Visa to Jamaica?

[dalitos]

We will be arriving to FLL for an RCI Western Caribbean cruise at the end of February. :) We are not American citizens but of course we have a valid US tourist visa.

Our ports of call are Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Montego Bay.

I know we don't need a visa to Mexico and the Cayman Islands, but I was reading online about some tournament being held in Jamaica, and their goverment decided to require a visa for travel between February and June I think. :(

I called RCI and they said that we don't need a visa, since we are arriving and leaving on the cruise, and staying only for a few hours.

Does anyone know about this, and can put my mind at ease? I worry that we may not be let off the ship in Jamaica! :eek:

(of course we could issue the visa, but besided the extra USD100 p/p it costs, we would have to mail them the paperwork + pics + passport, no way!)

Thank you.

[98Charlie]

Click Here for a link to the Jamaican Consulate page describing visa requirements for cruise ship passengers from US, Canada and Resident Aliens of those countries.

 

While a valid national passport is normally required, US citizens and resident Aliens in the US, and Canadian citizens and Resident Aliens in Canada may enter Jamaica as bona fide tourists, providing they fulfill the following requirements :

 

 

• a valid passport;
  
• or a naturalization certificate;
  
• or a driver's license bearing a photograph of the holder as well as an official birth certificate if the holder of such certificate is over 16 years of age.
  
• 16 years of age and under should provide, a birth certificate, together with such other documents as will establish nationality and identity to the satisfaction of the Immigration Officer.
   
  NB The birth certificate must have an embossed seal. Photocopies of documents are not acceptable.

 

Nothing was mentioned about any special requirements for cruise ship passengers at any time. Personally, if I were on another cruise that stopped in Jamaica I would grab a book and head for the pool deck:D

 

Charlie

[dalitos]

Hi Charlie, thank you for the link!

This is what I found there, in case there's anyone else reading this in a similar situation:

Cruise Passengers of any nationality who intend to remain in the island during the stay of the vessel by which they arrived and to depart on the same vessel, are not required to hold passports.

[ste]

Didn't find a new post about visas using the search, so I will post here, hopefully someone can help. So do we or don't we need a visa for entering Jamaica (Falmouth). Our embassy web page tells us, we need one (Estonian citizens), but that the visa can be bough from the port of entry (20$). But some people here say that cruise passengers need no visa. Which one is it then? And if we do need one, will the cruise crew (Allure of the Seas) be able to inform us where on border to buy the visa?

[Keith1010]

Have you tried to contact the cruise line about your situation.

 

Keith

[ste]

Have you tried to contact the cruise line about your situation.

 

Keith

Not yet. Since the embassy page says we can buy the visa from the port I considered this our only option. Now as the sail date is closing in, I started to worry. I wouldn't want to pay extra if I didn't have to and I wouldn't want to miss out on Jamaica either. Will Royal Caribbean answer emails? Can't really phone them from Belgium I guess...some other companies I have contacted in the U. S with some questions, don't seem to be using email. But I will try then.

[joeyancho]

Didn't find a new post about visas using the search, so I will post here, hopefully someone can help. So do we or don't we need a visa for entering Jamaica (Falmouth). Our embassy web page tells us, we need one (Estonian citizens), but that the visa can be bough from the port of entry (20$). But some people here say that cruise passengers need no visa. Which one is it then? And if we do need one, will the cruise crew (Allure of the Seas) be able to inform us where on border to buy the visa?

 

No problem mon! they don't check your paperwork when you enter Jamaica. They will not even know your nationality. Just bring cash (USD) that is what they are interested in.

[ste]

I have gotten different info on the matter since I last posted here. The RCI rep told me to check with my embassy and later told me that if I had ESTA, I'd be fine. Embassy told me to buy visa form the port. So I think I'll just see what happens in the port. Will disembark early to have time for visa matters :)