I was declined boarding and now I found I was right and the cruise company was wrong

[caribill]

I also asked when I was in Southampton if I can boardand get of the ship the last stop before Ireland also denied

 

This probably would have been possible if arranged before the cruise instead of asking at check-in with people with very little discretion to do anything.

 

There was a post a couple of years ago about a cruise to the Baltic on Princess which had an active US military passenger who was on vacation. Russia said he could not enter the country even if he stayed on the ship.

 

 

So he arranged (in advance) with Princess to disembark at the last port before Russian waters.

[broberts]

His/her travel documents were not in order - the cruise line is not responsible nor do they have to make any special arrangements to assure he doesn't get off the ship.

 

Never suggested that. But the cruise line apparently does have a mechanism for coping with those who must remain aboard in certain ports. Since they do, what is wrong with using it?

 

Sure, the ship could stop him, or take him at his word, or otherwise. As other people have addressed, though, what if there was an illness to him or his family that required being removed from the ship? How about an onboard emergency that required everyone to get off? What if he said that he'd stay in his room and then decided to try to find a way to sneak around security, or took the keycard of someone who looked like him (maybe traded with a relative)? ...

 

The tolerance and compassion on this site sometimes stuns me.

 

Why are so many ready to assume, without proof, the worst of someone they have never met? Is it projection?

[RU_Gremlin]

broberts,

I'm not assuming the worst of someone. I put two examples that would be beyond a passenger's control (illness and ship malfunction). The cruise line does not the get luxury to assume noble intent. Do you think Immigration Services would accept "well he told us he was going to stay in his room" as an excuse if he gets caught on land? Look at chengkp's post at the top of the page. It does/has happened. No, I don't think this particular person would have attempted something like that. But also, I don't think that the cruise line will ever accept that risk. The requirements are clear.

[Host CJSKIDS]

This probably would have been possible if arranged before the cruise instead of asking at check-in with people with very little discretion to do anything.

 

There was a post a couple of years ago about a cruise to the Baltic on Princess which had an active US military passenger who was on vacation. Russia said he could not enter the country even if he stayed on the ship.

 

 

So he arranged (in advance) with Princess to disembark at the last port before Russian waters.

 

Just curious, How would they have even known he was active military? When on personal leave you travel on your personal passport (blue) and when traveling on orders you travel on your military passport (red).

There is no way for anyone to know that my son is military when traveling on leave. Other than his short haircut! Or if he shows his military ID vs his license while going thru TSA.

 

Is it something you have to put on your visa?

[Cindy]

To the OP -- I'm sorry you had this experience. It was a very costly lesson about cruise documents! However, the problem is not with Princess but only with your lack of all required documents. I have cruised on five different cruise lines, and all of them have the same policy regarding a passenger's documents and permissions -- it is solely the passenger's responsibility to make sure they have the documents that are required for them to travel and enter each country. I can't think of a cruise when I haven't gotten numerous reminders about required documentation.

 

You called your denied boarding discriminatory, but I wholeheartedly disagree. I have read many posts over the years from people who were denied boarding because they did not have the proper documentation for the countries on their itinerary. Those people were from many nations, and represented all races and all ages. The only thing they had in common was the lack of proper documentation.

 

I hope you can come to terms with this. In my opinion, you have no legal grounds to stand on, and to pursue this through legal channels would just be an additional waste of money. Hopefully your next vacation will go as planned!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[BassettMom]

Just curious, How would they have even known he was active military? When on personal leave you travel on your personal passport (blue) and when traveling on orders you travel on your military passport (red).

There is no way for anyone to know that my son is military when traveling on leave. Other than his short haircut! Or if he shows his military ID vs his license while going thru TSA.

 

Is it something you have to put on your visa?

When I applied for a China visa for a SE Asia and China cruise, I had to list my employer (USAF), which caused all kinds of issues and took months to get resolved before finally being granted a very limited visa covering just the cruise. I would assume the Russia visa, like many countries' visa application, also asks for the employer's information, so they would know he was active duty military.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[land lover]

Okay...I m a U.S. Citizen who has done a lot of international cruises lately and have paid for more visas than I care too.

On a recent cruise on Majestic(which dropped the ship off in China)...On the Roll call there was much discussion about needing a Chinese visa as the Chinese govt..has made some changes in the last year or so. Several citizens from other countries said they had done some investigation and truly felt they did not need one but still followed Princess "rules" because they did not want to take any chances.

 

Princess makes the rules...Period.Lesson learned move on......

[land lover]

dupe

[John99]

Reading this thread was very interesting. I agree with others especially about doing research and planning. Very poor planning. Many assumptions were made by the OP which were not correct. I see from your Public Profile you prefer Norwegian Cruise Line. If you feel so "bad"about Princess Cruise Line good luck on Norwegian.

 

I'm not clear on this point -- did the OP use a Travel Agent? This could have mitigated his problem.

 

Did you read the "Princess Passenger Contract"? Especially page #2 about your responsibilities?

Since you stated you have Egyptian Passport, what agreement(s) does Egypt have with Ireland for entry into their country? This is probably a mute question.

 

Finally, I agree with CMHCruiseCouple Post #64 especially your first sentence. Also, I like the rest of your response. As stated "lets move on".

 

 

John

[cherylandtk]

Never suggested that. But the cruise line apparently does have a mechanism for coping with those who must remain aboard in certain ports. Since they do, what is wrong with using it?...

This mechanism only works when the port country's immigration and documentation requirements allow it. In this case, the OP did not actually have the option of remaining onboard, regardless of cruise card flagging, signed forms or other methods. Irish Immigration is conducted onboard for ALL passengers before anyone is allowed to disembark. It is a face-to-face meeting and nobody gets off until everyone is cleared. As stated in the very first sentence of his email response, he needs a visa if he goes through any sort of immigration check.

 

This same sort of question comes up all the time for folks who erroneously think a RT Seattle Alaska cruise does not require passport or WHTI documentation because it is 'in the US'. They too, try the 'but I'll just stay onboard in Victoria' idea. Doesn't work there, either, but it is more due to US requirements than Canadian.

 

I'm not certain of OP's particular itinerary, but the only possible option that I see the OP might have tried was to join the ship in Belfast, after the Irish ports. Much the same as if he had missed the ship and didn't catch up until then. But that appears to be literal water under the bridge at this point.

[land lover]

This mechanism only works when the port country's immigration and documentation requirements allow it. In this case, the OP did not actually have the option of remaining onboard, regardless of cruise card flagging, signed forms or other methods. Irish Immigration is conducted onboard for ALL passengers before anyone is allowed to disembark. It is a face-to-face meeting and nobody gets off until everyone is cleared. As stated in the very first sentence of his email response, he needs a visa if he goes through any sort of immigration check.

 

This same sort of question comes up all the time for folks who erroneously think a RT Seattle Alaska cruise does not require passport or WHTI documentation because it is 'in the US'. They too, try the 'but I'll just stay onboard in Victoria' idea. Doesn't work there, either, but it is more due to US requirements than Canadian.

 

I'm not certain of OP's particular itinerary, but the only possible option that I see the OP might have tried was to join the ship in Belfast, after the Irish ports. Much the same as if he had missed the ship and didn't catch up until then. But that appears to be literal water under the bridge at this point.

 

Cheryl great suggestion.......figures you would suggest it...good play on words too....maybe some day we will cruise together again......somewhere we don't need visas.

[RDC1]

===============================================

Here is what I found

1- The immigration services of the concerned countrydo not care that there is a passenger on board the cruise ship {that is intheir water}

Does not have a Visa. There are hundreds of differentnationality staff on board without Visa (Myth Busted)

2-There are forms ( I saw it) a passenger should signbefore embarkation to agree to stay on board during a specific port stop.(MythBusted)

3-Your cruise card can be programmed to reflect somerestrictions easily, I was an IT(Myth Busted)

4-Medical Emergency evacuation needs a Visa? I don’tknow. I haven’t heard of Medics asking to see a Visa.

5-For so many nationalities a UK visa is all theyneed if any to go from Britain to Ireland, but I am one of the unfortunate.

It is a small mistake I madebut the banishment is very harsh and expensive. This is a business practice bythe cruise lines and it is discriminating. :loudcry:

 

 

No it is following the laws of the countries they visit. Actually the staff on board the ship do have the legal documentation for ship crew as required under maritime law. Otherwise the ship would not be able to enter the port.

 

Actually you made a very large mistake. No matter how you try to paint Princess as the bad party in this, it was your mistake and they send out notifications that it is up to the individual to make sure that they meet requirements for each of the countries visited on the cruise.

 

No cruise line is going to endanger their ability to get cleared by immigration authorities in each port they visit, or to create a situation where the clearance process is more difficult in the future.

[tml1230]

The ship tracks you and registers each time you leave and return. Its not like it would be difficult fort hem to know if you were getting off in Ireland. Princess made a horrible mistake which they are unlikely to easily acknowledge since it will cost them money. Keep after them and hire a lawyer it they persist in denying wrongdoing.

 

amazing post...wow

[RDC1]

Never suggested that. But the cruise line apparently does have a mechanism for coping with those who must remain aboard in certain ports. Since they do, what is wrong with using it?

 

 

 

The tolerance and compassion on this site sometimes stuns me.

 

Why are so many ready to assume, without proof, the worst of someone they have never met? Is it projection?

 

Because it is not the cruise lines job to try and track who can go ashore and who cannot. There is no benefit to them. It would make the process of clearing the ship much more difficult. The immigration authorities would probably not trust the cruise line to enforce it. The alternative would be for each passenger to present their passport to immigration authorities whenever they went a shore like in Russia.

 

The letter he received from Irish Immigration was written as if it assumed that there was an immigration officer for him to present the Visa to If at any time you would be going

 

through the Irish Immigration check, you will require a visa

The process is to clear all passengers at the same time, thus all passengers must have a Visa or the ship cannot be cleared. As I stated earlier the alternative is for each passenger to exit the ship and clear immigration individually.

[jagsfan]

Airlines get fined if they allow a passenger to fly without proper documents. I'm sure the same applies to cruise lines. It is not right to put the blame on anyone except the passenger that dies not have the proper documents.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[geoherb]

My travel agent has the following visa language on the receipt: "It is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure that they have the necessary documentation for their cruise. Failure to produce the necessary documentation at the pier will result in denied boarding and no further compensation will be offered by the cruise line or [travel agency]."

[Cindy]

 

 

 

No cruise line is going to endanger their ability to get cleared by immigration authorities in each port they visit, or to create a situation where the clearance process is more difficult in the future.

 

 

Very important point! No cruise line is going to do something that is going to make immigration more complicated or difficult for the vast majority of their passengers.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Blondilu]

The following is in the fine print on the "travel itinerary and notices" page of my cruise booking:

 

"This information is provided as general guidance. Because governmental and medical vaccination requirements and recommendations change periodically you must check with your travel agent, government authorities for the countries you will visit and/or medical professionals to determine or verify the actual requirements and recommendations at the time of sailing. Princess assumes no liability for the passenger's failure to do so.Failure to present required travel documents, visas, or vaccination certificates at cruise cruise check-in will result in denial of boarding without refund of the cruise or cruisetour fare."

It also states in the paragraph which discusses who needs visas: "Please be aware that the visa must be obtained regardless of whether you choose to remain on board or go ashore."

[princess C,is bad]

As the OP for this thread, I want to thank the people who were kind and understanding and for the people who were not kind at all I can say is ( Peace)

[Host CJSKIDS]

When I applied for a China visa for a SE Asia and China cruise, I had to list my employer (USAF), which caused all kinds of issues and took months to get resolved before finally being granted a very limited visa covering just the cruise. I would assume the Russia visa, like many countries' visa application, also asks for the employer's information, so they would know he was active duty military.

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

 

Thanks for the clarification! I haven't cruised anywhere that a visa was needed so had no clue.

[caribill]

Just curious, How would they have even known he was active military? When on personal leave you travel on your personal passport (blue) and when traveling on orders you travel on your military passport (red).

There is no way for anyone to know that my son is military when traveling on leave. Other than his short haircut! Or if he shows his military ID vs his license while going thru TSA.

 

Is it something you have to put on your visa?

 

Here is a post from the past on this subject:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=19835031&highlight=Russia+military#post19835031

Edited August 5, 2017 by caribill

[dreamercruise]

I thank the OP for starting this informative thread. I learned so much from all the responses. Like the OP, I did not know that I had to get a visa for every country in the cruise itinerary, even if I choose to stay onboard. Please clarify for me one more time. Do I still need to get a Russian visa for a Baltic cruise that stops in Russia, even though I do not plan to go onboard (have already visited the country previously)? I hold a US passport.

If the answer is yes, then I would take a Princess' excursion, just to avoid getting a Russian visa again.

[Colo Cruiser]

As the OP for this thread, I want to thank the people who were kind and understanding and for the people who were not kind at all I can say is ( Peace)

 

 

I think you need to change your CC name. :(

[jagoffee]

I thank the OP for starting this informative thread. I learned so much from all the responses. Like the OP, I did not know that I had to get a visa for every country in the cruise itinerary, even if I choose to stay onboard. Please clarify for me one more time. Do I still need to get a Russian visa for a Baltic cruise that stops in Russia, even though I do not plan to go onboard (have already visited the country previously)? I hold a US passport.

If the answer is yes, then I would take a Princess' excursion, just to avoid getting a Russian visa again.

 

I cannot speak for all circumstances, but I can share my experience. I have a US Passport and I was not required to get a visa just because the cruise ship stopped in Russian. I cleared Russian immigration on land and not on the ship. The private tour that I booked obtained the required visa for me. At no point did Princess tell me that I needed to get a Russian visa just to go on the cruise nor do I believe Princess even knew that I had a visa obtained for me by the private tour company.

 

From what the OP said they only had a problem because of the origin of their passport.

 

I believe that it matters if the ship is cleared as a group or each individual is cleared shoreside, but someone with more direct knowledge would need to confirm.

[porridgeuk]

This is from the Irish Immigration site and was for someone travelling on an Egyptian Passport

 

You need a visa for Ireland

 

You need a Visit (Tourist) Visa to come to Ireland.

Your exact preparations depend on your plans and personal circumstances. Some of the most important are described below. Read this information carefully to make sure you have everything you need.