ace2542

The transatlantic crossing are nearly always unbroken sea days from departure to arrival. Every now and then there might be a call into Boston or Halifax. If not it is a straight week at sea. Very peaceful. Sea days are always more packed with things to do.

I have heard that Royal are ruthless.If they catch you smuggling drink onboard they cancel your booking on the spot.

10 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

We are staying overnight in a hotel near my daughter and grandchildren before we say goodbye to them tomorrow.
 

To our utter relief our son has just messaged to say it has been approved and he has his ESTA. 

 

Maybe his phone calls and the escalation of his case worked. We will never know. But we are so grateful. 

 

It’s been a really harrowing few days but I would like to thank all of you who have been so helpful and so concerned,  and who have shown such kindness. It has really been appreciated. 
 

There are, of course, lessons to be learned, but for the moment we can sleep easy and look forward to boarding the beautiful Anthem of the Seas on Sunday (with our son!)
 

Take care everyone and happy sailing!

 

A million thanks again. 

 

 

That is brilliant enjoy Lisbon and Vigo they are great places

26 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

There was a ‘’hold’ on it until today. Now that hold has disappeared. But no payment has been requested or taken from the credit card company again. 
 

He spoke to the CC company who say they haven’t received a request for the money. 

If the application hasn't been accepted or rejected by what 9am tomorrow morning do a new application which will delete the current one and tell him to use his bank card the one his bank gave him make sure enough money is in the account as well 

Just now, ellie1145 said:

There was a ‘’hold’ on it until today. Now that hold has disappeared. But no payment has been requested or taken from the credit card company again. 

And the application still shows as authorisation pending not travel not authorised?

17 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

Yes he’s checked the bank statement. It hasnt been taken. 

 

 

 

 

Is the payment showing as pending or is it not showing up at all? I can check my payments with my HSBC app on my phone 

8 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

Yes he’s checked the bank statement. It hasnt been taken. 

 

 

 

 

Input the application number on the check individual application and post a picture put your thumb over the passport number but get the application status in the picture and any boxes you can 

@ellie1145 check the esta application and post a screenshot of it and i will help you 

2 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

Thank you for your advice. I’m convinced it’s a payment issue

 

Many thanks to all the kind people who have taken the time to offer help and advice. 

Have you checked the bank statement yet? Try and go to a public library use a pc computer with the keyboard you can touch or does a neighbour or friend have a pc you can use?

5 minutes ago, Jetdriver787 said:

It’s tied to your passport number, so the printed copy is really for your own convenience. The problem with defaulting to an en-route disembarkation, is that mechanical, weather, or other disruption, can result in that port being skipped. Landing a passenger who is not properly documented can (and usually does) result in the carrier being fined and required to remove them from the territory. 
 

It is highly unlikely the carrier would risk accepting a passenger without the required documentation, but the ultimate decision lies with them?

Then why was Cunard chasing me for it then? Letters in the door that sort of thing. If they had access to it the entire time? My father had his printed on paper I did not. I offered to give the reception desk the all the info but they wanted paper copy. That was christmas 2017 though.

4 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

 

This is really unhelpful. It makes no difference WHY, the fact is they didn't and now they're understandably frantic. They don't need anybody to be preaching to them. 😕

It is also very true. If he can't get the ESTA his money is gone all of it.

I do not know if he can board without ESTA and hope this clears before they get to NJ or Bermuda. On QM2 in 2017 December crossing I had my ESTA approved but not printed off I made them wait a few days  for it mostly because the printers in use whenever I went to use them.

16 minutes ago, crazyank said:

The OP is asking about an ESTA,  NOT a visa, these are two different things

If the ESTA comes back refused he has to obtain a visa. NO WAY he gets that in time to board in Vigo or Lisbon.

2 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

ESTA exit is recorded against the entry record, to check on over-stayers. Same with visas too, and that's a DHS requirement. There's a passport scan and aliens need to have that recorded against entry method.  There are a few exceptions (e.g. Canadians and Bermuda Brits).

 

Usually cruise companies can find your ESTA by sending an echo message back to the DHS, with passport number, name and date of birth, the ESTA number itself isn't needed. The DHS sends a reply back saying "OK" if it matches on the DHS system, problem over. If it doesn't match - or the link goes down - then cruise companies (and airlines) seek printed records to cover themselves if challenged.  I don't know about NCL but the problem Cunard used to have was that their own internal internet wasn't too reliable on board. So say you somehow blabbed your way on to the vessel departing New York without the ESTA reconciliation - the people doing the checks in Brooklyn/Manhattan are not employed by Cunard, they are contractors from the Port Authority so they aren't very much bothered. Then onboard it could get very tricky to get the ESTA link to DHS working. So to cover themselves they would ask for a printed record instead.

 

Overflying the USA does not constitute entry, luckily. The other exception are pre-clearance countries such as Canada and Ireland, but the checks are just done by the CBP inside Canada, Dublin or Shannon, rather than in the USA.

But you don't get a print recorded of every entry you only get the 2 year approval? And you don't need the approval date to be current when you leave the country only when you enter? And you can enter with a couple of days left on the esta and be granted 90 day visa waiver admission.

4 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

There is no hotel of any shape opposite the Mayflower Terminal. I think there is a Tesla car facility.

The Leonardo Royal Hotel is a little bit close isn't it? I haven't sailed out of Southampton since before Covid.

45 minutes ago, david63 said:

The OP said they are on a QM2 crossing in November so I would guess that it is 19th November which is a Sunday.

 

Whilst John Lewis is an option it may depend on how much luggage the OP has and the weather on the day as to whether it is a viable option. Personally I would get a taxi straight to the terminal and if necessary wait - there is plenty of seating at Mayflower Terminal

There is also that really big funny shaped hotel right across from the terminal isn't there? That will have a bar and resturant I imagine

One has to ask the question why didn't you apply BEFORE booking the cruise? If he is denied there is NO WAY he will get a visa by Sunday. not at friday 11.39am UK time.

6 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

We must have been lucky having done a number of roundtrip TAs and have always got off first thing when others self disembark and have gone through customs in a master of minutes. On more than one occasion we have caught NY Ferry and been in Wall Street for 7-30am to 8am.

Have you ever done Dublin preclearance? I am doing that in April. I am worried a bit. That might be a quite tight timetable.

4 minutes ago, david63 said:

When was the last time you entered the USA?

 

I have entered by both plane and ship in the last few years and airport took about two hours get through and a cruise ship can take around six hours - so yes they do check closely.

5 months ago JFK with wheelchair assistance for my father for our ill fated T/A. I was never asked what I do for a job etc etc just asked the plans. I was sent into secondary first time ever because I give a bit of attiitude to the officer passport was handed back with no questions asked.

15 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

Our (adult) son did his ESTA on the app on Sunday night and it’s still showing PENDING 

 

Nobody will help even though he rang the help line. 

So what on earth can we do? It’s been 4 days and they say 72 hours. We are frantic as we think he won’t be allowed to board 

 

Has anyone faced this problem please? 

 

Did he use the offical CPB site? Or did he use one of the for profit sites you see on google?. Has he been to the bank and told them to approve the payment if it still pending perhaps the bank have stopped it?

He he had problems going to America in the past?.

15 hours ago, Pushpit said:

USA has never had a concept of transit, you either enter the USA or you aren't anywhere near the USA. When Air New Zealand used to serve Heathrow to Auckland, it would make a refuelling stop in Los Angeles, you can't get to NZ non stop then or now. We would all have to get off the aircraft, get formally admitted into the USA, then clamber back into the same aircraft, same seat, and leave the USA less than an hour later. 

What about flying over the USA to Mexico? Don't you need ESTA for that even if the plane doesn't land? And what I don't get is the need of ESTA for an eastbound T/A . I was asked for it on the NCL Pearl and Anthem. Yet you are leaving the country it doesn't have be vaild when you exit only when you enter.

And you can board without the esta in your hand they will just hound you the entire cruise till you show them the paper print out. A lot of people on the first day use the printer to print it off.

12 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

A jail with 24 HR room service?

Having to eat with plastic knives and forks as well was terrible. Metal ones can be bolled after use you know to kill off any germs.

6 minutes ago, shot2bits said:

Anyway that’s me finished with cruising, I no longer consider it a value for money option. So, Bon voyage 

There are more lines than P&O you know just to put that out their for you.

5 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Crikey, NCL must have pretty dreadful cabins if they're worse than a jail.

TV DID NOT work, no radio and it wasn't 24 hour room service hardly any room service at all. Ok there was a full noro outbreak onboard effecting the staff.

6 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Is that what's putting people off using them?

Perhaps being locked in the cabin for 2 days probably the entire trip in conditions worse than jail is what is putting people off

20 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

£58, doing the USD math, seems like a pretty default sale price.

Just cancelled and rebooked it at £54 per day. Saved £47 that will pay for my airport hotel at Manchester airport