Do you need a visa for your cruise? If so, have you planned on the added expense?
It's your responsibility to make sure you have all the required travel documents or you will be denied boarding with no refund offered.
Have any questions? Online sites don't necessarily provide you the information and you could be caught off-guard while having to pay outrageous fees. Just another reason to use a qualified agent who will work with you to make sure there are no unplanned surprises awaiting you.
Cruising couple dinged $420, all for a few hours in Brazil
By Anita Dunham-Potter
Travel columnist
updated 11:55 a.m. ET, Mon., Dec. 1, 2008
Aaron and Shelly Belams of Wisconsin looked forward to their Princess Cruises vacation from Rome to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The couple found a deal through an online travel agency that priced the 21-day cruise at $2,200 per person — a good value. Or so the Belams thought.
Expensive surprise About six weeks before sailing, Princess notified the Belams’ travel agent stating the couple would need a Brazilian visa. The cruise line noted that it was the passenger’s responsibility to get them and any passenger who did not have a visa would be denied boarding.
The visas would cost $210 per person (actual visa cost, plus expedited service) — an unwelcome $420 surprise. It gets worse — the cruise ship was only stopping at one Brazilian port, Fortaleza, for only nine hours! “If we’ve known that it will cost us that much for a few hours in Brazil, we would have looked for cruises that do not go to Brazil at all,” says Aaron Belams.
Visa stamp — you can’t cruise without it Many people dream of exotic cruises with stops in places like Brazil, but beware as foreign country visas can add a big expense to that cruise deal. Although many countries require only a passport, some call for U.S. citizens to get visas, too.
Newer ports of call in Brazil, Turkey, and Russia require them. There’s a difference with Turkey and Russia: Turkey allows cruise ships to acquire “blanket visas” that cover all passengers and Russia allows guests of cruise ships to bypass a visa if they tour with approved tour operators. However, if you want to see the sites of Russia sans tour guide you will need a Russian visa.
Another thing to keep in mind when applying for a visa is that some Middle Eastern and African countries will not issue visas or allow entry if your passport indicates travel to Israel. Also, some countries like South Africa require blank pages for entry/exit stamps.
In the case of Brazil, it appears to be completely political and a case of reciprocity. If a Brazilian citizen is required to obtain a visa to enter a country then citizens of that country wishing to visit Brazil will be required to obtain a Brazilian visa. Sadly, U.S. and Brazilian citizens must pony up a $130 visa fee along with any added expenses to visa service companies for the processing convenience.
Read the brochure Princess is correct — visa information is listed in the “General Information” section of their brochures and on its Web site. The information clearly states that it is the “sole responsibility of the passenger to carry and have available all required travel documents.” It also says, “Passengers who do not possess the proper documentation may be prevented from boarding their flight or the vessel without refund of the cruise or cruise-tour fare.”
Bottom line: the visa requirement is your responsibility not the cruise line’s in most cases so do the homework necessary well before you leave home or employ the services of a good travel agent whose job it is to know the requirements. Unfortunately, the Belams didn’t have a knowledgeable travel agent.
Some important things all travelers should do to avoid hassles:
Check the expiration date on your passport.
Many countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry. To be safe, renew your passport if it’s expiring within nine months.
Look at visa requirements. Although many countries require only a passport, some call for U.S. citizens to get visas, too. Check the State Department Web page listing to see where visas are necessary.
As for the Belams they’ve learned a lesson: Check out the country’s visa fee first before we book our cruise.
It certainly pays to do your research about any of your destinations. And it does help if you're getting expert advice, which is something you expect and need to get from a TA.
I have to agree with Pete on this. MOST online sites are just people taking bookings with no experience in cruising or travel in general!
And, they will not tell you that a price dropped and many won't honor price drops, as it cuts into their commissions.
What happens sometimes is they will give this super great deal... below the cruise line pricing, or offer on board credits, or other bells and whistles... say the price drops from the cruise line and it is then lower than what they offered you... they won't honor it... this is pretty common, and they will charge you a fee to cancel, if you then want to decide to book elsewhere. So, they actually get the lowered price from the cruiseline...and charge you their original quoted price... they keep the difference!
On an upcoming group cruise, in November, the prices went down and the taxes went down... I redid everyone's booking and got the lower price, do I lose some commission? Yes, but I have happy clients. Which is the most important...
I had a family of four booked on the Independence of the Seas for a Christmas cruise. They had a junior suite across the hall from an inside. Two weeks before they were scheduled to leave, I found a special that lowered their price $940! Obviously, they were ecstatic. I've actually gotten specials two days before sailing, although rare, it occasionally does happen.
As Dolores mentioned, yes, this cuts into my commission. But they were so happy that they booked another Christmas cruise for this year and gave me the booking. So, in the long run, good service is rewarded.
My wife use to work for one of the largest travel agencies in the country. Their standard policy was that if the rate went down, they got the special but kept the difference. If the client called and mentioned they saw the price go down, the company would sometimes give a little bit of the difference back, but not all of it. Or they would tell the client they got them a free upgrade so they could protect their commission. Obviously, there are lots of ways to screw the client.
Ask the agent before booking if the prices go down, will they honor the special. If they hesitate, inform you there would be a fee, or charge for canceling prior to final payment, then find another agent.
Best advice is to keep watching as the more eyes looking the better the chances of finding a special. Before final payment, it's usually not a problem getting the rates lowered. After final payment, some cruise lines won't allow changes, like NCL. And sometimes, the special is "for new bookings only" and can't be gotten after final payment. But we're seeing less of these right now.
As mentioned, a reputable agent is more interested in your business and will give you better service than those online sites that are just in it for the money.
I have a client who bought into the YTB thing and now pays (I think) $49 a month for a website and yet she knows nothing about travel. Hers is just a website that is not backed by an experience agent. And she still books through me because she doesn't even have a computer!
There were several people who couldn't board the Mariner of the Seas last month because they didn't have the visa for Brazil. An expensive lesson learned.
YTB, lol, Pete... With another cruise line not working with YTB, why would anyone join them? If you can't offer the popular products, it is not a smart business move, to say the least.
Hence the reason why I signed up with another host, Dolores. NCL's decision on YTB caused me to expedite the move. I'm also looking at the possibility of going on my own. Got to talk to the State agency concerned about the change of requirements..
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