Vietnam Visa

[Aradom]

I'm sure e-visas can be used at "Hon Gai Seaport."  Are the several points passengers can land. Are they all part of "Hon Gai Seaport" as far as the Immigration Dept is concerned? Hon Gai is not listed as a port in the link posted earlier in this thread  Quang Ninh Port is.  Until last month there were separate Customs Department branches for what they call Cai Lan Port  and Hon Gai Port. There is a town on the northern border with two international border crossing points. The e-visa can be used at only one.  A similar situation may occur at a border crossing in the south.

 

[Miaminice]

On 1/14/2020 at 11:22 AM, Expat Cruise said:

 

Yes the daily service fee is nothing short of a way for the company to make extra profit.  They want to play on the guests and make them feel bad for the poor crew. While how about the workers in the terminal cleaning for about $5 dollars a day....should we feel bad for them? The truth here is the majority of crew come from the Philippines now. On a single 9 month contract they earn more money than they would make in 3 years working in the Philippines. Cruise jobs are very high paying jobs by Philippine standards. 

 

😡
 

To make a better living and to support their families they are willing to work long hours for 7 to 9 months away from their families with very little if any time off. 24/7 at their workplace... Why would they do it if not to make more money than at home??!! 
Who‘s keeping the terminal worker you mentioned from applying for a cruise job?

 

Should we feel sorry for them? Sorry is probably the wrong word: RESPECT is what comes to mind.

As to the discussion if the cruise lines are American or not... that’s completely irrelevant. We all know they work under an „American“ system. You are blaming them to be cheap and to steal from the crew and by claiming to fight the system you are the one stealing from them. Hidden under the cloak of a „noble cause“... While posting in another post how much the crew make... sure, you are really making sense.

 

BTW: I live in a country were tipping is optional but as long as I am anywhere in the world or on a cruise ship where I know it’s handled differently I will accept it asnd not take it out on the ones who do the work.

 

I wish the cruise industry would factor in the amount into the cruise fare so this sorry discussion would end once and for all. But as long as that doesn’t happen, I am happy to contribute to their income by gratuities and by giving extra. Not because I feel sorry for them but because I think they earn it! Their service is what makes cruising so enjoyable for most of us. It’s not the cruise line, it’s the staff on board.

 

Be glad you can be on the receiving end on a cruise!

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by Miaminice

[Expat Cruise]

17 hours ago, Miaminice said:

😡
 

To make a better living and to support their families they are willing to work long hours for 7 to 9 months away from their families with very little if any time off.......

 

BTW: I live in a country were tipping is optional but as long as I am anywhere in the world or on a cruise ship where I know it’s handled differently I will accept it asnd not take it out on the ones who do the work.

 

I wish the cruise industry would factor in the amount into the cruise fare so this sorry discussion would end once and for all. But as long as that doesn’t happen, I am happy to contribute to their income by gratuities and by giving extra. Not because I feel sorry for them but because I think they earn it! Their service is what makes cruising so enjoyable for most of us. It’s not the cruise line, it’s the staff on board.

 

Be glad you can be on the receiving end on a cruise!

 

 

 

Over 15% of the Philippines working class is now working outside of the country. So again stop trying to apply your standards to these workers. The simple truth is for every cruise job, 100 to 150 workers ready to take the job. 7 to 9 months on a cruise ship is luxury when compared to  two years in places like Doha, working 30 days out of a 31 day month. OR in the UAE were they have no rights and treated like dogs. 

 

On my current cruise I have spoken to several crew members from the Philippines who have over 17 years with Princess.... if these jobs were bad they would not sign contract after contract. 

 

If some members here want to tip, go ahead and tip but do not try to say you can tell others what to do and how to think. Sorry these fees only help the company and not the crew.

 

[hubofhockey]

40 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

Over 15% of the Philippines working class is now working outside of the country. So again stop trying to apply your standards to these workers. The simple truth is for every cruise job, 100 to 150 workers ready to take the job. 7 to 9 months on a cruise ship is luxury when compared to  two years in places like Doha, working 30 days out of a 31 day month. OR in the UAE were they have no rights and treated like dogs. 

 

On my current cruise I have spoken to several crew members from the Philippines who have over 17 years with Princess.... if these jobs were bad they would not sign contract after contract. 

 

If some members here want to tip, go ahead and tip but do not try to say you can tell others what to do and how to think. Sorry these fees only help the company and not the crew.

 

 

They sign the contracts because most people DO tip in spite of cheap and selfish people like you.  

[Miaminice]

1 hour ago, Expat Cruise said:

If some members here want to tip, go ahead and tip but do not try to say you can tell others what to do and how to think. Sorry these fees only help the company and not the crew.

 

 

There is no sense in arguing with someone who keeps contradicting him or herself...

You are saying it doesn´t help the crew and at the same time you are lecturing us how sought after the jobs are and about people doing their job for 17 years. Boy, they really must have a heart for the cruise line if it doesn´t help them...
 

Nobody says to feel sorry for them. It´s called respecting their work!!! Regardless if there are "worse" or harder jobs.

Just one last thought: under the current system the gratuities are the salary of the crew - like it or not. (BTW: not my system, I am not American). So you are saying their salary doesn´t help them?!

I am glad there are still people here who have common sense.

Edited January 20, 2020 by Miaminice

[hubofhockey]

1 hour ago, Miaminice said:

 

There is no sense in arguing with someone who keeps contradicting him or herself...

You are saying it doesn´t help the crew and at the same time you are lecturing us how sought after the jobs are and about people doing their job for 17 years. Boy, they really must have a heart for the cruise line if it doesn´t help them...
 

Nobody says to feel sorry for them. It´s called respecting their work!!! Regardless if there are "worse" or harder jobs.

Just one last thought: under the current system the gratuities are the salary of the crew - like it or not. (BTW: not my system, I am not American). So you are saying their salary doesn´t help them?!

I am glad there are still people here who have common sense.

 

Yes, his posts are contradictory, at best.  At first, he justified it by saying it goes into the corporate pockets of the cruise companies and now he's justifying not tipping because Filipinos are making enough by their own standards.  

 

We could argue all day whether the North American system of gratuities is good, bad, or indifferent.  I do think service in US/Canada is superior and it relates to that system.  I also see the other argument that says companies should pay a living wage.  I do think, that at the end of the day, most Europeans and Americans do what is customary in the country or venue they are in, and that includes cruise ships.  

 

His argument on obtaining e-visas on your own is fine, but others have pointed out that it's not so simple and doesn't work in all situations.  My only warning about those visas is that using them might cause delays in getting off the ship as the ship still needs to record them for their records.  The Royal Caribbean lines don't charge extra for getting visas for passengers and seem to do them for their cost.  The Carnival lines should do the same and adjust the price of the cruise for the fees, just as they pass along port fees and taxes.  At the very least, cruise lines should make passengers aware of the cost of the cruise, including gratuities (which they do well) and other fees, which include visas.

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, hubofhockey said:

  I do think, that at the end of the day, most Europeans and Americans do what is customary in the country or venue they are in, and that includes cruise ships.  

 

 

 

 

And therein lies a problem.

Just what is customary for a European sailing in Europe or an Aussie sailing out of Sydney, all thousands of miles from American soil, but (without being pedantic about port-of-registry, etc) on an American ship ?

 

After all, there are various businesses around the world that are owned by foreign organisations, but the customs of the organisation's homeland aren't exported along with the infrastructure.

Tips at US levels aren't expected in a restaurant in Europe or Aus just because it has a name like "Joe's American diner".

And staff at Outback restaurants in the US would be pretty upset if even their American customers followed the Australian no-tipping custom.

 

Cruisers who've sailed US ships know the score, but not those who've only cruised British (again, no pedantics) ships or are taking their first cruise - even if they've visited the US on business or vacation and know the score there.

And both cruise lines and TAs are pretty shy about mentioning the tipping expectations before a booking.

Some US cruise lines have woken up and accepted the non-tipping norms of their departure ports (or have mebbe been obliged to do so to avoid mutiny), by incorporating the grammatically-incorrect "gratuities" into the cruise fare.

 

Life gets complicated when cultures collide.

 

Altho I'm not quite sure what all this has to do with a thread entitled "Vietnam Visa" 

 

JB 

[Miaminice]

24 minutes ago, John Bull said:

Life gets complicated when cultures collide.

 

While I hear what you are saying, I do not agree in general.

 

I think nobody will be really mad about anyone who dos not understanding the system due to a lack of knowledge (if that is still possible 😉 ).
However, what drives me crazy are people who know every single regulation and loophole when it comes to their advantage but play the "culture clash" and "fight the system" cards when it´s the other way around.

And let´s face it: no matter if factored in or charged extra on a daily base, it´s still the passenger paying for it. 

But you are 100% right about one thing: we are really going off topic here... 😀
 

Edited January 20, 2020 by Miaminice

[hubofhockey]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

Altho I'm not quite sure what all this has to do with a thread entitled "Vietnam Visa" 

 

JB 

 

I'll save you from having to read the entire thread.  Poster claimed that Princess was being cheap in charging X price for visas in Vietnam and making a profit on that and on gratuities (even though those gratuities go to employees).  Later, he claimed that Filipinos are being paid enough, according to their own standard.  He feels entitled to stiff them.  

 

I don't disagree that Princess makes money on processing visas while other lines do it as a convenience.  However, Princess also charges much less for cruises in Asia.  Even though Azamara charges $6 or $8, their processing costs are probably passed through in prices of the cruise (probably Celebrity as well).  

[rose4747]

Americans and Germans trying to give a culture lesson, are you serious. We are right, rest of the world is wrong right?

 

But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good story or 'tribal knowledge'

• We don't pay tips/gratuities on any cruise out of Australia (even Princess/Azamara) = fact, do your research. Pretty sure the crew don't go hungry though. 
• Print me a cruise line contract/agreement stating 'all' gratuities go to crew and then prove they do = if you can find one? Its cash and am sure cruise line has 'integrity' and tax avoidance policies. Again, how much did Princess pay in fines last year?
• 'Princess charges less much less for cruises in Asia' = really, might do for you yanks, but not everyone else, do some research and prove it. Cruises out of Miami for Australians are far cheaper than Asia.
• I did as I said I would and did not pay gratuities (service did not warrant it anyway - one example - who pays $14.50 a day in tips for their teenager to use an advertised teenager facility that was rarely, if ever open) and donated to our bush fire victims. I sleep well at night.
• We used the e-visa we bought prior to boarding and were not charged for it. A lot of very angry people on board who did not do the same thing after notice from Princess and paid them double for the visa.
• We don't intend on using Princess again. I am sure they will make enough out of art auctions, slow WiFi, $15 photos, gold by the inch, jewellery auctions, bingo, casino, daily duty free sales, spa services & tips, $40 t-shirts, bar drinks and an additional 18% tips on them, singer CD sales, etc. etc. etc. to make up for any of my 'greediness'.

'I think nobody will be really mad about anyone who dos not understanding the system due to a lack of knowledge (if that is still possible 😉 ).  However, what drives me crazy are people who know every single regulation and loophole when it comes to their advantage but play the "culture clash" and "fight the system" cards when it´s the other way around '

 

Or people like you who think they understand, because lets face it, a cruise line would never, ever do that in reverse, would they!!!    Lets ask those trying to cancel their cruise in Asia at the moment what response Princess are giving them......

 

...................think what you want, I'm done and out of here...............drop the mic.........

 

[Bpos]

Cannot wait for the next instalment!

[hubofhockey]

On 2/9/2020 at 4:40 AM, rose4747 said:

Americans and Germans trying to give a culture lesson, are you serious. We are right, rest of the world is wrong right?

 

 

 

Drop your own mic with that overused expression.  If you want to stiff employees and try to justify it on Cruise Critic by criticizing Americans, have at it.  If you're on an American based cruise line that does business in an American system, well, screw the Filipino,  I guess.  They have it coming.

[Expat Cruise]

6 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

Drop your own mic with that overused expression.  If you want to stiff employees and try to justify it on Cruise Critic by criticizing Americans, have at it.  If you're on an American based cruise line that does business in an American system, well, screw the Filipino,  I guess.  They have it coming.

The ships do not operate as US Companies, the Corporations conduct all business outside the US System and therefore play almost no US Taxes...  If anything the cruises lines are anti American at their core.  

 

[John Bull]

On 1/20/2020 at 6:07 PM, Miaminice said:

 

While I hear what you are saying, I do not agree in general.

 

I think nobody will be really mad about anyone who dos not understanding the system due to a lack of knowledge (if that is still possible 😉 ).
However, what drives me crazy are people who know every single regulation and loophole when it comes to their advantage but play the "culture clash" and "fight the system" cards when it´s the other way around.

And let´s face it: no matter if factored in or charged extra on a daily base, it´s still the passenger paying for it. 

But you are 100% right about one thing: we are really going off topic here... 😀
 

 

Yes, it IS possible that there are folk who don’t know the “tipping” culture on US ships - including folk who are loyal to Brit ships, and newbie cruisers.

And as per my post, neither cruise lines nor most TAs are up-front about it. Tends to be hidden in some distant page on their websites, when it should be as prominent as the

ticket price.

 

Yes, whichever way it’s charged it’s still the passenger who’s paying.

BUT if it’s included in the ticket price, as labour charges are in most other transactions even in the States, or clarified alongside the ticket price ($1,000 + $14 p.p.per day), the customer knows what he,s expected to pay.

 

In Europe we are used to paying the advertised price, not the advertised price plus

service plus tax plus whatever-else-can-be-added.

What  you see is what you pay. Anything added is a con.

it makes life so much easier for everyone.

 

American cruise lines would get far less grief on tips if they didn’t camouflage them. 

 

A Cruise Critic thread going off-topic?

Surely not 😜

 

JB 😀