You are responsible for obtaining all necessary travel documents and for complying with Customs and Immigration requirements. Guests without proper travel documents will not be allowed to board the vessel and no refund of cruise fare will be given to any guest failing to bring such documentation.


In order to avoid problems at departure, we kindly ask you to carefully check the validity of your documents and to be in possession of what is required for the cruise. If any guest does not possess the required documentation they will be denied boarding their flight/cruise and cancellation penalties will be applied.

• Passports - You must be in possession of a valid passport and any visas (if required). British citizens must be in possession of a 10-year passport (five years for children) valid for at least six months after the date of your return to the UK. Each child (including infants) must be in possession of its own passport. Passengers applying for a new passport, or renewing an expired one, should allow at least two months for the application to be processed and up to three months if applying between February and June. It is also important that name changes for newlywed wives must be notified to us immediately so that the name stated on the passport matches the name on the ticket. The names on cruise and airline documents must be the same as those shown on passports. Any discrepancies (including nicknames and abbreviated names) may prevent travel and also make insurance policies invalid. If any guest does not possess the required documentation they will be denied boarding their flight/cruise and cancellation penalties will be applied.

• Other Nationals - It is strongly recommended that other nationals contact their local Consular Authority in order to ascertain passport and visa requirements. If any guest does not possess the required documentation they will be denied boarding their flight/cruise and cancellation penalties will be applied. We recommend that you check your visa requirements with your travel agent or the appropriate embassy at least two months prior to travel. Alternatively, for full passport and visa requirements you can contact CIBT on 0870 8900 185 for advice. In addition to the cost of any visa you will be charged an administration fee to use this service.

• Please note – Passports may be retained by Costa staff on embarkation and withheld for the entire duration of the cruise so they can be presented to the various port authorities. Passports are then made available only when guests require them to go ashore.

• USA
Effective January 12, 2009 all nationals or citizens of VWP countries (Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) who plan to travel to the United States for temporary business or pleasure under the VWP will be required to receive an electronic travel authorization through ESTA prior to boarding a U.S.-bound airplane or vessel. Guests, no less than 72 hours prior to travel, have to log onto the ESTA Web site at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov and complete an on-line application.
To avoid any inconveniences at departure, please check the expiry date of your passport and that it is compliant with the new entry procedure for the United States. If you require assistance please contact your travel agency.
You must be in possession of a machine readable passport.
Each child must have their own machine readable passport: registration in the parents’ passport will not be considered valid. According to the rules provided by the “US Department of Homeland Security", which refer to the regulations of the Visa Waiver Program, Costa Cruises reminds you that:
1) Visitors who have a machine readable passport, which was issued or renewed before 26 October 2005, may enter the United States of America without a visa.
2) Visitors who have a machine readable passport, which was issued or renewed on or after 26 October 2005 and which has a digital photograph printed directly on the passport, may enter the United States of America without a visa.
3) Visitors who have a machine readable passport, which was issued or renewed on or after 26 October 2006, require integrated chip with information from the data page (e-passport). Visitors whose passports do not meet these requirements will be required to obtain a visa to travel to the United States.
All guests who are in possession of a valid passport that was issued prior to the introduction of the machine-readable passports, or passports that do no meet the above requirements, require a non-immigrant entry visa for the United States. This requirement is also applicable to children.
In any case, all guests who are already in possession of a passport are requested to check their documentation with their travel agent or national authorities.
Please note - Under US Law and in accordance with an International Agreement between the European Union and the United States, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will receive certain travel and reservation information (PNR) about passengers flying between the European Union and the United States The DHS has undertaken to use this information primarily for the purposes of preventing and combating terrorism and other serious transnational crimes. This and other information may also be used to check whether passengers feature on the lists of people raising aviation security concerns. The PNR data will be kept for at least three years and six months and may be shared with other authorities. Further information on these arrangements, including measures to safeguard your personal details, can be obtained from your airline or travel agent or from our website www.costacruises.co.uk.

Asia - For India a Tourist Visa Multiple Entry is required: this visa is not obtainable on board, so our guests must get it in advance before departure, contacting the Indian Consular Authority.
For cruises calling in Singapore an infant photo is required if included in parent’s passport.
For Vietnam a Transit Visa is required: Costa will take care of the necessary formalities to obtain it upon arrival in the country. You will be charged onboard for the relevant cost. However, should this situation alter, guests will be advised at the earliest possible opportunity.
China - A Single or Multiple visa is compulsory for positioning cruises between:
Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Tianjin
Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Shanghai
Shanghai to Hong Kong (or Singapore)
Tianjin to Hong Kong (or Singapore)
Multiple China visa is compulsory for positioning/regular cruises:
Shanghai to Tianjin
Shanghai to Shanghai
Tianjin to Tianjin
Tianjin to Shanghai
A a special visa for China will be provided on board only for itineraries from Hong Kong (or Singapore) to Hong Kong (or Singapore) stopping at Sanya. For UK pax it is free of charge for guests participating in a Costa excursion, however it must be purchased (RMB 469) in case guests want to disembark individually.
In case of embarkation and disembarkation during any planned stops in all ports* of China, a visa is required and guests will have to request it in advance from the Chinese Consulate (*The only exception is Sanya transit -see above ).

Dubai and the Emirates - for cruises to and from Dubai and the Emirates guests require a passport valid for at least 3 months after the date of your return to the UK.
However,should this situation alter,guests will be advised at the earliest possible opportunity.

Mauritius and Indian Ocean - for all cruises to and from Mauritius and Indian Ocean guests require a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond period of intended stay. For Kenya a Transit Visa is requested: Costa will take care of the necessary formalities to obtain it upon arrival in the country. You will be charged onboard for the relevant cost. However, should this situation alter, guests will be advised at the earliest possible opportunity.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS: Vaccinations are not required. Antimalarial treatment is recommended for stops in Kenya, Mayotte, and Madagascar.

Libya - For the cruises that include a stop in Libya, a valid passport is required. Minors are requested to have their own passport or be registered in their parents’ passport. On arrival in Libya the local authorities will stamp your Passport. Please note that your Passport should not have any Israeli stamps or visas (even if expired). Holders of passports with such stamps or visas and Israeli born will not be allowed to board. If onboard staff find such stamps or visas when checking documents prior to the stop in Libya (all passports will be withheld on embarking) the guests concerned will be told by the on-board management that they will have to disembark before the stop in Libya. In this case all costs relating to the guest’s trip home will be paid for by the guest. Costa Cruises will arrange for the group visa required to disembark in Libya by sending the relevant authorities all Passport information at least two weeks prior to scheduled call in Libya. For those who decide to go on our excursions, the cost of the visa is included in the excursion price. For all other guests, the cost of the visa will be added to your cabin account. For those who plan to go ashore independently, the group visa will enable you to visit the city of Tripoli only.

Egypt - For all cruises to and from Egypt, a passport valid for at least 6 months after the ending date of the cruise is required.  

Around the World cruise:
Cruise 28/12/11 - 06/04/12 (Savona - Savona) - Documents: Machine-readable passport valid for at least 6 months after the end of the cruise, and visas for Australia andIndia to be obtained prior to departure.
See the important note on p. (for the US)
See the important note on p. (for children)

Red Sea itinerary (Egypt/Israel/Jordan) - Documents: Machine-readable passport valid for at least 6 months after the end of the cruise.
See the important note on p. (for children)
 

Children under 16 years old

Youngsters under 16 need to have their own valid passport or to be registered on their parents’ passport. However, if thecruise calls at or transits the United States, all children are required to have their own machine-readable passports. Forcruises that call at Singapore, the parents’ passport needs to include a photo of any child registered on their passport.Where youngsters are travelling without their parents, legal guardians, or anyone registered in the child’s documentation,Costa requires you to verify what documentation is required for the child to travel with the relevant authorities.  

Travel documents
After buying your cruise, you will receive the following documents:
• Cruise ticket
• Boarding form
• Baggage tags (or printable tags with e-tickets)
• Flight tickets (where applicable)
• List of purchased services

In this travel documents you will also find personalised information on your cruise such as information about documents and visas and emergency telephone numbers.
You will be sent your travel documents about three weeks before departure as long as your final payment has been made. For further information about your travel documents, such as when they will be distributed, please contact your Travel Agency.
Also, logging in the website www.costacruises.co.uk with your name, surname and booking reference number will allow you to enter the personalised section of the website where you’ll find:
• Booking memo including all purchased services
• Booking Conditions
• Holiday Insurance (if purchased)
• Online booked services
•Tour Order Form (to be filled only if you did not book excursions online)
• Form to allow Costa to charge your credit card for your onboard expenses
• Information about how to reach the port
• Information about car parking at the port or airport
• Other useful information