Vietnam Visa

[tsutt35]

Hi. Have cruised to Vietnam a few times and each time Princess has done the visas (at a slightly inflated price). Have just booked again and the only info in personaliser says to check with embassy rather than the information around Princess processing. Have things changed or do they still do it for you. We are from Australia. I did read on a visa website that loose leaf visas can be processed at the port for US$5. Thanking anyone in advance.

[ROCruiser]

They did it on our December cruise on Diamond, Yokohama to Singapore for $31.

[tsutt35]

Thank you

[Bpos]

In another thread on the subject recently it was stated that Princess now are charging $56 USD for the Vietnam Visa,

 

Celebrity, when I last checked were charging their passengers $6 USD.

 

The actual cost of the visa is $5 but the cruise lines add various charges but Princess, in my view are clearly using it as another money making venture.

 

[Bpos]

On 1/13/2019 at 9:03 AM, tsutt35 said:

Hi. Have cruised to Vietnam a few times and each time Princess has done the visas (at a slightly inflated price). Have just booked again and the only info in personaliser says to check with embassy rather than the information around Princess processing. Have things changed or do they still do it for you. We are from Australia. I did read on a visa website that loose leaf visas can be processed at the port for US$5. Thanking anyone in advance.

 

Just to clarify a point in your post, you either have to organise a visa in advance of your travels or let the cruise line do it for.  You cannot do it yourself from the ship, ie walk off and get a $5 visa. 

 

Evisas etc are only good for arriving by air at the present time.

 

In short, your cheapest option is to let the ship do the visa.

[John Bull]

I concur with the previous posters.

I'v never heard of anyone having to get their own visa for Vietnamese ports-of-call but it does grieve me that cruise lines all-too-frequently give out such vague, often misleading, and often totally-incorrect info about visas. 

 

It''s almost certain you can get one from Princess on the ship, but judging from Bpos' post you (and others) could be in deep doo-doos if, as the personaliser says,  you can't. And you won't be able to blame Princess.

I''d be inclined to e-mail Princess and if they do provide visas, get that in writing. 

(ship-issued visas are only for arrival/departure on the ship, one fee covers all Vietnamese ports)

 

Also as Bpos' post, it's well-known that Princess gouge their customers on the cost of a ship-issued visa.

No doubt the cost is calculated to extract the max but remaining cheaper than a tourist visa for US passengers - but is it more expensive than an Aussie passport-holder getting a regular tourist visa on-line?

 

 A couple of years back Vietnam decided that Brit passport-holders don't need a visa  (Brits reading this thread, note that you don't have to accept / be charged for a ship-issued visa.). It was intended as a trial, to be extended to other nationalities at a later date. 

 

JB 

[tsutt35]

Thank you everyone. If it doesn't show up in there in the next couple of months I will email Princess. We don't go until December so no rush.

[DaisyRose]

I was just on a Princess ship that stopped in Vietnam, and they charged us $56 each for the Vietnam visa.  I keep reading that Celebrity charges $6.  Yes, I think that Princess is using it as a major money maker.  It has made me feel negatively about Princess.  Might not cruise with them any more, and think I will try to avoid countries that require visas.  

[PCWalton1]

16 hours ago, DaisyRose said:

I was just on a Princess ship that stopped in Vietnam, and they charged us $56 each for the Vietnam visa.  I keep reading that Celebrity charges $6.  Yes, I think that Princess is using it as a major money maker.  It has made me feel negatively about Princess.  Might not cruise with them any more, and think I will try to avoid countries that require visas.  

What a shame they do that. We were on a Royal Caribbean ship last April and the cost was $6 and it covered both Vietnam ports. 

[DaisyRose]

Yes, it is a shame.  Sadly, my opinion is that Princess seems to be moving more towards a desire to increase profits, which often winds up sacrificing passenger satisfaction.  Princess has always been my favorite cruise line, but I am now looking around at other cruise lines as well as other types of travel.

[Bpos]

On ‎2‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 11:27 AM, DaisyRose said:

I was just on a Princess ship that stopped in Vietnam, and they charged us $56 each for the Vietnam visa.  I keep reading that Celebrity charges $6.  Yes, I think that Princess is using it as a major money maker.  It has made me feel negatively about Princess.  Might not cruise with them any more, and think I will try to avoid countries that require visas.  

 I agree with your comments.

 

I got soundly berated by a poster on a Vietnam Visa thread on this forum just recently for suggesting that Princess were gouging their passengers well above the norms for most of the other cruise lines visiting Vietnam.   He/she was quite emphatic that Princess were only providing a service to their passengers that it was wrong of me to suggest they were taking advantage of their clients.   

 

Give most ships carry at least 2000 pax, a charge of $56 USD as opposed to $6 USD is a nice tidy profit of $100,000 USD.

 

[dani negreanu]

Celebrity Millennium -- we were charged 6$ for all 3 Vietnamese ports.😀

[tsutt35]

Thought I would update my research on this topic. My personaliser now shows US$56 per person.

 

I have been following a thread on a Princess forum on facebook and someone has just got back from a Princess trip where they did their own visa online and used that and only got charged a US$2 handling fee on ship rather than the US$56. The visa was US$25 so essentially half the price. I'm going to give it a go as it is essentially half the price.

https://xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en

 

[Bpos]

On ‎3‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 11:53 AM, tsutt35 said:

Thought I would update my research on this topic. My personaliser now shows US$56 per person.

 

I have been following a thread on a Princess forum on facebook and someone has just got back from a Princess trip where they did their own visa online and used that and only got charged a US$2 handling fee on ship rather than the US$56. The visa was US$25 so essentially half the price. I'm going to give it a go as it is essentially half the price.

https://xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en

 

I would recommend caution here.  I cannot open that web site but I did check another and it advised that the only visa acceptable if arriving by sea was for one issued by an embassy in your home country (very expensive)  or one organised by the cruise line on your arrival.   It may well be  the authories allowed the case cited above entry but one can never be totally sure when dealing with Vietnamese authorities who sway with the wind on occassions.

 

Was the person who organised the visa online travelling on an Australian passport?   Because there are some 15 odd countries where citizens of those countries can be granted visa free entry for up to 15 days in which case some cruise line charge a $1 or $2 handling fee.  Australia is not one of the countries under this scheme.

 

Can you direct me to the Princess thread where this was discussed as I would be interested in reading it.

 

 

[tsutt35]

4 hours ago, Bpos said:

I would recommend caution here.  I cannot open that web site but I did check another and it advised that the only visa acceptable if arriving by sea was for one issued by an embassy in your home country (very expensive)  or one organised by the cruise line on your arrival.   It may well be  the authories allowed the case cited above entry but one can never be totally sure when dealing with Vietnamese authorities who sway with the wind on occassions.

 

Was the person who organised the visa online travelling on an Australian passport?   Because there are some 15 odd countries where citizens of those countries can be granted visa free entry for up to 15 days in which case some cruise line charge a $1 or $2 handling fee.  Australia is not one of the countries under this scheme.

 

Can you direct me to the Princess thread where this was discussed as I would be interested in reading it.

 

 

I opened all the small print attachments and the ports say it’s accepted. I’ll see if I can attach a screen shot. I’d be doubtful if someone hadn’t just used it recently. Worse case I’m $25 out of pocket. It was the Princess Cruises forum on Facebook. Think you have to be a member. 

 

[Bpos]

7 hours ago, tsutt35 said:

I opened all the small print attachments and the ports say it’s accepted. I’ll see if I can attach a screen shot. I’d be doubtful if someone hadn’t just used it recently. Worse case I’m $25 out of pocket. It was the Princess Cruises forum on Facebook. Think you have to be a member. 

 

 

Cannot see Phu My on the above list which is the port used for larger ships that cannot go up the river to HCM City.

 

But please come back on this forum after your trip so that others who travel Princess can benefit from your experience, as if there is a much cheaper option, all the better.

 

[hallasm]

I have just been visiting Vietnam - four ports with Voyager of the Seas. RCCL did arrange for ‘transit Visa’.

All passengers got a Vietnam landing card - Vietnam officials were stamping the landing card onboard before we were going ashore at the first port.

Guest requiring a Vietnam Visa was charged US$6 for the ‘transit visa’ valid for all four ports. Guests who wanted to stay in Vietnam over night was charged $28.

Guest from countries exempted a Vietnam Visa was not charged.

 

List of countries exempted a Vietnam visa:
Visa-free for 30 days: Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore
Visa-free for 21 days: Philippines
Visa-free for 15 days: Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Russian, Sweden, Norway, Finland, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain
Visa-free for 14 days: Brunei, Myanmar

[Bpos]

2 hours ago, hallasm said:

I have just been visiting Vietnam - four ports with Voyager of the Seas. RCCL did arrange for ‘transit Visa’.

All passengers got a Vietnam landing card - Vietnam officials were stamping the landing card onboard before we were going ashore at the first port.

Guest requiring a Vietnam Visa was charged US$6 for the ‘transit visa’ valid for all four ports. Guests who wanted to stay in Vietnam over night was charged $28.

Guest from countries exempted a Vietnam Visa was not charged.

 

List of countries exempted a Vietnam visa:
Visa-free for 30 days: Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore
Visa-free for 21 days: Philippines
Visa-free for 15 days: Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Russian, Sweden, Norway, Finland, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain
Visa-free for 14 days: Brunei, Myanmar

 

Great information that will assist other cruisers visiting Vietnam by RCL.    There is no doubt Princess are ripping off their passengers with the $56 charge when RCL do the same for $6.

 

[bellasorella]

VERY helpful, hallasm, and thank you!!!!

[herdingdogmom]

NCL charged us $69 per person a few weeks ago.  We didn’t even get a stamp in our passport.  Crazy mark up and profit for NCL.

 

i asked my local Vietnam embassy but they didn’t offer the $5 cruise visa to me as an individual.  It is all a bit of a scam.

[Bpos]

5 hours ago, herdingdogmom said:

NCL charged us $69 per person a few weeks ago.  We didn’t even get a stamp in our passport.  Crazy mark up and profit for NCL.

 

i asked my local Vietnam embassy but they didn’t offer the $5 cruise visa to me as an individual.  It is all a bit of a scam.

 

The reason your local Vietnamese embassy/consulate will not offer you a $5 visa is that the fees collected for visa by the said office pay for staff wages, running costs etc of the office.

 

The consulate here in Perth even tells clients that anyone travelling to Vietnam should get "their Visa from Them" as other means are highly suspect and you may not be admitted when you get there?  Which is a load of crap as most would be aware off.

Edited March 30, 2019 by Bpos

[dani negreanu]

On 3/29/2019 at 2:04 PM, Bpos said:

 

Great information that will assist other cruisers visiting Vietnam by RCL.    There is no doubt Princess are ripping off their passengers with the $56 charge when RCL do the same for $6.

 

 Celebrity also charges only $6.

[Expat Cruise]

On 3/30/2019 at 10:13 PM, dani negreanu said:

 Celebrity also charges only $6.

 

They make up for it in other ways. Also Princess does not charge $56 dollars USD, they charge $56 dollars AUD in the ship is on Australia currency. The fee is USD$33 for US Currency cruises. 

On 3/21/2019 at 7:57 PM, Bpos said:

 

Cannot see Phu My on the above list which is the port used for larger ships that cannot go up the river to HCM City.

 

But please come back on this forum after your trip so that others who travel Princess can benefit from your experience, as if there is a much cheaper option, all the better.

 

You would use number 32 HCMC Seaport which covers all the ports in the area.  I have used these visas many times and no issues, you just need to have the correct port to enter and leave and have your 30 day visa be within the cruise dates. You need to adjust the dates when you apply online or it will start the date issued. On our last cruise in March about 30 people in our group use the evisa with no issues.

[tsutt35]

3 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

 

They make up for it in other ways. Also Princess does not charge $56 dollars USD, they charge $56 dollars AUD in the ship is on Australia currency. The fee is USD$33 for US Currency cruises. 

You would use number 32 HCMC Seaport which covers all the ports in the area.  I have used these visas many times and no issues, you just need to have the correct port to enter and leave and have your 30 day visa be within the cruise dates. You need to adjust the dates when you apply online or it will start the date issued. On our last cruise in March about 30 people in our group use the evisa with no issues.

 

Thank you for the confirmation on the evisa. It’s good to hear it’s definitely been used for Phu My. 

 

In in regards to the charge for the visa, this is not my experience with Princess for my past 3 stops in Vietnam  or what’s in my personaliser for our next one. It definitely has been and still is US$56 when ship is in US currency. 

 

[Expat Cruise]

2 hours ago, tsutt35 said:

 

Thank you for the confirmation on the evisa. It’s good to hear it’s definitely been used for Phu My. 

 

In in regards to the charge for the visa, this is not my experience with Princess for my past 3 stops in Vietnam  or what’s in my personaliser for our next one. It definitely has been and still is US$56 when ship is in US currency. 

 

Yes I know what it says but this is another example of Princess not knowing what is going on and having false information. Over the last year I have been on the Sun princess three times to Vietnam. July 2018 a USD Currency Cruise, October 2018 a USD Currency Cruise, and  March 2019 a AUD Currency Cruise, in all three cases the cruise personaliser told me USD $56.00 dollars but that amount was never charged in July and October it was USD$33 dollars total for a Princess Visa, in March 2019 on a Australia currency cruise it was AUD $56 dollars. 

 

The corporate office and the US sales office sometimes does not have a clue they just read the wrong information they have. but in any case the evisa is a better deal.