Rip off visas on princess

[Pushka]

Last year on a cruise to Japan the Chinese officials came aboard at Kota Kinabalu, but then we couldn't get into the port of Shanghai because of fog. The officials had to be disembarked onto a small boat to go ashore.

 

I believe that Indonesian officials also come aboard at the previous port.

 

As you mention they are accommodated in passenger cabins for their time on board. They all leave with bags and bags of alcohol. I was told that it isn't given to them by the cruiseline, they pay for it, but obviously much less than they would in their own country.

 

 

The fog is certainly an issue in March/April. Our stop in Shanghai was impacted greatly too. A shame given the cost of getting the visa :(

 

I bet the ship Immigration Officers line up in droves for this position.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Pushka

[Aus Traveller]

Bonbon willy.

 

It would be great if you could confirm with us whether this was exempt from having to get a Visa on Arrival (VOA) into a seaport such as Benoa or Lombok.

Yvonne and Colin (Windsor26) previously advised that they had been charged for the visa by Princess, but they disputed the charge. They did not have to have visas because they travel on UK passports. The fees that had been charged were refunded.:)

 

From what I have read, the VOA is only available at airports and not at the ports of Benoa or Lombok. We have been to these ports several times and they don't have the Immigration set-up that would be required to issue visas and take money.:)

[Tranquility Base]

Benoa seaport.

 

Benoa is designated for Visa on Arrival...that's what we pay via the Princess charge (USD 35 / 60)

Number #17 on this list.

http://www.kbri-canberra.org.au/index.php/visa-service-kbri-canberra/visa/visa-on-arrival#seaports

 

It does not show however as a point of entry for Visa-Free entry.

http://www.kbri-canberra.org.au/index.php/visa-service-kbri-canberra/visa/visa-free-for-short-visit

[domwild]

May 2016. Indonesia does no longer require a visum, however, Princess, having become addicted to this "Service Charge" for handling a former visum requirement have decided to "drip charge" us AFTER booking and demanding an extra US$25/pax. as per later email. Princess even rang me and mentioned that as it is a service charge, they can "drip charge"!

 

We have been with Princess through some countries, which required a collection of passports for stamping but there was no extra service charge added on later after paying for the cruise. Princess mentioned to me that this service charge was in place before we paid, so why was it not included in the total cruise price? Collection of passports by cabin staff, stamping and return of passports by cabin staff should not cost that much and should not even have been included in the total cruise price.

 

As one disgruntled traveller said, this little vegemite will also consider different non-Carnival cruise lines for travelling. What an insult!

[NSWP]

The fog is certainly an issue in March/April. Our stop in Shanghai was impacted greatly too. A shame given the cost of getting the visa :(

 

I bet the ship Immigration Officers line up in droves for this position.

And they like to head straight for the Horizon Court Buffet for Brekkie before they inspect the passports.

 

BTW, Cunard is charging US$31 for our on board Vietnam visa on QM2 in March. A few dollars commission there no doubt.

[mrs and mrs]

Are Australians and New Zealanders,British subjects.

[GUT2407]

Are Australians and New Zealanders,British subjects.

 

Not anymore

[Pushka]

And they like to head straight for the Horizon Court Buffet for Brekkie before they inspect the passports.

 

 

BTW, Cunard is charging US$31 for our on board Vietnam visa on QM2 in March. A few dollars commission there no doubt.

 

We saw them in grills!

Vietnam visa does cost something from memory.

 

Are Australians and New Zealanders,British subjects.

 

 

Seriously?

 

Aussieflyer and I are embarking in Singapore in April. Are you still onboard NSWP

Edited June 2, 2016 by Pushka

[MicCanberra]

Are Australians and New Zealanders,British subjects.

 

I don't think Australia or NZ are included in the British school system curriculum except for geography. Perhaps they should add it into their history as well.

[NSWP]

Are Australians and New Zealanders,British subjects.

Australian passports were first issued in 1949, but Australian Nationals/passport holders remained British subjects until 1984. Now they are not half baked poms anymore.

 

God Save the Queen !!

Edited June 3, 2016 by NSWP

[NSWP]

We saw them in grills!

Vietnam visa does cost something from memory.

 

 

 

 

Seriously?

 

Aussieflyer and I are embarking in Singapore in April. Are you still onboard NSWP

No mate, disembark QM2 at HK on 18 March, then 3 nights in HK, then fly home.

[lyndarra]

The Queen of England

is our head of state,

So why do we go

through the "Aliens" gate?

[GUT2407]

The Queen of England

is our head of state,

So why do we go

through the "Aliens" gate?

 

Two reasons really.

 

First is because they are two seperate countries. Though prior to the Australian Citizenship Act (if memory serves) we were allowed enter England as British subjects

 

Second is because the Queen of England isn't our head is State, the Queen of Australia is. Two jobs, sure held by the same person but in totally different rolls, just as I once held a job as a Hotel Manager and a Photographer when I was filling one job the other didn't matter. Similar to when James of Scotland becomes James I of England, same bloke two jobs.

Edited June 3, 2016 by GUT2407

[MicCanberra]

The Queen of England

is our head of state,

So why do we go

through the "Aliens" gate?

 

Our head of State is the Governor General. http://www.ourconstitution.org/headofstate.php

We are a constitutional Monarchy and our Queen is the Queen of Australia as well as being the Queen of England.

http://www.ourconstitution.org/queen.php

 

And we go through he 'Aliens' gate because we do not have a British Passport.

[lyndarra]

Our head of State is the Governor General. http://www.ourconstitution.org/headofstate.php

We are a constitutional Monarchy and our Queen is the Queen of Australia as well as being the Queen of England.

http://www.ourconstitution.org/queen.php

 

And we go through he 'Aliens' gate because we do not have a British Passport.

And neither do French, Germans and other EU members who get a smooth ride while us colonials have to wait it out.

 

At least we don't need a visa.

Edited June 3, 2016 by lyndarra
added visa note

[The_Big_M]

And neither do French, Germans and other EU members who get a smooth ride while us colonials have to wait it out.

 

At least we don't need a visa.

 

That's what smarts. We're in the "everyone else" category... when they should recognise the Commonwealth of Nations.

[GUT2407]

And neither do French, Germans and other EU members who get a smooth ride while us colonials have to wait it out.

 

At least we don't need a visa.

 

Probably change if the UK votes to get out of the EU.

[NSWP]

Probably change if the UK votes to get out of the EU.

There are 27 countries in the EU and anyone from those countries can go live in the UK and hit their welfare system, pensions, free medical etc. 27 reasons why many poms want out of the EU. If they do leave the EU, watch the food prices go up in the UK, trade will suffer.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

There are 27 countries in the EU and anyone from those countries can go live in the UK and hit their welfare system, pensions, free medical etc. 27 reasons why many poms want out of the EU. If they do leave the EU, watch the food prices go up in the UK, trade will suffer.

 

If they do leave , wont they then be free to buy more Au and NZ produce ?

Good for us maybe?????

[MicCanberra]

And neither do French, Germans and other EU members who get a smooth ride while us colonials have to wait it out.

 

At least we don't need a visa.

 

They have European IDs and as they are all part of the European Union (for now anyway), that is why. We are not part of the EU so we have to queue at the aliens gate. I hope that helps explain it.:D

[MicCanberra]

If they do leave , wont they then be free to buy more Au and NZ produce ?

Good for us maybe?????

 

Possibly, time will tell if it is better for us or not. If they leave the Eu, those queues at Immigration will get a whole lot longer.

[The_Big_M]

If they do leave , wont they then be free to buy more Au and NZ produce ?

Good for us maybe?????

 

They're currently free to. However:

a) Euro subsidies

b) cost of freight from here just makes it less economic from here. Plus there's good supply available there.

 

As they can still equally trade there if they leave, that's not likely to change.

[Russell21]

If they do leave , wont they then be free to buy more Au and NZ produce ?

Good for us maybe?????

 

Stuff them, let them starve, they left us in the lurch when they joined many years ago. I saw the result of their desertion in our district which also occurred in many many districts of Aus.