corindli

John...2 different visa waivers are in play. The 144 hr one relies on the ABC country transit (would not work for your senario), Princess will not even consider this for their cruises, even if ABC countries are right. The 15 day one is the one cruise passengers can use if they book a ship tour.

I will just add I got a visa so I could do a private tour and my guide said he felt we should be able to enter without visa but of course we have to follow the cruise line rules. The cuise companies will have to up- their tour list I think as more people will be avoiding teh visa fees.

Hi Helen, take all the points, and yesterday I did what I should have done before: Checked on the actual cost of a visa from our country- Switzerland- as I was looking at a lot of posts from people from USA. So I found that China charges different for different countries. We are a lot less expensive that USA, so in the end I guess I say 'to heck with it' and get the visa. Of course I will have to go in person (twice) to Zurich, but I'll fix days when I have to go in that direction anyway, so OK. Live with it! But the cruise companies could do a lot better with this. Customer service etc. (By the way, if you are from Roumania, it costs more than from USA, but if you are from Albania, or Pakistan, or the Maldives (what did the Maldives do special to impress?) you can get a visa for China free. Funny old world isn't it?)

Happy travelling! John

As others have explained you do not qualify for the 144 transit visa. A ship's excursion when visiting Shanghai (using the 15 day visa waiver scheme which stipulates that you must be part of an organised tour) may be a little pricy but it is so worth it. We had a wonderful day visiting the Watertown followed by a fabulous lunch in a 5 star hotel, a visit to a silk factory (no pressure to buy) then a sightseeing tour of the city. It was actually less expensive than any of the tours we took in Japan and much, much cheaper than purchasing a visa. On our recent cruise all ship's tours sold out completely. The immigration process was simple as Celebrity handled everything in advance and all we had to submit was the copy of our passports which had a barcode sticker on the back. Recommend to anyone reading this that you book your tour before you sail to avoid disappointment.

Hi there, absolutely agree about this 144 transit which isn't valid if a ship goes for example Japan, Shanghai, back to Japan. So here comes a question which I have asked on another thread and as yet no answer.... See if you (or anyone else) can solve it:

Ship is Japan, Shanghai, Japan and two days in Shanghai. So book a group tour through the ship and off you go on day 1 with visa granted. Day 2 arrives (or even afternoon on day 1). Can you now leave the ship without the 'group tour' need and trot off on your own?

Happy solving..... John

Hi there and lucky you! We were on Fram Christmas New Year 2012/2013 and would have stayed on board for the next cruise if we could have.

Basically I agree with what others have written for you, so here are a few added bits:

We were pretty warm in BA, so pleased we had some lighter clothing.

Regarding cold: Agree that layers are tops, as the temperature is not crazy cold, however essential is a warm hat. Really essential. We both have hats with fur inside that came over the ears and tied under the chin. Hurtigruten blue jacket hood over the top. Fashion? who cares. Warm is all.

Point 2 is feet. They have to be warm, and we bought 'sport' type impact protect innersoles to go into those muckboots. Plus thin and thick socks and we had happy feet.

Third is gloves. And that is a challenge. Cameras/video cameras need fingers, and fingers outside on cameras get very cold. Don't think you won't take many pictures. Ha ha good joke, no chance. With a baby fur seal looking up at you, you will take pictures even if your fingers are dropping off. We bought gloves where the ends folded off and back to leave fingers temporarily free, with a bit of velcro on the back of the hand so the folded bit stayed there. Sure there are several makes around, but ours were called Wind Stopper by a company called Roeckl. Find them easy on internet to see what I mean.

Actually the coldest for me was sailing through the Lemaire channel and into the iceberg 'graveyard' at the end. It was so special that I (and lots of others) stayed up there at the front Fram for 3 to 4 hours. Couldn't leave. I needed all of those layers/hat/gloves/socks for that.

Agree about Fram inside. Pleasantly warm and casual fairly light clothes will work. BUT as somebody else said.... when you hear over the oudspeakers 'Finn Whales on the port side' then either you rush outside and freeze, or quickly head for your cabin.

Do you look at the Fram expedition blog? and also the ship web cam?

http://www.webcam-4insiders.com/de/Wetter-Bergen/6113-Bergen-Wetter.php

Happy New Year to you and we are very envious. However (lucky us) we are on Fram again in September- Iceland, Greenland National Park and Spitzbergen. Polar bears, here we come...

Hi Tom,

Just done the volunteer point trip. Best trip of our holiday. But comfort is not any kind of appropriate word. Without exception all should use the available facilities right there where you climb into the Land Rovers (visitors centre- good and clean).

Nothing available as far as we could see when we stopped for a re-grouping at Johnson Harbour. In emergency get your driver to stop his vehicle furthest away from the others and use it as the one restroom wall available for privacy!

To this point it is very dusty solid track roads, just not any metaling (tarmac) on them. After Johnsons harbour there is no time to think of a restroom, you bounce when you are not flying.

BUT let me tell you it is WORTH IT WORTH IT WORTH IT. (and the land rover trip is a hoot!).

Hopefully not everybody on your trip reads this next bit: When you arrive (and have used the facilities) don't go straight ahead to the colony as just about everybody does. Instead stroll down to the beach, where it looks like there are not so many King Penguins. When you get there you will find there are plenty, and not many humans, as they are all looking at the colony. And you will go there next, when people start to join you on the beach.

Enjoy it. You Will.

Ciao,

John

Just read CruisinCrow about Century 1026 being noisy.

We had 1008 for a couple of weeks and didn't hear a thing. But 1008 is almost the most forward of the CC's so probably just about escapes from being underneath 'noise'. For us it was perfect spot. Aqua spa little food area just above (and never busy) for something light, and that good fitness area also very close (for my wife... not me).

Corina and John

Hello Gixer,

I've just read all the questions/answers and you have made me very happy! (More important: my wife as well). Top of the list for our cruise was king penguins at Volunteer point, so that trip is already booked. Now having read your comments its clear we did the right thing. I just hope that when we arrive in the Falklands it's not too windy to stop. (Keep reading that quite a few cruises have to miss because of too strong winds).

We are sailing on Infinity, and will be in Stanley harbour 31st December. We can almost wish you a happy new year. I like the idea of the hop on and off London bus, although I'm not sure how much time we will have after the long trip to Volunteer point. I really hope we have enough time to at least have a short walk around Stanley.

Very much looking forward to the visit. It has been an ambition for quite a while to be in the Falklands, but the flight (length and cost) is a bit of a tough one. Still a one day visit is better than no visit at all.

Maybe see you!

Corina and John

Hello from Corina and John.

Celebrity Century on the left in Tallinn Estonia. Cruising the Baltic last year. We had a super time, and as you can see the weather was very nice. VERY nice! The other ship: Not sure, but possibly MSC Lyrica.