Pier runners and passports.

[Nars Glinley]

We've all seen videos of pier runners and we've all seen threads about the advisability of taking one's passport ashore. The justification for not taking a passport is that Carnival will open your safe (assuming that you keep it there) and if you miss the boat, your passport will be left with the port authority. I don't know if they clean out your safe and give everything to the port authority. I would hope that they would. I usually have a fair amount of cash in mine and if I were stuck in a foreign country, cash would come in very handy.

 

So how does this actually work? At 10 minutes before departure, does the captain (or some high ranking official) give the order to break into the safes and bring the contents to the gang plank? I would think that they would have to itemize it as well. And then right before pulling up the gang plank, do they give all the contents to someone on the pier? I've never seen anything like this happen but I admit that I haven't watched too closely.

 

Just curious. Anyone have any knowledge into the logistics of the situation?

 

As usual, WAGs are always welcome.

[Cruise-Crazy]

Never heard that one before.

 

Easy way to find out though :eek:

[Mary Ellen1]

We saw them doing this last November. There was one guy who hadn't made it back (they kept calling his name), and one of the ship's officers came off the ship with what looked like his passport, and handed it to what looked like one of the port agent guys.

 

I couldn't tell you if they also gave cash -- I'd think that would be a big liability, since the items pass through a few hands before they get to the poor guy who missed the ship. One would hope the guy had his wallet and a few credit cards...

[Bookbug53]

We've all seen videos of pier runners and we've all seen threads about the advisability of taking one's passport ashore. The justification for not taking a passport is that Carnival will open your safe (assuming that you keep it there) and if you miss the boat, your passport will be left with the port authority. I don't know if they clean out your safe and give everything to the port authority. I would hope that they would. I usually have a fair amount of cash in mine and if I were stuck in a foreign country, cash would come in very handy.

 

So how does this actually work? At 10 minutes before departure, does the captain (or some high ranking official) give the order to break into the safes and bring the contents to the gang plank? I would think that they would have to itemize it as well. And then right before pulling up the gang plank, do they give all the contents to someone on the pier? I've never seen anything like this happen but I admit that I haven't watched too closely.

 

Just curious. Anyone have any knowledge into the logistics of the situation?

 

As usual, WAGs are always welcome.

 

I have seen runners make it to the ship and the gangway pulled up after them. I have seen them pull the gangway, have some runners come up and they put it out and let them on. People have hired small boats and been brought out to the ship after it has left the pier and I have been on the Miracle when she returned to the pier and picked someone up (having just begun to pull away). I do not see how the logistics would work with them making a decision to empty someone's safe contents and leave their stuff behind. I have never seen someone handing a late arrival their personal belongings.

 

How could they take the chance that someone did make it on board undetected and Carnival pulling their passport, etc. and leaving them behind?

 

The idea that Carnival will take it upon themselves to pull personal belongings and documents and pile them on the pier is fairly far-fetched and opens them to a lot of legal hassles. Just my humble opinion.

Edited June 9, 2014 by Bookbug53

[tammi0916]

Last time we were in Grand Turk, we were late leaving by about 25 minutes. I had scheduled the Behind the Fun tour for later in the week and someone asked the captain about why we left late (we also left really late in St. Thomas) and he said that it took that long to get the person's passport out of his safe and sign the documents over to the port agent. He told us his responsibility was to the 3000+ passangers on board and not the one that didnt make it. I don't know about any thing else in the safe but they do open it and sign over the passport....we left that person behind!

 

As for St. Thomas we were about 45 minutes late and the same person asked why that was 45 mins and the other was only 25 min, and apparently the person that did not make it back on the ship was a 16 year old boy that whet shopping with out his parents (apparently got lost?!) and the Capt. said that he could not leave a minor in a foriegn port so he said to us - that it took that long for him to find the kids mother and tell her to pack her stuff and go find her son! Just as she was getting off the ship; he showed up! The Capt. was funny and said that again he had to worry about the people on the ship but since this was a minor he had to let his mother get off the ship (his father stayed on board with the other kids).

 

It was interesting to hear from the capt. how it all works.....

 

T

[Aplmac]

The idea that Carnival will take it upon themselves

to pull personal belongings and documents and pile them on the pier

is fairly far-fetched and opens them to a lot of legal hassles.

If you were the one being left behind

would you rather they left all your useful travel-stuff intact? in your cabin safe?

 

 

If it is deemed necessary

any of your travel-pertinent stuff is left in the secure care of their local Shipping Agent on shore

who you will be screaming at

and who regularly handles all cruise line hassles -including local disposal of dead bodies. :)

 

Yes, that happens too, in case you thought repatriating 'runners' were their biggest problem.

 

______________________________________

I know one of our local Shipping Agents:

you should hear the stories and the issues he's had to deal with, over the years. :)

 

.

[serene56]

Well-- how do they know you sailed with a passport vs a birth certificate.

and how do they know that you didnt take it with you??

[Aplmac]

Well-- how do they know you sailed with a passport vs a birth certificate.

and how do they know that you didnt take it with you??

All will be revealed when Security Officers enter your cabin safe! :)

 

.

[sparks1093]

Well-- how do they know you sailed with a passport vs a birth certificate.

and how do they know that you didnt take it with you??

 

The information is entered into the database when passengers check in.

[AnnaNimitee]

 

As for St. Thomas we were about 45 minutes late and the same person asked why that was 45 mins and the other was only 25 min, and apparently the person that did not make it back on the ship was a 16 year old boy that whet shopping with out his parents (apparently got lost?!) and the Capt. said that he could not leave a minor in a foriegn port so he said to us - that it took that long for him to find the kids mother and tell her to pack her stuff and go find her son! Just as she was getting off the ship; he showed up! The Capt. was funny and said that again he had to worry about the people on the ship but since this was a minor he had to let his mother get off the ship (his father stayed on board with the other kids).

 

It was interesting to hear from the capt. how it all works.....

 

T

 

Very interesting, indeed. Will they not leave a minor that is alone or any minor, period, even if with a parent/parents?

[Carnival_Brides]

Very interesting, indeed. Will they not leave a minor that is alone or any minor, period, even if with a parent/parents?

 

They said that they were making Mom debark the ship to find the minor--so they will leave a minor and adult in the port.

[seashinesunshine]

Very interesting, indeed. Will they not leave a minor that is alone or any minor, period, even if with a parent/parents?

 

There was a Carnival ship a few years ago where the mom left a minor on the ship in the Camp Carnival went ashore and missed the ship. Ship sailed, then came back because they can't travel with a minor and no parents. They had to wait until mom came back, I'm not sure how long that was.

[serene56]

The information is entered into the database when passengers check in.

 

Interesting-- but after my last cruise I do not believe that.

 

(last cruise they did NOT use my information that I checked in with)

[Brighton Line]

We had a table mate who got left behind, he knew he would miss the boat (Van broke down on non Cruise line tour) and called the port agent listed on the daily and instructed what to take out of the safe including a credit card.

[Nars Glinley]

All will be revealed when Security Officers enter your cabin safe! :)

 

.

 

Which leads to the question, do they just look in your safe or do they ransack the room looking for travel documents? I assume that they just look in the safe and if they don't find anything, they just assume that you have whatever you need with you.

 

I don't think that Carnival's leaving your passport/cash/credit cards etc would create to much of a legal liability for them (although I am not a lawyer). There is no doubt an itemized list everything that was turned over to the port authority. Like I said, I know that I'd want to have anything that might come in handy when stuck in a foreign country. A passport is at the top of that list and cash/credit cards are a close second.

[MicksMom]

Several years ago we were on The Conquest, docked next to the Valor. It was scheduled to leave an hour before us. We had binoculars & they definitely handed over passports & a wallet to an official. The 4 adults came running after the Valor left. They stood there talking with officials for some time, all pointing at their watches. They boarded our ship. Saw them waiting for the gift shop to open (they were all in swimsuits & cover-ups). They didn't look too happy.

 

This was our last port, I assume they had to find their own way from Galveston to Florida.

[sparks1093]

Interesting-- but after my last cruise I do not believe that.

 

(last cruise they did NOT use my information that I checked in with)

 

I don't mean on-line check-in, I mean check-in at the pier (and we may be referring to the same check-in, but wanted to clarify my meaning). All of our information was entered then and it would surprise me greatly if the ship did not have access to it (okay, maybe not greatly but it would surprise me).

[Hazelroo]

On the Liberty last year we were in Grand Turk and were waiting on a passenger who happened to be the brother of the woman in the balcony room next to ours. We were all out on our balconies watching and were talking with her. Someone from the ship gave a man on the pier a manila envelope…the girl said it was her brother's passport. Luckily for him he showed up just as we were getting ready to leave.

[jamesr3939]

See that's exactly the reason I never leave the ship.