First the Chinese visa screw-up, now, Vietnam, too.

[tothemall&beyond]

We are traveling on the Sapphire Princess Grand Asia sailing on 4/25/16. I recently posted about Princess's total screw-up regarding Chinese visas. Now, I'm here to report that they're doing it again with the Vietnam visas, too.

 

Princess recently notified us that we would be charged $46 per person (an increase from the previous $31) for our Vietnam visas. However, Vietnam changed the visa requirements for cruise passengers more than a year ago, and the visas should only be $5 per person.

 

Various news outlets and agencies have documented the change. Here is an excerpt from one of them, "TR Weekly" ---

 

January 14, 2015 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit

Filed under News, Vietnam

HANOI, 14 January 2015: International cruise passengers gain a huge incentive to sightsee in Vietnam after the country cut the shore leave visa from a staggering USD45 to just USD5.

The move was approved, last week, by the Prime Minister as plans unfold to raise the country’s profile as a cruise destination.

Fresh immigration regulations, came into effect 1 January [2015], to streamline the process and end time-consuming and costly immigration requirements for international tourists travelling to Vietnam by cruise ship. ***

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung told the Ministry of Public Security to work with relevant agencies to streamline visa

procedures for passengers on board foreign cruise ships and ordered the Ministry of Finance to lower the fee.

Accordingly, immigration officers, they will issue a landing slip for visitors upon arrival at a fee of USD5 if they intended to go ashore for sightseeing.

 

This begs the question: why is Princess still going to charge each passenger $46 for this visa? Vietnam is no longer charging that amount, and it is wrong for Princess to place that charge on our on-board accounts.

 

Moreover, this comes directly on the heels of Princess similarly failing to take timely action to reverse its requirement that passengers on this cruise obtain Chinese visas, even after Princess had repeatedly been put on notice that China had revised its visa requirements and Chinese visas for transit through Shanghai were no longer necessary.

 

The change to the Chinese visa requirement was announced by the Chinese government in mid-December 2015, and took effect on January 30, 2016. As early as the first week of February, passengers began notifying Princess of the policy change and trying to get Princess to revise their requirement that we have the visas in order to board the ship in Singapore. Throughout the entire month of February, Princess continued to deny knowledge of the new policy, and to insist that we get the visas, even after people had sent written proof of the existence of the new policy. On March 3, Princess finally sent an email advising us that the visa requirements for China had "recently changed" and that the visas were no longer necessary. However, Princess had dragged its feet for so long that most of us had already expended nearly $500 per couple to get the visas Princess wrongfully forced us to get.

 

Princess's failure to do its due diligence, and to properly and timely act with regard to the Chinese visas, resulted in many passengers, including us, spending large sums of money for visas which Princess knew, or should have known, we did not need. We are furious with Princess for creating this blunder in the first place, and for then compounding it by subsequently refusing to compensate us in any way for its own negligence.

 

Now Princess is doing the same thing with regard to Vietnamese visas that should only cost $5 per person (at least for those of us who are booked on organized tours through Princess), not the $46 per person Princess is planning to charge us.

 

I have written to Princess to request that it please take timely action to rectify this before our cruise. It should not be difficult for Princess to ascertain which passengers are booked on their own tours and to charge us appropriately only $5 per person.

 

I additionally asked Princess to please reconsider its outright refusal to in any way compensate passengers who are out of pocket for Chinese visas we did not need. They really owe it to their loyal passengers to do right by us for their error.

Edited March 14, 2016 by tothemall&beyond

[beg3yrs]

When we went through Viet Nam on Princess a couple of years ago, the visa fee was charged onboard. That makes sense as they procure the visas upon arrival and that's when the fee would be paid. If the ship were to miss the port, no visa and then of course no fee.

 

I suspect you will have a similar situation and if you get charged the wrong fee, take it up with passenger services on the ship.

[Pushka]

There will be a Princess handling fee just like there is in every port that processes a visa eg Indonesia. It is probably a little on the high side but you will always be charged more than the actual cost of the visa. I dont think Princess screwed up the China visa either as that issue was in flux at the time and not yet implemented. Given you mentioned 'loyal' do you think that such customers should pay less than others?

Edited March 14, 2016 by Pushka

[tothemall&beyond]

When we went through Viet Nam on Princess a couple of years ago, the visa fee was charged onboard. That makes sense as they procure the visas upon arrival and that's when the fee would be paid. If the ship were to miss the port, no visa and then of course no fee.

 

I suspect you will have a similar situation and if you get charged the wrong fee, take it up with passenger services on the ship.

 

 

Yes, they will do it onboard by collecting our passports. That's not the problem. The problem is Princess is overcharging for the visa. It should only be $5 plus a $1 card fee, not $45 plus the $1 fee. Vietnam changed the fee in January 2015 for cruise passengers taking organized tours overland.

Edited March 14, 2016 by tothemall&beyond

[7leagueboots]

Yes, they will do it onboard by collecting our passports. That's not the problem. The problem is Princess is overcharging for the visa. It should only be $5 plus a $1 card fee, not $45 plus the $1 fee. Vietnam changed the fee in January 2015 for cruise passengers taking organized tours overland.

 

Interesting. Thanks for posting this. I wonder how Princess will respond.

[TNTLAMB]

There is a few other fees involved but here is what Princess is operating off of (for 2016:)

 

http://www.myvietnamvisa.com/vietnam-visa-cost.html

Edited March 14, 2016 by TNTLAMB

[icat2000]

Interesting. Thanks for posting this. I wonder how Princess will respond.

 

Same way they did over the Bali visa when querying the high processing charge. It is what it is to process it and your welcome to get your own visas in advance.

 

Interesting to note that when I toured Vietnam overland in 2013 the visa charge was $100 AUD so I finding the $45 not too bad.

 

Where does it say that the visa is $5?

Edited March 14, 2016 by icat2000

[OzKiwiJJ]

Princess have also added a handling fee to Indonesian visas. Last year we paid US $35 for a visa onboard, this year it will be US $60 - and the visa fee itself hasn't changed.

 

Nice little extra money earner for Princess - NOT! :mad:

[likeadisguise]

Princess started adding a processing fee to visas obtained onboard sometime past year.

[caribill]

When we went through Viet Nam on Princess a couple of years ago, the visa fee was charged onboard. That makes sense as they procure the visas upon arrival and that's when the fee would be paid. If the ship were to miss the port, no visa and then of course no fee.

 

I suspect you will have a similar situation and if you get charged the wrong fee, take it up with passenger services on the ship.

 

Exactly the wrong thing to do.

 

On board personnel have no authority to change the standard fee that the home office tells them to charge.

 

It needs to be resolved before the cruise and written comformation of what will be charged taken with you.

[caribill]

Now Princess is doing the same thing with regard to Vietnamese visas that should only cost $5 per person (at least for those of us who are booked on organized tours through Princess), not the $46 per person Princess is planning to charge us.

 

 

The announcement you quoted does not say it has to be a ship's shore excursion. It appears to apply to all people going ashore.

 

By the way, Princess charges their visa fee even if you do not intend to go ashore.

[Keith1010]

Life is short.

 

Either they will charge you less or what they originally said they would.

 

I just wouldn't get so aggravated about this.

 

Keith

[biker1972]

Princess has wine for sale by the bottle. I have found some of the wines that they sell in shops and elsewhere for about 65% less. ($8 bottle on the street selling for $25 on board) It is called free enterprise and a cost of doing business with Princess. Unhappy with this fact then get your own visa or don't cruise.

[Bocagirl1]

It seems that the visa rules have changed for UK citizens

 

Has anyone got their visa in the UK for Bali or is it best to leave it to Princess?

[TNTLAMB]

There are a number of visa/passport services out there. Princess prices are in line with what they charge. Of course you can DIY at a lower cost. Whether or not one wants to run the risk of messing it up on for what is for most a once in a lifetime experience is a personal choice. Here is an example of a service which BTW charges more than 45.00 for Vietnam)

http://www.passportvisasexpress.com/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=newpage&gclid=Cj0KEQjw5Z63BRCLqqLtpc6dk7gBEiQA0OuhsE-HC_syU9gqwkflIYEv3YeJGOPdRSEIj-t5znKo7-4aAsNX8P8HAQ

[cruisequeen4ever]

I would bet that once you are onboard, the correct charge will be incurred. You can verify at Pax Services onboard.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[tothemall&beyond]

The announcement you quoted does not say it has to be a ship's shore excursion. It appears to apply to all people going ashore.

 

By the way, Princess charges their visa fee even if you do not intend to go ashore.

 

 

Hi Caribill.

 

Here's one of the other news reports on this:

 

"Vietnam’s tourism leaders are sailing full steam ahead with new initiatives that will not only boost the country’s cruise sector, but also integrate cruise with other areas of tourism.

Although still a niche sector, over the last 12 months arrivals into Vietnam by sea grew to 47,583 – an increase of 24.6 percent compared to 2013.

2015 may only be two months in, but growth hasn’t slowed down, with sea arrivals in January jumping 90.1 percent compared to the same month last year.

Despite the growing number, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan said in an interview last year that cruise still only makes up three-to-five percent of international tourists each year.

He said Vietnam has to attract more cruisers to its shores in order to diversify its tourism business, but pointed out: “The poor quality of tourist services at seaports and a lack of support services for visitors is

damaging prospects in this sector.”

As part of plans to build the sector, Vietnam has revealed a range of new initiatives that include port development plans, proposals to attract new ships and a shift in visitor fees. Among the most recent changes is last month’s decision to decrease the existing shore leave visa for

international cruise passengers. Now cruisers onboard international ships like Celebrity Century and Queen Elizabeth that want to go

ashore in Vietnam for sightseeing only have to pay US$5 – a dramatic drop from US$45.

The change came into effect on 1 January [2015] and according to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dun, will encourage more passengers aboard the larger international vessels to embark on shore tours.

The PM has also called for an easier visa process for overseas sea arrivals, which he says currently deters people from disembarking at Vietnam’s ports.

Search …

Country focus: Vietnam — ASEAN Cruise News http://www.aseancruising.com/country-focus-vietnam/

1"

[cactusrose]

Found another reference dated Januar 14, 2015. Can't believe Princess has not caught up with the new fees.

 

http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2015/01/vietnam-visa-fee-for-cruises-drops-to-usd5/

 

Please report back on the Princess response or what actually happens when you get there.

[westendgirl]

When we visited Viet Nam in the fall of 2013, the Diamond charged us $25 for the visa. I thought this was fair since they did all the heavy lifting and we didn't need to do anything pre-cruise. A service charge for doing so is fair. HOWEVER, the onboard fee is now $45 even though the actual cost of said visa has gone down to $5. 900% is a little exorbitant for a service charge wouldn't you say?

 

OP has notified Princess' corporate office of the change (in the event they weren't aware) and they have plenty of time to amend the charges by next month's departure date. Fingers crossed.