Cruise

cruisecontrol_wave

Hi not done this before so here goes .can anyone advise me on recently coming back from a dream of a life time carabein cruise. I admit I'm a nightmare of going to the store asking questions do I need this have I got this !!  This holiday cost nearly £6000 so I wanted to make sure I'd done everything.so the final week I got my received a email saying Barbados form it was highlighted.i went to the store received help to do it .all completed.Bonus .so I then asked right do I need anything else.A store assistant asked manager the question No . Don't need a visa as not staying in America.so we where good to go .we arrived at airport have you got Barbados form YES.Have you got visa essta No  So we couldn't get on the ship..so after that phoned TUI to be told you can still go at your own cost to Barbados until esta comes through.we couldn't do that and we returned home.Went to TUI complain . At our own cost of £600 we flew out the 2nd week.As we didn't need esta at this point!! I have complained and still waiting for a response.so does anyone know if where untitled to any compensation or anything? My argument is I wouldn't pay £6000 for a cruise not to ask everything.And shouldn't tui be making sure they customers have got everything as they job . ? 
Grateful for any help with this:

Mark_d

You are responsible for all visa/entry documents required as part of your holiday.  If you ask the cruise company, they can point you to sources of information but you are required to obtain your visa, ESTA etc. independently from the relevant authority.
Whether you need visa/ESTA depends on things like which passports you hold.  You are the one responsible for ensuring compliance with the laws of the country you are visiting

silvercar

The majority of ESTAs come through within minutes. Did you try and apply at the airport? 

I’m assuming that your ship was calling at somewhere that an ESTA is required and not required for the second week. Why didn’t you fly to Barbados and if the ESTA still hasn’t come through, wait for the ship there, it may have cost less than £600.

That said, it is your responsibility to ensure you have all necessary visas.

cruisecontrol_wave

Thanks for the response. But still even if I've asked the question and get told not by a store manager.Isnt it for the store to check with you that has all been done regardless.

zagfles

There's no excuse for a UK tour operator or travel agent giving incorrect information on something as basic as entry requirements for UK citizens, if they don't know they should tell you to research it yourself. Cruises do work differently for immigration than normal travel, eg for Schengen countries you don't need to go through passport control and get passport stamped, you can leave your passport in your cabin and just use the cruise card at ports. 

TELLIT01

zagfles said:

There's no excuse for a UK tour operator or travel agent giving incorrect information on something as basic as entry requirements for UK citizens, if they don't know they should tell you to research it yourself. Cruises do work differently for immigration than normal travel, eg for Schengen countries you don't need to go through passport control and get passport stamped, you can leave your passport in your cabin and just use the cruise card at ports. 

I agree that there is no excuse for UK travel agent to give out wrong information.  Unfortunately for the OP, the tour operator has a 'Get out of Jail Free' card as they all state that it is the customers responsibility to ensure they have all the relevant travel documents.

lisyloo

cruisecontrol_wave said:

Thanks for the response. But still even if I've asked the question and get told not by a store manager.Isnt it for the store to check with you that has all been done regardless.

They shouldn't give you wrong information.
Do you have any proof of this?
I get anything important I'm relying on in writing (or a snapshot of a transcript).
or is it a your word again theirs?

Your first port of call would be to make a formal complaint to TUI.

swingaloo

Did they specifically say 'No, you don't need a visa', did you ask the question 'Do I need a visa?' because 'Do I need anything else doesn't really mean anything. 

diveunderthebonnet

Is the ESTA not a document you need to enter the USA ,maybe the poster had to fly to the USA to join the cruise ship.

NoodleDoodleMan

You need an ESTA to enter any part of the USA (all 50 states) and its territories - even if you are only in transit.

That aside - a travel agent should clearly advise a client that it is required where appropriate.

Likewise the cruise line should flag this up to the passenger.

I wonder which cruise line - Marella perhaps ?

If so that makes the omission even more inexcusable considering it's a TUI owned cruiseline.

sheramber

The. OP said it was a flight to Barbados  to pick up the ship. 

But without the ESTA  they would not be allowed on the ship as , presumably, the cruise was calling into a port where one was needed. 

Did the manger know the OP was asking about their cruise or did he only know she was flying to Barbados , as she was enquiring about a Barbados required form ?