No passport & emergency return from cruise

[sail7seas]

When the Carnival ship had the mechanical problems and drifted at sea until towed or limped to port, that cruise was no longer an open loop and those who traveled on board with only birth certificate and drivers license as ID had to be issued travel documents to allow them to enter U.S. My memory is they did not return to the port where they embarked but I could be mistaken.

 

Didn't another Carnival ship have to disembark guests in St. Maarten? Same would apply for those who did not have passports. How would they fly internationally without passports but for temporary document issuing? Those who had passports were free to go on their way and make their own arrangments.

 

Edited December 31, 2013 by sail7seas

[cherylandtk]

S7S-the entire ship was issued a deviation exception. (Same as when a ship returns to a different port because of weather). Folks traveling on passports were treated the same as folks with BC/ID. Depending on which ship was limping home, and at what point during the crisis, Carnival was in touch with the appropriate authorities in both the US and Mexico. As it turned out, both ships returned to the US, and that did make it easier on the paperwork side.

 

It is oft said, and still true, that if a ship in trouble stops at a foreign port, and allows passengers to debark, then only passengers with passports would be able to do so. In that case passports are definitely needed. Up until this point, however, no ships in trouble have stopped at a foreign port and allowed passengers to debark from a round-trip WHTI cruise.

[Philob]

Didn't another Carnival ship have to disembark guests in St. Maarten? Same would apply for those who did not have passports. How would they fly internationally without passports but for temporary document issuing? Those who had passports were free to go on their way and make their own arrangments.

 

IIRC it was an RCI ship, Grandeur of the Seas, that caught fire and limped into Freeport. RCI chartered a few airplanes to return the passengers to Baltimore.

[sail7seas]

IIRC it was an RCI ship, Grandeur of the Seas, that caught fire and limped into Freeport. RCI chartered a few airplanes to return the passengers to Baltimore.

 

 

 

No, I'm thinking of St. Maarten and Carnival. Seems to me there were two Carnival ships that had severe enough problems the cruises had huge deviations.

 

Maybe there also was a RCI troubled ship but that would 'in addition' to those two Carnival ships. :eek:

 

I don't have time now but I'll research later.

 

[Warm Breezes]

 

No, I'm thinking of St. Maarten and Carnival. Seems to me there were two Carnival ships that had severe enough problems the cruises had huge deviations.

 

Maybe there also was a RCI troubled ship but that would 'in addition' to those two Carnival ships. :eek:

 

I don't have time now but I'll research later.

 

 

Carnival Dream was the St. Maarten stop. The passengers without passports were issued a letter from our government dated the same day they decided not to sail home. Someone on here posted a picture of the letter waiving the need for a passport. They were flown home at the same time as all the other passengers with passports.

[jsmeeker]

I do not know know the answer to this question but I wonder if there are any other countries where so many citizens travel outside of the country w/o a passport.

 

 

What about Intra-Schengen travel?

[hillbilly73]

 

No, I'm thinking of St. Maarten and Carnival. Seems to me there were two Carnival ships that had severe enough problems the cruises had huge deviations.

 

Maybe there also was a RCI troubled ship but that would 'in addition' to those two Carnival ships. :eek:

 

I don't have time now but I'll research later.

 

 

Are you thinking of the RCI ship that was forced to leave San Juan early a few years ago before I think about 300 passengers were aboard? If memory serves about half had passports half didn't RCI flew the passport folks to the next port and the folks without one didn't cruise that week.

[navybankerteacher]

What about Intra-Schengen travel?

 

Intra-Schengen citizens travel freely between Schengen countries - others need documentation.

[navybankerteacher]

Out of the millions of passengers that you've sailed with what percentage overall ended up not returning with the ship for whatever reason (I know that you've lost track but a rough guess would do)?

 

How long does it take to arrange a medevac flight from a port?

 

The odds are not important for the individual who happens to be that one in a million who needs the passport which he decided he could not afford.

 

Arranging a medevac flight is another question; however the risk taker who decided that he would never need a passport would also be very likely to decide that he would never need travel medical insurance ( including medevac). So, while he waited the week or so to get the necessary documentation he could spend the time having his friends borrowing the money necessary to pay for his evacuation.

[lady_cruiser]

I know what happens in theory. I am interested in an actual experience.

 

No need to be snarky. Most every topic has been addressed over and over.

 

The person you are talking about is always snarky. I've learned to skip their posts and move on to the next posts. So don't take it personal, I've learned not to.

[sparks1093]

S7S-the entire ship was issued a deviation exception. (Same as when a ship returns to a different port because of weather). Folks traveling on passports were treated the same as folks with BC/ID. Depending on which ship was limping home, and at what point during the crisis, Carnival was in touch with the appropriate authorities in both the US and Mexico. As it turned out, both ships returned to the US, and that did make it easier on the paperwork side.

 

It is oft said, and still true, that if a ship in trouble stops at a foreign port, and allows passengers to debark, then only passengers with passports would be able to do so. In that case passports are definitely needed. Up until this point, however, no ships in trouble have stopped at a foreign port and allowed passengers to debark from a round-trip WHTI cruise.

 

The Dream disembarked all passengers in St Marteen and CBP issued a letter to those not holding passports allowing them to return to the US by air.

[sparks1093]

The odds are not important for the individual who happens to be that one in a million who needs the passport which he decided he could not afford.

 

Arranging a medevac flight is another question; however the risk taker who decided that he would never need a passport would also be very likely to decide that he would never need travel medical insurance ( including medevac). So, while he waited the week or so to get the necessary documentation he could spend the time having his friends borrowing the money necessary to pay for his evacuation.

 

The odds are important when assessing overall risk when coupled with one's own experience. All risk takers are not created equally- I always buy travel insurance:), but then I can afford a passport, I just choose to delay buying one until the day comes that I actually need it to do the type of travel that I want to do (or my risk level changes).

[kitty9]

The odds are not important for the individual who happens to be that one in a million who needs the passport which he decided he could not afford.

 

Arranging a medevac flight is another question; however the risk taker who decided that he would never need a passport would also be very likely to decide that he would never need travel medical insurance ( including medevac). So, while he waited the week or so to get the necessary documentation he could spend the time having his friends borrowing the money necessary to pay for his evacuation.

 

Which you have to pay up front. My mom broke her hip on a Celebrity ship and was evacuated by a medical jet. Before they allowed her on the jet, we had to give them a credit card to pay the $9000 for the half hour flight. We then submitted the bill to insurance. Thank heaven for Am Ex Platinum who, after one phone call, gave us a $250,000 credit line for all expenses.

 

Sparks, it took the ship's doctor less than an hour to arrange the evac flight. It's not all that difficult to do. The jet flew out of FLL Executive Airport, touched down in Nassau, and took off as soon as mom was on board. When we landed back at the executive airport, a US Customs official boarded the plane and checked passports. It was then that he allowed the ambulance onto the tarmac.

Edited January 1, 2014 by kitty9

[sparks1093]

Which you have to pay up front. My mom broke her hip on a Celebrity ship and was evacuated by a medical jet. Before they allowed her on the jet, we had to give them a credit card to pay the $9000 for the half hour flight. We then submitted the bill to insurance. Thank heaven for Am Ex Platinum who, after one phone call, gave us a $250,000 credit line for all expenses.

 

Sparks, it took the ship's doctor less than an hour to arrange the evac flight. It's not all that difficult to do. The jet flew out of FLL Executive Airport, touched down in Nassau, and took off as soon as mom was on board. When we landed back at the executive airport, a US Customs official boarded the plane and checked passports. It was then that he allowed the ambulance onto the tarmac.

 

Thank you. I hope your mom healed quickly.

[lmd4941977]

What was I thinking when I applied for a passport card rather than a book!

DH is in bad health. I quit traveling with him a number of years ago, then, decided to try a cruise. Great! Will be on my 8th post illness cruise in March. I never really expected to cruise more than the one time and I don't ever fly with him.

BUT...I never really considered having to fly him home for medical reasons.

He actually was sick on our first cruise last year (2012). The doctors on board were able to care for him.

I think I'll get that book next week.

[fishtaco]

The odds are important when assessing overall risk when coupled with one's own experience. All risk takers are not created equally- I always buy travel insurance:), but then I can afford a passport, I just choose to delay buying one until the day comes that I actually need it to do the type of travel that I want to do (or my risk level changes).

 

So what you are saying is your personal risk factor at present during an overseas loop cruise from USA is "Low" so you dont need a passport but when your risk factor during an overseas USA loop cruise does becomes "High" you will get a passport? fair enough I suppose:)

 

But why then do you buy travel insurance? surly the risk factor odds in your situation are the exact same for both?

[CruiserBruce]

So what you are saying is your personal risk factor at present during an overseas loop cruise from USA is "Low" so you dont need a passport but when your risk factor during an overseas USA loop cruise does becomes "High" you will get a passport? fair enough I suppose:)

 

But why then do you buy travel insurance? surly the risk factor odds in your situation are the exact same for both?

 

Huh? An USA loop cruise vs an Overseas USA loop cruise?

 

In the 7-10 day cruise market looping from the USA you can only go to the Caribbean and to Canada or Mexico.

 

To have an USA "overseas loop cruise" you are talking no less than 15 days, and more realistically 25+ days. How many people on those sort of cruises don't have a passport? I would suspect an incredibly small percentage. And how many of those "overseas" countries allow US citizens to enter without a passport?

 

This special provision for Americans to do certain travels without a passport is pretty darn unique in the world, and due the cruise lines wanting to make sure us lazy Americans don't have to strain ourselves to get passports like everyone else in the world.

Edited January 1, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[sparks1093]

So what you are saying is your personal risk factor at present during an overseas loop cruise from USA is "Low" so you dont need a passport but when your risk factor during an overseas USA loop cruise does becomes "High" you will get a passport? fair enough I suppose:)

 

But why then do you buy travel insurance? surly the risk factor odds in your situation are the exact same for both?

 

I have travel insurance because I cannot mitigate all risk and even if I had a passport I would still have travel insurance.

[BullDawg91]

The person you are talking about is always snarky. I've learned to skip their posts and move on to the next posts. So don't take it personal, I've learned not to.

 

I think I'll take your advice. I hope that the hateful people on message boards aren't like that in person or they must be very lonely as people will avoid them in real life, too.

 

There is no need to be unkind. He (I guess) assumes that I am young and think rules don't apply to me. He could not be more wrong on both counts. I just wanted to know what happens. I wasn't wanting to know how I could circumvent the process.

 

It's a shame you can't ask a question without being attacked when you are trying to learn.

[fishtaco]

Huh? An USA loop cruise vs an Overseas USA loop cruise?

 

In the 7-10 day cruise market looping from the USA you can only go to the Caribbean and to Canada or Mexico.

 

To have an USA "overseas loop cruise" you are talking no less than 15 days, and more realistically 25+ days. How many people on those sort of cruises don't have a passport? I would suspect an incredibly small percentage. And how many of those "overseas" countries allow US citizens to enter without a passport?

 

This special provision for Americans to do certain travels without a passport is pretty darn unique in the world, and due the cruise lines wanting to make sure us lazy Americans don't have to strain ourselves to get passports like everyone else in the world.

 

Huh:confused: I never said USA loop cruise V USA overseas loop cruise!

 

A loop cruise from USA to an overseas port and back is an overseas cruise no matter how many days:confused:

 

How can Caribbean Canada and Mexico not be a different country to USA:confused:

 

I know how USA loop cruises work sort of and have been on one but it is regardless a cruise to another country so therefore an overseas cruise no matter what a cruise line calls it or how many days it is for and thus the confusion of so many in my opinion.

[navybankerteacher]

Which you have to pay up front. My mom broke her hip on a Celebrity ship and was evacuated by a medical jet. Before they allowed her on the jet, we had to give them a credit card to pay the $9000 for the half hour flight. We then submitted the bill to insurance. Thank heaven for Am Ex Platinum who, after one phone call, gave us a $250,000 credit line for all expenses.

 

Sparks, it took the ship's doctor less than an hour to arrange the evac flight. It's not all that difficult to do. The jet flew out of FLL Executive Airport, touched down in Nassau, and took off as soon as mom was on board. When we landed back at the executive airport, a US Customs official boarded the plane and checked passports. It was then that he allowed the ambulance onto the tarmac.

 

So there were passports to be checked. Do you believe all would have gone as smoothly if your Mom had not had her passport? (Which is the primary question being addressed on this thread.)

 

Sorry to hear of the accident - good that the treatment received was timely.

[kitty9]

So there were passports to be checked. Do you believe all would have gone as smoothly if your Mom had not had her passport? (Which is the primary question being addressed on this thread.)

 

Sorry to hear of the accident - good that the treatment received was timely.

 

Definitely not. Having the passports were key to getting mom back to the US for hip replacement. There's no way in hell we would have trusted an island hospital to operate on our dear mom.

 

I do have to say, though, her treatment on the ship was pretty bad. Even the doctors at the hospital in FLL were aghast at what went on on the ship.

[fishtaco]

I have travel insurance because I cannot mitigate all risk and even if I had a passport I would still have travel insurance.

 

Firstly let me say I respect your decision not to have a passport, it is your decision and does not affect me in any way:)

 

Of course you would have travel insurance, why would having a passport negate the need for travel insurance?

 

My point was if you have determined you have significant risk to require travel insurance when travelling to another country on a cruise then why is that same risk low enough not to require a passport also?

 

Its not for me to determine other peoples risk factors but surly if the risk factor for needing travel insurance is there then the exact same risk factor is there for needing a passport in relation to travelling overseas?

 

Personally I dont care if people have a passport or not but I cant in my personal overseas travel experience see the risk being higher for one over the other?

 

I have travelled overseas for over 35 years, I have always had travel insurance and have always had a passport. I have never used my travel insurance but I have needed to use my passport on every trip for more than just port entry/ exit.

 

The need to use travel insurance is just as low as the need to use a passport for most on a loop cruise.

 

Thefts loss accidents injuries illness arrests and the like have the same risk factor while in another country if not more than at home.

 

A point some are making in these threads about passports is that consular officials do not jump or dance to the demands or immediate needs of a US Citizen in trouble overseas as some may think they do. This also applies to all nationalities and their respective overseas consuls. Its a lot easier to exit a country with valid official documents that satisfy "both" counties requirements to allow free passage

 

But of course they are jut the thoughts on my experience:)

[sparks1093]

So there were passports to be checked. Do you believe all would have gone as smoothly if your Mom had not had her passport? (Which is the primary question being addressed on this thread.)

 

Sorry to hear of the accident - good that the treatment received was timely.

 

I don't think anyone with a brain cell would dispute that having a passport in an emergency situation would make things go smoother. There is nothing wrong with obtaining a passport in order to mitigate that concern if that is a concern, just as there is nothing wrong with using one of the alternatives available if one is not overly concerned with that risk.

[sparks1093]

Firstly let me say I respect your decision not to have a passport, it is your decision and does not affect me in any way:)

 

Of course you would have travel insurance, why would having a passport negate the need for travel insurance?

 

My point was if you have determined you have significant risk to require travel insurance when travelling to another country on a cruise then why is that same risk low enough not to require a passport also?

 

Its not for me to determine other peoples risk factors but surly if the risk factor for needing travel insurance is there then the exact same risk factor is there for needing a passport in relation to travelling overseas?

 

Personally I dont care if people have a passport or not but I cant in my personal overseas travel experience see the risk being higher for one over the other?

 

I have travelled overseas for over 35 years, I have always had travel insurance and have always had a passport. I have never used my travel insurance but I have needed to use my passport on every trip for more than just port entry/ exit.

 

The need to use travel insurance is just as low as the need to use a passport for most on a loop cruise.

 

Thefts loss accidents injuries illness arrests and the like have the same risk factor while in another country if not more than at home.

 

A point some are making in these threads about passports is that consular officials do not jump or dance to the demands or immediate needs of a US Citizen in trouble overseas as some may think they do. This also applies to all nationalities and their respective overseas consuls. Its a lot easier to exit a country with valid official documents that satisfy "both" counties requirements to allow free passage

 

But of course they are jut the thoughts on my experience:)

 

If I have ever said that I purchase travel insurance because I have a significant risk of needing it then I must have mis-spoken (or mis-typed). I do not have a significant risk when traveling without a passport, it is very low. BUT the risk is not zero so I carry insurance for those risks that I have not foreseen. I do understand that if something were to happen I would not be able to return home immediately and would need to rely on others to make that happen.