on visiting Nam, as I caught it in a prior time. ( to the question once... Have you been to Hanoi, yea, it was 1969, it was night, and I didnt land)

[Beejay4016]

I contacted HAL direct and raised the question: can we non-Americans get our visas onboard or do we have to arrange them in advance? The answer I received was a reiteration of the policy which is on their website, ie that you have to fix up your visas yourself prior to boarding, and failure to do so may result in not being allowed to board. HAL also said that they send out a letter to all travellers/agents about 90 days before cruise date detailing the visa requirements etc (that must be the one which Sing quoted). I have told them that I never received such a letter either from them or from the agency we booked through. I told them that others have been advised that they can get the visas onboard, but that there are also those who have actually got their visas already.

 

My note to self is that I will never again book through an internet booking agency but will go through HAL because then I will rely only on what they tell me (the internet booking agency tells me nothing - books my cruise, full stop, no dining or excursion reservations, not even a request for a queen bed as opposed to two singles). Urgh, this is so frustrating.

[Beejay4016]

Hi Gareth,

 

I now have a two page document from Holland America Line, and on the second page it gives information very similar to that quoted by Sing, ie:

 

"Requirements for US, Canadian, Dutch, German, Australian and UK Citizens

 

Vietnam

A visa for Vietnam is required. A visa service ... Or, as an added service and convenience to our guests, this visa may be obtained on board for US$45 per person charged to the guest's shipboard account. All nationalities may obtain this visa onboard.

 

Cambodia

Cambodian visas are required. A visa service ... Or, as an added service and convenience to our guests, this visa may be obtained on board for US$45 per person charged to the guest's shipboard account. Most guests can apply for this visa onboard witht he exception of citizens of the following countries, who will need to obtain thier visa prior to sailing: Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Iran, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sudan, Algeria and Saudi Arabia."

 

That answers everything for me and I hope also puts your doubts at rest.

[garethllewellyn]

Thank you Beejay and Sing, you have calmed my turmoil.

Garethllewellyn

[Beejay4016]

Thank you Beejay and Sing, you have calmed my turmoil.

Garethllewellyn

 

So nice to be able to put your mind at ease about something and just concentrate on excursions and clothes, isn't it. :)