Cruising without a Passport is Nutz- Part 2

As a frequent international traveler and cruiser we would never dream of leaving the US without a Passport. But there are still many who are comfortable with taking "closed loop" cruises with merely a Birth Certificate and government picture ID. Well, here is the latest tale of woe of a family who thought not having a Passport was fine. They booked a Celebrity Cruise and had their air to the port arranged by Celebrity who provided a guarantee that they will help you get to the ship if things go wrong. This family (of 4) also decided they wanted to fly-in to the port the day of their cruise. So it turned out that the airline cancelled their flight (the day of the cruise) and could not get them to the port until 6 hours after their ship had sailed. Normally, Celebrity would have arranged for them to fly to the ships first port....but alas this family had no Passports. This meant they could not fly anywhere outside of the US. So, they missed their entire cruise. In interests of full disclosure the family did have some kind of travel insurance (which costs more then a passport) so they have a good chance of getting most of their money back.

This is just one more example of why everyone taking a cruise should invest in a Passport.

Hank

As a frequent international traveler and cruiser we would never dream of leaving the US without a Passport. But there are still many who are comfortable with taking "closed loop" cruises with merely a Birth Certificate and government picture ID. Well, here is the latest tale of woe of a family who thought not having a Passport was fine. They booked a Celebrity Cruise and had their air to the port arranged by Celebrity who provided a guarantee that they will help you get to the ship if things go wrong. This family (of 4) also decided they wanted to fly-in to the port the day of their cruise. So it turned out that the airline cancelled their flight (the day of the cruise) and could not get them to the port until 6 hours after their ship had sailed. Normally, Celebrity would have arranged for them to fly to the ships first port....but alas this family had no Passports. This meant they could not fly anywhere outside of the US. So, they missed their entire cruise. In interests of full disclosure the family did have some kind of travel insurance (which costs more then a passport) so they have a good chance of getting most of their money back.

 

This is just one more example of why everyone taking a cruise should invest in a Passport.

 

Hank

Not worried about this scenario since we always book our own air and we always fly in the day before. This is a situation that can be avoided...passport or not.

Is this the poster who said he paid $10,000 for this cruise? He did come back later and said they did have passports; true or not I don't know.

I am not sure this poster will get any money back from their travel insurance. Just depends on the policy. Many of them require that you make an attempt to catch up to your cruise and this poster just packed up and went home after flight was cancelled.

In any case, I agree. Don't understand why anyone would travel out-of-the country without a passport.

As a frequent international traveler and cruiser we would never dream of leaving the US without a Passport. But there are still many who are comfortable with taking "closed loop" cruises with merely a Birth Certificate and government picture ID. Well, here is the latest tale of woe of a family who thought not having a Passport was fine. They booked a Celebrity Cruise and had their air to the port arranged by Celebrity who provided a guarantee that they will help you get to the ship if things go wrong. This family (of 4) also decided they wanted to fly-in to the port the day of their cruise. So it turned out that the airline cancelled their flight (the day of the cruise) and could not get them to the port until 6 hours after their ship had sailed. Normally, Celebrity would have arranged for them to fly to the ships first port....but alas this family had no Passports. This meant they could not fly anywhere outside of the US. So, they missed their entire cruise. In interests of full disclosure the family did have some kind of travel insurance (which costs more then a passport) so they have a good chance of getting most of their money back.

 

This is just one more example of why everyone taking a cruise should invest in a Passport.

 

Hank

Or invest in insurance.

OP, why don't you post a link to the thread so people can verify this story for themselves.

Otherwise a single second hand anecdote doesn't "prove" anything.

Why are some people so against getting a passport?

Why are some people so against getting a passport?

I don't get it either. I've had a passport since I was old enough to have my own. I guess it's those types who don't want that dag nab Gumnt up in their business.

OP, why don't you post a link to the thread so people can verify this story for themselves.

 

Otherwise a single second hand anecdote doesn't "prove" anything.

Anyone can post anything on an anonymous chat board and a link proves nothing. I can attest these posts did exist but they are gone (trying not to break any posting rules here), so posting a link isn't possible.

Not worried about this scenario since we always book our own air and we always fly in the day before. This is a situation that can be avoided...passport or not.

Booking your flight day before to fly from Michigan is not guarantee of being in your embarkation port on time.

In winter, airlines pull planes when snow is predicted. They don't want the planes to get stuck on the ground. Your day before flight could be cancelled for weather as well as a host of other reasons.... mechanical, crew staffing, whatever.

If your day before flight is cancelled, you may not get a seat on next day's flight as almost all planes are booked full these days and if you missed your flight, so did many other people. Someone else might get that empty seat or two ahead of you and you are stuck on the ground waiting for an available seat..... whever that might become available.

We book to be in embarkation port two days ahead of cruise and still have had a few 'close calls'.

There were times, in terms of getting a flight, we would have been better in terms of weather, to have booked one day ahead...... or even would have better chance of weather on day of cruise flight.

It's all a 'guessing game' and either you get lucky or not.

I have a passport and carry it with when I cruise. I admit to taking our first cruise without a passport. But this is just one incident in the million or so people who cruise. Here is my task for the OP. Please post the percentage of passengers who travel without passports who have an incident that would not have occurred had they had a passport. I will place my bet that the number is way below a tenth of one percent.

Another reason for traveling with a passport --

Friend of mine got ill and was taken to a local hospital where plans were made for her to be immediately flown home. Couldn't have done that without a passport.

And suppose you are ashore and miss the ship ... then what?

Always, always travel out of the country with a passport!

Anyone can post anything on an anonymous chat board and a link proves nothing. I can attest these posts did exist but they are gone (trying not to break any posting rules here), so posting a link isn't possible.

Thanks for that info.

Why are some people so against getting a passport?

I think part of it is the cost. A family of 4 applying for first time passports will pay around $500. If you feel you will only use the passports once you might just take your chances without. The passports might break your cruising budget.

I'm not an advocate of traveling without a passport, just giving a possible reason.

I have a passport and carry it with when I cruise. I admit to taking our first cruise without a passport. But this is just one incident in the million or so people who cruise. Here is my task for the OP. Please post the percentage of passengers who travel without passports who have an incident that would not have occurred had they had a passport. I will place my bet that the number is way below a tenth of one percent.

How could one begin to access information you have 'tasked' to post?

How would any of us know about Grammie Jones who had an incident in St. Maarten and couldn't fly home because she didn't have a passport?

As a frequent international traveler and cruiser we would never dream of leaving the US without a Passport. But there are still many who are comfortable with taking "closed loop" cruises with merely a Birth Certificate and government picture ID. Well, here is the latest tale of woe of a family who thought not having a Passport was fine. They booked a Celebrity Cruise and had their air to the port arranged by Celebrity who provided a guarantee that they will help you get to the ship if things go wrong. This family (of 4) also decided they wanted to fly-in to the port the day of their cruise. So it turned out that the airline cancelled their flight (the day of the cruise) and could not get them to the port until 6 hours after their ship had sailed. Normally, Celebrity would have arranged for them to fly to the ships first port....but alas this family had no Passports. This meant they could not fly anywhere outside of the US. So, they missed their entire cruise. In interests of full disclosure the family did have some kind of travel insurance (which costs more then a passport) so they have a good chance of getting most of their money back.

 

This is just one more example of why everyone taking a cruise should invest in a Passport.

The original account is apparently gone so I'll address your point in general.

Yes, there is a risk in traveling without a passport. If you need to fly internationally, you will be delayed. So either you choose to buy a passport or accept that risk. Let's look at the scenario you described and try to assess, rationally, how much that risk is worth.

Suppose the cost of the cruise vacation, including non-refundable air, was $5,000 for a family of 4. The risk of same-day flight issues can be mitigated by flying in the day before but let's assume the party chooses to fly in the same day. Let's estimate the chance of a same-day flight being cancelled as 1 in 100, but that there is a 2 in 3 chance that the airline will be able to re-route you to get to your destination in time to catch the ship, for a net flight-related risk of 1 in 300. Further, in addition to the loss of the $5,000 cruise vacation, let's assume $1,000 of additional lodging, food, transportation, and other expenses for a total loss of $6,000. The expected loss from this risk is:

$6,000 / 300 = $20.

Whereas the cost of passports for a family of 4 (assume 2 adults, 2 kids) is $480.

So based on these assumptions, on a rational profit/loss basis, it does not pay to buy passports based on this one anecdotal scenario.

It may be very upseting to lose a $5,000 vacation but since it's paid for in advance, the only cash out-of-pocket loss is $1,000. Unlikely to financially ruin you, thus unprofitable to spend $480 to avoid it.

Here are some factors that could swing the balance in favor (+) and against (-)the buying of passports:

+Taking multiple cruises over the period of passport validity

+The risk of needing to fly home unexpectedly from a foreign port

-Cruising to US territories where no passport is needed to fly

-Flying to the embarkation port a day in advance

Why are some people so against getting a passport?

Besides thinking they can save a few bucks, and the feeling that "none of that bad stuff will ever happen to me and mine", there's a segment of the population that will be denied a passport when they apply, so perhaps that crowd is in the birth certificate ID camp.

To me it's reassuring to know my family all have passports when we travel. Don't understand taking the unnecessary gamble for the relatively low cost involved. Many of the people who won't spring for a passport will lose more money than that in casino losses and bar tabs... All a matter of perspective (and denial).

Must have a passport...................................don't need one.

Never the twain shall meet.

Have one.:)

How could one begin to access information you have 'tasked' to post?

 

How would any of us know about Grammie Jones who had an incident in St. Maarten and couldn't fly home because she didn't have a passport?

You have 50,000+ posts on Cruise Critic.

Maybe you could refer us to first hand accounts, if any, you have seen posted of folks who were delayed due to lack of a passport? As opposed to second hand anecdotes?

How could one begin to access information you have 'tasked' to post?

 

How would any of us know about Grammie Jones who had an incident in St. Maarten and couldn't fly home because she didn't have a passport?

 

I agree the task is not an easily arrived at number. The point is that the situation is extremely rare. If the family vacation is usually to Grammie Jones and this is a one time special vacation, is that cost worth it? Many, many cruises are taken with birth certificates that have no issue.

It may be very upseting to lose a $5,000 vacation but since it's paid for in advance, the only cash out-of-pocket loss is $1,000. Unlikely to financially ruin you, thus unprofitable to spend $480 to avoid it.

I disagree that it's only the $1,000 dollars taht is out of pocket really. At that moment yes, but that $5,000 is what I would be looking to avoid losing by paying the $480.

I disagree that it's only the $1,000 dollars taht is out of pocket really. At that moment yes, but that $5,000 is what I would be looking to avoid losing by paying the $480.

The $1,000 was looking at it from an avoidance-of-financial-ruin scenario.

Looking at it on a strict profit/loss basis, spending $480 to avoid a loss of $6,000 ($5000 vacation + $1000 expenses) would make sense financially if the probability of a cancelled flight and resultant missed boarding were in excess of 8% (480/6000). There is no way that 8% of same day flights result in a missed boarding. So this specific anecdotal scenario and specific risk is not proof that a passport always makes financial sense.

I think part of it is the cost. A family of 4 applying for first time passports will pay around $500. If you feel you will only use the passports once you might just take your chances without. The passports might break your cruising budget.

 

I'm not an advocate of traveling without a passport, just giving a possible reason.

Yes, it is a possible reason, but hardly a rational one. The $500 you cite sounds like a big "nut" - in context it is $125 per person - a small fraction of that person's fare for that one cruise --- without even considering the ten years' availability of the passport. The "outside chance" that it might be needed over the ten year period really is not that far "outside". It will be interesting to hear the frugal non-passport people when/if passports become mandatory for ALL cruises --- which is not that unlikely. Cruise lines have succeeded so far in their lobbying, but given recent bad publicity, it is quite possible that their lobbying will start to fall on deaf ears.

There is no further "lobbying" required - the closed loop exception and passport card are part of established regulation and are not subject to expiration.

It will be interesting to hear what the passport cheerleaders have to say when a large number of pax on a disabled ship have to fly home without passports and mass exceptions are made and they don't experience any of the doomsday scenarios getting home.

Oh wait, that already happened on the Carnival Dream.

Yes, it is nuts, but I understand why people do it.

Our first cruise, we drove about 12 hours to the ship, a family of four. The cruise was only 4 nights, and the base price of the cruise was ony $229 per person. With insurance through the cruise line and service charges, it was still only about $300 per person.

Passports would have been nearly 40% of the cost of the cruise. Not to mention that kids passports are only good for 5 yeas.

We did have them, we had gotten them thinking we were going to plan a trip to Europe and that didn't happen, but I would not have bought them just for a short cruise to Cozumel.

We did notice that Customs was easier on people with Passports than just BC and DL. But not $500 easier.

You have 50,000+ posts on Cruise Critic.

 

Maybe you could refer us to first hand accounts, if any, you have seen posted of folks who were delayed due to lack of a passport? As opposed to second hand anecdotes?

There have been such posts but there is no chance I will be doing a search for them. :) I'm not a very good researcher. Not one of my strong points. ;)

You may be confused and think it was me who 'tasked' someone to search. It was not.