Perfect example of why you should get a passport.

[Sue L]

Group of friends, 12 of them supposed to board a ship this past Tuesday. Blizzard hit the northeast so their flight was cancelled. First two days at sea.

 

Ten members of the group just took off for their first port of call in Aruba and will board the ship with likely hundreds of others who missed because of flights. . 2 were tearfully left behind because they didn't want the expense of getting a passport. VERY expensive lesson learned as they didn't buy the insurance either. So for saving $300 they are out several thousand.

 

GET a PASSPORT!!!!

[thelion]

I agree! I know people will say the risk is small (same people who neglect insurance, I am sure!) and they don't travel often enough to justify a passport. But if anything happened: if the ship became stranded and you needed to fly from a foreign port, if you got left at a foreign port, if you experience a medical emergency at a foreign port, if you miss your ship and have to fly to a foreign port, if you get into legal trouble at a foreign port: you will wish you had just sucked it up, paid the $100 or so and got a passport. Besides, it is good for more than just travel!

 

I use mine for anytime I need official identification. I also have a Merchant Mariner's Document which is "government issued ID." Do you have any idea how many places don't accept that because they have no clue what it is? Or how many places won't take my driver's license because it is "out of state?" Bam..passport. No one turns that down. It is official, it proves my identity, it is federally issued, and it proves my citizenship.

 

Passports are an asset that everyone should have.

[Ocean Boy]

Maybe this will take a little heat off of those of us who feel that you shouldn't leave the country without a passport. But then there seem to be some around here you just don't buy into the argument.

 

I even use it to travel withoin the country. Nothing seems to work better as a form of I.D. in an airport.

[Bakincakes]

You will always have people who will argue the point.

 

The government should have stuck to its' guns and just mandated passports for ALL travel outside of the US.

 

People grouse about the cost but don't realize just how a passport can protect them from some travel horror stories.

[Maybaybie10]

We are biting the bullet and buying passports for our cruise next May. We need 4 for all of us and the $540 expense is a hard pill to swallow, but I just don't feel comfortable leaving the country (especially with 2 children) without proper ID to get BACK into the country should anything happen. I look at it this way to make myself feel better about the cost: A passport is good for 10 years. At $135 each that is $13.50 a year. How many times do I go into a store and buy something for $13.50 that I didn't really need or wasn't planning on buying? A lot! $13.50 is a cheap price to pay for safety and peace of mind.

[Bakincakes]

We are biting the bullet and buying passports for our cruise next May. We need 4 for all of us and the $540 expense is a hard pill to swallow, but I just don't feel comfortable leaving the country (especially with 2 children) without proper ID to get BACK into the country should anything happen. I look at it this way to make myself feel better about the cost: A passport is good for 10 years. At $135 each that is $13.50 a year. How many times do I go into a store and buy something for $13.50 that I didn't really need or wasn't planning on buying? A lot! $13.50 is a cheap price to pay for safety and peace of mind.

 

 

Exactly.

 

The upfront costs can be daunting..but the piece of mind can be priceless.:)

[BND]

We are biting the bullet and buying passports for our cruise next May. We need 4 for all of us and the $540 expense is a hard pill to swallow, but I just don't feel comfortable leaving the country (especially with 2 children) without proper ID to get BACK into the country should anything happen. I look at it this way to make myself feel better about the cost: A passport is good for 10 years. At $135 each that is $13.50 a year. How many times do I go into a store and buy something for $13.50 that I didn't really need or wasn't planning on buying? A lot! $13.50 is a cheap price to pay for safety and peace of mind.

 

And just a couple of years ago, passports for adults were $100, so $10/year. The longer people wait, the more they'll have to pay. They are good for 10 years and we don't even think twice about renewing ours. I went to Europe twice with my first one ('82 and '84). I renewed in 2005 for our first cruise (it had lapsed but is still considered a renewal). I've used it to cruise 8 times so far and fly to the Bahamas in 2009. I can't imagine not cruising with one and it's less stressful knowing that if we had to get to a cruise at the first port, we could.

 

There will always be people here saying in x amount of cruises, they've never needed it, but it takes only once.

 

And I agree the Gov should have made ALL foreign travel require a passport. I'd also bet most people whining about the cost just don't WANT to put the money out, not that they can't "afford" it. Because realistically, if can't afford another $500 then you probably shouldn't be spending $3000 on a cruise. We all know most people spend at least $500 on excursions, which really aren't "required" to cruise, so it's a choice.

[Esmerelda]

There are so many things that can happen. We would never travel anywhere without one. My entire family has passports.

 

I agree 100%...just get the passport. Save yourself a lot of unnecessary headaches. (as well as the insurance when you cruise).

 

:D

[MrsPete]

Group of friends, 12 of them supposed to board a ship this past Tuesday. Blizzard hit the northeast so their flight was cancelled. First two days at sea.

 

Ten members of the group just took off for their first port of call in Aruba and will board the ship with likely hundreds of others who missed because of flights. . 2 were tearfully left behind because they didn't want the expense of getting a passport. VERY expensive lesson learned as they didn't buy the insurance either. So for saving $300 they are out several thousand.

 

GET a PASSPORT!!!!

I'd say the real lesson here is a little different: Don't wait 'til the last minute to travel to your port, especially in the winter.

 

My parents will disembark from their long-awaited European cruise tomorrow. About two weeks ago -- when they had only 2-3 days remaining before their flight -- they realized that the weather might prevent them from meeting their ship. They live in the mountains and are frequently snowed in (they don't mind this -- they have a wood stove and keep lots of food in the house). Showing good sense, they finished their packing and got off the mountain earlier than planned. If they'd waited 'til their originally-agreed upon time, they absolutely would have missed their flight and their ship.

 

If the group you're describing had paid attention and accelerated their travel plans, their problem could've been avoided. Personally, I'd be very upset to have missed the first two days of the cruise, and I'd consider being able to "catch up" to the ship a bandaid on the real problem.

[Sue L]

I'd say the real lesson here is a little different: Don't wait 'til the last minute to travel to your port, especially in the winter.

 

My parents will disembark from their long-awaited European cruise tomorrow. About two weeks ago -- when they had only 2-3 days remaining before their flight -- they realized that the weather might prevent them from meeting their ship. They live in the mountains and are frequently snowed in (they don't mind this -- they have a wood stove and keep lots of food in the house). Showing good sense, they finished their packing and got off the mountain earlier than planned. If they'd waited 'til their originally-agreed upon time, they absolutely would have missed their flight and their ship.

 

If the group you're describing had paid attention and accelerated their travel plans, their problem could've been avoided. Personally, I'd be very upset to have missed the first two days of the cruise, and I'd consider being able to "catch up" to the ship a bandaid on the real problem.

 

 

Well in this case even if they had gone the day or two before they still would have missed it, as the blizzard started Sunday and their ship was leaving on Tuesday. If they had booked for Monday it wouldn't have mattered.

[crusinmama06]

Its a wonder they didn't try to blame their TA. :cool:

 

Thanks for the reminder Sue! Maybe you just saved someone else from a tearful goodbye. ;)

[brfan]

I'd say the real lesson here is a little different: Don't wait 'til the last minute to travel to your port, especially in the winter.

 

My parents will disembark from their long-awaited European cruise tomorrow. About two weeks ago -- when they had only 2-3 days remaining before their flight -- they realized that the weather might prevent them from meeting their ship. They live in the mountains and are frequently snowed in (they don't mind this -- they have a wood stove and keep lots of food in the house). Showing good sense, they finished their packing and got off the mountain earlier than planned. If they'd waited 'til their originally-agreed upon time, they absolutely would have missed their flight and their ship.

 

If the group you're describing had paid attention and accelerated their travel plans, their problem could've been avoided. Personally, I'd be very upset to have missed the first two days of the cruise, and I'd consider being able to "catch up" to the ship a bandaid on the real problem.

 

You are assuming that they had the flexibility to do what you suggest. If you don't have a job (eg. retired) you certainly can leave early if you want, but those with jobs likely don't have that option. They may only have enough holiday time for the trip or work in a job that requires months of notice to get time off.

[Sue L]

Its a wonder they didn't try to blame their TA. :cool:

 

Thanks for the reminder Sue! Maybe you just saved someone else from a tearful goodbye. ;)

 

 

One of the reasons signed disclaimers are priceless. ;):D

[rushedmom]

I hope that those without passports will get them after reading this, I can't imagine not having one!

[CruisinDawn]

I thought of this after the Carnival fire. They were originally going to drag the ship to Ensenada which would have left everyone without a passport stranded in Mexico. The Mexican authorities said no passport no crossing the border to the US, PERIOD! They were lucky that they were close enough to California to head back instead, but what if that were not the case?

 

Get a passport, some things are out of your control :)

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[negc]

I thought of this after the Carnival fire. They were originally going to drag the ship to Ensenada which would have left everyone without a passport stranded in Mexico. The Mexican authorities said no passport no crossing the border to the US, PERIOD! They were lucky that they were close enough to California to head back instead, but what if that were not the case?

 

Get a passport, some things are out of your control :)

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

 

That may have been the Mexican government's initial response, but had they actually been faced with dealing with hundreds of angry "stranded" Americans and "strong" encouragement from US officials, they might well have arrived at a better solution to the problem. I think that the situation cited by SueL is a much stronger argument in favor of getting a passport than some possible but unlikely stranding of US citizens in a foreign land, without recourse to the US government and its embassy officials. As far as it being a reason to fly to your port of departure a day or two early, that assumes that storms somehow only occur on a schedule tied to cruise departures, and that recovery from the effects of a storm only takes hours and not days.

[captbill]

The Mexican authorities said no passport no crossing the border to the US, PERIOD!

 

 

Actually, I believe it's the US authorities that would want to see a passport before admitting somebody across the border and into the States. Mexico would only want identification for arrival into their own country. Unless they were prepared to forbid the ship from docking in Ensenada in the first place, I seriously doubt any bureaucratic hassles would have been coming from Mexico. Rather, it would be our own country adjusting (or not) it's rules for those stranded passengers.:cool:

 

All that said, I STILL feel it's prudent to carry a passport!:)

[Bakincakes]

Believe it or not Mexico has far more stringent immigration laws than the US does..they don't mind if their citizens come across our borders illegally...but you should check and see how they handle illegals who happen to cross their borders.:p:eek:

[Spoiledliz]

Although this is a bit of "day late dollar short" advice....

 

Knowing that the snowstorm was coming several days before and the chance of their flight being canceled was high, they should have applied for an emergency passport and they would have gotten it!

 

I have personally had a passport since I was 5 and renew it without fail. You just never know!

[wcook]

So for saving $300 they are out several thousand.

 

GET a PASSPORT!!!!

Let me see if I have this straight. You are demanding - all caps, multiple explanation marks - that people get a passport. Why? Because if they don't spend the $300 on passports, there is a one-in-a-thousand (one in 10,000? one in 100,000?) chance that they will miss their cruise and lose a few thousand.

 

Yeah, that makes a whole lot of sense. There are many good reasons to get a passport. This isn't one of them.

[flagger]

Its a wonder they didn't try to blame their TA. :cool:

 

Thanks for the reminder Sue! Maybe you just saved someone else from a tearful goodbye. ;)

Some TAs will even go so far as to turn away business if a client refuses to buy insurance. They saying something to the effect of:

 

'I just don't feel comfortable assisting you in leaving the country without having travel insurance.'

 

Same for those who refuse to get a passport. Clients will say "But not spending that money on a passport for my family means I can spend that much more on shopping, on excursions, the casino or drinking!"

[Bakincakes]

Let me see if I have this straight. You are demanding - all caps, multiple explanation marks - that people get a passport. Why? Because if they don't spend the $300 on passports, there is a one-in-a-thousand (one in 10,000? one in 100,000?) chance that they will miss their cruise and lose a few thousand.

 

Yeah, that makes sense. There are many good reasons to get a passport. This isn't one of them.

 

 

I doubt that is the only reason she is strongly suggesting that people get passports.

 

You could be injured on a shore excursion and require medical care that may force you to miss your ship.

 

The ship could become disabled and you may have to depart from a port to get home.

 

And yes, it could save you money in the long run to make the investment in getting a passport.

 

The way people talk about the nickle and diming they do to go on vacation it makes sense they may not have the funds to be able to fork out hundreds of dollars to get themselves home if some catastrophe occurs.

[MrsPete]

Well in this case even if they had gone the day or two before they still would have missed it, as the blizzard started Sunday and their ship was leaving on Tuesday. If they had booked for Monday it wouldn't have mattered.

You're missing the forest for the trees: The point is that you have to be ready to rearrange your travel plans -- that might mean two days, that might mean Monday instead of Tuesday. I'm not 100% certain, but I think my parents came down the mountain four days in advance of their original date -- and they were a full day ahead of the bad weather. Details will vary. The point is still valid.

You are assuming that they had the flexibility to do what you suggest. If you don't have a job (eg. retired) you certainly can leave early if you want, but those with jobs likely don't have that option. They may only have enough holiday time for the trip or work in a job that requires months of notice to get time off.

That's valid, but most of us have some flexibility. For example, we went to a funeral yesterday. Although it was a workday and although we only had two days' notice and although it was right after the holidays, the church was PACKED: Young people, old people, the man who died was well-loved. Most of those people -- given an unforeseen situation -- were able to get off work for something that really mattered to them.

 

I maintain that getting to the port EARLY is the single most important thing you can do to assure you won't miss the ship. The second most important thing is to have insurance; if these people'd had insurance, they still would've missed their trip, but they would've been reimbursed because of their cancelled flight.

 

Personally, if I were caught up in that situation, I think I'd rather be reimbursed than to "catch up" and miss two days of my trip. With a full refund, I could book for another date and get the full cruise. That, however, is personal opinion.

[MrsPete]

I doubt that is the only reason she is strongly suggesting that people get passports.

 

You could be injured on a shore excursion and require medical care that may force you to miss your ship.

 

The ship could become disabled and you may have to depart from a port to get home.

 

And yes, it could save you money in the long run to make the investment in getting a passport.

 

The way people talk about the nickle and diming they do to go on vacation it makes sense they may not have the funds to be able to fork out hundreds of dollars to get themselves home if some catastrophe occurs.

Or you could do what the vast, vast, vast masses of cruisers do: You could have absolutely no problems coming and going.

 

If you're injured on shore, chances of it being so major that you'll be detained on the island are very slim. If you're injured, you'll likely be able to get back to the ship (perhaps in a taxi instead of walking) and you can be treated there.

 

Yes, the ship could be disabled, but the chances of that happening are so remote that they don't bear discussion.

 

Yes, things could happen, but they are very, very unlikely. There are good reasons to buy a passport. Fear of being left ashore is not a good reason. Common sense is likely to make that an all-but-impossibility.

[TBSCruiser]

You're missing the forest for the trees: The point is that you have to be ready to rearrange your travel plans -- that might mean two days, that might mean Monday instead of Tuesday. I'm not 100% certain, but I think my parents came down the mountain four days in advance of their original date -- and they were a full day ahead of the bad weather. Details will vary. The point is still valid.That's valid, but most of us have some flexibility. For example, we went to a funeral yesterday. Although it was a workday and although we only had two days' notice and although it was right after the holidays, the church was PACKED: Young people, old people, the man who died was well-loved. Most of those people -- given an unforeseen situation -- were able to get off work for something that really mattered to them.

 

I maintain that getting to the port EARLY is the single most important thing you can do to assure you won't miss the ship. The second most important thing is to have insurance; if these people'd had insurance, they still would've missed their trip, but they would've been reimbursed because of their cancelled flight.

 

Personally, if I were caught up in that situation, I think I'd rather be reimbursed than to "catch up" and miss two days of my trip. With a full refund, I could book for another date and get the full cruise. That, however, is personal opinion.

 

Well eaiser said then done in the last week in the northeast, not only was is Christmas on Saturday, but it is the busiest travel week of the year so all the flights that did take off were PACKED. So just rearranging travel for a dozen people was most likely not doable.

Besides on Friday the weathermen were saying only a couple of inches and as the day progressed the storm predicitions got more ominous.