Ever forget your passport?

We were booked on the Grand Princess to leave 2/2/08 from Ft. Lauderdale traveling with our adult children and their spouses. The plan was to leave Chicago on Friday, 2/1/08 and stay overnight one night pre-cruise to allow for any weather delays. It started snowing on Thursday and continued for 24 hours, dumping about a foot of snow in Chicago, canceling 600 flights on Thursday and continuing on Friday. Lucky for us, we were flying United which has its hub in Chicago and we not only had an aircraft at our gate but our flight was on time. The anxiety over the weather had overshadowed everything else on our minds.

As we winged our way to Ft. Lauderdale, I turned to my DH and asked if he had brought the passports as they had been sitting on his dresser. The horrified look that he gave me confirmed my fears. We weren't going to land for another 2 hours and we frantically discussed this with the kids.

The girl sitting next to me suggested that we have someone go to the house and FEDEX them to us. The problem was that no one else had a key to the house. She suggested that we get a friend to get a locksmith to open the house and then send the passports. This sounded like a good idea to me but DH felt that there was too many parts to the plan that could go wrong and his plan was to fly immediately back to Chicago and come back the next day.

We called Donna, our trusty travel agent for advice and she called Princess to confirm that we needed passports or a certified copy of your birth certificate which you could get from a national data base here in the States. The fly in the ointment for that idea was that DH was not born in the USA.

She started checking flights from Ft. Lauderdale when I mentioned the locksmith idea. She became very excited and said that she had a good friend who was a locksmith and she would call him and ask if he would do this for her. While we went down to baggage claim, we also talked to the Princess rep who met us for the bus transfer to the hotel and told her that DH might not be coming with us.

Donna called back and said that while the locksmith would open the house, he would not go in it because of the liability. His best friend however was Donna's ex-boyfriend and he agreed to go along and get the documents off DH's dresser and take them to a FEDEX-KINKOS for next day delivery.

We boarded the bus to the hotel and Donna called us about 10 minutes later and conferenced us in with the locksmith who was having trouble opening the lock and he said that he had to make a key and did my key have a number on it. It did and he was able to open the door. We gave Donna the hotel address and she called us later to confirm that the package was on the way and should be delivered by noon, guaranteed.

Our SIL asked us to get the tracking number and he would check it for us the next day. Donna called us back that evening with it and we all breathed a sigh of relief. We were so grateful to her for going above and beyond for us, we could not thank her enough! You would not get someone to do this for you from an online agency. She charged the locksmith fee, about $100 and the FEDEX fee about $44 to our credit card. This was a small price to pay for our stupidity.

The next day, Jeremy checked the tracking number and said it was in Pompano Beach which was the next town away. We went in for breakfast anticipating that it would be there shortly. By eleven it was still not there and I asked him to check it again and it came up with an "exception". I called 1-800-GOFEDEX and they told me that the address was incorrect! But the package was on the truck and I could pick it up at the facility when the driver came back and they were open until 7:00 PM. Small comfort when the ship was sailing @ 5:00! They asked for the correct address and said that they would leave a message for the driver.

The hotel had given us a letter telling us to meet downstairs @ 11:30-12:00 for "pre-check-in". We sent the kids down and checked out of our room and anxiously awaited a call back from FEDEX. Unbeknownst to us, Donna had also noticed the incorrect address that morning and was also calling FEDEX.

I tried again around 12:15 and got the same response, that they would send a message to the driver. In the meantime, we pulled our luggage out of the Princess pile so it wouldn't get on the ship without us and waited while the Holland America reps boarded about 12 buses for their cruise.

We discussed our problem with the hotel manager and he assured us that the FEDEX depot was only 10 minutes away and most Saturday deliveries were over by 1:00 so we should have no problem getting there to get our package and making it to the ship on time. He even said that he would arrange a towncar for us that would be the same cost as a cab and would wait for us. So we had an alternate plan. Meanwhile, DH was waiting outside looking for any FEDEX truck that came by so he could throw his body in its path just in case it was the one with our passports.

We tried to call again @ 12:50 and the FEDEX person noticed a message that said that the driver would be there in 15 minutes! As soon as I hung up, Donna was calling us with the same news. She was feeling responsible since it was her friend who had put down the wrong address!

DH, DS, DIL, SIL all waited outside for the FEDEX truck to make an appearance while DD stayed with me calming my frazzeled nerves. A few minutes later, FEDEX pulled up and DH ran to him to claim our envelope. The driver questioned him because our name was spelled incorrectly but DH pulled out his drivers license to prove it was him and then tipped the guy.

And yes, inside were the passports, the bill for the locksmith and the key he had made to get into the house. Princess was still boarding buses and had not yet called our color. Our luggage went back into the pile and we were finally on our way!

Had we ever discussed our passports before leaving? Yes, a few days earlier I had asked where they were thinking that if they were in the bank vault, I would have to go get them. But DH had assured me that they were on his dresser. And we then promptly forgot about them with all the anxiety over the weather. From now on, they will be the first thing on my list! Donna saved us from having to make another flight back home and saved our vacation with our children.

OMG, you were so lucky you thought of a locksmith and had a great TA to assist you here. So glad to hear you were able to board the ship and after a total frenzy for many hours, all worked out.

It goes to remind others that you can forget your documents, you can forget your money, you can forget your suitcases. But your passports and credit card are the number one things to make sure you have safely in your possesion before you leave.

I hope the rest of the cruise was wonderful and uneventful so you could stress down after this experience. ;)

Oh my gosh! What a wonderful ending to an anxiety story. I can imagine since I felt I was there with you all of the frustration and anxiety all of you felt. Thanks for sharing the story of how your cruise began and I do hope it was a wonderful cruise and you were able to soothe yourselves after everything you had been through. What a wonderful travel agent who sent the extra mile.

Wow!! I am sure glad everything worked out, but what a way to start your vacation.

So glad everything worked out for you! Talk about "being on pins and needles"!

Now, where are our passports.......:eek: Only joking....:D

But, I'm putting all our travel docs into my carry-on right now!

I can so identify with your stress, as once, before electronic tickets, I "mailed" our tickets instead of the mortgage payment while we were at the airport. Fortunately needed them to get through security, and of course realized then what I'd done when I pulled the mortgage payment out of my purse to hand to them. Long story short, we got them back just in time. And I found out I wasn't the first person to do that, either.

Wow! What a nail biter! Glad everything worked out and you got your passports.

DH laughs at me because I check everything over and over again on the drive, in the airport, in the hotel....I am a bit obsessive but I guess it's better than forgeting.

Wow! What a story! I'm glad it worked out for you.

About three years ago, I was taking my daughter on a cruise over the holidays. She lives in way northern NH and I was right near Boston at the time. Since we were flying directly from BOS to LAX, she drove down during the afternoon the day before we were flying out very, very early in the morning. We were relaxing and having dinner when I mentioned passports. A sick look came over her face. She'd done the same thing your DH did: left her passport on the dresser. I immediately cleaned up dinner, we piled into the car and drove the three hours north (thank god it wasn't snowing), she ran in, got her passport, and drove the three hours back to Salem. Phew! We didn't get back until about 1AM and were up at 4AM for the limo to the airport; you can bet we both slept on the plane. :) Neither she nor I will ever forget our passports again.

Wow I am stressed just reading that. :eek:

Now I don't feel I'm going overboard (sorry for the pun) when I have a small travel document valet which zips. I put all my docs, travelers checks, passports in there, and place it in a compartment which zips in the interior of my carry on luggage. Then, I quadruple check I've done those tasks. That's part of my going away "punch list".

I'm glad this incident was handled so well, and you were able to enjoy your cruise!

Now I don't feel I'm going overboard (sorry for the pun) when I have a small travel document valet which zips. I put all my docs, travelers checks, passports in there, and place it in a compartment which zips in the interior of my carry on luggage. Then, I quadruple check I've done those tasks. That's part of my going away "punch list".

I'm glad this incident was handled so well, and you were able to enjoy your cruise!

That is sort of what we do. Too easy to blame each other (or just me since I do most of the planning and packing), so as we are pulling out, I physically pull out the passports and DH double checks them as a safety measure.

shofer~~~thanks for the story. My heart was racing as a read it!!! lol! Glad all was well.

Janet

Wow I am stressed just reading that. :eek:

Me too!

DH, DS, DIL, SIL all waited outside for the FEDEX truck to make an appearance while DD stayed with me calming my frazzeled nerves. A few minutes later, FEDEX pulled up and DH ran to him to claim our envelope. The driver questioned him because our name was spelled incorrectly but DH pulled out his drivers license to prove it was him and then tipped the guy.

And yes, inside were the passports, the bill for the locksmith and the key he had made to get into the house. Princess was still boarding buses and had not yet called our color. Our luggage went back into the pile and we were finally on our way!

Had we ever discussed our passports before leaving? Yes, a few days earlier I had asked where they were thinking that if they were in the bank vault, I would have to go get them. But DH had assured me that they were on his dresser. And we then promptly forgot about them with all the anxiety over the weather. From now on, they will be the first thing on my list! Donna saved us from having to make another flight back home and saved our vacation with our children.

Let me start out by saying, "WHEW!"

I was nervous just reading about your ordeal. I can only

imagine your panic whilst awaiting the arrival of the FEDEX

truck. Thankfully, you had a wonderful TA who saved the day

for you.

I'm glad that everything worked out well and hope you have

a wonderful cruise.

May you have fair skies and calm seas for your cruise.

Thanks everyone for your kind words. If it helps just one person, then it is worth passing on our tale. Yes, the rest of the cruise was great and our kids had a great time on their first cruise. You can bet that I am going to give a trusted friend a key to my house from now on.

That is a nightmare...thankfully you were able to get them in time....I would have been passed out somewhere from the stress.

My boyfriend always makes fun of my checking and rechecking before we leave.

What I do now is instead of putting all documents in my purse, I put passports, tickets, etc. In a ziploc bag and put them in the outside pouch of my carryon.....I check them before I put in the bag, before we leave the house and before we get in the car.

On our last cruise we were in line and I started to talk to a lady in her 70s traveling with her mother. I noticed they were a little nervous. She explained they were there earlier and was in the line when she asked her mother for the passports and her mother shrugged her sholders.

They had misplased their passwords...they were scared and calling their son-in-law to try to bring them to the port a 2 hour drive. But her son-in-law could not find the passports at her home.

They walked to the car thinking that they were not going on the cruise and as she was helping her mother in the car she noticed the 2 passports were on the ground by the car.

They did get on the cruise....

By the way I going on a cruise in 2 weeks just walked up the stairs to pull them out where I can see them.

In addition to giving the Fed Ex guy a tip, I think you should give Donna a BIG tip.

Hi.....my forgotten passport was not for a cruise but for a great deal we got to go to Grand Cayman in July 2006......we were going for 5 nights for something like 1500.00..including flight and Sunset House Dive Resort room...we had stayed at the Sunset House before and loved the access to the reef....halfway to the airport I realized I forgot my passport.....we are about 25 mins or less from the airport...we decided to have our daughter drop us off and zoom back for the passport while we tried to check in...Delta wouldnt let us check in without the passport......my daughter did get back and we went to the desk..well we tried...both agents were busy with people with travel problems...one pair who kept asking the same question over and over and over.....and kept getting the same answer over and over and over....when we finally go to the agent...she told us the airplane door had just closed and could not be reopened.....then she told us she could rebook us for the next day at an additional 800.00 each....so we went home...after paying cancelation fees for airline and hotel.....we were given until May of 2007 to use the tickets...........we used them to go to Islamorada for a week in April of last year so it didnt turn out all that bad.........believe me I will NEVER NEVER forget my passport again.....

So glad you had a happy ending! We did also. :o My mother and her brother were leaving on a 65 day World Cruise in '98. They drove to my house north or Los Angeles to store the car and then they got in my car for the drive to San Francisco. We were just about to get on the freeway when my daughter kiddingly said "Everybody got their passports?". The look on my mother's face was actually comical. I truly thought she was kidding, but no, she had left her passport. The bad part was the cruise was leaving at 5:00 PM that very day and we had to drive all the way to San Francisco. We made it back to my mother's place in Los Angeles morning rush hour traffic and got the passport. I drove 85 MPH all the way to SF. But we made it with about 2 hours to spare and no traffic tickets!;) My daughter is still my mother's hero for asking that simple question. :eek:

Wow I am stressed just reading that. :eek:

It is only 4:40 but I need a glass of wine after reading that!!

I am so glad it worked out in the end :)

ahhhhhh!!!! That is a nightmare!!!! I need to wake up quick!!!!

Now I know my compulsion to check the travel documents at least three times is really keeping me sane!

So glad that the story had a VERY HAPPY ending!!!

My sister & I went on a cruise with extended family a few years ago. During all of the months of planning, my sister KNEW where her birth certificate was, so of course there was no need to actually look for it, set it aside, pack it, etc. Well, of course, the morning she was leaving, the birth certificate was nowhere to be found. The only thing that saved her was the fact that my mother was joining our cruise, and still lived in the town where we were born & grew up in Massachusetts. My mother had to take a couple hours out of her packing regimen to drive to the town hall and get a certified copy of the birth certificate, but at least my ditzy sister in Virginia had her birth certificate.

I'm so glad you got yours in time for your cruise!!

Mary Ellen

Oh Shofer:

I was worried you did not make it because of weather when we did not see you at the bar area for a sailaway drink.

I was freaking out just reading this.

Hey, did you buy trip insurance? Will they reimburse those fees???? Would not hurt to check if you did. Sounds silly I know but, you never know.

:D

Glad you made it - the trip was awsome.

We made the deposit for another, my husband hounded me from the second day on. :)

Donna saved us from having to make another flight back home and saved our vacation with our children.

This is the value a good local TA can bring to a booking.

Had you booked directly with the cruise line or through an online agency, I don't think the outcome would have been the same.

Quite a story, Shofer..

We're in your neck of the woods (Villa Park) and we were on the Grand two weeks before you were.. we also went down one day early (leaving early Friday).

This is the third year that we've planned a January cruise in the Caribbean, and we've always had a certain amount of angst regarding the weather, cancelled/delayed flights, alternate plans, etc.

I can recall my wife giving me a dirty look after the fourth time asking "Sure you have the passports with you? " .. but with so much on your mind, it's not a hard thing to overlook.. Glad everything worked out great for you in the end.

Gary