We Missed our cruise ship in port... here is our story!

[GeezerCouple]

We take photos of all of our docs and local contact info, etc., on our phones, too.

We also upload all of it to the cloud so that if our phones also wander away, we can retrieve everything from some other computer somewhere.

 

GC

[CDR Benson]

26 minutes ago, Bebop1088 said:

There is a comment from someone who worked at an embassy that had some really good information in it on this thread that is certainly worth reading and would help with the information about passport cards. 

 

That was Sea Monster 2, and therein lies the specific good your posting of your situation did me.  Thanks to your account, Sea Monster 2 replied with a wealth of from-the-horse's-mouth information.  And from him, I learnt of the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

 

Because our next two cruises will take us out of country, both the Good Mrs. Benson and I have established accounts in STEP.  Odds are, we will never be put in a position where that info will need to be accessed by a U.S. official.  But, if so, it will be there---thanks to Sea Monster 2 and you.

 

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by CDR Benson

[Oceansaway17]

21 hours ago, Bebop1088 said:

We did take a cruise excursion for our deep sea fishing in the morning. It was an expensive excursion and therefore there was not a large group of people. The captain of the small boat we were on was unsure of the ship sail time himself. We made a mistake, as people do by not verifying time and we accept that. We are by no means placing our irresponsible actions on NCL. But we were also surprised that the port agent was not even notified prior to the ship sailing and to our knowledge the port agent was unable to get in contact with the ship as they did not answer the phone the three times he called them in our presence 

sounds like a lesson learned, but the ship did not do what it was supposed to do either.

hope things are better for you now

[pe4all]

You handled the situation waaaay better than I would have.  I was stuck in Florida in January for 2 days coming off a cruise due to a blizzard in NY, and I was freaking out trying to get another flight, hotel, etc.  I did have trip insurance- which btw paid for everything including meals. 

[Sea Monster 2]

4 hours ago, CDR Benson said:

 

That was Sea Monster 2, and therein lies the specific good your posting of your situation did me.  Thanks to your account, Sea Monster 2 replied with a wealth of from-the-horse's-mouth information.  And from him, I learnt of the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

 

Because our next two cruises will take us out of country, both the Good Mrs. Benson and I have established accounts in STEP.  Odds are, we will never be put in a position where that info will need to be accessed by a U.S. official.  But, if so, it will be there---thanks to Sea Monster 2 and you.

 

 

I am a “she,” and I am delighted to hear that you registered with STEP!!  It is a lifesaver when things get difficult!

[julig22]

7 minutes ago, Sea Monster 2 said:

I am a “she,” and I am delighted to hear that you registered with STEP!!  It is a lifesaver when things get difficult!

I also took your advice and registered with STEP.  I've registered in the past but totally forgotten about it - I have quite a few trips scheduled (making up for lost time!) and will be putting all of them in.

 

I'm also giving thought to how I would transfer additional funds in the event that my credit cards get maxed out should things go awry!

 

Yes, overall this post was quite helpful.

[CDR Benson]

43 minutes ago, Sea Monster 2 said:

I am a “she,” and I am delighted to hear that you registered with STEP!!  It is a lifesaver when things get difficult!

 

My apologies, ma'am.  Your screen name threw me off.  One doesn't generally associate ladies with sea monsters.  Mermaids and sirens, aye, but not beasties.

 

Thank you for your information about such a valuable resource.  Twenty-seven years of military service, yet I'd never heard of STEP.  I'll wager there will be more folks who register accounts with STEP,  thanks to you.

 

 

[graphicguy]

Big Kudos.  Way to make your way through what was probably a scary situation and come out the other end no worse for the wear.  Most would freak out terribly (probably the same ones who throw shade your way about your situation) and made matters worse.

 

I use my AMEX card as my travel insurance.  Never had to use it, but they give an extensive list of benefits and phone numbers to call for international travel support.  Might be worth looking into for next time (hopefully never a next time).

 

In addition to my Passport, I also bought a passport card which can be issued by the Passport agency (can’t recall the cost), that’s easy to carry in your wallet.

 

In the end, now you know how compatible you are with your boyfriend after coming through this with no major baggage in tow.

 

Great read, too!

[letstrythisplace]

Thank-you for sharing your story. I know if I was in your situation I would have cried and then I don't know what I would have done cause I most likely would have left my passport in my room and only would have had a copy of it on me. I'm not a US citizen and there is no embassy for my country at Nassau so all I could think of is calling a Government office back home and hoping someone there could advise what to do 😂. At least we have direct flights from Nassau to my country so if I can convince the airline to let me on I guess I'd be able to leave lol.

 

Your story at least provides a learning opportunity for others and lets them (at least me) think of plans for just in case.

 

I'm still weary about carrying a passport around though cause I'm more likely to lose it while at a port than I am of being left behind by a ship.

[FM]

On 3/21/2022 at 10:05 AM, Bebop1088 said:

Thank you, That is the hope! Once we hit US soil we certainly started seeing the humor in our first time traveling together being such a debacle but it made us closer and showed us we are a good team!

 

There is limited and mostly incorrect information on what happens in these situations on the internet. I was hoping to shed some real life knowledge on the subject.

Although in actuality missing our ship was our own negligence it is not always the case, sometimes other things happen be it injury or illness and some of this can be applied in those situations as well. 

The stigma associated with being in a foreign country with no passport is scary but I wanted people to know that with the right mentality you can get through it. 

 

The attitude and the manner in which you dealt with the unexpected situation is amazing.  It'll be an experience you can regale your friends and families with forever :).  Kudos. 

[FM]

Sorry - posted twice.

Edited March 23, 2022 by FM

[ontheweb]

On 3/21/2022 at 10:50 AM, Bebop1088 said:

We missed our ship in the Bahamas… Here is the story.

            My boyfriend and I started dating just a few months ago. He is unable to take off of work from April-September while on call and was able to get a week off last second. Luckily I was able to take a last second vacation week too. Although we explored other options for the short time frame and the convenience of the all inclusive feel we opted for a great deal on a cruise. Neither of us had passports. His had expired during COVID and I have never had one only traveling outside the US with the military and on past cruises. We booked 9 days before sailing.

            I have cruised at least 15 times in my life and him just twice. Neither of us since the start of covid. We are amazed at the ease during Embarkation. The total process from being dropped off at the door to walking on the ship was less than an hour. We secured our COVID tests before arriving, and were surprised to hear our ship was sailing at less than 50% capacity. We were told there were 1600 crew aboard and 1400 passengers.

            The cruise itself is quiet for our liking, the parties and events are small. Not many activities as with past cruises. On the positive side we never waited long for a drink and were able to secure dining reservations whenever we wanted to. There was no music or entertainment on sea days by the pool but there was always someone with a speaker playing their own music.

            We are notified a few hours prior to arrival at our first port (Port Canaveral) that the ship would not arrive on time. Instead we would spend an overnight there and not be able to stop at the private island the next day. Although disappointing we understand the change. The cruise line stated weather as the reasoning. I learned after the fact that another Norwegian cruise ship did in fact go to the private island the next day but that is neither here nor there.

            We arrive in Nassau Bahamas with two other cruise ships already in port. We try to log into the Norwegian app to verify the sail time for the day but you can only do so on the ships Wifi which anyone who has cruised knows is not the easiest task. We are among the first to leave as we had an early morning excursion deep sea fishing. We have with us just a small backpack, I put our birth certificates, sun tan lotion, our cruise cards and IDs, my camera and phones in the bag. The excursion is decent, although we did not catch any fish we spent 4 hours on the water. We are dropped off back at the pier around 12:30PM. This excursion is listed on our tickets as a ½ day excursion. When we get back to the pier we elect to go for a quick lunch at Senor Frogs.

            We are still unable to login to check the departure time, we know in retrospect we should have asked before leaving the ship that morning however we assume as with my past sailing history and other cruise ship passengers at senor frogs that it is most likely a 4:00PM sail away time. We decide to eat quickly and head back to the ship by 3:00PM to be on the safe side.

            As we are sitting there about to finish out lunch we hear the notable Honk of a cruise ship horn signaling one of the 4 ships in port was ready to leave. Jokingly I say “How funny would it be if that was out ship?” and we laugh as we wait for our check to pay. Within two minutes I look over my shoulder and realize OUR CRUISE SHIP IS MOVING! I signal to him to look and he laughs until he realizes I am not joking.

            I throw $300 cash on the table and we take off running towards the boat. Also in retrospect realizing this is unnecessary as the ship is not going to come back for us. We continue our sprint arriving at the customs area to the pier where we not so graciously cut in front of the lines of people and tell them we have missed our boat. The staff contacts the Port agent who pulls us to the side. He immediately gets on the phone with the cruise ship, who does not answer. He takes us into a small office. In conversation with him he tells us that usually the ship will notify him if they are aware of anyone who did not make the boat, which they did not do this time. He also says that no one from the ship has given him anything for us. From what I gathered it is customary for the cruise to go into your stateroom and leave anything immediately necessary (Medication, important documents, wallets) with the port agent.

            He takes us in his personal vehicle and advises we will need to check into a hotel, and visit the US Embassy tomorrow. At this point it is 2:30PM. While driving past the Embassy we notice that there are still security agents outside, so we ask the port agent what time they close, he rolls the window down and yells to a security guard who tells him 3:00PM. We thank him and jump out of the car hoping to catch someone at the embassy before they close.

            Although no one at the embassy will see us they allow us to talk on the phone to a representative. They send out the necessary paperwork to apply for an emergency passport, as well as tell us where to go to get our passport photos taken. We scurry through Nassau using my phone as GPS to find the passport photo center. We arrive just before they close and they advise me that they cannot take my passport photo. See we were deep sea fishing all day, all I had on was a bikini, shorts and a tank top. Passport photos need to meet certain requirements. I tell my travel companion to take off his shirt…. And that is how we both end up taking passport photos in an “Only fish” shirt.

            We walk back towards the tourist section of Nassau, find a bench and start working on securing what to do next. We take an inventory of what money and resources we have. Between us we have $700 cash, I move money to my Cash app card knowing my bank card wont work internationally. He has credit cards where I do not. We go online and find a hotel within walking distance that has a room available for the night.

            We check into the hotel, complete the paperwork from the Embassy. I contact Norwegian cruise line to explore our options. Norwegian tells me that because of the ‘Jones Act’ we are unable to meet up with the cruise at the next port (this turns out to be a blessing since the cruise did not even stop at the next port) they tell me that I need to fill out a lost item claim for our luggage online and that’s all we can do theres no phone number just an online form. We Let our families know the situation and purchase bare necessitates to get through the day. We spend $90 for phone chargers, get a T-shirt either of us can wear, two toothbrushes and deodorant. We decide to take a walk through the resorts nearby, we settle on Margaritaville and head to the bar for a drink and a quick bite to eat.

            While at the bar we explain the situation to the bar tender, he is amazing. He offers us local information on where to purchase some clothing and basics if we need and even offers to take us the following day after his shift if we need him to. While we are there we start considering our options. We are unsure how long it will take to get our passports the next day, so we cannot immediately book flights home. I start exploring some ideas for hotels should we need to stay another night, our hotel has already informed us they have no vacancies the following night. I am a recreational gambler and I regularly receive offers for Atlantis Paradise island but when I call to see if they can accommodate us I am advised to call back during regular business hours.

            We head back to the hotel, we shower and wash all our clothes in the sink and hang them to dry. We wake up bright and early to be the first in line at the Embassy. We quickly realize none of our clothes dried overnight and proceed to use the hair dryer to get them to a wearable level of dampness. We pack everything we own into my small backpack. We arrive at the embassy 15 minutes before they open… they advise we cannot bring my bag into the embassy. The only things we can have are our wallets and car keys. We explain we have no place to store the bag and they can provide no options for storage. We run back to our hotel who agrees to hold the bag for us (thankfully!) and its back to the embassy we go!

            We wait for a few minuets after passing through security. Since we have completed the paperwork we are able to get through the process relatively quickly. We are interviewed and we pay for out emergency passports ($165 each) they tell us to come back at noon to pick them up. They tell us its acceptable for one of us to come inside with both IDs and the other can wait outside with our bag. The only thing we need to do in the interim is to book out travel plans to return to the US and email them. The whole process is less than 2 hours.

            We get a cup of coffee and discuss out options. We are torn between getting the first flight home and trying to make the best of the situation and enjoying Nassau for the day. We elect that if my casino offer is viable at the Atlantis we will stay the night, if not we will book a flight as early as possible and fly home in our swimsuits. I am lucky enough to get a casino host who is sympathetic to our situation. I am able to book two nights at the Atlantis for a whopping $10 a night. We secure the room for two nights however, we book an early evening flight for the next day. We figure this will allow us plenty of time to enjoy the atlantis and still be back in the USA around the same time we would arrive from our cruise had we stayed on the ship.

            We find an amazing Taxi driver who takes us to the local Nassau mall, and even walks with us through the mall to ensure we are not taken advantage of as tourists. We buy basics, we each get a pair of jeans, a shirt and a sweatshirt, and underwear (living in a bikini is not for the weak). And our taxi driver takes us to the Atlantis. We walk in and are in awe of the situation. How in 24 short hours we went from not knowing how we would get back to the US to checking into a gorgeous resort, passports in hand and travel arrangements made. We enjoy all the resort has to offer, we try all the water slides see the animals and even realize we have a shark enclosure in our backyard!

            The following day we head to the airport, because of the nature of our trip I decide not to check out of the hotel room until we are on our flight on the way home. My intuition proves to be on point when after 6 hours in the airport our flight is cancelled. Airlines are used to this, they are trying to make arrangements with local hotels for lodging….except its spring break in the Bahamas and vacancies are few and far between. We are able to rebook our flight for the next day and head back to our waiting room at the Atlantis. So many flights were cancelled that evening that people actually had to sleep in the airport! The airline finds our situation almost comical, they give us vouchers for the taxi ride to and from the hotel and directions on how to get reimbursed for food.

            Eventually we are able to board a flight (that was delayed again) and get back to the states. We land late on Sunday, sun burned, exhausted but able to laugh at ourselves.

So what did we learn from this….

Even if you think you wont need it- Take your passport, birth certificate, ID, credit cards, and some cash with you when you are in port.

Check (and double check!) your itinerary and all aboard time for the ship

The ship will leave without you, but if you’re a responsible cruiser you don’t have to stress over it.

Travel with someone you can stand! We were lucky enough to work together well, I know personally I know some people I would never want to go through that experience with.

Positive attitude makes all the difference. As much as the situation was scary we were not the first people to miss the ship, and we wont be the last either!

To be sung to the tune of Runaround Sue by Dion*

 

Here's my story 

Sad but true

Of a cruise ship 

I once knew

 

She ran around

to every port 

in the Caribbean

without us aboard

 

*the real lyrics to Runaround Sue for those too young to remember the song

runaround sue lyrics - Google Search

[travelmatron]

Thanks to this post, and the postings of Sea Monster 2, I'm also now enrolled in the STEP program.  This has been a very valuable thread.  I think most of us assume the unexpected will only happen to someone else.  

[erin21497]

Thanks for sharing your story.  As others have said, many valuable lessons to be taken away here.  I appreciate a lot of the information you shared, gives me a lot to consider for our first international trip with kids this summer.

[CDR Benson]

13 hours ago, erin21497 said:

Thanks for sharing your story.  As others have said, many valuable lessons to be taken away here.  

 

This thread is a classic example of the aphorism "You can't judge a book by its cover."  Or in this case, its title.

 

I'll bet a lot of folks, upon first seeing the banner of Bebop 1088's original post, had the same initial thought that I did:  "Oh, great!  This is going to be a tirade from someone who missed ship's movement, blaming everybody else for it, and expecting someone else to pay for the resultant inconvenience."

 

Then, I clicked on it.  Hooboy, was I wrong!

 

Instead, this was a post by a responsible individual whom, through, yes, an avoidable, but natural lapse of thought, missed her ship, as did her boyfriend/travelling companion.  No excuses, no equivocations, no evasions; she took responsibility for the mistake.  Moreover, she put herself right out there and described the resulting travails in detail.  And she did this undoubtedly with the expectation that some folks would respond in derision for having missed the ship.

 

Despite that, she provided a valuable service.  Hers was more than a cautionary tale.  We've all heard of pier runners, seen the YouTube videos, read the articles; they all generally allude to the expense and difficulties undertaken by those who miss their ships.  But none of them actually describe what those expenses and difficulties are.

 

Bebop 1088 filled that gap---by describing the step-by-step problems and costs and set-backs she and her boyfriend experienced.  No doubt, some of it was embarrassing, but she put it down here anyway, so other cruisers could learn from it and prepare, if the worst should happen to them.  She provided a primer on what occurs when one misses ship's movement and what one has to do to deal with it.  I never come across this kind of detail in any other cruising fora.

 

How many of us ever knew of the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program?  I hadn't, and I worked in government for twenty-seven years.  Yet, thanks to the responses encouraged by Bebop, we learnt of that valuable resource, and many of us have registered with STEP.

 

The information Bebop 1088 has provided is so crucial, I recommend that the powers-that-be on this site move her post to its own category, perhaps under the New Cruisers heading, so that everyone, not just the NCL followers, can find it and learn from it.

 

Like I said, a gutsy, resourceful lady.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2022 by CDR Benson

[llkoolj40]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:14 PM, Sea Monster 2 said:

Sure, any specific info helps if you’ve lost your passport.  A photocopy is useful in terms of them having precise info with which to work, but is not itself proof if identity or citizenship— it will make it easier for them to acquire that proof for you. STEP also puts you and your info on their radar should anything go wrong. 

Thank you so much for the information. I do register with STEP as well.

[PTC DAWG]

On 3/22/2022 at 5:58 PM, pe4all said:

You handled the situation waaaay better than I would have.  I was stuck in Florida in January for 2 days coming off a cruise due to a blizzard in NY, and I was freaking out trying to get another flight, hotel, etc.  I did have trip insurance- which btw paid for everything including meals. 

Stuck in FL sounds better than NY. 🙂

[JCDCA]

No passport and no credit cards while traveling internationally?  Pretty big risk there.  Also you’ve been on 15 cruises without these essentials? 🤔

[Markanddonna]

19 hours ago, JCDCA said:

No passport and no credit cards while traveling internationally?  Pretty big risk there.  Also you’ve been on 15 cruises without these essentials? 🤔

I think some of us forget that the Bahamas is a foreign country and that taking your passport and credit cards could be important. We might look at it as a quick, casual 4 hours as compared to flying into a country abroad. This experience is a good reminder for all of us!

 

[ChutChut]

Thank you for sharing and for your candor. Sometimes life lessons are expensive but it's refreshing to see a mature adult who made the best out of a bad situation and who took responsibility and didn't blame others. I wish there were more people like you in the world!

[Rob-Bob]

 I throw $300 cash on the table and we take off running towards the boat.

 

What in the heck did you have for lunch?

[CDR Benson]

6 minutes ago, Rob-Bob said:

 I throw $300 cash on the table and we take off running towards the boat.

 

What in the heck did you have for lunch?

 

I figured it was a typo, and she meant to say "$30".  Either that, or Señor Frogs serves one hell of a chicken enchilada.

 

 

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, Rob-Bob said:

 I throw $300 cash on the table and we take off running towards the boat.

 

What in the heck did you have for lunch?

They had excellent service, so they left a very large tip.

[cruiseamm]

Thank you for relating your story.  Glad things worked out okay for you both.

 

For Canadians https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration would be the equivalent of the US STEP.  I'm sure other countries have an equivalent.  It costs nothing and provides a service in an emergency.

[mvin902]

I just recently spur of the moment decided to book a cruise during our spring break and have been worrying about not having a passport. I've cruised once before just on a birth certificate but that was in the before times, so the idea of quarantining on a birth certificate got me a little anxious. 

 

However, this thread helped me understand it's not the end of the world and I won't be stuck in Caribbean for the rest of my life and what actual steps to take. Thanks for sharing your experience!