Why do we need a passport?

[BruceMuzz]

My ship is on a closed loop cruise from Florida this week.

We had an elderly passenger onboard with serious health problems.

She had emphysema, was on oxygen, and terribly addicted to cigarettes.

Then she contracted pneumonia.

Even with pneumonia, she refused to stop smoking.

 

Our medical team determined that she would die if she remained onboard.

We tried to disembark her in Antigua.

The officials first refused her, as she had no passport.

She also had no insurance, and was traveling alone.

 

We could not keep her onboard, as she would surely die.

The officials finally relented and agreed to hospitalize her in Antigua.

If she survives, she cannot fly back to the USA without a passport.

Antigua officials told us it will take several weeks to get an emergency passport for her.

They plan to put her on the weekly ferryboat to St Thomas as soon as she is well enough to travel - if she survives.

Hopefully officials in St Thomas will allow her to fly to the mainland without a passport.

[Keith1010]

This is a good reminder about why one should have a passport. Something similar could have happened to someone who was in relatively good health.

 

Keith

[johneeo]

The least of her worries is flying home.

[6rugrats]

Hopefully officials in St Thomas will allow her to fly to the mainland without a passport.

 

If she is a US citizen, she does not need a passport to fly from St. Thomas to the US. Why people don't get a passport or purchase insurance is beyond me. I can't imagine what her medical bills will be.

[marco]

Seems the bigger problem is getting INTO ST Thomas without a passport. One can fly to/from the mainland and St Thomas or PR without a passport.

[njhorseman]

"Antigua officials" have no say in how long it will take to get an emergency passport. That is strictly up to the US. They can be granted in hours if US officials agree. If she's not well enough to travel right now anyway, there's time to get a passport before she's well enough to leave Antigua.

 

How about the thousands of passengers who sail every year on closed loop cruises with passports and never encounter a situation where they must fly home in an emergency? Oh, I forgot...it doesn't make for a sensationalistic story, so you won't bother mentioning them.

 

Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't travel outside the US without my passport...but it's an individual decision and there's a negligible risk involved.

[Beezle82]

Seems to ME the biggest issue here is why she was traveling at all in the first place.

 

Elderly, in poor health, no insurance and to top it all off: ALONE??

[LHT28]

It seems to me the cruise line should insist on people that are travelling with medical problems like this should have a companion/caregiver with them in event something should go wrong with their health

 

seems every cruise we are on there is some sort of medical emergency or death onboard

 

Maybe it is just our bad luck :rolleyes:

[Warm Breezes]

My ship is on a closed loop cruise from Florida this week.

We had an elderly passenger onboard with serious health problems.

She had emphysema, was on oxygen, and terribly addicted to cigarettes.

Then she contracted pneumonia.

Even with pneumonia, she refused to stop smoking.

 

Our medical team determined that she would die if she remained onboard.

We tried to disembark her in Antigua.

The officials first refused her, as she had no passport.

She also had no insurance, and was traveling alone.

 

We could not keep her onboard, as she would surely die.

The officials finally relented and agreed to hospitalize her in Antigua.

If she survives, she cannot fly back to the USA without a passport.

Antigua officials told us it will take several weeks to get an emergency passport for her.

They plan to put her on the weekly ferryboat to St Thomas as soon as she is well enough to travel - if she survives.

Hopefully officials in St Thomas will allow her to fly to the mainland without a passport.

 

Why do we not need a passport? We sail on closed loop cruises. We are not elderly with serious health problems. We do purchase travel insurance. We do not travel alone. We do not take risky excursions. The chances of something happening to us that would require a passport to fly home during the few hours we are in a foreign port are extremely slim and you can get emergency passports. It is not required.

 

The situation you posted bears no relation to our situation. Unless it is required for the type of travel you are doing, getting a passport is an individual decision based on your own circumstances and level of comfort in sailing without one considering the risk involved. We are comfortable sailing without one, others are not. Your horror story did not change my level of comfort of sailing without one at all...it doesn't even relate to our circumstances.

[LHT28]

The situation you posted bears no relation to our situation. Unless it is required for the type of travel you are doing, getting a passport is an individual decision based on your own circumstances and level of comfort in sailing without one considering the risk involved. We are comfortable sailing without one, others are not. Your horror story did not change my level of comfort of sailing without one at all...it doesn't even relate to our circumstances.

Yup you will never need one

 

Just hope no one has an accident that requires you to be put ashore but then again you could get an emergency passport in a few hours right

 

We had some rough seas on a closed loop cruise & a lady was injured when she fell in the hallway she was sent to hospital at the first port as she had broken a bone in her leg .... fortunately she did have a passport & insurance

She did not plan on having a fall either ;)

 

To each his own, if it works for you that is great

[BruceMuzz]

"Antigua officials" have no say in how long it will take to get an emergency passport. That is strictly up to the US. They can be granted in hours if US officials agree. If she's not well enough to travel right now anyway, there's time to get a passport before she's well enough to leave Antigua.

 

How about the thousands of passengers who sail every year on closed loop cruises with passports and never encounter a situation where they must fly home in an emergency? Oh, I forgot...it doesn't make for a sensationalistic story, so you won't bother mentioning them.

 

Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't travel outside the US without my passport...but it's an individual decision and there's a negligible risk involved.

 

Of course the Antigua officials have no official say on how long it takes to get a US passport in an emergency.

But since so few American passengers have passports, the Antigua officials go through this scenario quite often. From their considerable experience, they told us it normally takes several weeks to get that emergency American passport expedited to Antigua.

 

There are actually hundreds of thousands of Americans (possibly millions) who cannot or will not afford a passport, but take closed loop cruises every year without any mishaps at all.

 

But it is only when this sort of thing happens - about once a month on my ship - I am saddened that in the 21st century, someone from a developed country was willing to risk death for the cost of a passport.

This sort of thing never happens to Canadian or Mexican passengers. They all have passports.

[sail7seas]

Seems to ME the biggest issue here is why she was traveling at all in the first place.

 

Elderly, in poor health, no insurance and to top it all off: ALONE??

 

 

 

Yes, ^^ That. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

It seems to me the cruise line should insist on people that are travelling with medical problems like this should have a companion/caregiver with them in event something should go wrong with their health

 

seems every cruise we are on there is some sort of medical emergency or death onboard

 

Maybe it is just our bad luck :rolleyes:

 

When HAL took this person's reservation, were they to know the condition of her health? Are you suggesting cruise ship guests should be required to submit letters from their doctors/medical records in order to board a ship? I would imagine many of the cruisers who don't have passports may not even have doctors.

 

HAL should require someone over a set age to have a travel companion? Who makes that decision?

 

It is not only senior/ailing people who have medical emergencies aboard.

Young, healthy people have accidents all the time.

Until one has their first heart attack, they don't think they have a heart condition. Until one has an emergency appendicitus attack, they did not require emergency surgery.

 

There is only so much a cruise line can do to protect themselves and other guests from stupidity of some guests.

 

The profile of this woman is the description of a person with loads of issues. She may not even have a family to assist. The whole story is very glum IMO

I feel sorry for her.

 

 

 

[athenasbyshanna]

Seems to ME the biggest issue here is why she was traveling at all in the first place.

 

Elderly, in poor health, no insurance and to top it all off: ALONE??

 

My thoughts EXACTLY!

[eyzwdeshut]

Of course, that old saying about planning for the worst isn't so bad either. No one goes into these trips thinking anything will happen.

[PennyAgain]

My late mother-in-law was very strongly advised to stop cruising on a major cruise line as it become obvious that she was no longer fit to travel. Her final cruise was difficult for all concerned but my husband and I were on board as her helpers.

 

She was given this information before she left the ship on that final cruise. Of course she might have sought out another cruise company with which she had no history of medical problems, but she didn't.

 

she felt safer on board a cruise ship than at home in Florida in her apartment.

 

She never would have traveled alone at any age so that was not an issue.

[Warm Breezes]

Yup you will never need one

 

Just hope no one has an accident that requires you to be put ashore but then again you could get an emergency passport in a few hours right

 

We had some rough seas on a closed loop cruise & a lady was injured when she fell in the hallway she was sent to hospital at the first port as she had broken a bone in her leg .... fortunately she did have a passport & insurance

She did not plan on having a fall either ;)

 

To each his own, if it works for you that is great

 

You could get in a car accident on your way home from work. I strongly suggest you don't get in your car and go home because of what might happen to you. We all take chances every day. I am willing to take the slim risk that I will need a passport on our cruise. Just like you are willing to take the risk that you will get into an accident driving home. Didn't I sound kind of silly trying to convince you with "what if's" to not get in your car and go home? That's how you guys sound to me trying to convince me with your "what if's" to get a passport.

 

We all have our own level of comfort and our own circumstances and base our own decisions based on them. I'm not going to try to convince others to not get a passport. It may not be the right decision for them. I really don't understand why so many on here feel the need to try convince me and others that we must have them....Nine cruises and I have not needed them. If I ever do then I will deal with it...and you won't see me coming on here and complaining about it either. I know how to take responsibility for my own actions.

[LHT28]

When HAL took this person's reservation, were they to know the condition of her health? Are you suggesting cruise ship guests should be required to submit letters from their doctors/medical records in order to board a ship? I would imagine many of the cruisers who don't have passports may not even have doctors.

 

I think not sure if this is true for HAL but would they not have to notify the cruise line in advance to take oxygen onboard???

that would be a clue that they had some serious health issues

[LHT28]

 

HAL should require someone over a set age to have a travel companion? Who makes that decision?

 

If you read my post I never said over a set age but if they have a serious medical condition then yes they should have some medical information that says they are fit to travel alone.

 

I feel sorry for her also that she in alone & in strange Country having to deal with the issues of getting home ...on her own

Hopfully she does have family that can assist her to get what is required to return home

[Keith1010]

To those of you who just think this could have only happened to someone old or with an apparent health issue remember something can happen to anyone no matter what their health situation is like. And no matter what your situation is (young and in good health) should a need happen where you need medical care and you do not have a passport you will face a similar situation.

 

Don't think these things can't happen to those who think they are healthy. They don't.

 

Keith

[LHT28]

You could get in a car accident on your way home from work. I strongly suggest you don't get in your car and go home because of what might happen to you. We all take chances every day

 

Yes we all take chances every day & I am happy that i have insurance for the car ride home

 

I have been hit several times by other drivers & a couple that decided they did not need car insurance for what ever reason:rolleyes:

 

Everyone has to make their own choices in life & if you are happy with yours that is fine

 

No one will convince anyone to do something they do not want to do

 

Passports or insurance of any type until the time comes when you wish you had gotten either ;)

[BruceMuzz]

In this case, the point is moot.

Our Antigua agent informed us the lady died today in the Antigua Hospital.

She died alone.

Her family couldn't fly down to be with her - they had no passports.

Very sad.

[LHT28]

In this case, the point is moot.

Our Antigua agent informed us the lady died today in the Antigua Hospital.

She died alone.

Her family couldn't fly down to be with her - they had no passports.

Very sad.

Very sad indeed

 

Maybe she knew she would not be returning home

 

Thoughts and prayers to her family

[njhorseman]

Of course the Antigua officials have no official say on how long it takes to get a US passport in an emergency.

But since so few American passengers have passports, the Antigua officials go through this scenario quite often. From their considerable experience, they told us it normally takes several weeks to get that emergency American passport expedited to Antigua.

 

There are actually hundreds of thousands of Americans (possibly millions) who cannot or will not afford a passport, but take closed loop cruises every year without any mishaps at all.

 

But it is only when this sort of thing happens - about once a month on my ship - I am saddened that in the 21st century, someone from a developed country was willing to risk death for the cost of a passport.

This sort of thing never happens to Canadian or Mexican passengers. They all have passports.

 

You'll have to try harder than that.

 

The closed loop cruise exception to the passport requirement that allows cruising from US ports with just a birth certificate and ID only applies to US citizens. Canadians and Mexicans wouldn't be allowed to board with just a BC and ID.

 

Care to guess what would happen if they were allowed to cruise with a BC and ID?

[Keith1010]

In this case, the point is moot.

Our Antigua agent informed us the lady died today in the Antigua Hospital.

She died alone.

Her family couldn't fly down to be with her - they had no passports.

Very sad.

 

So sorry to hear this.

 

It is so very sad.

 

Keith

[njhorseman]

In this case, the point is moot.

Our Antigua agent informed us the lady died today in the Antigua Hospital.

She died alone.

Her family couldn't fly down to be with her - they had no passports.

Very sad.

 

Very unfortunate.