PASSPORTS AND VISAS
All British Citizens will require full ten year passports valid for the countries visited and showing at least 6 months validity beyond your return date. At time of publishing visas are only required for our winter cruises if you are visiting Cuba if you hold a machine-readable United Kingdom passport showing you as a ‘British Citizen’. Should this change, we will let you know as soon as possible. However, passengers transitting the USA without a machine- readable passport will need a US visa.
All passengers visiting Cuba, whether by air or sea must have obtained and completed a Cuban Tourist Card (Tourist Visa) in advance of their arrival. These cards cost £15.00 and can be arranged through Voyages of Discovery, or directly through a Cuban Consulate. However, if you were born in Cuba you will not be allowed ashore in Cuba if arriving by sea, irrespective of the passport you hold. For Tourist Cards purchased through Voyages of Discovery, passengers will have the charge applied to their invoice and receive a blank card, with instructions on how to complete this, approximately 2 weeks before departing for their cruise. Those wishing to purchase their Tourist Card directly from the Cuban Consulate should contact their nearest Consulate.
With the exception of below, no pre-purchased visas are required for any of our summer cruises if you hold a United Kingdom passport, showing you as a ‘British Citizen’. Should this change, we will let you know immediately.
Passengers joining our organised tours in Libya and Russia do not at the present time require individual visas. However, if regulations should change in any country and individual visas are required, it will be the responsibility of each passenger to obtain and purchase their own. Currently passengers who wish to go ashore independently at any time in Russia or Libya will require a visa purchased and issued before arrival in the country. The procedure for obtaining a visa for Libya is very complicated and costs about £100; for Russia we can provide details of an easy-to-use visa application service at a cost of £85 including consular fee, service charge and VAT. Please contact us at least 8 weeks prior to departure should you wish to obtain your own visa for either of these countries.
For cruises visiting Libya, passengers with an Israeli stamp already in their passports must obtain either a replacement or a second passport before boarding mv Discovery. All passengers visiting Libya must comply with the current Libyan regulation which requires all passports to contain the full page Arabic translation of personal details. Please note that entry requirements are subject to change. For further information prior to travel visit www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo. Where visa charges are payable locally these must be paid by the passenger. Advice will be given with your final details when this is necessary. To avoid queues at the airport, if our local agents are able to obtain these on your behalf in advance, they will do so and the cost will be added to your final invoice or on-board account (for example there is currently a £10 visa payable by UK citizens arriving/ departing by air in Turkey and US$15 when you fly into or out of Egypt.
Any non-British passengers will require full passports valid for the countries visited. It is the responsibility of each passenger to check with the various embassies or consulates involved for their particular cruise, ensuring that they have the necessary documentation/visas to enter all countries. Any passenger arriving at the departure port/airport without a passport will be refused permission to board the ship/aircraft. Failure in this respect is not covered by the insurance and no refund can be claimed. The ship’s purser on board deals with all immigration formalities.
HEALTH, VACCINATIONS, AND MEDICAL INFORMATION
As health regulations are everchanging, we recommend that you consult your G.P., or telephone MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) on 0906 822 4100 to check the latest requirements of the countries you will be visiting, at least 12 weeks before your intended departure. In addition, an information leaflet is published by the Department of Health and can be obtained free of charge by calling 0800 555 777. At time of publishing there are no mandatory vaccination requirements for destinations featured in this website, except Yellow Fever vaccinations which are required for visits to Brazil. If you do not normally enjoy good health, you should consult your doctor regarding the advisability of taking a cruise and being away from the usual medical and hospital facilities. Your insurance company must be advised of any pre-existing condition at the time of booking and of any condition arising subsequently prior to departure, otherwise your insurance may be invalid. We ask you to advise us on the Booking Form of any disability or illness so that we can advise our on board medical team.
FURTHER ADVICE
For further information prior to travel visit www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo or call the ABTA Information Line on 0901 201 5050 (calls are charged at 50 pence per minute).
CHILDREN
There are no recreational facilities for children aboard the mv Discovery and reservations for those under the age of eleven are not advised.
PASSENGERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Voyages of Discovery will always try to accommodate passengers with special needs. However, the following conditions apply:
Medical Situations: Any physical disabilities or medical conditions that requires special treatment or medical apparatus must be reported to the company’s Reservations Manager in writing along with the first deposit, which is due at time of booking. These include but are not limited to wheelchairs, oxygen therapy, dialysis etc. Failure to disclose a medical situation at time of booking may result in you being denied boarding at port of embarkation.
Health Care Companions: All passengers with special needs must be self-sufficient and must be accompanied by a passenger who will take full responsibility for any assistance needed during the cruise and in the event of an emergency.
Pregnancy: Regulations vary from airline to airline, but some will refuse to carry women who will be 28 weeks pregnant on the date of return travel. If you are in doubt, please check with the airline concerned and we would recommend that you consult your doctor in any case.
Disabled Passengers: We feel we should point out that we are not specialists in catering for the disabled. If you or any person travelling with you suffers from a disability, you must contact our office for advice before you make your booking.
Wheelchairs: Passengers confined to wheelchairs must provide their own collapsible chair. Please note that in cabins aboard the Discovery there is a 5" riser to bathrooms except in cabin no.’s 4140 and 4144 on Bali Deck, which have been adapted for wheelchair use. Some ports require tenders to go ashore and conditions may preclude a wheelchair passenger from leaving the vessel; this decision must be made by the ship’s Captain and is binding. Passengers should also be aware that facilities for the handicapped in some destinations may be very limited. Getting about once on board Discovery is relatively easy, but you may find certain parts of the ship inaccessible. However, we must point out that at all ports of call featured in this cruise programme (with the exception of Harwich), passengers are required to walk up or down the gangway when embarking or disembarking the ship.
Special Diets: We can usually make provision for special diets provided that sufficient notice is given. A good vegetarian choice is available on board ship and vegetarian meals are also available on flights. Please indicate any requests at time of booking. We will make every effort to satisfy your request, although this cannot be guaranteed.
Note: The company has the right to refuse or revoke passage to anyone who, in its judgement, is in a physical or mental condition unfit for travel, or who may require care beyond that which the vessel can provide.
