May1702 Posted March 2, 2012 #1 Share Posted March 2, 2012 We are cruising on Nautica from 5 January 2013 and are finding it difficult to get info re how to obtain visas which we need for Madagascar, Tanzania and Kenya. It appears that we need to obtain these before we get to the ship. Is there a different type of visa for cruisers staying just a few hours in a country or do we need to pay the same as people who will be there for a full holiday? We should also need a visa for Mozambique but as we have been to Maputu before we would not be really interested in going again. Do we still need to obtain a visa even if we do not intend to disembark the ship there? We have found companies on the website offering to obtain visas for ridiculous prices. Any suggestions as to how to get reasonably priced visas would be gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted March 2, 2012 #2 Share Posted March 2, 2012 The rules for the kind of visa you need can vary from country to country, so you should check the equivalent of the U.S. State Department to see exactly what you need. And your location can affect where you go to get your visas. We live in NYC so we have only needed to use a visa service once (for Russia, when we had a guide in St. Petersburg who could not issue an invitation letter). Depending on where you live, you might be able to go directly to consulates to get the visas. Likewise, the need for a "full service" visa even if you are only going to be there for a few hours is probably best answered by the consulate. If I'm wrong, I know I'll be corrected! Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted March 2, 2012 #3 Share Posted March 2, 2012 http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/blog/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Meer Posted March 2, 2012 #4 Share Posted March 2, 2012 We are cruising on Nautica from 5 January 2013 and are finding it difficult to get info re how to obtain visas which we need for Madagascar, Tanzania and Kenya. It appears that we need to obtain these before we get to the ship. Is there a different type of visa for cruisers staying just a few hours in a country or do we need to pay the same as people who will be there for a full holiday? We should also need a visa for Mozambique but as we have been to Maputu before we would not be really interested in going again. Do we still need to obtain a visa even if we do not intend to disembark the ship there? We have found companies on the website offering to obtain visas for ridiculous prices. Any suggestions as to how to get reasonably priced visas would be gratefully received. The cheapest way we have found for obtaining visas is by application direct to the embassy / consulate in London. It's usually possible to download the application forms and instructions. As far as I know (but I am willing to be corrected) even if you are not going ashore you will still need a visa. Maybe you could get a company that would get all your visas for one fee. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted March 2, 2012 #5 Share Posted March 2, 2012 This site will tell you if you need a VISA & other good information http://www.visahq.co.uk/visas.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PaulMCO Posted March 3, 2012 #6 Share Posted March 3, 2012 You really need to check with Oceania. We did this itinerary this year. Mozambique -- Oceania charged passengers for the visa on their shipboard account. For Madagascar the visa was arranged by the ship gratis. Can't help with Kenya or Tanzania as Oceania cancelled these ports and substituted other portds due to the issue with piracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May1702 Posted March 4, 2012 Author #7 Share Posted March 4, 2012 You really need to check with Oceania. We did this itinerary this year. Mozambique -- Oceania charged passengers for the visa on their shipboard account. For Madagascar the visa was arranged by the ship gratis. Can't help with Kenya or Tanzania as Oceania cancelled these ports and substituted other portds due to the issue with piracy. Thanks for info. This is what I thought they would do when I booked. In the Oceania brochure they state that visas have to be obtained before boarding and there is no mention of them supplying onboard visas. They also say that boarding would be denied without the appropriate documentation. It all seems a bit airy fairy! It would certainly be much simpler if Oceania supplied them. I will have to contact them again and try to speak to somebody in authority to get some answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted March 4, 2012 #8 Share Posted March 4, 2012 They do supply visas but at a fairly high cost. Often it's worth it for the convenience. When we switched cruises (at their request) last fall the new cruise needed visas for Turkey and they gave them to us gratis, but that won't happen often! It has seemed to me that getting from from Oceania is more expensive, but it is also more convenient. Having said that, I wonder if they may only be able to do that for U.S. passengers. I really don't know. So it seems you need to call Oceania in any event. Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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