Princess Diamond doesn't meet the basics

[hel0013]

weekdays did know the current visa requirements.

 

The problem was that Princess did not know them.

 

China now allows passengers on a cruise ship that only stops in China for turnaround day to disembark and go to the airport without needing an expensive visa.

 

Princess says you need to obtain the expensive visa.

 

What good is your knowing the current legal visa requirements when Princess does not know them?

 

I was on the same cruise with the OP (Oct 26 - Nov 12) where this came in effect October 1st. Didn't really matter because like you say... Doesn't matter knowing the current regs when Princess doesn't know them. Princess still said we needed the Visa.

 

Shanghai to Adopt 15-Day Visa Exemption Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Entering China by Cruise from Shanghai

 

09-30-2016

 

In an effort to accelerate implementation of the national strategy of innovation driven development, recently, sanctioned by the State Council, a 15-day visa exemption policy for foreign tour groups entering the country by cruise from Shanghai (hereinafter referred to as “the policy”) is to take effect on October 1st, 2016. Foreign tour groups (consisting of no less than 2 members), when organized and received by travel agencies legally registered in Mainland China, shall be exempted from the requirement of Chinese visas when entering the country as a whole from cruise ports in Shanghai and entitled to not more than 15 days (calculated from the next day upon arrival) of stay in China. The domestic areas which said foreign tour groups are allowed to visit include Beijing Municipality and cruise port cities and administrative regions of surrounding cities within Shanghai Municipality, Liaoning Province, Hebei Province, Tianjin Municipality, Shandong Province, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hainan Province.

 

The adoption of the policy is yet another major facilitative state measure aimed to back the construction of Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Hub and will inevitably hasten the development of Shanghai’s cruise industry. In recent years, Shanghai’s cruise economy has boomed. Statistics show that the passenger traffic through cruise ports in Shanghai reached 1,624,000 in 2015, up by 35.5% than previous year, among which, however, only 4.3%, or 69,000, is that of foreign passengers, tying up with 2014. A crucial factor contributing to the low percentage of foreign passenger traffic through cruise ports is the low “cost performance ratio” caused by the nuisance of having to apply for Chinese visas in advance and short shore time for sightseeing, and as a result it somewhat undermined the willingness of foreign passengers to visit China by cruise. After the policy officially takes effect, when organized and received by travel agencies registered in Mainland China and approved by the immigration inspection authority in Shanghai, a foreign tour group whose members hold valid international travel documents can enter the country visa-free from Shanghai Port International Passenger Terminal and Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal as a whole, stay in China for up to 15 days and travel with the same cruise ship to the next domestic port of call till said ship exits the country. In addition, within 15 days following its entry from Shanghai, a cruise ship can proceed to call at ports in other Chinese coastal cities and provinces, and passengers can go ashore and explore the city where the port of call is located, which will stimulate cruise companies to create more cruise routes and offer foreign tour groups more sightseeing options, attract more foreign passengers to tour in Shanghai and other locations and further boost the development of Shanghai’s cruise economy. The adoption of the policy will also be conducive to the development of new in-depth tour products by domestic travel agencies, enhancing the appeal of quality tour resources such as Shanghai Disneyland, and revving up local service industries such as catering, hotel, transportation, retailing, etc.

 

Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection and its subordinate Pujiang Immigration Inspection Station will be the primary responsible authority for the implementation of this facilitative policy. To ensure its smooth implementation, Shanghai immigration inspection authority has formulated concrete work schemes, updated its exit an entry inspection system and selected highly competent immigration officers who are fluent in foreign languages and boast strong communicative skills for the task of conducting inspection. Presently, relevant immigration inspection stations have completed training its frontline officers in terms of relevant regulations in the policy and methods of identifying false travel documents of various countries, updated the contents of billboards and electronic displays at the sites of duty at the convenience of passengers. In the meantime, Shanghai immigration inspection authority has made sufficient preparations for the landing of the policy by familiarizing cruise companies and agencies and travel agencies with comprehensive interpretation of the policy. Currently, various preparatory efforts prior to the launch of the policy have been wrapped up. Shanghai immigration inspection authority will avail of the opportunity afforded by the adoption of the policy to continually improve its service and administrative capabilities, strive to create a more convenient port clearance environment and make its due contributions to the socio-economic development of Shanghai.

[TracieABD]

Looking forward to it. Happy, healthy New Year,Tracie- Lynn and everyone on this thread.

 

 

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Happy New Year to you and yours, as well.:)

[Bill B]

Weekdays and/or hel0013,

 

What was the itinerary of the cruise?

[hel0013]

What was the itinerary of the cruise?

 

 

Oct 26

Singapore

2 sea days

Bangkok

2 sea days

Ho Chi Minh City

2 sea days

Hong Kong 2 nights

2 sea days

Shanghai

1 sea day

Busan

Nagasaki

2 sea days

Beijing

Nov 12

 

On edit: we already had our visas when this came out but now I wonder because we left Shanghai for Busan and Japan before returning to Beijing none of the 15 day exemption would apply because we left china and returned later... ???? [emoji848]

 

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Edited January 1, 2017 by hel0013

[Bill B]

hel0013,

 

You entered mainland China twice. First at Shanghai, then visited 'foreign' ports, and entered China again at Beijing. The visa waiver is only good once... and only when first entering at Shanghai (and for subsequent Chinese ports).

 

Princess was right - you needed a visa.

[hel0013]

hel0013,

 

 

 

You entered mainland China twice. First at Shanghai, then visited 'foreign' ports, and entered China again at Beijing. The visa waiver is only good once... and only when first entering at Shanghai (and for subsequent Chinese ports).

 

 

 

Princess was right - you needed a visa.

 

 

After reading that press release another 5 times... I agree ☝️

 

 

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