Indian Immigration officials boarded the ship in Penang so
that they could review all passenger and crew passports and visas prior to our
day in Mumbai (the only stop in India for this cruise)
There are many inexplicable considerations for us all to
contemplate –
First, every passenger on the ship had to have a Tourist
Visa for India ($300 or so from a major Indian Embassy) whether or not you plan
on setting foot on-shore at Mumbai. Two women without visas were first refused
embarkation to our cruise; then got around the issue by disembarking in Penang
and flying to Dubai where they will join us again.
Second, the officials organized a face-to-face contact with
every passenger (~ 2500 of us) today to ensure that the right individual
(cruise card) had the right passport (photo on passport vs photo on visa) and
had filled out our India entry and departure forms.
So, this morning we lined up from 7.30am to attend to this
formality outside the Vista Lounge within which the officials sat.
I wanted to share the process.
After four or five separate crew checks of the paperwork we
arrived INDIVIDUALLY at the table.
Three Immigration officials sat at the table (Huey, Duey and
Louis?) (see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil?)
The first one took your papers and looked at the photos and
the purported original. Asked a question or two. Passed the papers and you to
the second officer
The second officer stamped the forms, separated them – those
they keep and those they don’t and handed you on to the third
The third officer added the keepers to his pile and gave you
back the passport and duplicates
You then walked 10 yards to the purser and gave him back
your passport and his copy of the forms.
You have safely passed Indian Immigration and are not a risk
for illegal immigration into the sub-continent!!!
Thought. Maybe with over 1 billion population this is an
effective means of job security?
BTW I don’t even like Mumbai, it’s a depressing city that
always makes me incredibly uncomfortable.
It's Louie...not Louis!! Get your ducks straight!!!! I think I would have gone over the edge with all the immigration nonsense. And if it's okay to say it, I think I preferred your last cruise....Don't like reading about rough seas!!
ReplyDeleteI guess you won't be coming back to Mumbai so quickly! Michael, have you tried the Staten Island Ferry???? No passport required!!! Merle, you are beading away?
Oi....they need a CLEAR lane or TSA PRE system going.
ReplyDeleteHow come the 2 ladies didn't have what they needed? Don't those details get handled by the cruise folks? did they have to pay for their airfare? Mumbai.... mmm....bye bye
ReplyDelete