A transatlantic cruise headed in the direction of the Americas makes for a great way to get away from the northern hemisphere winter, especially if the ultimate destination includes some Caribbean locations. The closer one gets to the equator, the more in line they are to enjoy guaranteed summer climates because some Caribbean locations do indeed have all-year-round summers. Those which have anything close to winter like the Cayman Islands have very mild winters in comparison to many other locations.
Inevitably though any traveler headed to the Caribbean will have to pass through the USA in order to make their trip more practical and affordable, and that’s where the likes of the ESTA USA visa waiver become important. The ESTA register of travelers form eligible countries essentially allows those travelers to cut out a huge chunk of red-tape from their travel arrangements.
The ESTA program grants eligibility to travelers from other parts of the world however and not just those from the northern hemisphere, and certainly not just travelers from Western European countries. The EU does dominate the list by way of eligible countries however, but travelers from as far as New Zealand also make up part of the 38-country list. The red-tape synonymous with applying for a US visa is essentially cut out via an online application system for travel authorization to enter the US and surrounding countries, including some tourist-favored Caribbean nations like Bermuda.
Heading towards the USA and perhaps docking on US soil before visiting Canada, Mexico and then hitting the Caribbean otherwise entails a whole lot of organization, which can be very daunting if you have to do everything individually. Getting a visa for one of those destinations otherwise doesn’t mean you’ll get one for all of the others. As much as cruise ships are essentially luxury hotels floating across the ocean, it’s nice to be able to get the full cruise experience by having the freedom to explore whatever country it is you’re docking at.
Fortunately for those travelers who ordinarily qualify to have their travel authorization processed and granted online, the authorization via ESTA pretty much covers everything within reason. So whether you’re arriving by sea as is the case when you’re taking a transatlantic cruise, the program makes full provision for this. It goes a bit further than that as well because it allows for re-entry, so long as your multiple entries and exits fall within the specified validity period.
For those who have experienced the joys of cruising, taking a cruise becomes something which is rather periodical and seasonal. The eager traveler aboard a cruise ship essentially gets to have an extended holiday while they’re in transit.
The fun doesn’t stop while you’re travelling as is otherwise the case with flying. It may appear to be a daunting task to get all your travel arrangements in order prior to taking a transatlantic cruise, but if you’re a citizen of one of the 38 countries which make up the ESTA register of visa waiver eligibility, this ESTA USA program will definitely make things a lot easier for you.
