I am so confused!

[jrkfrk]

We will be on the Nautica cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore January 6, 2007. I cannot figure out if we need a one entry or double entry visa for China. I called Oceania and they said we needed a double, but according to the China visa information page, a visa is not needed for Hong Kong, and we only make one stop in China (Canton) - can anyone who has "been there, done that" please let me know - thanks in advance!

 

Fran (and Jeff)

[Druke I]

Rules of course change from time to time, but when we did China on Regal Princess 3-01, with port calls at Shanghai & Hong Kong, and the cruise terminating in Beijing, our Visas had "2" entries noted.

 

Hong Kong, being a former Crown Colony, has different rules from much of China.

 

I think the info from the China Visa website may be more accurate that what you are getting from Oceania.

[spindrift]

In March we did the Beijing to Hong Kong trip. We had to have a double entry visa because we sailed from Beijing to Seoul then into Shanghai. We, therefore, left China, went to another country, and returned to China.

 

I must say, look at your itinerary, because Oceania emphasized the double entry. We used a passport/visa company in Houston (Passports Plus), paid an extra fee for all handling, and I ended up having to stay on the ship in Shanghai because they screwed up my visa. Of course, the staff on the ship was wonderful and I was not upset because it ultimately was MY responsibility to see that my visa was wrong. (My husband took wonderful pictures (both still and video) of Shanghai).

 

Best bet, check with Oceania and then check with the Chinese embassy.

[MMastell]

Check your itinerary:

 

If you stop at a country other than China, after you leave Hong Kong, you would need a double entry.

 

To enter and leave Hong Kong you would not need a Visa but if you go from Hong Kong to a non-Chinese port before you go to Canton, you would need a double entry Visa.

 

If you go from Hong Kong to one or more Chinese cities without going to a foreign port, at any point in between, you only need a single entry visa.

 

Take care,

Mike