Detained in Nassau with no help from cruise line.

[LrgPizza]

6 minutes ago, voyager70 said:

 

I don't appreciate this comment.  I am far from stupid.  I'm not comfortable taking my passport off the ship unless it's a requirement, and as I stated in an earlier post that has only happened twice in over 40 cruises on 5 continents.  You are comfortable taking yours and that's fine.  Let's leave it at that.

 

 

Brush up on your reading comprehension, because I didn't call you or anyone else stupid.  Your indignation is unwarranted.

[broberts]

1 hour ago, LrgPizza said:

For what it's worth, bringing a photocopy of your passport is utterly useless. If you choose to leave it on the ship for some stupid reason, so be it. But don't lie to yourself and think that photocopy is worth anything. You would still need the actual passport to travel, and that information would be retrieved electronically whether or not you're holding a piece of paper.

 

It's well documented on these boards that cruise lines will check for passports in a cabin safe and turn them over to the port agent should passengers miss the ship. But I agree, a photocopy is useless as id.

Edited November 21, 2018 by broberts

[LrgPizza]

6 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

It's well documented on these boards that cruise lines will check for passports in a cabin safe and turn them over to the port agent should passengers miss the ship. But I agree, a photocopy is useless as id.

 

Lots of people say that, have read that, and repeat that. If you are asking about actual experiences of it happening, that's a different story. Regardless, I choose to follow the recommendations of the State Department and not the recommendations of anonymous folks on a cruise message board. You can do what you want though.  I'm done here. 

[broberts]

1 minute ago, LrgPizza said:

 

Lots of people say that, have read that, and repeat that. If you are asking about actual experiences of it happening, that's a different story. Regardless, I choose to follow the recommendations of the State Department and not the recommendations of anonymous folks on a cruise message board. You can do what you want though.  I'm done here. 

 

Why bother consulting these boards if one is unwilling to trust anyone posting?

 

The State Department recommends storing passports in a cabin safe, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html. See point 4 in During Your Cruise.

[SRF]

I thought I forgot my photo ID when returning to the ship in Bermuda.

 

I had to give my name, and they looked me up on the manifest, then go through additional screening.  Halfway through, I found my photo ID, but had to complete their process.

 

This was by PORT PERSONNEL.  NOT THE CRUISE LINE.  All the cruise line needs is your Sea Pass, as when they scan it, your picture pops up to make sure it is you.  That is why they make you take off hats and sunglasses.

 

And yes, it is ALWAYS in the cruise compass, and part of EVERY announcement about disembarking for the port.

[davekathy]

The different ships Cruise Compass sounds about right. Consistently inconsistent. 

[SRF]

21 hours ago, broberts said:

 

I think people, especially first timers can be excused for not taking in every announcement. I know I often miss announcements or find them unintelligible. When they drone on and on, I tend to tune them out. Let's face it, many of these announcements are frivolous.

 

 

I would say first timers are MORE likely to listen, as it is new to them.  They have not heard them 50 times.

 

But they still may not pay attention. 😄

[SRF]

44 minutes ago, broberts said:

 

It's well documented on these boards that cruise lines will check for passports in a cabin safe and turn them over to the port agent should passengers miss the ship. But I agree, a photocopy is useless as id.

 

And there are reports, not many, but some, where this did NOT occur.

 

It MAY happen, but it may not.

[WorkerBee74]

I am consistently reminded how odd it is that some Americans think they don't need ID while in foreign countries.  I'm Canadian, and I couldn't even IMAGINE thinking I could get into the US (or any other country for that matter) without some type of ID, let alone back into Canada when I return.  Considering how strict the US is with immigration (have you ever tried to re-enter your own country with someone from another country?  I've driven across the border with American friends who get asked nothing, while I get the full workover.) I find it pretty short-sighted to think that you can just go to any other country and not have ID.  

 

This isn't meant to be offensive, but come on people, of COURSE you need ID!!

[LrgPizza]

1 minute ago, WorkerBee74 said:

I am consistently reminded how odd it is that some Americans think they don't need ID while in foreign countries.  I'm Canadian, and I couldn't even IMAGINE thinking I could get into the US (or any other country for that matter) without some type of ID, let alone back into Canada when I return.  Considering how strict the US is with immigration (have you ever tried to re-enter your own country with someone from another country?  I've driven across the border with American friends who get asked nothing, while I get the full workover.) I find it pretty short-sighted to think that you can just go to any other country and not have ID.  

 

This isn't meant to be offensive, but come on people, of COURSE you need ID!!

 

Agree. It's very much an American thing. No other nationalities have hang ups about carrying government issued ID. For most it's a way of life.

[Grandma Cruising]

Sorry, but we in the UK don’t routinely carry ID with us. We don’t have an ID card system. Yes if we go abroad, we have to use our passport to get in and out of countries, but on a cruise we never take our passport ashore. Too worried about losing it. We take a photocopy and our drivers licence card.

[broberts]

20 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

And there are reports, not many, but some, where this did NOT occur.

 

It MAY happen, but it may not.

 

The only report I recall where a passport was not handed over to a port agent was when the passport was not in the safe. The passenger had hidden it elsewhere. As I said, it is well documented on these boards that cruise lines will check the cabin safe and turn over any passport found therein.

 

Edited November 21, 2018 by broberts

[sgmn]

5 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Sorry, but we in the UK don’t routinely carry ID with us. We don’t have an ID card system. Yes if we go abroad, we have to use our passport to get in and out of countries, but on a cruise we never take our passport ashore. Too worried about losing it. We take a photocopy and our drivers licence card.

I'm also in UK and always have my photo driving licence with me. And I always take my passport with me in ports. Guess everyone is different 

[WorkerBee74]

13 hours ago, robtulipe said:

We also have a friend, who went to cross into New York state from Ontario a couple of years ago with her expired by two months Cdn passport. It was accepted by the US border agent to establish she was a Cdn citizen and was allowed to cross into the USA. He also advised her she should renew her passport. Maybe the regulation are different where you live but I doubt it as show above that my friend's expired passport was accepted as ID by a US government agent.

 

 

If this actually happened, I warn that this is a HUGE exception.  A couple of years ago?  Maybe in the 90s, or by the one border agent in the entirety of America who doesn't care.  There is zero chance that this happens twice.  You absolutely, positively must have a valid, non-expired Canadian passport or Enhanced Driver's License to enter the US, and I caution any Canadian who believes this is the norm. 

 

I'll guess that they actually had an Enhanced Driver's Licence that was the REAL document that they let them in with, the expired passport would be moot at that point.

Edited November 21, 2018 by WorkerBee74

[gatour]

I was on the Enchantment a week and half ago, and on day 2 (10 Nov) when we stopped in Nassau, the cruise compass most definitely says bring picture ID.  I will have figure out where I put our compasses from our mid Oct 4 day cruise on the Enchantment

 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, SRF said:

 

 

And yes, it is ALWAYS in the cruise compass, and part of EVERY announcement about disembarking for the port.

 

Wrong.  Go back and take a look at post 85.

[Biker19]

^ just like other aspects of life and especially RCI issues, one has to be careful with absolutes.

[screenname2004]

Would be great if OP can come back and tells us the whole incident.

 

[shipgeeks]

28 minutes ago, screenname2004 said:

Would be great if OP can come back and tells us the whole incident.

 

Indeed.  I am still curious why the incident was so traumatic, especially to the son, who is presumably a teenager or older.

[broberts]

I just presumed that "detained" meant not being able to go where one wants when one wants and that the trauma stemmed from mama causing a scene. 

[robtulipe]

4 hours ago, WorkerBee74 said:

 

If this actually happened, I warn that this is a HUGE exception.  A couple of years ago?  Maybe in the 90s, or by the one border agent in the entirety of America who doesn't care.  There is zero chance that this happens twice.  You absolutely, positively must have a valid, non-expired Canadian passport or Enhanced Driver's License to enter the US, and I caution any Canadian who believes this is the norm. 

 

I'll guess that they actually had an Enhanced Driver's Licence that was the REAL document that they let them in with, the expired passport would be moot at that point.

I was also amazed that this happened as that person didn't have an enhanced driver's licence, Nexus or anything similar.

Maybe the border agent did make an exemption. It did happen after Canadian were require to have enhanced government ID to enter the USA by air which I believe was in 2007 as per the US Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. 

Back in the 90s up to 2008 we Canadian rarely had to show any ID to enter the USA by land.

And yes I wouldn't recommend any Canadian try this today. I was just showing that an expired government ID can be used as an valid identification document.

In fact I was just reading online that an original expired US passport can used as ID for a renewal as long as it is less than 5 years expired. We have similar for our passport renewal and have seen that an expired passport are OK for other ID, even non-government, requirements. 

 

PS  from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere_Travel_Initiative

On January 31, 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped taking verbal declarations of citizenship from U.S., Canadian, or Bermudian travelers as proof of citizenship arriving from sea and land ports of entry.^[11]

Edited November 21, 2018 by robtulipe

[WorkerBee74]

30 minutes ago, robtulipe said:

I was also amazed that this happened as that person didn't have an enhanced driver's licence, Nexus or anything similar.

Maybe the border agent did make an exemption. It did happen after Canadian were require to have enhanced government ID to enter the USA by air which I believe was in 2007 as per the US Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. 

Back in the 90s up to 2008 we Canadian rarely had to show any ID to enter the USA by land.

And yes I wouldn't recommend any Canadian try this today. I was just showing that an expired government ID can be used as an valid identification document.

In fact I was just reading online that an original expired US passport can used as ID for a renewal as long as it is less than 5 years expired. We have similar for our passport renewal and have seen that an expired passport are OK for other ID, even non-government, requirements. 

 

PS  from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere_Travel_Initiative

On January 31, 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped taking verbal declarations of citizenship from U.S., Canadian, or Bermudian travelers as proof of citizenship arriving from sea and land ports of entry.^[11]

 

Wow, they were super lucky though!  I couldn't imagine that happening now - I mean we can't even admit that we might have "seen" a marijuana plant, now can we... hahaha.

[voyager70]

8 minutes ago, WorkerBee74 said:

 

Wow, they were super lucky though!  I couldn't imagine that happening now - I mean we can't even admit that we might have "seen" a marijuana plant, now can we... hahaha.

 

Do they really ask you about pot?  That's surprising.  Heck, it's now legal in 10 states!!  

 

[GarlicBread]

3 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Wrong.  Go back and take a look at post 85.

 

I miss working with guests who insist they are 100% right, even where there is obvious proof in front of them to prove otherwise! 

[robtulipe]

35 minutes ago, voyager70 said:

 

Do they really ask you about pot?  That's surprising.  Heck, it's now legal in 10 states!!  

 

Yes, there has been major headlines in our news in Canada.

One Canadian, who was an investor in the marijuana industry here in Canada, even though recreational pot is now legal in all of Canada, stated he was going to a marijuana industry convention in Vegas and was refused entry by the US CBP because of the purpose of his trip. Also those who work in the marijuana industry here have been advised that their job would likely not allow them to enter the USA. 

Yes, it's unbelievable even though it is legal in many states in the USA.

That's a very unique POTUS you have down there.

Edited November 21, 2018 by robtulipe