What do you mean ‘I need a visa’

[Ranchi]

A few years ago we went on one of P&O’s autumn cruises to USA & Canada. Despite all of the information given by P&O ad other warnings regarding ESTAsI was amazed at the queues at the IT room as passengers tried to use the ship’s satellite WiFi to complete their online visa.
I wonder how the following;

A decision to join the full Schengen area by the micro-state could mean UK travellers would have to apply for a mini-visa to visit after Brexit. The EU plans to bring in the European Travel Information and Authorisation System from 2021, which would require non-EU visitors to Schengen countries to fill in forms and pay a small fee to visit. The system is expected to be similar to the US ESTA system that many British travellers are already familiar with. (Independent 21/01/2020)

will affect cruisers on P&O.Certainly any visa fee (& associated shipboard WiFi costs) will take the gloss off ‘a 200 sleeve of No6 & a litre of Baileys’. (I apologise in advance for that last comment)

[towny44]

If we have to apply for an ETIAS authority to visit EU/schengen countries from next January then that's fine with me, I just hope the on-line application process is as easy and simple as the ESTA.

[david63]

I think that we will have to wait and see what the rules actually are. Some countries (such as Canada) that require a visa/ESTA for "normal" entry to the country waive that requirement for cruise ship passengers. For some countries it is done on board the ship (sometimes with a cost, sometimes without)

No matter what - 10 minutes on line (every couple of years) before setting off and paying a nominal sum is no great hardship.

The only reason get the queues on board is that people do not read the information that they are given.