NCL Hell - Beware

[MrPete]

LOL. It is some good reading. Evidently one person demanded a formal message board apology to the cruise line...but I haven't been able to track that specific post down yet. It's really good stuff though. :D

 

There's some holes here and there, due to poor edit moderation. You can see a lot of good stuff in the quotes that they apparently missed.

 

Still haven't gotten all the way though......

[Montalbano]

Interesting topic.

 

Yes, in Barcelona, as well as any other place around the globe where huge amounts of tourists are gathered in a relatively small place, there are criminals and gangs looking for an easy catch.

The Ramblas in Barcelona as well as the tourist busses are ideal for those criminals. But when warned and a little thoughtful about it, not displaying yourself as an ignorant tourist, chances are really much smaller to get robbed (still, even die-hard travellers get mugged now and then).

 

As for NCL, they did what they had to as it is illegal to travel international without valid papers. Even between EU-Schengen countries. And as Barcelona was the embarkation port, they would have noticed anyway as you cannot embark without a passport.

 

What I cannot understand is that this lady "dropped" her husband with just some essentials. If it would happen to one of my relatives, I would join them on their mission to get it straightened out and re-board in another port, and not leave them and travel on my self.

 

Although I'm EU citizen myself and having an EU-ID card, NCL still requires us to bring a passport, that as far as I can understand, will be taken by NCL when embarking and kept until disembarking. They also stated that we therefore should bring another kind of ID card.

 

It is not hard to travel through Europe without an ID (once in it), but in every European you are required to carry a valid ID card at all times.

[cruisendave]

Sorry to hear about your story. We always have a copy of our passports and don't bring them with us unless told to do so.

 

That being stated, I don't think what happened is any fault of NCL. Anytime we travel we do a lot of research about what to expect in each port, unfortunately Spain is known for this kind of behavior (we have been in many cities in this country).

[maryhill1]

I studied European and International Law and even I had to check what the deal was with Monaco regarding Schengen. This is such an odd one out, and the situation of the OP is so unusual that even people with a degree in the field could not give you a snap answer if somebody was pointing a gun at their head.

So... take a break will you and stop accusing the OP. This is not suspicious. The UK is not part of the Schengen agreement, so most UK citizens have less knowledge of the exact provisions than citizens of Schengen countries.

-------

 

I think the most important thing I have learned from this story, is that if you are a EU-citizen, travelling from one EU-port to another and lose your passport, that you have to hide that fact from the cruiseline. Just for Americans, so they understand: you are on a cruise from New York. In Charleston you get robbed. In Miami you could easily replace your passport. You are not leaving the federation of states that allow you free unlimited travel. Now they make you spend € 800 on a taxi from Charleston to Miami. Would you kick up a fuss? Sure you would!

 

Thanks UkBayern.

 

You've said exactly what I was thinking -- I studied Scottish & European law as well and I would consier myself pretty well read-- but this "law" means absolutely nothing to me.

 

I will research it now---- but i can assure our international friends that information on it is most certainly NOT available to the general public in the UK. In fact it is most probable that 99% of the uk population have never heard of it.

 

Elaine

[maryhill1]

Interesting topic.

 

Yes, in Barcelona, as well as any other place around the globe where huge amounts of tourists are gathered in a relatively small place, there are criminals and gangs looking for an easy catch.

The Ramblas in Barcelona as well as the tourist busses are ideal for those criminals. But when warned and a little thoughtful about it, not displaying yourself as an ignorant tourist, chances are really much smaller to get robbed (still, even die-hard travellers get mugged now and then).

 

As for NCL, they did what they had to as it is illegal to travel international without valid papers. Even between EU-Schengen countries. And as Barcelona was the embarkation port, they would have noticed anyway as you cannot embark without a passport.

 

What I cannot understand is that this lady "dropped" her husband with just some essentials. If it would happen to one of my relatives, I would join them on their mission to get it straightened out and re-board in another port, and not leave them and travel on my self.

 

Although I'm EU citizen myself and having an EU-ID card, NCL still requires us to bring a passport, that as far as I can understand, will be taken by NCL when embarking and kept until disembarking. They also stated that we therefore should bring another kind of ID card.

 

It is not hard to travel through Europe without an ID (once in it), but in every European you are required to carry a valid ID card at all times.

 

That's not quite true-- in the UK we dont have ID cards and we are not required to carry ID at any time & the Schenger law is unheard of in the UK. We cannot travel anywhere in Europe without a full valid passport.

[Montalbano]

That's not quite true-- in the UK we dont have ID cards and we are not required to carry ID at any time & the Schenger law is unheard of in the UK. We cannot travel anywhere in Europe without a full valid passport.

 

True, you British have always been a bit stubborn... :D

[Music City]

So NCL did not just abandon the OP's DH, they made arrangements for him to be taken care of with staff at the port. And you say this is uncaring and unsympathetic? Each to his own, but it sounds like they did what they should have done. NCL has to obey the law (and it is irrelevant that some other company does not).

 

Bingo!

 

I'm now waiting for apologies from the fine folks that attacked me for pointing out the OP had exaggerated and embelished their story leaving out the part where NCL called the port agent to meet him at the dock to chauffer him around.

 

Beckyfaye-2008?

[Music City]

 

Thanks.

When someone mentioned the UK site I thought there was a UK version of CC !!!!

Unfortunately there are still some American posters who seem to look down on us Europeans and seem to be highly critical with phrases like "european hygene leaves much to be desired" "european standards are lower" "cruise expectations are lower for Europeans" "european hotels are not up to US standard" and that is why so many Brits feel more at ease on the UK forum.

It's such a pity that these prejudices cloud some threads.

 

Well...I just read through the UK site and I saw plenty of hostile and indignant America bashing even when they were presented with the "rest of the story."

 

How dare some of us at CC question the story of this poor, poor pitiful woman!

[hat776]

Quote - <<

Originally Posted by Montalbano

Interesting topic.

 

 

As for NCL, they did what they had to as it is illegal to travel international without valid papers. Even between EU-Schengen countries. And as Barcelona was the embarkation port, they would have noticed anyway as you cannot embark without a passport.

 

What I cannot understand is that this lady "dropped" her husband with just some essentials. If it would happen to one of my relatives, I would join them on their mission to get it straightened out and re-board in another port, and not leave them and travel on my self.

 

Although I'm EU citizen myself and having an EU-ID card, NCL still requires us to bring a passport, that as far as I can understand, will be taken by NCL when embarking and kept until disembarking. They also stated that we therefore should bring another kind of ID card.

 

It is not hard to travel through Europe without an ID (once in it), but in every European you are required to carry a valid ID card at all times.>>

From what I understood they had already embarked so the ship had already scanned the passport. In fact the OP went to prepare an over night case for the husband.

They also had some children with them so it would have been quite a hassle (and an extra expense) if they had all joined the husband .

NCL never took our passports when we embarked.

[Montalbano]

When something like this happens you can always either contact the embassy or your travel insurance or both and they will work very hard for you to straight things out.

The "doom" scene that a person will end up with no absolutely no means of contact (in a city with millions of people carrying a cell phone) and no money at all does not seem very realistic. There are always people willing to help, even in Barcelona. The port-chief being a first start and from what I understood NCL has arranged a contact with the port chief for this person.

It cannot be NCL's fault if somebody gets robbed and it is also not their fault that they like to follow the rules/law. They could have been more helpful, but the story that they did absolutely nothing but kick this guy of the boat seems a little unrealistic to me.

[Tucker in Texas]

While I haven't read all of the posts, I can relate "my" experience with a lost passport. A traveling companion lost her purse in the Azores while on a trans-Atlantic in 2007 on NCL's Dream on an independent tour--not one of the ships.

 

First order of business was to get her back on the ship because her sign and sail card was in the purse. My husband got on and talked to the front desk. No problem, they came down and escorted her on the ship.

 

Next they gave her use of a phone to cancel her cards. Our next port was Dublin, Ireland. They arranged for a new passport photo to be taken by the ship's photographer. They then arranged for a cab to pick her up in Dublin and take her to the Embassy to get a new passport. They even gave her a zipped tote to replace the purse.

 

The Port Authority in the Azores was notified because we were called out of dinner to come to the desk to verify the facts of the case.

 

The next day she had the replacement passport and was back on the ship by 1:00 p.m. They told her she was lucky because the only other place she could have replaced it would have been London several days later and it is a several day wait there.

 

Needless to say, we were very impressed with the way NCL handled the case. That was about the only thing on the ship that impressed us (lol).

 

Tucker in Texas

[Globaliser]

The "doom" scene that a person will end up with no absolutely no means of contact (in a city with millions of people carrying a cell phone) and no money at all does not seem very realistic.

Quite right.

 

But it is instructive and interesting to see how many people seem to think that this is what's going to happen to them if they lose their passport. They think that they will inevitably be stranded in a foreign country, unable to make themselves understood, and doomed to wander alien shores forever like the Flying Dutchman. Quite extraordinary.

[Music City]

Quite right.

 

But it is instructive and interesting to see how many people seem to think that this is what's going to happen to them if they lose their passport. They think that they will inevitably be stranded in a foreign country, unable to make themselves understood, and doomed to wander alien shores forever like the Flying Dutchman. Quite extraordinary.

 

I was "stranded" in Barcelona for four days without a passport and I cannot emphacize enough how great the Port Agent and his staff were to us. They arranged for a hotel, transported us from the port to the hotel, had a car pick us up the next morning to transport us to the US Embassy then back to the hotel and then take us to the airport when we departed. They even called a couple of times to check on us and make sure we were doing fine and whether we needed anything.

 

The scenario the OP painted here simply wasn't accurate and left out a lot of details.

[hat776]

While I haven't read all of the posts, I can relate "my" experience with a lost passport. A traveling companion lost her purse in the Azores while on a trans-Atlantic in 2007 on NCL's Dream on an independent tour--not one of the ships.

 

First order of business was to get her back on the ship because her sign and sail card was in the purse. My husband got on and talked to the front desk. No problem, they came down and escorted her on the ship.

 

Next they gave her use of a phone to cancel her cards. Our next port was Dublin, Ireland. They arranged for a new passport photo to be taken by the ship's photographer. They then arranged for a cab to pick her up in Dublin and take her to the Embassy to get a new passport. They even gave her a zipped tote to replace the purse.

 

The Port Authority in the Azores was notified because we were called out of dinner to come to the desk to verify the facts of the case.

 

The next day she had the replacement passport and was back on the ship by 1:00 p.m. They told her she was lucky because the only other place she could have replaced it would have been London several days later and it is a several day wait there.

 

Needless to say, we were very impressed with the way NCL handled the case. That was about the only thing on the ship that impressed us (lol).

 

Tucker in Texas

This is the point of the whole story and what many have said from the very begining.

The passenger who lost her passport WAS allowed back on to the ship and NCL helped her to get a new passport at the next Port of Call.

I still can't understand why in this case the OP's husband was denied boarding as he had already had his passport scanned by the ship's security.

[PimpDaddy2Kool]

 

Here's what I've learned:

 

1. Don't carry everything in one place. They might get my bank card, but they won't get my checkbook and license. They might get my Amex, but they won't get my bank card.

 

2. Keep your passport separate from your other stuff. Have copies. Give someone at home your passport info so they can advocate for you if something happens.

 

3. Don't take your whole financial life ashore with you. Take your room key, and 1 credit card. Do you really need all that other stuff?

 

4. No matter how prepared you are, at some point in your life, you'll probably be pickpocketed. Make it an inconvenience instead of a disasater.

 

Well said. I also email a scanned copy of my passport, along with my cc and bank contact info to myself just in case...access is an internet terminal away.

[bandman10]

It's time for this thread to be put to bed! I think everything has now been said. Lets move on.

[consul]

Dear Gemini,

 

Sorry to hear of your awful (and all-too-common) experience. Sounds like not much has changed in beautiful Barcelona since I served with the American consulate there in 1992.

 

Unless things have changed drastically, the Spanish authorities are usually good with your carrying a copy of your passport as long as you can go back to the hotel or ship to get the original in the unlikely event you are detained.

 

Don't carry anything you can't replace while strolling through the older parts of town (ditto for other European cities) including good jewelry that can be yanked off, and don't put bags down unless you have a foot or eye on them at all times.

 

Do carry a good photocopy of your passport, other ID such as a driver's license away from your wallet, and contact information for your consulate. Be especially cautious near the Picasso Museum and in the bar districts (especially if you are less than completely alert) and be aware of people around you. All sorts of scams going on, often with pickpocket teams who are often well-dressed.

 

Don't know where the British consulate is, but always keep their contact information handy for situations like this -- they can give you the best advice and even talk to cruise staff if required. (It is a little bizarre that the NCL staff were purportedly ready to strand you in a foreign country when they had copies of your citizenship papers. Consulates can usually issue some sort of temporary document to get you home.) If there is no UK consulate, check for Commonwealth representatives. The ad-hoc union of English-speaking peoples tends to help out even when the person in need is not one of our own -- I've placed calls for Aussies and Kiwis who showed up at a U.S. post because their own folks didn't have anything in town.

 

The U.S. consulate is now in Reina Elisanda (northern part of town, next to a subway stop), but can replace stolen US passports pretty quickly. We can pull up the original applications on most issuances complete with photo and signatures, so it is doable even if everything was stolen.

 

Call the duty officer 24/7 emergency number if you experience problems outside regular business hours. And I recommend going to travel.state.gov and running a copy of the consular information sheet whenever you travel -- gives all sorts of warnings and contact information which hopefully will never, ever be needed.

 

Enjoy your travels, and stay safe...

 

Cheers, "Consul"

[smeyer418]

Dear Gemini,

 

Sorry to hear of your awful (and all-too-common) experience. Sounds like not much has changed in beautiful Barcelona since I served with the American consulate there in 1992.

 

Unless things have changed drastically, the Spanish authorities are usually good with your carrying a copy of your passport as long as you can go back to the hotel or ship to get the original in the unlikely event you are detained.

 

Don't carry anything you can't replace while strolling through the older parts of town (ditto for other European cities) including good jewelry that can be yanked off, and don't put bags down unless you have a foot or eye on them at all times.

 

Do carry a good photocopy of your passport, other ID such as a driver's license away from your wallet, and contact information for your consulate. Be especially cautious near the Picasso Museum and in the bar districts (especially if you are less than completely alert) and be aware of people around you. All sorts of scams going on, often with pickpocket teams who are often well-dressed.

 

Don't know where the British consulate is, but always keep their contact information handy for situations like this -- they can give you the best advice and even talk to cruise staff if required. (It is a little bizarre that the NCL staff were purportedly ready to strand you in a foreign country when they had copies of your citizenship papers. Consulates can usually issue some sort of temporary document to get you home.) If there is no UK consulate, check for Commonwealth representatives. The ad-hoc union of English-speaking peoples tends to help out even when the person in need is not one of our own -- I've placed calls for Aussies and Kiwis who showed up at a U.S. post because their own folks didn't have anything in town.

 

The U.S. consulate is now in Reina Elisanda (northern part of town, next to a subway stop), but can replace stolen US passports pretty quickly. We can pull up the original applications on most issuances complete with photo and signatures, so it is doable even if everything was stolen.

 

Call the duty officer 24/7 emergency number if you experience problems outside regular business hours. And I recommend going to travel.state.gov and running a copy of the consular information sheet whenever you travel -- gives all sorts of warnings and contact information which hopefully will never, ever be needed.

 

Enjoy your travels, and stay safe...

 

Cheers, "Consul"

 

thanks nice post. In the post 9-11 world is it still easy to get a temporary travel authorization in lieu of a passport? I have been told its not as easy as it was pre 9-11 when a simple faxed travel authorization would have been enough to get back on the plane to the US. now a temp passport is required but that honestly is second hand...