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Saudi Arabia Visa

cashmeremypuppydog

By cashmeremypuppydog,
in Silversea

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FlyerTalker Excellent Advice! Rare

FlyerTalker

Posted
Posted

Quick note:  When your complaint letter goes over 4 paragraphs, it gets moved to the bottom of the pile.  Folks think that putting in plenty of narrative helps - it doesn't.  They don't care about your background, about you being a researcher, and other "stuff".  What works is a quick, concise presentation of the issue, not a rambling narrative.  And further, you ask for nothing - it's merely a "field report".

 

I write this, not as a criticism, but as a fact of life to help for the future.  For everyone who wants to write a complaint letter.  (And this comes from years of dealing with complaint issues on both sides).

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FlyerTalker Excellent Advice! Rare

FlyerTalker

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One further suggestion.  After finishing your note, go back and take out half of it.  And then put yourself into the shoes of the person who will be receiving this and ask what kind of personal response this would trigger.  Then tailor til you find a way to make the person on the other end WANT to help you out.  Or at least be willing to.

 

 

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Skyhigh

Skyhigh

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I have a trip coming up with 2 planned stops in Saudi Arabia , and everybody is pointing me to the Tourism EVisa.   When applying for that it wants a hotel name, phone number and email.     What have people successfully put here?  I am thinking of using Silversea Moon Cruise Ship and leaving the phone number and email blank.  Thoughts? 

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Fletcher "Live from...." Rare

Fletcher

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23 minutes ago, Skyhigh said:

I have a trip coming up with 2 planned stops in Saudi Arabia , and everybody is pointing me to the Tourism EVisa.   When applying for that it wants a hotel name, phone number and email.     What have people successfully put here?  I am thinking of using Silversea Moon Cruise Ship and leaving the phone number and email blank.  Thoughts? 

Try Jeddah Islamic Port.  That's what I put when we went to Saudi on the Cloud earlier this year.

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Skyhigh

Skyhigh

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6 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

Be aware that the transit visa is a SINGLE entry visa.  So if you have two stops, that will not work, even though you are granted four days.  They count each port as a separate entry.

 

Caveat emptor.

 

 

Thanks.  SS was pretty good about explaining the difference between the transit and the Tourism visas, and I do have 2 ports so I appear to need the latter.

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Critically Cruising "Live from...." Rare

Critically Cruising

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22 hours ago, mystik said:

i know there are other visa web site like visa central but could anyone give me a few other web site this is for brazil and cape verde.

 

Remember that those other websites are merely front-end processors for your visas.  If you are getting an electronic visa, your most effective and least expensive option is the immigration/customs ministry of the country itself.

 

Just research to find the country's website for electronic submissions.  And be VERY aware that there are many websites out there purporting or implying that they are "official" ways to get your visas.  Don't fall for that.  

 

Further, I don't know why you are wanting a visa to both Brazil and Cape Verde, as both of them have a visa waiver in place for Canadian citizens.  (Note:  This is NOT legal or immigration advice, but merely my reading of the appropriate government websites.  Do you own due diligence to comply with all relevant laws)

 

 

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mystik

mystik

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29 minutes ago, Critically Cruising said:

 

Remember that those other websites are merely front-end processors for your visas.  If you are getting an electronic visa, your most effective and least expensive option is the immigration/customs ministry of the country itself.

 

Just research to find the country's website for electronic submissions.  And be VERY aware that there are many websites out there purporting or implying that they are "official" ways to get your visas.  Don't fall for that.  

 

Further, I don't know why you are wanting a visa to both Brazil and Cape Verde, as both of them have a visa waiver in place for Canadian citizens.  (Note:  This is NOT legal or immigration advice, but merely my reading of the appropriate government websites.  Do you own due diligence to comply with all relevant laws)

 

 

went i check cape verde on visacentral they ask for an evisa. Brazil is maybe for january.

 

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jollyjones

jollyjones

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2 hours ago, mystik said:

went i check cape verde on visacentral they ask for an evisa. Brazil is maybe for january.

 

If you google travel Cape Verde Canadian, you should get to the Canadian gov site. 
It says you need a visa that is obtained on arrival - this may be done by SS? Perhaps check with SS before you do anything else. 
I am UK and we need a different form but I have been to Cape Verde at least twice with SS and I don’t recall having to do anything myself. 

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mystik

mystik

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1 hour ago, jollyjones said:

If you google travel Cape Verde Canadian, you should get to the Canadian gov site. 
It says you need a visa that is obtained on arrival - this may be done by SS? Perhaps check with SS before you do anything else. 
I am UK and we need a different form but I have been to Cape Verde at least twice with SS and I don’t recall having to do anything myself. 

what is ss

 

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Skyhigh

Skyhigh

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8 hours ago, Poppy1966 said:

Wouldn’t even bother. The whole SA visa website is dreadful.. I just gave up and stayed onboard….and don’t think I missed much judging by the comments of fellow passengers who did go ashore or did tours. 

 

SS told me that we were required to have visas for SA even if we didn't plan to get off the ship.  Don't know if the fact that we have 2 planned stops in SA makes a difference.

 

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Nowvoyager8

Nowvoyager8

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I agree with Poppy's comment about the Saudi Arabia website. My husband's visa never arrived (mine did, within 3 days!) so we had to cancel it at the port immigration in Dammam and take out a new one at a cost of 130$. No possibility of getting the Transit visa (which DOES exist). The officers at the port assured me we would get the original payment back - still waiting for refund 2 weeks later! 

SS told me that we did NOT have to have KSA visa to board ship at beginning of cruise. However, information from SS was SO inconsistent (as was almost everything else on the ship, I have to say) that we didn't know what to believe & were very anxious on embarkation day. The most annoying aspect was meeting another English couple on our Dammam excursion who had been told by their TA that SS would help them get a Transit visa on board ship! They went to ship's reception & were helped to complete the forms to get a Transit visa for 27$!! 

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Littlehoglet

Littlehoglet

Posted
Posted
On 11/18/2023 at 10:09 AM, cashmeremypuppydog said:

This is what I followed (MSC step by step) when I requested our visa! Plus, I took the time to call SS and then email my concern (see email below). No one bothered responding! I was quite disappointed with their lack of care for such a beautiful cruise line.

 

“Sept 1

To whom it may concern,
I would like to introduce myself before I explain my problem with SilverSea. I am a 53 years old well- travelled female and have discovered over 90 countries. I have sailed mostly on HAL, Princess and Celibrity. I am a retired police officer who worked only 20 years in Saskatchewan, Canada. My husband is 75 years old and a retired police officer with 31 years of service. All that to say we are VERY BLESSED to be able to sail our first SilverSea cruise on Nov 16 (9 nights) from Dubai. 
This upcoming trip: We are flying on Oct 16 to Dubai and will then fly to Sri Lanka and then Nepal to finally fly back to Dubai on Nov 14 and will embark on our first SilverSea cruise on Nov 16.
I always plan our trips perfectly which means many hours of research. We will need e-Visa for India, Nepal and Saudi Arabia. I find valuable information on cruisecritic.com
I found out that since Jan 2, 2022, it is possible to obtain an eVisa through Saudi Arabia MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affair): visa.mofa.gov.sa for under US$30.
I contacted SS about 2 weeks ago to ask them why they were directing us to a Saudi Arabia website who did not offer the “maritime e-Visa” but only the regular e-Visa over US$100. I was informed that someone would look into the matter.
About 1 hour later, I received a generic email from SS showing the same info I had received when I booked my SS cruise. Obviously, no one had look into the matter.
I was sad as MSC cruise line shows on their website how to obtain the maritime e-Visa.
Because I am thrifty (we travel 4 months every year), I decided to apply for our eVisa on MOFA website (Aug 26, 2023). Everything went smooth expect the downloading of the photo and from what I read, it is as difficult on the regular eVisa website (resolution need to be 200x200....). But I succeeded. My cost: US$26.52 and hubby US$30.00. It is due to the difference of age as you need to select a mandatory
Travel insurance. Both cost: $10.50 for the application of the visa, another $10.50 for the application of the insurance and Chantal $5.52 for the insurance and Dennis $9 for the insurance.
I am taking time out of my life to contact you as I really feel your customer service on this matter was a 1/10. Not bothering checking into this issue about eVisa is not acceptable. Many of the upcoming cruise will stop in Saudi Arabia... I had pride in doing my job perfectly when I was a police officer and as I have a passion for travelling, it is why I guess I am taking some of my precious time on earth to contact you for a second.
Your agent Jorge Lay that helped me on Sept 1, was 10/10. This is a quality worker and I hope you know that.
I do hope hubby and I will be able to experience SS many more times after the Nov 16. Actually, I am keeping my eyes open for Silver Nova for Feb 2024. We will be cruise HAL Jan 7-29 Santiago to Buenos Aires and will be flying to Iguazu Falls. I have already organized a few tours on CruiseCritic... We purchased a one-way ticket to Santiago. I am hoping your cruises on Silver Nova will become Interline. Time will tell!
Sept 1, 2023
  
 Thank you for listening.”

Firstly, many thanks for the info you posted as this really helped with finding the MOFA website to apply for the (much) cheaper eVisa option for entry to SA. This may sound obvious to others, and I'm certain I am overthinking this question, but I am in the process of applying for our e-visas and after it asks how you are arriving (which for us is by Sea) it then asks for departure country. My first thought was India as SS is departing from Mumbai, but then as we are from the UK , I wonder if we should put that as this is the country we originated from to travel. I am 99% certain it is India but wanted to double check. Many thanks 

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cashmeremypuppydog

cashmeremypuppydog

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1 hour ago, Littlehoglet said:

Firstly, many thanks for the info you posted as this really helped with finding the MOFA website to apply for the (much) cheaper eVisa option for entry to SA. This may sound obvious to others, and I'm certain I am overthinking this question, but I am in the process of applying for our e-visas and after it asks how you are arriving (which for us is by Sea) it then asks for departure country. My first thought was India as SS is departing from Mumbai, but then as we are from the UK , I wonder if we should put that as this is the country we originated from to travel. I am 99% certain it is India but wanted to double check. Many thanks 

I am glad I could help others. You are correct: enter India as you are departing on your cruise from India.

Now, I am trying to get a visa from Brazil. Believe it or not but it is even worst than Saudi Arabia as they just started Dec 1 to accept e-via and the government is NOT ready. I will spare you all the details but I applied a week ago and I still have not receive our visas!

Have a great cruise.

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Littlehoglet

Littlehoglet

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Posted

Many thanks for the additional information. I am just about there with the visa info needed but the only stumbling block now is to register my occupation. I am retired but as it appears to be a pre-populated drop down box, this is not recognised. I have tried Senior; Other and Unemployed! Nothing works and you can't move to next page to pay unless you complete this information. Any ideas what to say?

 

Good luck with your Brazilian Visa and you get in plenty of time. We are off to Argentina next month on a cruise but staying a few days beforehand in Brazil. Being from the UK (and staying less than 90 days) we don't have that to contend with visas. I think the two we need for March is enough to keep us out of mischief!

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