Visas and vaccines!

Good evening all!

We are just about to book our cruise next year (March 4th) on the celebrity millennium. Now as I am a British citizen I don't need a visa for Hong Kong, Vietnam nor Taiwan... but my girlfriend holds an Irish passport (even though it states she was born in the U.K.) so according to the Vietnam visa site she will require a visa. After scouring a few forums I've seen some people say you don't need a visa if you're not staying in Vietnam overnight (i.e. Sleeping on the ship not on the land) and just get a landing card that you need to keep hold of and some say you do need a visa but the cruise line will just send a request to Vietnam for the entire ship, has anyone travelled recently via celebrity and know what the procedure is??

Secondly, which vaccines do people usually have when travelling to Hong Kong/Vietnam/Taiwan.... just upon reading the NHS website it recommends about 8 vaccines... I think it's just a general recommendation whether you're travelling in a risky area of the country for weeks or a few costal resorts for the day! I don't want to have to pay around £600 for vaccines when I don't REALLY need them!!

Thanks for your help!

Ryan

We did a similar cruise - RCCL, but I believe celebrity has same procedure,

Cruise line will take care of Vietnam visa - actually I do not believe that there will be a difference if you step on the ship or ashore - the visa is an ordinary tourist visa

I did not get any additional vaccinations for the cruise - has also don Malaysia, Indian and indonesia cruises without additional vaccination. I do not consider a cruise with short stays ashore risky in that area.

Not required but ask you doctor.

Hi Ryan,

Vietnamese visas issued on the ship aren't regular tourist visas.

They're only good for arriving and departing on the ship (so no good for joining or leaving a cruise), and I don't think that they're good to present to a hotel if you want to overnite ashore.

Your girlfriend will need a visa (what you were told was a "landing card"), but the ship will provide that with no need for you to do anything in advance.

The cost is added to her ship-board account, sorry I'm well out-of-date about the cost but its not expensive.

Visa-free for Brits is quite new, ships' crews are generally a lot more clued-up on such matters than their head offices but it might be a idea for you to make sure that the purser's office is aware that, being British, you don't need a visa and that they therefore don't provide one or charge you for it.

There are no mandatory inoculations for your itinerary, unless in the previous ten days you've been to a high-risk Yellow Fever area such as much of central Africa.

But advisory inoculations depend on a number of factors such as your age, your medical & inoculation history, the itinerary, whether you'll be overniting in port or ashore, and whether you're going inland.

So fix up an appointment with your GP's travel nurse & provide those itinerary details. To the best of my knowledge the appointments are free.

Probably they'll just suggest you top-up on any overdue hep A & B & anything else you should have even without foreign travel

They'll also give you advice about clothing, what not to eat or drink, contact with stray dogs etc.

JB :)

I would make sure that all of your vaccinations are up to date and yes that included Hep A & B. Also things like a Tetanus shot.

We take a flu shot.

Just consult with your doctor or if you can locate one a doctor who specializes in travel.

Keith

The Vietnam visa done onboard by the cruiseline (RCI or X) should be $6.00pp automatically charged to your SeaPass account.

I will be on Celebrity Millenium in 2018 Rt from HongKong with 3 stops in Vietnam. I know that we will need a visa for Vietnam. Do I need to bring a photo for the visa? Is the visa sold on the ship good if I take an independant tour or just ship sold excursions? Looking into a possible river cruise with an overnight? Is the ship sold visa okay for that...or do I need to get a tourist visa before leaving home in USA? I am a bit confused by this process. Appreciate feedback.

Hi Ryan, come across this thread. As a Brit you will not require a visa for Vietnam, but your girl friend will require one (best check with Celebrity if they will issue a visa when onboard).

https://www.vietnamimmigration.org/arrival-posts/item/836-continue-vietnam-visa-exemption-programs-for-5-western-european-countries-until-30-june-2018

With regards Jabs, the normal ones you have at home and visiting the Chinese will suffice.

Would recommend taking an anti mosquito spray.

Oh, almost forgot - see you onboard.;p

Vietnamese visas issued on the ship aren't regular tourist visas.

They're only good for arriving and departing on the ship (so no good for joining or leaving a cruise), and I don't think that they're good to present to a hotel if you want to overnite ashore.

Just wondering if anyone knows if the onboard issued visa is able to be used for an overnight ashore in Vietnam.

I'll obviously check with the cruise line, but keen to hear any experiences with this.

Just finished our travel check up for same area on ship.

Check Hep A and B Tetna shot up to date flu shot

And they highly recommended Typhoid because it can be water or food born.

Good mossie spray.

RE: Vaccinations

The Centers for Disease Control's Traveler's Health section has country recommendations specifically for cruise ships: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list/

In the US, I've found it's easiest to go to a "travel clinic". My regular doctor was not very knowledgeable and didn't have some of the vaccinations I wanted in stock.

Also, don't forget to make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccinations and your annual flu shot: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/routine Also, once you reach a certain age, the pneumonia and shingles vaccine is recommended. I think of cruise ships like hospitals. Everyone to confined to the ship, so illnesses spread fast.

To be honest, you are probably more likely to catch something ON the ship than OFF. Being vigilant about washing your hands thoroughly before meals and every time you return to your cabin from public areas helps a lot. Also, make a conscious effort to keep your hands away from your face. We do it so often without thinking, but most germs enter our bodies through our eyes, ears, nose or mouth.

I worked onboard before and got sick a lot in the beginning but rarely did after I made a concerted effort to pay attention to the basics.

There's nothing worse than spending lots of money for a cruise and then ending up sick or in quarantine.

For vaccines, if you are cruising and not travelling extensively in the country you should be ok with the basics, flu, tetanus with triple antigen, and maybe hep a/b.

I am in my 60’s, not particularly health conscious, have travelled through most of the world with just those needles.

In Zimbabwe I did take the course of malaria tablets, never saw or felt a mosquito, unlike in my backyard where they see me as a nighttime treat.

Talk to your doctor as your specific health conditions need to be taken into consideration but some of the recommendations are OTT.

In Asia, wear long sleeves and use mosquito repellant.

Many SE Asia countries can put you at risk for dengue fever transmitted by mosquitoes. There is no vaccination, and there is no cure. It can be fatal or leave one with permanent neurological damage. At the very least it will make you very sick with a high fever. So, it's best to protect yourself from mosquito bites. More info here: https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/traveloutbreaks/index.html