Bermuda ... Impossible to figure out whether Indians need a visa or not

Just a note on my recent experience with figuring out the visa system for Bermuda. I was planning to go, but finally decided against going because of schedule clashes, but the visa process is outlined here for you anyway.

To describe it in one word: Confusing

This is what the Bermuda department of immigration website says

• Indian citizens are on the Visa Nationals list. I.e. we require visas.
• Indian citizens can arrive in Bermuda without a visa if they have either a) US Green Card, b) Canada Green Card or c) Indefinite Leave to remain in the UK
• We can get a "visa waiver" if we have any other multiple entry visa to the UK, USA or Canada (and are flying to Bermuda from one of those countries & returning to one of them as well). This includes visas such as (but not limited to) H1, L1, B1, UK Tier 1, UK Tier 2, Student visas, Multiple Entry Tourist visas, Canada Temporary Resident visa etc.
• We need to pay a $200 per head visa waiver fee -- which is preposterous in my opinion

But then when we called the Bermuda Department of Immigration, they told us something completely different :

• Indian citizens are not on the Visa Nationals list. I.e. We do not need visas at all.
• And also, very confusingly, we still somehow need multiple entry visas to US/Canada/UK.
• No clarity on the $200 visa waiver fee

So the visa confusion, coupled with the expensiveness of Bermuda and unavailability of late evening flights to/from New York, ensured that I don't visit Bermuda.

If you have experience in Bermuda visas / visa-waivers - please do comment below

Pirating the Caribbean - Visas on the high seas

My wife and I had planned to honeymoon in the Caribbean, but had some rather funny visa problems ( see old post ). So we ended up going to Hawaii instead.

Now we plan to pirate the Caribbean sea once again. We have signed up for a cruise on Celebrity Solstice, departing Puerto Rico (USA) and returning to Puerto Rico. The table below lists destinations the ship is visiting, and the visa situation.

Destination	Visa on Cruise	Visa Otherwise	Motivation to go
Puerto Rico (USA)	Need a valid US visa to enter Puerto Rico. The cruise starts from here, and we arrive here by air.	Valid US visa needed
St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands	Valid US visa needed. The cruise company has advised us that we require a US visa for the US Virgin Islands, despite going there for 1 day on a cruise.	Valid US Visa Needed
Sint Maarten / Saint Martin	Cruise Ship passengers do not require a visa for stays of less than 48 hours.	The Dutch embassy in London (and I assume other cities around the world) issues visas to Sint Maarten. Not sure if the French Embassy issues visas for Saint Martin. FYI, the island is shared by Netherlands and France.
Antigua	Cruise Ship Passengers do not require a visa to Antigua & Barbuda	Tourist visa required by Indian passport holders. There is no Antiguan embassy in India. However, their High Commission in London will accept applications from Indian nationals.
St. Lucia	Cruise Ship Passengers do not require a visa to St. Lucia	I have written to the High Commission to find out. I have read somewhere that Commonwealth citizens do not require a visa
Barbados	Cruise Ship Passengers do not require a visa to Barbados	Tourist visa required by Indian passport holders. There is no Barbados embassy in India. However, their High Commission in London will accept applications from Indian nationals.

Hope this helps you plan your travels to the region!

Update:
I am just finishing up this trip. I had no trouble at all with visas. My US B1/B2 visa was perfectly valid for Puerto Rico (this was my 3rd entry to the USA on this visa). I have had no trouble using the B1/B2 visa for business and tourism. No other country on this trip demanded a visa (or even a passport).

Sources:
St. Maarten: http://www.dutchembassyuk.org/consular/index.php?i=538
Antigua & Barbuda: http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/Agtip01.htm
St. Lucia: http://www.stlucia.gov.lc/faq/do_i_need_a_visa_to_enter_saint_lucia.htm#Visa_Fees_And_Exemptions