NCL Sun South America December '16 concerns

[jhfrates]

Hi Everybody,

 

I've been a member of Cruise Critic for a while but this is my first time posting so I'll get right to the point!

 

My wife and I are celebrating our 5th anniversary this November so we wanted to take an extra special cruise for the occasion. We had originally booked the NCL Epic out of Barcelona to the Canary Islands but NCL canceled the cruise to move the Epic out of Europe before then. We have cruised on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean in the past and have never had any issues with cancelations so we were of course upset, but took the opportunity to cast a wider net and decided on the December 3 sailing on the NCL Sun out of Buenos Aires.

 

We have been very excited in waiting for our cruise, but I have recently come to have some concerns as it seems this sailing looks pretty empty.

 

Having never sailed NCL before, and keeping in mind our previous booking, what are the chances of NCL canceling this cruise due to low numbers? It looks like the cruise before ours, from Chile to BA, is nearly sold out. Additionally, the following 10 night cruise from Rio back to BA also seems to be very empty. Is there any real likelihood of NCL choosing to do something else with our sailing?

 

I'm sorry for the longwinded question, but a lot of time and effort, and of course money has to be spent for us to travel down to South America. When I contacted NCL with my concerns, they found it strange that I would be worried about a cruise that leaves in 6 months. I thought, however, that you guys here on CC might understand my worry.

 

Thanks so much for any input or ideas you might have!

[atomax]

To be honest, I usually book our cruises at the last minute, so I don't have a lot of experience with cruises being cancelled. That being said, I just booked our first cruise 6 months in advance (also in December, but in Asia), so now you've made me nervous.

 

But seriously, take a couple of precautions and hopefully everything will be OK:

1) Purchase travel insurance in case this happens (on our Panama cruise, people told us that they were on that cruise because NCL had cancelled their original cruise with only 2 days notice due to engine troubles - Yoinks!). They are still fighting their travel insurance company for all the money that they are owed, but at least they have some recourse.

2) Don't pay the final amount until the very last moment. By three months out, NCL should have a better idea of how the cruise is selling and give you a better idea of likelihood of cancellation.

3) See if anyone has started a roll call on this site and keep in touch with anyone else on your sailing.

4) Wait to book airfare (or at least buy travel insurance) until August/September.

 

Good luck, happy anniversary, and have fun on your cruise!

 

Hi Everybody,

 

I've been a member of Cruise Critic for a while but this is my first time posting so I'll get right to the point!

 

My wife and I are celebrating our 5th anniversary this November so we wanted to take an extra special cruise for the occasion. We had originally booked the NCL Epic out of Barcelona to the Canary Islands but NCL canceled the cruise to move the Epic out of Europe before then. We have cruised on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean in the past and have never had any issues with cancelations so we were of course upset, but took the opportunity to cast a wider net and decided on the December 3 sailing on the NCL Sun out of Buenos Aires.

 

We have been very excited in waiting for our cruise, but I have recently come to have some concerns as it seems this sailing looks pretty empty.

 

Having never sailed NCL before, and keeping in mind our previous booking, what are the chances of NCL canceling this cruise due to low numbers? It looks like the cruise before ours, from Chile to BA, is nearly sold out. Additionally, the following 10 night cruise from Rio back to BA also seems to be very empty. Is there any real likelihood of NCL choosing to do something else with our sailing?

 

I'm sorry for the longwinded question, but a lot of time and effort, and of course money has to be spent for us to travel down to South America. When I contacted NCL with my concerns, they found it strange that I would be worried about a cruise that leaves in 6 months. I thought, however, that you guys here on CC might understand my worry.

 

Thanks so much for any input or ideas you might have!

[herdingdogmom]

I wouldn't worry about a cancellation on these cruises. The Sun will be repositioned for the season to do these cruises. The 10 day to and from Rio are new this season. We were on the 14 day BA to Valpo in February this year. We booked 18 months out. During that time NCL opened a sales office in South America. Our cruise was full and had quite a few Argentineans, Chileans and Brazilians. The prices look pretty good on the 10 days. I suspect NCL hasn't advertised these cruises much yet. The 14 day itinerary is better known and sees more "unique" ports.

 

The panama canal cancellation noted above was on a different ship, the Star, in Spring 2015 and was after botched dry dock work on the propulsion system. It required a second dry dock to repair/rebuild one side of the propulsion system which led to a last minute cancellation of the pc cruise.

 

The Sun completed her mostly "mechanical" dry dock earlier this month in San Francisco and is currently sailing in Alaska. Check out reviews, but it sounds like the main ongoing issue is a sewage smell at the aft of the ship. We were at the front on deck 11 and never had any issues.

Edited May 20, 2016 by herdingdogmom

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I wouldn't worry about a cancellation on these cruises. The Sun will be repositioned for the season to do these cruises. The 10 day to and from Rio are new this season. We were on the 14 day BA to Valpo in February this year. We booked 18 months out. During that time NCL opened a sales office in South America. Our cruise was full and had quite a few Argentineans, Chileans and Brazilians. The prices look pretty good on the 10 days. I suspect NCL hasn't advertised these cruises much yet.

 

Thanks for sharing the above. I too have the sense that these cruises aren't selling well, at least in the U.S. market. Just today (10 months out) I booked the 7-night from BA to Rio sailing at the end of March 2017. While I would have preferred the 10-night, I got the 7-night for less than $900, and that's paying a 100% single supplement. Of course, the taxes were outrageous, and now I have to deal with hiring an agency to obtain a Brazil visa. But I'm really looking forward to this Argentina-Uruguay-Brazil itinerary.

Edited May 20, 2016 by Cruiser Bruiser

[sjbdtz]

Thanks for sharing the above. I too have the sense that these cruises aren't selling well, at least in the U.S. market. Just today (10 months out) I booked the 7-night from BA to Rio sailing at the end of March 2017. While I would have preferred the 10-night, I got the 7-night for less than $900, and that's paying a 100% single supplement. Of course, the taxes were outrageous, and now I have to deal with hiring an agency to obtain a Brazil visa. But I'm really looking forward to this Argentina-Uruguay-Brazil itinerary.

 

You don't need an agency for a Brazil visa, just walk into a consulate office.

 

 

Also, look up the Argentina Reciprocity Fee, you need to pay that IN ADVANCE and keep copies of the receipts.

 

If you happen to have a dual citizenship (EU) you might not need either the Visa or the Reciprocity Fee.

 

I traveled on my Irish passport instead of my Canadian one, and saved over $300.

 

 

 

Stephen

 

 

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[herdingdogmom]

Also, look up the Argentina Reciprocity Fee, you need to pay that IN ADVANCE and keep copies of the receipts.

 

The Argentina reciprocity fee was suspended in late March. It was $160 for US citizens when we sailed in February. I'd suggest waiting until close to your cruise to see what the latest is on it.

 

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/03/28/argentina-reciprocity-fee-us-citizens/

[Cruiser Bruiser]

You don't need an agency for a Brazil visa, just walk into a consulate office. Also, look up the Argentina Reciprocity Fee, you need to pay that IN ADVANCE and keep copies of the receipts.

 

Stephen

 

Hey, Stephen. Unfortunately, my consulate is in San Francisco, and I live in Portland. I would have to take one day off work to apply, and then as I understand it, I would have to collect the visa exactly five business days later during a one-hour window. So, that's two days off work and two round-trip flights. It's likely cheaper and easier for me to hire an agency.

 

I knew about the fee for Argentina, but it's much easier to fill out an online form and then pay the fee. I wish Brazil would follow the Argentina model and just collect the money.

 

And the bit that's causing me the most anxiety is that plane tickets are required to apply for the visa. It seems odd to commit to going someplace before I have permission to go to that place. But I will have to "choose to protect my investment" by purchasing insurance on the flight. :rolleyes:

[Cruiser Bruiser]

The Argentina reciprocity fee was suspended in late March. It was $160 for US citizens when we sailed in February. I'd suggest waiting until close to your cruise to see what the latest is on it.

 

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2016/03/28/argentina-reciprocity-fee-us-citizens/

 

Thanks for this tip. Since Argentina only requires an online payment, I feel comfortable waiting until much closer to the cruise. Brazil is just a pain.

[sjbdtz]

And the bit that's causing me the most anxiety is that plane tickets are required to apply for the visa. It seems odd to commit to going someplace before I have permission to go to that place. But I will have to "choose to protect my investment" by purchasing insurance on the flight. :rolleyes:

 

If you haven't got a criminal record, and you can pay the Visa fee, there's no reason for them to deny you. I've never had a Visa denied anywhere, I've always just thought it was a formality, albeit an awkward one.

 

Either way, S.A. and Brazil are well-worth the trip. We just came back from our Sun trip and a few days in B.A., and now I have to go back to Medellin in early July. I spent 3 weeks in Brazil last year, I advise to leave your expensive stuff in the cabin. Also, I found this interesting: they apparently watch for expensive-looking shoes, to decide their target. So I carried a pair of canvas deck shoes, and was never bothered.

 

 

Stephen

 

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[Travel Junkie Judy]

Thanks for this tip. Since Argentina only requires an online payment, I feel comfortable waiting until much closer to the cruise. Brazil is just a pain.

 

Right now there is no payments to Argentina. Let's hope it stays that way.

[casofilia]

The repositioning this April/May was fuller from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso than it was from Valparaiso to San Francisco. The first leg had lots of South Americans so I would imagine, if yours is light in cruisers, it could be that the South Americans are not booking yet.

I can't see NCL cancelling and leaving a ship empty in the middle of the season. That is a new destination and I imagine it may well run to less than capacity till it gets known.

[casofilia]

Right now there is no payments to Argentina. Let's hope it stays that way.

 

The removal of the reciprocity fee with Argentina was about the only good thing that came out of Obama's visit to Argentina.

For those of us there about to cruise on the Sun it was a real pain in the rectum. The city was almost in lock down and exploring other than on foot was at a premium; and that was difficult with all the check points.

[4774Papa]

The removal of the reciprocity fee with Argentina was about the only good thing that came out of Obama's visit to Argentina.

For those of us there about to cruise on the Sun it was a real pain in the rectum. The city was almost in lock down and exploring other than on foot was at a premium; and that was difficult with all the check points.

 

The reason for the suspension of the reciprocity fee was largely because of the election of a new Argentine President. The new President also eliminated currency controls that led to the Blue Market (black market) of the Peso.

[murzey]

Thanks for sharing the above. I too have the sense that these cruises aren't selling well, at least in the U.S. market. Just today (10 months out) I booked the 7-night from BA to Rio sailing at the end of March 2017. While I would have preferred the 10-night, I got the 7-night for less than $900, and that's paying a 100% single supplement. Of course, the taxes were outrageous, and now I have to deal with hiring an agency to obtain a Brazil visa. But I'm really looking forward to this Argentina-Uruguay-Brazil itinerary.

 

Brazil visa? I have not received a notification about this from NCL. The only thing they emailed me was that I need to pay the so-called "repro fee" for Argentina. Are you sure, US and Cdn citizens need a visa to Brazil??? Thanks.

[Travel Junkie Judy]

Brazil visa? I have not received a notification about this from NCL. The only thing they emailed me was that I need to pay the so-called "repro fee" for Argentina. Are you sure, US and Cdn citizens need a visa to Brazil??? Thanks.

 

NCL sent these notices and I don’t know why.

There is no more “repro fee” and for Argentina you will need nothing.

 

I don’t know about Brazil, but you should check the Embassy site.

Or check the US Government Travel site.

 

Judy

[cml4958]

The visa waiver was good during the Olympics and the Paralympics and expires 9/18/16.

 

TOURIST VISA REQUIRED:

Yes, though Brazilian Immigration has announced a visa waiver program for those coming for tourism from June 1-September 18, 2016. Visit the Brazilian Consulate website to see if your trip qualifies for visa waiver.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/brazil.html

[aladin553]

You don't need to take off from work and fly to San Francisco. Make copies of the application and your passport for your record and mail the original passport, application for visa, pictures and money order to the consulate with a prepaid fedex or UPS envelope so they can send it back to you. I do it all the time from Texas to D.C. It's the fastest and most economical way and you don't have to waste your money on a agency which will do the same thing for you. Happy anniversary and Bon Voyage!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[murzey]

The visa waiver was good during the Olympics and the Paralympics and expires 9/18/16.

 

TOURIST VISA REQUIRED:

Yes, though Brazilian Immigration has announced a visa waiver program for those coming for tourism from June 1-September 18, 2016. Visit the Brazilian Consulate website to see if your trip qualifies for visa waiver.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/brazil.html

 

Thank you. I checked with Canadian authorities and yes, we need a visa too. The problem is that

"Effective immediately, staff of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, and the Brazilian embassies and

all consulates general of Brazil are on strike for an indefinite period.

1)

NO VISAS WILL BE ISSUED by the Brazilian authorities anywhere in the world.

2)

Only emergency visas, as strictly and closely defined by Brazilian law, will be considered.

Emergency visas do not include business or conference or student or researcher or cruise or

tourist or family visit visas.

Canadians are warned to avoid all attempts to travel to Brazil until the strike has been settled and

visas are again being issued on a regular basis to Canadians.

Once again, there are NO VISAS being issued by Brazil due to a strike by the foreign ministry.

There is NO WAIVER to allow Canadian to enter without a visa during the strike.

Do NOT attempt to enter Brazil without a visa." (fron Brazil Foreign Ministry website.)

 

I wonder what I should do now. Will contact NCL. Thanks again.

 

What about other ports? Do we need visas for any of the countries en route?

[murzey]

You don't need to take off from work and fly to San Francisco. Make copies of the application and your passport for your record and mail the original passport, application for visa, pictures and money order to the consulate with a prepaid fedex or UPS envelope so they can send it back to you. I do it all the time from Texas to D.C. It's the fastest and most economical way and you don't have to waste your money on a agency which will do the same thing for you. Happy anniversary and Bon Voyage!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

It would be fine except for the strike of all the Brazilian embassies and consulate all over the world. Now we are really stuck.

[MacNChz]

Wow, we just booked a cruise to Brazil for February. I hope the strike ends soon or at least before the end of the year. Does this affect all locations?

[murzey]

Wow, we just booked a cruise to Brazil for February. I hope the strike ends soon or at least before the end of the year. Does this affect all locations?

 

This was published on Visa Services website but when we called the Brazilian Consulate in Toronto they just gave us information on how to fill up the application online and suggested we bring the papers there personally. So I guess not all locations. :-)

[sjbdtz]

If you happen to have a Dual Citizenship, check the Visa requirements for that, too.

 

I would have had to obtain & pay for a Visa if I used my Canadian passport to travel, but since I have dual Irish citizenship, I traveled using that one instead, and didn't require a Visa at all.

 

 

I'm in Korea now (6 month visa-free for Canadians) and heading to Australia next week (no Visa requirements for Ireland). So if you have dual citizenship, be sure to check both options.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

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