temani Posted June 10, 2019 #1 Share Posted June 10, 2019 We have booked a 14 night Asia cruise on Sapphire Princess next January 2020 Singapore back to Singapore. Two ports in Malaysia, two in Vietnam, two in Thailand and one in Cambodia - all single day visits. Only prior cruise out this way was on Celebrity in 2015 who organised the Vietnam visa on board. It's a first time on Princess, so any advice on the visa requirements and obtainment would be very welcome thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewgood Posted June 10, 2019 #2 Share Posted June 10, 2019 On the Sun Princess in March this year they collected our passports and organised the visas for us. On our last port in Vietman we dropped off our visa cards in a box at the end of the day. You could of course have obtained the visa yourself before the cruise and saved some money. We were asked at check-in if we wanted Princess to obtain the visa for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUT2407 Posted June 10, 2019 #3 Share Posted June 10, 2019 They’ve always offered to do it, cost a bit more but saved a lot of hassle and time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted June 10, 2019 #4 Share Posted June 10, 2019 We have cruised to these ports on Princess. Any visas required were organised by Princess while we were on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpos Posted June 10, 2019 #5 Share Posted June 10, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said: We have cruised to these ports on Princess. Any visas required were organised by Princess while we were on board. You should go to the Ports of Call - Asia and then search Vietnam Visas - plenty of discussion there on this topic. Unfortunately Princess will charge you $56 USD for your Vietnam Visas whereas Celebrity and RCL charge $6 USD. The cost of the visa as set by the Vietnamese Government is $5 so any extra is a "processing charge" imposed by the cruise line. However getting the visa onboard is a painless process and so even through you will pay much more with Princess than most other cruise lines, for convenience, probably the best way to go. Just a proviso, some countries, ie UK were getting 15 day free visa entry to Vietnam, still not sure if this is the case so if travelling on a UK passport or another country passport (but not Australian) worth a check to see if you qualify for the "free Visa" Edited June 10, 2019 by Bpos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendy Posted June 10, 2019 #6 Share Posted June 10, 2019 As a cruise visitor you do not get a visa you get a landing card. Have had charge to onboard account about $5 AUD on both RCI and Princess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted June 10, 2019 #7 Share Posted June 10, 2019 10 hours ago, Gwendy said: As a cruise visitor you do not get a visa you get a landing card. Have had charge to onboard account about $5 AUD on both RCI and Princess. On Princess cruises, we have been charged AUD$5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
temani Posted June 10, 2019 Author #8 Share Posted June 10, 2019 Thanks everyone for your helpful information. Always good to receive advice from CC fellow cruisers. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bpos Posted June 11, 2019 #9 Share Posted June 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said: On Princess cruises, we have been charged AUD$5. well that is good news - how long ago did you travel as I m quoting the $56 charge by Princess for the Vietnam Visa for travellers as recently as 4 months ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted June 11, 2019 #10 Share Posted June 11, 2019 3 minutes ago, Bpos said: well that is good news - how long ago did you travel as I m quoting the $56 charge by Princess for the Vietnam Visa for travellers as recently as 4 months ago? Our cruises that included Vietnam were more than a year ago. I realise that things change and it could have changed again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
temani Posted June 11, 2019 Author #11 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Hi Everyone Double "Ouch" !! Princess will be charging us US$56 each for our Vietnam visa and US$55 each for our Cambodia visa if we leave it to them to supply us on board. Will have to have a big think if we want to visit these ports again another time. Meanwhile we may cough up if it saves us doing it all ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cheznandy Posted June 11, 2019 #12 Share Posted June 11, 2019 (edited) 20 hours ago, Gwendy said: As a cruise visitor you do not get a visa you get a landing card. Have had charge to onboard account about $5 AUD on both RCI and Princess. 9 hours ago, Aus Traveller said: On Princess cruises, we have been charged AUD$5. Just wondering when your Princess cruises were that had Viet Nam port stops and charged $5? On two of my Princess cruises that stopped in Viet Nam, one in 2015 on the Sapphire Princess and the other in 2018 on the Majestic we were charged $56AUD to our onboard account. I understand Celebrity and RCI have been charging $5USD, but I have not read of anyone on Princess being charged $5. Do you both travel on Australian Passports? Edited June 11, 2019 by cheznandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwendy Posted June 11, 2019 #13 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Diamond Princess 2013. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cheznandy Posted June 11, 2019 #14 Share Posted June 11, 2019 4 minutes ago, Gwendy said: Diamond Princess 2013. Isnt it interesting that Princess can chop and change their fees? I was just reading on the Asia ports of call board, a poster said Princess still charges $56AUD or $38USD. I am only interested as we have another couple of Viet Nam stops in 2020. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Traveller Posted June 11, 2019 #15 Share Posted June 11, 2019 43 minutes ago, cheznandy said: Just wondering when your Princess cruises were that had Viet Nam port stops and charged $5? On two of my Princess cruises that stopped in Viet Nam, one in 2015 on the Sapphire Princess and the other in 2018 on the Majestic we were charged $56AUD to our onboard account. I understand Celebrity and RCI have been charging $5USD, but I have not read of anyone on Princess being charged $5. Do you both travel on Australian Passports? Sorry to sound vague. We have been to Vietnam a few times, some of them on the Sea Princess. I cannot remember what we paid in which year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
temani Posted June 11, 2019 Author #16 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Yes we travel on our Australian passports. Princess seems to be a bit expensive for a one day visit to Cambodia and two ports in Vietnam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cheznandy Posted June 11, 2019 #17 Share Posted June 11, 2019 2 minutes ago, temani said: Yes we travel on our Australian passports. Princess seems to be a bit expensive for a one day visit to Cambodia and two ports in Vietnam. Agree, Princess making $51AUD on each passenger that travels on an Australian passport. Our last Princess cruise the Visa was more than our $50 full day tour at Vung Tau🙄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MicCanberra Posted June 11, 2019 #18 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Perhaps look at the costs and effort with organising the visa's yourself and then see if the Ship's deal is worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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