have not received advise on visa

[GAJE]

whogo: Thanks for your warning. Crazy4cruisn and I will arrive in Rio Jan. 30, so we will be within the 90 days.

Betty

[crazy4cruisn]

Betty, Pack the third bag! It really makes sense with the fact that you have a precruise. DH will get over it. :p Besides if one bag gets lost, you won't be in such a tight spot. We always pack a few things of our own in each other's bags for this reason. I understand there are public laundries on the Rotterdam, so that will help.

Have you sent off for the visa yet? Let me know when it comes. Happy counting!

Nancy

[GAJE]

Nancy: Visa applications went out Monday to Washington by Express mail. They arrived at the Embassy at 7:15 am yesterday. I will start checking the return tracking numbers in another day or two.

Betty

[AcaCandy]

We went through a service in Houston and got only 90 days :( and have another trip planned for February, so we'll have to get new ones. I'm curious as to if you had to check a box requesting 5 years? :confused: as I didn't notice any. Also wondering if someone could scan and post a picture of one for 5 years?

[crazy4cruisn]

NO, I did not see a special place to request 5 years. There are two stamps at the top of the page, one with 100 and one with 10, a stamp with a serial number is placed over them; under that is the stamp of the consulate of Brazil in Houston with the date they processed our application. Under that is printed, " Entry must be within 90 days from issue, valid for mutiple entries for 5 years from date of first entry, good for up to 90 days period per visit, Renewable locally by Federal Police, stay per year limited to 180 days. Employment prohibited by law."

I wonder if you could write and ask about the problem? There is a web site where you can e-mail or call the consulates.

[Pam in CA]

Amen to the packing dilemma! DH has always insisted on one bag each plus a carryon each. That means very heavy checked luggage. I want to have at least one more bag between us. He wants to maintain "you only take what you can manage by yourself". I am worried that we will get hit with overage fees during the intraSA flights (Lima to Cusco, Rio to Iguazu). We have avoided overage fees before on Delta due to DH's 'million miler' status. If DH wins this battle, wearing the same outfit (at least during the day) SEVERAL TIMES will certainly be the case. HAL says our luggage will be kept for us in Lima and Rio during the pre and post cruise tours, and we will only need to take the carryons with us to Cusco and Iguazu. If that is the case, it seems an extra piece of luggage is workable. If that is the case....

Sometimes it almost seems easier to just stay home. (Not really!!!!!)

Betty

Here's a suggestion to use on your husband. Tell him that you're packing yours and his clothes mixed up between the two suitcases in case one of them doesn't make it to the ship. (This is an actual packing tip.) Then tell him that because you're doing this, you need a smaller third bag because by mixing up your clothes, everything won't fit into two bags. (This last won't make sense but he might be so impressed by your first suggestion, he'll go along with it.)

[Pam in CA]

NO, I did not see a special place to request 5 years. There are two stamps at the top of the page, one with 100 and one with 10, a stamp with a serial number is placed over them; under that is the stamp of the consulate of Brazil in Houston with the date they processed our application. Under that is printed, " Entry must be within 90 days from issue, valid for mutiple entries for 5 years from date of first entry, good for up to 90 days period per visit, Renewable locally by Federal Police, stay per year limited to 180 days. Employment prohibited by law."

I wonder if you could write and ask about the problem? There is a web site where you can e-mail or call the consulates.

The first Brazilian visa I got in 1998, I went directly to the Brazilian Consulate in Boston. It was a lot of time wasted waiting to fill out the form, submit them, and then return two weeks later to wait in line again and pick up the passport. This visa was good for just 90 days. I'm looking at it and it has nothing about the "valid for 5 years, etc." The 2nd Brazilian visa I got, I went through a passport service. This was in 2005 and it has the "valid for multiple entries for 5 years from date of entry," the same as crazy posted. I don't remember seeing a box for 90 days vs. 5 years but perhaps the passport service checked it for me.

 

As an FYI, I'm taking a riverboat cruise to China in September 07 and just received all of my China visa information and application from Viking, with the form pre-filled in with the booking information. I've received similar visa information from Princess. If HAL doesn't do this, I'd be very surprised.

[AcaCandy]

I think perhaps they did have a form with some info on it, but I had to start paperwork without it, as it was mailed to Las Vegas and we were in Acapulco at the time.

 

I didn't recall seeing a 5 year option on it either. One service I spoke to over the phone (they only answered once, then the rest of the time was a 'full voicemail message' :rolleyes: so we didn't use them, however, they indicated if you chose 5 year option and was declined, you'd have to reapply again with a new fee.

 

I'll shoot an email off to the firm we used to see what kind of info I can get from them. In any event, it looks like we'll be reapply and repaying.

 

We did a Viking cruise in 2005, you should really enjoy that.

[GAJE]

We got our visas today from the Brazilian Embassy in Washington. The applications were mailed 11/13 , so it took 7 business days for them to be processed and sent to us. Both are good for 5 years.

Betty

[crazy4cruisn]

Betty, Glad you got the visas. It wasn't really as hard as I expected; just made me nervous! Now that Thanksgiving dinner is cooked, eaten, cleaned up, and I am here at my usual place I can count the days till we leave. Inbetween we have Christmas, a new granddaughter on the way, and to top it off I received a jury summons! Oh well, Jan 9 I fly off although I hate to leave a first granddaughter!!!

Nancy

[GAJE]

Nancy: A lot of excitement in your near future!! The first grandchild is tremendously exciting. Thanksgiving dinner is over here as well. Our daughter, son-in-law, and 5 yo grandson are visiting from Michigan. This is our traditional Thanksgiving - and same at Christmas. I was telling my daughter that as much as I love Christmas, I will be anxious to put everything away this year. I will want to get on with the packing!!!! She didn't seem suitably impressed. We leave January 6th.

Betty

[crazy4cruisn]

Betty,

This is second grandchild but first granddaughter; I had 2 boys so it is fun buying pink! No one sympathizes with me either about everything happening at once and having to worry about packing! Can't imagine why! :D I did get my jury duty postponed till March, thankgoodness!

See you soon! Hope we get to meet on the ship; I would like to hear about your Machu Picchu trip!

[AcaCandy]

A follow up question on the Visas. I received a reply from the agency in Houston and they indicated that the Houston Embassy only issues 90 day visas to U.S. citizens, which doesn't sound right to me. Has anyone else been issued a 5 year visa through the Houston Embassy?

[AcaCandy]

NO, I did not see a special place to request 5 years. There are two stamps at the top of the page, one with 100 and one with 10, a stamp with a serial number is placed over them; under that is the stamp of the consulate of Brazil in Houston with the date they processed our application. Under that is printed, " Entry must be within 90 days from issue, valid for mutiple entries for 5 years from date of first entry, good for up to 90 days period per visit, Renewable locally by Federal Police, stay per year limited to 180 days. Employment prohibited by law."

I wonder if you could write and ask about the problem? There is a web site where you can e-mail or call the consulates.

 

Scratch the last post, I forgot you got yours in Houston. Did you go directly?

[serendipity1499]

So is the U.S.A.!!!!

 

It is my understanding that Brazil only introduced the visa requirement for US citizens AFTER the US Dept of Immigration made a decision to require Brazilian citizens to have visas to enter the USA. Previously they had been on the Visa Waver Programme. Stephen

 

Stephen, do you know when the U.S. began requiring Brazilian Citizens to have a Visa? Just checked my old Passports, & reason I'm asking is, as a US Citizen I had to obtain a Tourist Visa for Brazil in April of 1985..This Visa was issued by the Brazilian Consulate in N.Y., but did not indicate a five year validity date... Don't believe I paid $100 for it, but the amount charged escapes me..

 

I believe that since the U.S. started finger-printing & requiring all Non-Citizens to obtain a Visa's, that's when Brazil cracked-down on U.S. Citizens with fingerprinting ..Understand they are fingerprinting U.S. Citizens at airports, as we do them, but really don't know if this is true...We were not finger-printed on our Amazon Cruise..

 

Happy Cruising all...Betty:)

[Pete Jackson]

This thread about Brazilian Visas reminds me of what happened on our 1994 cruise to South America on the old Cunard ship Sagafjord. The highlight of the cruise was the total solar eclipse off the coast of Brazil, and there were to be two guest speakers to highlight the event: Hugh Downs from the abc network, and Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the Moon in 1969.

 

Well, the cruise was great (this was a wonderful ship; we could only afford to get on by booking the "from" inside cabin two years before the cruise); the eclipse was great; and Hugh Downs was there. But Buzz Aldrin was not; Cunard had neglected to arrange his Brazilian Visa and he was refused for the flight to Rio!

 

They tried everything to pull strings, but nada, you had to get the visa in advance; there was (and is) no airport visa. So the joke was that Buzz Aldrin was able to get to the Moon, but he couldn't get to Brazil!:p

[AcaCandy]

I think that there has always been some type of Visa requirement, it just didn't cost $100 before the U.S. got nasty :rolleyes:

 

If you're on a cruise, it seems they don't care about finger prints, I'd be willing to bet that if you fly in, you'll be fingerprinted at the airport though.

[HighSeas77]

Lets make this simple.

 

HAL clearly states that it is up to you to determine visa requirments. If you are a US citizen or Canadian citizen and travelling anywhere other than the US, Canada, Carribean or Mexico you had better check to see if you need visas.

 

You should contact Zierer Visa Service at 866-788-1100 or 202-745-4470 and they will help you obtain the appropriate visas depending on where you are going. This is posted right on HAL's website.

 

The people in this message are correct. If you use a TA, shame on them if they didn't sort this out for you. If you arranged the trip on your own, shame on you.

 

You cannot expect HAL to become a Visa service.

[HighSeas77]

Zierer Visa Service at 866-788-1100 or 202-745-4470

 

is posted right on the HAL website.

[crazy4cruisn]

Yes, I got my visa through Houston. I sent it off from Arlington, TX on a Monday and received it back on Thursday! Couldn't believe the time! And it is stamped good for 5 years.

High Seas 77- I did go through a TA and was not told about the visa. But what surprises and disappoints me is that my friend who is going with us also booked through the same agency, but it was HAL who sent a letter by Priority Mail to her about needing the visa. Her friend also received the same from HAL. I have received nothing. As I noted before, thankgoodness for the boards!

[AcaCandy]

Yes, I got my visa through Houston. I sent it off from Arlington, TX on a Monday and received it back on Thursday! Couldn't believe the time! And it is stamped good for 5 years.

 

Thanks for the follow up. I told my Visa service that others had gone that route and received 5 year visas....and I haven't received a response since I said that.....hmmm....wonder why......guess I won't be using THEM this go round.

[Pam in CA]

I happened to be going through my desk drawer the other day and found the invoice for my Brazilian visa from Zierer. It clearly says on the invoice that a "multiple year" visa was requested. Whether I checked it off or they did it automatically, I have no clue or memory.

[AcaCandy]

Thanks Pam, I'm sure there is nothing that this agency can or will do now, so I'll probably use that one this go round.

[crazy4cruisn]

I just looked back at the application form http://www.brazilhouston.org/ingles/visaform.doc and saw at the bottom of the first page where it says "For Official use only" letter E is a box to check for single or mutiple use. That was the only place I saw where a choice could be made, but it for not for us to check. How that decision was made is a curiousity. Maybe if you write the consulate they could help?

[Maryandi]

I do not expect Holland America to act as my visa service but I do expect them to tell me 'We will not allow you to board the ship without X visa, passport & X shots (where applies)' !!

 

If you read the websites, alot of them will tell you about needing a visa - then you find out that because you are not on land 24 hours - then a visa is not required. So to sort this out Zeirer can tell us.

 

But I still want to hear from HAL that when I get to the pier, I'll have everything I need :eek:

 

MaryAnn