Over the past several weeks, Royal Caribbean has issued new passport and visa requirements for cruise ports in three different countries.
Here is a rundown of the new passport and visa requirements for cruise ports in countries in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
Martinique
As of January 1st, 2020, all guests on cruises visiting Martinique will need a passport book (not a passport card) for boarding. The passport book must be valid for at least 6 months after the sailing ends.
Passport cards and birth certificates will not be accepted and may result in a denial of boarding for both adults and minors. This policy changes impacts cruises beginning from and returning to the U.S. including San Juan, Puerto Rico.
St. Petersburg
An E-visa is being implemented for the port of St. Petersburg, Russia for guests who would like to tour the city on their own. The E-visa is free of charge as long as guests apply via the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
The issued E-visa will be valid for 30 days, allowing a single entry for stays up to 8 days. Applicants must apply for the E-Visa within 20 days of their intended arrival and no later than 4 days before.
Although the E-visa is single entry, this will allow the guests to go through the St. Petersburg immigration check points multiple times during any stays that are multiple days long.
Vietnam
Document changes for cruises to Vietnam only affect cruises from certain countries.
The Vietnam Visa On Arrival (VOA) program for the following nationalities has changed. Effective immediately, any guests sailing from the below countries should be informed to apply for a visa prior to the arrival at the Vietnam port of call. Please note that the 12 highlighted countries have just been added to the list.
ISRAEL, TURKEY, SERBIA, SRI LANKA, KAZAKHSTAN, AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, IRAQ, PAKISTAN, MOROCCO, YEMEN ARAB REPUBLIC, SAUDI ARABIA, NIGERIA, OMAN, BANGLADESH, JORDAN, CAMERON, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, SIERRA LEONE, FIJI, SOUTH AFRICA, MOZAMBIQUE, KENYA AND GHANA.
Any Royal Caribbean ships calling at Vietnam ports will no longer be able to apply for the VOA for those guests from the above listed countries. If a guest fails to obtain the visa prior to the cruise, they may be allowed to sail with the ship. However, they will not be able to disembark in any of the Vietnam ports.