Could not Board Fascination in Jacksonville Today. Any hope?

[s7r2]

hoping ill still get my platinum gifts from carnival since I am a paying customer but not sure about that. I've asked my daughter to make sure to have my share of deserts nightly

[PittsburghGirlee]

OP,

 

I wish I had a magic wand to wave for you right now...I am so sorry that this happened to you and your family. Don't be so hard on yourself, we are all human and make mistakes. Sadly, this is a rough lesson learned and I am quite sure it will NEVER be repeated.

 

I am sending good thoughts your way with the hopes that some miracle happens and you get to your family some how, some way;).

[jiggs]

so who makes this call, is it CCL? If you would of recognized this in Jax before getting to the counter could you have just claimed a travel hardship? Seems odd that there is different law between the two, but I do understand how it could be considered malicious in some way. With that being said, showing up at port with the intention of getting on the ship should have some weight.

 

no clue if this link will work, but your case may be in here somewhere...though again I don't understand why its waived for people who missed their flight...

 

http://www.cruiseco.com/Resources/cabotage.htm

[CatlinSTJ]

This is exactly why I never leave my husband in charge of any documents. As others have said...I check, recheck and check again.

 

Me too! If I had him handle it, we'd miss the ship every time! Heck, I don't even let him hold onto his own passport until we get to the airport. Very paranoid.

 

OP - so sorry that this happened to you, we've all had nightmares that it has been us.

[J_Viggy]

I'm reading this story and (1) feeling so sorry for what happened to you! but also (2) wondering do I need to get birth certificates to be able to get on my cruise in April?

 

I am a first time cruiser, so forgive me if this is a silly question. We all have passports, that is sufficient, right?

[Dee777]

If ever any post on CC has tugged my heartstrings it would be yours. So many posts from people blaming others for their own mistakes, complaining about stupid little things (warm chocolate melting cake too runny, steward didn't call them by name, toilet paper not to their liking to name a few), and here you are, owning up to your mistake, not pitying yourself, doing everything in your power to fix it and still...reasonable about it all.

 

If there was anything I could do to make it happen for you I would. But I am not a wealthy woman, nor influential in any way. I just think in all the madness out there, all the pettiness and insanity it sure is refreshing to come across a person with such a positive outlook. I'm still hoping for a miracle for you and your family. Thank you for making my day, it's been crappy until now :) Good luck!

 

Dee

[s7r2]

I'm reading this story and (1) feeling so sorry for what happened to you! but also (2) wondering do I need to get birth certificates to be able to get on my cruise in April?

 

I am a first time cruiser, so forgive me if this is a silly question. We all have passports, that is sufficient, right?

passport will be more than sufficient. either would work for what is now termed a closed-loop cruise (starting and ending at the same port). happy sailing

[s7r2]

If ever any post on CC has tugged my heartstrings it would be yours. So many posts from people blaming others for their own mistakes, complaining about stupid little things (warm chocolate melting cake too runny, steward didn't call them by name, toilet paper not to their liking to name a few), and here you are, owning up to your mistake, not pitying yourself, doing everything in your power to fix it and still...reasonable about it all.

 

If there was anything I could do to make it happen for you I would. But I am not a wealthy woman, nor influential in any way. I just think in all the madness out there, all the pettiness and insanity it sure is refreshing to come across a person with such a positive outlook. I'm still hoping for a miracle for you and your family. Thank you for making my day, it's been crappy until now :) Good luck!

 

Dee

thank you so much! not much light left in the day but I am still following every lead I can. not so much for myself but I really truly hate to let my family down and I have. for that I am sorry.

[s7r2]

thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to share this information. whenever pressed he extension it re-routed me back to the main prompt. not sure there is any hope for me at this point but I hope she is still around for you if you need her in the future. take care and thanks again.

[s7r2]

Me too! If I had him handle it, we'd miss the ship every time! Heck, I don't even let him hold onto his own passport until we get to the airport. Very paranoid.

 

OP - so sorry that this happened to you, we've all had nightmares that it has been us.

thank you

[s7r2]

I'm a 37 year old woman that often cruises solo. I cruise solo, get off at the ports, do excursions, etc. She'll be fine.

 

Sorry this happened to you. Hope everything works out :)

thanks!!

[s7r2]

so who makes this call, is it CCL? If you would of recognized this in Jax before getting to the counter could you have just claimed a travel hardship? Seems odd that there is different law between the two, but I do understand how it could be considered malicious in some way. With that being said, showing up at port with the intention of getting on the ship should have some weight.

 

no clue if this link will work, but your case may be in here somewhere...though again I don't understand why its waived for people who missed their flight...

 

http://www.cruiseco.com/Resources/cabotage.htm

I was finally able to speak to a helpful young lady who was able to give a internal definition of my scenario. Carnival considers it to be an "open loop violation". Because of some mysterious changes in the law they no longer allow anyone to meet the ship. The law changes cause Carnival to incur additional fees or taxes from the US govt. Not sure how accurate her info was and not sure that I have accurately conveyed her info. As it gets later it is becoming apparent that I will miss this one.

[s7r2]

There is still some time though. If anyone from carnival reads this I would be most appreciative if there was anything that can be done to affect what appears to be the inevitable. Unreasonably hopeful still!

[sueandtimj]

thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to share this information. whenever pressed he extension it re-routed me back to the main prompt. not sure there is any hope for me at this point but I hope she is still around for you if you need her in the future. take care and thanks again.

 

Rats! Sorry that extension didn't work. I had scratched out her old extension and had that one written underneath it. For what it's worth, her old extension was 23841. Maybe she (or someone who knows her) will answer at the old extension.

[keywest1]

Be sure and print this entire thread so your family can see how hard you tried to meet up with them. I hate it that this happened to you, but you shouldn't feel that you let your family down. Most people wouldn't have insisted that the others go on without them. I am sure they miss you very much, but there is plenty of fun to be had even if they never step foot off the ship.

Start planning your next cruise now, and if anyone tries to hand you the travel docs next time, JUST SAY NO. LOL

[2bthereagain]

So this raises a question - if someone flat out misses his/her flight (no mechanical errors, no delays - just misses it) do they get to board at another port?

 

In all actuality, missing a flight due to one's own error and forgetting a document due to one's own error are the same thing....

[GRANNYOFSIX]

Thanks for taking a look at this thread. Thanks to a bone-head move of leaving my travel docs at home I was unable to board the ship out of Jacksonville today. We were taking my daughter on a cruise to celebrate her 16th birthday. Rushed out of the house with everything but the most important thing I needed (birth certificate). My daughter was upset that I could not go but after explaining that I made a mistake I was finally able to talk them both into getting onboard. I was hopeful that I would be able to meet the ship somewhere if I could afford the flight but I have not been successful between the time it took me to leave port and arrive home. Hopeful that someone has info or a contact that can help. I've been blessed to never have a need for insurance in all my years of cruising with carnival. It would have been nice to have it but I don't even think it would have covered my bone-head move. In any case if there is some info that would be helpful I am all ears. The ship is arriving in the Bahamas on Wednesday, January 22. I am trying to be there is there is any way. Thanks in advance for your help and time.

 

I'm sorry you are having to go through this. I'm sure it's hard on you and your family. I don't know if this was posted already - but I just googled "missed ship at embarkation, etc" What came up was something directly from Cruise Critic - after reading the below, hopefully there is still hope that you CAN catch the ship at the next port......below is what I found..........good luck and I hope you soon can meet up with your family......

 

The Situation: We arrived late at the port of embarkation and missed the ship.

 

The Remedy: The first thing you should do is notify your cruise line. You'll have to decide if you'd like to catch up with your ship at the next port of call, and the line can help you to make arrangements to do so and notify the ship of your plans. If you booked through a travel agent, call the agent for assistance in making alternate travel plans. Unfortunately, unless you've purchased travel insurance and missed the ship for a reason that's covered by your policy, the cost for meeting up with your sailing elsewhere falls on you. In some cases, if you booked the cruise line's air-sea package, the line will cover the costs of getting you to the next port of call. There is a possibility that the cruise ship will delay departure if many passengers are on the same delayed flight, but don't count on it.

 

To prevent this from happening to you, we recommend getting to your port of call a day early, particularly if you're flying. This is especially important during seasons when thunderstorms, hurricanes or snow could be a factor. If you must fly to the port on the day of embarkation, try to catch the earliest possible flight. At the very least, leave a minimum of a four-hour window between arrival and sailaway.

[Thebosn1]

Thanks for taking a look at this thread. Thanks to a bone-head move of leaving my travel docs at home I was unable to board the ship out of Jacksonville today. We were taking my daughter on a cruise to celebrate her 16th birthday. Rushed out of the house with everything but the most important thing I needed (birth certificate). My daughter was upset that I could not go but after explaining that I made a mistake I was finally able to talk them both into getting onboard. I was hopeful that I would be able to meet the ship somewhere if I could afford the flight but I have not been successful between the time it took me to leave port and arrive home. Hopeful that someone has info or a contact that can help. I've been blessed to never have a need for insurance in all my years of cruising with carnival. It would have been nice to have it but I don't even think it would have covered my bone-head move. In any case if there is some info that would be helpful I am all ears. The ship is arriving in the Bahamas on Wednesday, January 22. I am trying to be there is there is any way. Thanks in advance for your help and time.

 

Oh what a nightmare, I'm so sorry I can't even imagine how you felt at the port! I hope you have a passport and can reconnect with the ship.

[RuthlessBoss]

I'm sorry you are having to go through this. I'm sure it's hard on you and your family. I don't know if this was posted already - but I just googled "missed ship at embarkation, etc" What came up was something directly from Cruise Critic - after reading the below, hopefully there is still hope that you CAN catch the ship at the next port......below is what I found..........good luck and I hope you soon can meet up with your family......

 

The Situation: We arrived late at the port of embarkation and missed the ship.

 

The Remedy: The first thing you should do is notify your cruise line. You'll have to decide if you'd like to catch up with your ship at the next port of call, and the line can help you to make arrangements to do so and notify the ship of your plans. If you booked through a travel agent, call the agent for assistance in making alternate travel plans. Unfortunately, unless you've purchased travel insurance and missed the ship for a reason that's covered by your policy, the cost for meeting up with your sailing elsewhere falls on you. In some cases, if you booked the cruise line's air-sea package, the line will cover the costs of getting you to the next port of call. There is a possibility that the cruise ship will delay departure if many passengers are on the same delayed flight, but don't count on it.

 

To prevent this from happening to you, we recommend getting to your port of call a day early, particularly if you're flying. This is especially important during seasons when thunderstorms, hurricanes or snow could be a factor. If you must fly to the port on the day of embarkation, try to catch the earliest possible flight. At the very least, leave a minimum of a four-hour window between arrival and sailaway.

 

This is a very simplified explanation that I don't believe it's that simple. I don't think you can board at any old port. I think his agent is on the right track regarding open loop.

[ccarpenter1963]

I literally have this nightmare at least twice a week. So sorry you missed your cruise!

[s7r2]

So this raises a question - if someone flat out misses his/her flight (no mechanical errors, no delays - just misses it) do they get to board at another port?

 

In all actuality, missing a flight due to one's own error and forgetting a document due to one's own error are the same thing....

Good question. I would think that scenario fits in the same bucket as my case. I may have misunderstood the agent but it didn't feel like the issue is a security issue but a financial issue. Hopefully it changes if that is the case.

[irishnyc]

Oh no! I'm sorry you went through all that and still can't catch up with them. They'll be perfectly fine and safe, just missing you.

 

I'd bet Carnival always got a fine for allowing people to "catch up" and it finally became too much financially, so they've changed their rules to only make exceptions to allow it for people for which circumstances were completely out of their control, such as missed or delayed flights.

[s7r2]

This is a very simplified explanation that I don't believe it's that simple. I don't think you can board at any old port. I think his agent is on the right track regarding open loop.

You used to be able to meet the ship at the next port but due to recent changes that is no longer the case with the advent of the closed/open loop traveling categories. it seems like my scenario is a little gray area that has caused some unintended financial implications for carnival and probably other cruise operators. hopefully they'll work out the issue with the government but the immediate workaround is that passengers are not allowed to meet the ship if they miss the boat for reasons related to individual lapses in judgment and preparation. If the passenger misses the boat for a carrier or weather related issue then they can be allowed to meet at the next port. The good news is this issue will help some and may be help to change this in the future.

[s7r2]

Oh no! I'm sorry you went through all that and still can't catch up with them. They'll be perfectly fine and safe, just missing you.

 

I'd bet Carnival always got a fine for allowing people to "catch up" and it finally became too much financially, so they've changed their rules to only make exceptions to allow it for people for which circumstances were completely out of their control, such as missed or delayed flights.

You stated it perfectly. I can be unnecessarily verbose at time but I believe you hit the nail on the head based on the responses I received today. My Aunt contacted a friend at Homeland Security office on my behalf earlier today. There are no security risks as far as out government is concerned. Couple that with the feedback from the rep and it definitely points to a finance issue. In a sentence you conveyed everything I tried to in ten sentences! thank YOU!

[s7r2]

Oh what a nightmare, I'm so sorry I can't even imagine how you felt at the port! I hope you have a passport and can reconnect with the ship.

I would have been ok to tunaround if my daughter was not so upset. it made things so much worse for me but I was ultimately able to leave with my head held high hoping that i'd be able to catch up to them in the Bahamas. I woke up with all the energy and hope that a new day brings but as the sun sets I am realizing I am beat. Not the end of the world but I know she'll only have one 16th birthday. Unfortunately you don't get a chance to "fix" every mistake but you can learn from them. I'm a big boy LOL!!