Prelude to Namibia
A week prior to our arrival in Namibia, guests who do not have the required visa are asked to apply online. It is unbelievable how 100s have not got their visa in spite of guests being told long before embarkation to get the necessary documents. The ' meeting' discussed in my previous blog on Cape Town also covered this nuisance/ complacence.
Since Covid many countries have insisted on electronic visas for a fee. Frequent cruisers were too complacent to even not bother. Some genuinely tried and tried but gave up on the unreceptive website and took their chances. DrInk and I tried for several weeks before boarding and got nowhere. The only website we could trust was that of the Singapore foreign ministry. Which expressly indicated a visa waiver for us. Nevertheless, since it will always be Namibia's call, it would be subject to change. But the Namibian government website remained unresponsive and all we could do was print out the page from the Singapore Government website for proof of exemption.
The ship's officers suggest that those who do not have the visa apply online while we are at port in Cape Town. Once we leave we have seven sea days before Namibia and no chance to apply unless you pay to be connected to the ship's WiFi. Guests become grumpy and garrulous about the ship not taking the responsibility for a fee as was normal before all the political turmoil. Some kind folk who have Internet access and a few knowledgeable officers apply for those who approach them. It is a very slow process with the website sometimes responding only after a few hours. At least, it is declared that guests who do not have visas can remain on board even though we are in Namibian waters.
Drink and I and a few other Asian Nationalities get the clear from the ship's officers. We let out a huge sigh of relief.
The Namibian authorities board the ship as soon as we dock. A huge line of shore excursion and private excursion guests make a long line that could take hours to process. We calmly wait till the line shortens.considerably. The officer tells us to fill out a form. It takes only a couple of mins. Couldn't we have been handed the forms earlier?
Many learn too late that the officers would issue a visa manually too..
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