Off the Beaten Path on the Grand

Currently waiting at SeaTac for the Quick Shuttle to run us up to Canada Place to catch the Grand. Spent 3 days tooling around Seattle; duck tour, Pikes Market, Mt Rainier,etc. two days of sun, one day overcast, and rainy today.

Enjoy the Grand and Alaska! Sounds like your trip has started off on a high note.

Currently waiting at SeaTac for the Quick Shuttle to run us up to Canada Place to catch the Grand. Spent 3 days tooling around Seattle; duck tour, Pikes Market, Mt Rainier,etc. two days of sun, one day overcast, and rainy today.

Bon Voyage! :)

Agggggg! Got a call from my dad. Although I told him repeatedly that he needed his passport, not just his passport card, because they were flying to Vancouver from Newark, he showed up without his passport and they wouldn't let him on the plane. Told him repeatedly because he had to get a passport for his travel companion and he was balking at paying the extra money. Of course he called me when he got back home from the airport and I told him to get over to the TA immediately. Somehow I am seeing $$$$ flying out the window.

Wow, let us know what happens.

Oh no!!!! Good luck. Hope you can still enjoy your trip.

Wow, sounds like your dad and mine are secret twins!!!

Wow, sounds like your dad and mine are secret twins!!!

Lol twinkle toes! Must be because my DH calls me twinkle!

Haven't heard anything yet. Just went through Canadian customs. About an hour to go.

Parents never listen. ;)

Traveled with my parents on Grand in July, southbound route. It was the happiest, most caring crew ever - Grand might be a little rough around the edges, but the crew made it a fantastic trip. And the scenery wasn't bad, either.

Hope your Dad's travel issues are resolved - hang in there!

There's an emergency passport service I found out about when my in-laws list their passports. You must prove immediate need, shell out hundreds of dollars, and it still takes days, but it can apparently be done. My in-laws finally found their passports and didn't end up using the service, so I don't know of anyone actually using it. I think you have to do it through the regional passport office, too, which in our case is in a whole other state! Good luck to your dad!! You have a fabulous cruise!

There's an emergency office in Connecticut. DH got his in three hours.

That's too bad! Maybe missing his cruise will make him think twice about traveling without a passport... I also hope you had insurance... Have a great cruise, with or without Dad!

There's an emergency office in Connecticut. DH got his in three hours.

That's fantastic! [emoji106]

There's an emergency passport service I found out about when my in-laws list their passports. You must prove immediate need, shell out hundreds of dollars, and it still takes days, but it can apparently be done. My in-laws finally found their passports and didn't end up using the service, so I don't know of anyone actually using it. I think you have to do it through the regional passport office, too, which in our case is in a whole other state! Good luck to your dad!! You have a fabulous cruise!

There's an emergency office in Connecticut. DH got his in three hours.

OP's father does not need a new passport to be issued, just needs to take the one he had left at home.

Caribill, I may be wrong, but I re-read the OP's post again in light of your comment, and it does sound like her dad does not have a full passport, just the card.

Caribill, I may be wrong, but I re-read the OP's post again in light of your comment, and it does sound like her dad does not have a full passport, just the card.

In red below sounds to me as he companion needed to (and did) get a passport, but the father just needed to bring one he already had.

Agggggg! Got a call from my dad. Although I told him repeatedly that he needed his passport, not just his passport card, because they were flying to Vancouver from Newark, he showed up without his passport and they wouldn't let him on the plane. Told him repeatedly because he had to get a passport for his travel companion and he was balking at paying the extra money. Of course he called me when he got back home from the airport and I told him to get over to the TA immediately. Somehow I am seeing $$$$ flying out the window.

Seems pretty clear that the OP's father does have an actual passport:

Agggggg! Got a call from my dad. Although I told him repeatedly that he needed his passport, not just his passport card, because they were flying to Vancouver from Newark, he showed up without his passport and they wouldn't let him on the plane.

If he is so stubbornly adamant to find a way to get to Canada carrying only his passport card rather than his passport, OP should just tell him to get into his car and drive in order to meet them at the end of the cruisetour in a couple weeks.

Yes my father does have an actual passport. It was in the safe deposit box. He is legally blind due to advanced macular degeneration so he can't drive, and Vancouver is just a bit far from NJ to drive. He uses the passport card for ID when he flies in the US. He is just old enough to be getting wifty and forgot that both I and the travel agent had told him he needed it.

To tell you the truth I was seriously concerned when he booked this cruise. The Grand is so large, and so much of it looks the same that he would have a very difficult time finding his way around. He is also not very steady on his feet. My hubby and I had planned our trip over a year ago and the excursions we are doing are not things he would be able to do. Told him when he said he was coming along that he and his companion would need to do the ports on their own as he would not meet the physical requirements to do our excursions, and we weren't changing them because we can't afford to do this month long journey again.

Still no dad? This must be making you crazy, poor thing. :(

I'm sorry for misunderstanding.It's good your dad has an actual passport, and I really hope he makes the cruise!

Any updates?

Having a hard time posting for some reason. Don't know why. Keep getting an error.

OK, the last one went through. Will try doing short ones and see what happens.

My Dad is rebooking for spring. Although there was one possibility for him to make the ship, with the bad weather in the Vancouver area and the early departure of the ship at 4 instead of a bit later, the TA did think it was really dicey. The slightest delay and they would miss it. So they are rebooking for spring, and and they will be flying in a day or two early (which I had recommended from the get go, but what do I know. The TA said they would be fine).

Boarding in Vancouver was insane. Our shuttle arrived at 1 and it was so slow we were afraid we would miss the ship. They only had 11 out of 16 customs agents working and there were 2 large ships to process, the Grand and HAL Norddam. There was nothing to drink in the check in area where they made us wait. My husband told the port staff that I needed to have something to eat because my blood sugar was tanking (79 and falling) and I couldn't eat the protein bars I had without a drink. I don't like to use the sugar tabs without a protein chaser because it just causes a roller coaster effect of rise and crash. The finally said he could go out into the hall and to the little cafe and buy a soda. So my hero with the diet Pepsi saved the day. We did finally board at 3:30, enough time to stash the luggage, grab the life jackets, run to buffet for a little gnosh, and make it to the mustard drill. We will sail out of Seattle in the future.

Had a lovely dinner with Dick and Jane. The gravadlax was soooo mild and lovely, the prime rib cooked to perfection (mooing the way I like it) and the flourless chocolate cake lovely as always. (I did not eat a roll or the potato and upped the insulin a tad so I could enjoy dessert). Aleeza and Daryl were very attentive waiters, and Arturo the head waiter stopped to talk to me about what he could do to help with my diet. Plate of steamed broccoli was ordered for every dinner, and he offered to review the menus with me the day before to see if something I really like could be tweaked.