Visa waiver question

[blackgauldron]

I hope someone can help us.
We received this email from our travel agent:

I just wanted to pass along some information that Disney Cruise Line sent to us this morning regarding the documentation required for non-US citizens."All non-U.S.citizens , including alien residents of the United States, must have valid passports and necessary visas at time of embarkation to ensure his/her ability to re-enter the U.S. upon the ship’s return. Travel documents required throughout the vacation are the responsibility of the Guest.These guidelines are based on U.S. government regulations, which are subject to change at any time. It is the Guest’s responsibility to check with their travel agent, government agencies, embassies or consulates prior to their vacation to ensure that they have proper documentation.Unfortunately, any Guest traveling without proper documentation, as mentioned above, will not be allowed to board the vessel . We hope this clarifies our position regarding acceptable documentation."Prior to this, residents of some countries (such as Canadians) were allowed to use a birth certificate. Please note that birth certificates are NO LONGER considered proper identification and only PASSPORTS are allowed (in addition to photo identification like a drivers licence).

This is our question : do we need a visa. It is the 3rd time we visit the USA and we had never used a visa. All we need was a valid international travel passport. We checked the site of the embassy of the United States and found this:
If you are a citizen of a country which does not fall under the Visa Waiver Program or if you plan to stay longer than 90 days for general business or holiday purposes, you should apply for a B1 (business), B2 (tourist), or B1/B2 visa.
THE VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: TRAVELING TO THE U.S. WITHOUT A VISA
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows many citizens of designated countries to apply for admission to the United States as visitors (travelling for holiday and/or business, in transit) without first obtaining a non-immigrant business/tourist visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Currently citizens of the following countries are designated for this program:
Andorra Iceland San Marino
Australia Ireland Singapore
Austria Italy Slovenia
Belgium Japan Spain
Brunei Liechtenstein Sweden
Denmark Luxembourg Switzerland
Finland Monaco the Netherlands
France New Zealand the United Kingdom
Germany Norway Uruguay
Portugal
We live in Belgium Europe so we think we do not need a visa.

 

[ducklite]

The problem is that you are also visiting non-US countries. My best bet is that you call the US Embassy in Belgium to begin your inquiry, and perhaps make a call directly to DCL as ewll.

My guess is that you won't need a Visa, however I would certainly check to be sure ASAP.

Anne

 

[randytenn]

I think Duck hit it on the head. You are starting and ending your journey in the US, but, depending on your cruise, your are visiting several other countries while on the cruise. Therefore, the visa wavier is no valid in those countries.

 

[din]

blackgauldron : you did not say if you are on which cruise. Since Belguim is on the visa waiver program you need only to show up at the US port of Entry and get an entry permit, but you already knew that

When you return back to the port, PC, you will need to assemble for the "immigration" check in the early morning.. do not know if you know that or not. Some other posters may be able to help with that.

However, the ports that you will be visiting may have specific visa requirements for Belguim as randytenn stated...

Hope this helps....

 

[blackgauldron]

We are on the 7 night eastern cruise departing 10-05-2002.

As far as I know, we do not need a visa to visit one of the islands, I’m now contacting the embassy to check this out.

We also contacted DCL, but we’re still waiting for the answer.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

So the question is... would you need a visa to visit the Netherlands Antilles or the Bahamas? I doubt it, but I would investigate to make sure.

 

[blackgauldron]

Here is the answer from DCL :

7/17/02

Thank you for your e-mail.

"As a non-U.S. citizen you must have valid passports and necessary visas at the
time of embarkation to ensure his/her ability to re-eneter the U.S. upon the
ship's return"

For guests who entered on the Visa Waiver Program you must present each of the
following:
Valid Passport
I-94 card, which will be valid beyond reentry into U.S.
Proof of return transporation.

We look forward to the chance to sail with you.

Sincerely,

Jennifer
Disney Cruise Line Guest Communications

Now I don’t have to worry anymore.