Denied Boarding

[njhorseman]

This is on Royal Cribbean website....

 

 

You MUST have one of the following:

 

 

• A valid United States or Canadian passport. For additional United States passport information visit the United States Department of State travel information website or the Passport Canada website.
  

 

 

- OR -

 

 

• Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) or Trusted Travel Documents. Click here for a list of all approved documents.
  

 

Exceptions:

 

 

• United States citizens on cruises that begin and end at the same port in the United States can use a government-issued picture ID (i.e. driver's license) AND a government-issued birth certificate or original Naturalization Certificate.
  
• Minors under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original government-issued, original or certified copy of his or her birth certificate; a Consular Report of Birth Abroad Issued by DOA; or Certificate of Naturalization issued by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
  

 

Not sure why you're quoting the Royal Caribbean web site on the NCL board and the OP was talking about an NCL cruise, but in any event you can find similarly-worded information on NCL's site. Once again,please note that no mention is made of a need for the BC to be issued by the state, which seems to be the issue you're concerned about. As cited above, it only has to be government-issued.

[GeneD]

My Mom has a Certificate of Birth with a raised seal but no parent information on it. The new regs state that the parents names have to be on the BC. I had her send for a new BC and her parents are on the new one. Luckily we found this out as she was going to use this old BC and her drivers licence. Tomorrow I am taking her to the post office to submit her passport application so whe will be good to go with no problems.

[njhorseman]

My Mom has a Certificate of Birth with a raised seal but no parent information on it. The new regs state that the parents names have to be on the BC. I had her send for a new BC and her parents are on the new one. Luckily we found this out as she was going to use this old BC and her drivers licence. Tomorrow I am taking her to the post office to submit her passport application so whe will be good to go with no problems.

 

FYI, the regulation requiring the parents name on the BC is for passport applicants. DHS has never changed its closed loop cruise birth certificate regulation to require that information. Two different government departments (State vs DHS) and two separate regulations.

[sdmike]

Why on Earth would you travel without a passport?!

Dont people realise that they are travelling abroad?! HELLO! The Caribbean is not USA:rolleyes::eek:

Just plain stupid to travel without a passport and the cruiselines should forbid it as should the various Caribbean Islands.

 

[poolreader]

I met someone who was going with his daughter on a cruise due to Make-A-Wish. He found out a very short time before, maybe one week. He did not make the arrangements, they did. My guess is the foundation was waiting for her to be well enough to travel. Perhaps if you too had a child with cancer you might miss a little fine print.

[Charles4515]

I think the cruise lines would save everyone a lot of grief if they just implemented their own policies requiring passports on ALL cruises, closed loop or not. It makes it all so much simpler.

 

My guess is that the vast majority of people don't get passports because they don't want to pay for them. Seriously? You spend hundreds if not thousands on a vacation and you can't buy a $100 passport which doesn't expire for many years? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

The cruise lines are responsible for the exception that allows for birth certificates. They lobbied for it out of fear that the cost of getting a passports would lose customers who would not expend for a passport.

 

I agree that not having one for foreign travel does not make sense. If anyone needs to fly back because of an emergency, and emergencys do happen, they can't do it. Also a valid passport is the document that is going to be accepted without a problem. Using the birth certificate and gov. ID is not as safe.

[Charles4515]

I met someone who was going with his daughter on a cruise due to Make-A-Wish. He found out a very short time before, maybe one week. He did not make the arrangements, they did. My guess is the foundation was waiting for her to be well enough to travel. Perhaps if you too had a child with cancer you might miss a little fine print.

 

I think Make-A-Wish is great but as part making the wish come true they should make sure all documents are in order. They should know the fine print for the families.

[lambchoplady]

I suspect that someone at Make-a-Wish was able to pull some strings to get the passport issued.

[Charles4515]

I suspect that someone at Make-a-Wish was able to pull some strings to get the passport issued.

 

I suspect you are correct!

[Alg63]

My thoughts? Something is definitely wrong with this story. Are you sure he didn't already have a passport and someone overnighted it to him from home?

You can get an "emergency passport" within a couple of hours in most cities/countries that have a US embassy or consulate ..

They are generally valid for 3 months and look exactly like a real passport. Often times these are issued with ZERO documentation because the traveler had everything stolen or lost all their docs, credit cards etc.

 

So although the story sounds odd .. The story of having a passport issued so quickly is not.

[punkincc]

Why I am responding to your snarky response I am not exactly sure.

 

Everything was done through the Make-A-Wish Foundation because their youngest daughter has a brain tumor and the travel agency took care of everything for them.

 

If the unfortunate fact that their daughter has a medical issue is supposed to make me feel bad about my statement, it is not working. Thank goodness she still got her trip.

 

Are you saying the TA did not inform them of the requirements for travel? It is listed on the information I have gotten on every cruise I have booked.

[rbrugler]

I would NEVER ever even consider taking a cruise without my passport. Never. EVER! :eek:

 

I am with you, VV. And, I always take a certified copy. It just gives me peace of mind.

[camz]

In any event, it is a shame this family had to go through this chaos. Obviously, they did not know or understand what documentation was necessary. After all, no one would intentionally go through this whole ordeal. I am very sorry the family had to go through this and hope that after all was straightened out they had an amazing cruise.

[toyotaford]

I'm officially freaking out. My cruise leaves in less than 3 weeks and I THINK 2 of the 3 kids BC are "hospital" issued. I'm going home right now to check and then order new ones priority handling!!

 

Thank you for the important info!!

I'm not sure how your state handles it but in Louisiana if you were born in the state you can go to any health unit and get a certified copy of your birth certificate while you wait. We bring employees on a trip every year and we strongly encourage passports but there is always someone who doesn't have one and we have done this many times. Also, they do not have a raised seal and that is not a problem. They actually are just the size of a drivers license.

[ClaireAndMike]

We went ahead and got passports just to be on the safe side and I'm so glad we did. I can't imagine showing up and being denied. What a bummer. I must be getting older and "wiser" but it seems I'm always way over-prepared now but I guess that's better than the alternative.

[put me on a ship]

FWIW, we are going through this with my sister right now. I called the cruise line, and as long as the birth certificate came from the Dept of Vital Statistics, it is fine, whether county, city or state issued. Regardless, we will attempt to get her a passport in time for our cruise. (Right now, the BC she has is not acceptable for a passport, because it does not have parents names on it!)

[CGBCruiser]

I get that it's upsetting to be denied boarding, but the rules are laid out on their website and EDocs, your friend should be upset at himself for not reading them instead.

 

The government doesn't run NCL, it's their right to come up with rules that their passengers must follow.

 

I don't think NCL makes the rules about the birth certificates. I think that these are government rules that have to be followed. It wasn't that long ago that the US was going to make everyone use a passport even on closed loop sailings. There was a huge rush to get passports and then, voila, they changed their mind and now they continue to allow certified birth certificates along with photo ID to be used in closed loops sailing out of the US. One way sailings do require a passport!

[Medtech2]

I'm officially freaking out. My cruise leaves in less than 3 weeks and I THINK 2 of the 3 kids BC are "hospital" issued. I'm going home right now to check and then order new ones priority handling!!

 

Thank you for the important info!!

We found out the hard way that the hospital we used issued a "short form" government BC card, instead of the regulation long one needed for a passport. My husband had to drive to the state capital because we did not have the time to wait when we found out. It is outrageous to me that the hospital still issues something that is essentially useless. It would have been nice if they were filing whatever it is they do for a BC that they had explained to us the difference and given us the option to pay whatever extra it was to get the long one.

[ksimpso3]

My 23 year old daughter lost her passport in March. I told her for months to apply for new one, especially after we booked our cruise in May. Well...she put it off (as she tends to do with most things;)). Anyway, I realized she wasn't going to do anything on her own, so beginning of November, got her picture and birth certificate together and told her to bring it to town hall. She did. Since our cruise was January 6, I was hoping we would get passport in time. However, we got a letter in December stating passport picture was unacceptable. She yelled at me (I provided picture after all so it HAD to be my fault right??:(). Long story short, we called 2 weeks before (like it states to do on website) but they were of no help...just stated what I could already read on website (passport is processing). Let it go til 1 week before, but still no passport...so called again but same answer. Then she got a letter the Monday before our cruise stating new picture wasn't acceptable either!! Ugh! Now what?? They have her official birth certificate! So...2 days before we left for Tampa, she went to the city hall and got a duplicate certified birth certificate!! Should have listened to mom months earlier!!! She got quite an earful from dad too.

I told her "guess you'll just have to stay with gramma and grampa for the week while we're on the cruise".(my dad lives in Tampa....she wasn't amused!) It was a lot of aggravation for no reason(other than she's a young girl who still doesn't think her mom knows anything:)). It all worked out, but she would have been in trouble if something happened to her while off the ship with no passport. KIDS!!!:eek:

[dutchess43]

I am happy that it all worked out for the family & they could finally go on a much deserved vacation. I for one am glad I have a passport & never travel without it even it I am flying domestically therefore reducing problems. I took my GS on a closed loop cruise last Feb & DD & SIL made sure that the 4 yr old got a passport it's better to be safe then sorry. I also feel whether it's a close loop cruise or not stepping outside the US you should have a passport it would prevent a lot of hassles.

[Jasalth]

My 23 year old daughter lost her passport in March. I told her for months to apply for new one, especially after we booked our cruise in May. Well...she put it off (as she tends to do with most things;)). Anyway, I realized she wasn't going to do anything on her own, so beginning of November, got her picture and birth certificate together and told her to bring it to town hall. She did. Since our cruise was January 6, I was hoping we would get passport in time. However, we got a letter in December stating passport picture was unacceptable. She yelled at me (I provided picture after all so it HAD to be my fault right??:(). Long story short, we called 2 weeks before (like it states to do on website) but they were of no help...just stated what I could already read on website (passport is processing). Let it go til 1 week before, but still no passport...so called again but same answer. Then she got a letter the Monday before our cruise stating new picture wasn't acceptable either!! Ugh! Now what?? They have her official birth certificate! So...2 days before we left for Tampa, she went to the city hall and got a duplicate certified birth certificate!! Should have listened to mom months earlier!!! She got quite an earful from dad too.

I told her "guess you'll just have to stay with gramma and grampa for the week while we're on the cruise".(my dad lives in Tampa....she wasn't amused!) It was a lot of aggravation for no reason(other than she's a young girl who still doesn't think her mom knows anything:)). It all worked out, but she would have been in trouble if something happened to her while off the ship with no passport. KIDS!!!:eek:

 

I had almost a similar situation happen to me! Though my son was a lot younger! It was during the time when they said that Passports would be MANDATORY for cruises, then changed their minds.

 

He was only 7 (I think at the time). Get mine, my husbands and our 3 yr old don't passports, none of my 7 year old. Call them, find out there is a problem with his birth certificate and the parents on it. I spent 5 MONTHS arguing with them. Sending in my information, 4 copies of his birth certificate, marriage certificates, change of name for SS# for when I was married, everything that could possibly be though of! The whole time "We still don't have enough proof you are his mother" because the 1st copy of his birth certificate had Michelle Anonymous as my name since I was not married at the time.

 

Finally ended up having to call a State Representative for help, we had no other place to turn! His secretary had the passport in our hands less than a week later! Thankfully we started the passport process almost 7 months before the cruise!

[maggie cruises]

My thoughts? Something is definitely wrong with this story. Are you sure he didn't already have a passport and someone overnighted it to him from home?

 

that sounds realistic.

 

and I always say that we never get the correct stories in cases like this....a little more proding and we will undoubtedly find the real story here! LOL

[maggie cruises]

I am 100% positive he did not have a passport.

 

The BC was the hospital issued one and it did have a raised seal on it. But it was not issued by a government agency.

 

I am fully aware of what is required for cruising as we have done so many times, but this was their first time and thought what they had was what they needed. They were a group of 15 people and only one didn't have the right BC. (The rest of the group boarded because all but 4 of their 10 children and 2 grandchildren are adults.)

 

I just don't understand how he was issued a passport with it when it wasn't the "right" BC. Maybe he did get lucky, or maybe they felt sorry for him, I don't know! But when he was told that NCL should have let him board with it, he was not happy.

 

and what was NCL's response to being told they were wrong?

[maggie cruises]

Unfortunately the family thought they had the right documentation. I'm sure this happens much more than we hear about. One thing the mom is most frustrated with is that they did not require passports to begin with. They were a family of 15 cruising and the cost of passports would have been enormous, but they would have gotten them if they were required.

 

I'm sorry that you don't find the story to "jell". No one is not telling the truth. This is a family with 10 children between the ages of 8 and 26. They have been on exactly one family vacation their entire lives. The youngest was diagnosed with a brain tumor and the Make-a-Wish Foundation sent them on this once-in-a-lifetime vacation. They simply did not know, they were doing what they were told to do, and have absolutely no information other than what their TA, NCL, and the State Department have told them. The BC was accepted and a passport issued, so either they took it as it was and figured NCL should have also, or he was able to produce another secondary document. No one is changing the story.

 

ah...more info

[maggie cruises]

Ordinarily the State Department only issues emergency passports for humanitarian reasons and bona fide emergencies (as I understand it)- you just mentioned a humanitarian reason that could have caused the State Department to issue an emergency passport as an exception to the rules.

 

once all the details emerge......

 

as I always say...we never get the entire story until several posts in