Process for flying home early without a Passport?

[celebhol]

Here's something nobody else has mentioned. Passports aren't required only by our government but by the governments of every other country except, for cruise passengers, and that is rapidly changing. If you can't fly to Aruba without a passport why do you think you should be able to continue to sail there without one?

 

It's $75. If you are spending thousands on cruises it seems to me that $75 isn't a huge amount and it will buy you 10 years of peace of mind. Go smile for the camera and get your passport.

 

Let the flames begin.

[98Charlie]

Here's something nobody else has mentioned. Passports aren't required only by our government but by the governments of every other country except, for cruise passengers, and that is rapidly changing. If you can't fly to Aruba without a passport why do you think you should be able to continue to sail there without one?Probably because Aruba and many other islands rely on tourist dollars as their #1 source of income. Many of the islands will continue to exempt ships carrying 2,500+ passengers who will be ashore some 12 hours or less and spend a bunch. If they require passports they will have to check them upon entry, meaning a delay in getting the passengers and their wallets ashore.

 

It's $75. If you are spending thousands on cruises it seems to me that $75 isn't a huge amount and it will buy you 10 years of peace of mind. Go smile for the camera and get your passport.There are those who are doing a once in a lifetime vacation, family (budget) vacation, etc. and are never planning on using their passports again. The fee is $ 75 plus $25 execution fee plus the cost of the photos. A couple taking a short first cruise to see if they like cruising could encounter a 10-20% or more additional cost just to "test the waters".

 

Let the flames begin.

Having said all that, I'm a proponent of having a passport. OTOH, I understand the reluctance of some.

 

Charlie

[aqhacruiser]

Greetings. I make my living as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent.

 

Here is one thing I don't think a lot of people know. You don't board an aircraft destined to the US without a passport. Boarding will be denied or the airline is fined.

 

I highly endorse the suggestion to get a U.S passport. This one of the most valuable documents you will ever own if you travel.

 

Regards,

 

Tom

 

Thanks Tom for confirming that info and I agree a passport is one of the most valuable documents you can own.

We still do not know what the process would be if someone should not have a passport but I would guess it would be a lot more expensive to pay for your stay in a country while waiting for one then it would be to just pay for a passport.

We always carry our passports with us in port and copies stay in the safe. Do you know if an airport/customs would accept copies or would you need to present an original passport to fly back into the states?

[RWolver672]

To me, buying a passport and not carrying it with you makes about as much sense as buying a bathing suit and not wearing it to the beach because it might get wet. I've had a driver's license for 43 years and carry it with me every day. I don't drive every minute, but I still carry it with me in case I do need it. It has lots of information on it that would be of interest to the wrong person if they got their hands on it. For that reason, I protect it and make sure I don't lose it. The same applies to our passports. You never know when you might need them. On our last cruise, my sister-in-law tried to cash traveler's checks at a bank in St. Maarten. They wouldn't do it because she didn't have her passport with her. It was back on the ship. Leaving the island by air is not the only reason you may need a passport with you and not on the ship.

[HorrorFan]

In one of the several recent passport threads, the question came up "How do you fly home if you don't have a passport?"

 

I'm sure someone here has had to do this recently, can you please share what the process was like?

 

It's obviously easier if you have a passport, but just as obvious, you aren't going to be stuck for the rest of your life on a Caribbean Island, just because all you have is a BC and Drivers License. (Perhaps to the disappointment of some!?:))

 

I'm hoping a real life story (and the fact that you are indeed back home) will cut down on some of the FUD being tossed around...

 

Thanks,

 

Theron

Hasn't happened to me, but I can say that hearing one 'real life story' isn't going to be of much value in determining the overall experience. I suspect if 10 people in 10 different places were to try and fly back to the US without a passport you would get at least five very different stories. Some might have very few problems, for others it could be a nightmare.

[Jeano222]

Airlines do cut slack for cruise passengers that are on a cruise and need to return home and don't have a passport. The reason they cut slack is because you have proven citizenship before boarding the cruise, assuming you boarded in the US. It is the US that needs the proof of citizenship, not the country you are flying from. This clause is in the internal Homeland Security documents. having said that, I think everyone should have a passport, as you never know when the rules will change.

[poppop1507]

With all joking aside I have heard that it can be done but not easy.

 

I heard of some one coming home early from a crusie not having a passport but did have government (divers license) picture and certified birth certificate. These documents were required to get on the ship.

 

At U.S. immigrations they accepted these documenst but they went through "hell and high water" befor acceptence.

 

It is not worth the aggreviation and I would strongly recommend that you get a passport, if time is short pay to have it expedited.

[Happy ks]

It would be interesting to read a real answer here from someone who this scenario has actually happened.

 

The only story I can recall is from several years ago, a man passed away in an island hospital after being left behind by the cruise ship. The ships hospital could not deal with his serious illness. He and his wife not only did not have passports, they also did not have credit cards, only a debit card.

 

The story was heartbreaking and quite an ordeal for the widow. She was kind enough to share the information with this board, to perhaps help others to not have the same experience. It took days and a lot of $$ to return to the US, a lot of red tape that could have been avoided.

 

This was years before the US started the new passport requirements, at the time you didn't have to have one to fly to the US if you were a citizen. Accidents can happen, both at home and to the traveler, I want to know if I need to return I can do so quickly and with no additional stress than necessary. While I understand the cost factor, especially with families, it just doesn't make sense to me to travel out of the US without the guarantee of being able to return easily.

[Moeve]

The question is why should Immigration make this easy on someone who was being too cheap to get a passport and taking the risk anyway. You all know that it is necessary if you need to fly. If you chose not to have one to save a couple of bucks and do have an emergancy well then yes they should make your life difficult as possible.

 

That might sound harsh to you but in all truth many Americans don't believe they are leaving the country when heading for the Carribean - but they ARE!!

[Bobbye]

Getting home isn't the only hassle. What about if you miss the ship and have to fly to catch up? A friend had that happen with a group last month and several members of the group had to get emergency passports and didn't catch up until three days before the cruise was over. The ones with passports met the ship the second day.

[HorrorFan]

There are lots of good reasons to have a passport, and no good reason not to, that I have heard anyway. If a couple hundred $ is going to make or break your vacation, you really need to re-evaluate whether or not you can afford to travel at all.

[BobBeaSea]

Here's something nobody else has mentioned. Passports aren't required only by our government but by the governments of every other country except, for cruise passengers, and that is rapidly changing. If you can't fly to Aruba without a passport why do you think you should be able to continue to sail there without one?

 

It's $75. If you are spending thousands on cruises it seems to me that $75 isn't a huge amount and it will buy you 10 years of peace of mind. Go smile for the camera and get your passport.

 

Let the flames begin.

 

No flaming here. Many countries in the Caribbean basin require Americans to have passports due to the requirement that all who fly to U.S. soil must have a passport. While the destination countries technically do not require Americans to have passports, it is expected Americans who fly to these destinatations will fly back to the U.S., which is the real reason for the mandatory passport requirement. That is the only reason. For example, Canadians can still fly to Mexico and some Caribbean destinations without a passport. Proof of citizenship and photo ID is all that is required. If the U.S. government did not require their citizens to have passports to fly back to the States, Mexico and some countries in the Caribbean wouldn't either.

 

Having said that, a passport is the one document I wouldn't be without while travelling, even day trips to the States. So much easier for everyone. :)

 

TP, I haven't heard about an example of what you are asking about. I can only guess a bit of a hassle would be in order but I don't believe the U.S government would leave their citizens stranded :).

[tekjr1]

Do you know if an airport/customs would accept copies or would you need to present an original passport to fly back into the states?

 

I have not personally encountered the mentioned situation. I am very certain that no USCBP Officer will accept a copy at the border. I also don't think it will get you on a plane to the US. With that said, I think a copy would help out tremendously with the process at a consulate or embassy in obtaining a temp.

Tom

[98Charlie]

Do you know if an airport/customs would accept copies or would you need to present an original passport to fly back into the states?

Probably no more than the patrolman who pulls you over for speeding would accept a copy of your drivers license:D

 

I'm sure that it would help with the process. But, I would find it hard to believe that a copy would work as well as the original.

 

Charlie

[aqhacruiser]

I have not personally encountered the mentioned situation. I am very certain that no USCBP Officer will accept a copy at the border. I also don't think it will get you on a plane to the US. With that said, I think a copy would help out tremendously with the process at a consulate or embassy in obtaining a temp.

 

Tom

 

Thanks again Tom, that's what I thought which is why we carry our passports in port with us and leave copies in safes as it's not the worth the hassle if we didn't have the originals and needed them for some reason. When we were on a cruise in Barbados in Dec. we did a day pass at a local hotel and our passports were required to register for the day. I'm not sure if that's a common request now out of the U.S. but without a passport there may be hotels that would not let you stay if you were stuck in port for some reason waiting for a passport. I've also been asked for my passport in a store in Havensight (St. Thomas U.S. port:) ) to use a credit card and they will not take a drivers license for ID, they only want to see a passport.

[aqhacruiser]

Probably no more than the patrolman who pulls you over for speeding would accept a copy of your drivers license:D

 

I'm sure that it would help with the process. But, I would find it hard to believe that a copy would work as well as the original.

 

Charlie

 

I agree:D

[TPKeller]

I guess I should have been a little more specific... given the current situation with the WHTI, I am really looking for firsthand accounts of a cruise passenger who sailed without a passport, having to fly home early from a Caribbean, Mexican or Bermuda port.

 

It certainly stands to reason that if you lose your passport while traveling in a non-WHTI area (as in Taiwan), that you would have all sorts of difficulties...

 

But my suspicion (which is what I would like to have confirmed by firsthand, actual experience) is that there are procedures in place, or perhaps under development, that will accomodate cruise passengers without a passport who need to unexpectedly return home via airplane.

 

It's obvious that you won't be abandoned to become a homeless person in the Caribbean, but I would really like to learn the facts, so that we will all know and have the information available to dispel FUD. :)

Since some posters seem unable or unwilling to concede the fact that for the foreseeable future, it is completely legal for US Citizens to cruise round trip from the US within the WHTI area (Caribbean, Mexico or Bermuda) without a passport, this thread has taken on a bit of a hostile tone.

 

This is not at all what I intended when I started this thread; I am simply seeking to learn from a first hand account, the process or procedure that someone who finds themselves needing to fly home unexpectedly from a WHTI location must follow in order to do so.

 

If you have had to do this, and you can tell me the process, but you are not willing to post this information publicly and endure the flames from those who are unhappy about the law, please feel free to drop me a note. I will be happy to post your story, without your name.

 

I really just want to find out the truth about how this is done.

 

Thanks...

 

Theron

[pmfan]

This is information a lot of cruisers could benefit from. I hope someone posts who has had this experience.

 

I don't worry about this happening to me as I have a passport. But not everyone who cruises have felt the need to get theirs.

[Moeve]

Theron you miss the point even though you have mentioned it several times yourself..... it is ok to CRUISE but NOT to FLY - period!! Even if YOU don't like it - THAT happens to be the letter of the law.

[TPKeller]

Theron you miss the point even though you have mentioned it several times yourself..... it is ok to CRUISE but NOT to FLY - period!! Even if YOU don't like it - THAT happens to be the letter of the law.

This thread was not created to debate the merits of your statement above.

 

This thread was created for the sole purpose of collecting the information that I requested in the original post. Since there are no reports of US Citizens being abandoned in the WHTI countries in their time of need, there must be procedures for getting home without a passport. That is all I am seeking.

 

Suggest you post your message on a more appropriate thread: here, here or here.

 

Theron

[Don Pedro]

This thread was not created to debate the merits of your statement above.

 

This thread was created for the sole purpose of collecting the information that I requested in the original post. Since there are no reports of US Citizens being abandoned in the WHTI countries in their time of need, there must be procedures for getting home without a passport. That is all I am seeking.

 

Suggest you post your message on a more appropriate thread: here, here or here.

 

Theron

 

We also think that this would be interesting to get a first hand account of what happens. It probably varies a little from country to country but at least we'd have a general idea.

 

It might also be interesting to have a chat with some of the port agents. Perhaps they could shine a little light on what happens to a cruise passenger who missed the boat.

[Rudi610]

I don't have first hand knowledge, but I do want to make a couple of comments. If for some reason, you need to leave your cruise early (such as an emergency back home) and you do not have a passport, my first stop would be with the Guest Services desk on the ship. They have probably dealt with this before or have the procedures you need to follow. Most likely, any emergency trip out of the country will probably require a trip to the local U.S. Embassy or consulate. I don't know how long it would take to get a temporary passport, but if it could take a couple of days, it may be quicker to just stay on the ship until it reaches a U.S. port of call (especially in the Eastern Caribbean where most ships call at San Juan and St. Thomas, which are US territories). If I got stuck on the island because I missed the ship and I did not have a US passport, my first stop would be to the local US embassy.

 

Apologies to Theron for not providing first had info, but I just wanted to comment on items I hadn't seen in this thread yet.

[TPKeller]

Apologies to Theron for not providing first had info, but I just wanted to comment on items I hadn't seen in this thread yet.

No apologies necessary! :) I'm just hoping to keep this thread sort of on track, as discussion about the issue does tend to ... well you know... ;)

 

I have no info yet, but I'm suspecting that by the time the new rules (and exception) are finalized next June, there will be well defined procedures for this that take minutes or hours, rather than days. As with all things government, it sometimes takes them a while to understand the ramifications of their own rules, but just as with the great passport backlog debacle, I think they will catch up.

 

Theron

[2bFREEonTHEseas]

First, I have a sibling who was cruising this spring who left her passport in the safe on their ship. They missed the ship at a port. (I am not going to say which ship or ports because that is not rel...) This is what she had to do...

 

(1) Contacted the ship via the ship shore contact. They had someone from the ships staff retrieve her passport from her safe in her cabin and drop it off at the next port of call - 3 days later.

 

(2) The other port person who was handed thier passports had them overnighted (took 4 days) to where she was at.

 

(3) the ship invoiced her $895.00 for the service of handing their passports off at the next port.

 

(4) The overnight costs which were not overnight costed her about $150

 

(5) Her extended stay costed them over $2800 for the week they sat waiting for the passport.

 

(6) Thier airfair back to the US was $2300

 

(7) The luggage and packing fees were $1000 from the cruise lines.

 

Lesson Learned...$7200 for two to spend a week on an Island waiting for their passports. TAKE THEM WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES.

 

BTW...They missed the boat because the vehical they rented from the rental car place broke down on the other side of the island.

[Terpnut]

First, I have a sibling who was cruising this spring who left her passport in the safe on their ship. They missed the ship at a port. (I am not going to say which ship or ports because that is not rel...) This is what she had to do...

 

(1) Contacted the ship via the ship shore contact. They had someone from the ships staff retrieve her passport from her safe in her cabin and drop it off at the next port of call - 3 days later.

 

(2) The other port person who was handed thier passports had them overnighted (took 4 days) to where she was at.

 

(3) the ship invoiced her $895.00 for the service of handing their passports off at the next port.

 

(4) The overnight costs which were not overnight costed her about $150

 

(5) Her extended stay costed them over $2800 for the week they sat waiting for the passport.

 

(6) Thier airfair back to the US was $2300

 

(7) The luggage and packing fees were $1000 from the cruise lines.

 

Lesson Learned...$7200 for two to spend a week on an Island waiting for their passports. TAKE THEM WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES.

 

BTW...They missed the boat because the vehical they rented from the rental car place broke down on the other side of the island.

This still doesn't answer Theron's question which was the process for someone to fly home WITHOUT a passport. As bad as this scenario is, can you imagine not even having or bringing your passport?

 

BTW, I love the "overnight" service that took four days. :p