Boarding denied? Why?

[crazycooks]

My wife and I were denied just this week. Please do not pile on about how stupid we are. It was an Alaskan trip with one stop in Canada. I did research about passports and when I found that none were needed, I never considered that a birth certificate would be. Ya ya, we know now and the info is available, I honestly thought we were good to go. We were sent home, and trust me it is just an awful feeling. I signed up here to try and learn as much as I can before we try again next year. Please be gentle. Nobody feels worse or more ignorant than we do right now. As hard as it is for you seasoned cruisers to imagine, we showed up with two pieces of photo id and our boarding passes. Believe me, we already know how this could have been avoided now. This will certainly never happen again. Imagine the embarrassment of walking back out of the terminal with suitcases to get back in the car and drive home. 2012 vacation over before it began.

 

Lesson learned the hardest way.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[GlendaleCruiser]

about the McDonalds coffee case, I don't think people got worked up about the actual injuries, it was the 3 million in punitive damages (that were later reduced at appeal to something like $600,000) that got people up in arms. Her actual medical bills were around $12,000, so the burns were not as severe as "to the bone" would imply ... YES McDonalds should have paid the woman, they were clearly in the wrong, they were insulting with their original offer to settle, but $3 million? Hardly. I work for an insurance company and we just took some classes on punitive damages which is why this is fresh in my mind. Pay the medical bills, expenses, lost income etc and a "reasonable" settlement, (and FIX THE PROBLEM WITH THE PRODUCT!) and the problem goes away. Companies who get on their high horses and refuse to pay? You piss off the injured person and they get greedy.

 

Actually, her bills were between $18-20,000 and that was all that she asked for from McDonalds. They laughed at her and that's when she sued. They sold enough coffee in the US in 4 hours to pay her settlement.

 

http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm

[NoobCruise]

My wife and I were denied just this week. Please do not pile on about how stupid we are. It was an Alaskan trip with one stop in Canada. I did research about passports and when I found that none were needed, I never considered that a birth certificate would be. Ya ya, we know now and the info is available, I honestly thought we were good to go. We were sent home, and trust me it is just an awful feeling. I signed up here to try and learn as much as I can before we try again next year. Please be gentle. Nobody feels worse or more ignorant than we do right now. As hard as it is for you seasoned cruisers to imagine, we showed up with two pieces of photo id and our boarding passes. Believe me, we already know how this could have been avoided now. This will certainly never happen again. Imagine the embarrassment of walking back out of the terminal with suitcases to get back in the car and drive home. 2012 vacation over before it began.

 

Lesson learned the hardest way.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

I'm so sorry you missed your cruise! I can't imagine how horrible that must have felt :( I hope you try again so you can see Alaska. It is amazing!

[Steeler Nation At Sea]

My wife and I were denied just this week. Please do not pile on about how stupid we are. It was an Alaskan trip with one stop in Canada. I did research about passports and when I found that none were needed, I never considered that a birth certificate would be. Ya ya, we know now and the info is available, I honestly thought we were good to go. We were sent home, and trust me it is just an awful feeling. I signed up here to try and learn as much as I can before we try again next year. Please be gentle. Nobody feels worse or more ignorant than we do right now. As hard as it is for you seasoned cruisers to imagine, we showed up with two pieces of photo id and our boarding passes. Believe me, we already know how this could have been avoided now. This will certainly never happen again. Imagine the embarrassment of walking back out of the terminal with suitcases to get back in the car and drive home. 2012 vacation over before it began.

 

Lesson learned the hardest way.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

I feel for you! Please don't feel badly. It happens.

 

It reminds me of the first quick trip up to Niagara Falls with my kids after their father and I split and still before passports were needed to drive in to Canada. I had the birth certificates, but, it never occurred to me to get a letter from their father because he and I were both cool with travelling. The Canadian border agents were tough. We were pulled out of line and into the offices and the children, then 7, 10 and 11, were interviewed separately about our trip and plans. It was traumatizing, but, they did let us continue.

 

I have never travelled without permission letters since and ironically, with several trips outside the USA since, never been asked for it either!

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4

[paul929207]

I am so sorry. I feel awful for you.

[Seaworthy01]

My wife and I were denied just this week. Please do not pile on about how stupid we are. It was an Alaskan trip with one stop in Canada. I did research about passports and when I found that none were needed, I never considered that a birth certificate would be. Ya ya, we know now and the info is available, I honestly thought we were good to go. We were sent home, and trust me it is just an awful feeling. I signed up here to try and learn as much as I can before we try again next year. Please be gentle. Nobody feels worse or more ignorant than we do right now. As hard as it is for you seasoned cruisers to imagine, we showed up with two pieces of photo id and our boarding passes. Believe me, we already know how this could have been avoided now. This will certainly never happen again. Imagine the embarrassment of walking back out of the terminal with suitcases to get back in the car and drive home. 2012 vacation over before it began.

 

Lesson learned the hardest way.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

That is horrible, but an experience that I'm sure will never be forgotten and truly a lesson learned. That is why I am so adamant about my group having everything in order and more then they are required as far as documentation goes, I do not want anyone to be denied. This thread has been a very big help. Even though I am an experienced traveler still things can go wrong especially due to never ending changes in policies.

[jagsfan]

I hope you stay with Cruise Critic and have many wonderful cruises in your future. I have flown and cruised extensively but three weeks ago I luckily thought of my passport's expiration date. It was going to be only three months after flying to Vancouver and most countries require six months validity after your trip. I was surprised at my, for want of a better word, stupidity. I paid an extra $60 to expedite your renewal. I was fortunate to suddenly think, you weren't. It had to have been crushing, but you learned from it. Cruise Critic can give you information you didn't even know you needed, and help you anticipate your next cruise with even more pleasure.

[momofmeg]

There was not single thread regarding the individual mentioned in the article.

 

She was a frequent poster to these boards. Sometimes helpful but sometimes telling of her success in getting freebies from the cruise lines.

 

For another less sympathetic article on her Click Here. It has some Paul Harvey "rest of the story" information in it. (Like her profile listing her as a retired police officer when she was briefly a volunteer auxiliary officer.)

 

She did have her screen name changed here so finding her earlier posts is difficult.

 

Charlie

 

 

Back in 2007 when we took that transatlantic we had a couple on that cruse that had numerous petty complaints post cruise about Celebrity and I mean stupid things like the shower had a couple of cracked tiles (cracked tiles NOT mold) I remembered the wife posting that RCI would have treated them better but all Celebrity did was give them some on board credit on a future cruise and that she would stick with RCI in the future that Celebrity was not worth cruising for onboard credit.

 

The woman banned on RCI story came out a couple of years later. I always wondered if the complainer on my rollcall and this woman were one and the same.

[SeagoingMom]

My wife and I were denied just this week. Please do not pile on about how stupid we are. It was an Alaskan trip with one stop in Canada. I did research about passports and when I found that none were needed, I never considered that a birth certificate would be. Ya ya, we know now and the info is available, I honestly thought we were good to go. We were sent home, and trust me it is just an awful feeling. I signed up here to try and learn as much as I can before we try again next year. Please be gentle. Nobody feels worse or more ignorant than we do right now. As hard as it is for you seasoned cruisers to imagine, we showed up with two pieces of photo id and our boarding passes. Believe me, we already know how this could have been avoided now. This will certainly never happen again. Imagine the embarrassment of walking back out of the terminal with suitcases to get back in the car and drive home. 2012 vacation over before it began.

I am so sorry this happened to you and so glad you posted! I would not have had any idea that I would need to carry my birth certificate with me to travel to Alaska!!! I have cruised only three times, but I am that kind of person who thinks she knows everything once she's done it, and I might be the very person to skip reading all the documentation, and miss that info myself!!

 

I knew we needed passports for the Caribbean when we sailed, not really so much because our TA or the cruise line told us (thought I am sure they did) but because we sailed just after the time that the State Department started requiring Americans to have passports to get to Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean, even on closed circle (or what ever the term is) Caribbean cruises. It was in the news, so I was aware.

 

If you don't mind my asking (and if you do, please ignore the question) did you get your money back for the cruise?

[SeagoingMom]

I hope you stay with Cruise Critic and have many wonderful cruises in your future. I have flown and cruised extensively but three weeks ago I luckily thought of my passport's expiration date. It was going to be only three months after flying to Vancouver and most countries require six months validity after your trip. I was surprised at my, for want of a better word, stupidity. I paid an extra $60 to expedite your renewal. I was fortunate to suddenly think, you weren't. It had to have been crushing, but you learned from it. Cruise Critic can give you information you didn't even know you needed, and help you anticipate your next cruise with even more pleasure.

Sorry, I am not quite getting what you are saying here. Would you please try again, for me? Are you saying that some countries require you to have had your passport for months before you can use it to get into their country?

 

If that is what you are saying, I am incredibly glad you posted. I would have had absolutely no idea about that and would never think to check. (I am doing well to remember to check that my passport hasn't already expired!)

[NoobCruise]

Sorry, I am not quite getting what you are saying here. Would you please try again, for me? Are you saying that some countries require you to have had your passport for months before you can use it to get into their country?

 

If that is what you are saying, I am incredibly glad you posted. I would have had absolutely no idea about that and would never think to check. (I am doing well to remember to check that my passport hasn't already expired!)

 

Some countries require that your passport be good 6 months AFTER your trip, not before. That way, if something happens (major hospitalization, just as an example) and you end up stuck in their country for awhile, your passport is still good.

[1025cruise]

I am so sorry this happened to you and so glad you posted! I would not have had any idea that I would need to carry my birth certificate with me to travel to Alaska!!! I have cruised only three times, but I am that kind of person who thinks she knows everything once she's done it, and I might be the very person to skip reading all the documentation, and miss that info myself!!

 

I knew we needed passports for the Caribbean when we sailed, not really so much because our TA or the cruise line told us (thought I am sure they did) but because we sailed just after the time that the State Department started requiring Americans to have passports to get to Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean, even on closed circle (or what ever the term is) Caribbean cruises. It was in the news, so I was aware.

 

If you don't mind my asking (and if you do, please ignore the question) did you get your money back for the cruise?

 

Actually, a birth certificate and photo ID is sufficient for a closed loop Caribbean cruise. However, if you have a passport, bring it for Alaska as well.

 

With regards to the money, while I am sorry about what happened to the poster, I don't think they got a penny back. The cruise lines are very specific that proper documentation is the passenger's responsibility. In addition, I don't think travel insurance will cover this one either.

[LH25]

Actually, a birth certificate and photo ID is sufficient for a closed loop Caribbean cruise. However, if you have a passport, bring it for Alaska as well.

 

I'm getting paranoid as our cruise gets closer, so I have a question. If we have our passports, we don't need copies of our birth certificates? We both have passports that don't expire for a few years yet, and will bring those along with our drivers licenses, and credit cards we put on our booking. Are we OK? We leave from and return to Seattle.(adding we are going to Alaska)

 

I just have this nightmare of the ship (and our 8 friends cruising with us) leaving as we wave from the pier...

:(

[Gloria Mundi]

As hard as it is for you seasoned cruisers to imagine, we showed up with two pieces of photo id and our boarding passes.

 

Not hard to imagine at all. The Canadian border used to be a lot simpler until just a few years ago, and when these things change it's not exactly front-page news. Hang around on boards such as this with frequent tarevlers and you'll learn a lot!

[sparks1093]

I'm getting paranoid as our cruise gets closer, so I have a question. If we have our passports, we don't need copies of our birth certificates? We both have passports that don't expire for a few years yet, and will bring those along with our drivers licenses, and credit cards we put on our booking. Are we OK? We leave from and return to Seattle.

 

I just have this nightmare of the ship (and our 8 friends cruising with us) leaving as we wave from the pier...

:(

 

You are perfectly fine with the passports. Some people will bring copies of their birth certificates or have them available as a back up but the majority probably do not (the back up would only be needed should something happen to your passport).

[NoobCruise]

I'm getting paranoid as our cruise gets closer, so I have a question. If we have our passports, we don't need copies of our birth certificates? We both have passports that don't expire for a few years yet, and will bring those along with our drivers licenses, and credit cards we put on our booking. Are we OK? We leave from and return to Seattle.(adding we are going to Alaska)

 

I just have this nightmare of the ship (and our 8 friends cruising with us) leaving as we wave from the pier...

:(

 

Your passport and DL are fine. You don't need BCs too.

[98Charlie]

Your passport and DL are fine. You don't need BCs too.

If you have a passport then the DL is not needed.

 

DL is used in conjunction with the BC to prove that you are the one named on the BC.

 

Charlie

[jagsfan]

Your passport is the only identity document you will ever need. It is a government issued photo ID, it is proof of citizenship.

You should carry a color copy of the page with your picture and passport number. I keep one in my carry on. If you lost your passport outside the US, it would facilitate getting an emergency one.

[NoobCruise]

If you have a passport then the DL is not needed.

 

DL is used in conjunction with the BC to prove that you are the one named on the BC.

 

Charlie

 

True, but we always have our DL on us regardless. We do have to drive to the airport or port.

[98Charlie]

True, but we always have our DL on us regardless. We do have to drive to the airport or port.

Same here. Just clarifying that it's not needed to board ship at embarkation.

 

Charlie

[paul929207]

We leave our passports in the safe on the ship and take our DL ashore. A lot less hassle replacing a DL than a passport. Especially if you are out of your native country.

[jsmeeker]

Sorry, I am not quite getting what you are saying here. Would you please try again, for me? Are you saying that some countries require you to have had your passport for months before you can use it to get into their country?

 

If that is what you are saying, I am incredibly glad you posted. I would have had absolutely no idea about that and would never think to check. (I am doing well to remember to check that my passport hasn't already expired!)

 

Maybe not for MONHTS prior to arriving, but if you need to apply for a visa that is attached/stamped into the passport, then you obviously need a valid passport so you can send it off to the embassy/consulate to obtain the visa then get your passport back.

 

This process CAN take some time. So plan accordingly if your situation warrants it.

[Treven]

I'm getting paranoid as our cruise gets closer, so I have a question. If we have our passports, we don't need copies of our birth certificates? We both have passports that don't expire for a few years yet, and will bring those along with our drivers licenses, and credit cards we put on our booking. Are we OK? We leave from and return to Seattle.(adding we are going to Alaska)

 

I just have this nightmare of the ship (and our 8 friends cruising with us) leaving as we wave from the pier...

:(

Your passports are Federal IDs, they trump everything, you don't need to bring any other piece of ID unless you are planning on renting a car someplace.

[CPT Trips]

Your passports are Federal IDs, they trump everything, you don't need to bring any other piece of ID unless you are planning on renting a car someplace.

 

You are totally correct, but you would be surprised at how many Airport Security Screeners ask for my DL after I hand over my passport. :(

[paul929207]

You are totally correct, but you would be surprised at how many Airport Security Screeners ask for my DL after I hand over my passport. :(

I am surprised they ask you for a DL. I have never been asked for one when I present my passport. Even if I am on a strictly domestic flight.