ID help needed please

[Purvis1231]

On 1/4/2023 at 1:31 AM, Emmcee1967 said:

Thanks so much for your answer. I’m going to cross my fingers that my new ID makes it here in time. If not, I’m going through the process of getting refunds for the excursions and specialty dining I reserved. Does anyone know how to request a refund for prepaid gratuities? 
 

thanks again! 

If you cancel the cruise or denied boarding, they will be automatically refunded. Good luck with the ID situation. 

[Emmcee1967]

On 1/8/2023 at 6:31 AM, Purvis1231 said:

If you cancel the cruise or denied boarding, they will be automatically refunded. Good luck with the ID situation. 

I leave Monday and my new license still hasn’t arrived. I checked the TDS website and it says it was mailed January 10th, but it’s not going to make it on time. I talked to two carnival agents and both said I would be okay with what I have but I’m still super worried. They did let me change out the passenger, so my friend is coming with me, but if we can’t get on the ship, I’m just going to rent a house in Galveston and we’ll stay there for a few days. 

[Purvis1231]

15 minutes ago, Emmcee1967 said:

I leave Monday and my new license still hasn’t arrived. I checked the TDS website and it says it was mailed January 10th, but it’s not going to make it on time. I talked to two carnival agents and both said I would be okay with what I have but I’m still super worried. They did let me change out the passenger, so my friend is coming with me, but if we can’t get on the ship, I’m just going to rent a house in Galveston and we’ll stay there for a few days. 

Let's us know if you are allowed to sail! bon voyage! 

[Emmcee1967]

1 hour ago, Purvis1231 said:

Let's us know if you are allowed to sail! bon voyage! 

I sure will! Thank you. 

[ontheweb]

6 hours ago, Emmcee1967 said:

I sure will! Thank you. 

And 🤞 then let us all know how much you enjoy the cruise 😊, especially after all the worry about whether you would be allowed to board.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Just remember that the agents at the pier really want to help you.  They will do everything in their power (as long as it is legal) to get you on this cruise.

Wishing you all the best, and look forward to your update.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Just remember that the agents at the pier really want to help you.  They will do everything in their power (as long as it is legal) to get you on this cruise.

Wishing you all the best, and look forward to your update.

And they don't get any tips, even when they go out of their way to make your cruise possible.

[TNcruising02]

13 hours ago, Emmcee1967 said:

I leave Monday and my new license still hasn’t arrived. I checked the TDS website and it says it was mailed January 10th, but it’s not going to make it on time. I talked to two carnival agents and both said I would be okay with what I have but I’m still super worried. They did let me change out the passenger, so my friend is coming with me, but if we can’t get on the ship, I’m just going to rent a house in Galveston and we’ll stay there for a few days. 

Since you have a high quality photo of your unexpired license, you may want to go ahead and print it out to show with your temporary paper copy.  Good luck!

[Ferry_Watcher]

55 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

And they don't get any tips, even when they go out of their way to make your cruise possible.

 

One time I was offered a $100 tip.  I was working outside and a older solo passenger was being dropped off by a neighbor.  It was early afternoon and it was one of those days that all the other passengers arrived early so we could actually greet people arriving later as they arrived.  The neighbor/driver asked the passenger if she had everything and at that point she realized that she had left a bag containing all her medications at home.  The neighbor/driver asked about the timing if he drove back to her house, if there would be time to get the bag back to the pier before the gangway was pulled.  It was decided that it probably could work, and I told him that I would make sure we got the bag to her if the gangway was still there.  I, of course let a supervisor know what was going on, as if it was a really close handoff, the supervisor would be the one doing it.

 

Long story short - the older passenger who was sailing to Alaska hadn't done her Canadian required ArriveCan registration, nor had done her Covid testing.  Both of these things take time, and the good news was that the neighbor/driver was able to retrieve her tote bag with all her meds and return to the pier while she was still in the testing area awaiting her results. I didn't know that when he gave me her bag, but when I went inside the terminal building with her bag I told a fellow employee what was happening.  That co-worker then told me that the older traveler was still in the testing area, and everyone working down there knew the situation.  It was so satisfying to have helped this lovely person.

 

I went outside and let the neighbor/driver know that the passenger had her bag.  He puts out his hand with a bill in it and I look and I thought it was a $10 bill.  I looked a little closer and I saw that it was $100 bill.  Wow!  Of course I declined.  The inner satisfaction of helping this person was priceless.

[ontheweb]

18 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

One time I was offered a $100 tip.  I was working outside and a older solo passenger was being dropped off by a neighbor.  It was early afternoon and it was one of those days that all the other passengers arrived early so we could actually greet people arriving later as they arrived.  The neighbor/driver asked the passenger if she had everything and at that point she realized that she had left a bag containing all her medications at home.  The neighbor/driver asked about the timing if he drove back to her house, if there would be time to get the bag back to the pier before the gangway was pulled.  It was decided that it probably could work, and I told him that I would make sure we got the bag to her if the gangway was still there.  I, of course let a supervisor know what was going on, as if it was a really close handoff, the supervisor would be the one doing it.

 

Long story short - the older passenger who was sailing to Alaska hadn't done her Canadian required ArriveCan registration, nor had done her Covid testing.  Both of these things take time, and the good news was that the neighbor/driver was able to retrieve her tote bag with all her meds and return to the pier while she was still in the testing area awaiting her results. I didn't know that when he gave me her bag, but when I went inside the terminal building with her bag I told a fellow employee what was happening.  That co-worker then told me that the older traveler was still in the testing area, and everyone working down there knew the situation.  It was so satisfying to have helped this lovely person.

 

I went outside and let the neighbor/driver know that the passenger had her bag.  He puts out his hand with a bill in it and I look and I thought it was a $10 bill.  I looked a little closer and I saw that it was $100 bill.  Wow!  Of course I declined.  The inner satisfaction of helping this person was priceless.

You didn't have change for the $100 bill so you could receive what you considered reasonable? 😊 The passenger and her driver probably felt you deserved getting something, even if they went a little overboard (pun not intended).

[Eli_6]

I will second that the pier workers want to help you.  My Mother once went on a cruise out of Galveston with my brother and his family.  His in-laws are all from Colombia and Spain and do not speak English.  They also packed all of their boarding documents in their luggage that they then checked to go on board including their passports. On top of that, my Mom went off and left proof of her vaccination at home. (I was not on this cruise and it would not have happened if I had been because I stay on top of these things.)  The Galveston workers were super helpful.  They retrieved the luggage, contacted the place where my Mom had gotten vaccinated, and they were all able to board. (This was back when vaccines were required. They are no longer required.)

[Ferry_Watcher]

43 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

The Galveston workers were super helpful.  They retrieved the luggage, contacted the place where my Mom had gotten vaccinated, and they were all able to board. (This was back when vaccines were required. They are no longer required.)

 

@Eli_6thank you for sharing your family's positive experience in Galveston.  It would have been the same response in Seattle where I am.   At the end of the day, the folks who work pier side at the terminals, meeting, greeting, checking documents, and finally checking you in are hospitality workers.  As I have mentioned, everyone at the terminal/pier wants you to be able to board the ship, and will do everything legally possible to help you.  I know that if I have sent a passenger to the Document Desk, I will follow up with those co-workers asking if 'that nice couple from TN were able to get their birth certificates in time to sail'.  At the end of the day,  we want all passengers to sail.

 

The last couple of seasons have been hard with some passengers pushing back on the pandemic health requirements: mask mandates, vaccine cards, attestations of vaccine status, proof of a negative test result.  Some passengers even got annoyed at us at check-in when asked to give us their passport to scan  ("Why? I already registered on line").  

 

Many of you have been traveling since the testing/vaccination requirements has been dropped so you have had a more relaxed check-in process.  I am looking forward to the upcoming 2023 Alaska season and hopefully it will be more like the pre-pandemic 2019 season!

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

I will second that the pier workers want to help you.  My Mother once went on a cruise out of Galveston with my brother and his family.  His in-laws are all from Colombia and Spain and do not speak English.  They also packed all of their boarding documents in their luggage that they then checked to go on board including their passports. On top of that, my Mom went off and left proof of her vaccination at home. (I was not on this cruise and it would not have happened if I had been because I stay on top of these things.)  The Galveston workers were super helpful.  They retrieved the luggage, contacted the place where my Mom had gotten vaccinated, and they were all able to board. (This was back when vaccines were required. They are no longer required.)

Let us all be thankful for those generally ignored workers including @Ferry_Watcher

[ontheweb]

2 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

@Eli_6thank you for sharing your family's positive experience in Galveston.  It would have been the same response in Seattle where I am.   At the end of the day, the folks who work pier side at the terminals, meeting, greeting, checking documents, and finally checking you in are hospitality workers.  As I have mentioned, everyone at the terminal/pier wants you to be able to board the ship, and will do everything legally possible to help you.  I know that if I have sent a passenger to the Document Desk, I will follow up with those co-workers asking if 'that nice couple from TN were able to get their birth certificates in time to sail'.  At the end of the day,  we want all passengers to sail.

 

The last couple of seasons have been hard with some passengers pushing back on the pandemic health requirements: mask mandates, vaccine cards, attestations of vaccine status, proof of a negative test result.  Some passengers even got annoyed at us at check-in when asked to give us their passport to scan  ("Why? I already registered on line").  

 

Many of you have been traveling since the testing/vaccination requirements has been dropped so you have had a more relaxed check-in process.  I am looking forward to the upcoming 2023 Alaska season and hopefully it will be more like the pre-pandemic 2019 season!

Reminds me of a line about the roadies from the Jackson Browne song the Loadout from the Running on Empty album.

 

"You guys are the champs."

[sparks1093]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

You didn't have change for the $100 bill so you could receive what you considered reasonable? 😊 The passenger and her driver probably felt you deserved getting something, even if they went a little overboard (pun not intended).

I suspect that tips are very frowned on in that job because there is a fine line between a tip and a bribe.

[dan4182]

If you don’t mind standing in line all/most of the day you can go to the Passport Office at the Mickey Leland Federal Building at 1919 Smith Street in Houston and get your passport the same day.

 

Check  the web site for hours of operation, picture requirements and method of payment.

[luv2trvlnow]

15 minutes ago, dan4182 said:

If you don’t mind standing in line all/most of the day you can go to the Passport Office at the Mickey Leland Federal Building at 1919 Smith Street in Houston and get your passport the same day.

 

Check  the web site for hours of operation, picture requirements and method of payment.

That might work for someone else at another time, but that won't work for the OP.  She sets sail today.  Wouldn't have the time and to top it off, I am pretty sure the Passport Office is closed today for MLK Jr Day.

[Purvis1231]

5 hours ago, dan4182 said:

If you don’t mind standing in line all/most of the day you can go to the Passport Office at the Mickey Leland Federal Building at 1919 Smith Street in Houston and get your passport the same day.

 

Check  the web site for hours of operation, picture requirements and method of payment.

Don't you have to have a valid government photo ID to get a passport and OP says she lost it.  

[Ferry_Watcher]

5 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

I suspect that tips are very frowned on in that job because there is a fine line between a tip and a bribe.

 

The policy at Pier 91 is staff should not accept tips - including staff that provide wheelchair transport.  That said, if a passengers insists, staff should decline twice, but if the tip is thrusted into one's hand, then accept it.  There is a locked box that these tips can be deposited and used for an all staff food treat/lunch/party.

 

Some passengers have been know to offer $ (a very rare occurrence) when faced with a denial of boarding.  Obviously, it is never accepted or acted on.  Seasoned staff and supervisors know it is the result of a stage of grief from the passengers/family member knowing that they will not be allowed to sail.  It's awkward and unfortunate, but staff always does the right thing.

[ontheweb]

42 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

The policy at Pier 91 is staff should not accept tips - including staff that provide wheelchair transport.  That said, if a passengers insists, staff should decline twice, but if the tip is thrusted into one's hand, then accept it.  There is a locked box that these tips can be deposited and used for an all staff food treat/lunch/party.

 

Some passengers have been know to offer $ (a very rare occurrence) when faced with a denial of boarding.  Obviously, it is never accepted or acted on.  Seasoned staff and supervisors know it is the result of a stage of grief from the passengers/family member knowing that they will not be allowed to sail.  It's awkward and unfortunate, but staff always does the right thing.

So, that $100 you declined would have provided a hell of a party for the entire staff. 😉

[Ferry_Watcher]

8 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

So, that $100 you declined would have provided a hell of a party for the entire staff. 😉

 

Management still takes good care of us.  A couple times this past season any really really late passengers may have seen pier side staff enjoying ice cream bars.  :  )

[pinklucky61]

I hope OP got to cruise today!

[DAllenTCY]

I'll through this out since we're talking about shoreside employees and how we through out our best efforts every sailing day toward your voyage.

 

None of us gets up in the morning and goes to work expecting tips.

 

We do this job because we are fellow cruisers at heart.  

 

I'll bet that..... whatever port you mention...... the majority of us wishes we were among you sailing today, or we have our own separate cruises in the near future.

 

David

 

 

 

 

[Emmcee1967]

Thanks for all the responses. I really enjoyed reading them! 
 

Sorry to just reply, but I’ve had a bit of real world stuff going on. 
 

Anyway! I made it on the cruise. It helped that I had the photo of my ID that I printed out and I also showed her clearer version on my phone. I was super nervous, but she was super nice!! 
 

Had a great time, but I don’t know if I will cruise Carnival again. The crew and especially the cruise director were awesome. The food was decent, and our room was clean and cozy. It was the passengers who left a lot to be desired.
 

We saw a physical fight between two women one day. That was crazy. One night around 3am, we were woken up by two people screaming at each other. Another night, a lady wore her Carnival robe with a shower cap to the Atrium bar. I can’t make this stuff up, people.

 

Maybe that can happen on any cruise, but I’ve got two cruises planned for RCL and one for NCL so that I can try something different. I hope the passenger experience is better. 
 

I’m really excited about my NCL cruise because it’s the first time I’m going to cruise alone. I’m staying in one of their studio staterooms and I’m hoping to meet some nice people.
 

Oh, and of course my new drivers license was here waiting when I got back! I’m still planning on getting a passport, though. 

 

[Emmcee1967]