No visa service - very grumpy!

[2kiwis]

We are soon to go on the Cape Town to Singapore cruise and we are really struggling with the visa requirements for some countries, none of which have Embassies or Consulates in or anywhere near New Zealand. For example Mozambique, Comoros, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Kenya all require some form of entry permit.

We wrote to Oceania, then had our TA write to find out which of these visas could be obtained onboard as has happened on other cruises. The answer we got back was "not sure” which is astounding.

We had a look at other cruise lines and found, for example, that Sifonia, Melody and Rhapsody cruise lines are actually helpful to their passengers with information such as:

Tanzania – port of call Zanzibar

All passport holders including South Africans require a visa for Tanzania. The visa can be arranged on board – currently the charge is $50 per person*. and

Kenya – port of call Mombassa

Visas are not required by South African passport holders for a stay of up to 30 days. Visas for non-South African passport holders can be arranged on board – currently the charge is $20 per person*.

They even have information about Yellow Fever and other stuff that is very useful.

We think the Oceania response is both unhelpful and unprofessional and wonder if others are also having difficulty?

[Paulchili]

I strongly suspect that you too will be able to get visas onboard for those countries, but I understand your point.

You want to be sure and someone should be able to provide that information to you.

Perhaps part of the problem is that this is a new itinerary for O without prior experiences; however, that is not a good enough reason.

Good luck!

FWIW, we have sailed to all those countries on a different cruise line and did not need any visas in advance (except Kenya, where we flew in - different scenario). For most of these countries the visas are all about the money (not security) and they don't care how and when they get it, as long as they do get it :)

[2kiwis]

FWIW, we have sailed to all those countries on a different cruise line and did not need any visas in advance (except Kenya, where we flew in - different scenario).

For most of these countries the visas are all about the money (not security) and they don't care how and when they get it, as long as they do get it :)

 

We think that Oceania should be able to do this but how long do we wait?

 

One of the countries will only give a 2 month visa which means that by the time we have to send our passports overseas it will be too close to leaving for our trip to get them back.

This is too much of a risk - so I guess we won't be able to get off the ship if we don't have a visa??

 

We have sailed extensively on Oceania (this is our 10th cruise! with them) and have always really rated them but this problem is showing them up in a very bad light.

 

We received an email the other day about our trip but it had no more info than what is on the website.

This is the time they should be telling us which ports they can supply visas/vistor passes and really should be doing their best to provide as many as possible, as it is a big ask to expect us to send passports overseas for a one day stop.

Really how hard can it be for these cruise companies to organise blanket visas for their passengers?? I am sure they make money on it as well.

 

I guess we could try hassling Oceania but we virtually never get a reply to any of our emails so whats the point??

 

As you have experienced, most of the other cruiselines seem to provide visas quite readily.

 

Cheers

[lgcochran]

I can't speak for your specific countries; but last year we were in Zambia and Botswana. The visa process is very informal. On arrival at the airport, or in you case the port, there is a line - pay cash, get stamped and move out. I can't remember if we took extra small passport photos with us or not. Oceania should do their research and advise you so you'll

have the proper currency ( many want $US ); or handle it for you at port!

[pacheco18]

We prepaid (overpaid) through our TA for the Oceania visa package for our upcoming Asia cruise. We just did not want the hassle - which it appears you now have. Is that an option for you?

[wripro]

There are visas and there are visas. In countries like China or Brazil where you have to have the visa before boarding the ship it pays to either do it through O or a visa service like Zierer (which will be less expensive, unless one lives in a city which has consulates and you can go on your own.) In most countries where visas can be obtained on board or upon entry just do it then.

[2kiwis]

We prepaid (overpaid) through our TA for the Oceania visa package for our upcoming Asia cruise. We just did not want the hassle - which it appears you now have. Is that an option for you?

 

 

We have never been offered a visa service from Oceania

 

We think that only apples to US/Canadian passengers. We note on our roll call we are not the only ones in the same position s there are a few NZ-Asutraians saying the same thing

No idea what we are suppose to do really

Seems like it is OK to treat non-Americans-Canadians different

[Buchanan]

I am trying to find out which visas are required for UK citizens on the previous cruise to yours from Istanbul to Capetown. I contacted Oceania more than two weeks ago requesting details, I received an automatic message telling me that my enquiry would be dealt with instrict order, still no reply!!! I contacted my TA who contacted the UK director of Oceania who suggested that I contact CIBT, an independant visa service company who I have used for past cruises. Usually all one had to do was give them the cruise name or number and they advised what was required, alright it cost a bit more than getting each visa direct from the country's consul but a lot less hastle. CIBT did not have a note of name or number of the upcoming cruise. My TA again contacted the Oceania director who, after getting details from head office advised that CIBT would receive details of the cruise sometime around 10th August, I will await details?!? I am sure that thereill be a similar arrangement with a local NZ or Australian visa service company. We are looking forward to visiting some new ports of call down the West coast of Africa. I will keep looking out on CC as to your success or otherwise. Regards, Buckie.

[2kiwis]

I am trying to find out which visas are required for UK citizens on the previous cruise to yours from Istanbul to Capetown. I contacted Oceania more than two weeks ago requesting details, I received an automatic message telling me that my enquiry would be dealt with instrict order, still no reply!!!

 

I will keep looking out on CC as to your success or otherwise. Regards, Buckie.

 

 

Hi

 

We are just so angry because most of the stops provide visas on arrival which are organised through the ship. Princess cruiselines do this around Africa for all passengers.

 

According to the Americans/Canadians on this board and elsewhere, they only have to get 2 visas and the rest will be dealt with by the ship.

When we did the Rome to Singapore trip we all got the blanket 'on arrival' visas, but for this trip it seems that all of us non-Americans/Canadians are on our own.

 

There is no way we can get all these visas from New Zealand in time (even through a visa service) so I assume we are suppose to stay on board or hope Oceania will be "nice" to us.

 

We are coming up to our 10th cruise with them and at this rate it is going to be our last.

We have always been stauch supporters of Oceania, but this is too much.

The stress of trying to get visas and worrying if our passports will even arrive back in the country on time to get away is all so unnecessary.

Oceania seem to have a two teired service system = All we are asking is to be treated equally.

 

Cheers

[Paulchili]

2kiwis,

I understand your anxiety, but I am sure you will be just fine.

In your original post you list at least 2 ports that give visas onboard to other cruise lines - why wouldn't they do the same for Oceania.

We flew into Mozambique (from S. Africa) and all we had to do is buy a visa at the airport (did NOT have to have it beforehand) - I am sure that is true for the ships as well.

As I said before, they don't really want to keep you out - they just want your money (for visas and souvenirs).

Try to relax and enjoy the cruise :)

[Over50cruises]

I would recommed you just have your travel agent get your VISAS in advance.Your TA should know which countries require VISAS.You still have 4 months,so I would not worry about it.Oceania is always very helpful when I call in for this type of informatiom.Thanks,OVER59Cruises

[2kiwis]

I would recommed you just have your travel agent get your VISAS in advance.Your TA should know which countries require VISAS.You still have 4 months,so I would not worry about it.Oceania is always very helpful when I call in for this type of informatiom.Thanks,OVER59Cruises

 

 

We have to wait until Oct to start getting visas as they are only valid for 3 months from issue.

The problem for us in NZ is that we have to send our applications and passports overseas

Each time it is 20+ days so as you can imagine it will be impossible to get visas for all countries.

 

All we are asking is for Oceania to treat us the same as the North Americans.

They only have to get two visas and the rest are organised by the ship.

We also should ony have to get two visas as we are also entitled to the same visas the ship is organising for the others.

Princess cruises does this in Africa for all their passengers, so whats wrong with Oceania doing it as well?.

[UKBayern]

Is there an embassy in a neighbouring country (for example Australia) you can call? It won't cost you a fortune in telephone costs, they will speak english, etc. Do the respective countries or their embassies have a website? If their answer is "you will get your visa upon arrival", problem solved. If not, they can normally handle everything by post or email. In Europe, it is very normal that not all countries will have a diplomatic mission in every country. Sometimes you have to send your passport to Paris, London or Brussels, especially in the case of African nations.

[maygrovecruisers]

Is there an embassy in a neighbouring country (for example Australia) you can call? It won't cost you a fortune in telephone costs, they will speak english, etc. Do the respective countries or their embassies have a website? If their answer is "you will get your visa upon arrival", problem solved. If not, they can normally handle everything by post or email. In Europe, it is very normal that not all countries will have a diplomatic mission in every country. Sometimes you have to send your passport to Paris, London or Brussels, especially in the case of African nations.

 

We also are Kiwis traveling on the Nautica from Istanbul to Singapore and have been very concerned about getting all the visas we appear to need. We have been told by another Kiwi (Fowler) that their TA has had written confirmation from Oceania that ALL passports will be issued with visas on arrival in all ports that require them on the Istanbul to Cape Town cruise. I have asked our TA to get the same confirmation in writing but have not had a reply yet.

 

I do not know if this will be the case for the 4 East African ports on the Cape Town to Singapore cruise but I cannot see why Oceania can not do this for all of us.

 

I also agree with 2Kiwis that we should be treated the same as the US and Canadian passport holders, as other cruise lines do. It is ridiculous to have to send our passport overseas to 4 different countries to get a visa (expensive too) for a one day visit when we will not even be staying overnight ashore. I have even seen that for some countries they require a bank statement to prove we can support ourselves for the duration of our stay. The normal visa application process just does not make any sense for cruise ship passengers visiting a port for part of a day. As Paulchili said "they don't really want to keep you out - they just want your money (for visas and souvenirs)."

 

I do hope Oceania will publicly announce that visas for ALL passports will be available on arrival in as many ports as possible for the Istanbul to Singapore cruises. It will relieve a lot of stress from worrying whether we will be able to organise private tours for these countries or not. We will not have the time (like 2kiwis) to get visas for all these countries as we travel very frequently (mainly cruising).

 

The one country that we know we HAVE to get visas beforehand is Myanmar as we will be in port for 3 days. That will be difficult enough to manage though their Australian embassy. They do have an 'on arrival' service for tourists entering Myanmar via air, which they started in May this year, but it does not extend to cruise ship arrival (yet).

Jeanette.

[Paulchili]

Do you know for a fact (as in, have it writing) that Oceania will treat you differently from US/Canadian passengers or do you just assume that they will? If anything, Australian/New Zealand passengers require fewer visas than US citizens do; where visas are required and will be issued to US citizens I am certain it will be done for you as well. I can see you having problems if you perhaps had a North Korean passport or an Iranian one, but not a Kiwi one.

I am sure you will be treated the same as everyone else on the cruise.

[Paulchili]

We have to wait until Oct to start getting visas as they are only valid for 3 months from issue.

The problem for us in NZ is that we have to send our applications and passports overseas

Each time it is 20+ days so as you can imagine it will be impossible to get visas for all countries.

 

I don't think you have to do this (see my post above), but if it will make you sleep better, consider this:

Engage a visa service agency in Sydney (or Canberra), since as you say they are not present in Wellington, and have them get ALL your visas, one after the other, in"one shot". They have messengers that run from embassy to embassy. The visa application forms are available online - fill them ALL out, send the required fees, pictures, etc and it will all be done at once. It will take a couple weeks as each embassy may take 3-5 days, but with overnight mail you should have this done in plenty of time for your cruise (starting 3 months before the cruise).

This will probably cost a bundle and I don't think it is necessary but if it gives you a peace of mind, do it.

Good luck.

[2kiwis]

We also are Kiwis traveling on the Nautica from Istanbul to Singapore and have been very concerned about getting all the visas we appear to need. We have been told by another Kiwi (Fowler) that their TA has had written confirmation from Oceania that ALL passports will be issued with visas on arrival in all ports that require them on the Istanbul to Cape Town cruise. I have asked our TA to get the same confirmation in writing but have not had a reply yet.

 

.

 

 

 

We have also asked our TA to for confirmation about visas and have asked Oceania TWICE = still waiting. Our TA is still waiting on Oceania as well.

 

We have several North American friends travelling on the same cruise who advise they received info from Oceania telling them they only need 2 visas and the ship will provide the rest, so why haven't we??

 

If all passengers were being treated the same we wouldn't be so angry but we are not, and there is no good reason for it.

 

If anyone from Oceania is reading this -Please get this sorted - it is unprofessional and puts Oceania in a very poor light. :mad:

[2kiwis]

I don't think you have to do this (see my post above), but if it will make you sleep better, consider this:

Engage a visa service agency in Sydney (or Canberra), since as you say they are not present in Wellington, and have them get ALL your visas, one after the other, in"one shot". They have messengers that run from embassy to embassy. The visa application forms are available online - fill them ALL out, send the required fees, pictures, etc and it will all be done at once. It will take a couple weeks as each embassy may take 3-5 days, but with overnight mail you should have this done in plenty of time for your cruise (starting 3 months before the cruise).

This will probably cost a bundle and I don't think it is necessary but if it gives you a peace of mind, do it.

Good luck.

 

 

Hi

 

We have looked at that and will do it if we have to.

Like many we will most probably end up getting some of the visas and hope we can get off the ship.

 

However, the point we are trying to make is that we should not have to do this.

We believe Oceania has the same responsibility towards ALL it's passengers, not just those it feels like helping out.

 

We are coming up to our 10th cruise with them and you'd think this kind of loyality would inspire some kind of service wouldn't you.

 

Once on board we know it will be the usual fantastic service as the staff and crew are great.

Unfortunately we have never experienced the same standrad of service from the head office staff.

 

Cheers

[Paulchili]

2kiwis,

Have you actaually been told by Oceania (or your TA) that they will NOT do it for you; or are you just assuming that they will not do it for you?

There is a big difference between those 2 situations.

Granted, you should have been notified, just as your NA friends were (BTW, were they notified by Oceania directly or their TA?). However, if you have not been actually told that they will not do it for you and thus that you are responsible for getting them, you are just imagining the worst case scenario (which, as I said before, is very unlikely).

I really do not see Oceania giving onboard visas only to NA passengers and not others. I think this is a case of poor communications rather than discrimination.

Please keep us informed - I would very much like to know the outcome of this.

Thank you.

[Paulchili]

If all passengers were being treated the same we wouldn't be so angry but we are not, and there is no good reason for it.

 

If anyone from Oceania is reading this -Please get this sorted - it is unprofessional and puts Oceania in a very poor light. :mad:

 

 

FWIW,

FDR, Oceania's CEO, claims to read every new post on Oceania's and Regent's boards (and I do not doubt it).

This is his a part of his quote:

 

Believe it or not, I read every new Oceania and Regent post everyday.

I choose sparingly and hopefully, wisely when to post and comment.

I believe that CC is the most unbiased, unfiltered and direct source of what guests really like, dislike, want etc. and we take your thoughts very, very seriously.

 

It doesn't matter what I think, or what others in the office think (we're not the ones bookinbg a cruise), what matters is what you guys think and I sincerely appreciate all your comments, both positive and negative.

 

We're not perfect, but as a friend of mine who runs our tours in Rome often says, "we strive for perfection and settle for excellence".

 

FDR

 

You can find it here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1239764&highlight=fdr&page=6 - post #111

 

Based on that, the chances are very very good that he is reading this - whether he will respond or not, I don't know.

In either case, he is likely to look into it.

[WindrunnerII]

We have to wait until Oct to start getting visas as they are only valid for 3 months from issue.

The problem for us in NZ is that we have to send our applications and passports overseas

Each time it is 20+ days so as you can imagine it will be impossible to get visas for all countries.

 

All we are asking is for Oceania to treat us the same as the North Americans.

They only have to get two visas and the rest are organised by the ship.

We also should ony have to get two visas as we are also entitled to the same visas the ship is organising for the others.

Princess cruises does this in Africa for all their passengers, so whats wrong with Oceania doing it as well?.

 

Did you ever think that the different countries have different requirements for citizens of different countries? Perhaps in some countries they CAN issue visas for all and in some they can not?

 

In the end, whether you are from the U.S., England or Zimbabwe, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure all your papers are in order.

 

From O's website:

 

Q: Do I need a Passport or Visa? A: Passport and Visa requirements, and regulations in regards to vaccination certificates and other health requirements vary by destination. It is the sole responsibility of each guest to obtain and have available appropriate valid travel and health documents for their chosen itinerary. Any guest traveling without the proper documentation will not be allowed to board the vesseland no refund of cruise fare or any other travel components purchased from Oceania Cruises will be issued. Passports must be valid six months from the date of trip completion. Due to airline security measures, your Passport name must match your airline ticket name or you may be denied boarding. Oceania Cruises accepts no responsibility for obtaining required visas nor for advising guests of visa or other immigration requirements beyond the guidelines indicated.

[wripro]

I do not understand why, as previously suggested, one does not simply call the TA and tell them to find out exactly what visas are needed an would he help take care of it. No need to get angry when there is such an obvious solution.

[pondnana]

While I am from one of the 2 countries which seem to have no problem with visas for this cruise, I have cruised 4 times with the Kiwis and I can assure you this is another in a list of frustrations that they have had cruising with O - and not on board ship. They have consistently paid more than we have - exchange taken into consideration and have never been offered the free air although it is included in the price of their cruise as it is in ours. We have the option of declining and being reimbursed a paltry sum but I don't think they have the option, although I may be wrong and I am sure will be corrected if so. At any rate, I can assure you they have probably done everything they could before posting here. I am sure it was a last ditch effort to get some service, any service, the same service that we North Americans take for granted. So....... cut them some slack.

[Paulchili]

Pondana,

I agree with you that others (UK, Oz, Kiwis and others) do not get the breaks or prices we do. They also cannot cancel without losing their deposit, etc,etc.

However, that is not the issue here. I just have not heard from them that Oceania refuses to do the same as they will do for NA passengers. Until then I do not see the need to be alarmed.

[KCRC]

10 cruises with O. WOW....2kiwis is as loyal a customer as can be expected.

If this were my company (I'm a retired VP from a major US Corp!), I'd be on this like the proverbial fly on you know what. I would meet and exceed this customer's expectations. Let's forget about all the excuses and reasons why this issue is happening or it can't be done. FDR and your team....please resolve this problem for these good people. We are taking our first cruise with you next March and I want to be sure I'm going with a company that goes the extra stretch that puts it above the competition. You know what I'm talking about for sure.