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Getting a Visa for Journey Brazil cruise - Need info. especially if you're from NY


SandyR5

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Hi - We just booked the Journey's 12 day Brazil cruise for November. I know we need a VISA. When I went to the Brazil consulate site it states that you can download and send in for your visa, EXCEPT IF YOU LIVE IN NY, LA OR SAN FRANCISCO. Now, here's my question...We live in NY, but not Manhattan. Since they don't say California...only LA and San Fran, I'm wondering if the NY is just for those living in Manhattan...NYC. Anyone from NY who has dealt with this. I did e-mail the consulate to ask, but who knows when I will hear from them. Thanks

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Hi Cabo - Nice to hear from you. I have a while so I'm hoping to hear from another New Yorker who has been there/done that. It wouldn't be a big problem to go into the city, but their website says they only give out visas from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m., and it's first come/first served. I would hate to have to commute into Manhattan during rush hour. I can't imagine someone from upstate having to go into Manhattan to get their visa. I'm really thinking that when the consulate says "NY", they mean Manhattan. It's a common error.

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Nice to hear from you too Sandy.

 

Maybe you better go in to the City before the Mayor gets his "Congestion", or should I say "Indigestion" fee passed by the Legislature!! With our luck, the consulate is located on one of the affected streets.

 

I guess it's just another part of being "reciprocal" in the diplomatic sense.

 

Best

 

Cabo

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Nice to hear from you too Sandy.

 

Maybe you better go in to the City before the Mayor gets his "Congestion", or should I say "Indigestion" fee passed by the Legislature!! With our luck, the consulate is located on one of the affected streets.

 

I guess it's just another part of being "reciprocal" in the diplomatic sense.

 

Best

 

Cabo

 

Almost no one drives into that part of Manhattan during week days. There is no public(free) parking on the street and an hour of parking can cost $25.00 or more. There is ample inexpensive public transportation and if there does become congestion pricing, cabs and others who won't have to pay for it will find the streets less crowded than they are now. NY expects more than a million more people to live in the city(which will then have 9 million just within the city and more than 23 million in the Metro area) something has to be done or traffic won't move at all. Given that the bridges and tunnels that are tolled now charge $4.50 each way the $8.00 charge(which will give credit for these tolls) will be not much to pay for less traffic. Unless you have seen pure gridlock which takes hours to unlock, you have no idea of what traffic is...something needs to be done. The other alternative is to ban cars altogether....you have any better ideas I am sure we would like to hear them...

PS I have some problems with the plan but they are tweaking issues

i.e it should be expanded to include the Brooklyn Business district and allow for residential parking permits so that residents who register their cars in NYCity neighborhoods get preference for parking(as most NY neighborhoods years ago prohibited in house garages)....

 

PPS not that I am saying to follow Japan, but Japan requires a license to buy a car now. Taxes on cars in Europe are 5 times what they are in the US with gas twice as much....

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smeyer - We're in the city often. Our kids are on the Upper East Side. We drive in using the Triboro. Since we pay the toll, we wouldn't have to pay the additional, but, I would hate to have to come into the city 2 days in a row. Of course it would be great to come in, sleep over, pick up our Visas the second day and return home...but we'd need to go back to work to park our car in a garage for 2 days/nights and pay for the taxis back/forth. :D I'm still hoping that I'll get a return e-mail from the consulate telling me they mean NYC, not NY. Mail would be wonderful. :)

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smeyer - We're in the city often. Our kids are on the Upper East Side. We drive in using the Triboro. Since we pay the toll, we wouldn't have to pay the additional, but, I would hate to have to come into the city 2 days in a row. Of course it would be great to come in, sleep over, pick up our Visas the second day and return home...but we'd need to go back to work to park our car in a garage for 2 days/nights and pay for the taxis back/forth. :D I'm still hoping that I'll get a return e-mail from the consulate telling me they mean NYC, not NY. Mail would be wonderful. :)

People on Long Island know what traffic is like. Alabama's total state population is less than 5,000,000. I'll leave it there cause anything more will get me in trouble. yes everyone is entitled to an opinion even if they have no idea of the facts....

PS for those who don't know it the triboro's toll is $4.50 each way(with ezpass its only 4 each way)...

This whole thing with Brasil was started with us(the US) imposing a non refundable $100.00 to process the Visas for entering the US and limiting where they can apply for them and requireing personal interviews as well.

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It is by state. California being such a large state is broken into North and South.

 

You can have an outside company such as passportexpress.com process your visa for you (for a fee). Oceania Cruises uses them.

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Sandy, I don't believe you can pick them up the same day. In Chicago you had to come back something like three days later. They would mail them to you by regular mail if you provided a self addressed stamped envelope. They would not use a service (Fedex, UPS, DHL) and would not process insured mail. Avoid the hassle and pay a Visa service to do it for you. The Brazilian consulate is very particular and super fussy about the application.

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I doubt that you have to live in NYC to use the Consulate there to get a Visa.

 

When we went to Brazil in '91 (1st time), we were living in the East Bay, across from San Francisco, and went to the Consulate there for Visas. We dropped off the application and our Passports in the morning, spent the day in The City, and picked up the Visas and Passports in the afternoon.

 

The second time we went, in '98, we handled it by mail, with the San Francisco Consulate.

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Hi Smeyer....I think Sandy remembers something you would not be aware of. Although we've lived in B'ham for 10 years, I grew up in what is now a very valuable piece of property these days - Stuyvesant Town. Oh the joy of arriving at Yankee Stadium on teh Lex IRT (what is now the Number 4 Express) at Jerome Avenue, just outside the tunnel!!

 

You need not remind me of how much fun it is getting around Manhattan by car. When we used to drive in from Rockland County for a Broadway show, my wife said I became a changed man - as I readily adapted to the "courtesies" afforded me by other drivers.

 

Since Sandy would "commute in" from "close in" Kings Park - how about a couple of good old rides on the LIRR?

 

The visa service makes a lot of sense though.

 

Cabo

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Hi Smeyer....I think Sandy remembers something you would not be aware of. Although we've lived in B'ham for 10 years, I grew up in what is now a very valuable piece of property these days - Stuyvesant Town. Oh the joy of arriving at Yankee Stadium on teh Lex IRT (what is now the Number 4 Express) at Jerome Avenue, just outside the tunnel!!

 

You need not remind me of how much fun it is getting around Manhattan by car. When we used to drive in from Rockland County for a Broadway show, my wife said I became a changed man - as I readily adapted to the "courtesies" afforded me by other drivers.

 

Since Sandy would "commute in" from "close in" Kings Park - how about a couple of good old rides on the LIRR?

 

The visa service makes a lot of sense though.

 

Cabo

That's good but do you have any better ideas about the traffic....it has gotten much worse. Ashma rates are through the roof and it cost trucking companies millions of extra in waiting and down time. The few people who are complaining are in my opinion those whose complain about anything new. Building new roads justs spawns more traffic. BTW I don't think NY has the worse traffic. I think Atlanta is much worse.

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Thanks to all for your information. And...Cabo, we're bleeding Yankee blue really badly lately. They better start winning. Those pitchers can't get their acts together!!! :( :( :( We will start checking out those visa services...thank you for the links usavvy2...and/or take the LIRR into the city on a Wednesday, get in line for 1/2 price tickets in Duffy Square after applying for the VISAs, sleep over at our kids place, visit a museum or two the next day, return to the consulate to pick up our VISAs and take the railroad back home. Sounds like a pretty good excuse for two wonderful days in the city. ;) I REALLY appreciate all your information and Cabo, you always manage to keep me laughing.

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Yanks 3 Sox 1 Yesssss!!

 

Sounds like a great mini-vacation...getting away while making plans to get further away......I knew you could figure something out Sandy.

 

But you might want to book an extra night in NYC, in case the Brazilians start to samba.

 

Best

 

Cabo

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OK, seriously, I now believe you can have someone else pick up the VISAs...after all, that's what the companies do...so we'll just apply for them, see a show, return home and let our son, who works around the corner from the consulate, pick the visas up the next day. It's a $10 charge to have someone else pick them up. GO Yankees!

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Hey Sandy, and other lucky ducks on their way to Brazil,

 

Just a friendly reminder that you should NOT get the visa more than 90 days prior to your planned date of entry into Brazil or it will expire :eek: before you have even had a chance to use it!!

 

Here's the quote from the FAQ at the SF consulate website:

 

blank.gif

06. In my visa it is written that I have to enter Brazil within 90 days from the date the visa was issued, but I will not be able to travel within that time frame. Can you extend my visa ?

No. Once
any
visa is issued, it
must
be used within 90 days or it will expire. Then you will have to apply for another visa and pay another fee.

If you are not yet sure about your travel plans, please do not apply for a visa. It is best if you wait until you have purchased your tickets. Also, it is best not to apply earlier than 60 days from the date of travel.

This happened to friends of ours in the past, and oh man, they were PO'd.

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Eurobikefan - I knew that! ;) I searched the word Visa and read everything I could...just nobody mentioned my "problem". Thank you for your input though. IF I didn't know that...it sure would be great info. :)

Now...your cycling around Europe sounds amazing. The Vienna to Prague sounds like it will be fantastic. Have a fantastic journey.

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  • 2 weeks later...
OK, seriously, I now believe you can have someone else pick up the VISAs...after all, that's what the companies do...so we'll just apply for them, see a show, return home and let our son, who works around the corner from the consulate, pick the visas up the next day. It's a $10 charge to have someone else pick them up. GO Yankees!

 

This Visa is only required because our government requires it of Brasilillan tourists. Another reason I'm glad I held onto my British Passport, when I became an American, Brits don't need a visa and save the $100:D

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