bishop84

It's still appears to be available as part of a 25 night cruise from 11 April, which is last 7-night Barbados roundtrip combined with the repositioning cruise.

Virgin and Silversea have now pulled their repositioning cruises via the Red Sea and the ships will sail around Africa without guests instead. It looks like Marella has 3 options: 1. Sail the cruise as scheduled and hope nothing happens. 2. Debark guests, and possibly non-essential crew, at India or Muscat and a. sail empty via the Red Sea and picking up the schedule in Limassol or Palma. b. sail empty via Africa and pick up the schedule in Palma. 3. Divert the cruise around Africa with guests and possibly selling segments i.e. to Kenya/Seychelles, South Africa etc. and pick up the schedule in Palma.

Also the NHS website has health information including required vaccinations: India - Fit for Travel

I believe that post is concerning anti-piracy measures such as razor wire and armed security. The current threat is mainly attack from ashore using missiles, rockets etc. This is why cruise and cargo operators have pulled their ships from that area and are diverting ships around southern Africa rather than the previously scheduled Red Sea and Suez Canal transits. AFAIK Marella appears to be the only cruise company still scheduling their ship via the Red Sea and still having the cruises on sale.

This is a link to the official application page: Official ESTA Application Website, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (dhs.gov) or Google/Bing/etc. official ESTA website.

There doesn't appear to be an out of service period planned for the Explorer 2 on the current schedule dated up to October 2025.

Like a lot of countries requiring a visa there are a lot of commercial websites that offer to do your visa at an extra cost. I googled the question and this came back as the official Indian Government website for e-visa applications: e-Visa (indianvisaonline.gov.in)

Maybe they are going to change the itinerary like they did on the cruise outbound? They replaced Aqaba with Sharm el Sheikh due to the political situation and war in Israel.

Here's a link to the Barbados government website for the entry form: Barbados - Online Customs & Immigration Portal (travelform.gov.bb) For the US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, you will need a current ESTA. You can apply or update, email address and address in USA only, your ESTA at the official US government website: Official ESTA Application Website, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (dhs.gov) FYI there are a LOT of 3rd party websites that offer help for large fees so make sure you use the official website! FYI If you have been to Cuba in the last few years you can't get an ESTA and will have to get a tourist visa. There will probably be an US Immigration Inspection when you get to Puerto Rico.

The C5 form is the customs and immigration form required to enter Jamaica. Since September this form is now digital and must be done prior to entering Jamaica. The official website is : Electronic C5 | Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) (enterjamaica.com)

Maybe the article is confused as Marella Voyager was previously called Mein Schiff 2 prior to changing to Mein Schiff Herz. The current Mein Schiff 2 is only 4 years old so it would be unlikely that TUI Cruises would want to transfer it already. TBH I think that if TUI were considering another ship for Marella it would more likely be a surplus ship from their partners in TUI Cruises i.e. Royal Caribbean International rather than one of the newer Mein Schiff ships.

Currently there aren't any cruises listed between 16 Oct 24 and 6 Nov 24 so that may indicate a refurbishment is planned.

AFAIK if you want to travel to the USA as long as you didn't visit Cuba after 12 January 2021 then you can get an ESTA. If you visited Cuba after the 12 January 2021 then you will need a B2 Tourist Visa. Information from the official USA Customs an Border Protection webpage: "The U.S. Department of State designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) on January 12, 2021.With limited exceptions, a traveler who is found to have visited Cuba on or after this date is not eligible for travel under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) using an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and must apply for a visa to travel to the United States. Additionally, a traveler who at the time of application for an ESTA holds dual nationality with both a VWP country and Cuba is not eligible for travel under the VWP using an ESTA and must apply for a visa to travel to the United States. If an ESTA has already been approved and it is later determined that the traveler has been present in Cuba or holds dual nationality with both a VWP country and Cuba, the ESTA will be revoked. Ineligibility for an ESTA is not a bar to travel to the United States. Individuals who are not eligible to travel under the VWP may apply for a visa at any U.S. embassy or consulate." Link to the webpage Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act Frequently Asked Questions | U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov) The UK Government Travel advice website also refers to the January 12 2021 date. Entry requirements - USA travel advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Looking at their webpage it appears the Canadian Electronic Travel Authorization is only for those arriving or transiting via airports. The webpage is at: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/eligibility.html Direct link: Electronic travel authorization (eTA): Who can apply - Canada.ca

All the calls so far have used Terminal E.

Just a polite reminder that an ESTA is valid for 2 years not just the one entry i.e. if you are going on a US holiday or through the US before it several times before it expires. Just remember to to update the details online for your next trip 🙂 . I know a lot of people know this already but I just helped some friends who didn't and were about to buy new ones!

Cruise companies generally say their ships are calling at New York and don't differentiate between the 3 terminals in New York Harbour. Therefore sites like Cruisemapper etc. just group the calls similarly which can cause confusion! I would use would go with the NY Cruise website, as that is the website of the city government organisation responsible for the Manhattan and Brooklyn Cruise Terminals in New York or Cruise Info (cruiseliberty.com) for Cape Liberty/Bayonne Terminal in New Jersey.

FYI Tourists are getting caught out with the revised duty free allowances and having goods confiscated and/or fines. Although the spirits allowance has gone up the tobacco allowance hasn't. From the HMRC website: Full details at: Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: Arriving in Great Britain - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Marella Discovery isn't on the schedule on the official Cape Liberty website, Cruise Info (cruiseliberty.com). However it is on the official NYCruise.com website with all calls listed as being at the Manhattan Terminal except the 20/21 Sept call which is scheduled at the Brooklyn Terminal.

As per the NYCruise website all the calls are currently scheduled to be at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal except the 20-21 Sept call which is scheduled at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. NYCruise website: NYCruise | One Port. Endless Possibilities.

🙂

The last I saw was that the calls would be at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal with the exception of the 20-21Sept Call which would be going to the Brooklyn Terminal but they were trying to have this moved to Manhattan. The Manhattan Cruise Terminal is on 12th Avenue and 50th Street West. Very near the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

Sounds very confusing if different embassies have differing interpretations of the rules! I applied for and got an ESTA last year despite having previously declared I had visited Cuba in 2017 when I applied for a US work visa application.

You should be OK as your visit to Cuba was prior to 12 January 2021 when Cuba was designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the US Government. The ban on visa free travel to the USA was if you visited Cuba after that date. FYI If you or your agent have tried to contact the embassy for information then they won't reply if they deem that the information you require has been published somewhere on their website!