Denied boarding

[elcuchio24]

i agree with all of your reasons to have a passport...i really do. but, some people are getting on here and telling these people that it serves them right not to have got to board the ship because they didn't have one. as of right now, it isn't REQUIRED. and when it is, there will probably be a mad dash for people to get one. but, it still doesn't make it right to be rude to these people that already missed their cruise because of a document mix up. remember what your mamas told you...if you can't say anything nice, dont say anything at all :D

 

But I think if you read the OP issue, it was one of the vaguries of the Birth Certificate type needed that ended their vacation before it began. The fact is they were not allowed to board---- and if they had invested in Passports, they would have had no problem.

[hubofhockey]

i agree with all of your reasons to have a passport...i really do. but, some people are getting on here and telling these people that it serves them right not to have got to board the ship because they didn't have one. as of right now, it isn't REQUIRED. and when it is, there will probably be a mad dash for people to get one. but, it still doesn't make it right to be rude to these people that already missed their cruise because of a document mix up. remember what your mamas told you...if you can't say anything nice, dont say anything at all :D

 

They didn't miss their cruise that they paid for because of a "document mix up". They missed their cruise because they didn't have proper proof of citizenship. I disagree with your post about not saying anything at all. If this thread encourages some out there to actually get passports, maybe it will save someone else a great deal of aggravation down the road. OP, by her own admission, doesn't travel outside the US "enough" to make getting a passport worth it and has no regrets about not having a passport. My sympathy just isn't there.

[RICKnVICK]

I am really sorry this happened to your family. It would really suck to be denied boarding. They would probably have to escort me out of the terminal if I was denied!;)

 

This is a unfortunate example of why a passport IS really worth the extra money. I hope you and your family go ahead an apply for passports, then there will be no worries!:)

 

If there are people that still resist, then whatever happens to them is their own doing. I am not happy about it, or would ever say "I told you so" but come on people, just get a passport!

 

Happy Cruising!

[gtalum]

:confused: Huh? Carnival lost absolutely nothing.

 

They lost the potential on-board revenue from these passengers. I doubt it's Carnival changing the rules. DHS is incompetent and inconsistent, and I would be surprised if it wasn't ultimately done at their direction.

 

To the OP: I know it's not what you want to hear, but get passports. They're ~$12 per year for adults, and ~$24 for children. It's much cheaper than the hassle of playing "musical documents" (and as you now know, much cheaper than losing a vacation over denied boarding).

[drosphot]

It still says this is good. Sorry to the OP but I think mine is still good. Otherwise we are just getting the Pass Card. (cheaper) although someone said that is just good for land crossings, but it says in the passport info it just helps you at customs to get thru quicker.

 

U.S. Passport Card – This is a limited-use international travel document valid for entry into the U.S. by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, per the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. It is not valid for international air travel.

 

 

look I just answered my own question. First passcard is $45. renewals are $25

 

So let's say you get an emergency call to get home ASAP from say, Jamaica and need to fly back to the US, do you think the Passport card (not valid for international air travel) will get you home hassle free?

 

When it doesn't, don't blame the government or Carnival. I'm just sayin'... :rolleyes:

[StevieG]

...could be why the rest of the world is marching on and the US gets farther and farther behind, screaming no fair, I have rights, and I can't be denied entry to anywhere......but actually you can....and it is done daily. Passports are your only protection when something happens.

 

That may be, but what we are talking about here is being denied entry into the country of your birth and where you are a citizen.

[QuentinH]

That may be, but what we are talking about here is being denied entry into the country of your birth and where you are a citizen.

 

 

.....and you need a passport to prove it, even in this country. Universally accepted no questions asked.

[StevieG]

Why is this thread such a grand debate?

 

Simply put - go get one. They are not that expensive!

If people had gotten them done when this initiative first came out, the price was even cheaper.

 

I've had mine for 15 years and only have one stamp in it - and I have never regretted spending the money.

 

Yes, but if you are talking about first time cruisers of a family of 4 you are adding an additonal $500 to the cost of the cruise. They might just opt for a different vacation. Most Americans do not leave the country so $500 for one vacation could be the deciding factor. That is why making it mandatory has been heavily lobbied against.

[StevieG]

.....and you need a passport to prove it, even in this country. Universally accepted no questions asked.

 

But the countries you are visiting don't care if you have a passport or not its just the US

[rp23g7]

Wasnt the last yr you could travel without a Passport or passport card or enhanced drivers license 2008? We didnt go on a cruise in 2009 because of that rule.

[TheRejector]

Wow what a disaster. I feel for you and your family. I was planning on getting passports this time anyway, but I guess i'll push that up and apply this week.

[StevieG]

Wasnt the last yr you could travel without a Passport or passport card or enhanced drivers license 2008? We didnt go on a cruise in 2009 because of that rule.

 

No, they have been kicking that can down the road for the last few years. I think it might be dead for now.

[Kurbanfan]

Why is this thread such a grand debate?

 

Simply put - go get one. They are not that expensive!

If people had gotten them done when this initiative first came out, the price was even cheaper.

 

I've had mine for 15 years and only have one stamp in it - and I have never regretted spending the money.

 

The only debate is that some people are clueless as to what a certified birth certificate is.........even some of the employees at check in.

The op will not be able to get a passport with a birth record they will still have to get the "correct" certificate........

[zenful6219]

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.

 

A birth record is just a record of a birth and can include the date, time, and physician's name. It's usually issued by a hospital, not a government. As such, there is no legal use for the document other than to be used to obtain a birth certificate. A birth certificate is a legal form of government-issued identification and is vital for obtaining passports, drivers licenses, etc.

 

The OP has obviously left out vital details of the situation. Regardless, no where on Carnival's website does it state that a valid form of identification includes a birth record from a medical facility. However, it clearly states a list of valid forms of government-issued identification. Again, we don't have all the details!

 

So, hopefully, people will learn a lesson from this long thread. We should carefully review every single document Carnival provides and make sure we completely understand all the terminology when booking a cruise.

[Kurbanfan]

But I think if you read the OP issue, it was one of the vaguries of the Birth Certificate type needed that ended their vacation before it began. The fact is they were not allowed to board---- and if they had invested in Passports, they would have had no problem.

 

If they would have had a certified birth certificate they would have had no problem either..........

[USA_Cruiser]

I agree - some people are just bullheaded!

Now up to calling names that good. I wished now I hadn't posted anything this was just to let people that uses a birth cert. To check and make sure it says Birth Cert. and not Birth Record not a debate on passport vs no passport. I should just left it alone and let other people find out like we did. Again Sorry for trying to bring information to the fore front. These boards have gotten so they're not for information but somewhere that people can come and act as if they Better than anyone else. They have all the answers and if you don't agree with them your wrong and you are lower than dirt. At least I didn't come in and say I'm going to sue Carnival never sail with them again.And give a bogus review. So go ahead a sat high on your horse and look down upon all of us pee ons. And take your passports and cruise happy. THE END

[jimbo5544]

I agree - some people are just bullheaded!

 

Now up to calling names that good. I wished now I hadn't posted anything this was just to let people that uses a birth cert. To check and make sure it says Birth Cert. and not Birth Record not a debate on passport vs no passport. I should just left it alone and let other people find out like we did. Again Sorry for trying to bring information to the fore front. These boards have gotten so they're not for information but somewhere that people can come and act as if they Better than anyone else. They have all the answers and if you don't agree with them your wrong and you are lower than dirt. At least I didn't come in and say I'm going to sue Carnival never sail with them again.And give a bogus review. So go ahead a sat high on your horse and look down upon all of us pee ons. And take your passports and cruise happy. THE END

wow

[howielovescruisin]

I agree - some people are just bullheaded!

 

Now up to calling names that good. I wished now I hadn't posted anything this was just to let people that uses a birth cert. To check and make sure it says Birth Cert. and not Birth Record not a debate on passport vs no passport. I should just left it alone and let other people find out like we did. Again Sorry for trying to bring information to the fore front. These boards have gotten so they're not for information but somewhere that people can come and act as if they Better than anyone else. They have all the answers and if you don't agree with them your wrong and you are lower than dirt. At least I didn't come in and say I'm going to sue Carnival never sail with them again.And give a bogus review. So go ahead a sat high on your horse and look down upon all of us pee ons. And take your passports and cruise happy. THE END

 

 

Not the first time she's been like this, do a search of some of her previous threads on the roll call board.

[CruzVinnieCruz]

Wasnt the last yr you could travel without a Passport or passport card or enhanced drivers license 2008? We didnt go on a cruise in 2009 because of that rule.

 

No there is a closed loop cruise exception (embarking and debarking at the same U.S. port) that allows one to cruise with an government issued ID and a certified birth certificate.

 

Vinnie

[Warm Breezes]

personally, as a family of 5, it is much cheaper to get birth certificates for all of us, and they dont have a 10 year expiration....they are good for the rest of your life. our birth certificates were $12 each, as opposed to over $100 each for a passport. as long as we are allowed to board without a passport, why would it make sense for us to have one??? i'm not sure why some of you are taking such offense to not having a passport.:confused: if homeland security doesn't mind, why should you ;) lol

 

Agree 100%. Our "certified" BC and DL are all that the Gov't requires for closed loop cruises. If that is the only out of country traveling you are currently planning on doing, then why spend the extra for something not required.

 

I tell people if something happens at home and we are on a cruise, we are gone until our cruise returns. Since are cruises only average 5 days, the amount of time it would take us to arrange transportation home would most likely be the same as just finishing the trip and going home once at port. As for an emergency happening to one of us, I have yet heard of anyone with an emergency not being able to get home. I have asked multiple times on these "get a passport" threads for people to give an actual example of people getting stranded and not being able to get home in an emergency on a closed loop cruise with out a passport and have not seen anything yet (you can't use this as an example since the OP did not have a certified BC as required). This tells me that occurances such as these must be extremely rare. I am sure that, since the gov't put the closed -loop exception in the laws, then they will allow for exceptions in the case of an emergency to get these people home who were allowed out of the country without a passport.

 

To those that say it is so much easier to travel with a passport, I say baloney. I don't wait any longer in line at customs handing them our BC and DL as the people who hand them their Passports. I carry all our Certified BC in a card holder that fits right in my wallet with my DL. How is having a passport any easier?

 

I look at passports like insurance. You need to do a cost/risk analysis before purchasing. I do not purchase passports because the risk is so low that no one can give me an actual example of needing one on a closed loop cruise compared to the cost. I do purchase insurance because the cost has been low for us compared to what it covers (which is much more than a passport). I am willing to take the risk of not having a passport. As long as the government does not require it, it is my risk to take.

[jimbo5544]

Agree 100%. Our "certified" BC and DL are all that the Gov't requires for closed loop cruises. If that is the only out of country traveling you are currently planning on doing, then why spend the extra for something not required.

 

I tell people if something happens at home and we are on a cruise, we are gone until our cruise returns. Since are cruises only average 5 days, the amount of time it would take us to arrange transportation home would most likely be the same as just finishing the trip and going home once at port. As for an emergency happening to one of us, I have yet heard of anyone with an emergency not being able to get home. I have asked multiple times on these "get a passport" threads for people to give an actual example of people getting stranded and not being able to get home in an emergency on a closed loop cruise with out a passport and have not seen anything yet (you can't use this as an example since the OP did not have a certified BC as required). This tells me that occurances such as these must be extremely rare. I am sure that, since the gov't put the closed -loop exception in the laws, then they will allow for exceptions in the case of an emergency to get these people home who were allowed out of the country without a passport.

 

To those that say it is so much easier to travel with a passport, I say baloney. I don't wait any longer in line at customs handing them our BC and DL as the people who hand them their Passports. I carry all our Certified BC in a card holder that fits right in my wallet with my DL. How is having a passport any easier?

 

I look at passports like insurance. You need to do a cost/risk analysis before purchasing. I do not purchase passports because the risk is so low that no one can give me an actual example of needing one on a closed loop cruise compared to the cost. I do purchase insurance because the cost has been low for us compared to what it covers (which is much more than a passport). I am willing to take the risk of not having a passport. As long as the government does not require it, it is my risk to take.

Your correct it is your risk;)

[gtalum]

I tell people if something happens at home and we are on a cruise, we are gone until our cruise returns. Since are cruises only average 5 days, the amount of time it would take us to arrange transportation home would most likely be the same as just finishing the trip and going home once at port. As for an emergency happening to one of us, I have yet heard of anyone with an emergency not being able to get home. I have asked multiple times on these "get a passport" threads for people to give an actual example of people getting stranded and not being able to get home in an emergency on a closed loop cruise with out a passport and have not seen anything yet (you can't use this as an example since the OP did not have a certified BC as required). This tells me that occurances such as these must be extremely rare. I am sure that, since the gov't put the closed -loop exception in the laws, then they will allow for exceptions in the case of an emergency to get these people home who were allowed out of the country without a passport.

 

I just want to point out an error in your reasoning. The fact that nobody on cruise critic has NEEDED a passport is irrelevant, since cruise critic posters represent a fraction of a percent of all cruisers.

 

There is absolutely no exception granted for emergencies when flying. If you don't have a passport, you simply cannot fly internationally to or from the US on a commercial aircraft. You instead head to the US consulate or embassy and cool your heels for a day or two (more like 3 if you're unlucky enough to be there on a weekend) while they verify your identity and residency status and then issue temporary passports.

 

You're right that it's your choice to take that risk, but you shouldn't gloss over teh risk for others making the decision.

 

For $12 or $24 per year, I really don't understand why Americans don't want to get passports for international travel.

[jmeans23970]

http://www.obamaconspiracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DocC_BC.jpg

 

 

This is what AL BC look like. Is this a certified BC? There is a raised seal underneath the signature. It's what i used to get my passport. My parents, brothers, and sisters are all cruising with their BC though, and now the OP has me worried!:confused:

[Kurbanfan]

http://www.obamaconspiracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DocC_BC.jpg

 

 

This is what AL BC look like. Is this a certified BC? There is a raised seal underneath the signature. It's what i used to get my passport. My parents, brothers, and sisters are all cruising with their BC though, and now the OP has me worried!:confused:

 

If it was good enough to get a passport it is good enough to cruise with........holy moly spigoly....

Notice the registrars signature........

[jimbo5544]

If it was good enough to get a passport it is good enough to cruise with........holy moly spigoly....

Notice the registrars signature........

holy moly spigoly:confused: