Turned away by customs and missed the cruise

[emcelh]

[ATTACH]350535[/ATTACH]

 

This is what I found on the CIC website , she will be showing her passport as proof of ID and her Resident Card in place of the visa. Am I misunderstanding that she does not need that Visa since she holds a Green Card ?

 

I don't know. I just suggested they make certain a visa isn't needed. This isn't the first time I've read reports of someone being denied boarding.

[cruiserninja1]

I don't know. I just suggested they make certain a visa isn't needed. This isn't the first time I've read reports of someone being denied boarding.

 

 

Yes, thanks for the suggestion. I posted my CIC website findings because I understood that people with a Green Card do not need a Visa to visit Canada and I wanted to see If what I'm reading comes across the same way to other people . It's always good to get a second opinion as part of the double -checking process :)

[Jancruz]

I had a friend going on Celebrity, San Diego- Hawaii - San Diego and was turned away without a passport because of a stop in Ensenada..

Jancruz1

[njhorseman]

So if you are a citizen of the US, can you still do this cruise with just ID and birth certificate (since it's closed loop) or do you need to have the U.S. passport (for stopping in Canada)? :confused:

 

You need a passport because you are going to Canada..

Jancruz1

 

Jancruz, you are wrong. Neither US nor Canadian regulations require a US citizen to have a passport for a closed loop cruise originating in a US port such as Seattle.

 

However, there are some cruise lines, generally upscale or luxury lines such as Regent Seven Seas, that require all passengers to have a passport even if they're not required by law or regulation.

 

NCL does not have that requirement, and a birth certificate and photo ID are perfect acceptable for US citizens for an NCL cruise on that itinerary, as well as the closed loop cruises offered by most mass market cruise lines.

 

NCL documents this in their FAQs: http://www.ncl.com/faq#documentation

 

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.

Edited May 27, 2015 by njhorseman

[vicocala]

Jancruz, you are wrong. Neither US nor Canadian regulations require a US citizen to have a passport for a closed loop cruise originating in a US port such as Seattle.

 

However, there are some cruise lines, generally upscale or luxury lines such as Regent Seven Seas, that require all passengers to have a passport even if they're not required by law or regulation.

 

NCL does not have that requirement, and a birth certificate and photo ID are perfect acceptable for US citizens for an NCL cruise on that itinerary, as well as the closed loop cruises offered by most mass market cruise lines.

 

NCL documents this in their FAQs: http://www.ncl.com/faq#documentation

 

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.

 

Quite right, I was going to post the same thing, but I will vouch for your response.

[njhorseman]

I had a friend going on Celebrity, San Diego- Hawaii - San Diego and was turned away without a passport because of a stop in Ensenada..

Jancruz1

 

All cruises (other than a "cruise to nowhere") on foreign-flagged ships originating and ending in a US port must call on a foreign port. That's why cruises doing this type of itinerary make a port call in Ensenada. It's also why closed loop cruises from Seattle stop in Victoria. There's nothing special about the rules governing these itineraries or port cities such as Ensenada or Victoria.

 

If your friend is a US citizen there must be more to this than you've stated, because a passport would not be required under US law or Celebrity's rules:

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/frequently-asked-questions#domesticSailings

[hawkeyetlse]

This isn't the first time I've read reports of someone being denied boarding.

We rarely hear about it here on CC, but I imagine that people are denied boarding on just about every cruise for lack of papers. Especially keeping in mind that the cruise lines may have stricter rules than the actual governmental authorities, to be on the safe side, because they really don't want the entire ship to be turned away from a port because a few passengers don't have the right paperwork.

[Jancruz]

All cruises (other than a "cruise to nowhere") on foreign-flagged ships originating and ending in a US port must call on a foreign port. That's why cruises doing this type of itinerary make a port call in Ensenada. It's also why closed loop cruises from Seattle stop in Victoria. There's nothing special about the rules governing these itineraries or port cities such as Ensenada or Victoria.

 

If your friend is a US citizen there must be more to this than you've stated, because a passport would not be required under US law or Celebrity's rules:

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/frequently-asked-questions#domesticSailings

 

Sorry..I was there and they were turned away ONLY because of no passport

Jancruz1

[hawkeyetlse]

Sorry..I was there and they were turned away ONLY because of no passport

Did they have their birth certificate or other proof of US citizenship? The requirements for closed-loop US cruises are the same on Celebrity as on NCL:

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same port in the U.S.) will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as a government-issued birth certificate and laminated government issued picture ID, denoting photo, name and date of birth.

Are you saying that this person had their birth certificate and picture ID but was still denied boarding because they could not additionally produce a passport?

[Jancruz]

Did they have their birth certificate or other proof of US citizenship? The requirements for closed-loop US cruises are the same on Celebrity as on NCL:

Are you saying that this person had their birth certificate and picture ID but was still denied boarding because they could not additionally produce a passport?

 

No, you are correct they did not have a Birth Certificate..sorry..I just called the US passport agency and he said "in certain cases Canada, Mexico and some Caribbean islands may require a passport for you to disembark"..check with the cruise line.. truthfully I dont trust any of the cruise lines to have accurate information.... I do remember years ago we could travel to the Caribbean with a drivers license..For me, it is just easier to have a passport then I dont have to think about anything..

Thanks for the info

Jancruz1

[zqvol]

Hi there,

 

We are in a situation that we booked a Norwegian Alaska cruise from/back Seattle to avoid getting Canadian visa. But we still got turned away by customs since the ship would sail in Canadian border and stop at Victoria island. We understand that, and should have got the visa ahead of time.

 

Now, does anybody know if we can get our money, at least some of our money back? A voucher? and if I dispute the charge on my credit card, would it lead to anything.

Thanks for your help in advance, we just need to recoup some of the $2000 lost.

 

David

 

Short answer, that is really ugly to say is NO, you are out of luck. The cruise contract clearly states that you are responsible for all necessary travel documents.

 

You will get a refund of any prepaid gratuities, excursions, port fees and taxes, but that is all.

[zqvol]

United States citizens do not need a visa to visit Canada. Your USA passport is sufficient.

 

 

So is a DL and BC, with a round trip out of Seattle. OP, is clearly a citizen of a country that needs a Visa to visit Canada.

[zqvol]

You need a passport because you are going to Canada..

Jancruz1

 

 

No you don't. This is incorrect information. On a closed loop cruise from Seattle you only need a BC and DL.

[GUT2407]

You must get your docs in order.

[adjjb12]

Sorry..I was there and they were turned away ONLY because of no passport

Jancruz1

 

There has to be something more to it, US and Canadian citizens have different cruising rules for documentation than non-citizens. Celebrity/NCL/Royal and Carnival you don't need a passport if you're going from a US port and returning to the same US port no matter if you're visiting Canada/Mexico.

 

A BC and Drivers license works, if you're a Canadian/American citizen.

 

So if your friend was a US or Canadian citizen and had a DL and BC, then they would't be turned away because of a lack of a passport. It's either/or.

 

If your friend is not a US citizen and say someone with just a permanent card they'd need a passport from their home country to get on the ship.

Edited May 27, 2015 by adjjb12

[sjbdtz]

I'm guessing OP's nationality is Chinese (W Zhao), and China requires a Visa from Canadians for most things....so it's probably a reciprocal requirement.

 

Not much NCL can do about it.

 

 

On the other hand, I got my US work visa renewed this morning, so I get to keep my job. :)

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

Edited May 27, 2015 by sjbdtz

[njhorseman]

Sorry..I was there and they were turned away ONLY because of no passport

Jancruz1

 

 

 

No, you are correct they did not have a Birth Certificate..sorry..I just called the US passport agency and he said "in certain cases Canada, Mexico and some Caribbean islands may require a passport for you to disembark"..check with the cruise line.. truthfully I dont trust any of the cruise lines to have accurate information.... I do remember years ago we could travel to the Caribbean with a drivers license..For me, it is just easier to have a passport then I dont have to think about anything..

Thanks for the info

Jancruz1

 

So your original claim that they were turned away only because they didn't have a passport was incorrect, and in fact there was more to the story. Your friend had no proof of citizenship at all...no birth certificate...no passport...no anything, so they were properly not allowed to board the cruise.

 

By the way, the cruise lines' websites are very accurate with regard to this information. They have to keep them current, otherwise they would end up having to turn away passengers at the pier who followed the website's instructions, and that would be very, very bad business. On the other hand, most cruise line telephone customer service operations can't be trusted. Too many inexperienced, poorly trained reps. I'm speaking based not only on my experience as a traveler, but also as a former travel agency owner.

Edited May 27, 2015 by njhorseman

[triptolemus]

Every time this subject comes up, I feel it necessary to point out that...

 

Rather than rely on random strangers on an internet forum who post things like this...

 

You need a passport because you are going to Canada..

Jancruz1

 

...one should go to official channels to determine travel document requirements. An NCL passenger with questions about required travel documents should visit this page...

 

http://www.ncl.com/about/required-travel-documentation

 

...for complete information on specific requirements for their specific situation.

 

That link should be the ONLY answer given for travel document questions on NCL.

[jl427]

Yes, thanks for the suggestion. I posted my CIC website findings because I understood that people with a Green Card do not need a Visa to visit Canada and I wanted to see If what I'm reading comes across the same way to other people . It's always good to get a second opinion as part of the double -checking process :)

My wife is also from Central America and her green card was the only document anyone was interested in seeing on our Alaska cruise, just as it was going to the Bahamas. One tour guide insisted on her showing her Central America passport when we were going into Canada, but Canadian customs only wanted the green card.

[Jancruz]

Every time this subject comes up, I feel it necessary to point out that...

 

Rather than rely on random strangers on an internet forum who post things like this...

 

 

 

...one should go to official channels to determine travel document requirements. An NCL passenger with questions about required travel documents should visit this page...

 

http://www.ncl.com/about/required-travel-documentation

 

...for complete information on specific requirements for their specific situation.

 

That link should be the ONLY answer given for travel document questions on NCL.

 

 

Thank you for sharing that link it s a great tool!

Jancruz1

[cruiserninja1]

My wife is also from Central America and her green card was the only document anyone was interested in seeing on our Alaska cruise, just as it was going to the Bahamas. One tour guide insisted on her showing her Central America passport when we were going into Canada, but Canadian customs only wanted the green card.

 

 

Yay! Thank you!

[Telynau]

You must get your docs in order.

 

 

Oh My! I'm choking on a big ol' glass of water here [emoji6]. All I can think of is Europe pre EU... "Papers!"

 

 

***Not my rodeo. Not my bulls.***

[jenseib]

Where is OP going through Customs when boarding the ship? if they live in the US and flew to another US city...there wouldn't be customs....just the check in desk right?

[Illyria]

Where is OP going through Customs when boarding the ship? if they live in the US and flew to another US city...there wouldn't be customs....just the check in desk right?

Since so many people use the word "customs" incorrectly when they really mean immigration, I wouldn't be surprised if "check-in desk" gets lumped in there as well.

[jenseib]

Since so many people use the word "customs" incorrectly when they really mean immigration, I wouldn't be surprised if "check-in desk" gets lumped in there as well.

 

Ok, that could very well be. Still I am baffled why they turned them away. The only reason would be that they were not US citizens. I recently contacted the Port Operations about a different issue but asked if they could deny boarding and I was told no. But Canada can deny someone getting off the ship at their port and they would be notified at least 24 hours before docking there. Of course this issue might be different than the OP's. I wish he would come back and tell us more. With only 33 posts and the last one looks to be a couple of years ago, it makes me wonder if this is a legitimate post or if it is just someone who doesn't come on here often.