Denial of Boarding

[Griller]

I expect everyone who has a cruise booked will get one of these emails very soon, mine arrived this morning. No mention of a refund or not for those hopefully very few individuals affected though.

Had to be done I guess.

 

In light of recent national news regarding the Ebola virus, we wish to advise you that we have adopted new boarding procedures and screenings following collaboration with the international health authorities. We are screening for any guests or crew who have visited or traveled through countries with a US CDC Level 3 Travel Warning (Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea) or had physical contact with or helped care for a person suspected of having Ebola within 21 days of a cruise departure date. These individuals will be denied boarding

[pablo222]

In light of recent national news regarding the Ebola virus, we wish to advise you that we have adopted new boarding procedures and screenings following collaboration with the international health authorities. We are screening for any guests or crew who have visited or traveled through countries with a US CDC Level 3 Travel Warning (Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea) or had physical contact with or helped care for a person suspected of having Ebola within 21 days of a cruise departure date. These individuals will be denied boarding

 

Just one more thing for people to lie about on the health survey...

[PORT ROYAL]

I expect everyone who has a cruise booked will get one of these emails very soon, mine arrived this morning. No mention of a refund or not for those hopefully very few individuals affected though.

Had to be done I guess.

 

In light of recent national news regarding the Ebola virus, we wish to advise you that we have adopted new boarding procedures and screenings following collaboration with the international health authorities. We are screening for any guests or crew who have visited or traveled through countries with a US CDC Level 3 Travel Warning (Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea) or had physical contact with or helped care for a person suspected of having Ebola within 21 days of a cruise departure date. These individuals will be denied boarding

 

Legal responsibility is thereby switched to the guest for any potential claim etc against the cruise line. These actions (presenting a form for completing) would be considered reasonable and if a guest is economical with the truth the line declares non nostra culpa.

[whitecap]

I expect everyone who has a cruise booked will get one of these emails very soon, mine arrived this morning. No mention of a refund or not for those hopefully very few individuals affected though.

Had to be done I guess.

 

In light of recent national news regarding the Ebola virus, we wish to advise you that we have adopted new boarding procedures and screenings following collaboration with the international health authorities. We are screening for any guests or crew who have visited or traveled through countries with a US CDC Level 3 Travel Warning (Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea) or had physical contact with or helped care for a person suspected of having Ebola within 21 days of a cruise departure date. These individuals will be denied boarding

 

THANK YOU PRINCESS!! for using common sense and logic to combat this problem and implementing procedures to keep your passenger as safe as possible.

[lois1112]

I got the notice 4 times for the cruise I'm leaving on Monday.

guess they want to make sure I got it

[whitecap]

Just one more thing for people to lie about on the health survey...

 

Pablo222; I agree completely that, just like in the case of the Dallas patient who lied on his form to return to the US. One thing I can see coming for the future is a requirement that all passengers produce a passport which would be checked for government stamps. Now this obviously won't stop someone from within the US who has been around someone here from attempting to board, so the next best thing would be temperature screening and making the health form a "sworn statement" punishable by criminal charges. Will this stop it completely, absolutely not, but could it prevent a potential problem, absolutely could.

[hawkeyetlse]

No mention of a refund or not for those hopefully very few individuals affected though.

People who are denied boarding at check-in for health reasons are given a full credit for a future cruise within the next year or something like that. I've never seen any first-hand account of how this actually works, but it makes sense that people should not be punished for being honest and cooperative.

[goose30]

Pablo222; I agree completely that, just like in the case of the Dallas patient who lied on his form to return to the US. One thing I can see coming for the future is a requirement that all passengers produce a passport which would be checked for government stamps. Now this obviously won't stop someone from within the US who has been around someone here from attempting to board, so the next best thing would be temperature screening and making the health form a "sworn statement" punishable by criminal charges. Will this stop it completely, absolutely not, but could it prevent a potential problem, absolutely could.

 

What countries stamp passports these days?

[whitecap]

People who are denied boarding at check-in for health reasons are given a full credit for a future cruise within the next year or something like that. I've never seen any first-hand account of how this actually works, but it makes sense that people should not be punished for being honest and cooperative.

 

Hopefully Princess will make this new policy so well known that people who are honest will not attempt to board but will notify Princess in advance. And Princess will have a procedure to verify and work with the person to reschedule.

[Essiesmom]

 

What countries stamp passports these days?

 

I believe everyone does when you fly in, unless you are flying from one Schengen country to another.

EM

Edited October 19, 2014 by Essiesmom

[whitecap]

What countries stamp passports these days?

 

I have never traveled overseas with a passport so maybe someone who has can verify this but I believe that to enter the US from another country (the exception being a cruise departing and returning to the US) must show a passport/visa and an exit stamp from the country the person traveled from. I certainly will stand corrected if anyone knows from experience.

[cherylandtk]

I notice that the wording says "has had physical contact with or helped care for a person SUSPECTED of having Ebola within 21 days". Not confirmed as an actual case, just suspected of maybe being Ebola before being determined to be something else.

 

So that would include the 800 false alarm cases being reported to CDC every day; and anyone who came into contact with them, which by now is practically any hospital anywhere in the country. By these standards, the Captain of the Carnival Magic and perhaps two dozen of his crew should be prevented from sailing this week. They never have come into contact or been anywhere near exposure to Ebola; but they certainly were in contact with a woman who was suspected of having Ebola.

 

This is a very poorly worded exclusion and needs to be revised so that it applies to persons actually at risk.

[hawkeyetlse]

By these standards, the Captain of the Carnival Magic and perhaps two dozen of his crew should be prevented from sailing this week. They never have come into contact or been anywhere near exposure to Ebola; but they certainly were in contact with a woman who was suspected of having Ebola.

"Physical contact" means touching. There may still be doubts about being in someone's close proximity for an extended period of time (like sitting next to someone during a flight) but if you mean that the Captain and two dozen of his crew all had physical contact with that lab technician while she was confined to her stateroom… well, I want to see the video.

[capriccio]

I have never traveled overseas with a passport so maybe someone who has can verify this but I believe that to enter the US from another country (the exception being a cruise departing and returning to the US) must show a passport/visa and an exit stamp from the country the person traveled from. I certainly will stand corrected if anyone knows from experience.

 

Here is my recent experience. My current US passport was issued in 2011 and since then I've made the following trips:

 

 

• to/from Rome, Italy in 2011 - Munich Airport entry stamp (which was an inbound transit stop and was entry into the Schengen countries so I could have traveled to multiple countries with no 'official' record in my passport) and Homeland Security back in the States.
  
• entered Vancouver in 2012 on a plane - no entry stamp
  
• entered Victoria in 2012 on a ship - no entry stamp
  
• departed Vancouver twice in 2012 once on a ship, once on a plane - no exit stamps, no US entry stamps
  
• entered UK in 2013 for a cruise that included Republic of Ireland and France - Heathrow entry stamped, Republic of Ireland stamped, no stamp for France (Schengen again); no US entry stamp
  
• entered Vancouver by plane in 2014 - no stamp
  
• departed Calgary by plane in 2014 - no stamp; no US entry stamp
  
• in that time I have also done 3 Caribbean cruises - none of those countries visited are stamped in my passport. Now when you go through immigration you are supposed to list all countries visited and since immigration is so controlled on a cruise ship (one ship, one set of inspectors who know the itinerary) maybe they don't feel the need to see stamps.
  

[holula]

I have never traveled overseas with a passport so maybe someone who has can verify this but I believe that to enter the US from another country (the exception being a cruise departing and returning to the US) must show a passport/visa and an exit stamp from the country the person traveled from. I certainly will stand corrected if anyone knows from experience.

 

 

I have a UK passport. Most countries do entry and exit stamps. Some (like New Zealand, Canada, America) only have an entry stamp. But unless you are flying between schengen countries or have a UK or Irish passport and are flying within the EU there is always an entry (and usually an exit) stamp.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[whitecap]

Here is my recent experience. My current US passport was issued in 2011 and since then I've made the following trips:

 

 

• to/from Rome, Italy in 2011 - Munich Airport entry stamp (which was an inbound transit stop and was entry into the Schengen countries so I could have traveled to multiple countries with no 'official' record in my passport) and Homeland Security back in the States.
  
• entered Vancouver in 2012 on a plane - no entry stamp
  
• entered Victoria in 2012 on a ship - no entry stamp
  
• departed Vancouver twice in 2012 once on a ship, once on a plane - no exit stamps, no US entry stamps
  
• entered UK in 2013 for a cruise that included Republic of Ireland and France - Heathrow entry stamped, Republic of Ireland stamped, no stamp for France (Schengen again); no US entry stamp
  
• entered Vancouver by plane in 2014 - no stamp
  
• departed Calgary by plane in 2014 - no stamp; no US entry stamp
  
• in that time I have also done 3 Caribbean cruises - none of those countries visited are stamped in my passport. Now when you go through immigration you are supposed to list all countries visited and since immigration is so controlled on a cruise ship (one ship, one set of inspectors who know the itinerary) maybe they don't feel the need to see stamps.
  

 

Thanks for your experience. So if I'm reading it right, some do, some don't. This just makes things harder for everyone and we are once again relying on people to "be honest". Maybe it's time for this to change too.

[whitecap]

I have a UK passport. Most countries do entry and exit stamps. Some (like New Zealand, Canada, America) only have an entry stamp. But unless you are flying between schengen countries or have a UK or Irish passport and are flying within the EU there is always an entry (and usually an exit) stamp.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thanks!

[Mom33]

Every time you travel to another country, it is documented

electronically. Many people are pre-approved for flying today based on their travel history. Anyone that traveled to or from West Africa will be red flagged by TSA. No one will have

to look at the passport for stamps.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[cherylandtk]

"Physical contact" means touching. There may still be doubts about being in someone's close proximity for an extended period of time (like sitting next to someone during a flight) but if you mean that the Captain and two dozen of his crew all had physical contact with that lab technician while she was confined to her stateroom… well, I want to see the video.

 

So you think she never touched anyone or anything on the first few days of the cruise before she knew Nina Pham was ill? That when she voluntarily went to the Captain to report wanting to monitor her temperature (and probably ask for a thermometer) nobody touched? That two days later when the CDC finally called the ship and asked them to ask her to self-isolate she still had not come into physical contact with any staff on the ship? And you need a video to show you this?

 

This is splitting hairs over the touch contact aspect when the real issue is the word suspected. Perhaps we should just agree that somebody from the medical staff drew her blood yesterday. That person, by this definition, should be prevented from sailing. Which is a ridiculous assertion. Even more ridiculous is that hundreds of people who fall into this category will either unintentionally lie on the form or unnecessarily be denied boarding. The "suspicion" needs to be removed and something more definitive put in its place.

Edited October 19, 2014 by cherylandtk

[sunsetbeachgal]

I don't Think Princess embarkation check in agents have access to the TSA database when checking in for cruises...and as Pablo said, I do not put lying past anyone any more, unfortunately.

[hawkeyetlse]

So you think she never touched anyone or anything on the first few days of the cruise before she knew Nina Pham was ill? That when she voluntarily went to the Captain to report wanting to monitor her temperature (and probably ask for a thermometer) nobody touched? That two days later when the CDC finally called the ship and asked them to ask her to self-isolate she still had not come into physical contact with any staff on the ship?

I never said I thought she didn't touch "anything", did I? And I have no idea if she touched anyone (besides her husband), and I wonder how you can be so sure that she did. People can speak to one another or hand objects to one another without touching. I don't touch a lot of people on my cruises, and not a lot of people touch me. But then I don't cruise Carnival.

[redtogo]

What countries stamp passports these days?

 

I have stamps in my newest passport from Frankfurt, Canada, US Customs, Geneva, Dublin, another Canada, another US Customs, another Canada, Australia, Amsterdam, 2 more Australia, 2more US Customs, 2 from Thailand, 2 From Singapore, Southampton, Cobh Ireland, Vietnam, Acapulco (Guerrero), and 2 from St. Petersburg (Cahkt Hetep6ypr)

 

I would say that many are still stamping.

Edited October 19, 2014 by redtogo

[cruiselvr1]

Just one more thing for people to lie about on the health survey...

They will now have to have someone study your passport, before entering the cruise terminal. the hysteria will only get worst, if another Ebola case shows up outside patient #1. This is why our Government needs to a travel ban from West Africa, I am tired of hearing this racism talk about AFrica. If Europe had the problem we would still call for a travel ban. This should not be about politics, but the health of Americans. I am not buying into the hysteria, but you can see what happens on Carnival, a travel ban will make Americans feel better.

[phantomII]

I have stamps in my newest passport from Frankfurt, Canada, US Customs, Geneva, dublin, another Canada, another US Customs, another Canada, Australia, Amsterdam, 2 more Australia, 2more US Customs, 2 from Thailand, 2 From Singapore, Southampton, Cobh Ireland, Vietnam, Acapulco (Guerrero), and 2 from St. Petersburg (Cahkt Hetep6ypr)

 

I would say that many are still stamping.

 

You definitely travel a lot! Thailand and Singapore? I wish I could go back there sometime.

[pablo222]

I do not put lying past anyone any more, unfortunately.

 

I do not either.

 

If you read cruise critic for a while, people brag here about

what they accomplished by lying.