The need not to spread infections between countries does not need explaining, though there are those still arrogant enough to think measures should not apply to them. Like the norovirus, most viruses are spread by humans. Each week new measures and new data comes out. The Greek prime minister was on UK TV explaining that unless a guest or native to his country had had both jabs they were not allowed to be served inside a restaurant in the country of Greece.
Many countries have apps, as the UK does with the NHS app, that shows you have had various tests or vaccinations. We were asked to show double jab proof in Nov 2021 to enter a cinema. The UK also uses Passenger Location Forms which require a test to be done. The tests and the systems are getting better. Many countries will ask for these. The government website has travel information. For example here is their page for Spain.
Poland has a Passenger Locator Form. It is an electronic travel document that visitors must complete prior to arrival in Poland, and that will affect some travellers on a Baltic trip. Its purpose, as with the one to re-enter the UK is to collect data about the traveller’s health condition and contact details to track possible infections. It does not replace a visa or other travel requirement.
Travel requirements have always existed, as have the needs for some vaccinations. Most travellers and cruisers are used to this, but here is where we hope we can help. As well as links to government advice, we run certain adverts on Doris Visits because they may answer questions. On most cruise port pages now there is a list of tours which can tell so much about a port, and along with our film, when we have one, can help you plan and save time.
But the medical and visa information can normally be found on the government site and help in resolving a requirement may be found in the iVisa panel on the right. This is a commercial company that deals with country entry requirements. So explore that link, go to Poland, and it will explain what you need to know about going into Poland as well as give useful tips. This information applies to normal travellers. ‘Day-entry’ to some countries, which can include cruisers, can be different. In this situation, you will see what is actually required, as given by iVisa whose business it is to get visas on your behalf should you wish to employ them, and you can then research how your cruise operator may be helping to deal with it. For example, cruisers do not need a visa to enter Russia via St Petersburg if on a commercial or ship organised tour. Whilst it is useful to ask on the chat sites, the absolute information should be from the cruise operator offering you your travel contract and hopefully, someone will post a link as well as helpful answers from the other passengers.
In some cases, like travelling to Chinese ports often found on a world cruise, cruisers are treated like normal travellers and need to acquire a visa. In that case, we hope iVisa will look after you well.
For tours, when you need to look around, look at the collection on Get Your Guide. We use their software to supply tour information at each destination. Whilst one day they may pay us a commission, we place the tours for research and as yet have never in the years we have used them, had a commission from them – nor from iVisa. We place the information because they have the current information on tours in those places. These are the tours your ship may buy-in or commission to be run for them. The income required to run this site, pay for the cloud and widgets comes from the Cruise Mystery Thrillers novels, and our Doris Visits cruise Port guide YouTube Channel, and the occasional Google payment from adverts they place which again are normally filtered to suit your needs and profile. No one takes a wage from Doris Visits, and it is run by volunteers as are the chat sites.
What these widgets or add-ons give us more, is a graph of how many people have looked and at what pages. For example, the city where the most cruisers look at tours and click to seek alternatives is St Petersburg, Russia. Here we also have extensive films available as we know research is key.
Looking at the locally offered attractions and tours is the first thing a movie location scout will do to research a place.
Local tours (allow time to load) as shown by GET YOUR GUIDE
Always remember a ship tour offers the protection of waiting for the trip to return if it is running late.
Our page on cruise insurance & antigen testing: click> INSURANCE & TESTING
See my cruise and port accurate mystery thrillers in paperback and eBook Some in large print & as audiobooks. They are all set on a cruise and written like movies or TV series. Well, that is where I spent the last 50 years! The income is reinvested into this cruise site.
CHAT GROUPS – a fantastic way to help others and a place to find answers. We run a Facebook Group for each of the ships. For example, P&O IONA group P&O Ventura MARELLA EXPLORER Disney & Family cruise chatSAGA Ocean & River cruise chat group Viking Ocean & River Cruising chatCunard Chat – Premium cruise liners Find the complete list of chat groups here
