My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

[Shollow]

I must pass along my cousin's experience when we took our first cruise together. While packing before the cruise, she decided to take a bigger suitcase and when she did, left her birth certificate on the floor next to the old suitcase. After traveling from New Orleans out her to California the day before the cruise, she realized that she didn't have her passport. We called her mother and she confirmed that the birth certificate was on the floor of her bedroom. We tried to get it FedExed but no Saturday delivery is available in the area I live...so, her mother faxed her birth certificate to us. I found a notary and we took the notarized birth certificate with us to the port the next morning. She was still afraid they wouldn't take a notarized copy, but, lo and behold, the agent at the cruise terminal didn't even look at the birth certificate!!! We literally skipped onto the ship as we called everyone to let them know we got on the ship!! (It was a sight to see two forty somethings skipping onto the ship!!!)

 

I'manewbie, even though you weren't able to go with your family at the beginning of the cruise, you were able to meet up with them to enjoy the rest of your vacation together. I know you'll have a wonderful time!! I will be looking forward to your post upon your return.

[ripjerry95]

Oh that is terrible! I am sorry to hear it. Happy that u will make part of the cruise anyway

[West Aussie]

So happy to hear this is all working out well. What a terrible way to start your holiday.

Great that you have managed to keep

a good outlook on this , I'm sure in time you will be able to laugh about it.

Enjoy the time with your 3 favourite males :)

[leekel619]

I haven't read the whole thread yet so this may have been mentioned but THANK GOODNESS it wasn't one of the kids passports. Because at least two of you would have to buy plane tickets. This story is just like my yearly pre cruise nightmare. Thank you for sharing. Can't wait to read the rest and also check up on how it all worked out for you!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[fergusonvt]

My FIL (80's) has forgotten his on his last two cruises and had to have it Fedexed both times. I asked DH why someone who was traveling with him (BIL and SIL) just didn't keep it for him.

[Prnsessmoi]

So many great lessons in this post. ;)

 

Thank you for sharing! :D

[H82seaUgo]

I should be enjoying a sea day on the NCL Star right now with the rest of my family. A long awaited vacation' date=' planned to the most minute detail with help from the wonderful posters of cruisecritic. I say"should be" because I am writing this from a hotel room in Tampa. There is one detail that I did not double check. After xeroxing our passports, I idiotically left mine in the printer back home. I had the remaining three passports rubberbanded together and it appeared to be thick enough for all four. I handed them to the security man at the bottom of the escalator at the port in Tampa. He must have thought there were 4 also because he waved us on to the next check point. We made it through the metal detectors and were sent to Lattitudes check in - this is the point where we realized we were missing one passport - mine. At the time we thought we must have dropped it, since we thought the man at the escalator must have counted 4 passports. We spent 2 hours frantically tracing and retracing our steps even having husband and son walk back to Capital Parking (btw - they are fine and a real deal at the price they charge). When all the searching turned up nothing, I started to mentally retrace my steps to before leaving home. That's when I remembered the printer. We called a neighbor who has our key to go check, and sure enough it was there. UGGGHHHH! That's really not the word I want to type.

 

Time for plan B. The neighbor (who is a lifesaver and who has my undying gratitude) went to FedEx yesterday and shipped the passport - it should be here on Tuesday morning (fingers crossed) I now have an early Wednesday morning flight to Belize where I will meet my hubby and two sons - I will be too late for the cave tubing excursion but as long as I am showered with hugs when I see them, all will be well. They really knocked themselves out when looking for the passport - including looking through a trash can - I hope they can get enjoyment out of the first few days of their cruise and please go ziplining as planned in Roatan!!

 

I would like to take a moment to thank the NCL help desk at the Tampa Cruise Terminal - in particularly Monique. They have a tough job - I wasn't the only one with a document issue. When looking at the long line of check in counters - the help desk is the only one with a box of tissues - I for one needed them - my crying got ugly at times - but the help desk staff remained calm and gave us our options. If the next two days go as planned (please God) I will miss only one port day. All in all, if this is the worst thing that happens to me -my life has been pretty darn charmed.

 

So for all those obsessively compulsive cruise planners out there - take a moment to focus on documentation - without a passport the over the door plastic organizer, the oversized coffee thermal cup, the chocolate easter bunnies for the boys and the extra pair of sandals that match just one outfit...don't much matter.[/quote']

 

you pretty much described a recurring nightmare i have just before every sailing. i can't tell you how many times between home and the ship i check the documents i need to board.

 

good luck!

[woody73]

Brings new meaning to the saying, "Don't leave home without it."

 

Woody

[cathhduh]

cant wait to hear how fabulous your cruise was though! and how happy your boys were to see you!

[Prance94]

We where in Egypt in a hotel during our middle of our cruise, and i left our passport in the safe, lucky walking to check out i dropped the ticket from the passport. Thank you God, for reminding they where still at the hotel.

[Seago2]

Well, you're not a newbie any more, not after this nightmare! You're officially in the club:).

 

Hopefully by now the kids have shown you all around the ship.

 

Please do let us know how it all turned out!

[drumexpert510]

Doesnt she get back today... cant wait to hear how the rest of her vacation went..

[crusinmama06]

Doesnt she get back today... cant wait to hear how the rest of her vacation went..

 

Yep, today is the day :)

[Mrs. H.]

Aren't they driving from Tampa to Maryland?

[Suitcasefull]

Isn't this great? We're all anticipating her report after the awful start. A little community of those wishing her well all week and admiring her grace under pressure, now waiting as though for a good friend's return! Hope the rest of the trip was wonderful for them and brought treasured memories!

[che5904]

Isn't this great? We're all anticipating her report after the awful start. A little community of those wishing her well all week and admiring her grace under pressure, now waiting as though for a good friend's return! Hope the rest of the trip was wonderful for them and brought treasured memories!

 

It is comical. People are always talking about how posters bash other posters when someone has a different opinion or those responding that are expressing a different opinion.

 

But when the chips are truly down for a fellow cruiser, everyone responds with so much heart.

[jaja]

Can't wait to hear about her cruise!

And hoping it was just as wonderful as her attitude :D

[youngestof9]

I can't wait to hear!

[I'manewbie]

I posted my update as a new thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1610925

[NMLady]

I posted my update as a new thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1610925

 

THANKS for steering us to the update with your report. I'm so glad that you finally made it aboard and were reunited with your family.

[jints07]

I'manewbie.....was hoping to ask you a related question so as to potentially keep others on another thread out of a potentially similar or even worse situation. Was there ever a discussion of having someone fax you a copy of your birth certificate? Reason for asking is that some are insisting that merely a copy of a birth certificate is sufficient while others do not agree. Thought if you had gone down that path you could shed light for us because it certainly would beat guessing and then having someone find themself in a pickle.

[ladytravlr2]

I think that is everyone's worst nightmare of getting to the port and forgetting something vital for the cruise. You sure have a positive attitude. I can only imagine how some people would rant and rail about how it wasn't their fault and somehow blame the cruiseline...Bravo to you for being so kind.

[I'manewbie]

I'manewbie.....was hoping to ask you a related question so as to potentially keep others on another thread out of a potentially similar or even worse situation. Was there ever a discussion of having someone fax you a copy of your birth certificate? Reason for asking is that some are insisting that merely a copy of a birth certificate is sufficient while others do not agree. Thought if you had gone down that path you could shed light for us because it certainly would beat guessing and then having someone find themself in a pickle.

 

 

No one in Tampa suggested a fax birth certificate - I think we could have directed my neighbor to the folder where we keep the birth certificate, so if that simple solution was an option I wish someone would have mentioned it.

[jints07]

No one in Tampa suggested a fax birth certificate - I think we could have directed my neighbor to the folder where we keep the birth certificate' date=' so if that simple solution was an option I wish someone would have mentioned it.[/quote']

 

To put your mind at ease someone just confirmed that this would not have worked as NCL won't accept it. You did the best you could possibly have done :)

[I'manewbie]

To put your mind at ease someone just confirmed that this would not have worked as NCL won't accept it. You did the best you could possibly have done :)

 

 

Whew! I'm glad you posted the update - it does put my mind at ease - now for some sleep...