My parents were denied boarding on Holland America 30 day cruise, need help

[sail7seas]

Trying to figure out how this would help the OP solve the problem of his/her parents being denied boarding for their 30 day cruise.

Sorry wrong thread. I was reading the other thread and typedd the post. Phone rang, I talked for a bit and returned to the wrong thread to enter the post when I got off the phone. Ooops.

[Lizzie68]

Whatever. To a person of only "average" understanding such as myself, when someone says they are put off by the "accusatory title", they are not referring to anything other than the title, otherwise they would have clearly said so.

 

You are comparing two unlike things. Being denied is the result. Not qualifying is the reason. You are attempting to replace one with the other in your "new" title. Essentially changing completely what the poster said.

 

And here I thought that on Cruise Critic posters were allowed to express things in their own fashion without "rewrites" from others! Apparently not so.... Perhaps we should send all posts to the arbiters first and let them rewrite each in a way that agrees with their own sensibilities.

 

The HAL board has become a very frustrating place of late, with lots unnecessary claims of "accusatory tone", "wild exaggeration" etc.

 

I think, for the sake of my own blood pressure and sense of fairness, I will take a little break from posting on this board! :eek:

 

PLEASE don't take a break - your posts are always balanced, informed, and non-confrontational. We need you around here, especially with all the frustrations of late.

[1ANGELCAT]

So being denied boarding has now somehow morphed into long taxi rides. Interesting.

 

 

 

No wonder the OP hasn’t returned. They think the people around here are insane.

 

 

 

Uncalled for comment

 

 

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[ithaca gal]

Uncalled for comment

 

 

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Oh heavens! It's just the latest in a looooooong line of them lately (not from this poster ... several).

 

However, this one isn't necessarily wrong.

[HamOp]

Yeah, but in a good chair and with some popcorn close by, it can be quite entertaining :cool:

 

That's why I miss the smoking threads. Those were more entertaining than watching a hockey game:cool::cool:.

[Essiesmom]

I suspect the OP bears some responsibility for the errors in documentation, so will not be back to admit such. He/she has returned to the board to read, but did not post. EM

[bigwally]

Yeah, this one is done and dusted, but at least maybe someone in the same position someday will find this thread BEFORE they decide to give up and fly home from Argentina.

[BruzrCruzr]

Years ago the cruise we were going on involved Istanbul. About a week before we were set to go, I happened to read something about needing a visa for Turkey. Hyperventilating since we had no visas, I freaked out and posted here on CruiseCritic about my situation.

 

I was totally grateful that so many folks pitched in and assured me that we were okay as visas weren't needed on a cruise. We went, we were fine, had a great time. Now we're set to go on a cruise to the Baltics and I happened across this post. While the lightbulb was on, I checked and find that, yes, normally you'd need a visa for St. Petersburg, Russia, but if you're on a cruise, you don't need the visa.

 

While I'm so sorry to hear about the OP's situation, I'm grateful to have run across this. It reminded me to double check the small details. (And yes, my TA is very good about this as well, but I tend to overfret at times.)

[sassy12]

We were in St. Petersburg last spring. If you go a ship and do not get off the ship you do not need a visa. If you get off the ship via a ship excursion you do not need to worry about a visa. You can go on a private tour with a tour group and they will get a visa for you which you will show customs as you get off the ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP posted this same thread on the "Ask A Cruise Question". OP has not come back to either thread.

People have lots of questions like "who booked the cruise?" "why didn't the parents call home right away", etc.

Too many things were not given in the original thread.

[Keith1010]

In the perfect world the cruise lines would provide information on visa requirements. Unfortunately it is complicated because the requirements often vary by the country that one is a resident of. For better or worse it is the passenger's responsibility to secure their visas. It is noted in the passenger contracts so while I am not a lawyer I don't think you can do anything on that front.

 

The only thing I can think of doing is following up with HAL to see if they will do anything for your parents.

 

Keith

[Boytjie]

Just reread the OP and this popped out:

 

my parents in 70s who have been cruising for very long time now

 

So, I think that if they had cruises so much before they should have been aware of visas being the cruisers' responsibility.

[boards]

Also if they had looked at their itinerary they would have seen the note regarding the need for a visa in Brazil. Every port you are visiting there is an indication whether it that you will TR (tendered) ON (overnite) etc. I feel certain they must have looked at it at least once to read the ports they were visiting.

[Tinknock50]

Some of this is a lot about personalities. I am a stubborn character and I would have explored any possible scenario where I could meet this cruise in another port. Sure beats giving up and going home with no cruise at all.

 

But that is just me. :)

 

Sad for them that they missed a cruise.

[Boatdrill]

By far the saddest part of this is the parents not realizing that it might have been possible to salvage a good part of the trip and, instead, gave up and went home. /quote]

 

No doubt HAL discussed all options with them. It's quite a lengthy ordeal when boarding is denied due to a lack of proper documents. Even if the parents had the means to join the ship later, at the end of the day, it's up to the ship whether passengers will be allowed to do so.

[Jade13]

Some of this is a lot about personalities. I am a stubborn character and I would have explored any possible scenario where I could meet this cruise in another port. Sure beats giving up and going home with no cruise at all.

 

 

 

But that is just me. :)

 

 

 

Sad for them that they missed a cruise.

 

 

If someone is convinced it is the cruise lines fault and they should have been told they need Visa’s, than they would have been convinced (in error), that they could just go home and get an attorney, refund and/or have the money transferred to another cruise. I do hope the OP comes back with an update.

 

We would have been meeting the ship at the next port. We have disembarked, left multiple cruise lines to go traveling on our own and met up with the ship at a different port (typically another country) multiple times, as well as disembarked early. But I understand not everyone is comfortable doing that. Where was the OP/Adult children or travel agent (one reason it’s better to have an outside agent), in trying to coordinate.

 

 

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[Tinknock50]

If someone is convinced it is the cruise lines fault and they should have been told they need Visa’s, than they would have been convinced (in error), that they could just go home and get an attorney, refund and/or have the money transferred to another cruise. I do hope the OP comes back with an update.

 

 

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Makes sense. But I was just speaking for myself and my focus would be making this cruise now. The other options could still be tried after the primary mission, taking the cruise, were exhausted. Getting re-reimbursed for extra costs for meeting up with the cruise could still be tried legally after the cruise.

 

Apparently they decided compensation was their primary goal at that point.

[thinfool]

Getting re-reimbursed for extra costs for meeting up with the cruise could still be tried legally after the cruise.

 

Most cruise contracts now require arbitration. You agree to it when you buy the cruise. No conventional lawsuits in most cases. And they have to be arbitrated in a specific location, usually far away.

 

 

 

 

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[Tinknock50]

Most cruise contracts now require arbitration. You agree to it when you buy the cruise. No conventional lawsuits in most cases. And they have to be arbitrated in a specific location, usually far away.

 

 

 

 

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So I guessed they have lost in every way......sad.

[whogo]

According to this (3rd party?) website, the processing time for e-visas would appear to be, generally speaking, 5 business days, and this type of visa is readily available to passport holders from the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan.

 

http://www.vfsglobal.com/brazil-evisa/

Thanks for that. Had not seen that an e-visa was available on the Chicago Consulate's site. The e-visa sounds great, $44.24 for a two year visa, maximum 90 days in Brazil per year. Minimum 5 day processing time and all done online.

 

 

With an appointment, same day paper visas are available in Miami.

[OlsSalt]

Most cruise contracts now require arbitration. You agree to it when you buy the cruise. No conventional lawsuits in most cases. And they have to be arbitrated in a specific location, usually far away.

 

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Even in arbitration one would need a legal cause of action: what other grounds could they claim to get a legal case rolling?

 

Just speculating here:

1. Breach of contract, including implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing

2. Common-carrier liability

3. Negligence

4. Elderly financial abuse

5. Voiding contract of adhesion

6. Common law vs maritime law

[KroozNut]

So being denied boarding has now somehow morphed into long taxi rides. Interesting.

 

No wonder the OP hasn’t returned. They think the people around here are insane.

 

Ding, ding, ding.. Today's post of the day winner!;)

[HokiePoq]

Let me be slightly devil’s advocate here. I was on a Princess cruise from Burns Aires to Manaus in 1999. Of course, we has our visas. But there were a number of passengers who boarded in Santiago and were continuing as a B2B. One had neglected to get the visa. Princess debarked her at the next port, Montevideo, and she got her visa there and rejoined the cruise in Rio, a few days later. I believe Princess helped to arrange it, at her expense. In the case of the OP, we don’t know how well cruised the people were beyond the Caribbean or Europe where no visas are needed. They were checking in at a foreign port where the personnel were not HAL employees, were not native English speakers, and might not have had the experince to help arrange this. Although I would bet it is a frequent occurrence. Perhaps not the patience, either. Get them checked in and go home. Just a thought. EM

 

Something of this nature happened on Amazon Explorer a couple of years ago. One couple thought their visa was still valid but it had expired. They had two choices: go home or pay several thousand dollars for their visa to be messengered and flown from the nearest consulate. They chose the latter as there was a week or so before we got to Brazil from Ft. Lauderdale. HAL arranged this. I'm thinking there was not enough time from BA to Brazil to accomplish this.

OP, I am sorry your parents missed their cruise. Do come back and let us know how things turned out in the end. Thanks for posting this advisory for anyone who is not aware of visas. Some countries allow people to stay on the ship if they have no visas but Brazil is not one of them I don't think.

[Eaches]

Long story short my parents in 70s who have been cruising for very long time now, booked a 30 day cruise. They were suppose to sail from Buenos Aires on Feb 18. They got their boarding pass and everything but when they arrived to board they were denied. They were told they did not have proper Brazilian temporary visas. They got email 4 days before they left for cruise that they needed Visas and they filed paperwork online right away and apparently Brazilian embassy did not clear them in time for cruise. They could not contact embassy on day they were suppose to leave because it was holiday and Holland America did not allow them to board (even thought they were not going to get off ship in Brazil or even hit Brazilian waters for 3 days after they started cruise). The frustrating part is they got confirmation from embassy next day but ship already left. They flew home and that was end of it. They are out close to 20k and even though they had 2 insurances neither one of them is covering it. Issue I have is that they had no idea they needed visas till 4 days before cruise and Holland even gave them boarding passes! If they were not clear to board why would they get boarding pass? This is very frustrating for my elderly parents who spent a lot of money on this cruise an now looks like they will not get any back. I contacted several lawyers in Seattle (where Holland is based) but most only take injury cases. Any help would be appreciate it.

 

 

 

My question is “ Where is your travel agent? If they used an agent, it’s then their responsibility to inform you of any additional visa requirements. We are currently on a 141 day WC. Our agent notified us in writing that we needed. 7 visas and that our cruise line would pick up the cost, if we used their visa company . They sent us the paperwork and sent us back the completed visa. That saved us over a grand and a lot of sleepless nights.

 

 

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[travelplus]

I'm sorry this happened. When my Father and I booked our Royal Caribbean Cruise from Santos to Barceloneta the first thing we did is get Visas from the Embassy in San Francisco and booked our flights. I researched it all before the cruise and we had 7 months to get the Visas. It was processed and mailed in a  week as we live near SF.