Help needed re visa requirement advice.

[BigMac1953]

1 hour ago, Catchum said:

Applying for an ESTA as a UK citizen is fast, cheap and painless. My next visit to the States is in December and I will apply a couple of weeks before. I always carry a paper copy and on one transatlantic voyage I was required to show it at check in or boarding would have been denied.

 

,,,and it will happen again! - just like us in August.

[ace2542]

15 hours ago, Catchum said:

Applying for an ESTA as a UK citizen is fast, cheap and painless. My next visit to the States is in December and I will apply a couple of weeks before. I always carry a paper copy and on one transatlantic voyage I was required to show it at check in or boarding would have been denied.

I don't book American travel without getting my ESTA approved and then I fit my travels into the 2 year approved cycle. Though I know of no reason for it to be denied and there is more than 99% it would not be I do feel I would not get the tourist visa if it was and would lose money on any travel booked that is my risk threshold.

 

As for boarding can't they view it the same way the airlines can. The airlines can see it on their computer.

[Evmail]

Very interesting discussion. Thanks everyone. I'm also doing a QM2 world trip soon, and 1 question I have about visas is - I know I need all my required visas (I think there are 3), so does Cunard have a specific list of all those 3 countries (or whatever the number is for me) when my name is called on initial boarding? If so, it would be nice to have their list before then so I don't miss any, however, that seems to be too easy. Thanks.

[david63]

5 hours ago, Evmail said:

If so, it would be nice to have their list before then so I don't miss any, however, that seems to be too easy.

It's not quite that simple. A cruise line can only give you what they consider to be the requirements but as they will not be aware of your personal circumstances then there is no way that they can, and even if they could then they wouldn't, give you a definitive list.

 

It becomes incumbent on all passengers to ensure that they have the necessary visas - wherever they are going.

[Evmail]

Thanks, I had a feeling that was the situation. Quite right in that I am fully responsible, but they claim that I will be denied boarding if I don't have my needed visas - how can they do that if they don't know what my visa needs are? I can just say I need 2 visas instead of 3 and not leave the ship for any missing ones. That's why I assumed that on check in they would have a list of my needed visas - or no boarding. I guess I'll see what happens and report back. cheers and thanks again.

[Evmail]

I must add that I would never actually do that - mislead Cunard about my visa needs. I say it only for theoretical purposes. Cheers.

[Pushpit]

59 minutes ago, Evmail said:

Thanks, I had a feeling that was the situation. Quite right in that I am fully responsible, but they claim that I will be denied boarding if I don't have my needed visas - how can they do that if they don't know what my visa needs are? I can just say I need 2 visas instead of 3 and not leave the ship for any missing ones. That's why I assumed that on check in they would have a list of my needed visas - or no boarding. I guess I'll see what happens and report back. cheers and thanks again.

That's a good example where the details matter. So for example if you wanted to avoid getting a USA Esta / Visa and thus stay onboard when arriving into the USA - that's not going to work, even on closed loop itineraries. Cunard - and any similar company - will need confirmation that you can be landed in the USA. No visa/clearance, no boarding.  The safest thing to do is to check every port and then check the visa requirements for your location for your passport. That information is easily found online. In the case of USA citizens you will be looking at the embassy websites per country. In the UK the FCDO website per country gives accurate and updated information for UK passport holders.

[david63]

1 hour ago, Evmail said:

I will be denied boarding if I don't have my needed visas - how can they do that if they don't know what my visa needs are?

The issue is that until somebody actually sees your passport the cruise line, or anybody else for that matter, does not know if there are any anomalies with it. There are some countries that will not let you in if you have a stamp in your passport from certain other countries. This can be compounded by the fact that these restrictions can be applied at a moment's notice - but that is another issue altogether.

 

Also depending on the country if there is one passenger/crew whose passport is not accepted then it could mean that the whole ship is denied docking and you can imagine the consequences of that - but fortunately that is very rare these days and is why mainstream cruise lines do not venture away from "safe" countries.