Perfect example of why you should get a passport.

[wcook]

Well you are the only one taking it as a demand, I was doing it to warn others and sorry you were offended. I doubt it would have been as powerful if I said.....oh pretty please it is highly recommended you get a passport. :rolleyes: So you wouldn't have been offended.

If you are telling them to keep a passport, you aren't just doing it to warn others. You are telling them what to do with that warning. See the difference?

 

"Power" doesn't come from using all caps and lots of exclamation points. It comes from the message. You mentioned one of the risks of not having a passport. Did you not trust that message was powerful enough? Do you not trust people to make the best decision for their family with the information you've given them? Why the need to order them to get passports?

[Sue L]

If you are telling them to keep a passport, you aren't just doing it to warn others. You are telling them what to do with that warning. See the difference?

 

"Power" doesn't come from using all caps and lots of exclamation points. It comes from the message. You mentioned one of the risks of not having a passport. Did you not trust that message was powerful enough? Do you not trust people to make the best decision for their family with the information you've given them? Why the need to order them to get passports?

 

You are reading way too much into it, I typed it this morning very early after spending a sleepless night worrying about this group. Geez, lighten up

[USS Cruiser]

I am a newbie cruiser, leaving in May to Bermuda, and although a passport is not required, after reading these boards, I "personally" decided it would be more beneficial to have than not to have for my family of 5. THANK YOU CRUISE CRITIC !!! Like another poster, I decided the cost over 10 years was definitely more than I would blow in a store on any given day. The OP typing the words in all caps read to me more of a please get your passport so this doesn't happen to you, not a demand. Thanks OP on behalf of us that have not cruised and don't really think about the "what if's" while we are caught up in the excitement.

[Sue L]

I am a newbie cruiser, leaving in May to Bermuda, and although a passport is not required, after reading these boards, I "personally" decided it would be more beneficial to have than not to have for my family of 5. THANK YOU CRUISE CRITIC !!! Like another poster, I decided the cost over 10 years was definitely more than I would blow in a store on any given day. The OP typing the words in all caps read to me more of a please get your passport so this doesn't happen to you, not a demand. Thanks OP on behalf of us that have not cruised and don't really think about the "what if's" while we are caught up in the excitement.

 

You are welcome and I APPRECIATE it!!! LOL

[thelion]

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.

 

I don't think Sue was "demanding" anything. And $300 on two passports now is a hell of a lot better than $800 + hotel stays + incidentals trying to get emergency passports if you get stuck in a foreign country. Low risk? Yes. But I know lots of folks that could not pay that money if it happened - then what?

 

Here is what she wrote, "GET a PASSPORT!!!! " Sure sounds like a demand to me.

 

And I'm not sure who these people are who think "it can't happen to me." I don't see any. Most people who travel without passports understand the risk. They look at the cost, look at the risks, and make a choice. It's a shame some people are unable to respect other people and understand they make choices that are different than what they would have.

 

I think it's awesome that people will post about the risks of traveling without passports. But not when they take the next step and make demands - in all caps with four exclamation points - of how people should deal with that risk.

 

A previous poster mentioned home insurance. The reason almost everyone insures a home is that the loss would be devastating. Those are the risks that are most important to insure.

 

With smaller risks, it's not as critical. Many renters don't get renters insurance. They know they could get robbed and be out a few thousand bucks for the value of their stuff. They would rather take the risk than pay for insurance. Or people with old not-so-valuable cars. They often just by the legal minimum amount of insurance and don't insure their older car for theft or damage.

 

Other people do buy rental insurance and full coverage for their older cars. It's their choice. They look at the risks. They look at the costs. They make a choice.

 

It's the same with passports. People look at the cost of the passport. They look at the risk of not having one. They make a choice. Not everyone will make the same choice. There is no right or wrong answer.

 

Traveling without a passport is stupid. It is trying to be cheap. If you can't afford the cost of a passport (and insurance!) then you can't afford to travel.

[zephyr17]

Not getting a passport is absolutely a choice. That doesn't make it a smart choice.

 

"The two most plentiful things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity"

[brfan]

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.

 

There is a big difference between taking an hour or two off work to attend a funeral and calling your boss asking for a couple of extra days off starting today. Where I work my bosses are pretty flexible regarding vacation time, but calling in and saying I want today off is a definite no no and while the request may be granted, I would definitely hear about it later.

[MoYerclan]

If you are telling them to keep a passport, you aren't just doing it to warn others. You are telling them what to do with that warning. See the difference?

 

"Power" doesn't come from using all caps and lots of exclamation points. It comes from the message. You mentioned one of the risks of not having a passport. Did you not trust that message was powerful enough? Do you not trust people to make the best decision for their family with the information you've given them? Why the need to order them to get passports?

 

I took her message to be a heartfelt plea (that "Get a Passport!!") for people to do the smart thing, just in case. I certainly don't feel offended by the caps nor exclamation marks. I find your interpretation of her intent to be far more questionable.

[scottbee]

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.

 

The US government doesn't mandate the requirements for what other [sovereign] countries require for entrance.

 

That being said, the requirement to have a passport to enter Canada and most Caribbean countries (except on closed loop cruises) is because those countries require you to carry the valid documentation to return to the home, and in the case of the USA, it requires its citizens to have a passport to re-enter the USA.

 

As for the person that said that Mexico has more stringent immigration rules, they are quite incorrect. More Europeans need a VISA to enter the USA, not into Mexico; and until very recently (March 2010) a Canadian did not even require a passport to fly in to Mexico, which was less than the requirement to fly to the USA.

[LoneStarJeffe]

Different people calculate a different risk/reward ratio. I would suggest if you plan several cruises or any other international travel over the life of a passport, that needs to be considered. Don't just decide based upon the next trip but upon your assumptions of all travel during the passport lifespan of ten years. If you are a first time cruiser not sure if you will enjoy cruising and do not plan other international travel, it might make sense to wait and see before buying one. As long as you understand and accept the risk.

 

Same applies to travel insurance. The wide availability of travel insurance generally means cruise lines will not be your friend if something goes wrong. It is up to you to get insurance or accept the risk.

[cctimmom]

I'm in the boat of how I think everyone should have a passport... of course, it's not made easy because of how much it costs, but it would just be easier if everyone just had one.

[Langley Cruisers]

Sue, I'm sorry you have taken some flack in this thread. I, among others, appreciate your advice and concern.

[Sue L]

Sue, I'm sorry you have taken some flack in this thread. I, among others, appreciate your advice and concern.

 

 

thanks Langley, always amazes me what bothers people!!;)

[Slowboat2]

"Power" doesn't come from using all caps and lots of exclamation points. It comes from the message.

:mad:

 

Sue keep up the posting of good Info. :)

 

I was wondering how long it was going to take for the rude posts to show up:rolleyes:

There always has to be some one to stir up the pot

[Sue L]

:mad:

 

Sue keep up the posting of good Info. :)

 

I was wondering how long it was going to take for the rude posts to show up:rolleyes:

There always has to be some one to stir up the pot

 

If one person is helped it is worth the flak. thanks.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

If one person is helped it is worth the flak. thanks.

 

 

ITA....

 

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

 

 

***

[tlawson1128]

Can I change the direction of this a bit? I understand that you can get a US passport card that is cheaper than a regular passport. If I read correctly, the card will allow you back into the US, but just won't allow you to fly from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean to the US.

 

Can anyone clarify this for me?

 

Terry from Georgia

[Sue L]

Can I change the direction of this a bit? I understand that you can get a US passport card that is cheaper than a regular passport. If I read correctly, the card will allow you back into the US, but just won't allow you to fly from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean to the US.

 

Can anyone clarify this for me?

 

Terry from Georgia

 

With the passport card, you can walk across the board to Mexico or Canada but it is NO good for entering any of those countries by plane. You can take cruises with it though. Would have been worthless in the case I stated.

[retiredgram]

If one person is helped it is worth the flak. thanks.

Thank You

[DebJ14]

With the passport card, you can walk across the board to Mexico or Canada but it is NO good for entering any of those countries by plane. You can take cruises with it though. Would have been worthless in the case I stated.

 

Sue,

Great posts on this topic. I agree with you 100%.

It seems to me these passport cards are pretty much worthless. They take the same time and trouble to get as a passport book, just cost less. Just get the passport book and be done with it. And don't come back whining when you have a problem and didn't have the insurance and/or the passport.

[phred119s]

thanks langley, always amazes me what bothers people!!;)

agreed!

[xpcdoojk]

I have a had a passport for almost 30 years. Can't imagine traveling without one. Use it even in the USA when I fly. That said, saying that it and travel insurance are both equal and that you are wrong to not have both is a bit of a stretch. I do not choose to insure against all risks. I am currently on a vacation, as I am sitting in a hotel in Auckland while my wife naps watching some strange New Zealand version of bocce ball on tv. The base cost of my vacation is well over $10,000 before eating out, and other regular travel expenses, not to mention the inevitable souvineers and shopping acquisitions. I didn't buy insurance for this or any other trip I have made as an adult in the last 30+ years. I am self-insured, and yes there are risks. That is one reason why we arrived in Auckland 3 days before our cruise. A passport is $10 to $20 a year when looked at over the life of the passport. Travel insurance is hundreds to maybe a thousand per trip. When we travelled with our mothers several years ago to cruise the Med, we made them buy travel insurance. It is personal preference and how each individual deals with risk. I view people without passports as accidental tourists and not real travellers. In other words quaint.

 

jc

[camjake]

I appologize if i am missing something here,but why would the passengers need pass ports? In the scerenio from the o.p, they wouldnt need one to fly to Aruba. when their ship returns to the u.s.and they are on the ship , at that point on a close cruise they shouldnt need a pass port. Right?:)

[dirtgirl]

thanks Langley, always amazes me what bothers people!!;)

 

 

Sue, I appreciate your advice, and I support you. :) Here in Canada, everyone has to have a passport to get anywhere. You can't even cross the border to go shopping without one now.

 

I am the poster child for travel insurance as well, having just been stranded in England, and unable to return to Vancouver for 8 days. I also was injured on the Brilliance when she listed, and now have whiplash and a severely pinched neck nerve. I am claiming that under travel insurance. I have MANY treatments ahead of me - I'm in constant pain. You just never know what can happen. I've never needed travel insurance before. I have a yearly policy. I won't set foot out of the country without it.

[KnitChick]

Earlier this year, my travel agent flew solo to Australia to visit a friend before boarding a ship. On the long flight from the US, she developed blood clots in both arms, which traveled to her lungs. In Sydney, she needed an ambulance, a public hospital, a private hospital, a hotel for about a week and multiple MD visits while she was getting stabilized on blood thinners, an over-land trip to board the ship (was unable to fly), medical care on board, and an upgrade to first class for the flight home. Her travel insurance provided a case manager to help manage her care and covered everything that socialized medicine did not.

 

How many thousands of dollars would it have cost her out of pocket if she did not have travel insurance?

 

I board a ship in 1 week. My insurance cost $79. I understand that it's not worth it for others. For me, it's worth it.