Denied Boarding

[Talex831]

I have friends who were taking their children on the Epic last week and the dad was denied boarding because he only had his hospital issued birth certificate.

 

Long story short, they got expedited passports in Miami, flew to St. Martin and met the ship.

 

I am questioning how he was able to get a passport with that same birth certificate that NCL denied.

 

They were told by the State Department in Miami that NCL could have accepted the birth certificate.

 

Any thoughts?

[SissasMomE]

I have friends who were taking their children on the Epic last week and the dad was denied boarding because he only had his hospital issued birth certificate.

 

Long story short, they got expedited passports in Miami, flew to St. Martin and met the ship.

 

I am questioning how he was able to get a passport with that same birth certificate that NCL denied.

 

They were told by the State Department in Miami that NCL could have accepted the birth certificate.

 

Any thoughts?

 

That's too bad. It's my understand that they will accept a birth certificate as well. Not sure what happened in your friends case. Are you sure it was an acutal birth certificate and not a Certificate of Live Birth issued by a hospital? There is a difference. Also, if using a birth certificate, it needs to have a raised seal from the state on it.

[roger001]

Don't know. But it has been stated many times...must be a some branch of govt. certified birth certificate, not a hospital issued birth certificate. The passport office through which I got my passport would not accept my hospital birth certificate in any way, although I had used it all my life for many other purposes. I had to go through the state of Calif, then the county in which I was born, to get an acceptable one. Guess he just lucked out getting approval. In this day and age......passport.

[Aquahound]

My thoughts? Something is definitely wrong with this story. Are you sure he didn't already have a passport and someone overnighted it to him from home?

[LOWTYD]

From NCL Site: What about Documentation, Visas and Passports?

All guests must provide key personal information in advance of sailing. Click here for detailed travel documentation information before you complete your Online Check-In form.

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

For round-trip sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you may sail with either a valid passport, proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver’s license with a photo), or any other WHTI compliant document.

Proof of Citizenship examples include:

State certified U.S. birth certificate

Original certificate of U.S. naturalization

Original certificate of U.S. citizenship

U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad.

Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.

A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.

[punkincc]

Wow, it amazes me that people capable of getting an expedited passport while out of town, arranging a flight and flying to meet a ship are not capable of checking the requirements before the cruise.

[LOWTYD]

My thoughts? Something is definitely wrong with this story. Are you sure he didn't already have a passport and someone overnighted it to him from home?

 

That part of the story is a little odd.:confused:

[GORDONCHICK]

I have friends who were taking their children on the Epic last week and the dad was denied boarding because he only had his hospital issued birth certificate.

 

Long story short, they got expedited passports in Miami, flew to St. Martin and met the ship.

 

I am questioning how he was able to get a passport with that same birth certificate that NCL denied.

 

They were told by the State Department in Miami that NCL could have accepted the birth certificate.

 

Any thoughts?

He had to have gotten the right BC, because the hospital one isn't acceptable for the passport.

[sparks1093]

I have friends who were taking their children on the Epic last week and the dad was denied boarding because he only had his hospital issued birth certificate.

 

Long story short, they got expedited passports in Miami, flew to St. Martin and met the ship.

 

I am questioning how he was able to get a passport with that same birth certificate that NCL denied.

 

They were told by the State Department in Miami that NCL could have accepted the birth certificate.

 

Any thoughts?

 

If he presented his hospital birth certificate then he should have been denied boarding and State should not have accepted it for a passport.

 

Maybe if his birth certificate was issued by a military hospital (the regs only state that the birth certificate be issued by a government entity which a military hospital would be), then an unknowlegable agent would think it a "hospital" birth certificate and reject it and the more knowlegable State Department employee would accept it.

[valleyvillage]

I would NEVER ever even consider taking a cruise without my passport. Never. EVER! :eek:

[roger001]

My thoughts? Something is definitely wrong with this story. Are you sure he didn't already have a passport and someone overnighted it to him from home?

 

I think in an emergency, if you were in a location with the federal building passport office available, not an agency of a passport office like motor vehicle office or post office, the actual office can pull up enough data on you to issue you a temporary passport. The reason I say that is I worked for the FAA, and one time needed to do some immediate travel out of country. I had no passport and did not have anything except my certificate of live birth from the hospital. I worked in Chicago. I had to go to the federal building downtown and they were able to get me a temporary. Ended up trip canceled and not needing it though.

[Talex831]

My thoughts? Something is definitely wrong with this story. Are you sure he didn't already have a passport and someone overnighted it to him from home?

 

I am 100% positive he did not have a passport.

 

The BC was the hospital issued one and it did have a raised seal on it. But it was not issued by a government agency.

 

I am fully aware of what is required for cruising as we have done so many times, but this was their first time and thought what they had was what they needed. They were a group of 15 people and only one didn't have the right BC. (The rest of the group boarded because all but 4 of their 10 children and 2 grandchildren are adults.)

 

I just don't understand how he was issued a passport with it when it wasn't the "right" BC. Maybe he did get lucky, or maybe they felt sorry for him, I don't know! But when he was told that NCL should have let him board with it, he was not happy.

[sparks1093]

That's too bad. It's my understand that they will accept a birth certificate as well. Not sure what happened in your friends case. Are you sure it was an acutal birth certificate and not a Certificate of Live Birth issued by a hospital? There is a difference. Also, if using a birth certificate, it needs to have a raised seal from the state on it.

 

Only partially true and only if talking about the State Department regulations for obtaining a passport. Some states use other means than a raised seal (watermarked paper, etc.), not all use a raised seal.

 

In any even the DHS regulations make no mention of seals or anything else- they say that an orignal or copy of a government issued birth certificate is acceptable.

[Talex831]

Wow, it amazes me that people capable of getting an expedited passport while out of town, arranging a flight and flying to meet a ship are not capable of checking the requirements before the cruise.

 

Why I am responding to your snarky response I am not exactly sure.

 

Everything was done through the Make-A-Wish Foundation because their youngest daughter has a brain tumor and the travel agency took care of everything for them.

[Talex831]

I think in an emergency, if you were in a location with the federal building passport office available, not an agency of a passport office like motor vehicle office or post office, the actual office can pull up enough data on you to issue you a temporary passport. The reason I say that is I worked for the FAA, and one time needed to do some immediate travel out of country. I had no passport and did not have anything except my certificate of live birth from the hospital. I worked in Chicago. I had to go to the federal building downtown and they were able to get me a temporary. Ended up trip canceled and not needing it though.

 

This may be the case. Thank you.

[sparks1093]

Why I am responding to your snarky response I am not exactly sure.

 

Everything was done through the Make-A-Wish Foundation because their youngest daughter has a brain tumor and the travel agency took care of everything for them.

 

Ordinarily the State Department only issues emergency passports for humanitarian reasons and bona fide emergencies (as I understand it)- you just mentioned a humanitarian reason that could have caused the State Department to issue an emergency passport as an exception to the rules.

[ddakrt]

But when he was told that NCL should have let him board with it, he was not happy.

 

I get that it's upsetting to be denied boarding, but the rules are laid out on their website and EDocs, your friend should be upset at himself for not reading them instead.

 

The government doesn't run NCL, it's their right to come up with rules that their passengers must follow.

[LOWTYD]

Why I am responding to your snarky response I am not exactly sure.

 

Everything was done through the Make-A-Wish Foundation because their youngest daughter has a brain tumor and the travel agency took care of everything for them.

 

Oh, that is a shame. I hope they do enjoy ( or enjoyed) their trip and make the best of it. The travel agent should have forwarded the info to them though Make a Wish if they were the ones handing the details. It could have just got lost in the communications. I am glad they were able to catch up with the ship. Maybe Sparks was right about the humanitarian reasons. I guess the government does have a heart!

[njhorseman]

If you read the State Department's web site, you'll see there are secondary proofs of citizenship that they will accept for issuance of a passport if you do not have an acceptable birth certificate. For example, a hospital birth certificate, presented with a form DS-10 Birth Affidavit will allow you to obtain a passport. You can learn about the requirements here:

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/secondary_evidence/secondary_evidence_4315.html

 

The person could have obtained the passport through the process cited on the link provided above.

 

A hospital BC by itself is not sufficient for either boarding a cruise ship or obtaining a passport.

[mi3stooges]

I'm officially freaking out. My cruise leaves in less than 3 weeks and I THINK 2 of the 3 kids BC are "hospital" issued. I'm going home right now to check and then order new ones priority handling!!

 

Thank you for the important info!!

[Talex831]

If you read the State Department's web site, you'll see there are secondary proofs of citizenship that they will accept for issuance of a passport if you do not have an acceptable birth certificate. For example, a hospital birth certificate, presented with a form DS-10 Birth Affidavit will allow you to obtain a passport. You can learn about the requirements here:

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/secondary_evidence/secondary_evidence_4315.html

 

The person could have obtained the passport through the process cited on the link provided above.

 

A hospital BC by itself is not sufficient for either boarding a cruise ship or obtaining a passport.

I just read that as well. He may have had or had sent to him another piece of documentation.

I'm officially freaking out. My cruise leaves in less than 3 weeks and I THINK 2 of the 3 kids BC are "hospital" issued. I'm going home right now to check and then order new ones priority handling!!

 

Thank you for the important info!!

 

It seems like such common sense to those who frequent these boards, but it is not really common or well understood knowledge. People have these BCs their whole lives and use them all of the time not realizing they are not government issued.

 

We also won't travel w/o passports, but since it is allowed, many people do.

 

If you live in the town where your children were born, you should be able to go to your local municipality and walk out with them. We go to our local city clerk's office to get ours.

[mi3stooges]

I just read that as well. He may have had or had sent to him another piece of documentation.

 

 

It seems like such common sense to those who frequent these boards, but it is not really common or well understood knowledge. People have these BCs their whole lives and use them all of the time not realizing they are not government issued.

 

We also won't travel w/o passports, but since it is allowed, many people do.

 

If you live in the town where your children were born, you should be able to go to your local municipality and walk out with them. We go to our local city clerk's office to get ours.

 

I called NCL and they made it clear to me that it would be customs denying boarding...not them. It turns out that 2 of the 3 kids BC are STATE ISSUED CERTIFIED (whew) The other one is county issued and certifed. I will be sending her to the town to get the correct one!

Again...I'm glad I read this.... TY :)

[Aquahound]

I called NCL and they made it clear to me that it would be customs denying boarding...not them. :)

 

Well, sorta. You don't go through Customs when boarding. It would be the cruise line denying boarding, but based on Customs policy.

[SissasMomE]

I would NEVER ever even consider taking a cruise without my passport. Never. EVER! :eek:

 

Nope. Neither would I.

[SeaShark]

Well, sorta. You don't go through Customs when boarding. It would be the cruise line denying boarding, but based on Customs policy.

 

This isn't correct. The people working on the pier are either Port Authority or CBP employees. You don't deal with cruise line personnel until you are onboard ship. It would be CBP that denies your boarding, not the cruise line.