Canadians that have done an Amazon cruise

[boulders]

I got the Brazilian visa myself at the consulate in Toronto a year and a half ago. It was relatively painless. I don't recall having to provide financial information. The website was given above. I was travelling with my children, one of whom was 18 at the time and the other two were under 18. The 18 year old did not have to attend the appointment.

 

From what I saw while waiting at the consulate - They will not discuss requirements at the consulate with you and will refer you to the website if you ask. They will not take your documents unless everything is in order. I was sitting next to a person from a visa service while waiting - they don't have any special pipeline to get the visa, so I would do it yourself unless your time is worth more money than the cost.

[sammiedawg]

We are booked on the Nov 24 Amazon cruise on the P'dam. The visa situation is VERY difficult it appears. I might not have chosen this cruise if I had known. For an American, the visa itself is over $100/pp. You have to fill out the form on line, print it out and then get an appointment to drop it off, with your passport, and your itinerary showing you're going to leave. (All parties must appear for the appointment if you do it yourself..we are in Los Angeles and there is a consulate about 30 miles from us) and then wait for it to be processed and then come back to pick it up. It also appears that you must enter Brazil within 90 days of the issue date of the Visa...so the timing gets to be very important for getting it. Using an expeditor service costs an additional $90 or so (maybe per person but I haven't checked that out yet). But at least for the a US citizen the visa is good for 10 years. And it is suggested, though no longer mandatory that you get a yellow fever shot.

So I've been researching...it could be an adventure before the trip even starts.

Rachel

 

Our cost to obtain two visas through CIBT was five hundred dollars, including the mailing fees, we used UPS certified ground and designated the UPS storefront to receive and sign for the completed visa packets.

The travel med clinic is another expense, counseling and the yellow fever shot cost $150 ish per person. We took all the offered prescriptions but didn't fill the malaria one.

The process was not as difficult as it sounds, the pain was to the wallet.

Another thing to remember is save your airline documents if you fly into Brazil. Brazilian authorities inspected ours in the Rio cruise terminal.

The red tape is tit for tat, apparently the U.S. government requires Brazilians to get a visa.

[Louise sail]

I got the Brazilian visa myself at the consulate in Toronto a year and a half ago. It was relatively painless. I don't recall having to provide financial information. The website was given above. I was travelling with my children, one of whom was 18 at the time and the other two were under 18. The 18 year old did not have to attend the appointment.

 

From what I saw while waiting at the consulate - They will not discuss requirements at the consulate with you and will refer you to the website if you ask. They will not take your documents unless everything is in order. I was sitting next to a person from a visa service while waiting - they don't have any special pipeline to get the visa, so I would do it yourself unless your time is worth more money than the cost.

 

You do not have to provide financial information in Ontario but you do in Quebec that is why I tried to get my Visa in Ottawa each province is different maybe there will be even easier rules in Alberta.I was told that Bombardier's head office is in Montreal and competes withBrazil's Embrayer(sp) in the production of airplanes and so residents of Quebec are given a hard time.We would really like to circumnavigate South America in January if we could only get a Visa.

[cruz chic]

When you fill out the form it asks you where you are going in Brazil, city etc. if you are on a cruise that visits several places what do you say? This cruise begins and ends in Fort lauderdale. Thx.

[sammiedawg]

When you fill out the form it asks you where you are going in Brazil, city etc. if you are on a cruise that visits several places what do you say? This cruise begins and ends in Fort lauderdale. Thx.

 

I don't remember but the CIBT web site had clear direction on filling out the application. I followed the instructions word for word. They also had an 800 number to call with questions. I don't want to sound like a shill but paying an expeditor made the process easier. We filled out an electronic application matched to our document package.

[cruz chic]

I don't remember but the CIBT web site had clear direction on filling out the application. I followed the instructions word for word. They also had an 800 number to call with questions. I don't want to sound like a shill but paying an expeditor made the process easier. We filled out an electronic application matched to our document package.

 

I appreciate that info. That just might be the best route for me to go.

[boulders]

When you fill out the form it asks you where you are going in Brazil, city etc. if you are on a cruise that visits several places what do you say? This cruise begins and ends in Fort lauderdale. Thx.

 

I just printed out the cruise itinerary and my booking info. I was doing a precruise stay in Iguassu Falls and printed out my flight arrival and departure info and Iguassu Falls hotel reservation too.

[sammiedawg]

When you fill out the form it asks you where you are going in Brazil, city etc. if you are on a cruise that visits several places what do you say? This cruise begins and ends in Fort lauderdale. Thx.

 

I forgot to mention I had a specific link tied to my cruise itinerary to work from. I must have called CIBT first to get the link. Instructions were specific on how to fill out the application.

[cruz chic]

Thank you both.

[OleSalt]

The Yellow Fever inoculation is for Isle Royale (Devils Island) not Brazil. The ship will not let you board without the Brazilian Visa.. Good luck, it is a fabulous trip.

[iancal]

We went to the travel health clinic in our city (Calgary). They had all the recent data and requirements. There is probably one in your city. We were going to Africa but this holds true for anywhere questionable. One of the good things about doing this is that they also force you to review hep and tetanus records to see if you are due for a booster.

 

I would never rely on any info from the cruise line or from folks on this board or any other. Clearly you must meet their document requirements for boarding but that is not the be and end all of it. Get the info straight from the people who really know what requirements are. The requirements can change over time.

Edited April 13, 2015 by iancal

[cruz chic]

We went to the travel health clinic in our city (Calgary). They had all the recent data and requirements. There is probably one in your city. We were going to Africa but this holds true for anywhere questionable. One of the good things about doing this is that they also force you to review hep and tetanus records to see if you are due for a booster.

 

I would never rely on any info from the cruise line or from folks on this board or any other. Clearly you must meet their document requirements for boarding but that is not the be and end all of it. Get the info straight from the people who really know what requirements are. The requirements can change over time.

 

Yes, there is one in downtown calgary and likely elsewhere. Just to clarify, I'm not relying on what I hear on the boards. I had no idea where to start and I'm very grateful for what has been reported here. It has given me lots of avenues to research. Thx everyone.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We went to a health clinic here in our area when we started to cruise more often -- like 4 and 5 cruises a year. There was a fee for their services but we got various shots updated.

Just recently we had to get new tetanus shots. But it just wasn't a tetanus shot anymore. Ours is now a combination of Diptheria/Tetanus/Pertussis -- which was not covered by insurance.

[casamariposa]

I no longer deal with a ta but thx. I'm not sure I would trust most of them in calgary since I've never found a good one. I had the yellow fever shot in 2006 and I think it's good for 10 years so I'm just under the wire.

 

The visa is affixed to a page in the back of your passport. (At least in an USA passport.) That's why you have to send the passport. I did the Amazon Explorer cruise last November. It's wonderful.

[Lynda S]

We also got our Yellow Fever shots in 2006. We were at the travel clinic last week updating everything for our upcoming trip to China, and I mentioned that next year we would probably need new Yellow Fever shots.

 

The travel clinic doc told us that the Yellow Fever shots have now been 'upgraded' to lifetime shots, which she said would include the ones we obtained in 2006. The only problem she told me was that some of the countries have not 'recognized' this and may give us a problem on entering. She said they (WHO maybe?) were making sure all countries knew this and said by next year, all countries should recognize it, but of course couldn't guarantee that.