Purchase Passport or No

[SRF]

The continuing point is, you may not be allowed to board a flight without a passport.

 

You may be able to board with a letter from the US Embassy or Consulate, but on many Caribbean islands, the US Embassy is in a different country, on a different island, so how do you get there to get a passport or letter?

[Becca Sue]

To save time, and a hassle, get a passport. If it is an emergency you will need to get somewhere quickly.

 

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[sparks1093]

The continuing point is, you may not be allowed to board a flight without a passport.

 

You may be able to board with a letter from the US Embassy or Consulate, but on many Caribbean islands, the US Embassy is in a different country, on a different island, so how do you get there to get a passport or letter?

 

There must be a way for them to get home because I'm not reading of a large number of US citizens being stuck on islands without a State Department presence. Either the letter is obtained via telephone and fax communication with an Embassy or it's really just a simple matter of showing up at the airport and boarding the plane, and being subjected to secondary inspection upon arrival in the US (as is what happened to the OP in the thread that has already been linked). It still comes down to each passenger making his or her own choice regarding travel documentation based on their travel needs, their risk factors and their tolerance of those risk factors.

[firemanbobswife]

There must be a way for them to get home because I'm not reading of a large number of US citizens being stuck on islands without a State Department presence. Either the letter is obtained via telephone and fax communication with an Embassy or it's really just a simple matter of showing up at the airport and boarding the plane, and being subjected to secondary inspection upon arrival in the US (as is what happened to the OP in the thread that has already been linked). It still comes down to each passenger making his or her own choice regarding travel documentation based on their travel needs, their risk factors and their tolerance of those risk factors.

 

All I know is when boarding a flight both in the US as well as overseas I was required to show my Passport at check in at the counter and when boarding. They made it perfectly clear when getting on the plane that if you didn’t have your Passport ready for presentation along with your ticket, you would not be getting on the plane.

 

I’m sure if you got stuck overseas without one, the State Dept would find a way to get you home, but you won’t be able to stroll up to the airport and expect to be let on the plane without the appropriate paperwork. All that takes time and in a true emergency, every minute is precious. But if someone is willing to take that chance, then that’s their right. Luckily I don’t have that issue to concern myself with.

Edited September 22, 2017 by firemanbobswife

[Becca Sue]

I am sure there are loop holes for special circumstances. But as a certificate passport agent, I would recommend getting a passport if cruising. I was just on a cruise during Irma and several people got off the boat early in Cozumel and had problems because they DID NOT have a passport to return to the U.S.

 

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[sparks1093]

All I know is when boarding a flight both in the US as well as overseas I was required to show my Passport at check in at the counter and when boarding. They made it perfectly clear when getting on the plane that if you didn’t have your Passport ready for presentation along with your ticket, you would not be getting on the plane.

 

I’m sure if you got stuck overseas without one, the State Dept would find a way to get you home, but you won’t be able to stroll up to the airport and expect to be let on the plane without the appropriate paperwork. All that takes time and in a true emergency, every minute is precious. But if someone is willing to take that chance, then that’s their right. Luckily I don’t have that issue to concern myself with.

 

We're talking about coming back from a closed loop cruise, particularly from a port of call that doesn't have a State Department presence. Yes, normally a passport is required but exceptions are made in emergencies.

[sparks1093]

I am sure there are loop holes for special circumstances. But as a certificate passport agent, I would recommend getting a passport if cruising. I was just on a cruise during Irma and several people got off the boat early in Cozumel and had problems because they DID NOT have a passport to return to the U.S.

 

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Are they still in Cozumel or did they make it home? What procedure did they have to go through to get home?

[firemanbobswife]

We're talking about coming back from a closed loop cruise, particularly from a port of call that doesn't have a State Department presence. Yes, normally a passport is required but exceptions are made in emergencies.

 

I realize that. What I’m saying is you will need some type of documentation and can’t simply just board a plane by showing up at the airport. If countries were doing that and the US allowed it, who knows what kinds of people would be on planes claiming to be US citizens arriving here only having to be turned back. Not to mention the security aspect of it. If you can’t prove who they are, that could be very dangerous.

 

What I am saying is in an emergency, can you get home? I’m sure you can. But when time is of the essence do you need to delay yourself or others by not being prepared? But once again, if someone is willing to take that risk, that’s on them.

[Becca Sue]

I have no idea. I stayed on the ship. There was a big group traveling from the Bay Area and some of them got off in Cozumel on Saturday to try and get back earlier. A couple of the people from that group that stayed on the ship told us they were held up in Cozumel till Monday because of the hurricane, and some were having even more trouble because they didn't have a passport. That's all I know.

 

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[sparks1093]

I realize that. What I’m saying is you will need some type of documentation and can’t simply just board a plane by showing up at the airport. If countries were doing that and the US allowed it, who knows what kinds of people would be on planes claiming to be US citizens arriving here only having to be turned back. Not to mention the security aspect of it. If you can’t prove who they are, that could be very dangerous.

 

What I am saying is in an emergency, can you get home? I’m sure you can. But when time is of the essence do you need to delay yourself or others by not being prepared? But once again, if someone is willing to take that risk, that’s on them.

 

You aren't showing up with no documentation, you are showing up with what you boarded the cruise with and your presence would be verifiable by the cruise line, so it's not like anyone can just show up and claim to have just left a cruise ship. You would be subjected to secondary inspection upon arrival in the US and CBP would know you were on the cruise ship because they have the manifest. They would make sure you are who you say you are and then send you on your way. I know that when we first started cruising we wouldn't try to get home because we didn't have the means to do so and even now if something happened only one of us would be able to do so. It would take something very catastrophic to make us even think about coming back.

[sparks1093]

I have no idea. I stayed on the ship. There was a big group traveling from the Bay Area and some of them got off in Cozumel on Saturday to try and get back earlier. A couple of the people from that group that stayed on the ship told us they were held up in Cozumel till Monday because of the hurricane, and some were having even more trouble because they didn't have a passport. That's all I know.

 

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Sounds like they didn't make a good decision. I wouldn't leave the ship unless I knew for certain I could get home.

[firemanbobswife]

You aren't showing up with no documentation, you are showing up with what you boarded the cruise with and your presence would be verifiable by the cruise line, so it's not like anyone can just show up and claim to have just left a cruise ship. You would be subjected to secondary inspection upon arrival in the US and CBP would know you were on the cruise ship because they have the manifest. They would make sure you are who you say you are and then send you on your way. I know that when we first started cruising we wouldn't try to get home because we didn't have the means to do so and even now if something happened only one of us would be able to do so. It would take something very catastrophic to make us even think about coming back.

I suppose if the cruise line forwarded all that info to them then yes, they would have a record. But say if you missed the ship and only had a BC and DL I’m sure it would take a bit of time to get things straightened out.

[Becca Sue]

Sounds like they didn't make a good decision. I wouldn't leave the ship unless I knew for certain I could get home.

Same here. We are assuming they had to purchase food and a hotel as well.

 

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[SRF]

There must be a way for them to get home because I'm not reading of a large number of US citizens being stuck on islands without a State Department presence. Either the letter is obtained via telephone and fax communication with an Embassy or it's really just a simple matter of showing up at the airport and boarding the plane, and being subjected to secondary inspection upon arrival in the US (as is what happened to the OP in the thread that has already been linked). It still comes down to each passenger making his or her own choice regarding travel documentation based on their travel needs, their risk factors and their tolerance of those risk factors.

 

Because, as I read it, they told people they needed a passport if they got off.

 

No way the State Department will send a fax letter, based on you calling them and telling them you are a US citizen. And most likely, you will need an original letter, with seal. And will need to show and up and convince a Consular Officer to give you the letter.

 

Mexico and Jamaica have Embassies (Mexico also has 9 Consulates). Bahamas has an Embassy, Bermuda has a Consulate. So you can do it there. But St Maarten does NOT.

 

The airline will typically not allow you to get a boarding pass. If they take you to the US, and you cannot get in, they are responsible for you, and getting you back to where you came from. But OOPS, you can't get into the country you left, as you still don't have a passport. Hello Tom Hanks movie. Plus they have to pay penalties

 

It is not to say that people have not been boarded without them, but that is the exception, NOT the rule.

[SRF]

Are they still in Cozumel or did they make it home? What procedure did they have to go through to get home?

 

They probably made their way to the US Consulate General in Merida and got processed there IN PERSON.

[Becca Sue]

Are they still in Cozumel or did they make it home? What procedure did they have to go through to get home?

I have no idea. I stayed on the ship. There was a big group traveling from the Bay Area and some of them got off in Cozumel on Saturday to try and get back earlier. A couple of the people from that group that stayed on the ship told us they were held up in Cozumel till Monday because of the hurricane, and some were having even more trouble because they didn't have a passport. That's all I know.

 

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[sparks1093]

I suppose if the cruise line forwarded all that info to them then yes, they would have a record. But say if you missed the ship and only had a BC and DL I’m sure it would take a bit of time to get things straightened out.

 

 

That is one of the things the port agent is for, to represent the cruise line and get the stranded passenger on their way.

[sparks1093]

Because, as I read it, they told people they needed a passport if they got off.

 

No way the State Department will send a fax letter, based on you calling them and telling them you are a US citizen. And most likely, you will need an original letter, with seal. And will need to show and up and convince a Consular Officer to give you the letter.

 

Mexico and Jamaica have Embassies (Mexico also has 9 Consulates). Bahamas has an Embassy, Bermuda has a Consulate. So you can do it there. But St Maarten does NOT.

 

The airline will typically not allow you to get a boarding pass. If they take you to the US, and you cannot get in, they are responsible for you, and getting you back to where you came from. But OOPS, you can't get into the country you left, as you still don't have a passport. Hello Tom Hanks movie. Plus they have to pay penalties

 

It is not to say that people have not been boarded without them, but that is the exception, NOT the rule.

 

They probably made their way to the US Consulate General in Merida and got processed there IN PERSON.

 

No the State Department is not going to rely just on what you tell them, the cruise line/port agent will also be communicating with them for you and CBP will be verifying that you were a passenger on the ship if necessary. I would not do a thing without checking with the port agent. Those people who had a medical emergency in Puerto Vallarta (in the previously referenced thread) were told by the port agent to go straight to the airport and to call him if they were given any trouble. Again, I'm not reading any stories about any US citizens being involved in any Tom Hanks type situations so either no one ever misses the ship at those stops or they are repatriated with procedures in place.

[firemanbobswife]

That is one of the things the port agent is for, to represent the cruise line and get the stranded passenger on their way.

 

Yeah I suppose. Like give them the number to the Consulate and maybe direct them to a hotel. Other than that I think they are pretty much on their own like in the story of the guy who got left without a Passport. At least from what I can remember of it.

 

Anyway it doesn’t really matter as I won’t put myself in that predicament. If it was so easy, cheap, and quick, there wouldn’t be a need for Passports. But once again, in the case of an emergency, time is of the essence and you will definitely be delayed even if personally escorted by the port agent with your BC and DL to the airport. It’s not that simple.

[Alstongrove]

I would go for a passport We just renewed & nice for flying If even in the USA only

 

 

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[sparks1093]

Yeah I suppose. Like give them the number to the Consulate and maybe direct them to a hotel. Other than that I think they are pretty much on their own like in the story of the guy who got left without a Passport. At least from what I can remember of it.

 

Anyway it doesn’t really matter as I won’t put myself in that predicament. If it was so easy, cheap, and quick, there wouldn’t be a need for Passports. But once again, in the case of an emergency, time is of the essence and you will definitely be delayed even if personally escorted by the port agent with your BC and DL to the airport. It’s not that simple.

 

The guy that was left was left because he was waiting for his party when they were already back on the ship, so it wasn't an emergency per se (if we are thinking of the same incident). It took him an hour and a half to get his passport from the Embassy in Nassau. Of course there is a need for passports, we are talking about emergency situations, not the norm. Each person has their tolerance level for potential delays and they should of course plan accordingly. I figure whatever is happening back home will be taken care of without my presence for the time it would take me to get home and that might mean me staying on the ship depending upon the timing. You really should read that thread that was linked up thread- it took that OP 45 minutes at the airport to get the right person to okay his getting on the plane and he spent 15 minutes in secondary inspection once he landed in the US. Provisions have to be made for US citizens who are in an emergency situation and to get them home in as timely a fashion as possible under the circumstances.

[firemanbobswife]

The guy that was left was left because he was waiting for his party when they were already back on the ship, so it wasn't an emergency per se (if we are thinking of the same incident). It took him an hour and a half to get his passport from the Embassy in Nassau. Of course there is a need for passports, we are talking about emergency situations, not the norm. Each person has their tolerance level for potential delays and they should of course plan accordingly. I figure whatever is happening back home will be taken care of without my presence for the time it would take me to get home and that might mean me staying on the ship depending upon the timing. You really should read that thread that was linked up thread- it took that OP 45 minutes at the airport to get the right person to okay his getting on the plane and he spent 15 minutes in secondary inspection once he landed in the US. Provisions have to be made for US citizens who are in an emergency situation and to get them home in as timely a fashion as possible under the circumstances.

 

The story I recall had something about a shady hotel for the night and it was quite an ordeal. Luckily in the other story you mention it only took 45 min, however, if it was a smaller island with say only 1 or 2 flights out a day and you missed the last one due to delays, you’re SOL until the next day if there are any flights then.

 

The only way I would leave a cruise is if a loved one was dying or severely injured like in an accident. And that “only 45 minute” delay however insignificant it may seem now, could mean the difference between making it back in time or not.

 

If people want to take the gamble, then they can. I choose not to and nothing will convince me otherwise.

[sparks1093]

The story I recall had something about a shady hotel for the night and it was quite an ordeal. Luckily in the other story you mention it only took 45 min, however, if it was a smaller island with say only 1 or 2 flights out a day and you missed the last one due to delays, you’re SOL until the next day if there are any flights then.

 

The only way I would leave a cruise is if a loved one was dying or severely injured like in an accident. And that “only 45 minute” delay however insignificant it may seem now, could mean the difference between making it back in time or not.

 

If people want to take the gamble, then they can. I choose not to and nothing will convince me otherwise.

 

I am not debating with you to convince you of anything but to provide a different point of view for those who haven't made up their mind. As far as missing flights that also pertains if you have a passport, which doesn't assure you of a seat on a plane that is full or that has already left and many small islands only have one or two flights per day. I read about one couple who decided to leave the ship in response to an emergency back home and even with passports it still took them 3 days and they arrived a full half day ahead of another couple from their town who stayed with the ship, so sometimes staying with the ship if possible is the best way to go.

[firemanbobswife]

I am not debating with you to convince you of anything but to provide a different point of view for those who haven't made up their mind. As far as missing flights that also pertains if you have a passport, which doesn't assure you of a seat on a plane that is full or that has already left and many small islands only have one or two flights per day. I read about one couple who decided to leave the ship in response to an emergency back home and even with passports it still took them 3 days and they arrived a full half day ahead of another couple from their town who stayed with the ship, so sometimes staying with the ship if possible is the best way to go.

 

I understand you can miss flights if you have a Passport. My point being it’s best not to have that additional obstacle in your way. Especially if it meant getting on a plane right away and “making it in time” for the tragedy at home by having a Passport vs missing that flight where seats were available but you couldn’t board because you didn’t have proper documentation. That’s something I could never forgive myself for. It’s best to be prepared for any and all possibilities.

 

I truly can’t understand why people would even consider leaving the country without a Passport. There is no downside to having one besides cost. And while I realize it’s not as cheap as buying a cup of coffee, people think nothing of dropping hundreds of dollars on the latest cell phone, Starbucks (what is it now like $6 a cup? Won’t take long to skip that and save the money), cigarettes, even Cheers and spending money in the casino. Considering it’s good for 10 years for adults and 5 for kids, I still don’t see an argument (and I’m not saying you advocate against the idea) for not getting one. You’re cruising out of the country. Protect yourself and your family. Because if you can’t afford it now, I shudder to think what the cost of trying to get home will be and how that will affect your budget.

[sparks1093]

I understand you can miss flights if you have a Passport. My point being it’s best not to have that additional obstacle in your way. Especially if it meant getting on a plane right away and “making it in time” for the tragedy at home by having a Passport vs missing that flight where seats were available but you couldn’t board because you didn’t have proper documentation. That’s something I could never forgive myself for. It’s best to be prepared for any and all possibilities.

 

I truly can’t understand why people would even consider leaving the country without a Passport. There is no downside to having one besides cost. And while I realize it’s not as cheap as buying a cup of coffee, people think nothing of dropping hundreds of dollars on the latest cell phone, Starbucks (what is it now like $6 a cup? Won’t take long to skip that and save the money), cigarettes, even Cheers and spending money in the casino. Considering it’s good for 10 years for adults and 5 for kids, I still don’t see an argument (and I’m not saying you advocate against the idea) for not getting one. You’re cruising out of the country. Protect yourself and your family. Because if you can’t afford it now, I shudder to think what the cost of trying to get home will be and how that will affect your budget.

 

I live 8 miles from the Canadian border and can thus leave the country very easily. If the only type of travel that I can do is to go across that border why would I spend any money on a document that I don't need when less expensive alternatives are available for that travel (such as a passport card or Enhanced Drivers License). I know many folks in this border town that fit that description to a T. If the only type of travel that I can or want to do is a closed loop cruise again, less expensive alternatives are available. When we started cruising everyone we cared about, that we would even consider cutting our trip short for, traveled with us and we could only travel on 4 day closed loop cruises so we analyzed the risks, looked at ALL of the what ifs and decided to wait to get passports until our risk level changed or we actually needed them for the travel we were doing. We were finally able to fly to Europe in 2015 and that is when we got our passports.