fragilek

duplicate information

again from the foriegn office:-

"If you don’t have an e-Visa you can still get a visa on arrival for £20 in cash, although the visa on arrival service is due to b e phased out. Getting an e-Visa from the official website before you travel will avoid possible problems or delays at the Turkish border, or when boarding your flight in the UK. See Entry requirements"

Turkey visa site says buying on arrival to be phased out by july (allegedly).

and from abta (association of British travel agents)

From 11 April 2014, the Turkish authorities will start to phase out issuing visas on arrival.

UK visitors arriving in Turkey on or after 11 April, should get an e-visa online before travel.

For a transition period, visas on arrival will be available but we recommend consumers obtain an e-visa as this will be cheaper and also remove the need to queue for a visa on arrival.

We always travel with our passports. What is the difference of having a visa? Why would you need a visa rather than have your passport?

we need a visa or an esta (visa waiver we apply and pay for valid for 2 years For short term tourist visits) along with our passports to visit USA.

Yes I am from the UK but on this occasion the turkey visa site (the new e-visa site launched in 2014) seems to suggest the same for US and UK - the part that is very unclear is it now says no visa required if staying about the port area- It is how far that extends I am trying to check. "According to the Law on Foreigners and International Protection which entered into force on 11th April 2014, those foreigners who arrive at sea ports and intend to visit the seaport city or nearby provinces for touristic purpose are exempt from visa provided that their stay does not exceed seventy two (72) hours."

I am sure Ephesus is in a near by Province - but not the clearest info.

Visas

And from the UK foreign office:-

British nationals need a visa to travel to Turkey (except for cruise ship passengers with ‘British Citizen’ passports entering the country for a day trip, remaining in the port of embarkation and returning to the ship the same day). If you’re visiting Turkey as a tourist or on business, you’ll need to get an e-Visa online before you travel.

It is the "remaining in the port " that sort of worries me

No visa required.

Is that since june 14 when the new visa stuff went on line- thanks

Looking at the official Turkey advise and it seems to say no visa if staying at the port for the day - does that include visiting the sites nearby including Ephesus. Looking for recent experiences. thanks

thanks for this, looks like we will be packing plenty of suncream and hats. Has the MTD improved any yet, as we have booked times to suit us as my daughter is diabetic and we need to know when she will eat. Also we have cabin 3114 booked is that close to your noisy one.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise

thanks for any info

http://m.state.gov/md231319.htm

 

As the article reads, the six month rule is not new. As it states in your travel documents, whether it be through RCCI or your travel agents, know all passport and Visa requirements as you prepare for your cruise vacation.

And the prize for the most sympathetic poster goes to.......

Very sorry to hear that and good of you to take the time to post - It may save someones holiday.

I hope you all still managed to do/go somewhere else nice in stead. Good luck with your insurance but you may struggle with that.

Is the uk site down or is it my lap top playing up. Can any check see if they can get on - thanks

Sorry for the delay with the update. It's been a busy week.

 

I emailed mbayley@rccl.com and got a call back the same day from a really helpful lady in the UK, the problem was resolved and I was given onboard $ as a "goodwill gesture" for my troubles.

 

It's amazing how fast problems can be resolved when you use this email address to complain. Just wish it could have been resolved this quickly in the first place and then it would never have come to this.

 

Oh well all's well that ends well :rolleyes:

The is the OP and I have also just done this and I am pleased to confirm that my issues have now been sorted, I do have cabins on the ship lol- I have also been compensated for my call expenses (got the bill £27 worth) and my time.

At 10 the parents probably thought she was safe - feel so sorry for them.

I have seen 2 near drownings

1st a toddler pulled unconscious from a hotel pool - there was a life guard and also about 10 people in the pool but no where near busy, and none of us seen or heard anything- luckily a lady swam over the top of the child and spotted her below the water - this case was entirely the fault of the parents who were lying down sunbathing and had left looking after her to their 5 yr old - yes 5! Luckily she was revived pool side. Unbelievably the mum started shouting at the life guard.

2nd- A pool party (my dd was attending) they had organised many adults and had assigned 3 children to each - however, they made the mistake of putting all the adults in the pool with their assign children. Luckily I would never let my girls go to the pool without me there (one even swam for our county under 12yr when she was only 7yr). So I was out of the water watching her, when something caught my eye and I realised it was a boy under the surface he was right below where I was sitting and I hadn't seen or heard anything. I jumped in and pulled him out he came round just as we lifted him out of the water without any further intervention. From this I will point out 3 things

1. I saw first hand that it happen quietly and without any splashing

2 never put all adults in the water - leave some to overview from poolside

3. Even I got distracted from supervising my own dd when I had to jump in and pull the boy out- so never say never

Not sure they will dump it easily my DD has been involved with musicals and for someone to put on a show they half to both pass a quality audit and also buy the rights to that show. As an example I can tell you that to put on either Les Miserable or Phantom the cost was £11000/ $16500 & £14000 / $21000 for 4 shows of these. Would imagine that Royal paid a pretty penny to do this show.

Can you post up if they have any offers if buying drink packages on board.

Someone mentioned buy one get 20% off a 2nd and buy premium get replenish free.

Have a great cruise

In hindsight it probably would have been easier to have left the deposit on the original booking, and just made a new deposit on the new second cabin. I have never had to try to split a cabin onto two cabins before and unfortunately RC system is not renowned for being easy to use.

 

From what I read you booked cabin for 4 then changed category and moved into two cabins for 2. As technically this likely made them new bookings, I suspect either making two new deposits and cancelling the original deposit, or keeping amount paid on "original" booking and new deposit on second cabin would have been the best thing they should have recommended, especially when they said it would take three weeks to transfer and that, from what I read on your other posts, took you past final payment date.

 

Personally I would say if they haven't transferred yet, leave as is and just make the payment on the second cabin.

 

I hope you get resolved soon.

Unfortunately they didn't give me a choice to do that as 1st cabin was for 4 we had to get 2 new cabins for 2 - I didn't really pay heed to what they were doing and just let them get on with it as I did not expect it to be so complicated that it would result in the mess that ensued. I just have to hope that when final payment day arrives (which will be before the 3 weeks transfer time there won't be an issue with us still - on paper owing the deposit - I offered to over pay now and they could pay back or transfer the extra to OBC but they said their system can't do that )

Cats is a strange show (at least to me). I love musicals been to most some twice/ three times - but cats (saw it in London west end) was in my view very odd- I just couldn't get it - If I had been on my own I would have left at the interval but my DH had bought me this as a gift so I sat it out - wouldn't go back. Best bit was years later my DH who had sat looking like he enjoyed it revealed that he was struggling to stay awake and the wide eyes were just his way of achieving that goal - It was his first west end show- Luckily the next one was one of the best Miss Saigon

I don't understand why people are still complaining about the cost of calls when you have the 0800 number.

 

I've been using that number for years (used to be printed in their UK brochure)and its always worked, I've just tried it again and its still working. It sounds dead at first but if you wait for a few seconds it cuts in, for Royal Caribbean International press 1......

If the call centre is closed it tells you the opening hours.

 

Not saying they are always great when you get through but it doesn't have to cost anything to speak to them.

 

Julie

I have never booked Royal before so only had the numbers they had sent me on my original correct and then new wrong invoices- I know now to use the 0800 number. - However, not sure I would book direct with them again after this. If the cruise is good I will try through a usa agent in the future

So why didn't you make them stay on the phone until you received the email and check it was correct before ending the call?

 

I get the service hasn't been great, and I am not excusing it in any form, but common sense would have been to get confirmed in righting (email) before they left.

 

I would get them to ring you back again and make sure you are getting the emails whilst they are on the phone. I never end a call without making sure the email is received my end first so I can check and fix any spelling errors etc there and then without the need for getting back in touch. Otherwise you have no idea if there is a mistake in email address they are sending it to and hence why you are not receiving. I assume you have been checking your spam folder?

Well that was the plan, however, she said that she could not send it as it needed a supervisor to sign off the new invoice as they were cutting off quite a bit of money ( the money they added in on error!!). I requested to hold while this was done but she refused saying it may not be completed until the next day. I which point I requested to be transferred up line but she said they can't do any thing else today then gave me a number if I wanted to complain up line and then hung up on me. Next day came and went no invoice.- However, I did record the call (I informed them of this so legal)- Any more issues or if they cancel me due to their mistake meaning balance not paid and I will pass to my credit card company and book a different cruiseline.

Booking a holiday should not have been this difficult. Good news is I finally did receive the invoices to prove I have bought on board credit.

I think you have to have bought your cruise in UK pounds to be able to do this in the same way the Canadians are doing to get 1.1:1? I think

Curious where you are getting 1.67 to £ at the moment. Or was that what you bought oBC at?

At that rate I could do with some:D

That is the rate gifts and more are selling the dollar at now.I bought some more yesterday. I plan to continue to load up my OBC as long as I am getting this rate and then cash out any left ;)

update - I got them to phone me for round 2 - they say it is all now sorted however, they have once again failed to send me any updated invoice which shows what I have paid (even although it was promised). My payment date is soon and I still have nothing to show that the old deposit id to be transfered over so not owed. So I will have to sit it out and see what happens on that day. I will await my dreaded phone bill but if bad I plan to claim the money back and will also then claim for my time (lawyers in the family so a wee letter via from one of them may help :rolleyes:)

I have tried to find the answer to this - but failed so apologies if I have missed it. I have purchased quite a bit of OBC to take advantage of RCI exchange rates :D. All of the obc is on one of our 2 rooms can I buy drinks packages for our adult girls who will be in a different cabin or do I need to put OBC onto their cabin to do this.

Also I plan to cash out any excess for future USA trips (at 1.67 to the £ how can I not!) - Can someone please go through how I do this - what is and how do I set up a cash account do I need to do this on line before travel - first Royal cruise.

OK what am I being charged for phoning 0844 4934070 I was on today for 2 hrs (last week was on for 1hr 10mins)

Names were wrong and deposit had not been transfered

Now on the phone I found the invoice is also now wrong (and although she could see it was different to the one sent to me she could not fix it today) and they have LOST my bought OBC (£300)

They can't sort today so need to call back Monday - I want to charge them for my time and the price of the call if not free.

Can any help with cost of the call.

been on phone for 1 hr 35 mins and just been passed to person number 4 - still on phone now - still not sorted - unbelievable :mad:

Noticed this morning that the price of a "Suite Guarnetee" was actually lower than the price we paid for a D5 Blacony 15 months ago on our Anthem Cruise in 15 days time ...

 

Called and asked if any chance of an upgrade, was told "no" and "no chance of paid upgrade at the moment either" and "if any upgrades become available they will be offered to C&A members first of which you are one so keep and eye out for phone calls / emails"

did you book through the UK - if so we just upgraded ours with no problems at all (well except on line we now appear to have 3 rooms and our dates of birtha re wrong lol). In fact we also got it at a cheaper total price. (bit we are a few days away from finial payment)

when is this meant to happen - my summer sailing just reduced by a quartered- In fact we were able to get 2 OV (2 in each) cabins for $868 less than the 1 cabin for 4 we originally booked. It was $1298 less than the original price for 2 equiv cabins (I had that previous price written down -but we booked the cabin for 4 due to cost,originally priced in feb). So that to me still feels like a very large last minute price drop.

Also found out that if booked through TA or agency (the main way the UK book) it would have been paid in full yesterday but we are not due to pay in full as direct with RCI for a week or so. Not sure if that is why the price changed today.