If you have a cruise that stops in numerous countries, must you have a visa for each country if you don't disembark?

[Longwood50]

We were on a cruise two years ago and there was a stop in Goa India that at the time had a modestly expensive visa.  Norwegian cruise line stated that so long as you did not disembark you would not be required to have a visa for that particular country.  As it turned out India lowered its Visa fee to only $25 for online visa's and we did obtain one. 

My fiance is Thai and we would like to take a cruise that starts in Vancouver and heads to Japan.  She would have no problem with Canada, or Japan.  The ship makes 1 stop in Sitka Alaska and her getting a U.S. visa is next to impossible.  We have previously tried.  

Does anyone know definitively if visa's are required for each and every port if you don't disembark.  It would be no loss for her not to disembark for the few hours the ship is in port in Sitka.  

Not sure if that rule with Goa India applied only to Goa or if other countries do or do not require visa's for all passengers whether they get off the ship or not. 

 

[lissie]

Every country has its own rules , and its possible that cruise lines have their own rules as  well - the only way to get a definitive answer  it to ask the cruise line 

[sparks1093]

Yes, even if you don't disembark you must still have all necessary entry documents because all passengers need to be cleared to enter the country.

[CruiserBruce]

Many countries that require visitors to have visas for overnight stays don't require cruise passengers to have visas. But if the cruise ends in that country, and you are transiting to the airport, you may need a visa. As mentioned, you need to contact the cruise line and confirm the process...it can get complicated.

 

And, yes, typically, even if you don't intend to get off the ship in a given country, if a visa is required, you have to get the visa. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

Once your ship enters a country’s territorial waters, you are IN that country. Whether or not you stay on the ship in port, you are still in that country. 
 

[BruceMuzz]

India is one of the rare exceptions that allows cruise passengers to stay onboard a ship in Indian waters without a visa - but that only applies in a very few parts of India.

Most countries - USA included - require a visa for all non-citizens.

Your Fiancee will not be allowed to board the ship if she has no US Visa.

[sanger727]

It depends on the cruise line and the country. No, there is no definitive answer that applies to every citizen and to every country;  but denying boarding is always a possibility if you don't have the proper visa for a stop. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

I know the OP & fiancé are hoping to sail Vancouver to Japan, with a port of call in Sitka, but this is what happens in Seattle with foreign passengers who are required to have a Canadian visa on a 'closed loop' cruise from Seattle (and just a hours long port of call in Victoria BC. 

 

As someone who has worked checking travel documents at Seattle's Pier 91 (Alaska cruises), I can tell you that if a foreign passenger did not have a needed Canadian Visa, they were not allowed to board the ship in Seattle.  It did not matter if they said that they would stay on board during the usual stop in Victoria, BC.  It was a full denial of boarding - full stop, no exceptions, no appeal.

 

FYI, not all foreign passengers need a Canadian visa for a closed loop Alaskan cruise, (US, EU, Australia, NZ, Japan, S Korea and others), but it is very important to check. 

 

So as @BruceMuzz wrote, it should be expected that your Thai fiancé most likely would be denied boarding at the Canadian pier for not having a US visa due to the Sitka port of call.  FYI, if someone is denied boarding for not having the correct and required travel documents, there is no refund.

 

(If your fiancé was a citizen of a recognized Visa Waiver Program VWP, like the EU countries, or Japan,  S Korea, Australia or New Zealand then it would be a different story.  But as a Thai national, they would likely have to have the visa).

 

OP, good luck!  Do you due diligence and check.

[BOB999]

7 hours ago, Longwood50 said:

My fiance is Thai and we would like to take a cruise that starts in Vancouver and heads to Japan.  She would have no problem with Canada, or Japan.  The ship makes 1 stop in Sitka Alaska and her getting a U.S. visa is next to impossible.  We have previously tried.  


 

 

I would check with the cruise line.  My concern with this specific itinerary is that given it is going from Vancouver to a US port that they might use the US Preclearance facility in Vancouver, thus everyone would be admitted into the US in Vancouver before boarding.  If one is not admissible into the US, then they couldn't board.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

It depends on the cruise line and the country. No, there is no definitive answer that applies to every citizen and to every country;  but denying boarding is always a possibility if you don't have the proper visa for a stop. 

OP was talking about a US port.  

[sanger727]

28 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

OP was talking about a US port.  

 

The OP also asked "Does anyone know definitively if visa's are required for each and every port if you don't disembark"

 

Which is a generic question about ports requirements and cruise requirements. Which is what I answered. 

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

 

The OP also asked "Does anyone know definitively if visa's are required for each and every port if you don't disembark"

 

Which is a generic question about ports requirements and cruise requirements. Which is what I answered. 

Ignoring the non-generic point about a person who has no US visa trying to board a ship scheduled to call at a US port.

[donaldsc]

Totally depends upon the cruise line and the countries.  Also remember that even if they give you accurate info as they know it now, everything could completely change tomorrow.  If you really feel that you have to worry about this, you shouldn't be cruising right now.

 

DON

[thinfool]

Cruise passengers are viewed as 'in transit' visitors in most port stops, and no visa is required.  As mentioned, you need to verify this.  Did you use a travel agent?  This is exactly the type of issue that they are supposed to help with.

[njhorseman]

14 minutes ago, thinfool said:

Cruise passengers are viewed as 'in transit' visitors in most port stops, and no visa is required.  As mentioned, you need to verify this.  Did you use a travel agent?  This is exactly the type of issue that they are supposed to help with.

OP's question specifically asked about needing a visa for a US port stop. That always requires a visa, specifically at a minimum a Transit (C) Visa. 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/transit.html

"Travel Purposes Which Require a Transit (C) Visa - Examples:"

"A passenger embarking from a foreign port on a cruise ship or other vessel which is proceeding to another country, other than the United States, but during the course of the journey, the vessel makes port in the United States with no intention of landing in the United States."

[njhorseman]

13 hours ago, Longwood50 said:

We were on a cruise two years ago and there was a stop in Goa India that at the time had a modestly expensive visa.  Norwegian cruise line stated that so long as you did not disembark you would not be required to have a visa for that particular country.  As it turned out India lowered its Visa fee to only $25 for online visa's and we did obtain one. 

My fiance is Thai and we would like to take a cruise that starts in Vancouver and heads to Japan.  She would have no problem with Canada, or Japan.  The ship makes 1 stop in Sitka Alaska and her getting a U.S. visa is next to impossible.  We have previously tried.  

Does anyone know definitively if visa's are required for each and every port if you don't disembark.  It would be no loss for her not to disembark for the few hours the ship is in port in Sitka.  

Not sure if that rule with Goa India applied only to Goa or if other countries do or do not require visa's for all passengers whether they get off the ship or not. 

 

She needs  Transit (C) Visa:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/transit.html

"Travel Purposes Which Require a Transit (C) Visa - Examples:"

"A passenger embarking from a foreign port on a cruise ship or other vessel which is proceeding to another country, other than the United States, but during the course of the journey, the vessel makes port in the United States with no intention of landing in the United States."

[navybankerteacher]

5 hours ago, thinfool said:

Cruise passengers are viewed as 'in transit' visitors in most port stops, and no visa is required.

What makes you think this?  
 

 

[Longwood50]

18 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

As someone who has worked checking travel documents at Seattle's Pier 91 (Alaska cruises), I can tell you that if a foreign passenger did not have a needed Canadian Visa, they were not allowed to board the ship in Seattle.  It did not matter if they said that they would stay on board during the usual stop in Victoria, BC.  It was a full denial of boarding - full stop, no exceptions, no appeal.

She would be able to get a Canadian Visa but not a USA visa.  However, I suspect that either by law or by cruise line policy she would not be allowed to board in Vancouver.  

[Heidi13]

18 hours ago, thinfool said:

Cruise passengers are viewed as 'in transit' visitors in most port stops, and no visa is required.  

 

So wrong and without a doubt this is the worst advice I have seen posted. If I followed this advice, we would have been denied boarding for the greatest majority of our cruises.

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, Longwood50 said:

She would be able to get a Canadian Visa but not a USA visa.  However, I suspect that either by law or by cruise line policy she would not be allowed to board in Vancouver.  

 

Your experience in Goa was an exception, as few countries in the World permit this exemption. Some countries still do not require Visas, but most of the ones that do require a Visa will require you to have the Visa before you board, or have arrangements with the ship to acquire on arrival.

 

The cruise you are considering from Vancouver to Japan, with a stop in Sitka - will require a US Visa. You will clear US Immigration in Vancouver, so without having the required Visa, you would be denied entry into the US, and therefore would be unable to board in Vancouver.

[Ferry_Watcher]

22 hours ago, thinfool said:

Cruise passengers are viewed as 'in transit' visitors in most port stops, and no visa is required.  As mentioned, you need to verify this.  Did you use a travel agent?  This is exactly the type of issue that they are supposed to help with.

 

I would not rely solely on the advice from a travel agent (although I know that many are worth their weight in gold). 

You would be amazed at the number of cruise passengers who arrived in Seattle for their 2021 Alaskan cruise without having their passports or birth certificates, because their travel agent told them they were not needed since the ships were not stopping in Canada due to Covid restrictions.  It was astounding to us that worked at the pier that both inexperienced and long time cruisers believed they didn't need proof of citizenship to travel on their cruise.  The lucky one were able to contact someone at home who was able to find a copy of their gov't issued birth certificate and electronically send a copy of it to the pier.  Those who couldn't get a copy of their birth certificates were denied boarding.   

 

And as a reminder - the cruise lines are under no obligation to provide a refund if you are denied boarding due to document issues. (Because when you buy your ticket, you are agreeing to all those terms and conditions including having the necessary travel documents).

 

Many passengers were curious about why they needed their passport or birth certificate to travel to Alaska, but not stopping in Canada.  We would explain that they were sailing on a foreign flagged ship in international (Canadian) waters.  And, the last thing that disembarking passengers would do before exiting the terminal is have their passports, birth certificates (or other accepted travel documents) looked at by the Custom & Border Protection Officers.