Royal Caribbean shared an update on necessary travel documentation needed for cruises visiting any port in Vietnam.

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
• 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.

Guest should be sure to keep your travel documents and SetSail Pass handy. They’ll need them from the moment they arrive to the port, all the way to boarding the ship, so they won’t want to pack them in their luggage.

Royal Caribbean has invested $5 million to upgrade Chan May Port in Thua Thien-Hue Province, a major port in central Vietnam.

Photo by Chris&Steve

The upgrade work is scheduled to be finished by the end of July and will allow the cruise port to handle shops that are 360 meters or longer, such as Quantum class ships.

Royal Caribbean Vice President of Commercial Development, John Tercek, told a Vietnamese newspaper the investment in the cruise port was largely due to an increase in guest interest in the area.

Tercek cited last month's visit by Quantum of the Seas, where more than 2,000 passengers signed  up for a one-day tour around Vung Tau and the neighboring Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Tercek, Royal Caribbean is considering investing in other Vietnamese ports as well, such as Nha Trang.

He said that while improving its infrastructure, Vietnam also needs to promote itself as a cruise ship destination to attract tourists with deep pockets.

Royal Caribbean vice president John Tercek met with Vietnamese officials in early September to ask permission to keep the casinos, souvenir shops and other services open after the cruise ships dock at Vietnamese ports.

Royal Caribbean is planning to increase its business in Vietnamese ports.  They are aiming to bring 25,000 cruisers a year with bigger cruise ships visiting Chan May Port in Thua Thien – Hue province.

After cruise ships dock at Vietnamese ports, many passengers opt to stay on the ship and the cruise line would like to offer more entertainment onboard.

The reason for the ban is a result of government conerns regarding smuggling.