Fouremco

Why make it a choice when you can do both? We've often gone ashore for an hour or two at ports we've visited multiple time previously, but spent the rest of the day aboard.

We received notification today that our October 2024 Lahaina port stop has been changed to a second day in Nawiliwili. Too bad they couldn't switch it for a day in Hilo, as we only have a half day there, our final morning before heading off to Vancouver.

Has he spoken to someone at the embassy and confirmed that they are prepared to process applications at this time? I'd hate to see him drive all the way here for nothing.

Good point, although it might be considered a double-edged sword. Given the small number of Canadians, it would be a very small financial problem for the cruise line if they could come to some accommodation with respect to waiving penalties.

My understanding is that the new rules apply only to Canadians and are in retaliation for what Egyptian officials view as Canada's failure to issue visas to some Egyptian nationals without cause. FWIW, the US State Department's travel pages indicate business as usual.

Well, that settles that! I'm never too old to learn new tricks!😇 Thanks!

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Unfortunately, @travelordie is currently cruising and Athens offers the first opportunity to acquire a visa under the new rules. An e-visa that could be acquired while aboard would not be valid come October 1st as things currently stand.

Under the PVSA, a passenger can't embark at a US port, then disembark at the next port if it is in the US. But I've not read anything that would preclude embarking at the next port if they missed embarkation at the first port. For example, if you miss embarkation in Miami and the first port stop is Key West, I believe that you could embark there. On the other hand, if you do board in Miami and decide cruising isn't for you, you can't just quit the cruise in Key West. I too have not tested either of these scenarios. 😉

As @LHT28 says, there's an active thread that you should read. As to your question, there has been nothing on Egyptian or Canadian government websites suggesting that cruise passengers will be exempt from the changes. Oceania's representative misspoke. Note in the other thread that Azamara won't allow anyone without a visa to embark on cruises starting in October.

I'm curious as to why there would be difficulty embarking at a US port downstream if you missed the initial US embarkation.

OP is referring to an open jaw booking, where you fly out A to B but return C to A.

Good luck to you and all the other cruisers caught up in this diplomatic squabble. 🤞

If you were you contact them and explain the problem that you are facing, I wonder if they might make an exception and provide same-day service. Just a thought.

I'd consider both options and check the pricing differences. One of the potential benefits of purchasing separate tickets is that you could use two different airlines. For example only, you might find that Air Canada is your best bet for a flight to Rome, but Porter is better for your flight home from Orlando. For flights to Europe, also consider booking the flight through your cruise line. You could check too for your flight home, but I find that there's less of a benefit than for flights to Europe. Assuming that you mean "for Canadian cruising back to the US", no, there are no current special requirements.

Assuming that Egypt doesn't change its mind about allowing e-visas for Canadians, your best bet is to see whether there is an Egyptian embassy or consulate at any of the ports you will be visiting during your current cruise. There is no requirement for you to apply in Canada.

This argument has been made numerous times, but it holds no water. There have been many examples here on CC of passengers requiring a visa to enter Canada on an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle stopping in Victoria being refused boarding as they hadn't bothered to get a visa. Their argument that they'd stay on the ship is futile, as they would be consider by CBSA as having entered Canada, even if they remain aboard.

NCL clearly needs to update their website. Interestingly, its webpage dealing with visa requirements says the "Norwegian Cruise Line has partnered with VisaCentral to provide our guests with comprehensive, accurate information regarding travel visas." It's too bad that NCL doesn't visit Visa Central's website to get comprehensive, accurate information. 🙄

The Egyptian decision to no longer recognize the visa after September 30 that sounds like a perfect case to raise with your credit card company.

Porter has a YHZ - YYZ - TPA flight that leave Halifax at 7:35 AM but doesn't get you into Tampa until 7:32 PM. And all of their return flight out of Tampa are too early, even if you self-disembark. That said, I've previously noted that the Porter website sometimes misses viable combinations, so you might want to play around with other possible routings.

While some may be looking at Porter because of the strike possibility, we cancelled AC and booked with Porter because AC changed our direct flight to FLL from 5:05 PM to 6:15 AM. We're too old to get up in the middle of the night to start a relaxing holiday.🙄

Exactly. I never suggested otherwise.

No matter what your carrier and plan, if you place a call while at sea, your call will be routed through the ship's cellular system and it will cost you an arm and a leg. If you are buying a wifi package, then make wifi calls. If you wait until you are in port, then there are a few more options. First of all, in most ports you'll find places that have either free or inexpensive wifi. We've used them on numerous occasions. Secondly, Rogers, Bell and other Canadian carriers have roaming plans. With Rogers, it's $12 per day in the US, or $15 per day elsewhere internationally. That's not inexpensive if you are calling from numerous locations on a Caribbean cruise. A third option is to look for a SIM card. This is one of several related threads on the Canadian Cruisers board:

This recent thread may answer your questions:

The travel.gc.ca information pertains to all people travelling on a Canadian passport. Period. That includes both Canadian citizens and those holding dual Canadian and Egyptian citizenship. If the latter travel on their Canadian passport, the information on the travel.gc.ca applies. If they choose to travel on their Egyptian passport, then they are subject to whatever Egyptian requirements apply. These requirements are not incorporated in the travel.gc.ca information.