No Passport and No Birth Certificate! What to do?!?

[Princesstcase]

Wondering ... if the current passport processing time is something like 10-12 weeks, did the OP's MIL really apply for hers some 6 months ago when she booked the cruise? If not, expedited processing, altho for a fee, surely would've meant true peace of mind.

 

Guessing that if she'd been denied boarding there would not have been any refund, even if she had travel insurance. Poor planning, IMHO.

 

Camp637 - I am not 100% sure that she applied exactly 6 months ago, but I do know that is was more then sufficiant amount of time to receive the passport way before her cruise. She was on the phone with the passport people for the last 2 weeks demanding her passport be expedited and they kept telling her it would be anyday. IMO she should have went to the courthouse and gotten another certified copy of her birth certificate just in case.. but what can ya do?! This is her first cruise, she is not as experienced in these things as most people on this board. She never goes on vacations out of the state, let alone out of the country, so this was a major thing for her.

 

So, IMHO, poor planning - NO, lack of experience - Yes!

[dforeigner]

I found security to be a joke on my last two cruises. They didn't even look at my passport at disembarkation on the last one! I could have had any randon person's passport; it wouldn't have mattered.

 

Come back and let us know how MIL enjoyed her cruise!

 

It is done behind the scenes with ship's manifest and passport (for those who need to have one) on file. Everything is run through a database. If they feel the need to question somebody, the will call them through the PA system and direct them to a specific location for an interview.

[pms4104]

I apologize, Princesstcase, if I seemed insensitive to your MIL's predicament ... guess her issue is a lesson to us all. I am surprised, however, that she breezed thru check-in so easily.

[palofmine]

She needs to go to department of vital records and request a copy of the birth certificate. For us it took 45 minutes for them to find it, and get a raised seal. Otherwise she is SOL.

[cuyahoga11]

She needs to go to department of vital records and request a copy of the birth certificate. For us it took 45 minutes for them to find it, and get a raised seal. Otherwise she is SOL.

 

She has already sailed

[sunline2000]

She's lucky...for all you who got yours in a timely fashion you were lucky...status online is a joke andevery operator has a different story...applied 1st wk new year and just got mine fri infact got 1 a week for each family memember and we applied all on the same day..that was when they were saying 4-6wks it wasnt till march 1 that it went to 10-12 wks by the way they dont start the clock till there business office ok's your payment...my check cleared in 3dys but they according to status online did not show up till mid feb so if you got a cruise scheduled apply now more time the better

[LHP]

Well, I am glad she was able to get to go on her cruise. I am surprised but glad for her. I hope she has a wonderful time.

 

 

But I did get to thinking, perhaps the delay in receiving her passport is because she really had the original all the time and mailed in the "copy" to the passport office???

 

Just a thought...

[pms4104]

Hope there's no emergency or reason that would require her to fly home from one of the foreign ports ... she'll really be SOL.

[BeachBumMama]

I don't know about your State, but here in Colorado you can go to the Office of Vital Records and get a certified copy while you wait for $15.

 

She needs to go to department of vital records and request a copy of the birth certificate. For us it took 45 minutes for them to find it, and get a raised seal. Otherwise she is SOL.

Welcome to the boards, as I see you are both fairly new posters.:)

Just a heads up, it sometimes helps to read the posts AFTER the OP's post. Your information is certainly helpful, but she's already made it onto the ship and sailed.:D That and an upgrade to balcony, one lucky woman indeed. And for the OP, when she gets back, can you ask her for some lottery numbers?;)

 

As for getting back IN, I'm wondering what people do who carry their passports, BC into port and something happen to them. I carry copies of my passport, I suppose she could always say something happened to it at a port and she had a copy in case of an emergency?

[caribbean dreams]

one lucky woman indeed. And for the OP, when she gets back, can you ask her for some lottery numbers?;)

 

 

The drama is not quite over, she still has to show her BC to port authorities apon returning to the U.S and disembarking from the ship.

 

Most of the time, i just have my PassPort in my hand and they let me by but one time they checked everything out thoroughly before letting me thru.

[kitty9]

caribbeandreams, you're absolutely correct about that. When I recently returned from a Caribbean cruise, somehow a person got on board without an original birth certificate and was stopped by US Immigration when they held the inspection when we arrived in St Thomas. That person was taken aside and then taken somewhere else on the ship for questioning--don't know what happened to him. To be honest, while I know the OP's MIL probably isn't a terrorist, I'm a little upset that someone was able to get on board a ship with what amounts to an illegal document. Just think what other kind of persons could get on board without legal proof of citizenship.

[caribbean dreams]

while I know the OP's MIL probably isn't a terrorist, I'm a little upset that someone was able to get on board a ship with what amounts to an illegal document. Just think what other kind of persons could get on board without legal proof of citizenship.

 

I'm right with you on this one, it is a liitle unsettling.

[Jett456]

My son just called me from the ship (Voyager of the Seas) His friend can't find his birth certificate. He had it in the airport when he boarded the plan. Now at the ship he doesn't have it. I can't imagine what is going to happen. The cruise said they need someone to fax it. City hall is closed today. I feel so bad for this kid. Do you think they'll let him on without it and then it can be faxed Monday?

[spongerob]

No. He's not going to be permitted to board.

[cusyl]

Can they call the airport and see if he left it at the check in desk? Poor kid, he must be so disappointed but I am sure they won't let him board.:(

Could he fly to meet the ship at the next port?

[Jett456]

Probably not because you need a passport to fly into port and he doesn't have that either. I think its Puerto Rico or Nassau. They told him at the pier that they would accept a fax but he wasn't able to reach someone who had a copy of his birth certificate. I guess they wouldn't let him board and keep him on the ship until they receive the fax. I wish I knew what happend, the ship must have sailed already. :confused:

[mohavemommy]

Probably not because you need a passport to fly into port and he doesn't have that either. I think its Puerto Rico or Nassau. They told him at the pier that they would accept a fax but he wasn't able to reach someone who had a copy of his birth certificate. I guess they wouldn't let him board and keep him on the ship until they receive the fax. I wish I knew what happend, the ship must have sailed already. :confused:

 

Here's the Port of Miami webcam:

http://live6.truelook.com/face/newface.jsp?func=live&name=/ecodb/wachovia/camera1&pan=-29.5&tilt=-4.5230365&panfov=40.5&tiltfov=30.375&overlay=default&skin=default&useapplet=true&time=1176586687414&width=640&height=480&quality=65&catalogname=catalog&zoom=1.0246913&vfmap.x=550&vfmap.y=2&vfmap.w=167&vfmap.h=116

[mohavemommy]

... and onboard Voyager...

http://media.royalcaribbean.com/img/webcam/VYWebCam.jpg

[Cruising Cpl]

I know that the passport isn't required, but she doesn't have the "Original" birth certificate because she had to mail that with her passport application.. but she did make a copy of the birth certificate. Is the copy good enough? Or do they require the absolute original?? I'm not sure how strict their policy is.

 

Thanks!!

 

I hope she doesnt have a problem. I was lucky with a copy of my birth certificate in 2006 going to dominican republic, but they were not happy with me & they almost didnt let me in. (was easy to get out of the US though) Lucky enough that almost doesnt count.

[Cruising Cpl]

... and onboard Voyager...

http://media.royalcaribbean.com/img/webcam/VYWebCam.jpg

 

Oh to dream......how I miss the Voyager (3x on her)

[Jett456]

Yes it seems the ship has sailed. I have no idea if they let him on or not. The good thing is that neither one of them is anwering their cell phone so I am hoping they are all out to sea. :)

[MaryZ]

Hope there's no emergency or reason that would require her to fly home from one of the foreign ports ... she'll really be SOL.

 

not true. They have provisions for people who have emergencies that don't have a passport and need to get back to the US from a cruise. You aren't required to have a passport to travel by sea yet, so getting back home isn't going to be a harrowing experience.

What do you think they do with you? Leave you in another country forever??LOL

However, should you miss the sailing of your ship, you aren't going to be able to fly to meet it, should it's first port be a non-us port. So then, yes, you would be sol.

[Jett456]

Well, I found out today that my son's friend did not get on the ship :( I feel really bad, especially since he borrowed money to go on this trip. This should be a lesson for everyone to have backup copies of their documentation in case the orginal is lost or stolen. I will write a letter to the cruise line (TA's suggestion) explaining in detail the situation and hope for maybe a cruise credit for this kid.

[bboyack]

Jeanette, that is too bad about your son's friend. We took our adult sons, one of the girlfriends and a buddy on the Caribbean Princess 3 weeks ago for our anniversary...I am such a mom, even though we were all flying to Florida to board the ship from Sacramento, one from LA and us from Las Vegas, I was on the phone a couple times to them...regarding passports. I was freaking out that one of them would mess up. We all had them, thank goodness, but it is food for thought. I wonder how many are denied boarding on each cruise...

 

We are going again in 3 weeks transatlantic (just hubby and I) and I am going to make copies of the passports and also bring the b.c. just in case. I am kind of compulsive anyway so would hate to get to Europe and get stuck or something. Geez...

 

Cruising used to be so much easier.

 

Anyway, I hope your sons buddy gets some kind of refund. Let us know what happens....

[Princesstcase]

Well in case anyone was wondering, my MIL did make it back home without any problems. She sailed through customs without even a second glance at her copy of her B.C. Her plane did get delayed though, so that was a bummer for her.. but at least she made it back in the country! :D I haven't talked to her myself (my husband spoke with his dad) but as soon as I do I will let you know how she enjoyed her cruise! Lucky thing!