Detained in Nassau with no help from cruise line.

[sfaaa]

1 hour ago, lbsaady said:

 This situation did not have to happen if we had been notified PRIOR to leaving the ship that we needed anything more than our SeaPass card. Very disappointed with Royal Caribbean’s handling of this. 

99.99% paasengers brought their IDs along or encountered no problem reboarding the ship at Nassau. How did they know about this but you didn't?

[Zendeck]

Ok here goes .... my experience on my last 6 cruises in as many years has been.... onshore 2 adults bring license and ship card and 3 kids just bring ship card.  And yes we left all 5 passports locked up in our room safes.  That is what was advised.  The major difference here was that our ship pass had our pictures on it.  So if RC does not have picture on sea pass.... what type of picture ID do people bring ashore for kids?

 

on a separate note...does the sea pass link to a computerized picture when making a purchase on board....?  

[reallyitsmema]

1 minute ago, Zendeck said:

Ok here goes .... my experience on my last 6 cruises in as many years has been.... onshore 2 adults bring license and ship card and 3 kids just bring ship card.  And yes we left all 5 passports locked up in our room safes.  That is what was advised.  The major difference here was that our ship pass had our pictures on it.  So if RC does not have picture on sea pass.... what type of picture ID do people bring ashore for kids?

 

on a separate note...does the sea pass link to a computerized picture when making a purchase on board....?  

 

You only need a picture ID for kids aged 16 and up, so most have a drivers license or permit.

 

There is a picture linked to your sea pass when making on board purchases.  

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, Zendeck said:

...does the sea pass link to a computerized picture when making a purchase on board....?  

Yes.

[Zendeck]

Perfect thank you ‘ reallyitsmema’ and ‘biker 19’!

[John Reid]

I can't speak to your experience, but in 25 cruises (most on RCCL) they have always announced it with any disembarking instructions. Additionally, it has always been printed in the Cruise Compass in the blurb about the next day's port. Can it be overlooked by new cruisers? Absolutely. Is it overlooked by the cruise lines? Never in my experience.

[vacationlover_mn]

OP- sorry you went through this.  Hopefully you will always check the planner in advance next time, before you go to a port.  This is not a Royal Caribbean thing, this is a cruise ship thing 🙂

[SakeDad]

It sounds like DS and DH were not allowed to go outside the shopping area while DW and DD went ahead to explore the port without them. Not sure why the DS & DH didn't just run back to the ship for their ID's. But knowing Nassau as well as I do I highly doubt "detained" is the correct word here. It conjures up images of them being taken to a back room covered in bamboo mats.

Hopefully the entire family can find some HUMOR in the lesson, laugh at dinner and move on to enjoying the rest of the cruise. If not then it's an unhappy family I wouldn't want to sail with in the future anyway. Life is too short to blame the world for our minor problems. 

[EmTeeNesters]

I have personally had that "brain fart" and forgot my ID (DH had his) in Nassau.  I realized it when I tried to get back into the terminal and was asked to step aside.  DH was smart enough not to leave me so he stood off to the side with me near the little "guard shack" there.  I was joined by another cruise passenger who had the similar situation.  We kinda kidded each other about being in the " naughty area". I told my DH to run on ahead and get my ID out of the safe and return with it.  But at that point, the security guard chose to compare our seapasses and my DH's ID and "released" us.  You only make that mistake once. 

[broberts]

3 hours ago, lbsaady said:

First time cruising with family. Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas allows us off the boat (in Nassau) after showing our SeaPass card but didn’t mention (as we exited or on the literature) that we would need our passports or photo ID to get OUT of the port shopping area. As a result, my husband and son were separated from me and my daughter because they didn’t have photo ID with them (my daughter and I happened to have our drivers licenses with us). There was no explanation as to where they were being taken. Our son was very anxious and scared. He is afraid to get off the ship in Haiti, the next port, where we have a planned excursion. This situation did not have to happen if we had been notified PRIOR to leaving the ship that we needed anything more than our SeaPass card. Very disappointed with Royal Caribbean’s handling of this. 

 

I take it son was 16 or older?

 

I'm curious, do son and husband typically leave your home without id?

 

 

[CoolNickname]

Rather than worry about what has already happened which is over and done, what about addressing the current problem?

 

Tell your son lesson learned. Of course they want him to get back on the ship. All he needs do is take his photo ID and keep it with him ready to present to prevent any future issues. Problem solved.

[Goofyfanatic]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

LOL. Judging by some of the replies, you'd think nobody has ever made a mistake before or have been unsure of the rules,

 

I've always taken photo ID with me. Last time in Grand Cayman, they did not check when I returned to the port area.

 

DISCLAIMER: I'm not advocating leaving your photo ID behind when in Grand Cayman.

 

I think the issue people are having is that they are upset that RCCL for not helping them. 

[mjkacmom]

32 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

I take it son was 16 or older?

 

I'm curious, do son and husband typically leave your home without id?

 

 

On our last cruise, while waiting to board, I said something to dd20 about her drivers license. She said that she didn’t bring it because she had her passport. We booked a jet ski excursion, and had 3 minors who had to go with a licensed adult. Fortunately, she volunteered to help check everyone’s ID’s and got away with it.

 

Went to the Statue of Liberty with the family, go to check in, ask ds20 for his driver’s license. He said he didn’t have it, he wasn’t driving. They actually let him pull up his Instagram account on their computer to verify his identity. 

 

Young adults dont don’t seem to get that if they have a drivers license, they should have it with them. Dd17 was next to kohl’s and I had an online order for her to pick up. Nope, no license (someone else drove). All of my kids now know to always have it on their person.

 

However, old timey adults should be in this habit.

[sfaaa]

This is not just a foreign port requirement. They also checked ID in Hawaii, Seattle and San Juan cruise pier among other places. Just like airport, cruise port is a security restricted area. No proper ID, no entrance. You don't need to be told.

[cruiseguy1016]

I think there might be confusion about not being able to get out of the shopping area. Here's my take on what happened. They got off the ship no problem because a photo ID is not required. I have never been asked for a photo ID to get off the pier to enter the shopping area. I have also never been stopped leaving the shopping area to wander around town. My guess is they made it off the ship, off the pier and through the shopping area to do whatever it was they had planned to do. The problem arose when they went back to the ship. They came from town and walked INTO the shopping area outside the pier. When they tried to get OUT of the shopping area, meaning onto the pier, that is when they were stopped. This is where everyone must show a photo ID, before they enter the pier. So, my guess is that the OP was stopped trying to leave the shopping area to get back on the pier.

 

I agree with everyone else that an announcement was made and it was written in the Compass but the OP chose not to pay attention.

[hannibal54]

On the back of your Sea pass card there is an emergency phone number that you can call for help.

[sparks1093]

15 hours ago, lbsaady said:

First time cruising with family. Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas allows us off the boat (in Nassau) after showing our SeaPass card but didn’t mention (as we exited or on the literature) that we would need our passports or photo ID to get OUT of the port shopping area. As a result, my husband and son were separated from me and my daughter because they didn’t have photo ID with them (my daughter and I happened to have our drivers licenses with us). There was no explanation as to where they were being taken. Our son was very anxious and scared. He is afraid to get off the ship in Haiti, the next port, where we have a planned excursion. This situation did not have to happen if we had been notified PRIOR to leaving the ship that we needed anything more than our SeaPass card. Very disappointed with Royal Caribbean’s handling of this. 

I don't recall ever having to show photo ID to get out of the port shopping area, but needed it to get back in. Every cruise line we've been on has specified what is needed and it appears that Royal is no different.

[whyrlygig]

This seems odd.  I have been to Nassau many times.  There are notices in the cruise compass and signs all over the place reminding pax to bring their ID (at every single port in fact).  

[Psycho and Barb]

What was the date of this cruise?

[bonsai3s]

We are onboard the Navigator.

We were at Nassau with 3 other ships...the port was quite crowded.

There was no requirement to show a photo ID to leave the gated port area.

There was no requirement for a photo ID to re-enter the gated port area...just your Seapass card.

A photo ID and your Seapass card were required at the second gate leading back to the ships.

Perhaps the improperly used word in the title "DETAINED", may have caused the confusion. No one was being detained at the port. We saw numerous passengers being instructed to go to the "military" booth so that security can confirm who you are using a ship's manifest.

I know...I was one of those who did not have the common sense to bring a photo ID...instead I chose to bring an "electronic" photo of my passport that was not accepted...my wife sarcastically said "I told you so!". (She brought her phto ID)

At the military booth, the Nassau security personnel asked to see our Seapass cards. Then asked my me "Is this your wife. do you have the same last name?" I said "Thi is my beautiful wife"...he let us through the gate.

(For the OP...welcome to Cruise Critic...We just checked the compass and there's no nention of bringing a photo ID.) I was stupid for thinking an "e" photo wiuld be accepted... again, No one was being detained. Happy sailing.

[robtulipe]

Those who are concerned about losing their current DL or other government ID I always use my previous to current, now expired  DL as my ID for port stops. I also could do the same with my Ontario Health card as port security only check that the photo and name on the ID card matches the name on your ship's card and it's a government issued ID.

I simply leave that expired DL card in the neck safe I always use to bring  cash,  a credit card and the ship's card when on our port stops.

Edited November 20, 2018 by robtulipe

[dcgrumpy]

3 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

I don't recall ever having to show photo ID to get out of the port shopping area, but needed it to get back in. Every cruise line we've been on has specified what is needed and it appears that Royal is no different.

Same here. I was in Nassau last week on Allure. We needed ID to get back in, not when leaving. Like a previous poster mentioned we didn't need it until we got to the second gated area with the bag scanners. 

 

I'm pretty sure they only asked for our Sea Pass in Costa Maya and Cozumel. We didn't leave the port area in Roatan.

 

 

Edited November 20, 2018 by dcgrumpy

[HBE4]

15 hours ago, Goofyfanatic said:

 

I think the issue people are having is that they are upset that RCCL for not helping them. 

 

I get that. I really do. The OP was definitely being a bit over dramatic but I chalked it up to them still being stressed out about a chaotic situation where there they were unsure of what to do next,probably plenty of commotion with upset children, thus feeling the need to lash out to someone/something.  Probably should have taken a deep breath and had a shot before posting.

 

Keeping in mind, this is their first port of their first cruse and first time posting in CC, I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

 

And while the majority of members gave helpful replies, a few of the experienced members were equally over dramatic in their less-than-helpful replies.  CC mods apparently agree as they have deleted those posts. 

 

Hopefully they can laugh about it today. It'll be a good story when they get home.

 

BTW Goofyfanatic - this is not directed at you. The post I wanted to reply to has since been deleted and this one was the closest to the subject matter.

 

 

[screenname2004]

I think the staff at the gangway as you walk off the ship also mention it every few seconds. However, if someone is talking to their family/group, the announcement can be missed.

[Goofyfanatic]

29 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

BTW Goofyfanatic - this is not directed at you. The post I wanted to reply to has since been deleted and this one was the closest to the subject matter.

 

 

No worries!