ESTA Expiring On Cruise?

Adamc

We're trying out our first cruise from Florida this year. Our ESTAs are valid till the 14th Nov 2023. We fly out 5th of Nov 2023.

It's a repositioned cruise where we fly back from Barbados. We're scheduled to leave the States on the12th Nov 2023 for the Caribbean.

I wanted to check there was no need to extend or reapply for the ESTA for this trip?

Am I right in think as long as it's valid for entry we're okay?

Anything to watch out for? Itinerary changes / weather contingencies etc?

la531983

Google is your friend - ESTA/US government website:

https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1220?language=en_US#:~:text=If your ESTA expires while,your ESTA expires to reapply.

You leave the US anyway on the 12th and state you are flying back to the UK from a different country, so its moot anyway if it expires or not.

daveyjp

One thing to be wary of is ensuring your departure from the US is actually recorded, it can be a very lax system at cruise ports, especially if its a US cruise company.

If departure isn't recorded you will start getting emails that you are overstaying your welcome and you will then have to start the process of getting the cruise company to prove to US authorities that you left on 12 November.

One other issue if going to the wire of expiry of any travel docs is illness.  If you end up in a US hospital on 11th August does this cause issues with ESTA?

Adamc

daveyjp said:

One thing to be wary of is ensuring your departure from the US is actually recorded, it can be a very lax system at cruise ports, especially if its a US cruise company.

If departure isn't recorded you will start getting emails that you are overstaying your welcome and you will then have to start the process of getting the cruise company to prove to US authorities that you left on 12 November.

One other issue if going to the wire of expiry of any travel docs is illness.  If you end up in a US hospital on 11th August does this cause issues with ESTA?

It's TUI/Marella

As far as I know as long as the ESTA is valid when you enter the USA it's okay. 

silvercar

I'd check what your cruise company's view is of this.

la531983

Adamc said:

daveyjp said:

One thing to be wary of is ensuring your departure from the US is actually recorded, it can be a very lax system at cruise ports, especially if its a US cruise company.

If departure isn't recorded you will start getting emails that you are overstaying your welcome and you will then have to start the process of getting the cruise company to prove to US authorities that you left on 12 November.

One other issue if going to the wire of expiry of any travel docs is illness.  If you end up in a US hospital on 11th August does this cause issues with ESTA?

It's TUI/Marella

As far as I know as long as the ESTA is valid when you enter the USA it's okay. 

Which is what the link from the official US government website says (link above). So in reply to a subsequent post, not really sure why he/she needs to seek clarity from TUI here. After the 12th he or she leaves the US and isn't going back (bar a schedule change, and if this happens to happen it's easy enough to apply for a new ESTA online from the Caribbean) 

eskbanker

la531983 said:

Adamc said:

daveyjp said:

One thing to be wary of is ensuring your departure from the US is actually recorded, it can be a very lax system at cruise ports, especially if its a US cruise company.

If departure isn't recorded you will start getting emails that you are overstaying your welcome and you will then have to start the process of getting the cruise company to prove to US authorities that you left on 12 November.

One other issue if going to the wire of expiry of any travel docs is illness.  If you end up in a US hospital on 11th August does this cause issues with ESTA?

It's TUI/Marella

As far as I know as long as the ESTA is valid when you enter the USA it's okay. 

Which is what the link from the official US government website says (link above). So in reply to a subsequent post, not really sure why he/she needs to seek clarity from TUI here.

Presumably because the cruise company may have its own rules over and above those of the US government, in the same way that Ryanair will insist on passports for UK to Ireland flights even thought these aren't mandated by other authorities?  

la531983

eskbanker said:

la531983 said:

Adamc said:

daveyjp said:

One thing to be wary of is ensuring your departure from the US is actually recorded, it can be a very lax system at cruise ports, especially if its a US cruise company.

If departure isn't recorded you will start getting emails that you are overstaying your welcome and you will then have to start the process of getting the cruise company to prove to US authorities that you left on 12 November.

One other issue if going to the wire of expiry of any travel docs is illness.  If you end up in a US hospital on 11th August does this cause issues with ESTA?

It's TUI/Marella

As far as I know as long as the ESTA is valid when you enter the USA it's okay. 

Which is what the link from the official US government website says (link above). So in reply to a subsequent post, not really sure why he/she needs to seek clarity from TUI here.

Presumably because the cruise company may have its own rules over and above those of the US government, in the same way that Ryanair will insist on passports for UK to Ireland flights even thought these aren't mandated by other authorities?  

https://www.tui.co.uk/holidays/where-can-i-go-on-holiday/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Marella-Cruises-entry-requirements-for-our-holiday-destinations-080523.pdf

Nothing over and above what is mandated by the US Government in there.

eskbanker

la531983 said:

eskbanker said:

la531983 said:

Adamc said:

daveyjp said:

One thing to be wary of is ensuring your departure from the US is actually recorded, it can be a very lax system at cruise ports, especially if its a US cruise company.

If departure isn't recorded you will start getting emails that you are overstaying your welcome and you will then have to start the process of getting the cruise company to prove to US authorities that you left on 12 November.

One other issue if going to the wire of expiry of any travel docs is illness.  If you end up in a US hospital on 11th August does this cause issues with ESTA?

It's TUI/Marella

As far as I know as long as the ESTA is valid when you enter the USA it's okay. 

Which is what the link from the official US government website says (link above). So in reply to a subsequent post, not really sure why he/she needs to seek clarity from TUI here.

Presumably because the cruise company may have its own rules over and above those of the US government, in the same way that Ryanair will insist on passports for UK to Ireland flights even thought these aren't mandated by other authorities?  

https://www.tui.co.uk/holidays/where-can-i-go-on-holiday/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Marella-Cruises-entry-requirements-for-our-holiday-destinations-080523.pdf

Nothing over and above what is mandated by the US Government in there.

Fair enough - the point stands that travel companies can choose to impose additional terms beyond those mandated by government agencies, but yes, in this case the published terms you've located don't state anything like that, so there shouldn't be any need to consult further!