Missed ship SXM, no passport, HYPOTHETICAL?

[A2Mich]

We again find ourselves smiling at this thread. The OP asked a good question about being stranded on St Maarten. But now, we have dueling posters talking about Canadian Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDLs). So pray tell! What do Canadian CDLs have to do with getting stranded on St Maarten, cruising, or anything else that relates to Cruise Critic?

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

 

Umm---they're talking about California CDL's, not Canadian. And if you really want my opinion, this whole issue of allowing illegals to get drivers licenses is crap, as well as getting welfare, food stamps, free health care. If you are in this country illegally, then you should be entitled to NOTHING--no job, no place to live, no free food money, no health care--nothing, nada, zilch, zip, zero-the only thing they should be entitled to is immediate deportation. I am sick and tired of supporting people who have no right to be in this country to begin with. Even when my work slows down, we make too much money to qualify for ANY aid, even though I've been paying into it my entire life, but people who have no right to be here, can get the money I've been paying as taxes for all of these years. It's really sad what politicians will do to get votes for themselves!

 

 

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[MrsPete]

Whether you think so or not, the statement "Sick or injured people would be best served by heading back to the ship, where they can get medical treatment." implies that not heading back to the ship means they can't get medical treatment. Not sure why that implication is so hard for you to understand. You didn't say "where they can get better medical treatment." You said "where they can get medical treatment." An all or nothing proposition.

 

And we are discussing SXM, not other locations. For whatever reason, you seem incapable of reading/comprehending the title of this thread. And I'm not the only one to point that out to you.

 

And I still like how you added "minor" to your statement, then deny backpedaling. Or are you denying adding "minor"? :rolleyes::D

You're trying really hard to make this difficult. I said they'd be better off to go back to the ship to get medical treatment. I didn't say it was their only option. Just that it was the BETTER option. Better because this hypothetical person won't be worried about making it back to the ship.

 

But you're determined to believe what you're going to believe.

[greatam]

A driver's license won't get you a passport anywhere. It doesn't prove citizenship and never has.

 

No one said it did and I certainly didn't imply that.

 

BUT if they boarded the ship without a passport and it was a closed loop cruise, they used their birth certificate and a VALID CA DL which just happened to expire while they were on the cruise.

 

So if they are left in SXM, they may have the birth certificate if the ship officers got it out of the safe or they had it on them but they have an EXPIRED DL. Going to be darn difficult to get a passport to get out of SXM without going through even more hoops than just missing the ship IF you have a BC and VALID DL and getting a passport. State Dept is NOT going to be sympathetic in the least with that expired DL.

 

I guess in essence, the entire point-IF you are planning to use just a BC and DL and are in one of the states with the major impact of illegals now allowed DL and particularly in CA where an appointment is needed to even be ALLOWED to STAND IN LINE to RENEW, you better do it darn early before your cruise.

 

Since most cruises must be paid in full 60-90 days pre cruise and there is no insurance that I know of that will cover a missed cruise due to insufficient documentation, you either need to get a passport or renew your license about 6 months BEFORE it is due for renewal. Wonder how many CA residents are going to get caught up in this appointment mess and whether they are going on a cruise or just driving to the grocery store, find themselves unable to renew their license for 2-4 months until they can get an APPOINTMENT. Wonder how many regular people are going to find their insurance canceled because they have not been able to renew their license in CA without an APPOINTMENT.

 

If it had not been for notice from CTA (CalTrux-California Trucking Association), ATA (American Trucking Association), OOIDA (Owner Operator Independent Driver Association) and other assorted industry notices, our company and my CA drivers and CA based Owner Operators would not have had a clue about this APPOINTMENT mess. It certainly has not been widely publicized other than a few blurbs in local newspapers. The drivers would have gone to renew as they normally would have a week or two before their license expired when they were HOME in CA. And therein lies the Catch 22, whether for a CDL or just a regular DL. You cannot now just wait in line all day as you could until Jan 1 to renew your license.

Edited January 31, 2015 by greatam

[time4u2go]

You're trying really hard to make this difficult. I said they'd be better off to go back to the ship to get medical treatment. I didn't say it was their only option. Just that it was the BETTER option. Better because this hypothetical person won't be worried about making it back to the ship.

 

But you're determined to believe what you're going to believe.

 

Believe what you want, but that's not what you said.

 

And you still conveniently haven't addressed the fact that you backpedaled by adding the qualification of "minor" to your statement.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I guess in essence, the entire point-IF you are planning to use just a BC and DL and are in one of the states with the major impact of illegals now allowed DL and particularly in CA where an appointment is needed to even be ALLOWED to STAND IN LINE to RENEW, you better do it darn early before your cruise.

If someone elects to use a BC & DL (from ANY state) to board a closed loop cruise they should make sure the DL doesn't expire while they're on the cruise. Even if the don't get stranded in another port, how would they use the expired DL to:

1) Get through customs when returning to the US?

2) Get on a plane to fly home?

3) Present a valid ID if pulled over for speeding or some other moving violation, or god forbid, be in an accident?

[greatam]

If someone elects to use a BC & DL (from ANY state) to board a closed loop cruise they should make sure the DL doesn't expire while they're on the cruise. Even if the don't get stranded in another port, how would they use the expired DL to:

1) Get through customs when returning to the US?

2) Get on a plane to fly home?

3) Present a valid ID if pulled over for speeding or some other moving violation, or god forbid, be in an accident?

 

That's the point. Glad you helped me make it.

 

In most states, UNTIL Jan 1, you would go to DMV a week or two, maybe a month before your license expired, stand in line for however long it took and get your license renewed. No big deal, especially if you had a good book or something to entertain you while you wait. A drag, sure. Impossible or hard to do-not really and everyone did it just that way.

 

BUT CA has instituted this APPOINTMENT system to even be ABLE TO STAND IN LINE. And appointments are being given out 2-4 months IN THE FUTURE. I expect other states with large illegal immigrant "dreamer" (and other illegal) populations to institute the same type of appointment system. Arizona is discussing it (and Arizona won't have quite the problem most states do as once you are issued a valid license, it is good until you are 60, so no renewals except for CDL's or medically limited licenses). South Carolina is discussing an appointment system due to the huge amount of illegals in that state that are now eligible for DL if their lawsuit appeals fail (Arizona has lost twice on appeal-all the way to the Supreme Court for DACA illegals-"dreamers"). How many other states are going to find themselves simply inundated with requests from illegals for new licenses, especially since the President has now expanded the DACA policy to include parents and relatives (everyone in my neighborhood-65% illegal-is a "relative" of some type)? How many other states are going to be forced to institute some type of appointment system just to handle the traffic these new rules for illegal DL created?

 

So while your state may have a small illegal immigrant population where the impact on getting a license is small or your state has not yet allowed illegals to get DL (DACA illegals are almost guaranteed a license and that includes everyone up to age 30 that came here before they were 16), if you live in a state with a large illegal immigrant population, you may have to add getting a renewed DL MONTHS in advance of the actual renewal date.

 

And if you plan to travel, especially on a cruise where final payment is required 60-90 days pre cruise or you have a last minute business trip or a family emergency, you MAY NOT be able to go if your license is close to expiration and you NEED an appointment which may be 2-4 months in advance.

 

Thanks for helping me make my point!!!

Edited February 1, 2015 by greatam

[mollyeilis]

Whether you think so or not, the statement "Sick or injured people would be best served by heading back to the ship, where they can get medical treatment." implies that not heading back to the ship means they can't get medical treatment.

 

FWIW best served to me doesn't indicate "best served medically", but that overall, considering everything, they will fare the best if they get back to the ship. They can get treatment, they will be onboard. If they have to be sent off again at least the ship will know where they are and they can get better information. The very info this whole post is asking about, that no one so far knows the answer to (and no one has felt like calling the state dept or consulates or embassies about). The authorities on the ship will know more specifics than we do, so in the grand scheme of things, it would be best to get half on the ship.

 

I never thought for a second the person you're replying to was saying there's no healthcare in the island. It seems as ludicrous to me that one would think that as it seems to you that he's saying it.

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited February 1, 2015 by mollyeilis

[crenee44]

[quote name=MrsPete;45432484 If you've waited 'til the last minute and a traffic accident holds you up' date=' that's careless. If you've started your return trip to the ship with plenty of time to spare, someone else's accident may delay you, but it won't be a make-or-break incident.

[/quote]

 

Have you ever lived on an island? I have and traffic jams can hold people up for HOURS. There are few alternate routes to redirect those who come behind. I remember seeing a reporter whose news van was stopped in a jam. He walked down the highway and did an interview with groom so he could tell his bride that he didn't leave her at the alter...he was just stuck in traffic!

[greatam]

I remember seeing a reporter whose news van was stopped in a jam. He walked down the highway and did an interview with groom so he could tell his bride that he didn't leave her at the alter...he was just stuck in traffic!

 

That's pretty darn cool. Kudos to the reporter.