Missed ship SXM, no passport, HYPOTHETICAL?

I always carry my passport when I board a cruise, even if it is closed-loop out of the US. I rarely carry my passport off the ship, since I am always back within sight of the ship 2 hours before sailing, and have determined the chances of me losing my passport (dropped, mugged, etc) is greater than me missing the ship. [Your analysis may vary.]

 

What happens if anyone who is not carrying a passport misses the ship in Sint Maarten (or St. Kitts, Dominica, etc). None of these countries have a physical US Embassy, but are serviced by the US Embassy in Barbados. Theoretically you need a passport to get from Sint Maarten to Barbados in order to get a passport. What do you do then? And I'm sure that with tens of thousands of cruise visitors a week, this must be a fairly regular occurrence.

 

Thom

No one should be missing the ship. It's clearly printed in the daily paper what time to be back on board.

We always make a copy of our passport to take. Not sure if that would help but I guess it would make it somewhat easier.

no one should be missing the ship. It's clearly printed in the daily paper what time to be back on board.

 

Really ??? :(

Edited January 14, 2015 by NightOne

I always carry my passport when I board a cruise, even if it is closed-loop out of the US. I rarely carry my passport off the ship, since I am always back within sight of the ship 2 hours before sailing, and have determined the chances of me losing my passport (dropped, mugged, etc) is greater than me missing the ship. [Your analysis may vary.]

 

What happens if anyone who is not carrying a passport misses the ship in Sint Maarten (or St. Kitts, Dominica, etc). None of these countries have a physical US Embassy, but are serviced by the US Embassy in Barbados. Theoretically you need a passport to get from Sint Maarten to Barbados in order to get a passport. What do you do then? And I'm sure that with tens of thousands of cruise visitors a week, this must be a fairly regular occurrence.

 

Thom

 

 

Since Dutch ST Martin is the only country on your list that doesn't require a passport to enter or exit, I'd probably book a flight from there to San Juan, or the USVI, where I don't need a passport.

I always carry my passport when I board a cruise, even if it is closed-loop out of the US. I rarely carry my passport off the ship, since I am always back within sight of the ship 2 hours before sailing, and have determined the chances of me losing my passport (dropped, mugged, etc) is greater than me missing the ship. [Your analysis may vary.]

 

What happens if anyone who is not carrying a passport misses the ship in Sint Maarten (or St. Kitts, Dominica, etc). None of these countries have a physical US Embassy, but are serviced by the US Embassy in Barbados. Theoretically you need a passport to get from Sint Maarten to Barbados in order to get a passport. What do you do then? And I'm sure that with tens of thousands of cruise visitors a week, this must be a fairly regular occurrence.

 

Thom

 

As I understand it from a brief search, the cruise line has a representative on the island that can assist. They will need to get your passport from your cabin, etc. to move things along and get you a flight to the next port.

 

There would be other alternatives as well:

 

1. Catch a cruise to St. Thomas which is 120 miles away. (or if you are really strong swimmer LOL) Fly home from St. Thomas.

 

2. Fly to Mexico. Walk across the border and then fly home from there.

 

3. Open up a shore excursion company and take cruise passengers on tours of the island :)

No one should be missing the ship. It's clearly printed in the daily paper what time to be back on board.

 

Oh that's helpful.

OR! Be responsible.

 

(I know, I know, call me crazy.)

 

 

 

As I understand it from a brief search, the cruise line has a representative on the island that can assist. They will need to get your passport from your cabin, etc. to move things along and get you a flight to the next port.

 

There would be other alternatives as well:

 

1. Catch a cruise to St. Thomas which is 120 miles away. (or if you are really strong swimmer LOL) Fly home from St. Thomas.

 

2. Fly to Mexico. Walk across the border and then fly home from there.

 

3. Open up a shore excursion company and take cruise passengers on tours of the island :)

OR! Be responsible.

 

(I know, I know, call me crazy.)

 

That's helpful too.

No one should be missing the ship. It's clearly printed in the daily paper what time to be back on board.

 

it was a simple question, I am beside myself how this comment has anything to do with it!!!!

I was told a long time ago to carry a color copy of your passport in case something like this happens, so now on every cruise I lock my passport in the safe and carry the copy off ship. Why it needs to be a color copy I can't remember, but do remember a black and white copy won't help you.

Since Dutch ST Martin is the only country on your list that doesn't require a passport to enter or exit, I'd probably book a flight from there to San Juan, or the USVI, where I don't need a passport.

The US CBP most definitely expect you to present a Passport Book for admission into the US at any airport of entry including San Juan and USVI; CBP would eventually let you in after lengthy checks on your citizenship, but it is EXTREMELY unlikely that any commercial airline will let you board, as they will be fined and are financially responsible for you until you are accepted by some country. Sint Maarten is a free port with no duties on any allowable goods entering the country, but I have always had to show a Passport upon landing at SXM (but I have not flown into SXM since Sint Maarten since it become a sovereign entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands). Can you substantiate that no Passport is required?

As I understand it from a brief search, the cruise line has a representative on the island that can assist. They will need to get your passport from your cabin, etc. to move things along and get you a flight to the next port...

I would have a Passport in my cabin safe, but many of the tens of thousands visitors each week have only a Birth Certificate and Government issued photo ID. Those will not allow you fly internationally.

OR! Be responsible. (I know, I know, call me crazy.)

I'll take accept that and assume it was given in a light-hearted vein.

 

I consider myself responsible, maybe even obsessively so ("I am always back within sight of the ship 2 hours before sailing"). However, I can virtually guarantee that not all of the tens of thousand cruise visitors a week are quite that responsible.

As I understand it from a brief search, the cruise line has a representative on the island that can assist. They will need to get your passport from your cabin, etc. to move things along and get you a flight to the next port.

 

There would be other alternatives as well:

 

1. Catch a cruise to St. Thomas which is 120 miles away. (or if you are really strong swimmer LOL) Fly home from St. Thomas.

 

2. Fly to Mexico. Walk across the border and then fly home from there.

 

3. Open up a shore excursion company and take cruise passengers on tours of the island :)

I like option 3. But I am biased I am from St. Maarten.

As I understand it from a brief search, the cruise line has a representative on the island that can assist. They will need to get your passport from your cabin, etc. to move things along and get you a flight to the next port.

 

There would be other alternatives as well:

 

1. Catch a cruise to St. Thomas which is 120 miles away. (or if you are really strong swimmer LOL) Fly home from St. Thomas.

 

2. Fly to Mexico. Walk across the border and then fly home from there.

 

3. Open up a shore excursion company and take cruise passengers on tours of the island :)

 

4. Hang out on the beach. The ship comes back in a week or two. :o

As I understand it from a brief search, the cruise line has a representative on the island that can assist. They will need to get your passport from your cabin, etc. to move things along and get you a flight to the next port.

 

From what I've read, this is true but if you don't have a passport the nearest embassy or consulate can issue a new one.

Wow. I was actually interested in this post and reading it to get helpful info, but apparently the majority of people posting comments just decided to be judgmental and be the complete opposite of helpful. I keep forgetting that there are so many perfect people out there that can do no wrong. Maybe I should start a thread asking if it's okay for my child to wear shorts in the MDR because she won't wear anything else, and some of these people will give me parenting advice. And, yes, that is sarcasm because I have girls that love to dress up, so no advice needed.

 

 

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That's helpful too.

 

Amazing isn't it. :confused:

Wow. I was actually interested in this post and reading it to get helpful info, but apparently the majority of people posting comments just decided to be judgmental and be the complete opposite of helpful. I keep forgetting that there are so many perfect people out there that can do no wrong. Maybe I should start a thread asking if it's okay for my child to wear shorts in the MDR because she won't wear anything else, and some of these people will give me parenting advice. And, yes, that is sarcasm because I have girls that love to dress up, so no advice needed.

 

 

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I had lunch on a b2b with the Manager of Customer Service once. He said they go to your cabin and get your passport, and leave it with the port agent. The agent's information is printed on all the port information sheets they pass out in the Cruise Compass newsletters, and when you get off the ship.

 

Our passports go with us in a travel neck purse with a unbreakable cord. If it gets stolen, a copy of our passports is on my ipad. If both get stolen, the document with our passorts is in my email in a Travel folder.

 

I'm one of those people that can't see any sense to getting off the ship in a foreign country and leaving my only official way of identifying myself, AND getting out of said forgeign country, in a safe on the ship that just left.

I should have posted unless it is a ship excursion that is late no one should be missing the ship. Really.

Really ??? :(

Being responsible is what my post meant. That to me is very helpful.

Oh that's helpful.

Well, I can try to be helpful :o

 

Even if you choose to leave your passport in your cabin safe, make sure you take your cell phone AND the charger (you can probably buy a plug adapter if you have to, once you're stranded :p )

 

This is important... learn how to make an international call on your cell phone. For some reason, many people find this difficult. For me, the easiest way is to get the phone to display the + sign which automatically dials the international prefix (in the U.S., this would be 011), then the country code and phone number. The plus sign usually pops up if you press and hold the 0 key

 

Some countries have a zero as the first number in the area code when dialing from inside the country, but you drop the zero when calling into the country from elsewhere. Make sure you know the rules in the country you're in.

 

Depending on which island you're stranded on will make a difference in who you call

 

http://barbados.usembassy.gov/service.html

 

http://barbados.usembassy.gov/consular_agents2.html

 

 

Before you even leave home, register with the U.S. State Department

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/go/step.html

 

The State Department has pages for each country/territory. It might be a good idea to print out pertinent information for the countries you'll be visiting and take the page for that country ashore with you.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/sint-maarten.html

 

Your not going to get stranded in the Caribbean forever (oh, darn). It might be an expensive hassle, but the embassies or consulates will be able to help you and get you the proper paperwork to get home.

 

My cousin and her husband were on vacation on Grenada for a few days, and hubby managed to put his passport through the laundry :eek: He missed a day of scuba diving but got a temporary passport issued on Grenada with zero problem.

This was the point of my post.....

OR! Be responsible.

 

(I know, I know, call me crazy.)

Edited January 15, 2015 by awhcruiser

My wife and I have scanned copies in cloud storage. We leave the original onboard but as we normally have a phone with us we theoretically have access to a copy when ashore.

 

 

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