Curiosity Question - Itinerary Change Effects

[hac82]

I know that periodically Royal and other cruise lines change the itinerary due to weather. This coming week is one of those situations. This does not affect me as I am not on a cruise this week but what I was wondering was this.

 

Cruise lines indicate that it is the responsibility of the cruise passengers to make sure they have all of the proper documentation needed for a cruise meaning BC, DL or visas, passports and the like. If the itinerary changes and some passengers now need visa or some other documentation for the new ports and there is not enough time to get them, how is that handled.

 

A cruise could have a passenger that had to get a visa for one port that was removed due to weather but now might need a visa for a new port that was added at the last minute. I am sure this has had to happen at sometime previously.

 

I will be very interested in hearing everyone's thoughts on this.

[FLACRUISER99]

I know that periodically Royal and other cruise lines change the itinerary due to weather. This coming week is one of those situations. This does not affect me as I am not on a cruise this week but what I was wondering was this.

 

Cruise lines indicate that it is the responsibility of the cruise passengers to make sure they have all of the proper documentation needed for a cruise meaning BC, DL or visas, passports and the like. If the itinerary changes and some passengers now need visa or some other documentation for the new ports and there is not enough time to get them, how is that handled.

 

A cruise could have a passenger that had to get a visa for one port that was removed due to weather but now might need a visa for a new port that was added at the last minute. I am sure this has had to happen at sometime previously.

 

I will be very interested in hearing everyone's thoughts on this.

No Visa's are needed for the Caribbean.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

This is my guess...

 

Assuming there is some port that required visa/passport that an itinerary change messed up (and I agree the Caribbean ports don't require them):

 

Have a visa for a port you're not stopping at

No harm. You just wasted your visa, but there's no problem with that.

 

Stopping a port you need a visa/passport for that you don't have

Worst case situation is you stay on the ship. If a PP/visa is required, wouldn't they check for that before you get off the ship (or at least before you leave the dock area)?

[hac82]

No Visa's are needed for the Caribbean.

I guess my follow-up question is this. I know that I would not need a visa for any place in the Caribbean but is there any possibility that it would be needed for anyone from any other country?

 

As for staying on the ship in a port if it was needed, the understanding I have is that if you need a visa for a country that you are going to and you do not have it, the cruise company can actually prevent you from boarding the ship for embarkation.

 

I am a curious person by nature. Even though none of this affects me, I just like to know.

[Merion_Mom]

I guess my follow-up question is this. I know that I would not need a visa for any place in the Caribbean but is there any possibility that it would be needed for anyone from any other country?

 

As for staying on the ship in a port if it was needed, the understanding I have is that if you need a visa for a country that you are going to and you do not have it, the cruise company can actually prevent you from boarding the ship for embarkation.

 

I am a curious person by nature. Even though none of this affects me, I just like to know.

 

I think that they take this into account when they hunt for alternative ports.

 

For example:

 

When ships were skipping some ports in the Mediterranean because of either weather or political unrest, some of them went to Malta instead. No visa required.

[Cotswold Eagle]

I was on a Norwegian fjord cruise a few years ago, which almost had to go a completely different itinerary, thanks to a strike by Norwegian pilots. The alternative had different countries, but all in the Schegen area for exactly this reason.

 

I was chatting to one of the officers involved in the planning and was told that someone came up with a route including a stop in the UK, which was rejected because of the potential for visa issues.

[exelsor]

Never thought of this situation before, interesting though.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[steamboats]

I doubt that they would go to a port where the passengers do require a visa (which wouldn´t be needed for the original itinerary) - unless this visa can be issued easily onboard.

 

I can think of some itineraries in Asia / India where the visa question might occur.

 

steamboats

[Sea_Salt_Sailor]

Any ports in the Caribbean that the ship might stop due to itinerary change not required entry visas... the only country that required for some country entry visas are the United States outside of that any stop the ship might have anyone onboard will be ok with just their passport or birth certificate and driver licenses.

 

Carib Sailor :cool:

[aviator1945]

 

I can think of some itineraries in Asia / India where the visa question might occur.

 

steamboats

 

Indeed! And in some cases, if you don't have a proper visa issued by the authorities you would be denied boarding at the port of origin. For example, on a Legend repo cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore, Xiamen (in mainland China) was included in the itinerary. We checked beforehand with RCI, and they very clearly told us that even if we had no intent to leave the ship in Xiamen, we would need a regular visitor's visa for PRC. So we booked a European cruise instead.