ESTA Application for Travel to the USA

[Sparky74]

I’m trying to apply for an ESTA so we can enter the USA. 

We will fly in to Seattle and stay two nights before a 7 night cruise to Alaska with HAL. 

Upon return to Seattle we will stay 3 nights before boarding Carnival Splendor for a 23 night cruise back to Sydney. 
 

The ESTA asks if we are just transiting through the USA. I said "no" but then it asks for a name, address, and phone number of someone In the USA. 🤷‍♂️

[Cbtours]

2 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

I’m trying to apply for an ESTA so we can enter the USA. 

We will fly in to Seattle and stay two nights before a 7 night cruise to Alaska with HAL. 

Upon return to Seattle we will stay 3 nights before boarding Carnival Splendor for a 23 night cruise back to Sydney. 
 

The ESTA asks if we are just transiting through the USA. I said "no" but then it asks for a name, address, and phone number of someone In the USA. 🤷‍♂️

So do you just put the name and address etc of the hotel you are booked in to?

[arxcards]

12 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

I’m trying to apply for an ESTA so we can enter the USA. 

We will fly in to Seattle and stay two nights before a 7 night cruise to Alaska with HAL. 

Upon return to Seattle we will stay 3 nights before boarding Carnival Splendor for a 23 night cruise back to Sydney. 
 

The ESTA asks if we are just transiting through the USA. I said "no" but then it asks for a name, address, and phone number of someone In the USA. 🤷‍♂️

Above is correct. Pick your hotel, even if you don't book it yet. Use the contact details for where you are spending your first night in the US.

[Aus Traveller]

15 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

I’m trying to apply for an ESTA so we can enter the USA. 

We will fly in to Seattle and stay two nights before a 7 night cruise to Alaska with HAL. 

Upon return to Seattle we will stay 3 nights before boarding Carnival Splendor for a 23 night cruise back to Sydney. 
 

The ESTA asks if we are just transiting through the USA. I said "no" but then it asks for a name, address, and phone number of someone In the USA. 🤷‍♂️

We always put the name and address of the cruise line.

[losfp]

I usually just put the contact details of the first hotel.  Too hard otherwise 😄

[Sparky74]

Thanks everyone. 

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, losfp said:

I usually just put the contact details of the first hotel.  Too hard otherwise 😄

That is probably the best, if you know where you are going to stay. 🙂

[MMDown Under]

14 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

That is probably the best, if you know where you are going to stay. 🙂

I've had some funny experiences answering that question.  Once our flight to Japan was delayed and I didn't know where we would be staying, so I put the name of the company which arranged the accommodation.  Another time I didn't know where I was going to be staying because my friend who was meeting me had shifted.  The guard on the train from Canada to US put something down which caused amusement in the train station where I had to show it.  

 

[Sparky74]

Now that I’ve actually booked pre-cruise and inter-cruise accommodation I'll finish my ESTA application. 
 

But OH MY GOODNESS! The hotel prices in Seattle seem astronomical! Maybe I’m just out of touch. Even googling "affordable Seattle hotel" was returning results of $700+ per night. It certainly shows how affordable cruising is. 
 

I ended up booking the Travelodge North of Downtown. Hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be a complete dive. 🤞

[arxcards]

31 minutes ago, Sparky74 said:

Now that I’ve actually booked pre-cruise and inter-cruise accommodation I'll finish my ESTA application. 
 

But OH MY GOODNESS! The hotel prices in Seattle seem astronomical! Maybe I’m just out of touch. Even googling "affordable Seattle hotel" was returning results of $700+ per night. It certainly shows how affordable cruising is. 
 

I ended up booking the Travelodge North of Downtown. Hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be a complete dive. 🤞

We stayed in a really nice hotel the first time, a few blocks up the hill from Pike Place markets. That was at a time when parts of the US were still struggling. I think we stayed in a Travelodge in 2018. Not sure if the same one, it was close to MoPop/Chihuly Gardens/Space Needle. It was dated & tired, but nowhere close to a dive. Back in 2018, I'm pretty sure the small group I was part of was booked in there because they couldn't get a deal from any of the new hotels.

Edited May 14, 2022 by arxcards

[MMDown Under]

1 hour ago, Sparky74 said:

Now that I’ve actually booked pre-cruise and inter-cruise accommodation I'll finish my ESTA application. 
 

But OH MY GOODNESS! The hotel prices in Seattle seem astronomical! Maybe I’m just out of touch. Even googling "affordable Seattle hotel" was returning results of $700+ per night. It certainly shows how affordable cruising is. 
 

I ended up booking the Travelodge North of Downtown. Hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be a complete dive. 🤞

I have found I get better prices closer to the date (unless there is an event on).

[MicCanberra]

We have listed the cruise ship as a secondary address after the first hotel.

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, Sparky74 said:

Now that I’ve actually booked pre-cruise and inter-cruise accommodation I'll finish my ESTA application. 
 

But OH MY GOODNESS! The hotel prices in Seattle seem astronomical! Maybe I’m just out of touch. Even googling "affordable Seattle hotel" was returning results of $700+ per night. It certainly shows how affordable cruising is. 
 

I ended up booking the Travelodge North of Downtown. Hopefully it doesn’t turn out to be a complete dive. 🤞

I just checked, and this is a different hotel. It is well north of Downtown.

[lyndarra]

I have just had my ESTA approved. Will be flying to LAX transiting to Vancouver Jun 2 for HAL cruise Jun 4.

There was mention of another document fee on entry to US - an I-94. I've not come across this before and I can't figure out from DHS FAQs, if it is required. Anyone experienced this before?

[Obilix]

Form I-94 was a form required from "aliens" entering the US from land borders with that country. It should not affect you, arriving by air or sea.

 

From what I gather from Uncle Google it is no longer required (since January 2023).

 

Probably a Trump xenophobic brainfart, now surplus to US bureaucratic requirements.

 

Check with your travel agent, air/shipping line or nearest US consulate.

 

Don't mention the brainfart bit. 

[Docker123]

When I was at uni in the states, we had to have an i94 visa. It was a long time, but still temporary visa.