Bali visa

[AliWood]

We have just returned from Solstice, Sydney to Singapore with overnight in Bali. Celebrity had sent emails before departure reminding people that they needed to ensure they had the correct visas for both Australia and Indonesia, I spent some 5 hours about 2 weeks before departure trying to get the Indonesia immigration website to accept our passports, photos and payment. Eventually I succeeded and thank god I did. On arrival at Sydney those without visas for Bali were asked to sign a form to say that they would get the visa while en route. This proved very difficult with the feeble Wi-Fi on board, and long queues formed at Guest Relations to try to get them to help. They were unwilling apparently, but huge numbers needed this visa and so they set up a help centre, people queued for 4 hours to try to get this resolved. They produced a step by step guide to doing it online, but as I said the internet connection is not great and was swamped by the sheer numbers trying to get online. Eventually Celebrity contacted head office and they boarded Indonesian immigration staff at Darwin to manually issue the visas to those who hadn’t got them. All passports were collected before Darwin and not returned until after Bali.

Everywhere on the ship you could hear conversations about the visa situation. Very irritating and Celebrity could have done much more, much earlier, to remind passengers of the need to get the visa yourself. Visa on arrival did not seem to be an option! 

Just a cautionary tale really.

[mom says]

Perhaps instead of blaming the cruise line, the blame should go to all the passengers who ignored the warning that it was the passenger's  responsibility to have all of the necessary documents BEFORE embarkation. Its not as if this warning is hidden. They should consider themselves lucky that they weren't denied boarding in the first place. 

[Alakegirl]

Celebrity sent emails. Passengers ignore them.  How is this Celebrity’s fault?

[mahasamatman]

Those passengers should have been denied boarding. End of discussion.

[AliWood]

The email we got could have been more definitive in the absolute need to ensure you sorted out any visa before boarding. Or they could have reminded passengers that they would be denied shore leave if they hadn’t got them. Of course this was a repo cruise and some people boarded in Vancouver so Bali seemed like a lifetime away! As it does now already!

[RTShaker]

When you book you get your guest invoice. On page 3 or 4 it is noted in bold that you must ensure you have proper documents for your cruise. Unless you booked last minute there are at least 3 months up to a couple of years to get organized. Blame does not fall on Celebrity. They gave ample warning.

[Ocdublin]

We are working on this right now for our cruise in January.  We have to complere the on line arrival visa, since we start our cruise in Singapore.  It’s very stressful first you have to get the photo with the right pixel, then you have to find the port zip code.  People have complained that there isn’t anyone that can help you from celebrity with any questions. Some have rejected because you have to notify your credit card beforehand, because they flag it a fraudulent transaction. It’s a nightmare and I’m just getting my information together.

[NMTraveller]

Having done this recently.  It is a bit of a production.  The web page should be more user friendly and give hints on how to get the passport pictures accepted.

[NMTraveller]

I also found out that if you use a Chase Visa the charge seems to go through.  Tried a different card and it did not.

[Baynanno1]

47 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Having done this recently.  It is a bit of a production.  The web page should be more user friendly and give hints on how to get the passport pictures accepted.

 

If your cruise includes a stop at Bali, you will be asked to show your visa at the time of embarkation, regardless of whether you are getting off the ship or staying onboard during the stop.

 

As this visa is only valid for 30 days, I would advise to do it not more than a couple of weeks before the cruise. (there is not an option to choose less than 30 days)

 

The website has been improved a little.

When we did ours prior to the October 19 cruise, the instructions for uploading photos were found under the photo spaces as "Terms and Conditions"

The instructions and examples are now visible on the application page without having to search.

 

Once the passport photo has been uploaded, wait until it is approved before moving on - most of the information on the passport will automatically load.

Likewise, once the personal photo (following dimension requirements - not quite the same as passport photos) has been uploaded, wait until it is approved before moving on.

 

Accommodation is the ship.

Address - simply enter the postcode 80222 and the rest will fill automatically.

 

At the end of the page don't forget to "save" otherwise it's back to square one.

 

I believe they will only accept Mastercard or Visa, not Amex.

[Pushka]

We applied for a visa to Bali around 8 weeks ago for a land trip. It took all of two minutes. Earlier in the year we applied for India, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman. Guess we are practised at them now. I agree the cruise lines need to be much more specific in cases like this. 

[ECCruise]

13 hours ago, mahasamatman said:

Those passengers should have been denied boarding. End of discussion.

That was my first thought.

 

They sent the email noting that pax were to "ensure they had the correct visas."  It was not Celebrity's responsibility to jump through hoops, invest valuable staff time and possibly money to bring the Indonesian officials onboard because people couldn't follow the instructions in the email.  We've had several sailings where the visas were reviewed at check-in.  No visa, no boarding. 

[Northern Aurora]

I am presently on the Edge.  We transited the Suez several days ago and we will be on the ship until it reaches Sydney.  Passengers are reporting different experiences but the most difficult visa for us was Indonesia.  At least some passengers onboard are still working on Indonesian as the Suite concierges are trying to assist.  
 

While we obtained ours before leaving home I have an email in my travel folder from a shoreside concierge outlining which visas needed to be obtained before boarding.  In the Indonesian section the email states that (and I quote) “Ship can assist guests with this visa upon arrival.  Once you are onboard, our staff can assist you/guests with obtaining the necessary visa; however, there is no guarantee that your visa will be secured by the time we arrive in port.”  

[Ocdublin]

Thank you for that it’s appreciated!

[NMTraveller]

For mine I put the zip code and address of the hotel that I am staying at in Bali.  I hope that is not an issue.

[NMTraveller]

I also have not received an e-mail from Celebrity on my cruise.  I know that I need the visa but zero e-mails.

[oceanwavegirl]

Such a headache I won’t cruise if the ship is heading to Bali I’ll pick a different itinerary