China & Vietnam visa?

[cruisine21]

My parents are in there late 80's and are going on the Azamara Quest stopping overnight in Osaka, Hiroshima, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City. So they will be in each port for 2 days. Their travel agent has not been able to provide any information on visas?

 

From my research I understand they will need a Single Entry Visa for Shanghai and Ho Chi Minh.

 

Can anyone confirm that that is correct?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I hope you are joking about the Travel Agent....but if true......

 

Change Travel Agents.

 

Knowing and advising about Visas is their job.

They should have offered to arrange it all for your parents , especially at their age.

If they have left you without any information about the Visas required threaten to cancel and rebook with someone who does know what they are doing.

Your parents will be paying them big money and do not deserve to be treated like that.

 

 

Edited January 27, 2015 by Kiwi Kruzer

[cruisine21]

I hope you are joking about the Travel Agent....but if true......

 

Change Travel Agents.

 

Knowing and advising about Visas is their job.

They should have offered to arrange it all for your parents , especially at their age.

If they have left you without any information about the Visas required threaten to cancel and rebook with someone who does know what they are doing.

Your parents will be paying them big money and do not deserve to be treated like that.

 

 

No. I'm not joking. Its an online agent. I will they had told me before they booked because I would have recommended my travel agent. They are departing on the 5th March so its too late to cancel now.

Edited January 27, 2015 by cruisine21

[vozzie]

As it's getting close, I suggest you contact someone like VISALINK.

[cruisermsoon]

China requires a visa be obtained prior to arrival. The forms can be downloaded via the internet, and then presented with the passports and fees at the appropriate State Capital office, then picked up a week later. If this is too complicated, by all means use a visa service, however there will be an extra fee for this. [india is another country that requires a visa to be arranged prior to arrival]. see:

www.visaforchina.org

Visas for Vietnam Cambodia and Indonesia are normally provided by the cruise company on board the cruise ship and the fees debited to the on board account.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

We have been to Vietnam a couple of times on cruises and each time the cruise line has arranged the Visa and it has beeen charged to the shipboard account .

[cruisine21]

Thanks everyone for your help.

[davwen81]

We have been to HCMC with Azamara and they organised the visa on board and charged it to our account. However the TA should be organising the China one as that can take awhile and involves sending passports away.

 

 

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[cruisine21]

We have been to HCMC with Azamara and they organised the visa on board and charged it to our account. However the TA should be organising the China one as that can take awhile and involves sending passports away.

 

 

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The TA has been no help whatsoever. I've read that the The Chinese Consulate and Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Sydney will be closed from Wednesday the 18th of February to Friday the 20th of February 2015. I'm guessing that is Chinese New Year.

As a person who likes being organised when planning my travel I am getting a bit concerned. As a last resort I have a niece who is a TA so she might be able to help.

[kate59]

The China one if fairly easy to do online and follow the direction - if close to where they do the Visa you can do in person. Make sure you provide the cruise itineray. We did online, booked time to do the paperwork, handed it over and they tell you when to come back and i think you can check it online how it is going. They may be able to do a rush one but will probably cost more.

Hope it all works out for you.

[cruisine21]

Just an update my parents have got both the Visas. Apparently they read online that the Vietnamese one had to be done before departure. If you arrive by air you can do it on arrival but not if you arrive by ship. They went to both consulates in Sydney.

Edited February 19, 2015 by cruisine21

[swansnz]

Just an update my parents have got both the Visas. Apparently they read online that the Vietnamese one had to be done before departure. If you arrive by air you can do it on arrival but not if you arrive by ship. They went to both consulates in Sydney.

 

The Vietnam one can be arranged by the cruise line. This was done by filling out a form before boarding the ship, for a HAL cruise in January. Cost was US$105

[Aus Traveller]

Just an update my parents have got both the Visas. Apparently they read online that the Vietnamese one had to be done before departure. If you arrive by air you can do it on arrival but not if you arrive by ship. They went to both consulates in Sydney.

I suggest they advise the Passenger Services Desk that they already have visas for Vietnam. We haven't cruised to Vietnam on an Azamara ship and I am not sure what they do about the visas. We have only cruised to Vietnam with Princess who organise visas for all passengers and charge their on-board account. I wouldn't like your parents having to pay twice for the visas.:)

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

I suggest they advise the Passenger Services Desk that they already have visas for Vietnam. We haven't cruised to Vietnam on an Azamara ship and I am not sure what they do about the visas. We have only cruised to Vietnam with Princess who organise visas for all passengers and charge their on-board account. I wouldn't like your parents having to pay twice for the visas.:)

 

Can you recall how much Priness charges for the Vietnam visas?

[cruisine21]

I suggest they advise the Passenger Services Desk that they already have visas for Vietnam. We haven't cruised to Vietnam on an Azamara ship and I am not sure what they do about the visas. We have only cruised to Vietnam with Princess who organise visas for all passengers and charge their on-board account. I wouldn't like your parents having to pay twice for the visas.:)

 

Dad is very tight with his money being a retired bank manager. I'm sure he won't pay twice. He complained about paying once.

I tried to tell him he could get the visa on the ship but he wouldn't believe me.

[Aus Traveller]

Can you recall how much Priness charges for the Vietnam visas?

$25 the last time we had this charge. :) But if Vietnam put up the price, then obviously it will be higher.

[Bpos]

Visa for China - needs to be organised before you go.

 

Visa for Vietnam - take some passport photos and it will be done by the ship - lots of confusion about the Vietnam visa in the past month or so but it will just be a matter of what documentation the ship will require plus the fee.

[Bpos]

Just an update my parents have got both the Visas. Apparently they read online that the Vietnamese one had to be done before departure. If you arrive by air you can do it on arrival but not if you arrive by ship. They went to both consulates in Sydney.

 

This is and old trick by the Vietnam Embassy/Consulates in Australia to get Aussies arriving by ship (and leaving by ship) to pay the extravagant fee for a visa in Australia by saying they are not available if arriving by ship in Vietnam

 

This is because the Embassy/Consulate relies on the Visa fees to pay for the running of the Embassy/Consulate.

 

You can get your Visa on the ship - it will just be a question of cost.

 

We traveled Azamara to Vietnam a few years ago, they organised the visa and I think they did not charge us for it - probably $5 per head then.

 

Our last visit (9 visits since 1970) was in October last year and we were on Princess who charged us $33 USD each for a visa (which at the time was $5) so cruise lines use it as an avenue to raise extra revenue from their guests as well.

[RickInOz]

This is and old trick by the Vietnam Embassy/Consulates in Australia to get Aussies arriving by ship (and leaving by ship) to pay the extravagant fee for a visa in Australia by saying they are not available if arriving by ship in Vietnam

 

This is because the Embassy/Consulate relies on the Visa fees to pay for the running of the Embassy/Consulate.

 

You can get your Visa on the ship - it will just be a question of cost.

 

We traveled Azamara to Vietnam a few years ago, they organised the visa and I think they did not charge us for it - probably $5 per head then.

 

Our last visit (9 visits since 1970) was in October last year and we were on Princess who charged us $33 USD each for a visa (which at the time was $5) so cruise lines use it as an avenue to raise extra revenue from their guests as well.

Apparently now back to US$5 (US$45 overnight/disembark) after 1st January increase reversed .. see here

[cheznandy]

Can you recall how much Priness charges for the Vietnam visas?

 

Hi Eileen,

 

Just returned from a cruise on the Sapphire, Vietnam visa arranged onboard $31 USD p/p.

 

Chez

xx

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Hi Eileen,

 

Just returned from a cruise on the Sapphire, Vietnam visa arranged onboard $31 USD p/p.

 

Chez

xx

Thanks Chez.....l thought it was around that price.

[Bpos]

Thanks Chez.....l thought it was around that price.

 

 

Someone just got back from Vietnam with RCI and they were only charged $6 for their visa by the cruise line - why are Princess charging more?

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Someone just got back from Vietnam with RCI and they were only charged $6 for their visa by the cruise line - why are Princess charging more?

Good question!

[yatchet]

$25 profit each pax.

Eg, Diamond Princess,2670 pax=$66750 profit and that's just for one country.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Someone just got back from Vietnam with RCI and they were only charged $6 for their visa by the cruise line - why are Princess charging more?

 

At that price , did they just slow and make them swim ashore?:D

 

I think they may have got things a little mixed up.

The "Visa" as such can also cover Port Charges, Tender Wharfage Fees, and all the "inspections and Official documentation that goes on and that we never see. Different cruise lines request different services from each port. HAL charges $50 ,but they include a host of extras that you would expect with such a discerning cruise line.