Warning for those travelling to the USA for cruises

[uktog]

I accept this may not apply to those of you from Canada but for those from the UK/Europe, a charge of £9 is being introduced for an ESTA wef 9 September

As I read, if you are cruising this autumn/winter it you can avoid this charge if you apply now as the ESTA is valide for 2 years

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10899968

[excitedofharpenden]

I accept this may not apply to those of you from Canada but for those from the UK/Europe, a charge of £9 is being introduced for an ESTA wef 9 September

As I read, if you are cruising this autumn/winter it you can avoid this charge if you apply now as the ESTA is valide for 2 years

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10899968

Ann, I posted on our roll call this morning about the same thing. I applied for an ESTA via the Department for Homeland Security website this morning and it was surprisingly easy. My understanding is if you already have an ESTA you can still reapply for it before the charge comes in and effectively extend the expiry date as they will be valid for another two years.

 

Phil

[Project_gal]

I have poter this on the Azamara board as well but, in view of Phil's post, I will repeat it here.

 

I was not aware of this and it will hit us for our 2011 cruise when we will be flying to Fort Lauderdale for the start of our Panama Canal/South America cruise.

 

This prompts me to issue a little warning. I may, in other circumstances, have been tempted to start a new ESTA now which would last us a further two years but will not do so in view of our experience last November. We had to make new ESTA applications because our passports were lost in the post making visa applications. It appears, at Miami immigration, that the system picked up my original details rather than the later ones and I was detained for 90 minutes.Not a pleasant experience. There was a lesser [and more pleasant] delay on Infinity at San Diego. It has been impossible to obtain much reassurance that it will not happen again when we arrive in Fort Lauderdale at the end of our TA.

 

The problem I had was probably because of the change of passport number but it is clear that the computer systems used are far from perfect. [Have you noticed that, if you want up-to-date confirmation that your ESTA is still valid prior to travelling, the confirmation screen shows only ESTA number and date - no name or anything else to identify who it is for?] However, I would be reluctant to make an application before a previous one had expired.

 

If the £9 is to be spent on improving the computer system perhaps it will be worthwhile but I expect that it will not be so.

 

Sue

[excitedofharpenden]

Sue, I guess it is never really straightforward. At least I won't have nightmares of losing that little green piece of paper in the passport;)

 

If I want to check my status I must input my application and passport number. This is a quote from the "Help" page of the DHS website:

 

"What should I do if the information on my passport has changed?

 

If you obtain a new passport or there is a change to your passport information, you must apply for a new travel authorization. See What information can I update? for a full listing of information that can be changed after submission of your application."

 

So it looks like that is what stuffed things up for you last time.

 

You can click on the "Update" button on the site for things like address/airline/vessel details that will change for another trip, but not the passport number.

 

Phil

[103brandy]

I accept this may not apply to those of you from Canada but for those from the UK/Europe, a charge of £9 is being introduced for an ESTA wef 9 September

As I read, if you are cruising this autumn/winter it you can avoid this charge if you apply now as the ESTA is valide for 2 years

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10899968

 

We've just renewed ours .

 

Beware of online agencies making a charge to submit the application.

There are many of them in the search engines.

Use only this Government site.

https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_c4DFFD6C1-F9AF-C56D-914D-655A97FEB2B2_kB7F46F3B-3756-3D29-FF6C-6436C8CB4EF2

[Project_gal]

Sue, I guess it is never really straightforward. At least I won't have nightmares of losing that little green piece of paper in the passport;)

 

If I want to check my status I must input my application and passport number. This is a quote from the "Help" page of the DHS website:

 

"What should I do if the information on my passport has changed?

 

If you obtain a new passport or there is a change to your passport information, you must apply for a new travel authorization. See What information can I update? for a full listing of information that can be changed after submission of your application."

 

So it looks like that is what stuffed things up for you last time.

 

You can click on the "Update" button on the site for things like address/airline/vessel details that will change for another trip, but not the passport number.

 

Phil

 

Phil

 

Last November we still had the little green slips as well as having to make the ESTA application. Perhaps they have stopped that now, if not you will still have to worry about it.

 

Sue

[Mr Blue Sky]

Thanks, just done ours today, fairly easy mine went through

ok and Husbands went to 'Pending' re-entered visa number, passport no

and his date of birth a few mins later and it authorised.

 

Mrs Blue Sky

[iandjm]

Sadly I don't think I will be going to the USA again after many visits. We no longer feel welcome to visit anymore and find immigration far too daunting these days. :mad: