Denied boarding

[Kurbanfan]

The nomenclature varies by state. In some states, it's Registrar, in others it's County or Township Clerk, in yet others it's the Clerk of Vital Records.

 

That just sounds so Mayberry:D

I guess my point was it is not the certificate with only mommy and daddy's and Dr. baby's signature on it.......

[LemurCat]

That just sounds so Mayberry:D

 

I'll tell my township clerk that, he'll get a kick out of it. Think that's Mayberry, our county representatives are still called Freeholders.

 

I guess my point was it is not the certificate with only mommy and daddy's and Dr. baby's signature on it.......

 

Exactly.

[dan40]

Just some observations from me.

 

1. And this is likely the reason for the denied boarding. Belize (a port for the Dream) is not a WHTI Country and requires a passport for entry and it must be valid for six months after you depart the country.

 

2. Yes, a birth certificate needs to be issued by a GOVERNMENTAL authority AND it must have a raised seal (or other secure method of determining authenticity)

 

3. Carnival made out fine. They got the fare for the cruise and they likely re-sold the cabin at the pier, so they got their onboard money and then some.

 

4. The need for a passport (as someone pointed out) is great in case of a medical emergency, or if you miss the ship. At that point, you are in a foreign country looking to go to either another foreign country (to meet the ship) or to the US from a foreign country with no legal document to let you in. Yes it happens. Yes, you can get in. But it is a hassle for sure.

 

5. For the countries that require passports, the cruise lines submit the documentation electronically for the entire ship and it is cleared that way to not inconvenience the passengers (port calls are so short), but if Carnival boards a passenger who is not legal, they face serious fines and risk having the entire ship turned away. If an airline does it, they are required to re-board the passenger and return him to the US. He is not allowed to legally transit in the country.

 

Unfortunately, many times, the people hired by Carnival (and others) are not aware of the rules and laws. I once had one of those MLM travel agents insist that she had a Carnival ship that departed from Phoenix! And (also as many have mentioned), Carnival disclaims all responsibility with their "it is your responsibility".

 

 

I believe that EVERY NATION in the Caribbean and in Central and South America, requires a passport to visit their country. However ALL of them have a WAIVER for cruise passengers only. Cruise pax visiting their country for less than 24 hours do not have to have a passport. ALL others visitors by any method Do have to have a passport.

 

Carnival requires that passengers have proper documentation to board ONLY because passengers MUST have proper documentation to debark once back in the states. They won't let you ON until they are sure you can get OFF at the end of the cruise. Carnival has VERY little interest in life time non-paying guests!:rolleyes::D

Pieces of paper with pictures of former Presidents are all the documentation needed for cruise pax at stops on the itinerary.

[katiel53]

i was sorta thinking the same thing. what good does it do to fill it out if they don't even pay attention to what it put there.

 

How could Carnival see by what is posted on line whether it is an approved birth certificate or if it is one that was given at the hospital by the doctor? There is no way for them to know what you have when you type in birth certificate.

 

Your docs do tell you what you have to have and it isn't up to Carnival to make the decisions as to what is acceptable or not. They have to go by federal guidelines.

 

.

[dan40]

From Carnival's website:

 

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) allows U.S. citizens (including children) sailing on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port to travel with one of the following WHTI compliant document:

 

• Valid U.S. Passport
  
• Passport Card
  
• Original or suitable quality copy of a Birth Certificate (Issued by the department of vital statistics)
  
• Certificate of Naturalization
  
• Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)
  
• Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card, e.g., Nexus Card, Sentri Card or Fast Card
  
• A Consular Report of Birth Abroad
  

A government-issued photo ID is also required for all guests, including children 16 and over. For a complete list of WHTI-compliant documents Click Here

Important: Baptismal and Hospital Certificates, copies of U.S. Passports and Naturalization papers, are not WHTI compliant documents, therefore, NOT acceptable.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

That sucks!!! When you filled out your fun pass documents you had to select the type o document you were using so they should have notified you that your ID was insufficient. So sorry that happened to you.

[Kurbanfan]

That sucks!!! When you filled out your fun pass documents you had to select the type o document you were using so they should have notified you that your ID was insufficient. So sorry that happened to you.

 

:confused:

 

Ok I think I am beginning to understand why people are confused.....

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

That sucks!!! When you filled out your fun pass documents you had to select the type o document you were using so they should have notified you that your ID was insufficient. So sorry that happened to you.

 

 

They had to select Birth Certificate. There is no choice for Birth Record.

[LemurCat]

That sucks!!! When you filled out your fun pass documents you had to select the type o document you were using so they should have notified you that your ID was insufficient. So sorry that happened to you.

 

Why is it Carnival's fault that the OP didn't know what type of documentation they had? The OP thought they had a Birth Certificate. Turns out they didn't. Not Carnival's fault, and certainly an unfortunate mishap for the OP, but the onus for proper documentation is still on the cruiser and not on the cruiseline.

[notmyccname]

A birth certificate with a raised seal is the document that is required. See your boarding document and it explains it in detail.

 

Not all birth certificates have a raised seal. Some are smooth and can be held up to the light to authenticate.

 

Vitalchek.com is a great place to order a BC. I've used them and they are fast and accurate.

[halos]

there has been no change - a "birth record" has never been acceptable. ken

That's what I thought....

I am STUNNED that the OP was able to get away using that numerous times previously.

[LemurCat]

That's what I thought....

I am STUNNED that the OP was able to get away using that numerous times previously.

 

It seems the port personel is being better trained these days.

[halos]

Why is it Carnival's fault that the OP didn't know what type of documentation they had? The OP thought they had a Birth Certificate. Turns out they didn't. Not Carnival's fault, and certainly an unfortunate mishap for the OP, but the onus for proper documentation is still on the cruiser and not on the cruiseline.

TOTALLY agree.

[imsulin]

there has been no change - a "birth record" has never been acceptable. ken

 

That's what I was going to say. A "birth record" is like a "hospital birth record/certificate". I worked as a TA at a brick & mortar agency for several years, and ALWAYS said that hospital birth records and baptismal certificates were NOT acceptable proof of citizenship. A certified birth certificate (raised seal or State stamp) or a Passport are proof of your citizenship. What "change" has there been? None, as far as I can see. IF someone was able to board with a hospital birth record, that was the fault of the cruise line employee/s who allowed this. In 1978 and 1979, we cruised on the old Pacific Princess, but had Passports. However, at the time, they allowed (get this) Voter Registration Cards and DL as proof of citizenship. I saw this as late as 1988. Since then, though, no more of that. I could tell you stories about denied boarding from clients who "insisted" that just a DL, a Bible with a written birth, hospital birth records, and a notarized statement from a mid-wife would allow them to board. They just didn't listen to what we told them, and we always offered to check their documents. Some didn't listen when we told them that their "proof" was not acceptable. It's taken years for people to be educated about this, I guess.

[Pandabeartx]

We got our passports 12 years ago when we went to Europe. They were required. Our first cruise we had our nephew traveling with us, he did not have a passport. (we did have all other required documents, permission from parents etc.) We did not have any problems however his boarding took a lot of extra time. I highly recommend that you at least get a passport card since it seems to be getting harder and harder to leave the country without it. They are good for 10 years and even if you only use it a few times it is worth the money

[PhxRain]

Not all birth certificates have a raised seal. Some are smooth and can be held up to the light to authenticate.

 

Vitalchek.com is a great place to order a BC. I've used them and they are fast and accurate.

 

It is a great site! That where I got mine, DH's & Mom's. Ours were from different counties in Calif. and my Mom's was from Missouri in the 40's and they were able to find it with only minimal delay on hers. It plugs right into the different county sites for BC and other stuff. Got a copy of my marriage lic. while I was at it, just in case, never know.:)

[MTcruiser]

OMG, I'm so sorry to hear that! Don't worry about people flaming you b/c it's in their nature. I have one person trying to push my buttons on a thread I started today.

 

We were on the Pride two weeks ago and we had birth certificates not birth records. I was worried out of my mind until I got on the ship. Next year will definitely be passports for us!

 

I know this wont help now, but If you don't want to fork out the bucks for a Passport, you can get a Passport Card, it is much cheaper and you can use it for sea travel.

[KFinTx]

In 1978 and 1979, we cruised on the old Pacific Princess, but had Passports. However, at the time, they allowed (get this) Voter Registration Cards and DL as proof of citizenship. I saw this as late as 1988.

 

My friend flew to Mexico in 1991 & got back in the country with her voter registration card & Texas DL. I wasn't willing to risk it, so I used my passport. :p

 

To the OP: Sorry you weren't allowed to board & your trip was ruined. People can tut-tut all they want, but it doesn't make your situation suck any less. I hope you can get something back & can maybe cruise again soon.

 

And yes, I'm one of those pesky "get a passport" people. Better safe than sorry, ounce of prevention v. pound of cure, Be Prepared & all that. I think all these "exceptions" to needing a passport are making things harder instead of easier, & wish they'd just go to requiring passports for cruises. There's no guessing or room for error then as to whether you can get on the ship or back into the US when you have a passport.

[aprilivy]

Filling out the docs before the cruise simply saves you time in line - they don't check. They state the rules and you are expected to interpret and follow them.

Witnessed a similar situation out of Miami many years ago on Carnival...that group couldn't get on the ship and ended up renting a car and heading to Disney World for an alternate vacation.

It's a tough lesson to learn.

[KFinTx]

Here's a very practical reason EVERY cruiser should have a passport. Let's say you are in the middle of a cruise.....

 

So be smart, get a passport.

 

or as a recent post has shown, your flight to the port could be delayed or cancelled & you miss the ship, so you would then have to fly to the first port. Can't do that without a passport.

 

I agree with you that the rules should be simplified & passports be required for all travel outside the US.

[Cactuscruise]

Before you start flaming. I don’t have a passport and don’t travel enough to have one. We cruise maybe every other year and we don’t go out of the country any other time. Now for what happened we were suppose to cruise on the Dream today but when we got to the port we were denied boarding. The Documents we had was my birth cert. and my driver’s license. DH had his driver’s license and a certified birth record which he have used on the other 3 cruises we have been on with Carnival and there was no issue BUT as a 2 weeks ago they no longer except that document. And we weren’t the only ones there were families with children that were refused boarding. I called Carnival and spoke to 3 different people regarding this and was told if we didn’t take the insurance out that Carnival offered we were SOOL this just FYI if you have a certified birth record and have used it before you can’t use it now. You need a birth certificate. We thought since we used it in the past we could still use it. And regular insurance won’t cover them denying you boarding.

s.

 

I'm not going to flame you at all, I think you've suffered enough. But it seems to me that if you travel out of the country at all, it justifies the cost of a passport. Americans need to catch up with the rest of the world when it comes to obtaining a passport. I don't leave my state or fly anywhere without my passport. It's the best form of identification one can have. It just makes sense and you won't experience any problems such as yours.

 

Better luck next time.

[cruzn buckeye]

Carnival maks it's profit off the money you spend on the ship, not the fares. Cruise ships need 110% capacity just to break even.

 

havent read the complete thread but what I can tell you is this:

We were on the Carnival Destiny during the week of 9/11 when the terrorist attack happened. Its home port was San Juan. So, the air space was closed over the United States. We were not sure if the airports would be open when we got back to port. Neither was the cruise line. Carnival knew that even with the airport open, there would be missed flights, there would be people changing their mind about flying to stay home with family. then knew there would be empty cabins. So they offered everyone on board that wanted to stay and cruise for another week, the option to stay onboard at a cost of $199 pp. they said they were offering it to everyone at "their cost". the actual cost of that week cruise in a balcony at the time was close to 1000pp. This was Carnivals first ship with balconies other than suites and the cost to have one was quite high. It did not matter what cabin you were in, you had the opportunity to stay onboard for 199. My point is they make money where you spend or not, they make lots and lots of money on those spending.

[imsulin]

I know this wont help now, but If you don't want to fork out the bucks for a Passport, you can get a Passport Card, it is much cheaper and you can use it for sea travel.

 

But not for air travel. Ever. Passport Cards are generally used for DRIVING across US borders for work or business on a regular basis. They are NOT a valid Passport. They are only accepted for "closed-loop cruises" originating in the US. Very bad idea!

[mgm61]

really unfortunate and very sorry for you. my mother and i recently cruised and i basically strong armed her (not really) into getting her passport. i just could not take the chance of being denied boarding. she relented after many heated debates between the two of us. even now i can not believe i won an arguement with my mom. but she decided that since a passport was valid for 10years, it was worth the money versus a passport card which i think is valid for only 1year (i could be wrong about that).

 

 

 

Adults (Age 16 and Older)

 

Validity: 10 years

 

First-Time Applicant Cost: $55

Previous Passport Holder Cost: $30

Minors (Under Age 16)

 

Validity: 5 years

 

Cost for All Minors: $40

[alidor]

Don't know what country those passport fees are for but the current US passport for adults is $110 plus a $25.00 execution fee and are valid for 10 years; a child is $80 plus $25.00 though there can be different rules and costs for children under age 16. They, too, are valid for 10 years, but that can vary according to age.

 

To travel and not carry a passport is frankly pretty dumb.