Azamarajunkie Posted December 6, 2019 #1 Share Posted December 6, 2019 We are on the first Black Sea cruise next year in July and have been mulling over whether we need any visas in advance, particularly for Russia when we dock in Sochi. I know a number of CC members went on the previous cruises there before the troubles in Ukraine happened and wonder if the ship handled any visas required. This is also a question for Bonnie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excitedofharpenden Posted December 6, 2019 #2 Share Posted December 6, 2019 Steve, I think you will find Sochi is the same as St Petersburg Ie you'll need to book a tour through an officially licensed company (either the ship or authorised agent) to fall under the 72 hour rule of stay. Otherwise you'd need to obtain a Russian visa yourself. That's not something that is very straightforward or economical so the tour is the way to go. Phil 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harrietq Posted December 6, 2019 #3 Share Posted December 6, 2019 (edited) Keeping in mind other less experienced travelers might read this thread, I submit it’s a good idea to check any visa requirements (short or long term) with your home country. What works for one passenger may not be valid for another in the multinational population on Azamara. Speaking as a US citizen, I couldn’t agree more about taking a tour that includes a short-visit visa rather than securing a Russian visa. That spendy process is tedious, at best. Edited December 6, 2019 by Harrietq 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azamarajunkie Posted December 10, 2019 Author #4 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Thankyou Phil and Harriet, I wasn’t aware of the 72 hour visa rule in Russia for cruise passengers, it’s a new destination for us. Planning continues for this cruise as all the ports in the Black Sea are new to us, and are still awaiting Azamara to provide details of interesting land tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manc Posted December 10, 2019 #5 Share Posted December 10, 2019 More shore excursions have been added for this cruise. We are wondering if we will need visas for Georgia and the Ukraine and if we are out of the EU the situation may change further Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excitedofharpenden Posted December 10, 2019 #6 Share Posted December 10, 2019 I’ve been to Ukraine fairly recently and didn’t need a visa. Not sure about Georgia. You need to check the GOV.uk website for the up to date situation. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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