port in Ho Chi Minh

[SWFLAOK]

If you look at your cruise contract, you will find that you are responsible for knowing what you need for the cruise when it comes to passport requirements and visas. You will also read that you need to have all of the visas for the ports you're visiting. It doesn't matter if you plan to get off the ship or not. And it's your responsibility, not the cruise line.

17 minutes ago, cityguy300 said:

I definitely don't want to show up on boarding day and be told I should have filled out some form or brought along some extra photos that were never mentioned in any prior correspondence.  I'm hopeful if there is anything like that needed, it can be resolved quickly at the terminal -- this must be a very common thing among their passengers.

Immigration requirements are not a common thing that can be quickly resolved at the terminal. And those of us who have spoken to our TA, who checked with our cruise line, and have done some investigation on our own to determine what we need for our cruise do not appreciate being held up by someone who shows up without doing this, and expects to have their immigration problem resolved quickly when getting on the ship. This thread had nothing to do with visa requirements until you inserted it at post #11. It was about docking locations before that.

 

On 9/16/2019 at 3:31 PM, cityguy300 said:

I also wanted to ask anyone who sailed to Vietnam in the past year, if Silversea absolutely handles the visa requirement for all passengers on board?  I assume it's a non-issue for my group anyway because we're taking their excursions each day (to blow through the OBC); I just don't want to be blindsided when we set sail and find out it was expected we should have gotten them ourselves beforehand!

So don't be blindsided. You are responsible for your immigration requirements. Between our TA and Silversea, they handled our Brazilian visa for our cruise last November. There was a fee, and we needed to work with the agency that they connected us with. The fee was more than 25 dollars, and it can't be paid for with OBC's since you need it before you board the ship.

[cityguy300]

Uh huh.  Well, thanks for reminding me to re-read this thread and recall that Stumblefoot originally answered my question -- briefly and to the point -- all the way back in post #12!  Without the lecture, no less.

 

I'll trust his or her reply that it was taken care of on-board for this itinerary earlier this year.

[Caroldoll]

On 10/28/2019 at 12:16 PM, Kentuckysharon said:

If we dock at Hiep Pouc is it possible to schedule one tour that includes Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta?  Silversea offers two full day tours. But TripAdvisor has a tour that includes both. Any recommendations?

I think I made them in one day.

[cityguy300]

On 9/16/2019 at 3:31 PM, cityguy300 said:

Thanks for the info on this.  I'm on the Spirit in December -- first time on Silversea (or any luxury line), or on a ship this small, or on an Asian cruise (although we travelled between Taiwan, HK, Thailand, and Singapore the same time last year).  I always thought my first Asian cruise would be on one of the mega-liners and that a 3+ hour trip from a container port was inevitable, so it's nice to hear that there is a closer port (even if it's not quite downtown).  Any chance it's the same in Bangkok, i.e. a middle-ground docking location for the Spirit?

 

I also wanted to ask anyone who sailed to Vietnam in the past year, if Silversea absolutely handles the visa requirement for all passengers on board?  I assume it's a non-issue for my group anyway because we're taking their excursions each day (to blow through the OBC); I just don't want to be blindsided when we set sail and find out it was expected we should have gotten them ourselves beforehand!

 

I'll answer my own questions three months on, now that Bangkok and HCMC are behind us (we're sailing out of Saigon as I type this).  Hopefully useful updates / data points for future searchers.

 

We did indeed dock in Laem Chabang.  Our excursion guide to Bangkok suggested the last docking in Klong Toey was an Azamara ship in October, and that it's being redeveloped now and will be unavailable to all ships for a long time to come.  Not sure if anyone here can confirm.

 

In Laem Chabang, the free shuttle went to the Central Festival mall in Pattaya, about 30 minutes away.

 

Silversea charged $30 per person for the Vietnam landing card, on the first day of arrival, and required for all visitors even if you never go ashore.  They still have our passports but pre-print photocopies when needed ashore (as in Ko Samui).

 

We were docked in Hiep Phuoc, about 45 minutes from the free shuttle's drop-off point at the base of the Bitexco Financial Tower downtown.  Shuttles each way ran hourly.

 

 

[cityguy300]

On 9/16/2019 at 3:31 PM, cityguy300 said:

Thanks for the info on this.  I'm on the Spirit in December -- first time on Silversea (or any luxury line), or on a ship this small, or on an Asian cruise (although we travelled between Taiwan, HK, Thailand, and Singapore the same time last year).  I always thought my first Asian cruise would be on one of the mega-liners and that a 3+ hour trip from a container port was inevitable, so it's nice to hear that there is a closer port (even if it's not quite downtown).  Any chance it's the same in Bangkok, i.e. a middle-ground docking location for the Spirit?

 

I also wanted to ask anyone who sailed to Vietnam in the past year, if Silversea absolutely handles the visa requirement for all passengers on board?  I assume it's a non-issue for my group anyway because we're taking their excursions each day (to blow through the OBC); I just don't want to be blindsided when we set sail and find out it was expected we should have gotten them ourselves beforehand!

 

I'll answer my own questions three months on, now that Bangkok and HCMC are behind us (we're sailing out of Saigon as I type this).  Hopefully useful updates / data points for future searchers.

 

We did indeed dock in Laem Chabang.  Our excursion guide to Bangkok suggested the last docking in Klong Toey was an Azamara ship in October, and that it's being redeveloped now and will be unavailable to all ships for a long time to come.  Not sure if anyone here can confirm.

 

In Laem Chabang, the free shuttle went to the Central Festival mall in Pattaya, about 30 minutes away.

 

Silversea charged $30 per person for the Vietnam landing card, on the first day of arrival, and required for all visitors even if you never go ashore.  They still have our passports but pre-print photocopies when needed ashore (as in Ko Samui).

 

We were docked in Hiep Phuoc, about 45 minutes from the free shuttle's drop-off point at the base of the Bitexco Financial Tower downtown.  Shuttles each way ran hourly.