on Dream -no passports

[GPop&Nana]

What happens if you don't have a passport is that if for some reason you need to return home mid cruise and it has nothing to do with the ship, you can't fly home. You have to wait until the ship returns to its homeport in the U.S. If you have a family emergency, business, etc., you can't get back mid cruise if you are at a foreign port.

 

 

I've got to ask - where in the he!! do people get their information????

 

For those that don't understand the phrase "exception to the rule" do you understand the phrase "deportation". In essence you are the illegal in this case, and we all know who people feel about illegals.

In truth, you have the paper work to prove you are a US citizen (i.e. Birth Certificate w/valid photo id), might not be the preferred paperwork, but it is verification of citizenship - I would think.

[brenjmull2]

This is crazy. We did a back to back on the Dream a month ago. We had an awesome time and loved ST Martin. I would stay there a few days.

[BeachChik]

What happens if you don't have a passport is that if for some reason you need to return home mid cruise and it has nothing to do with the ship, you can't fly home. You have to wait until the ship returns to its homeport in the U.S. If you have a family emergency, business, etc., you can't get back mid cruise if you are at a foreign port.

 

Not true. I have read stories here where people have done exactly that. Is it more difficult? Probably. Can it be costly? Yes. Will you be forced to stay forever in that country? No.

 

What do you think they do? Say since you don't have a passport you are now a citizen of xyz country and can never return to the US.

[megr1125]

The US Government will not strand a US Citizen in a foreign place without a passport when there are extenuating circumstances...

 

a little googling will get you to the part of the state department's website that says, to paraphrase and condense, the local Embassy will assist...heck they'll even get you a loan if needed...

 

so...the guests without passports will be fine...no worries...

[beachh2o]

What happens if you don't have a passport is that if for some reason you need to return home mid cruise and it has nothing to do with the ship, you can't fly home. You have to wait until the ship returns to its homeport in the U.S. If you have a family emergency, business, etc., you can't get back mid cruise if you are at a foreign port.

Q: What are you doing to help passengers without passports?

 

We have already addressed this issue with the relevant authorities and the guests will not have an issue traveling without passports

 

Above is the answer taken from http://www.carnival.com website

[DISNEY1975]

How fun flying out of the airport next to Maho Beach!!:)

[sail2sea]

I doubt not having a passport will be a major issue. Given the circumstances I am sure authority will be understanding and cooperating.

[Elaine5715]

The single passenger who misses a boat and gets left in aanother country, is going to be extra pissed when they run into issues trying to enter without a passport.

[dst]

This thread is making me chuckle - people who boarded the Dream in Florida presented proof that they were in fact US citizens........Carnival is responsible for getting them home, they will show all of the original paperwork presented; and people will fly home with little difficulty. The difference here is that you have a multi-billion dollar company assisting you at their cost and not some drunk who missed the ship in a foreign country with no one to assist.

 

In either case, you'll always get back to the States; one will be more efficient than the other :)

 

I feel for those who had the next trip planned and are getting the calls of the cancellation

[cruzincurt]

Apparently, some have been able to book the empty cabins on the EPIC sailing with us on Saturday. Our sailing was 80% now its 100%.

[Snorkel2Much]

I think they are mad that they spent over $100 for something you don't need, are td you don't need, wasn't a problem with the Triumph, and won't be a problem here.

This

[dwjoe]

I've come across multiple posts on CC today trying to argue that the Dream incident "proves" you need a passport. It may be a good idea to have a passport but the Dream incident doesn't illustrate it. CBP and the State Dept have the authority to waive the passport requirement in extenuating circumstances, and if thousands of pax are involuntarily disembarked in St Maarten they undoubtedly will.

 

The risk in travelling without a passport is if you find yourself stranded in individual circumstances or a small group. No exception will be made and you'll have to apply for an emergency passport at the US consulate.

[douglinc@msn.com]

Only a Act of Congress can bring them home. :p

 

That could take years.

 

Doug

[Froufie]

What happens if you don't have a passport is that if for some reason you need to return home mid cruise and it has nothing to do with the ship, you can't fly home. You have to wait until the ship returns to its homeport in the U.S. If you have a family emergency, business, etc., you can't get back mid cruise if you are at a foreign port.

 

I think this is the point of having a passport - in an unseen 'individual' emergency. Obviously when the whole ship has a problem and cruisers have to debark in another country, arrangements will be made to get them home.

 

Although I do agree that spending a few days in St. Martin would not be a hardship - and flying over Maho Beach would be so cool! (wonder if they serve guavaberry coladas on the plane?) :D:D

[dwjoe]

I was in the other thread, and I think a lot of members are mad that these passangers are being allowed to fly home without passports. Almost as if they are taking it personal. :rolleyes:

Yes, there are some posters that take it personal if people don't have passports and rejoice at the thought of them being stranded so they can be proven "right". They usually don't know the correct answer to the question "do I need a passport" and insist on answering the question "should I get a passport" and get angry if you consider other options.

 

Here's some examples from one particularly virulent poster who shall remain nameless:

 

I only wish you were on the Dream right now and could see how fun it will be without a passport.

 

However, I'm beginning to think:

 

- if you purchase the cheapest cruise you can find

- you worry about how much booze you can smuggle on board

- you buy all sorts of containers to smuggle your booze

- and you're too cheap to buy a passport

 

You deserve to be denied boarding (but you'll have lots of booze you brought from home) or left at the dock when you couldn't be back at the ship on time.

 

Can you imagine how awful it would be to have your spouse require medical attention in a foreign port and you can't stay with them or travel with them because you were too stupid to have your passport?

[2 cruzen]

Do you make this stuff up? Of course they can and will fly home with everyone else on the 30 planes it will take to get the passengers home.

 

From the Carnival web site:

 

Q: What are you doing to help passengers without passports?

We have already addressed this issue with the relevant authorities and the guests will not have an issue traveling without passports.

 

Kevin C

 

Thank you for the source. Opinions are great...unless you are looking for facts!

[mamajo3304]

I just read on the Carnival website that those without passports would fly home as they had worked things out with the local authorities for them to do so.

[richfret]

The Pass Port issue has been addressed a thousand times on the Cruise Critic Board. You do NOT need a Passport on most Carnival Cruises but like Cruise Insurance, it is certainly better and safer to have one. As long as you don't get sick and need medical attention ashore or if your non Carnival excursion is on time and you don't miss departure, you should have no problem. If you do have any of those problems, you can certainly get a Passport. Just be prepared to pay a good sum of money or spend a few days in the port. Try getting a Pass Port at 1 am on a Sunday Morning on a Island celebrating their Independence Day.

 

Now Carnival will probably work this out for all the Dream passengers but you can't tell me, those with Pass Ports will be at the back of the line. "Ah, the tangled webs we weave".

[Warm Breezes]

The Pass Port issue has been addressed a thousand times on the Cruise Critic Board. You do NOT need a Passport on most Carnival Cruises but like Cruise Insurance, it is certainly better and safer to have one. As long as you don't get sick and need medical attention ashore or if your non Carnival excursion is on time and you don't miss departure, you should have no problem. If you do have any of those problems, you can certainly get a Passport. Just be prepared to pay a good sum of money or spend a few days in the port. Try getting a Pass Port at 1 am on a Sunday Morning on a Island celebrating their Independence Day.

 

Now Carnival will probably work this out for all the Dream passengers but you can't tell me, those with Pass Ports will be at the back of the line. "Ah, the tangled webs we weave".

 

If you had a passport, please tell me how you would get off an island at 1 am on a Sunday Morning on an island celebrating their independance day? Good luck finding a way home....even with a passport:rolleyes:.

[livingis2me]

If you had a passport, please tell me how you would get off an island at 1 am on a Sunday Morning on an island celebrating their independance day? Good luck finding a way home....even with a passport:rolleyes:.

 

:D Awesome...

[richfret]

You missed the point. With a Passport, you would set your clock for 8 am the following Monday morning and depart the port. Without the Passport, you would continue your venture to obtain a passport and that could go on for a considerable amount of time.

 

I look at it this way. You do not need a Passport. You do not need suit cases. You do not need a watch. You do not need a suit and tie. You do not need a hat. You do not need sun screen. Etc. Then again, what the heck! Go for it.

[SuiteTraveler]

What happens if you don't have a passport is that if for some reason you need to return home mid cruise and it has nothing to do with the ship, you can't fly home. You have to wait until the ship returns to its homeport in the U.S. If you have a family emergency, business, etc., you can't get back mid cruise if you are at a foreign port.

 

The solution is quite simple, anyone can use a passport expediting service to get a new or replacement US Passport in 24 hours. Here is an example of one such service:

https://www.rushmypassport.com/step2.html?

 

It is also possible, in the current situation with Carnival, for an employee from Carnival who happens to be in the same city as any US Passport Agency (which are located in many major US cities) to act as a passport expeditor for Carnival guests - afterall, all that is required is that an appointment be made and the person show up with required information on each guest who needs a passport at the passport office. Since there are always onboard photographers on Carnival ships, it is even easy for Carnival to produce passport photos to email to the employee who is going to expedite the passports. Once the passports are expedited, then they are Fedexed to the Caribbean as an overnight parcel. The only possible holdup could be at customs in the Caribbean, but that is unlikely since the contents would only be passports. Sometimes, in a situation like this, the person who expedites the passports may also personally deliver the passports, especially, if there were some reason that the passport could not arrive via Fedex overnight whereas, someone with a valid passport could fly to the location with the passports and deliver them in less than 24 hours.

[Cruizinman]

Very good point. St Maarten certainly wants your money, but if you are a non-resident, you can't enter the country without a round trip ticket, and even with that, you must leave the country within six months.

 

Kevin C

So , let em kick me out ;)

[dwjoe]

CCL Q&A On Passports

 

Once again, Carnival has confirmed in a Q&A published in the Cruise Critic news section that Dream passengers without passports will not have any difficulty getting home from St. Maarten, nor do they intend to require passengers to have passports when the law permits them to cruise without them:

 

Q: What complications are caused by cruisers without passports when situations like this occur?

 

Rodriguez: We've already addressed this issue with the relevant authorities in St. Maarten and the United States. We have a good relationship with Customs and Border Patrol, and they've already assured us there will not be any issues with guests traveling without passports. It has been our experience that we've never had problems when guests for whatever reason have not had passports. It is not a major concern for us.

 

Q: Would you consider changing the rules so that cruisers have to have passports?

 

Rodriguez: We want to accommodate guests with and without passports.

[dwjoe]

The solution is quite simple, anyone can use a passport expediting service to get a new or replacement US Passport in 24 hours. Here is an example of one such service:

https://www.rushmypassport.com/step2.html?

 

Beware. There are many shady passport expediters that take money from you and then do nothing besides send you forms to fill out and send to the State Department. I question whether they add any value to the passport process.