Two elderly women kicked off Infinity & left in Malaga without passports...

[Stockjock]

Because I'm sailing on Infinity soon, I was looking over some of the recent reviews.  This one really jumped out at me.

Two women, mid-to-late 70s, couldn't find their passports.  They asked Celebrity for assistance.  So ultimately, Celebrity threw them off the ship in a strange country (Malaga, Spain) without passports.

If what she wrote is true, and if I'm understanding it properly, this seems rather outrageous to me.  Obviously, they had passports when they checked in, so why force them off of the ship in an unfamiliar country?

Here's the link to the review:
https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=701515

[Charles4515]

13 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

Two women, mid-to-late 70s, couldn't find their passports.  They asked Celebrity for assistance.  So ultimately, Celebrity threw them off the ship in a strange country (Malaga, Spain) without passports.

If what she wrote is true, and if I'm understanding it properly, this seems rather outrageous to me.  Obviously, they had passports when they checked in, so why force them off of the ship in an unfamiliar country?

They kicked her off because she didn't have a passport. Probably required by the next port. There are a couple of lessons. Don't take your passport off the ship. Europe has a lot of pickpockets. Second if you lose your passport don't tell the cruise line until you disembark. 

[Stockjock]

16 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

They kicked her off because she didn't have a passport. Probably required by the next port. There are a couple of lessons. Don't take your passport off the ship. Europe has a lot of pickpockets. Second if you lose your passport don't tell the cruise line until you disembark. 

I don't think Celebrity should have kicked them off of the ship.  I think that was negligent, especially in the case of two elderly ladies, who apparently had a copy of their passport, but regardless of age.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Stockjock

[cruisestitch]

I feel very bad for these ladies, if it happened as reported, but I am curious how someone who has cruised enough of Celebrity to become elite was unaware of the size of the state room that was booked?

[wrk2cruise]

I thought the port agent assisted in cases like this.

[prmssk]

26 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

I don't think Celebrity should have kicked them off of the ship.  I think that was negligent, especially in the case of two elderly ladies, who apparently had a copy of their passport, but regardless of age.

A copy of their passport likely won't satisfy customs agents.  Celebrity likely didn't have any other option than to disembark her.

[Stockjock]

7 minutes ago, prmssk said:

A copy of their passport likely won't satisfy customs agents.  Celebrity likely didn't have any other option than to disembark her.

I don't see why they couldn't have left them on the ship, at a minimum.  They obviously had the passports during boarding.

Even in the ports, I can't recall having been asked for my passport.  Only my cruise card at the entrance of the port.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Stockjock

[jwlane]

Why would a lost PP even be an issue (sailing from Lisbon to Barcelona) if they're already on the ship?  They'd already been in Spain (Cadiz) and the next port was Spain (Malaga).  It would not be a factor until disembarkation.  I call BS.

Edited July 31, 2023 by jwlane

[prmssk]

19 minutes ago, Stockjock said:

I don't see why they couldn't have left them on the ship, at a minimum.  They obviously had the passports during boarding.

Even in the ports, I can't recall having been asked for my passport.  Only my cruise card at the entrance of the port.

At every single port the cruise lines make certain certifications as it relates to customs even if that port never asks to see every passenger's passport.  The cruise lines have a responsibility to ensure their passengers meet customs requirements and honestly make those certifications to port authorities.

[prmssk]

Assuming it is all true, it appears Celebrity did provide at least some assistance - internet time to book a hotel, advice to file a police report which turned out to be quite important, starting contact information for the US Consulate, and it sounds like a willingness to let her re-embark in the next port if she could get a replacement passport.  So she wasn't actually left at the dock with no assistance (and she may be understating other assistance they provided her).  I don't really know what more Celebrity could have reasonably done.  It wasn't their fault she lost her passport.