Guests onboard the current sailing of Princess Cruises’ Diamond Princess are about to visit some very amazing ports of call in Vietnam, but need to be sure they’ve completed the appropriate paperwork to do so.

Letters have been delivered to passengers’ staterooms with information about necessary paperwork to ensure smooth visits to two outstanding ports – Chan May and Phu My.

Special Paperwork Needed for Vietnam Visits

Diamond Princess is currently sailing a 10-night Thailand & Vietnam cruise roundtrip from Singapore, with calls in Chan May (Da Nang) and Ho Chi Minh City (Phu My). Before guests can explore these intriguing ports, however, they need to have the appropriate paperwork ready for officials.

The Guest Services team aboard Diamond Princess is informing all guests of the necessary steps in order to make the process as easy and convenient as possible.

“In preparation for our arrival into Vietnam, [we] would like to take this opportunity to provide you some important information regarding our upcoming Vietnamese port of calls procedures,” a letter delivered to guests’ staterooms read.

The letter details that all passengers are required to have a Vietnamese Landing Card – provided to each guest – that should be carried ashore. Immigration officials at the gangway will verify and stamp the Landing Cards, which are valid until after the visit to Phu My on Sunday, December 31, 2023.

Landing Cards must be deposited in the designated drop boxes at the ship’s gangways when guests return to the ship after visiting Phu My.

Furthermore, guests must have Vietnamese visas to disembark in one (or both) of the Vietnamese ports. While travelers could have purchased the visas prior to sailing, they are also available for purchase onboard if necessary. Even if guests do not plan to disembark in the ports, all guests onboard are required to have appropriate visas.

Guests who already have valid Vietnamese visas, who hold a passport from a visa-exempt country, or hold a Certificate of Vietnamese Visa exemption booklet, will still be charged $3 per person for landing cards and the associated processing fees.

Visa fees and landing card fees can all be charged to guests’ onboard accounts.

It should be noted that the United States is not a visa-exempt country for visits to Vietnam, though several European nations, including the UK (except British National Overseas passport holders), are. Japan and a number of other Asian nations, including the Philippines, are also visa-exempt. A total of 26 countries are visa-exempt at this time, though that list can be updated at any time.

Exploring Asia Aboard Diamond Princess

Diamond Princess is currently homeported from Singapore, offering lengthy sailings visiting Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Depending on the sailing date and itinerary length, ports of call include Saigon, Bangkok, Phuket, Nha Trang, and more amazing destinations that will give travelers a diverse and intimate experience in such an exotic region.

In mid-March 2024, Diamond Princess will offer a one-way sailing from Singapore to Yokohama, a 23-night journey visiting top destinations in Vietnam, China, Korea, and Japan along the way.

The ship will then remain homeported from Yokohama offering Japanese sailings through August 2024, at which time she will reposition to Australia for the southern summer season. In March 2025, Diamond Princess will return to Yokohama and resume her Asian explorations at least through August 2025. Itineraries beyond that date have not yet been released.

The 115,875-gross-ton Diamond Princess is a modified Grand-class vessel built in Japan, making her uniquely suited for Asian sailings with respect to safety and environmental features. The ship can welcome 2,670 passengers when booked at double occupancy, and is also home to 1,100 international crew members.

A once-in-a-lifetime Antarctica cruise aboard Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess has had multiple disruptions, including a cancelled port visit and rough weather, along with internet outages impacting how guests can stay in touch with family and friends back home during the holidays.

These disruptions are not uncommon to these types of voyages, but certainly make it a different type of sailing than what most passengers expect for a cruise vacation.

Port Cancelled for Sapphire Princess

Guests on the current sailing of Sapphire Princess were not able to make their scheduled call to Ushuaia, Argentina due to rough weather that closed the port on Christmas Eve. The rough weather is expected to continue and impact the ship’s crossing through the infamous Drake Passage.

“We expect further adverse weather conditions for our crossing of the Drake Passage on our planned route,” a notification letter delivered to guests’ cabins read. “To get ahead of the expected weather conditions, we will begin crossing the Drake Passage earlier than scheduled and will no longer conduct scenic cruising of Cape Horn.”

By accelerating the schedule and moving across the Drake Passage sooner, the ship can keep to smoother water for a more comfortable experience for everyone aboard while maximizing the time spent in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Worth Reading: Broken Stabilizers Alter Cruise Ship’s Antarctic Voyage

All Princess shore excursions booked for Ushuaia are being automatically refunded back to guests’ onboard accounts.

“We know the cancellation of this experience is disappointing, regardless of the reason,” the letter read. “When we create itineraries, we look forward to taking our guests to the exciting destinations we have selected. When unexpected issues occur that require a change in our itinerary, we share in your disappointment.”

The 16-night cruise departed from San Antonio, Chile on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, and is spending several days not only exploring ports in Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, and Uruguay, but also offering outstanding scenic cruising in Antarctica itself, before arriving in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Thursday, January 4, 2024.

The 115,875-gross-ton, modified Grand-class (now considered Gem-class) Sapphire Princess can welcome 2,670 passengers aboard, and is also home to 1,100 international crew members.

Read Also: Princess Cruises Unveils Antarctica and South America Voyages for 2024-2025

Antarctic cruises are often disrupted by poor weather, which is common around the Drake Passage. Ships sailing in the region have many tactics at their disposal to ensure the most comfortable and smoothest experiences for guests, including the use of ship stabilizers and other technology, adjusting speed, or taking more sheltered routes to avoid higher winds and swells.

Internet Outages Expected

In addition to rough weather impacting port visits, Sapphire Princess is likely to experience internet outages during the voyage. Because of the remote locations the ship is visiting, these outages are not unexpected and the cruise line has provided warning to guests so they are prepared for the disruption.

“In advance of our crossing through the Drake Passage, we wanted to share some important information regarding our internet connectivity in the Antarctic region,” guests were notified on Christmas Eve. “Our antennas routinely shift between satellites that cover specific regions of the globe, but Antarctica is a remote area that can sometimes experience low to no connectivity.”

The outages were expected to be most challenging between December 25 and December 31, and Princess Cruises urged guests to send holiday greetings to loved ones and friends prior to that period.

It can be tough to be out of contact during a Christmas cruise, but the team aboard Sapphire Princess is offering additional activities and entertainment each day to ensure a fun and memorable cruise.

“We appreciate your understanding of the challenges that accompany sailing in this region,” the letter concluded.

Princess Cruises has been rolling out Starlink internet across the fleet throughout 2023, but coverage in the Antarctic region continues to be scarce. This will undoubtedly improve over time, as SpaceX continues to launch additional Starlink satellites to further expand the coverage and improve internet speeds.