General information & entry regulations
For a smooth entry into the countries during your cruise, we ask you to strictly observe the following important information and regulations. We recommend that you find out about any daily changes in entry requirements and vaccination recommendations (e.g., at www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en and www.rki.de) before you travel.
The information listed here applies to Swiss, German and Austrian citizens who do not have any special circumstances (e.g. dual citizenship, primary residence abroad or provisionally issued travel documents) and applies regardless of whether you stay on board or go ashore in the harbours.
For other nationalities, we clarify the possibilities with various service providers and strive to find solutions. Until then, we kindly ask guests of other nationalities to inform themselves about the respective visa and entry regulations at their respective consulate.
If visas are required for entry into individual countries, we recommend that guests resident in Germany use the services of the visa agency SERVISUM at www.servisum.de or +49 30 340 00 60.
If you are planning a stay in the destination area before or after the cruise, please inform yourself about any deviating regulations.
In principle, Swiss, German and Austrian citizens must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after the end of their journey.
For all journeys with ports of call exclusively within the EU, Norway, Iceland, Montenegro and Turkey (Austrian citizens require a passport to enter Turkey), an identity card or ID card (Switzerland) that is valid for at least 3 months after the end of the journey is sufficient. Nevertheless, we would like to point out that all guests should always travel with a valid passport, as there may be unforeseen stopovers in a non-EU country during the trip, for example due to medical emergencies or other unforeseen events.
TUI Cruises cannot accept any liability for information from embassies, consulates, SERVISUM or external websites.
We recommend that you always carry a copy of your passport or identity card with you. Your passport should have at least one free double page.
Please also note that all travellers, including infants, must be in possession of their own identification document with the appropriate validity.
If your identity document has already been reported lost or stolen, you may encounter difficulties when travelling to some countries.
Due to international entry regulations, it is still mandatory to specify a gender in the categories "female" or "male". The indication of a third gender ("diverse" or otherwise) is currently not yet recognised in the majority of our travel destinations. If your identity document used for the journey contains a gender indication, this must necessarily correspond to the gender indicated in the registration. A gender indication can be found in the German passport, for example, but not in the German identity card. We apologise for this request. Of course, we will continue to keep an eye on legal developments and adapt our regulations as soon as this becomes possible internationally in the course of travelling.
On some voyages in international territorial waters or countries outside the Schengen area, we collect your passport in order to fulfil visa, entry and exit requirements of the respective countries. Further information on this, including data protection law, can be found at Collection of passports.
Further information
Please note further information:
Medication
Please note that in some countries the import of common medicines or their ingredients without a doctor's prescription is prohibited. Please check the website of the Federal Foreign Office under the heading ‘Travel and safety’.
Photography
You may be liable to prosecution if you photograph or film the following facilities: military installations, harbours, airports, royal palaces, public buildings, industrial plants, oil and gas facilities.
Note for minors
Underage guests may only travel on board if accompanied by a responsible adult. We recommend that you carry a written declaration of consent naming a responsible accompanying adult, as well as a copy of the photo ID of the parents or legal guardian. Such a declaration of consent is important, among other things, for any treatment in the on-board hospital or on land.
Important: without a written declaration of consent, there may be restrictions in some countries, including refusal of embarkation or shore leave. The declaration should be written and notarised at least in English, but preferably also in the language of the country you are travelling to. We have provided you with an example form on this page. If accompanied by only one parent, a declaration of consent from the other parent is recommended.
Please find any necessary instructions for applying for various travel authorisations under the respective country.
All information is as at September 2024.
Jamaica: Completion guide for the digital entry and customs form
You can download the instructions here.
Namibia: Completion guide for the Visa on Arrival
You can download the instructions for completing the Visa on Arrival here.
Punta Cana and Santo Domingo: Instructions for completing the entry and exit form
You can download the instructions here.
Thailand: Instructions for completing the "Arrival Card"
Here you can download the instructions for completing the "Arrival Card".
USA: Instructions for applying for the elect. Travel Authorisation (ESTA)
Before entering the USA, all travellers must obtain an electronic travel authorisation (ESTA)
United Kingdom: Completion guide for the ETA (desktop version)
Here you can download the help for filling out the ETA.
Customs regulations
In order to avoid customs confiscation and heavy fines, we inform you that it is strictly forbidden to import souvenirs made from materials of protected animal and plant species. The purchase and import of counterfeit branded goods (clothing, watches, etc.) is also prohibited.
The following fundamentally applies: You are responsible for compliance with the applicable customs regulations. Guests from Germany can find further information at www.zoll.de, guests from Austria at https://www.bmf.gv.at/themen/zoll/reise.html and guests from Switzerland at www.ch.ch/de/schweizer-zoll
Please also bear in mind: Weapons, ammunition, drugs and explosive/flammable items must not be in your hand or checked baggage.
Health advice
Currently, vaccinations are not mandatory in any of the countries visited by the Mein Schiff® fleet. However, we follow the recommendation of the Federal Foreign Office to check the standard vaccinations according to the current vaccination calendar of the Robert Koch Institute (www.rki.de) for children and adults on the occasion of a trip and to complete them if necessary. Vaccination against hepatitis A is particularly advisable in southern and non-European countries. Measles has occurred in some European countries, so have your immunisation status checked and supplemented if necessary. Countries with yellow fever endemic regions (according to WHO) on our routes currently include: Colombia, Panama and Senegal. Appropriate immunisation is advisable and generally recommended.
For further vaccination recommendations (especially for the Caribbean, Central America & Caribbean, Asia and Senegal) as well as information on thrombosis, infection and other health risks, please contact your doctor in good time or consult the website of the Federal Foreign Office (www.auswaertiges-amt.de).
If you develop symptoms of illness during your journey, please do not hesitate to contact the Hospital immediately. This applies in particular to gastrointestinal illnesses or fever. In general, regular and thorough handwashing helps to protect everyone on board. Please do not drink tap water in the destination areas and also make sure that the bottle caps are intact when buying drinks bottles. You should also be careful when choosing restaurants on land, as the necessary hygiene measures are not observed everywhere.
In humid tropical regions, please remember to wear suitable mosquito repellent and body-covering (light-coloured) clothing (long trousers, long shirts).
On board, the sunlight is more intense. Therefore, please do not forget to take appropriate sun protection with you (sunglasses, headgear, sun cream with a high sun protection factor).
Please only ever carry important medication in your hand luggage when travelling to and from the airport. We strongly recommend that you take out private international health insurance.