Roger the cabin boy Posted November 27, 2019 #1 Share Posted November 27, 2019 We are doing B2b 3rd and 10th february 2020 and as UK citizens it appears that we do not require visas for UAE and Qatar but the information on Oman and Bahrain is very confusing. Maybe an experienced traveller on the forum can help with the following; Does RC arrange visas on arrival in these ports? Do UK citizens need visas if arriving on a cruise ship for the day (I am aware air travellers visiting will require one)? If they are required, do you deal direct with the embassy or through a third party visa specialists? Any guidance would be much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bailey & Sophie Posted November 27, 2019 #2 Share Posted November 27, 2019 Go to a professional travel agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightWoman Posted November 27, 2019 #3 Share Posted November 27, 2019 Hi Roger the cabin boy, We've done this cruise many times, we also from the UK and we are going on the Christmas Cruise this year You are correct if you are flying you would need a visa for Bahrain. Bahrain seems to be the confusing one, as I've mentioned we've been here before and have never had to obtain a visa for getting off the ship. As you are on a cruise ship you are classed as being in transit and yes for some countries even though you are in transit you need to purchase a visa before embarking the ship. Remember on RCI you need to hand your passport in as you embark so the authorities are aware of who is on the cruise ship and because we are classed as in transit this would be covered by the cruise line. I also double checked this with my TA to ensure nothing had changed and she hadn't heard anything, she also contacted RCI with regards to this. In Oman you will be issued a pink tourist visa as you exit the ship, you show it at the port gate for exit/entry then its handed back as you get back on the ship, you don't pay for this. I hope this helps enjoy your holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
di T Posted November 27, 2019 #4 Share Posted November 27, 2019 Everything NightWoman says has always been our experience we last did this cruise in 2018.Dianne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
di T Posted November 27, 2019 #5 Share Posted November 27, 2019 5 hours ago, Roger the cabin boy said: We are doing B2b 3rd and 10th february 2020 and as UK citizens it appears that we do not require visas for UAE and Qatar but the information on Oman and Bahrain is very confusing. Maybe an experienced traveller on the forum can help with the following; Does RC arrange visas on arrival in these ports? Do UK citizens need visas if arriving on a cruise ship for the day (I am aware air travellers visiting will require one)? If they are required, do you deal direct with the embassy or through a third party visa specialists? Any guidance would be much appreciated We will be on our last part of our b2b2b when you board! Don’t worry about visas the ship will take care of anything you need. They do take your passport when you check in and hand it back later on the cruise. Dianne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger the cabin boy Posted November 27, 2019 Author #6 Share Posted November 27, 2019 Many thanks to all for the quick response. I managed to find an email contact for the Bahrain embassy and received the following Thank you for your e-mail. As a UK citizen, you will be able to obtain a visa upon arrival at the portin Bahrain. I hope this helps but please do not hesitate to get in touch if you requireany further information. Kind regards, Consular Section Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubaihammer Posted November 28, 2019 #7 Share Posted November 28, 2019 We are sailing on the Jewel 23rd December sailing and have4 received our edocs. For Bahrain they state: All eligible guests, including United States and Canadian citizens will receive their visa with the shipboard team’s assistance. For visa requirements of other nationalities, contact your visa provider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LXA350 Posted December 1, 2019 #8 Share Posted December 1, 2019 On 11/27/2019 at 12:00 PM, NightWoman said: Hi Roger the cabin boy, We've done this cruise many times, we also from the UK and we are going on the Christmas Cruise this year You are correct if you are flying you would need a visa for Bahrain. Bahrain seems to be the confusing one, as I've mentioned we've been here before and have never had to obtain a visa for getting off the ship. As you are on a cruise ship you are classed as being in transit and yes for some countries even though you are in transit you need to purchase a visa before embarking the ship. Remember on RCI you need to hand your passport in as you embark so the authorities are aware of who is on the cruise ship and because we are classed as in transit this would be covered by the cruise line. I also double checked this with my TA to ensure nothing had changed and she hadn't heard anything, she also contacted RCI with regards to this. In Oman you will be issued a pink tourist visa as you exit the ship, you show it at the port gate for exit/entry then its handed back as you get back on the ship, you don't pay for this. I hope this helps enjoy your holiday. You seem to be a pro when it comes to these matters 🙂 Do you know the situation for a cruise that stops in multiple ports in India, as I understand there you do need to apply for a Multiple entry E-Visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightWoman Posted December 1, 2019 #9 Share Posted December 1, 2019 Hi LXA350, Yes, a Multiple entry E-Visa will enable you to get off the ship in the Indian Ports. These will be checked by Indian authorities at the ports. With introduction of the E-Visa for cruise passengers this has been made a lot easier. The last time we travelled to India in 2017 there was no E-Visa and the forms were bit of mine field, we had to send our passports to the Indian Consul with exact size photos and it was very expensive so its a lot more efficient for cruise passengers now, also at one time if you didn't have a Visa you couldn't get off the ship. Enjoy your cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LXA350 Posted December 1, 2019 #10 Share Posted December 1, 2019 43 minutes ago, NightWoman said: Hi LXA350, Yes, a Multiple entry E-Visa will enable you to get off the ship in the Indian Ports. These will be checked by Indian authorities at the ports. With introduction of the E-Visa for cruise passengers this has been made a lot easier. The last time we travelled to India in 2017 there was no E-Visa and the forms were bit of mine field, we had to send our passports to the Indian Consul with exact size photos and it was very expensive so its a lot more efficient for cruise passengers now, also at one time if you didn't have a Visa you couldn't get off the ship. Enjoy your cruise. thanks a lot for that 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger the cabin boy Posted December 6, 2019 Author #11 Share Posted December 6, 2019 An update, following all the good advice I thought that I’d contact RC direct....what a waste of time! Their advice was a two liner saying that they don’t deal with visas and that I should contact the appropriate embassy or visa service, then there was four lines on how I could enhance my cruise by purchasing dining and drink packages. Typical sell, sell and sell again attitude. if my memory serves me well, when we sailed around Australia on RC and went to Bali, we were charged $35 US for the ship to obtain visas!!! Surely when a cruise line repeats an itinerary as often as this they should know what the ship does and doesn’t do in each port rather. Once again, thanks for the advice from the experienced CC members on this subject Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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