Advice please, another visa question

[cruzadict]

Hello, I have just been on the telephone to C celebrity Cruises for advice on A Chinese 144 hour visa.  We are travelling from Tokyo to Shanghai on 12th October.  We will be flying into Tokyo and then on arrival at Shanghai will be stopping for 3 days.  We will be returning from Shanghai to UK via Dubai.  Am I correct in thinking that this qualifies for the TWOV as Celebrity has just told me that I won't and will need a full visa.  Are the check in staff in Yokohama aware of the rules. Thank you very much. Marilyn

[upwarduk]

Marilyn,

Be aware that rules for UK citizens will be different from US citizens. Theses boards are read by far more US citizens than UK, so you could get conflicting advice.

Go to the UK Travel Advisor

www..gov.uk

for up to date advice.

Edited September 23, 2019 by upwarduk

[cruzadict]

Thank you very much

 

[Fouremco]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that Celebrity makes the call on who may board its ships, and if Celebrity decides, however incorrectly, that a full visa is required all passengers, you might not have an option. I would first verify the requirements with www.gov.uk, as suggested by @upwarduk, and with factual information in hand, pursue the issue with Celebrity. There was a recent thread about an erroneous decision on passport cards, which Celebrity subsequently reversed, so it's possible that you might be ok. On the other hand, Celebrity will sometimes base its requirements on US passengers rather than the differing requirements of passengers from other countries. For example, there are cruise destinations where there is no requirement for a Canadian to have a passport valid for 6 months beyond the departure date, but because these destinations do require it of US citizens, Celebrity imposes the same (unnecessary) requirement on Canadians. Their ships, their rules.

[mom says]

2 hours ago, cruzadict said:

Hello, I have just been on the telephone to C celebrity Cruises for advice on A Chinese 144 hour visa.  We are travelling from Tokyo to Shanghai on 12th October.  We will be flying into Tokyo and then on arrival at Shanghai will be stopping for 3 days.  We will be returning from Shanghai to UK via Dubai.  Am I correct in thinking that this qualifies for the TWOV as Celebrity has just told me that I won't and will need a full visa.  Are the check in staff in Yokohama aware of the rules. Thank you very much. Marilyn

So where does the cruise come in ? You mention only your flights. Is the cruise starting in Japan and ending in Shanghai? Or is it a closed loop cruise from Shanghai? Are there any other Chinese ports on the itinerary?

[Ken the cruiser]

2 hours ago, cruzadict said:

Hello, I have just been on the telephone to C celebrity Cruises for advice on A Chinese 144 hour visa.  We are travelling from Tokyo to Shanghai on 12th October.  We will be flying into Tokyo and then on arrival at Shanghai will be stopping for 3 days.  We will be returning from Shanghai to UK via Dubai.  Am I correct in thinking that this qualifies for the TWOV as Celebrity has just told me that I won't and will need a full visa.  Are the check in staff in Yokohama aware of the rules. Thank you very much. Marilyn

I would think since you will be disembarking the X cruise in Shanghai and staying for 3 days on your own before flying back to the UK via Dubai, X would not be the folks you want to ask this question to as they have no responsibility for you after you leave the ship. As others have stated, you really need to contact your UK Travel Advisor.

 

But, unofficially, as long as you are staying in the Shanghai area in "transition mode" and flying to a different country from which you came on the cruise (Korea), I would think the 144 hour visa rule should apply. But as others have said, you really need to talk with someone in the know in the UK.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[cruzadict]

Thank you all for your replies.  Celebrity says the visa is our problem not theirs and they are not trained to give advice !!  MOM SAYS - We are flying into Tokyo, then pick up cruise and disembark in Shanghai.  This is the only Chinese port of call and it is after South Korea.

[bigbenboys]

Here is a link to info on the 144 hour visa.

 http://cy.chineseembassy.org/eng/lsqw/t1567073.htm

 

[cruzadict]

Thank you very much bigbenboys. I have spoken to the Chinese Embassy and even though we are eligible for the TWOV it is up to Celebrity and check in staff whether they will allow boarding under the TWOV programme.  I cannot get anyone in Celebrity to confirm it for me.  It is a nightmare and Celebrity don't seem to care.

[cruzadict]

I have just had an email from the consultant who booked our cruise for us.  She said that she had spoken to the ship documentation officer who says that if 1) we are not flying home via any other Chinese city or South Korea and 2)we are leaving Shanghai area within 144 hours then Celebrity will allow boarding.  However, he said from experience anyone with TWOV sometimes have a lengthy wait up to 2 hours in immigration after disembarking and would therefore advise that everyone obtain a multi visa.   I am happy to put up with the wait if there is one.  Thank you all for your help.

[mom says]

1 hour ago, cruzadict said:

I have just had an email from the consultant who booked our cruise for us.  She said that she had spoken to the ship documentation officer who says that if 1) we are not flying home via any other Chinese city or South Korea and 2)we are leaving Shanghai area within 144 hours then Celebrity will allow boarding.  However, he said from experience anyone with TWOV sometimes have a lengthy wait up to 2 hours in immigration after disembarking and would therefore advise that everyone obtain a multi visa.   I am happy to put up with the wait if there is one.  Thank you all for your help.

What your consultant said about the immigration wait in Shanghai mirrors our experience earlier this year when we disembarked. It was easily 2 hours before we exited Immigration. And the confusion regarding the 144 hr TWOV was no different for our cruise either.  Many pax panicked and spent the unnecessary time and expense of full visas because the Cruise line wouldn't give a clear yes or no. I can understand that with pax from so many different countries, who may have many different departure plans, they are just covering their butts.  But it doesn't make it easy for us. For us, a 2 hr wait in line was no reason to spend that much money and time for a visa.

 

Make sure you print off a couple of extra copies of your flight itineraries (with booking numbers) as well as your Shangai hotel confirmations. They will likely want a copy when you board the ship for the ships documentation officer, as well as a copy for the Immigration officials in Shanghai.

[cruzadict]

Thank you MOM your reply gives me a glimmer of hope.  I have just been looking at the cost and as we are leaving for Tokyo in 12 days would need the expedited application which is over £400 pp.  2 hour wait is more acceptable.  Have loads of copies of all documentation thanks.

[juanita1767]

We did an X cruise from Singapore ending in Shanghai last Jan/Feb and we just let X take care of the visa. We got the 144 hour visa, we stayed in Shanghai for two nights. 

 

However X really didn't know what they were doing with the visas because  we would get different paperwork in our cabin and had to keep going to guest relations and requesting the proper visa.  I think at the end of our cruise we had the paperwork for every visa they offered. 

[SFCAcruiser]

17 hours ago, cruzadict said:

Thank you MOM your reply gives me a glimmer of hope.  I have just been looking at the cost and as we are leaving for Tokyo in 12 days would need the expedited application which is over £400 pp.  2 hour wait is more acceptable.  Have loads of copies of all documentation thanks.

 

On a different itinerary, I experienced Celebrity's poor performance regarding visa requirements; for example, they stated a visa requirement for Egypt when that country was not on our itinerary, other than we passed through the Suez Canal.

So, dealing with Celebrity and required visas is frustrating.

What have members of your roll call been reporting?  

[cruzadict]

Thank you all for your help and I will definitely report back after our cruise.

[emmas gran]

Hi

Can I suggest you ring the Travel Visa Company tel:01270 250 590--you really need an answer specific to UK travelers