ESTA

[ukellie]

Hi can anyone advise if we need an ESTA cruising to Alaska in and out of Vancouver ? 

Thank you 

[martincath]

I am assuming you are UK citizens, so theoretically you can still do the old paper form at the pier since you preclear US immgiration in Vancouver before boarding. ESTA is required in advance when flying in, but if you arrive by land or sea you still have the option of doing it old school on the I94W form (my mum had to do this on her last visit when we drove down to Portland from Vancouver - she'd forgotten that she renewed her passport which invalidated her prior ESTA).

 

However it will cost you time (we wasted an extra 45mins at the border!), hassle (cash payment required in USD), and I think only saves $1 vs the online ESTA application if you do it on the official government site. Overall, it's most definitely not worth it! Just get your ESTA online in advance and then it's all done and dusted; the boarding process in Vancouver is already lengthy compared to most cruises thanks to the extra step of US preclearance!