Princess is now charging a processing fee on Indonesian and Vietnamese visas

I would be very surprised if you would be charged anything for visit to Indonesia as about 18 months ago they extended the visa free requirements for tourists from just about every country on the planet

I guess you haven’t been keeping up with this thread! Princess have, just the other day, advised passengers sailing in March with a port stop in Benoa, Indonesia that we will be charged $25.

In October 2017 RCI charged $6 for Vietnam landing card, this covered 3 ports.

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In October 2017 RCI charged $6 for Vietnam landing card, this covered 3 ports.

which is what i mentioned on the previous page. This topic has been discussed over and over again - and this is the fee that the Vietnamese Govt has stated on it's sites.

A charge way way above this is just a scam/rip off whatever you wish to call it - $$$ that is going to the pocket of the cruise line in many cases.

Further - getting charged a 'visa fee' when you don't land is another sore point. We were on RC which stopped at Sanya - many of us didn't get off - and didn't want to pay the Chinese visa - so RC didn't charge us (granted Sanya was a waste of time).

Clearly Princess Cruises are the ones profiting from this.

Quote from email received 12 Jan 18 - Sailing date 15 mar 18

 

 

INDONESIA VISA UPDATE

Please be advised the Indonesian visa policy has recently changed. Most guests, including U.S., Canadian, U.K., Australian, and New Zealand passport holders, qualify for a visa-free entry stamp. A service fee of $25 per person will be charged to your stateroom account.

Interesting I am on Sapphire Princess sailing on 22 Feb 18 Singapore round trip and haven't received any email from Princess nor have any of our party (6). Where are you leaving from?

I asked someone on another thread who got off the same ship/itinerary last week and his reply was -

There was no additional fee charged to process my passport for Indonesia (Bali) or any of the other ports. At embarkation, everyone had to turn in their passports (we were given a slip of paper as a receipt). The day before the first port stop (Bali), a photocopy of the photo page of my passport was delivered to my stateroom with a letter explaining that we should keep this with us when we went ashore.

When I received my passport back on the last day of the cruise, a bunch of immigration stamps for Thailand and Indonesia had magically appeared my my passport.

Suppose will just have to wait and see.

We are sailing Melbourne to Singapore which is possibly the difference, who kmows?

There’s been talk both here and on Facebook re the visa fee for Australian, US, NZ, UK ..... free visa waiver.

There is no charge for this and if Princess are trying to scam $25 per person as a service fee to get the stamp on your passport that is a scam. The stamp is free. Princess have no right to try and charge you a fee.

I have just pulled out an old cruise statement from when I did the Indonesian Cruise on Sea Princess back in Aug 2014. Back then you needed a visa to travel into Indonesia inc. Bali. They applied for the visa for us onboard and everyone was charged $37.25 for this service. So visa cost $37.25 back in 2014. Now Indonesia do not charge for a Visa for certain countries so for them it’s free. If Princess are trying to scam us a processing fee that is crap. I will be taking a copy of my old statements onboard to prove that there is no processing charge. As in 2014 it was $37.25 now it’s $0

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A simple solution is don't travel Princess. We went to Bali on Celebrity last year and we weren't charged

A simple solution is don't travel Princess. We went to Bali on Celebrity last year and we weren't charged

A simple solution is don't travel Princess. We went to Bali on Celebrity last year and we weren't charged

Sadly we booked already and paid in full. Only just hearing now about this so called fee. When we thought it was FREE. Will be boycotting if they try charging me

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Sadly we booked already and paid in full. Only just hearing now about this so called fee. When we thought it was FREE. Will be boycotting if they try charging me

 

 

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But you won't know until you check your on board statement.:o But sure it is wrong that Princess is charging the fee. Perhaps the officials are getting a 'backhander.' :o

I’m not paying I’ll take it to the top if I have to. It’s not being charged by other ships. Even Princess ships from Singapore aren’t charging. Just Princess ships from Australia. I won’t be paying simple. It’s a simple $68000 win fall for Princess if they’re allowed to get away with it. Even $1p/p equates to a $2600 win fall. No reason what so ever to be paying this

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I’m not paying I’ll take it to the top if I have to. It’s not being charged by other ships. Even Princess ships from Singapore aren’t charging. Just Princess ships from Australia. I won’t be paying simple. It’s a simple $68000 win fall for Princess if they’re allowed to get away with it. Even $1p/p equates to a $2600 win fall. No reason what so ever to be paying this

 

 

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Have you contacted Princess Customer Services office at Chatswood in Sydney? They should have the answer or the reason why the fee is being charged. Good luck with it.

I’m not paying I’ll take it to the top if I have to. It’s not being charged by other ships. Even Princess ships from Singapore aren’t charging. Just Princess ships from Australia. I won’t be paying simple. It’s a simple $68000 win fall for Princess if they’re allowed to get away with it. Even $1p/p equates to a $2600 win fall. No reason what so ever to be paying this

 

 

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Before you get your knickers in a knot ;), Cruisegroover posted on the previous page that Sapphire passengers were not charged for Indonesian visas.

As far as I know the only visas that get charged for onboard now are the Vietnamese ones and, according to the Vietnamese Government visa website that does include a US $25 "stamping fee" and the Princess fee seems very close to the actual fees on that website, bearing in mind that most ships stop at two Vietnamese ports. Good luck trying to avoid paying for that.

I’m not paying I’ll take it to the top if I have to. It’s not being charged by other ships. Even Princess ships from Singapore aren’t charging. Just Princess ships from Australia. I won’t be paying simple. It’s a simple $68000 win fall for Princess if they’re allowed to get away with it. Even $1p/p equates to a $2600 win fall. No reason what so ever to be paying this

 

 

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i havent read all the thread but i came across this for Indonesia

INDONESIA VISA/PASSPORT REQUIREMENT

Most guests, including U.S., Canadian, U.K., Australian, and New Zealand passport holders, qualify for a visa-free entry stamp. There is no charge for this service

here's the Vietnam one

VIETNAM VISA/PASSPORT REQUIREMENT

A Vietnam visa is required for most guests on this voyage, including Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and U.S. passport holders. You may either obtain the visa on your own before your cruise, or a visa will be issued upon arrival in Vietnam. If you choose to have the visa issued on board, a passport-size photo or copy of your passport photo page is required, and a visa fee of USD $56.00 per person (USD $76.00 per person for those participating on an overland package) will be charged to your stateroom account. Some guests, including UK passport holders, do not require a visa; however, they will be charged $1 per person for a landing card and a $1 per person processing fee. All guests' passports must be valid for at least six months after departing Vietnam and must contain at least one unused page for entry/exit endorsements

Before you get your knickers in a knot ;), Cruisegroover posted on the previous page that Sapphire passengers were not charged for Indonesian visas.

 

As far as I know the only visas that get charged for onboard now are the Vietnamese ones and, according to the Vietnamese Government visa website that does include a US $25 "stamping fee" and the Princess fee seems very close to the actual fees on that website, bearing in mind that most ships stop at two Vietnamese ports. Good luck trying to avoid paying for that.

I’m getting MY KNICKERS IN A KNOT cos people cruising on Golden Princes in March have receive emails from Princess saying they WILL be charged a $25 fee for the Indonesian Visa. So quite rightly I am infumed by this.

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I’m getting MY KNICKERS IN A KNOT cos people cruising on Golden Princes in March have receive emails from Princess saying they WILL be charged a $25 fee for the Indonesian Visa. So quite rightly I am infumed by this.

 

 

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read my previous post # 164

Have you contacted Princess Customer Services office at Chatswood in Sydney? They should have the answer or the reason why the fee is being charged. Good luck with it.

My TA is taking it up with them. Also others who have actually received the email from

princess are taking it up. I haven’t received an email myself as I booked thru a TA. It seems only those that booked direct with Princess so far have received it. And there joining the same cruise I’m on except they’re joining in Melb or Adelaide. Maybe my email is coming this week??! I’m not joining ship till Fremantle

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i havent read all the thread but i came across this for Indonesia

 

INDONESIA VISA/PASSPORT REQUIREMENT

 

Most guests, including U.S., Canadian, U.K., Australian, and New Zealand passport holders, qualify for a visa-free entry stamp. There is no charge for this service

here's the Vietnam one

VIETNAM VISA/PASSPORT REQUIREMENT

 

A Vietnam visa is required for most guests on this voyage, including Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and U.S. passport holders. You may either obtain the visa on your own before your cruise, or a visa will be issued upon arrival in Vietnam. If you choose to have the visa issued on board, a passport-size photo or copy of your passport photo page is required, and a visa fee of USD $56.00 per person (USD $76.00 per person for those participating on an overland package) will be charged to your stateroom account. Some guests, including UK passport holders, do not require a visa; however, they will be charged $1 per person for a landing card and a $1 per person processing fee. All guests' passports must be valid for at least six months after departing Vietnam and must contain at least one unused page for entry/exit endorsements

Yes exactly as you’ve posted here. Should be FREE INDONESIAN VISA. But Princess Australia seems to be trying to charge those on ship from Australia a $25AUD processing fee. This is what I’m on about. As it’s clearly free but people on Golden Princess March cruise to Singapore via Bali have received an email from Princess saying they will be charged a $25 handling fee even though the visa is free. My gripe is that no other ship charges such a fee, and even Princess from Singapore aren’t charging yet Australia is. It’s underhanded. The visa in 2014 when we needed a visa was processed by Princess at $37.50 for the visa all done on board needed to do nothing and they just charged your onboard account. But visas were done away for Aussies, US And many other countries in 2015 allowing you to travel into the country on a 30 day free visa. So there is no excuse for Princess Australia to try charging us this.

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I’m getting MY KNICKERS IN A KNOT cos people cruising on Golden Princes in March have receive emails from Princess saying they WILL be charged a $25 fee for the Indonesian Visa. So quite rightly I am infumed by this.

You may find that charge just doesn't happen, as per the info that rkmw posted, which I'm fairly certain is from Princess. My next cruise doesn't include Indonesia but the wording for the Vietnam visa is identical. Sometimes the Princess emails are wrong. Check the Booking Summary on your Personalizer.

You may find that charge just doesn't happen, as per the info that rkmw posted, which I'm fairly certain is from Princess. My next cruise doesn't include Indonesia but the wording for the Vietnam visa is identical. Sometimes the Princess emails are wrong. Check the Booking Summary on your Personalizer.

Yes I certainly hope it is the case of someone in Princess's office hitting the wrong email button and sending out an old outdated email. Will just wait and see fingers crossed. And as per Cruise Personaliser it says the same quote as rkmw posted. No mention of there being any admin / service fee to cover the free visa. So hopefully will have no charges. As I said before I am hoping now it was an admin error.

:)

Last January we were not charged for the visa processing fee on Princess Diamond. The email we received at some time said there would be a charge but in the end there wasn’t. OzKiwiJJ is correct.

Relax everyone.

Last January we were not charged for the visa processing fee on Princess Diamond. The email we received at some time said there would be a charge but in the end there wasn’t. OzKiwiJJ is correct.

 

Relax everyone.

Ok so just received a reply from Princess apparently the email some have :)received for my cruise was incorrectly sent. Someone in Princess Office had sent it out. There is no charge / Service fee etc for the Indonesian Visa, so feeling much relieved today. As this would have added $100 to my family’s holiday that we hadn’t planned on. But now we know there will be no charge.

Ok so just received a reply from Princess apparently the email some have :)received for my cruise was incorrectly sent. Someone in Princess Office had sent it out. There is no charge / Service fee etc for the Indonesian Visa, so feeling much relieved today. As this would have added $100 to my family’s holiday that we hadn’t planned on. But now we know there will be no charge.

Good to hear, now take a deep breath and enjoy your adventure.:halo: And remember...'Don't take life too seriously, because no one gets out alive !!'