chrislilynorah

I love to hear stories like these. It's so rare to read anything "good" on here anymore.

 

When in Feb will you be on Harmony? We're boarding Feb 18, 2017.

Bummer! 2 weeks before you :( Would be nice to meet some of you f2f

Hey cruisers. On May 14, 2016 my wife, daughter, and I missed embarkation on Oasis of the Seas due to egregious errors and miscalculation by *this guy*. I wrote about our experience here.

The sympathetic and constructive feedback was truly appreciated and typifies what it means to be part of a community.

After stewing for a couple weeks we decided to give it a shot again and booked Harmony of the Seas for Feb'17. It gets better. RCCL issued a letter of credit out of pure compassion and mercy over our misadventures. I won't get into detail about this benevolent act nor how it came to fruition. Just know you want to do all you can to avoid the predicament of being mere steps away from the gangplank only to be sent back from whence you came. Show up early and enjoy the ship.

AND....if something were to happen, be sure you have a standard US passport and not the puny passport cards my daughter and I sported. You never know when you have catch a last-minute bird to the Bahamas for the interception play.

With that, we look forward to being on the Harmony. Hope to see some of you there!

Chris

Forgive me if you already answered in the previous 5 pages - can you or someone explain the last one? I get the inexperience and the poor time management (I read you went to Miami for the day and misjudged the time), but what was the misfortune? Is that what you hope to build a case on for payment of insurance, or compensation/credit?

Misfortune compounded bad time-management.

Left Key Biscayne at around 1:45p. 2 accidents on the I-95 North, 2 emergency stops for our toddler, and a wrong turn that lead to a detour.

We actually pulled into Port Everglades before 3:30p. There's a Hertz location that shows up on Google Maps *within the port*.. don't believe me? Look it up! 1850 Eller Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

By the time we figured out we needed to go to another Hertz location, dropped the car off, boarded a shuttle, and arrived to the dock... it was 3:55p.

10 minutes probably would have made the difference.

Muster is the mandatory safety drill.

 

It may not be quite the same, but I once overslept, missed my flight and had to cancel my vacation. It was not as costly a mistake as missing a cruise, but it happened.

 

It is too bad you could not extend your stay in Florida, since you were there already, maybe it would have made the sting less painful. But I understand if there are financial considerations that sent you home.

Ah got it, thanks.

Honestly, we were too disheartened to make other arrangements.

I totally understand what happened. The explanation of how it happened is not concise.

For how we arrived late? Simple.. we took an unnecessary trip down to Miami and miscalculated the time required to get back in time. I blew it.

That was my 1st thought as there are no customs at embarkation, but maybe the OP is referring to Security/check in clerks. Also, on our previous Oasis cruises departing time was 4:30 and not 5pm.

Yes, I think you're correct. There were dark-shirted and white-shirted folks. Everything was a blur.

As a mom of two toddlers I really feel for you. Traveling with kids is so stressful. I can't imagine all the work that you put into getting there to just have to go home.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

I'm just glad our daughter isn't old enough to be disappointed. At what age would you consider taking a little one on a cruise?

Unless you book your flight through RC :cool: They certainly are able. Our last time on Freedom people on RC booked flights were boarding all the way up until we left the dock. We even left a little late waiting on a few. I dont know how they satisfy the 90 minute requirement but Ive witnessed myself people boarding the ship way after the cutoff.

 

Im wondering how different this situation would have been if the OP had booked flights through RC. My guess is they would be on their cruise right now

 

Another thing is I think the 90 minute mark is set by Royal. Not customs. On Carnival for a cruise leaving at 4pm, you have to be checked in and boarding by 3pm so only 60 minutes. Customs cutoff time is actually 30 minutes before the ship leaves I believe.

Your observations are difficult to swallow :(

Because of some missing details, I'm having a hard time understanding why a the insurance won't pay. If they were late because of a delayed flight, I thought that was the point of the insurance. If the flight was on time and it's because it was booked to arrive to late, then I can see that.

 

I wouldn't give up on the insurance just yet. They have a knee jerk reaction of "no we won't pay", but it's worth following up on. It's a lot of money to leave on the table it's worth an effort.

 

Honestly, can't preach to people about passports, as a Canadian I'm in a different boat we need it. It's just beyond my comprehension to understand how one would not have passport, I understand the reasoning, but to each his own.

 

to the OP Best of luck to you and your family, I sincerely hope you give cruising a second chance.

Thank you for your kind expressions. Our policy provides 100% protection against severe circumstances (such as sickness) and partial protection for trip delay... but the delay needs to be 12-hours or longer and well documented.

We had to slog through 2 accidents on the I-95, made a wrong turn, and had 2 unscheduled stops for the little one. At most an 1.5 hour delay.

Unfortunately, gone are the days when they would let you go to Mexico or Canada w/o a passport.

 

If we lived near the border and planned frequent trips to Canada or Mexico, we'd have a passport card for trips north. But passport cards are pretty limited. Probably the only place you can use a passport card is on those Alaska shore excursions that visit the Yukon. But they always ask for a passport. Border patrol are very conscientious. In the Yukon, we had to hold our passports while Customs boarded. We were told to remain in our seats. And the guide told us they had once let a lady use the restroom, and she was still in the restroom when the Customs got there. He wasn't impressed, and pulled his gun.

 

OP may have been able to board w/ the birth certificate & ID, if it's a closed circuit cruise. Passports booklets are better. If for some reason you must fly back to the US, Customs will let you back with a passport booklet.

 

Nassau can be risky. Last time we were there, they had police all over the place. Usually that doesn't happen unless there had been some incidents.

 

With Zika now such a risk for young people, I'd suggest booking Canada/New England or Alaska.

Zika avoidance (even low risk) is actually one of the silver linings for us, since we have a 20-month old.

When we were on Oasis last April there were still people boarding during the muster

What is a "muster"? How long after the check-in period was this?

Passports last 10 years for adults. Don't know about youth. When I got my original passport, it was only about $30 and lasted five years.

 

They they raised the cost, and changed it to 10 years. Much better since passports are not supposed to expire w/in 6 months. So, that passport is actually only 9 1/2 years of useful life.

 

Last year, it took about 8 weeks for mine to arrive. I paid for regular processing, but rush delivery. With rush delivery, we got a tracking number! They say six weeks, because they don't start counting until after the check clears the bank. DH and mine went in separate envelopes. Once we put ours together. They cashed the checks, then misplaced DH's application.

 

Some lines do better than others telling you what documents you need. On our Australia cruise itinerary, HAL shows we need a visa. But Royal Caribbean didn't show that on their itinerary. Every cruise has their ups and downs. Royal Caribbean does better at fixing things, but we love Princess's coffee card.

Upgrading mine and my daughter's passports is on the to-do list

Unfortunately, gone are the days when they would let you go to Mexico or Canada w/o a passport.

 

If we lived near the border and planned frequent trips to Canada or Mexico, we'd have a passport card for trips north. But passport cards are pretty limited. Probably the only place you can use a passport card is on those Alaska shore excursions that visit the Yukon. But they always ask for a passport. Border patrol are very conscientious. In the Yukon, we had to hold our passports while Customs boarded. We were told to remain in our seats. And the guide told us they had once let a lady use the restroom, and she was still in the restroom when the Customs got there. He wasn't impressed, and pulled his gun.

 

OP may have been able to board w/ the birth certificate & ID, if it's a closed circuit cruise. Passports booklets are better. If for some reason you must fly back to the US, Customs will let you back with a passport booklet.

 

Nassau can be risky. Last time we were there, they had police all over the place. Usually that doesn't happen unless there had been some incidents.

 

With Zika now such a risk for young people, I'd suggest booking Canada/New England or Alaska.

Zika is actually one of the silver linings for us. We have a 20-month old daughter. In retrospect, not sure if it's worth the risk (albeit small)

I see this is your 1st post, so I'm wondering exactly when you found out about Cruise Critic. Knowing about this site before your cruise would have helped you avoid flying in literally right before your cruise. Experienced/seasoned cruisers always recommend flying in the day before or at least early in the am on the day of your cruise.

 

I'm sorry this happened, but it is a hard lesson learned. Most of us know not to fly in that late. :(

I had known about CC a couple months prior to departure. We actually did fly in the night before, but inexperience and miscalculation got the best of us that Saturday.

One of my mistakes was not taking 1-2 days off work to review and get everything sorted. Work has been so busy and I never sat down to read & review my documentation. I rushed home and threw everything in a bag before heading to the airport.

Since you understand your contribution to this situation and sounded relatively humane (not irate, placing blame on everybody and every thing around you), I sincerely hope that they're able to help make things right with you, and that you cruise again in the future. It's one thing (psychologically) to be making your way to the pier while seeing the ship sail away, it's another when you are standing within 100 feet of it for an hour and being turned away.

 

Best of luck in your endeavor with RCI. Truly.

Yup, we thought we were in the clear before someone ripped the needle off the record player. It stings.

I think it was brave of you to share your story and you did it in a true reflecting tone. So often I hear people gripe. RCI "WOULDN"T LET ME ON"!!

 

I'm truly sorry this happened to you and it sounds like a combination of events led up to that nightmare. It sounds like you didn't even stay in Fort Lauderdale but went home. I'm so sorry for you I missed a family flight to the bahamas once and everyone went but me and I had a meltdown in the airport. I was travelling from tallahassee, joining them in Miami. My mom had my passport in Miami but they wouldn't let me board because I didn't have it. ARGH!!!

 

Take Care

Finally, someone I can share my pain with! :) How long ago was this? Did you eventually feel better?

I agree. Id like to hear additional details. I feel bad for the OP and his family and I don't intend to sound critical. Based on the story as I understand it, I'm not sure where, if any, fault lies for this unfortunate outcome other than the OP.

 

I'm curious as to whether he understood the full document requirements in order to board a cruise ship; Did he book directly with RCI or use a TA; did he intentionally book a flight so close to departure, etc.....?

 

I thinks the OP's story could be a useful experience for all new cruisers.

 

Thanks for sharing your story and I hope you book a cruise again. It's worth it!

 

Tom

Agreed, the fault lies here. But I'm hoping for a glimmer of compassion and mercy, especially since it's the leisure industry. If anything, I can use this negative experience to fuel other aspects of mine and my family's life.

And I do hope this post serves for benefit of posterity.

Sounds like things were left to the last minute...and being a first time cruiser AND travelling with a little one, I would not even try to show up at last minute. I would do everything in my power to be there when it FIRST opens.

 

But yes, a very hard and expensive lesson to learn. Perhaps some research ahead of time or inquiring ahead of time about the process and normal procedures would have prevented some of this.

 

First piece of advice I give new cruises is to arrive at the port city the day before. Second piece of advice is to try to get to the terminal as soon as possible on departure day. Between traffic, weather, mechanical problems you never know. Why chance it.

 

Besides, you have paid for that first day, so why not get on there early and relax and enjoy.

Sage advice... and also common sense that I should have heeded. The sting of this experience may keep us away for a while... perhaps until our daughter is older.

I don't know your circumstance for getting to the pier so close to the cut off time...but I would call the insurance company again.

 

I am assuming you did not book a flight that was getting in so close to departure. If there were airline delays that caused you to miss the ship I though that would have been covered.

We flew in the night before but visited Miami before heading to port. A couple accidents on the I-95, a missed turn, and some unscheduled stops for our daughter sapped an already stressed timeline. Again...my fault. But I always had 5pm on my mind.

Sorry that this happened to you but your ship actually departs at 4:30. There is a specific cut off time for boarding the ship that is set by Customs and/or Homeland security as to when the final passenger manifest must be turned in and there is no boarding after that point. Staff on board are unable to allow exceptions to this regulation.

 

There is always a chance that contacting someone higher up could result in a partial credit towards another cruise. At this point you have nothing to lose so I would give it a try.

Ah, thanks for that detail. Perhaps the check-in agent was communicating with customs/HLS and not someone from RCI?

With an eye on perspective, there are far worse things that can happen than missing an embarkation. That said...it's been 5 days since we attempted to board Oasis of the Seas and still a raw, exposed nerve sends waves of pain, anguish, and regret throughout my chest and down into my abdomen when the very suggestion of a cruise comes to mind.

My wife is taking it better than I am, at least these past few days. Her face wrought with tears and frustration as she attempted to distract our 20-month old daughter at the customs counter while I placed one phone call after another...not easy to forget.

We're first-time, would-be cruisers. Inexperience, poor time management, and some misfortune led us to this point: 25 min late for our 12:30-3:30pm check-in window. The ship leaves at 5:00pm.

Our shuttle driver made a valiant effort to get us there. Briefing us along the way, he warned clearing customs would be the biggest concern. Suitcase in hand, I scurried ahead of my wife and daughter to alert officers of our arrival.

To our relief, customs was quite accommodating and made quick work of our processing as they whisked us through security. As this was going on, a customs officer was radioing back and forth with someone on the Oasis. The already infrequent responses from the ship became even more tenuous.

Mere steps away from the stairs, a response came in through her ear piece that stopped her dead in her tracks. She looked at us and shook her head.

So. Close.

Here's where I wish future me could have interceded.

"We have a toddler with us!"

"My daughter and I only have passport cards, which are insufficient to meet you downline in Nassau!"

Perhaps something would have softened the heart of the individual on the other end.

The time was 4:00p. A full hour before departure.

I spent the next 5 hours calling, booking, pleading. I even looked into taking a ferry to Freeport, then perhaps swimming to Nassau. Ultimately, flying was the only option and I was getting mixed answers on whether or not a US passport card was sufficient to fly to the Bahamas. I finally rented a car and drove down to Miami International in order to get a definitive "No".

All options exhausted, we decided to fly home to Dallas the following day.

...

Once home, I spoke with a very sympathetic soul on the RCCL escalations team who was surprised we weren't let on-board given an hour remained. She asked that I first check with our trip insurance (LeisureCare) to see if our situation is covered. It is not - trip delays need to be at least 12 hours. I'll call the escalation team back today, but I'm not holding out much hope. We can't afford to take another trip for a while.

For those who share a similar experience or know someone who has (particularly with RCCL)...any positive experiences getting back on a ship with nominal cost? Refunds? Any success reaching out to Mr. Bayley's office? Or am I just a dolt who needs to come to terms with the fact that I'm at-fault for not getting us there in time?

TL;DR - I went full-Griswold and caused us to miss our cruise. Any chance of full or partial credit towards another?

-Chris