Visa Help Appreciated

[temani]

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. 

[sewgood]

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.

[GUT2407]

They’ve always offered to do it, cost a bit more but saved a lot of hassle and time 

[Aus Traveller]

We have cruised to these ports on Princess. Any visas required were organised by Princess while we were on board.

[Bpos]

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

[Gwendy]

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.

[Aus Traveller]

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.

[temani]

Thanks everyone for your helpful information.

Always good to receive advice from CC fellow cruisers.

Cheers.

[Bpos]

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?

[Aus Traveller]

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.

[temani]

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.

[cheznandy]

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

[Gwendy]

Diamond Princess 2013.

[cheznandy]

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.

[Aus Traveller]

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.

[temani]

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.

[cheznandy]

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🙄

[MicCanberra]

Perhaps look at the costs and effort with organising the visa's yourself and then see if the Ship's deal is worth it.