Australian Immigration when entering from a cruise.

[Wansbrough]

We are booked on a Celebrity Cruise from Auckland to Sydney and have just successfully obtained our eVisitor (subclass 651) visa. :)

Hobart will be our first port after NZ and we are due to be there from 8:00am until 5:00pm, it is our intention to hire a car to do Mount Wellington, Bonerong Wildlife Sanctuary and time permitting go see Russell Falls at Mount Field National Park. Quite a busy schedule but very doable if we don't experience any hold-ups.

My question is, as we are non nationals are we likely to experience any hold up with immigration coming into Australian territory? Or do they do as in some areas of the world bring immigration officers onboard to do process you before you arrive?

[kuldalai]

You will either be processed on board before arrival in Hobart, or immediately on arrival in Hobart . If your Passport & E Visa is with Purser it will all be done quick smart, and you will be advised when it is OK to go ashore . Should be no great delays .

Edited October 29, 2016 by kuldalai

[ceba]

We are on that cruise as well. So glad the question was asked, because I'd forgotten completely about needing the visa!

[Northern Aurora]

We left the Solstice October 22nd after spending 32 nights on board. The Honolulu to Sydney leg was our third trans-Pacific on Celebrity. On all three trans-Pacifics Celebrity has flown Immigration officials to the port prior to reaching Australia, and immigration procedures were done on-board. Easy-peasy.

[ceba]

We left the Solstice October 22nd after spending 32 nights on board. The Honolulu to Sydney leg was our third trans-Pacific on Celebrity. On all three trans-Pacifics Celebrity has flown Immigration officials to the port prior to reaching Australia, and immigration procedures were done on-board. Easy-peasy.

Excellent

[OzKiwiJJ]

We did this cruise on Solstice last Christmas and they did the immigration processing onboard during one of the sea days between NZ and Tasmania. We were allocated a time slot during which we had to join the queue in the Sky Conference Centre (port side just aft of the Sky Lounge). Processing was reasonably efficient.

Edited October 30, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[Wansbrough]

Excellent news and thanks for all the answers. :)

[SF]

We are considering booking an Auckland to Sydney cruise in 2017 and I was just curious if when you embark they take your passport and keep it at Guest Services or do you keep it?

[OzKiwiJJ]

We are considering booking an Auckland to Sydney cruise in 2017 and I was just curious if when you embark they take your passport and keep it at Guest Services or do you keep it?

 

You keep it.

 

Put it straight in the safe as soon as you get to your cabin. You won't need it at the NZ ports as long as you have some other form of photo ID - some ports requires this, some don't.

Edited October 31, 2016 by OzKiwiJJ

[The_Big_M]

We are considering booking an Auckland to Sydney cruise in 2017 and I was just curious if when you embark they take your passport and keep it at Guest Services or do you keep it?

 

While you keep it on boarding, it will need to be handed in once you leave NZ, to enable Australian processing. You will get it back by the time you reach Australia.

[OzKiwiJJ]

While you keep it on boarding, it will need to be handed in once you leave NZ, to enable Australian processing. You will get it back by the time you reach Australia.

 

Not when we were on Solstice last December. They required face-to-face immigration checks. We had to take our passports, and arrival cards I think, to the conference centre where immigration officers processed us in the normal manner. We were given a time slot to be there, I think they were half hour time slots. There was a long queue but it moved quickly.

[SF]

Thank you all for your replies to my question. The ship we're thinking about is also the Solstice. I see the itinerary has two sea days prior to reaching Australia so I'm assuming that's the days that everyone will go through immigration.

[The_Big_M]

Not when we were on Solstice last December. They required face-to-face immigration checks. We had to take our passports, and arrival cards I think, to the conference centre where immigration officers processed us in the normal manner. We were given a time slot to be there, I think they were half hour time slots. There was a long queue but it moved quickly.

 

When I was on Celebrity Millennium before that, the process was similar, but they collected the passports in advance, and then you got them back in the appointment. So the only difference is how it's collected. As they're sea days, it shouldn't make much difference.

 

I was highlighting it so they're readily available before you reach Australia.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Thank you all for your replies to my question. The ship we're thinking about is also the Solstice. I see the itinerary has two sea days prior to reaching Australia so I'm assuming that's the days that everyone will go through immigration.

 

Yes. I think they did it on the first sea day on our cruise but that may have been because the second one was Christmas Day.

[OzKiwiJJ]

When I was on Celebrity Millennium before that, the process was similar, but they collected the passports in advance, and then you got them back in the appointment. So the only difference is how it's collected. As they're sea days, it shouldn't make much difference.

 

I was highlighting it so they're readily available before you reach Australia.

 

I can't see the point of them taking the passports in advance, :confused: they should have all the passport details on file anyway, and the passport isn't much use without the person to match it up against.

[The_Big_M]

I can't see the point of them taking the passports in advance, :confused: they should have all the passport details on file anyway, and the passport isn't much use without the person to match it up against.

 

Not necessarily. You may have multiple passports, and board the ship with one, which is different from what you are entering Australia on. Plus if you need a visa (rather than an ETS) they can inspect it.

 

The same reason you have to bring it with you; just they have time to inspect it in advance.

 

It's not uncommon for the ship to need to collect from passengers, and present passports in advance; happens in other countries too.

 

And if they did need to contact you... they know where to find you!

Edited November 1, 2016 by The_Big_M

[Wansbrough]

 

It's not uncommon for the ship to need to collect from passengers, and present passports in advance; happens in other countries too.

 

 

This has happened with us before but never on Celebrity.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Not necessarily. You may have multiple passports, and board the ship with one, which is different from what you are entering Australia on. Plus if you need a visa (rather than an ETS) they can inspect it.

 

The same reason you have to bring it with you; just they have time to inspect it in advance.

 

It's not uncommon for the ship to need to collect from passengers, and present passports in advance; happens in other countries too.

 

And if they did need to contact you... they know where to find you!

 

Fair enough.

 

We've had passports collected on other cruises but not the Celebrity NZ to Aus one.

[The_Big_M]

This has happened with us before but never on Celebrity.

 

It all depends what routes you sail on.