Do non-us citizen require APIS for transatlantic cruise?

[Edwardnave]

Hello all I am new on this forum.

 

We are non-us citizen booked with RCCL US office and we are taking a transatlantic cruise to USA with RCCL.

I've already did the online checkin for the setsail pass but do non-us citizen need to fill up the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) form? 

I've called the US office call center but the agent was like what do you mean by APIS, what's that? And after a long hold to contact the relevant department, they said we only require a passport but they sound like they were skeptical about it. Can anyone please advise us on what to do? Thanks!

[Biker19]

Welcome to CC.

 

As long as you can get your SetSail pass printed and have a passport, you should be able to take care of everything else at the terminal during check in.

[Clarea]

9 hours ago, Edwardnave said:

Hello all I am new on this forum.

 

We are non-us citizen booked with RCCL US office and we are taking a transatlantic cruise to USA with RCCL.

I've already did the online checkin for the setsail pass but do non-us citizen need to fill up the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) form? 

I've called the US office call center but the agent was like what do you mean by APIS, what's that? And after a long hold to contact the relevant department, they said we only require a passport but they sound like they were skeptical about it. Can anyone please advise us on what to do? Thanks!

 

I'd call the cruise line, they are the ones that decide if you have the documents needed to board the ship.

[FLACRUISER99]

24 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I'd call the cruise line, they are the ones that decide if you have the documents needed to board the ship.

I thought the OP did that.r🤭😺😍🤫😔

[Vegcurry]

You need to have a paper copy of your ESTA if you don’t have a visa. 

 

[Pencruise]

14 hours ago, Edwardnave said:

Hello all I am new on this forum.

 

We are non-us citizen booked with RCCL US office and we are taking a transatlantic cruise to USA with RCCL.

I've already did the online checkin for the setsail pass but do non-us citizen need to fill up the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) form? 

I've called the US office call center but the agent was like what do you mean by APIS, what's that? And after a long hold to contact the relevant department, they said we only require a passport but they sound like they were skeptical about it. Can anyone please advise us on what to do? Thanks!

To enter the USA, depending on your country of Citizenship you will either need an ESTA (which you can apply for online) or a visa.  You cannot board an aircraft without either of these flying to the US so doubt you could board a ship bound for the US. 

[Saab4444]

You need a valid ESTA, APIS is just required in addition for airline check-in. The cruise line staff might not know what APIS is because it is not part of their check-in process.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Saab4444

[little britain]

The airline site will advise if you need to complete APIS.  Go into the site with your booking ref?  We always need to do it for flights into the USA, but assume you have a one way flight outta there as you are cruising into USA? 

[cgncruiser]

This question does not help at all if you do not reveal which nationality you are. If you are a Nigerian you need a Visa, if you are a Schengen room citizen you need an Esta, if you are.......

[kernow]

When we've done TAs that end in the US they always ask to see our ESTA at check in, sometimes they want a copy of it to keep. If you are from a country that needs a visa I imagine they will want to see that too. Apart from that you need no more than for any other cruise check in.

[Edwardnave]

Thanks everyone for the response, 

 

We are part of the visa waiver program so we have our esta as well as a hardcopy of it. 5 years ago we did a cruise with NCL from canada to us and I recalled filling up the APIS form. The agent says it may be different for RCCL and also said this is not handled by reservation department. Our TA cruise is with RCCL that departs from southampton, uk. 

 

[Edwardnave]

32 minutes ago, kernow said:

When we've done TAs that end in the US they always ask to see our ESTA at check in, sometimes they want a copy of it to keep. If you are from a country that needs a visa I imagine they will want to see that too. Apart from that you need no more than for any other cruise check in.

Hi kernow, 

So you didn't need to fill up the APIS form for the TA cruise?

[Edwardnave]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

The airline site will advise if you need to complete APIS.  Go into the site with your booking ref?  We always need to do it for flights into the USA, but assume you have a one way flight outta there as you are cruising into USA? 

Hi,

We only have a one way flight out of the U.S because we are taking the cruise into USA. Yes we have flew to USA before and we had to fill up the APIS too.

[kernow]

14 minutes ago, Edwardnave said:

Hi kernow, 

So you didn't need to fill up the APIS form for the TA cruise?

No APIS, just the ESTA required at check in. We've done it several times.

 

I can't remember exactly but isn't the info for the APIS the same info that you will fill in when you do the online cruise check in. That's probably what RCL use for the US authorities.

Edited September 20, 2019 by kernow
additional text

[Edwardnave]

1 hour ago, kernow said:

No APIS, just the ESTA required at check in. We've done it several times.

 

I can't remember exactly but isn't the info for the APIS the same info that you will fill in when you do the online cruise check in. That's probably what RCL use for the US authorities.

Good to know thanks! I guess all we need is to show up with the setsail pass, ESTA and passport.

Yes according to wikipedia, the online check in information is exactly the same as the APIS one but the call agent can't confirm this. 

 

Were any of your TA cruise that ends in the US on RCCL ship? Sorry for asking this silly question but i'm a natural worrier.

[kernow]

6 minutes ago, Edwardnave said:

 

 

Were any of your TA cruise that ends in the US on RCCL ship? Sorry for asking this silly question but i'm a natural worrier.

Yes, 3 RCCL TAs from Europe to US, no need to worry