So if you get left at a port ....

There was a true story posted on here a year of so ago. A husband/father was late in returning to the ship and by the time he arrived at the pier, the ship was gone. The port agent was waiting for him however but did not have his passport. The agent took him to a hotel for the night near the US Consulate because of the time of day he had to wait until morning. He had a copy of his passport and appeared at the Consulate as soon as it opened. He was able to get a temporary passport but then had to wait another day before flying to the next port. Luckily he had credit cards to pay for what he needed. So sometimes the tardy pax's passport is not given to the ship's agent. Always at least carry a copy so if needed one can get a temporary passport IF there is a US Consulate/Embassy in that port.

If it's found its always given to the port agent along with any medications.

There was a true story posted on here a year of so ago. A husband/father was late in returning to the ship and by the time he arrived at the pier, the ship was gone. ........................

FWIW, One more time (third time to post it on this thread), here is the link to that story: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2121215

FWIW, One more time (third time to post it on this thread), here is the link to that story: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2121215

Must be 2 different stories, a passenger that has a passport (copy) and one that never applied for one.

Must be 2 different stories, a passenger that has a passport (copy) and one that never applied for one.

Could be. Whatever, the moral is don't miss the ship's departure. A very big hassle if you do.

And have you fully considered what would happen if you are pickpocketed or robbed ashore (or just careless) and you lose your passport?

 

Given some of the reports I've heard on Mediterranean cruises, many more people lose their documents to pickpockets than miss the ship and need their passport.

 

(Besides which it has been confirmed to me that passport that are either left in one's safe or -- in some cases -- are being held by Princess will be left with the port agent if one does not turn up before sailing.)

Of course anything can happen and we can make up all kinds of scenarios. First off, I'm not so careless as to lose my passport so that's not really a concern for me. When I first traveled overseas the state department recommended that you carry your passport with you at all times. I have always followed that recommendation when in a foreign country. Canada (I am a US citizen) would be the exception. I leave a copy of my passport and travel documents with a family member and a copy stays in my hotel room or cabin.

Pickpockets are an issue in other places as well. I usually use a waist pack (worn in front) or a small cross body bag. I did have a gypsy girl on a crowded train in Rome try to unzip my waist bag. She was pretty obvious and was looking at me. I hope she still has my fingernail marks in her hands! Point is, I'm no immune to it but I'm also very careful and do things to protect my passport. In this case, I was wearing a money belt inside my clothing.

Considering that my post was my opinion, I still stand by it. Certainly didn't intend to ruffle anyone's feathers. I also don't leave my home without identification. Doesn't matter if I'm driving or not. I always have my license with me for many of the same reasons. But whatever you opt to do, I wish you safe travels.

.... I also don't leave my home without identification. Doesn't matter if I'm driving or not. I always have my license with me for many of the same reasons. But whatever you opt to do, I wish you safe travels.

But a stolen driver's license isn't worth thousands of dollars on the black market, so your equivalency example is not too convincing.

I had a co-worker who traveled internationally several times per year who was robbed of her purse, wallet, watch (yes, this was before smartphones) and passport somewhere in Spain. The hassle of replacing her passport was manageable. What was especially troublesome was when her stolen passport was used to enter a foreign country to commit a crime. THAT problem dogged her for years!

I'll take my chances with a photocopy of my passport, knowing at all times that the original it is safely stored in the safe in case I need to retrieve it for whatever reason. If it gets stolen, lost or robbed, you will never know where it is, or for what purposes it will be used, all the while being associated with you.

I am enjoying this post but what happens if the passenger's passport is not in his safe? Maybe hidden in his luggage? Will they rummage through your stuff? Plus a lot of people do not travel with passports. Klfhangr's post about missing the boat is really eye-opening and scary.

This may sound like a rather dumb question. But if you have missed the ship and it is heading out to sea, how do they get the contents of your cabin safe to the post agent since the ship has left the port?

They know before they sail who is not on board. Have you ever heard announcements before sailing for so-and-so to please call the Passenger Services Desk at extension 6000? They're looking for the folks who are not checked back on the ship.

Security will get documents from your cabin safe before sailing and provide them to the port agent.

I am enjoying this post but what happens if the passenger's passport is not in his safe? Maybe hidden in his luggage? Will they rummage through your stuff? Plus a lot of people do not travel with passports. Klfhangr's post about missing the boat is really eye-opening and scary.

They will only search your safe, or make a quick look around the cabin in case it is out in the open. They will not "rummage through your stuff".

The people who do not travel with passports can only do so on closed loop cruises. These generally leave from a US port, visit nearby ports, and return to the same port. Caribbean cruises are a good example. While passports are not absolutely necessary for these cruises, the risk is what may happen if they do get left behind. In many, but not all, cases the stranded passenger will need a passport to leave the foreign port or enter another country where they may be able to catch up with the ship. They will almost certainly need a passport to re-enter the US if flying home after being stranded.

Getting a passport on the various Caribbean islands may not be easy. Most of these do not have an american consulate to assist in obtaining a new passport. The nearest one may be hundreds of miles away.

OMG! Relax! It's okay. Carry what you wish and travel safely.

Oh, I am perfectly relaxed. I keep my passport safely secured in my safe, and carry a photo copy at all times. I always know where my passport is if I need it. I never fear losing it by dropping it, being robbed, or being pick-pocketed. Most countries do not require you to carry your passport at all times. They only require it to enter their country. If not required, I do not carry it. I have other identification documents on me that will suffice until I can retrieve my passport if necessary.

Besides, in some cases the ship will take your passport and hold it while you visit some ports. This is due to the requirements of those countries. If it is perfectly acceptable to go ashore without your passport in those cases, it is perfectly acceptable to do the same in other countries that don't require you to carry it.

This is a forum for people to share experiences and opinions. There is no need to get snarky if someone has a different experience or opinion than you do. :rolleyes:

Years ago we were on a ship sponsored excursion (Swim with the Dolphins) so my 2 young kids, wife and I were all wearing bathing suits / t-shirts flip-flops. Didn't take the passports and had about $20 bucks with me. Bus broke down on the way back so we didn't get back to port until shortly after the actual departure time. They waited, we boarded and they pulled up the gangway behind us. I don't think they would have waited if it was an independent tour.

Ever since then the passports come with us as well as some cash and the port contact information. We split up the cash into various bags / hiding places and I carry the passports in a water tight bag in my cargo shorts zippered pocket.

We are always "prepared" to be left behind and hope it never comes to it. It would have been a disaster had it happened that day the bus broke down. Maybe the port authority would have helped us but I wasn't aware of who to contact or where to go with 2 young kids in tow.

Besides, in some cases the ship will take your passport and hold it while you visit some ports. This is due to the requirements of those countries. If it is perfectly acceptable to go ashore without your passport in those cases, it is perfectly acceptable to do the same in other countries that don't require you to carry it.

 

It is not a requirement of any country that the ship holds the passports.

However, many countries want to inspect the passports and will put entry/exit stamps in them.

By the ship keeping them all, the passengers do not have to line up each time a new country is reached to have their passports inspected and stamped.

It is not a requirement of any country that the ship holds the passports.

 

However, many countries want to inspect the passports and will put entry/exit stamps in them.

 

By the ship keeping them all, the passengers do not have to line up each time a new country is reached to have their passports inspected and stamped.

Perhaps "a requirement" were the wrong words. However, the ship does take your passport at times to expedite the country's requirements for passport information, sometimes for several countries visited in a row. The ship will have the passport in their possession, and we won't. But, we seem to be just fine without them in those cases. The point I was making is the worry about not having a passport while ashore is often unfounded since in some cases it has been taken from us and we still go ashore without them. Not a major issue, just providing information.

Wow...sorry I started off this whole thing! I was genuinely interested in what to do if left behind. The man's lost about being left in Bahamas was a scarey read

My friend is nervous about this so we want to be fully prepared "just incase" though it this rate I can't see us going more than 1 hr away from the port...which is super hard in south East Asia

I'm not into huge group tours so we will have a read think.

.thanks again

I read a story somewhere of a HAL ship that was calling at a Swedish port last summer and had to call off tendering operations early due to a sudden change in the weather. The ship wasn't even able to retrieve the tenders and several hundred passengers will still ashore. HAL chartered some local coaches to take the passengers to Copenhagen by road to meet the ship which was due to dock there that evening and the tenders returned to the harbour to refuel and then made the voyage to Copenhagen in convoy under their own power. I presume that there were enough passengers not on board the ship to allow it to set sail without a full complment of lifeboats.

A few years back, a sudden storm came up and stranded a Princess excursion in Haines, Alaska. Golden Princess was in Skagway and had to sail. Princess put everyone up in a hotel for the night and then transported them to the next port.

 

As for the HAL ship sailing without tenders, there are plenty of life rafts on board cruise ships that would be able to handle the passengers aboard.

I'd love to read the details of the story. What an adventure!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

I watched it live from my home and posted a thread about it on the HAL board, have a look: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2356705

/Henrik

Her is our great adventure of being left behind, I messed up with the times on our Rome stop, we got to the train and I did not see any other tourists or blue Princess bags, the train was not crowded, at that point I knew we were going to be late. The train pulls into Civitavechia (sp) and we see the ship and rush to the transfer bus, at the transfer station they look at us with saucer eyes and call the ship, we rush onto the bus and the driver drove that bus like Mario Andretti through the ship yard, we get to the ship and go to the door, the gangway is up and the crew says wait and calls the bridge, we are standing with the dock crew and bus driver looking up at the crew, they get a reply from the bridge their eyes get big and they say the Captain says we cannot board, ouch, the dock crew and bus driver and the ship crew are saucer eyed and cannot believe it. But it is what it is, the driver takes us back to the transfer station, we meet the port agent and i ask did the ship give you our passports he said no, great now we have to go to Naples with out passports.

At that point every one there at the transfer station shook their heads and said in unison"do not go to Naples at night" advice taken, we stayed in Civitavechia for the night, we made lemonade from the lemons we were given, it was an awesome night, there was a festival going on, it was a great time, we had copies of our passports so it was easy to check in, but the port agent vouched for us any way if we did not have them. We left the next morning for Naples and arrived there during a holiday so it was very empty, we got to the ship, scanned our card and all sorts of alarms went off, we were the center of attention at that point, we were laughing and joking with the crew, got new cards and our passports from the front desk and went to our room.

That night was a formal night and I had my tux on and I went up to the Captain and introduced myself, the Captain was about 5'7" and I am 6' and look like Stone Cold Steve Austin, I apologized about being late and he explained about cost and time and I said I understand, I messed up, I offered to buy him a drink, he bought me one instead and invited us to dinner, it was a great time, I told him they should have stayed for the fireworks, we laughed, nice guy.

Several years ago we were on a Princess excursion in Italy, large bus load, and were quite late.....seems to be 3-4 hours. The ship waited for us. I would guess transporting a whole bus load to the next stop wouldn't have been feasible.

Years ago we were doing a Med cruise. We hit 3 cities in Italy. We did ship sponsored excursions. The bus driver was the same guy in each port. Easy to recognize because he had a unibrow. It went from one side of his head to the other LOL. So, even with 3 or 4 bus loads they could have you to the next port rather quickly. It is only around 730 miles from one end of the country to the other. About 11 hours drive, as if I were driving from the LA area to Oregon. The ports are, of course, closer together then that.