Vietnam Cruise Stops and E-visa

[kwofperth]

I have a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Singapore coming up in January that visits Vietnam. Members of my group hail from Mauritius and they are ineligible to apply for E-visas, nor is there a consulate in Mauritius.  What I would like to know is, if we don't have Vietnam visas at the time of boarding in Singapore, would we be denied entry onto the ship?  We would be happy to remain onbaord while in Vietnamese ports if we had to.

[kwofperth]

 

For sailings visiting Vietnam

• Guests visiting Vietnam will be required to apply for and receive a Vietnam Visa.
• To see if your country is eligible to apply for the E-via, please visit here or if your country doesn't require a visa before joining us onboard, please visit this link here.
• If you are eligible to apply for the E-visa, please fill in the Vietnam E-Visa form no later than 2 weeks prior to sailing.

• Please note, if your country is not listed as eligible for the E-visa, you will need to apply for your Vietnam Visa at your nearest Vietnam Embassy or consulate no later than 2 weeks prior to sailing.

• We will not assist guests with obtaining Visa on Arrival for Vietnam.

• For guests who apply for the E-visa/Visa, correct port name and date of entry and exit must be entered. If any of the information is incorrect, it will be considered an invalid visa and guests will not be allowed to debark. However, they are still able to sail.

[jpan]

I'm sailing to Vietnam with Celebrity in Dec 2023.  I am getting conflicting information.  I see that Princess & Holland America both make it very clear on their websites that Vietnam visas can be issued onboard.   I've experienced getting a blanket visa onboard (I forget which destination) before, it was seamless, just pay through onboard account.

 

On the Celebrity confirmation invoice, scroll down to the Visas section and they refer you to Visa Central/Celebrity.  Under the Celebrity Guest Info tab, it says Celebrity will issue a visa onboard.  You also get referred to Visa Central from Celebrity's FAQs for travel documentation.  

 

Now here's the kicker, when I called Celebrity (on 2 diff occasions to get diff reps), they both put me on hold for a long time and came back saying I had to get my own e-visa.  I simply wanted to confirm with them that we can get it onboard and they told me I need to get it myself.  They didn't even know about the Visa Central link.  How many will see this link on the website or the invoice and not even bother calling Celebrity to confirm?  Why isn't the requirement made more obvious to the consumer and to their own reps, one way or another?

 

I called Visa Central and she tells me to get an e-visa unless I will be transiting through Turkey.  I asked, do you see the Celebrity Guest Info tab?  Yes, but apparently what it says there doesn't mean anything.  She was still talking about Turkey.  

 

I called Celebrity's post travel customer support to see what they had to say.  They said they couldn't guaranteed what it says in Visa Central and I should get an e-visa.  Something about it may get too busy on the ship for them to process everyone's visa request.  Really?  I asked for the general customer support dept, and the front line phone number/reservations told me they are customer support.  SMH.

 

Granted, I'm looking for something/someone very official to tell me not to worry about e-visas because it will be issued onboard.  Looks like I'm going to have to get an e-visa myself just to avoid troubles.

[Expat Cruise]

Seems to be a lot of confusion about e-visa here. I live in Asia and have for the last 25 years. Have done several cruises, and maybe two dozen other trips to Vietnam. Here is what I have learned to be true.

 

1) If you type e-visa or visa in a web search for Vietnam, you will find many sites claiming to be official. Some even use government logos, they're all travel agencies unless the web address is dot gov.vn. Only use a dot gov.vn site.  Here is the link to apply  

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/

 

2) If the cruise has multiple port calls in Vietnam, you only need a single entry visa as long as all port calls are in a row. If you visit another country after doing a Vietnam port call and then return for another Vietnam Port Call, then you would need a multi entry visa. 

 

3) You pay much more for a visa issued on the ship. If the ship charges more than about $25 you're better off applying online.

 

4) If you have an e-visa, you can overnight in Vietnam with a Single Entry Visa. If you have a ship's visa, you cannot. 

 

5) Many countries do not require a visa for Vietnam: most of Europe, Asia, are visa free as well as Chile, Panama, and Russia.  But US, CA, AU, all require a visa.

 

The visa process is really very easy, Vietnam is a great place to visit. As long as guests use the official site, no issues. For Asian Cruises most cruise lines collect and hold guests passports, it just makes clearances in the ports much faster. If you have your own visa, check your ship account, they sometimes charge you for a ship's visa  when you already have an e-visa. My wife uses her Philippines passport which is Visa free, but I have found a visa fee charged to our account a couple of times, so check to avoid overcharging. 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by Expat Cruise

[John Bull]

7 hours ago, jpan said:

 

 

I called Visa Central and she tells me to get an e-visa unless I will be transiting through Turkey.  I asked, do you see the Celebrity Guest Info tab?  Yes, but apparently what it says there doesn't mean anything.  She was still talking about Turkey.  

 

 

 

 If by  "transiting thro Turkey" you mean your ship making port-of-call visits to Turkish ports, even that information is inaccurate 🙄

Cruise passengers do not require Turkish visas (or a ship-issued visa) if they arrive and depart on the ship & the ship does not stay more than 72 hours in any Turkish port.

That's a very well-known concession to cruise ships (and some ferries) 

https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/info/do-i-need-an-e-visa-if-i-am-on-a-cruise-ship/

 

Either  Expat's otherwise excellent post is wrong on point # 3 or I am well out-of-date, because ship-issued visas have always been cheaper as well as easier than getting your own e-visa.

This is usually just the few dollars charged to the cruise line plus the cruise line's handling charge.

Expat's post may have been influenced by NCL's exorbitant new $99 charge, which has resulted in many NCL passengers arranging their own e-visas.

 

(Ship-issued visas aren't standard Tourist Visas - they are restricted to arrival & departure on the ship, and create complications for those who wish to overnite in a hotel ashore.)

 

As far as I'm aware every cruise ship provides a visitor visa for Vietnamese ports, and charges it to passengers' on-board accounts, much as you've read on Celebrity's website.

 

Head office cruise staff (all cruise lines) are notoriously inaccurate on matters involving visas & passports., whereas crew on-board know the ropes. And that's understandable because terms vary considerably according to the traveller's nationality / nationalities, country visited, previous and subsequent countries visited, means of travel, cruise passenger exemptions, etc ad infinitum and Head Office staff can't be expected to have it all in their heads.

 

I'm always happier to hear a head office rep say "I don't know, I'll find out & get back to you" rather than being given  the standard sort of "the answer's no, now what's the question?" response.

 

OK so you've asked two different reps.

It's time to go further up the chain of command.

Probably better to do so by e-mail, to elicit a written (and copy-able) e-mailed response - that's more likely to get the correct info rather than a cavalier or best-guess reply. And if a written reply tells you incorrectly that you need an e-visa you can seek recompense for your wasted e-visa. (Recompense for that quite small sum is best sought on the ship, where to avoid endless letters and paperwork they have the leeway to present you with a bottle of bubbly & chocs, or even a speciality dinner - so talk sweetly to Guest Relations)) 

 

Good luck in sorting it out - I reckon you won't need an e-visa, but it's your cruise that'll be ruined if I'm wrong - so get that in writing from Celebrity or stump up for an e-visa

 

JB 🙂

  

[jpan]

12 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

Seems to be a lot of confusion about e-visa here. I live in Asia and have for the last 25 years. Have done several cruises, and maybe two dozen other trips to Vietnam. Here is what I have learned to be true.

 

1) If you type e-visa or visa in a web search for Vietnam, you will find many sites claiming to be official. Some even use government logos, they're all travel agencies unless the web address is dot gov.vn. Only use a dot gov.vn site.  Here is the link to apply  

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/

 

2) If the cruise has multiple port calls in Vietnam, you only need a single entry visa as long as all port calls are in a row. If you visit another country after doing a Vietnam port call and then return for another Vietnam Port Call, then you would need a multi entry visa. 

 

3) You pay much more for a visa issued on the ship. If the ship charges more than about $25 you're better off applying online.

 

4) If you have an e-visa, you can overnight in Vietnam with a Single Entry Visa. If you have a ship's visa, you cannot. 

 

5) Many countries do not require a visa for Vietnam: most of Europe, Asia, are visa free as well as Chile, Panama, and Russia.  But US, CA, AU, all require a visa.

 

The visa process is really very easy, Vietnam is a great place to visit. As long as guests use the official site, no issues. For Asian Cruises most cruise lines collect and hold guests passports, it just makes clearances in the ports much faster. If you have your own visa, check your ship account, they sometimes charge you for a ship's visa  when you already have an e-visa. My wife uses her Philippines passport which is Visa free, but I have found a visa fee charged to our account a couple of times, so check to avoid overcharging. 

 

 

Thank you for the info!

[jpan]

7 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

 

 If by  "transiting thro Turkey" you mean your ship making port-of-call visits to Turkish ports, even that information is inaccurate 🙄

Cruise passengers do not require Turkish visas (or a ship-issued visa) if they arrive and depart on the ship & the ship does not stay more than 72 hours in any Turkish port.

That's a very well-known concession to cruise ships (and some ferries) 

https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/info/do-i-need-an-e-visa-if-i-am-on-a-cruise-ship/

 

Either  Expat's otherwise excellent post is wrong on point # 3 or I am well out-of-date, because ship-issued visas have always been cheaper as well as easier than getting your own e-visa.

This is usually just the few dollars charged to the cruise line plus the cruise line's handling charge.

Expat's post may have been influenced by NCL's exorbitant new $99 charge, which has resulted in many NCL passengers arranging their own e-visas.

 

(Ship-issued visas aren't standard Tourist Visas - they are restricted to arrival & departure on the ship, and create complications for those who wish to overnite in a hotel ashore.)

 

As far as I'm aware every cruise ship provides a visitor visa for Vietnamese ports, and charges it to passengers' on-board accounts, much as you've read on Celebrity's website.

 

Head office cruise staff (all cruise lines) are notoriously inaccurate on matters involving visas & passports., whereas crew on-board know the ropes. And that's understandable because terms vary considerably according to the traveller's nationality / nationalities, country visited, previous and subsequent countries visited, means of travel, cruise passenger exemptions, etc ad infinitum and Head Office staff can't be expected to have it all in their heads.

 

I'm always happier to hear a head office rep say "I don't know, I'll find out & get back to you" rather than being given  the standard sort of "the answer's no, now what's the question?" response.

 

OK so you've asked two different reps.

It's time to go further up the chain of command.

Probably better to do so by e-mail, to elicit a written (and copy-able) e-mailed response - that's more likely to get the correct info rather than a cavalier or best-guess reply. And if a written reply tells you incorrectly that you need an e-visa you can seek recompense for your wasted e-visa. (Recompense for that quite small sum is best sought on the ship, where to avoid endless letters and paperwork they have the leeway to present you with a bottle of bubbly & chocs, or even a speciality dinner - so talk sweetly to Guest Relations)) 

 

Good luck in sorting it out - I reckon you won't need an e-visa, but it's your cruise that'll be ruined if I'm wrong - so get that in writing from Celebrity or stump up for an e-visa

 

JB 🙂

  

 

Thank you for the advice about trying to get recompensation onboard if I end up in that situation.  Doesn't hurt to try.

[kwofperth]

I have just had it confirmed in an email from Royal Caribbean Asia-Pacific that I cannot board the ship without a Vietnam visa.

 

A travel agent also confirmed it verbally via the call centre.

[kwofperth]

Thank you for contacting Royal Caribbean.

 

Kindly note that It is the sole responsibility of the guest to identify and obtain all required visas and travel documents and have them available before the sail date of the cruise. These appropriate valid travel documents such as passports, visas, inoculation certificates, and family legal documents are required for boarding regardless of whether you stay on the ship or go ashore.

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, kwofperth said:

Thank you for contacting Royal Caribbean.

 

Kindly note that It is the sole responsibility of the guest to identify and obtain all required visas and travel documents and have them available before the sail date of the cruise. These appropriate valid travel documents such as passports, visas, inoculation certificates, and family legal documents are required for boarding regardless of whether you stay on the ship or go ashore.

 

I'm still far from convinced - that looks very much like a standard letter to suit all cruises, not a reply to your specific question about visas for Vietnam.

But of course you have to follow that letter rather than some guy on Cruise Critic, and get your e-visas.

 

Never mind - remember to take a copy of your e-mail and their reply with you, and check out the ship's premium-pay restaurants and Champagne cellar 😏

 

Have a great cruise

 

JB 🙂

 

[toolworker]

One website (so far) posted today (May 30) that a new policy approved last week provides for a $5 landing slip issued on arrival on cruise ships.

 

This was posted 7 hours ago on "a commercial website, NOT the official website of Vietnam government or affiliated with Vietnam Government." [Edit:] I don't see other mentions of the $5 landing slip so far, but news stories from last week report other tourist-friendly changes to Vietnam's visa policy. 

 

The post says that "cruise passengers will pay a US$5 visa fee each, instead of a staggering US$45, when they go ashore for a local tour." "Immigration officers would issue a landing slip for visitors upon arrival at a fee of US$5 if they want to go ashore for sightseeing."

Edited May 30, 2023 by toolworker
Add mention of other news stories.

[minabruuke]

On 5/24/2023 at 9:06 AM, John Bull said:

 

Expat's post may have been influenced by NCL's exorbitant new $99 charge, which has resulted in many NCL passengers arranging their own e-visas.

 

 

I was actually reading this forum in hopes of finding answers as to whether that ridiculous $99 charge through NCL can be easily avoided.  The Vietnam government website has me questioning whether I can actually use an e-Visa.  They have a list of ports that people can enter and exit using an e-visa and I don't see Phu My seaport listed.  I do see Ho Chi Minh City seaport but I didn't think these were the same ports, am I wrong?  Has anyone used an e-visa at the Phu My port?  

[lfplenore]

2 hours ago, minabruuke said:

Has anyone used an e-visa at the Phu My port?  

This is from the NCL website, so yes, Phu My is HCMC and should work for e-visa. I really hope that the post saying that there will be a $5 cruise passenger visa is correct!

Edited May 31, 2023 by lfplenore
clarification

[minabruuke]

1 minute ago, lfplenore said:

This is from the NCL website, so yes, Phu My is HCMC and should work for e-visa. I really hope that the post saying that there will be a $5 cruise passenger visa is correct!

Your screen shot just shows how cruise lines tend to notate a stop where the ship will dock in one place (in this case Phu My) and the intended/expected destination for most passengers is another place (in this case Ho Chi Minh City).  Rome (Civittavecchia), Italy is a comparable example; the ship docks in Civittavecchia but the reason the ships docks there is so that passengers can access Rome.

 

It wouldn't make much sense for the Vietnamese government to not accept the eVisa at the Phu My port but I can't find anything that confirms that the Phu My port is included with what the government is referring to as Ho Chi Minh City Seaport (which I believe is a network of ports on the river). From what I have found, the two have different port codes VNPHU (Phu My port)  vs VNSGN (HCMC port).

[toolworker]

But it might not matter. See my post just above:

9 hours ago, toolworker said:

One website (so far) posted today (May 30) that a new policy approved last week provides for a $5 landing slip issued on arrival on cruise ships.

[minabruuke]

7 minutes ago, toolworker said:

But it might not matter. See my post just above:

It would be great if these changes occured and the changes were made quickly. However, these sorts of changes are not always quick to be officially implemented. Even if I want to hope that they may be implemented in time for the cruise I am taking, that would be a rather quick timeline for most governments and thus I am going expect and plan for the scenario that I will most likely need a Visa.

[Goldconnection]

 

This visa will be a multi-entry 90 days. This will be great for those of us doing b2b cruises. As it stands now we have to apply for Vietnam visas for both cruise as current visas are single entry and 30 days. My DH and I will only need to apply for one visa. Something should be announced sometime in June. I am following this one closely. 
 

It appears, Vietnam is hoping to increase tourism with this new visa.

[lfplenore]

Great news! We are going to be in Vietnam in October as well as visiting on a cruise in December. Only one visa needed!

[lfplenore]

On 5/30/2023 at 5:46 PM, minabruuke said:

It wouldn't make much sense for the Vietnamese government to not accept the eVisa at the Phu My port but I can't find anything that confirms that the Phu My port is included with what the government is referring to as Ho Chi Minh City Seaport (which I believe is a network of ports on the river).

Did you ever get clarification regarding this? I emailed both the e-visa and US Vietnam Embassy to verify that Phu My is considered the same as HCMC but received no response from either.

[lfplenore]

I finally heard back from the Vietnam e-visa people. Their response is copied below. It appears that if Phu My is your entry port to Vietnam, an e-visa will not work. Hope this helps clarify the issue.

 

It seems that you will dock at Phu My port as soon as you arrive in Vietnam. However, Phu My port is not on the list of E-visa. (Phu My port is different from HCM seaport (called Sai Gon seaport).

 

In this case, you should obtain a visa from Vietnam Embassy nearby.

[Torfamm]

On 6/14/2023 at 9:52 AM, lfplenore said:

I finally heard back from the Vietnam e-visa people. Their response is copied below. It appears that if Phu My is your entry port to Vietnam, an e-visa will not work. Hope this helps clarify the issue.

 

It seems that you will dock at Phu My port as soon as you arrive in Vietnam. However, Phu My port is not on the list of E-visa. (Phu My port is different from HCM seaport (called Sai Gon seaport).

 

In this case, you should obtain a visa from Vietnam Embassy nearby.

If an e-visa were a option it would be for Vung Tau, not Ho Chi Minh City.  I have asked and am still waiting for an answer about whether it is indeed considered Vung Tau.

 

Vung Tau port includes the following component ports:

Cai Mep - Thi Vai Port, Sao Mai-Ben Dinh: This is the main port for container transport. Currently, the port is capable of receiving ships up to 200,000 DWT. The main container terminals are TCTT/TCIT, CMIT, TCTT, SSIT and Gemalink (expected to officially open January 2020).

Ports of Phu My, My Xuan: a general port, a container port capable of receiving ships up to 30,000 DWT. As planned by the government of Vietnam, this port will be capable of receiving ships up to 80,000 DWT.

Port on Dinh river: is capable of receiving ships up to 20,000 DWT, and will be capable to handle ships up to 30,000 DWT.

Port of Ben Dam, Con Dao Island.

[Torfamm]

Per the news article below Vietnam e-visas will  be good for 90 days and allow multiple entries starting on August 15. 

 

"The National Assembly on April 24 approved extending tourist e-visas from 30 to 90 days, starting from August 15, 2023, at its ongoing fifth session.

Upon being granted an e-visa, a foreigner can enter and exit an unlimited number of times within 90 days, without having to go through procedures for obtaining a new visa"

 

https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-approves-extending-evisas-to-90-days/255219.vnp#:~:text=Hanoi (VNA) - The National,for obtaining a new visa

[Torfamm]

I found some very useful information about port names in Vietnam on Royal Caribbean’s website. 

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/additional-requirements-to-cruise-from-singapore

 

[lapol]

On 5/30/2023 at 8:33 AM, toolworker said:

One website (so far) posted today (May 30) that a new policy approved last week provides for a $5 landing slip issued on arrival on cruise ships.

 

This was posted 7 hours ago on "a commercial website, NOT the official website of Vietnam government or affiliated with Vietnam Government." [Edit:] I don't see other mentions of the $5 landing slip so far, but news stories from last week report other tourist-friendly changes to Vietnam's visa policy. 

 

The post says that "cruise passengers will pay a US$5 visa fee each, instead of a staggering US$45, when they go ashore for a local tour." "Immigration officers would issue a landing slip for visitors upon arrival at a fee of US$5 if they want to go ashore for sightseeing."

 

Update for anyone who was hopeful: turns out this article is old news from 2015. Discovered by someone in a TripAdvisor thread: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293921-i8432-k14292439-Cruise_ship_visa_fee_back_to_5_per_day-Vietnam.html.

[lapol]

I also found a helpful post from 2020 confirming that e-visa is acceptable to use at Phu My Port: