No passport & emergency return from cruise

I am curious. I understand the importance of a passport if you have to return from a port for an emergency. What I'd like to hear about is what happened when someone had an emergency and had to return without a passport. What happens if you break your leg on an excursion and have to remain behind in a hospital and fly home from the port??

This been beaten to death on the boards. If you need a medical evacuation and don't have a passport, the nearest US consulate or embassy will need to essentially issue you a temporary passport. This could take days.

This can vary by country, and the nearest US facility could be a long way away.

I know what happens in theory. I am interested in an actual experience.

No need to be snarky. Most every topic has been addressed over and over.

I have not had to get a replacement passport, but from experience can advise you not to try to get effective response from a US consulate late any afternoon - or on a weekend. So, if you decide to miss your ship, do it early in the day, early in the week, because you will need at least one full business day -AFTER you have contacted competent authority. Have enough credit on your cards to spend a few days at a hotel, as well as to buy your ticket home.

I know what happens in theory. I am interested in an actual experience.

 

That isn't "theory", it is fact. Family friend had it happen a little over a year ago.

What happens is lots of complications and expense. Spend the $$$ for a passport and it keep it current.

That isn't "theory", it is fact. Family friend had it happen a little over a year ago.

Had you included this in your response I think it would have been more helpful to the OP.

I too have asked a few questions looking for "real life" examples only to have the majority of responses deal with what people have heard and read. I would love to hear some first hand experiences from travelers who this has happened to. When traveling I usually leave my passport on board and carry a colour photo copy, maybe I should always ensure I have my passport with me?

On HAL, if you do not return to the ship or notify the ship you had an accident or whatever, Security will go to your cabin and remove your passport from the safe. It will be handed over to Port Agent. You can arrange for pick up from the Port Agent. Be sure you have the contact information every time you go ashore. It is published either in Daily Program or most usually on the port hand out sheet they give for each port. Port Agent is 'your friend in town' should you need assistance.

Presumably something similar occurs on other cruise lines.

It's possible the reason you aren't getting any first hand stories is that most CC members have learned the risks of traveling without a passport by reading the forums. Carrying passports and flying into a port at least a day before embarkation are the two most consistent themes of advice on these boards. Most of us do learn from the tales we read here.

On HAL, if you do not return to the ship or notify the ship you had an accident or whatever, Security will go to your cabin and remove your passport from the safe. It will be handed over to Port Agent. You can arrange for pick up from the Port Agent. Be sure you have the contact information every time you go ashore. It is published either in Daily Program or most usually on the port hand out sheet they give for each port. Port Agent is 'your friend in town' should you need assistance.

 

Presumably something similar occurs on other cruise lines.

 

 

Princess does the same thing.

However, OP was asking about people without passports.

I was wondering because you read so much about medical emergencies and I've wondered what people who are put off the ship or who can't return to the ship do from a hospital to get the proper documentation to get back home. Again, I know the theory but I've never heard anybody include "and after they treated me for my heart attack, I contacted the consulate to figure out how to get off the island without a passport", etc. I know that all the emergencies I've read about didn't necessarily have passports.

I have managed cruise ships for over 3 decades.

Obviously I never have any problems with a passport - but many of my passengers do.

Since so many Americans cannot or will not afford a passport, we often have problems when sailing out of a US Port, where American passengers without passports either miss the ship, or have personal or health problems that will not allow them to rejoin the ship.

I long ago lost count of the number of my American passengers who got stuck in out of the way places without a passport. A few of them got very lucky and were able to get emergency documents from the US Government in a very short time (less than one week). Most of them waited for a few weeks to get the required documents that allowed them to fly home.

A few waited for very long periods, and had to fly family members down to assist them. This all gets very expensive - much more costly than the price of a passport.

A few years ago, we disembarked 2 elderly ladies with medical problems in Western Mexico. One died while waiting for help from the USA. The other spent several months in a Mexican hospital while waiting for assistance. These are obviously extreme cases - but they do happen.

As was mentioned earlier, the day of the week and time of day have much to do with success dealing with US Authorities. The country and port are also critical in how well things will go for you.

US Government Consular and Embassy employees do not work evenings or weekends. If you have a serious problem during those periods - good luck.

US Consular and Embassy employees very rarely travel to help you out. If you are an American in a hospital in Puerto Vallarta for example, you will need to arrange to travel to Mexico City to sort out your problems with the US Embassy. That can be difficult, expensive, and time consuming.

If you happen to get stuck on one of the many small island countries in the Caribbean, there may not even be a US Consulate or Embassy in that country. Then you need to do everything over expensive telephone calls to another country, and possibly wait forever for documents to arrive.

If you do have a passport and leave it on the ship, you need not worry.

Most countries today require the ship to offload the passports of any passengers who do not make it back to the ship for any reason. As soon as we know or suspect that you are not returning, Security visits your cabin to search for your passports. The passports are passed over to the agent, who is then legally responsible for you until local authorities issue a temporary visa for your stay there. If we do not find passports in your cabin, you are on your own. As soon as the ship departs, you are illegally in that particular country and must sort out things with the local officials.

Do you need a passport to travel internationally? Nearly all countries think that you do.

But you can still get away without one if you are American, travelling from the USA to visit the Caribbean - and you do not plan to have any surprises or accidents.

So if you are feeling lucky and have plenty of money laying around in case luck is not on your side, take a chance.

Thank you for spelling it out so succinctly. Hopefully, your post will save someone much grief and large expense.

Anyone who wishes to travel outside their country should have a passport. I cannot think of any legitimate reason to not. If the expense is stretching your budget, you may wish to save a bit longer before booking your cruise.

JMO......

My husband was taken from the ship by ambulance, so we could bring all our stuff. BUT we were called at the hospital by someone from the cruiseline to make sure we had everything from the ship, including our passports.

The Port Agent who I got to know quite well while my husband was in the hospital told me that one of his jobs is to pick up passports, luggage, etc. that are left on board by anyone who has to stay on shore and deliver it to the passenger and/or his or her family.

So while I didn't actually need to have this done, I do know that IN PRACTICE, not in theory, the ship will call the Port Agent who will pick up the passports.

And for those of you who never knew what the heck a Port Agent was or why you have his or her name on your daily info sheet for each port, they are literally angels upon whom you come to depend in an emergency.

I do not know know the answer to this question but I wonder if there are any other countries where so many citizens travel outside of the country w/o a passport.

My daughter took her kids out of the country on a cruise when they were a bit older than 1. They had passports. In fact, they got passports when they were less than 1.

DON

I know what happens in theory. I am interested in an actual experience.

 

No need to be snarky. Most every topic has been addressed over and over.

I am going to take a wild guess that you are a relatively young person (under 35). For some reason younger folks think that rules do not always apply, there are always exceptions, etc. "In actual experience" government authorities will simply follow the rules. They have no choice unless a special "waiver" is granted by a very high authority...and this does not often happen. So, if you had to leave a ship (on a closed loop cruise) in a foreign country and did not have a Passport, you would have to wait in that country until you could arrange to get a Passport. Under the best of circumstances this will take 2-3 days (and we are talking about M-F week days). It is easier to get an emergency replacement if you already have a valid Passport (which your lost or forgot) but if its an initial application it can take an even longer period of time. Meanwhile, you are trapped in another country and essentially a "man without a country" until you get your Passport. Not only can you not get back into the USA without a Passport, but you will not be able to get on any airline (even if you have a ticket). And by the way, you are responsible for all the costs you incur during your stay in that country.

As to real life, we actually had 2 passengers (a policeman and his wife) who had their Passports stolen (last year) while we were in Ashdod (Tel Aviv) , Israel. They were on a beach, left their valuables on the beach, took a swim, and returned to find all their valuables gone. These folks were lucky because the ship was going to Haifa the following day. The cruise line (Celebrity) helped them contact the US Consul, and they somehow managed to get permission for the couple to cruise that night (between Ashdod and Haifa) without their passports. The next day, in Haifa, they had to spend nearly the entire day running around, meeting with the US Consular rep, and getting emergency replacement Passports. Things moved quickly for this couple because they already had valid Passports (the stolen ones) and had photocopies of their main Passport page (many wise travelers make copies). The real bummer for this couple was that their visit to Israel was essentially wiped-out because they spent 1 1/2 days of their 2 day visit dealing with the Passport theft, police reports, getting new Passport photos, etc. A real bummer!

Hank

This is such a good reply that the Board Admins should make your post a STICKY!!!!

My thoughts added inline below

I have managed cruise ships for over 3 decades.

Obviously I never have any problems with a passport - but many of my passengers do.

 

Since so many Americans cannot or will not afford a passport,

 

If one cannot afford a driver's license then one should not drive a car, and likewise the same should apply to having a passport and traveling outside of the country, but hey, I am not the one making the silly allowances.

 

we often have problems when sailing out of a US Port, where American passengers without passports either miss the ship, or have personal or health problems that will not allow them to rejoin the ship.

 

I long ago lost count of the number of my American passengers who got stuck in out of the way places without a passport. A few of them got very lucky and were able to get emergency documents from the US Government in a very short time (less than one week). Most of them waited for a few weeks to get the required documents that allowed them to fly home.

A few waited for very long periods, and had to fly family members down to assist them. This all gets very expensive - much more costly than the price of a passport.

 

A few years ago, we disembarked 2 elderly ladies with medical problems in Western Mexico. One died while waiting for help from the USA. The other spent several months in a Mexican hospital while waiting for assistance. These are obviously extreme cases - but they do happen.

 

As was mentioned earlier, the day of the week and time of day have much to do with success dealing with US Authorities. The country and port are also critical in how well things will go for you.

US Government Consular and Embassy employees do not work evenings or weekends. If you have a serious problem during those periods - good luck.

US Consular and Embassy employees very rarely travel to help you out. If you are an American in a hospital in Puerto Vallarta for example, you will need to arrange to travel to Mexico City to sort out your problems with the US Embassy. That can be difficult, expensive, and time consuming.

If you happen to get stuck on one of the many small island countries in the Caribbean, there may not even be a US Consulate or Embassy in that country. Then you need to do everything over expensive telephone calls to another country, and possibly wait forever for documents to arrive.

 

If you do have a passport and leave it on the ship, you need not worry.

Most countries today require the ship to offload the passports of any passengers who do not make it back to the ship for any reason. As soon as we know or suspect that you are not returning, Security visits your cabin to search for your passports. The passports are passed over to the agent, who is then legally responsible for you until local authorities issue a temporary visa for your stay there. If we do not find passports in your cabin, you are on your own. As soon as the ship departs, you are illegally in that particular country and must sort out things with the local officials.

 

Do you need a passport to travel internationally? Nearly all countries think that you do.

Yeah, and you don't just flash your passport or BC in the face of the check-in counter clerk either when you exit. You show your passport to the EMIGRATION OFFICIAL at the next counter and he/she decides if you are exiting the country for your little holiday (even to a neighboring country).

 

But you can still get away without one if you are American, travelling from the USA to visit the Caribbean - and you do not plan to have any surprises or accidents.

 

So if you are feeling lucky and have plenty of money laying around in case luck is not on your side, take a chance.

I have managed cruise ships for over 3 decades.

Obviously I never have any problems with a passport - but many of my passengers do.

 

Since so many Americans cannot or will not afford a passport, we often have problems when sailing out of a US Port, where American passengers without passports either miss the ship, or have personal or health problems that will not allow them to rejoin the ship.

 

I long ago lost count of the number of my American passengers who got stuck in out of the way places without a passport. A few of them got very lucky and were able to get emergency documents from the US Government in a very short time (less than one week). Most of them waited for a few weeks to get the required documents that allowed them to fly home.

A few waited for very long periods, and had to fly family members down to assist them. This all gets very expensive - much more costly than the price of a passport.

 

A few years ago, we disembarked 2 elderly ladies with medical problems in Western Mexico. One died while waiting for help from the USA. The other spent several months in a Mexican hospital while waiting for assistance. These are obviously extreme cases - but they do happen.

 

As was mentioned earlier, the day of the week and time of day have much to do with success dealing with US Authorities. The country and port are also critical in how well things will go for you.

US Government Consular and Embassy employees do not work evenings or weekends. If you have a serious problem during those periods - good luck.

US Consular and Embassy employees very rarely travel to help you out. If you are an American in a hospital in Puerto Vallarta for example, you will need to arrange to travel to Mexico City to sort out your problems with the US Embassy. That can be difficult, expensive, and time consuming.

If you happen to get stuck on one of the many small island countries in the Caribbean, there may not even be a US Consulate or Embassy in that country. Then you need to do everything over expensive telephone calls to another country, and possibly wait forever for documents to arrive.

 

If you do have a passport and leave it on the ship, you need not worry.

Most countries today require the ship to offload the passports of any passengers who do not make it back to the ship for any reason. As soon as we know or suspect that you are not returning, Security visits your cabin to search for your passports. The passports are passed over to the agent, who is then legally responsible for you until local authorities issue a temporary visa for your stay there. If we do not find passports in your cabin, you are on your own. As soon as the ship departs, you are illegally in that particular country and must sort out things with the local officials.

 

Do you need a passport to travel internationally? Nearly all countries think that you do.

But you can still get away without one if you are American, travelling from the USA to visit the Caribbean - and you do not plan to have any surprises or accidents.

 

So if you are feeling lucky and have plenty of money laying around in case luck is not on your side, take a chance.

Out of the millions of passengers that you've sailed with what percentage overall ended up not returning with the ship for whatever reason (I know that you've lost track but a rough guess would do)?

How long does it take to arrange a medevac flight from a port?

I "In actual experience" government authorities will simply follow the rules. They have no choice unless a special "waiver" is granted by a very high authority...

The authority for the special "waiver" already exists within the DHS regulations- the State Department has the authority to waive the passport requirements in the case of a medical emergency or for humanitarian reasons.

The authority for the special "waiver" already exists within the DHS regulations- the State Department has the authority to waive the passport requirements in the case of a medical emergency or for humanitarian reasons.

They can waive the requirements for people entering or leaving the US, but not for those entering or leaving another country.

They can waive the requirements for people entering or leaving the US, but not for those entering or leaving another country.

The reason that you need to present a passport at the flight counter on a flight from another country is to prove to the airlines that you have the documents necessary for admission into the US. An emergency travel document issued by the State Department would show that. At the border 8 miles from here the Candadians have a check point going into Canada but they don't have one coming out (and conversely the US authorities do not have a check point leaving the country but they do have one coming back in).

The authority for the special "waiver" already exists within the DHS regulations- the State Department has the authority to waive the passport requirements in the case of a medical emergency or for humanitarian reasons.

I did reference such as waiver, but also made it clear it would normally only be granted by a very high authority... A consular official will not often have this authority and must kick this kind of issue up through the chain of command. Being the State Department, not much happens quickly...and nothing happens on weekends or holidays :).

Hank

I did reference such as waiver, but also made it clear it would normally only be granted by a very high authority... A consular official will not often have this authority and must kick this kind of issue up through the chain of command. Being the State Department, not much happens quickly...and nothing happens on weekends or holidays :).

 

Hank

Do you have a source for the bolded statement or is that a guess? My guess is the decision would be made at the Consulate level but if you have something that says different I really would like to see it.

And then there was the case of the Cortes family, thoroughly discussed on these boards, who got kicked off of a RCCL cruise because of a sick baby. Family left at 11 pm on a Tuesday night, was checked out at a hospital (baby was fine), contacted the consular agent, got passports and were back home by Thursday. Friday they contacted the media and then the discussion begins.

Yes, it can take days or weeks. The speed of the consular response depends on the urgency of need. Travel letters can be issued in case of life or death emergency, and have been reported on these boards. So have drunken afternoons in Cozumel, and a couple of weeks of waiting around for documents to arrive.

LBNL, while I have great respect for Bruce's knowledge of shipboard operations and his experience, there is no need to travel to Mexico City if one is in PV with a problem. There is a consular agent in PV, just as in many tourist destination regions. http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov/mobile/puerto_vallarta.html

Do you have a source for the bolded statement or is that a guess? My guess is the decision would be made at the Consulate level but if you have something that says different I really would like to see it.