Irelands visa delays are threatening cruise holidays for South African passengers and creating complications for the cruising industry as some passengers are forced to cancel or alter itineraries with stops in Ireland.
Last year, the Republic of Ireland introduced visa requirements for South African passport holders. This has caused a major backlog of visa applications with agents noting visa applications submitted two or three months in advance are often only approved the day before departure. Once the visa is submitted, there is no way to follow up.
This is having a knock-on effect for South Africans with cruise itinerariesthat include Ireland.
Unfortunately, if a passenger does not have the required visa in time, they may be denied boarding on sailings that include a stop in Ireland. The concern for cruise travellers is that, while holidays are often booked months or years in advance, visa applications for Ireland cannot be submitted earlier that 12 weeks. This is affecting bookings and many clients are reconsidering travel to destinations that include Irish ports, said Henuti Purshotam , Marketing and Product Specialist for Whitestar Cruise Travel.
For cruises that start or end in Ireland, there are no options available for passengers without a visa. They have no choice but to cancel and usually at the full cancellation penalty which is not insurable, said Gaynor Neill , CEO of Cruise Vacations.