NCL Hell - Beware

[bakerintn]

I think a lesson learned is that if you lost your passport while on shore, don't tell the ship when you return (if an id is required, use something else like a drivers license)...go to the next port and work on the solution there.

[mbisson]

How difficult is it to get thru customs to be admitted to a country (and not just as a day visitor), mid cruise, if you don't have a passport? Or would the ships crew just smuggle you ashore? hummmmmm

[garycarla]

How difficult is it to get thru customs to be admitted to a country (and not just as a day visitor), mid cruise, if you don't have a passport? Or would the ships crew just smuggle you ashore? hummmmmm

 

For most ports of calls, there is no customs/immigration process. You just get off the ship and go on your way, which for this guy, would be the nearest Embassy.

 

No need to smuggle, etc.

 

There are a few countries where this would not work, like the U.S. and Egypt right off.

[sjbdtz]

3 lefts do though ;)

Seriously, This thread has me thinking---Is it possible to get 2 passports (that way one is available as a 'backup')?

 

Problem with this is if one is stolen, and you use the other as a fallback, and the first is used to commit some mischievous activity, you could end up in jail for a very long time. The term rendition just popped into my mind for some reason.

 

 

 

 

 

As for the OP, it sucks that this happened, but seriously..... NCL does not have a British Embassy onboard, so your husband would HAVE TO stay on land.

 

As for what should have happened, they should have referred you to the Port Agent....a representative who is contracted by the cruiseline, who helps passengers if they've been stranded by late return to the ship, etc. This person could have helped your husband find the British Embassy, a hotel, transportation to Monaco, etc.

 

I guarantee that any other cruiseline would have done the exact same thing. Counselled him to immediately cancel his existing passport (for the reasons mentioned above), and to get a new one.

 

 

In fact, cancelling the old one is MORE IMPORTANT than getting the new one. The same way when your car is stolen...reporting it is about MORE THAN getting it back...it's about immediately disavowing possession of the car.

 

 

OP says that NCL provided them with an outbound phone to deal with their banks, the embassy, their credit cards, etc..... SHAME ON NCL. How dare they not be the least bit helpful. :confused::confused::confused:

 

As for them putting him ashore when he might not have had "a bean", I suppose they figured he'd be able to use Western Union, or a Credit Card....after all, he could afford to cruise with a family of 5.....

[travelling fools]

What a devastating thing to happen to you & your family on your vacation.

 

After reading this I am wondering should you take your passport with you or not when going ashore.

[steamboats]

However, a trip from Barcelona to Nice or Monaco is "domestic" so far as passports are concerned. There is no immigration border between the two; so far as immigration is concerned it would be like flying or cruising from New York to Miami. (Security requirements for ID when flying may pose a different problem, though, in both cases.)

 

Spain and France are both parties to the Schengen Agreement, so as you say a trip from one to the other by land or air is considered "domestic" and requires no passport, but because a cruise ship no doubt travels in international waters on its passage between the two countries, is it not possible that a passport is required for a cruise? You've technically left the Schengen area once you're in international waters. I'm no expert in the details of the Schengen Agreement, but this seems to be at least a possible explanation.

 

Although you might not need a passport when traveling within Schengen countries (and no, it doesn´t matter that you´re in international waters inbetween) you definitely need a proper ID. And I´m not talking about a US driver license which isn´t worth anything as ID in Europe. My German ID is valid for traveling within Europe and even Turkey. So for a Med cruise which does not go to any other country than those I won´t need a passport. My ID would be sufficent.

 

So if the person did not have any other legal ID the ship is not allowed to transport him even within the Schengen zone.

 

I´ve been on the Jade for a cruise out of Barcelona via Civitavecchia and Naples to Alexandria. The ship did keep our passports and I had my ID for leaving the ship in Civitavecchia and Naples with me. BTW they did tell us to take a valid ID with us although noboy ever asked for it when we reboarded.

 

If the OP had done her homework - meaning reading this board prior to her cruise - she should have known that Barcelona and Rome are both known for pickpockets. But blaming NCL for not informing her, sorry, not NCL´s fault!!

 

Sure, NCL could have offered assisstance by the port agent to help him getting a new passport and get to the next port. But all on his expenses.

 

steamboats

[njhorseman]

I have scanned my passports and emailed the copy to myself on a secured server. Anywhere in the world where there is internet access - there is a copy of my passport available to only me.

 

I hope this might be a helful tip.

 

 

It might make you feel better to have that, but in reality a copy of your passport will be of no use if you have to cross an international border. As long as you can establish identity at the local consulate you can get a replacement passport, and your drivers license or other ID will establish your identity.

[UKBayern]

It's a bit more complex than some people has stated.

 

Monaco is not a member of the EU , or a member of the Schengen agreement.

 

However it does share an open land border with France , so no passport is required by land.

 

I am not sure what the requirements are on a ship arriving from a Schengen country.

 

Monaco is de-facto part of the Schengen agreement, as Monaco is treated in that case as a part of France, since there is absolutely no border or anything with France. In fact, if you search on the internet, you find that it says "France immigration officials will check passports of cruise passengers (so not the Monegaskian authorities) who arrive from non-Schengen countries).

It seems very unfair that NCL did this to their passenger. This was truely unnecessary.

[UKBayern]

The ship did keep our passports and I had my ID for leaving the ship in Civitavecchia and Naples with me.

 

This is all very nice if you are German, and you have a Reisepass and a Personalausweis, but most nationalities do not have both ID cards and passports. The British don't for example. In most EU-countries, a driving license is in fact allowed as a means of identification, even a non-EU one.

[FLAHAM]

I would love to know why all of you always bash people who have different opinions than you who are obsessed with NCL. Why do you care if this is the first post? You had a first post at sometime too you werido.

 

 

Because the story doesn't ring true to some of us.

[mbisson]

I would love to know why all of you always bash people who have different opinions than you who are obsessed with NCL. Why do you care if this is the first post? You had a first post at sometime too you werido.

 

I saw a post or two about 'first post' which to me isn't bashing, but even if you consider it bashing, is that what you mean by "all of you"???

[mpk218]

Its hard for me to believe they would put him off with nothing but the shirt on his back and no guidance whats so ever. Seems a little fantastic.

[Mooder]

Its hard for me to believe they would put him off with nothing but the shirt on his back and no guidance whats so ever. Seems a little fantastic.

 

That's the part that surprises me as well. We have heard such great stories about the assistance NCL reps have given people who had to leave the ship for medical reasons, it is odd that they wouldn't do the same in this situation.

 

I feel for the OP, but I got the impression the main complaint was that they were not warned. It doesn't take much research to know that there are pickpocket problems in major European cities. But since that appears to be the primary complaint, I wonder if the rest of it wasn't exaggerated a bit ('cuz I know which part of the story would have been my primary concern and it would not be the lack of warning)?

[yorkiemomjn]

On some Mediterranean itineraries the ship actually holds all passsenger passports as they have to be made available to local officials upon docking. If the ship did not hold them, you would be required to get up at 5am or so to present your passport to the officials who must clear you to go ashore.

 

We cruised from Barcelona on an Oceania cruise this past April and we had to turn in our passports when we boarded the ship. They were returned to us on the last day of the cruise.

[bcakes]

When my sister and I went to Barcelona, Silversea made a special announcement regarding pickpockets. We had guys toting tour books and maps 'join' our walking tour group. What they didn't realize was that we all knew each other and that they stood out like sore thumbs. They quickly moved on as we all clutched our bags and gave them the hairy eyeball.

 

When my parents went to Prague, they were massed by kids and they got my Dad's wallet, even though he moved it from his back pocket to his front pocket. My mom, acted crazy and started flailing her arms and screaming. Luckily, they got no money from my dad, but they had a hassle cancelling their credit cards.

 

My mom got her wallet lifted in a supermarket in Copenhage. My sister got her wallet lifted in a supermarket in San Francisco. My friend got her wallet and passport lifted on the Metro in Paris. I got my wallet lifted on the bus in San Francisco. I got my wallet lifted at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta.

 

My point is that you can take precautions and still get pickpocketed.

 

Here's what I've learned:

 

1. Don't carry everything in one place. They might get my bank card, but they won't get my checkbook and license. They might get my Amex, but they won't get my bank card.

 

2. Keep your passport separate from your other stuff. Have copies. Give someone at home your passport info so they can advocate for you if something happens.

 

3. Don't take your whole financial life ashore with you. Take your room key, and 1 credit card. Do you really need all that other stuff?

 

4. No matter how prepared you are, at some point in your life, you'll probably be pickpocketed. Make it an inconvenience instead of a disasater.

 

These are great tips. Thanks for sharing. I have a tip of my own to add. I always include a line item in my vacation budget for emergencies, so that if something goes wrong I know I'll have funds for it. If no emergencies come up, my husband and I spend the emergency fund on a massage once we've returned home.

[browneyes7]

I just want to say that I am so sorry that this happened to you.

 

I, too, am sorry this happened to you. On one of our trips to Barcelona we decided to stop at a bakery to buy some bread. My husband was standing at the counter trying to decide what he wanted. A young woman next to him put her hand in his pocket. Luckily, he noticed it right away and slapped it away. She pretended that she was merely pointing to the bakery item she wanted.

 

You really do have to be very careful with your valuables. I use a small leather purse that I wear across my chest. I also have money in more than one place in case some of it is stolen. I usually put some euros in a pocket and then pin it with a safety pin to secure it. You must be especiallly careful on crowded trams and buses. We always ride local buses, trains, metros, etc.

 

Please don't let this keep you from traveling!

[browneyes7]

When my sister and I went to Barcelona, Silversea made a special announcement regarding pickpockets. We had guys toting tour books and maps 'join' our walking tour group. What they didn't realize was that we all knew each other and that they stood out like sore thumbs. They quickly moved on as we all clutched our bags and gave them the hairy eyeball.

 

When my parents went to Prague, they were massed by kids and they got my Dad's wallet, even though he moved it from his back pocket to his front pocket. My mom, acted crazy and started flailing her arms and screaming. Luckily, they got no money from my dad, but they had a hassle cancelling their credit cards.

 

My mom got her wallet lifted in a supermarket in Copenhage. My sister got her wallet lifted in a supermarket in San Francisco. My friend got her wallet and passport lifted on the Metro in Paris. I got my wallet lifted on the bus in San Francisco. I got my wallet lifted at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta.

 

My point is that you can take precautions and still get pickpocketed.

 

Here's what I've learned:

 

1. Don't carry everything in one place. They might get my bank card, but they won't get my checkbook and license. They might get my Amex, but they won't get my bank card.

 

2. Keep your passport separate from your other stuff. Have copies. Give someone at home your passport info so they can advocate for you if something happens.

 

3. Don't take your whole financial life ashore with you. Take your room key, and 1 credit card. Do you really need all that other stuff?

 

4. No matter how prepared you are, at some point in your life, you'll probably be pickpocketed. Make it an inconvenience instead of a disasater.

 

This is great advice!

[smeyer418]

How many times have there been discussions of whether to carry your passport ashore or not?

My opinion is well known. I have specifically cited Barcelona as an example.

I am sorry this happened to the Poster. I also think that NCL could have been more helpful.

I never carry my passport ashore unless I am required to...its too valuable to pick pockets among other reasons.

I have had copies accepted as ID(but not for flying).

I copy makes it easier to get a new one and I have emailed myself a photo copy as well.

 

I am sure this is not the first time someone passport has been taken ashore on an NCL cruise and NCL should have done more to help the person. But I am also aware that the authorities rely on NCL to make sure everyone has a passport and a violation could effect adversely all the other passengers....so its not an easy decision...so they blindly follow the rules.

[donaldsc]

Three comments

 

1) Does the fact that the people who may or may not have stolen your husband's passport were dark skinned have anything to do with your problem;

 

2) NCL customer service obviously sucks and there must have been a better alternative than putting him off;

 

3) Your post would have been much easier to read if you left a blank line between paragraphs

 

DON

[yukongold]

I would love to know why all of you always bash people who have different opinions than you who are obsessed with NCL. Why do you care if this is the first post? You had a first post at sometime too you werido.

 

I was thinking the same thing. You would think that someone who gets freebies enticing others to join a group cruise would be a little nicer and a little more tolerant.:rolleyes:

[lovesublime]

3 lefts do though ;)

Seriously, This thread has me thinking---Is it possible to get 2 passports (that way one is available as a 'backup')?

 

 

 

 

Yes, it's posssible, at least in the U.S. DH has three passports.

[Mooder]

I was thinking the same thing. You would think that someone who gets freebies enticing others to join a group cruise would be a little nicer and a little more tolerant.:rolleyes:

 

1. Not sure where you get that idea. If it exists, please sign me up. :rolleyes:

2. I'll repeat Mbisson's question, who is "all of you"? :confused: Most people here have been very sympathetic -- though some of us have questioned and discussed the details, which is natural on an open forum.

[Globaliser]

It might make you feel better to have that, but in reality a copy of your passport will be of no use if you have to cross an international border. As long as you can establish identity at the local consulate you can get a replacement passport, and your drivers license or other ID will establish your identity.

It isn't actually quite that black-and-white. Although I would never rely on being able to use a photocopy of a passport to fly internationally, it is far from unknown that people who have lost their documents are flown home internationally (across immigration borders) without a passport when one would normally be needed. I have friends to whom this has happened, although on business trips.

 

In this situation, if you have a photocopy of your passport, it couldn't hurt - although it remains more likely that you would be told to go to the nearest passport-issuing consulate to get an emergency document before flying home.

[Mooder]

Yes, it's posssible, at least in the U.S. DH has three passports.

 

Interesting. When I was issued a replacement passport years ago, I was warned not to use the lost one if it turned up or I'd be detained. But then, I supposed that's because it was reported lost and they would assume someone carrying it was not the proper owner. So, you got me wondering and I found instructions here http://www.ehow.com/how_5530057_obtain-duplicate-passport.html. I wonder if you have to have a "good" reason??? Can you tell us what sort of reasoning your husband had to give?

[Crusin6]

Probably someone who has read but not posted before. Story has the ring of truth to me.

If they have read but not posted...then they should have know this could happen