ESTA application???

[angiebabes]

Can anyone advise. We are flying back from our Panama Canal cruise on 15th Feb next year from Acapulco. Obviously its too early for the up to date flight information on the cruise planner on the P & O site. But i pressume we will refuel somewhere, possibly Sandford, in the US. What do we do about applying or ESTA??? very confused. Will we get information from P & O soon???

Thanks

Angie

x

[Daftlad]

Can anyone advise. We are flying back from our Panama Canal cruise on 15th Feb next year from Acapulco. Obviously its too early for the up to date flight information on the cruise planner on the P & O site. But i pressume we will refuel somewhere, possibly Sandford, in the US. What do we do about applying or ESTA??? very confused. Will we get information from P & O soon???

Thanks

Angie

x

Just sorting out my ESTA application for a trip to New York in December, and I am sure that because you appear to suggest you are in transit, you would not need any sort of document. I stand to be corrected though.

[Merlin7]

You can apply for an ESTA any time before entering the US. At present it is free of charge but I have read on other cruise forums that this may change shortly and there will be a charge. On no account apply via any website that makes a charge right now.

 

As an ESTA is valid for 2 years from date of application and can be done online very easily, it might be an idea to get one now.

 

I believe that you need one, even if just in transit, as, should the worst scenario occur and you need to be hospitalised in the US, you would be in a very precarious situation with regards entry to and staying there for any necessary treatment. We were advised that even if we did not wish to disembark at any US port of call on our cruise we still needed an ESTA as we would be in US territorial waters. I should imagine the same applies if the plane lands on US soil.

[suenruss]

I'd get one anyway - if you plan on visiting the US in the future. It's really easy to do online. Just google ESTA.

[Gabor]

You need one even for Re fuelling---although sometimes never looked at !!

[annieuk]

We did the trip but the other way round, going from Gatwick, refuelling in Sanford, Orlando and then finally to Acapulco. We were told by our TA - Bolsover that we would need an ESTA form and then on the details of our flight from P&O it was stated again that we must have an ESTA form. At Gatwick when we joined the queue we were asked if we had the form but we didn't have to show it again.

 

There is no charge for an ESTA form, you complete it online and then print it off.

 

Carole

[athurstance]

You definitely do need to complete an ESTA application for transit via the US.

 

Also - be careful when googling ESTA that you get the official site - there are a lot of websites which charge for doing the ESTA for you but at the moment there is no need to pay anything as ESTA applications are free (this is likely to change so it is a good idea to do an application now rather than wait).