Bpos

If flying into Siem Reap or Phnom Penh you can get a tourist visa on arrival, easy process and does not take long.  Otherwise if you want to ge a visa before you go, look at the good hotels, nominate one on your application, no one is going to check

Does anyone know if Celebrity have a meet and greet for Veterans.  Been with other cruise lines who do this and a great way to meet up with some like minded folk, thanks

With all this  talk about clothing suitable for cruising, let’s hope that one popular and indeed necessary item in recent times does not ever come back into vogue,

Found this on the Celebrity forum, published just an hour or so ago.

Bali is Indonesia so I assume if boarding the ship without a visa, it will be arranged for you.  A charge of $75 was quoted as the charge, presumably on top of the visa fee. 

think I will attempt the “Organise in advance” route but if not able to do so, at least I know I should be able to board the ship in Singapore.
 

4 minutes ago, SGMJohn said:

That is great information.  Did the cruise line provide the cards to all passengers or one's with excursions only?  Thank you!

Everyone received a card, we did our own thing for tours etc.  please note that this was our experience with Azamara.  We have also visited with Princess some years ago (Phu My) who also arranged the same thing but at a much more significant cost to each pax.  

1 hour ago, Goldconnection said:

Good question but you would have to address that with the other cruise lines. The cruise lines can only answer that question. I do know that some cruise lines charge double or more the actual cost of the visa. In my case we are doing a back to back and it was quite possible we may have been charge $600 or more for visa as we are doing a back to back. Some note that you the passenger are responsible for securing your visa(s). 

Thank you, but I would like to hear from anyone who has visited Bali in recent times with Celebrity  and their experience - if there is anyone out there!

Visited Vietnam,Saigon and Danang by Azamara in iMarch 2023.  Visa was organised by Ship (you received a card to carry with you when going ashore).Charge to On board account was $6 USD.  Plenty of disgruntled people on board who had organised their visa prior to cruising.

Anyone been on a Celebrity cruise via Bali in the past 12 months (or since a visa fee was introduced) - We are doing just that in November and there is panic on the boards by people trying to get their visa sorted.

Some claim that they have been told Celebrity WILL NOT obtain visas.

We sailed via Bali in March with Azamara and it was all taken care of by the ship - just a charge to our On Board Account for doing so.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me, thanks, particularly if you have been there recently with Celebrity.

We had one day in Bali in March 2023 on Azamara and they arranged the visa for all on the ship (other than those who obtained their own prior to sailing) - cost of $32 USD or thereabouts was charged to our On board account.  If they can do it why can't other cruise lines do the same?

13 hours ago, C-sea said:

Hoping someone currently on Quest can ask guest relations... will the April 18th cruisers for  "Springtime in Asia" onboard Quest be able to procure a Vietnam visa on the ship. So far the intel has been mixed, so I'm asking for the most updated and current info. Thank you.

As I mentioned before in March 2023 visas were organised by Quest for Vietnam ($20),  I should also add that when we visited Vietnam on the Quest 11 years ago the visas then were also organised by the ship ($6).

On 3/5/2023 at 10:38 PM, combine said:

Hot off the press…. $20 and taken from obc. They did ships tours and thoroughly recommend them in HCM, they did Journey to Mekong Delta.

I was on that cruise too and can confirm the ship organised the Visa for $20 USD per head and the cost added to your onboard account but in our case was covered by the $300 OBC everyone received due to upgrading of the internet (which was done on the first day of the cruise) and then we also all were give free unlimited internet for the remainder of the cruise.  

Booked Azamara cruise from Aussie at short notice with a USA agent just recently. We had last used this agent in 2008.  The price difference was amazing even accounting for the Exchange rate.  Sent an email request at 11 pm, got a reply at 4 am,  booked and paid for by 7am.

Great bargain for Azamara Quest 19 Feb 2023 sailing from Fremantle - considering what you get plus the "small ship experience".  Worth a look if anyone call travel at short notice from WA.  I jumped on it as it was too good  to pass up.

27 minutes ago, baytraller said:

When boarding another line in Sydney the Australian official asked for 

 

1) Proof of Vaccination

 

2) The actual negative RAT test (self administered)

 

Also had photo showing the date and time, negative Rat test and photo ID

 

But did not ask to see photo

 

Cheers Peter, will be on the Azamara Quest on 6th of February

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peter please post you experience when boarding Azamara Quest as we join it in Perth on 19 Feb and I want to know if I need a supervised test or not - Their website on covid testing is not that clear!

Lisiamc is right- no email to advise check-in now available - kept checking and it 32 days out for sailing for our cruise to open for check-in.

Is there any Aussie who have boarded Azamara Quesr in the last month or so in an Australian port who can advise on “home testing kits” acceptance when boarding on day 1.  Getting an answer is like trying to find a unicorn at present, thank you

1 hour ago, Edinburghgirl1 said:

On our cruise in November on the Quest we heard  half way through that 1 crew member had tested positive for Covid. I never heard about any passengers but there were many who looked unwell and there was a lot of serious coughing going on  round the ship. Not sure if it was Covid or some sort of respiratory illness but we just tried to keep our distance from these folks as best we could, avoided the elevators and masked up on the bus on the way to to the Azamazing  event  and it paid off. 

How did you have your covid test administered, at home or by a "supervised test" at a chemist or medical facilities.  The Azamara site is confusing as to what is required for Australian passengers - it says test have to be "supervised" but also that in Australia "home test kits" are acceptable.  Acceptable - yes, but administered under supervision?????.  Would like to know your experience.

On a Quest cruise through Asia in 2011 our presenter (Michael from California) filled the theatre whenever he made a presentation, he was excellent and a total professional.    One good thing he did was spend a few minutes on each port discussing the use of taxis, things to avoid in order to make sure you were safe and forwarned to enhance you day in port.  

On 12/25/2022 at 12:57 AM, MMDown Under said:

Bon Voyage.  Great itinerary!  Have you cruised on Azamara before?  I cruised with them to SEAsia. 

Second cruise on Azamara Quest, last one was many years ago, Singapore to Hong Kong via Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.  Once of the best cruises ever, love the ship and itinerary.  Had New Years Eve in Saigon, ship was docked in the city and had the best party ever on a ship.   We usually go on larger ships but this cruise was leaving Perth (our home town) and the deal was just too good to pass up.

1 hour ago, cruiser3775 said:

Well there is greasing palms in business transactions and then there is international security. Australia will provide an estimated $479.2 million in bilateral funding to Papua New Guinea in 2022-23. Then there's the $650 million loan we gave them last December to assist with the ongoing health and economic impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic.   I can't see Australia turning a blind eye to the sale of the Conflicts to a foreign power.  It is such a beautiful group of islands, so I hope the new ownership continues to invite visits from cruise ships.

I certainly agree with you and hope that remains the case.  But the Chinese did buy their way into the Solomon Islands so there is form there to not take anything for granted.

Got an amazing deal yesterday on Azamara - Perth to Hong Kong leaving Perth on 19 Feb 23.  Was to good not to take it up.  Saw the deal at 2 am in the morning, booked and paid for by 7.30 am on the same day.  Easy as falling off a log.

On 12/19/2022 at 9:55 AM, arxcards said:

PNG is pretty clear that the islands will not be privately sold to a non-PNG entity and couldn't work out how it became privately owned in the first place. Money talks it seems and was seen as a real estate transaction. They are certainly not going to let a sovereign state own PNG land, as it would no longer be a PNG island.

Don't be to certain about that Geoff, money  indeed does talk in places like PNG, I lived up there for three years some time ago and greasing palms is a way of life in many situations up there unfortunately.

On 12/16/2022 at 8:30 AM, lyndarra said:

Thanks for your interesting and informative logs, I've been enjoying the read.

You wont find "locals" on Conflict Islands as they are privately owned (by an Aussie). The only residents on the island are staff connected to the turtle conservation and research facility. I believe the set up for tourism was done to help finance the consevation/research. The island owner, Ian Gowrie-Smith, was on board our ship Noordam and gave some talks on his background, island history and current work being done.

The coral there is the best I have seen but one has to purchase a ticket to view it and you are transported by power boat to a pontoon above the coral and the "abyss". Snorkelling equipment is provided.

When I was there last, Jan 2019, we needed to buy vouchers to purchase anything - my memory is hazy on how it worked but we knew this before we arrived thanks to info provided on  Noordam. I donated my remaining Kina to a PNG island school before we arrived - I've forgotten which.

Since my visit, I believe Eco resort development is happening.

 

 

 

The Australian owner of the Conflict Islands is trying to sell the islands to the Australian Government (apparently PNG is not interested in PAYING for them) for a large sum of money.  His latest effort to extract the maximum amount of $$$ from the Australian Taxpayer for the islands is his claim that the Chinese will be interested in the islands due to there location in the Pacific and ability to build "facilities" there and upgrade the airstrip to military grade status.  Anyone want to buy a tropical paradise?

On 7/16/2022 at 7:54 AM, NSWP said:

NZ opened and closed borders before. Nothing is confirmed in this covid world at the moment.

Your on the money there Les, and with the resurgence of Covid in Australia, NZ and indeed any of the islands are unlikely to welcome a cruise ship from anywhere with more than just a few confirmed cases on board.   It's the reason we still have not booked a cruise to anywhere and it's killing us!

1 hour ago, Russell21 said:

You can have many thousands at the Tennis or Cricket or Football, but you can't have 2 or 3 thousand on a Cruise ship. The Gov needs to answer WHY?

The answer is simple, the larger percentage of cruisers are elderly and thus more prone to contracting (and might I say dying) covid than the rest of population.   On my last few cruises I thought I was in a nursing home and yes I am old too.