Is your passport expired ? let this be a lesson to all cruisers

[castaway01]

So we are standing in line to check in and board the Aria on the 16th Oct at Brisbane

when loud gasps of disbelief echoed around the building

some Lady was trying to check into her cruise when it was discovered the her Passport had EXPIRED

so it was cut up in front of her, so I guess she forfeited her cruise money.

 

She was with a group of other people who were allowed on board , this problem should have been picked up when she booked her cruise, the 6 month rule about passports is explained if you read the fine print.

[NSWP]

So we are standing in line to check in and board the Aria on the 16th Oct at Brisbane

when loud gasps of disbelief echoed around the building

some Lady was trying to check into her cruise when it was discovered the her Passport had EXPIRED

so it was cut up in front of her, so I guess she forfeited her cruise money.

 

She was with a group of other people who were allowed on board , this problem should have been picked up when she booked her cruise, the 6 month rule about passports is explained if you read the fine print.

 

Beyond belief, I would have thought the expiry date would have been picked up via the 'Cruise Personaliser' data?

 

Silly lady.:rolleyes:

[MMDown Under]

So we are standing in line to check in and board the Aria on the 16th Oct at Brisbane

when loud gasps of disbelief echoed around the building

some Lady was trying to check into her cruise when it was discovered the her Passport had EXPIRED

so it was cut up in front of her, so I guess she forfeited her cruise money.

She was with a group of other people who were allowed on board , this problem should have been picked up when she booked her cruise, the 6 month rule about passports is explained if you read the fine print.

 

What a shame.

 

Why would it have been cut up? I have all my expired passports, with one corner trimmed.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Thanks for the reminder. Indeed a lesson for all of us as it can be overlooked, especially if a last minute deal comes up. When I did use a TA however the first thing she would ask for is your passport which she would check , photocopy , and retain a copy .

[Aus Traveller]

The woman would have been devastated. Passports need 6 months' validity to enter Vanuatu. A lot of people assume that the 6 months rule applies to every country, but that is not so. Australia and New Zealand (for Australian nationals) are two where the passport is valid until the expiry date.

[Haoie]

Glad NZ has finally gone back to 10 year passports. Got mine last year!

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Glad NZ has finally gone back to 10 year passports. Got mine last year!

 

Yeah..the 5 year ones were a real pain.

[NSWP]

Yeah..the 5 year ones were a real pain.

 

David, if I may, did the 5 year passport cost the same as the 10 year one? :o

[Docker123]

Story reminds me of the clown who was going to sue everyone. Early this year.

 

Royal Caribbean would not let him board in Brisbane because he did not have his passport.

 

Was going to sue Royal and TA because it could not have been his fault.

 

Wonder what happened with that.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

David, if I may, did the 5 year passport cost the same as the 10 year one? :o

 

I cant remember , even though I had to get one, but I do recall there was something about the passport not increasing in cost , but only being for half the time......

:eek::eek:

[frantic36]

This would be a hard and expensive lesson to learn. I not sure the poor woman would even be covered by travel insurance, I wouldn't think so. Passports and Visas are the responsibility of the passenger to ensure they have them organised, as per the terms and conditions of the cruise line. I know my TA reminds me about them and offers to help get any Visas but I usually them myself. I write a list and check it of as I get the paperwork sorted.

 

Good reminder for all of us though.

 

Julie

[MicCanberra]

A real shame for the lady but those are the rules for departing and entering Australia.

[MMDown Under]

The woman would have been devastated. Passports need 6 months' validity to enter Vanuatu. A lot of people assume that the 6 months rule applies to every country, but that is not so. Australia and New Zealand (for Australian nationals) are two where the passport is valid until the expiry date.

 

Yes, I have NZ pencilled in for last six months of my current passport.

[getting older slowly]

I feel sorry for the lady, but did she book via a TA ??, As that is one thing our TA always checks, and yes it is 6 months before expire to go to NZ as the other half had to get her Passport renewed to go to NZ in Jan 18.

 

But still a shocking way to start a Holiday...... Like how lucking were we did the Indian Pacific Sydney Perth for the other half's special birthday, it was unreal, but the day we arrived in Perth a goods train derailed, ripped up 1.5 km of track, it was about two week before it ran again.

 

Cheers Don

[MMDown Under]

I feel sorry for the lady, but did she book via a TA ??, As that is one thing our TA always checks, and yes it is 6 months before expire to go to NZ as the other half had to get her Passport renewed to go to NZ in Jan 18.

Cheers Don

 

You don't need six months before expiry on your passport to go to NZ, but maybe that is a requirement of the shipping line. If so, they should update their passport validity requirements for Australians cruising to NZ.

 

You just need your passport to be valid for your arrival and departure dates.

[Aus Traveller]

You don't need six months before expiry on your passport to go to NZ, but maybe that is a requirement of the shipping line. If so, they should update their passport validity requirements for Australians cruising to NZ.

 

You just need your passport to be valid for your arrival and departure dates.

Exactly. My daughter and her family are going to NZ at Christmas. I knew that Australia didn't require six months validity for her to return, but I checked on NZ. For Aussies, the passport is OK until expiry. For nationalities where the country has a consulate or embassy in NZ (so they can renew their passport in an emergency) they need only one month validity.

 

My daughter's TA still insisted she had to renew her passport (it expires in mid February). When my daughter told her my information, the TA said that it was "Better to be safe". Uh??? I don't think she wanted to admit she didn't have the full information.:D

 

By the way, my daughter has a very young family and her husband runs his own business. She isn't sure when they will travel overseas next so she doesn't want to pay to renew her passport, then not use it for a couple of years. Her passport is a five-year one that has been used once - when it was brand new.

[getting older slowly]

I stand corrected, and our TA was wrong

 

For Australian and New Zealand passport holders, or Australian permanent residents and new Zealand residents, your passport must be valid at least on the date you travel to New Zealand (must be valid on your arrival and departure dates).

 

But we are doing another cruise late 2018 so needed it renewed anyway.

 

Cheers Don

[Aus Traveller]

I stand corrected, and our TA was wrong

 

For Australian and New Zealand passport holders, or Australian permanent residents and new Zealand residents, your passport must be valid at least on the date you travel to New Zealand (must be valid on your arrival and departure dates).

 

But we are doing another cruise late 2018 so needed it renewed anyway.

 

Cheers Don

It is not only your TA. I think many of them just quote the 'six month' rule for every country without taking the time to check.:)

[NSWP]

I heard some time ago, the Australian and NZ Governments were working on an arrangement permitting Aust/NZ citizens to travel between the two countries with no passport.

 

The idea being I suppose - to promote and increase tourism.:hearteyes:

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I heard some time ago, the Australian and NZ Governments were working on an arrangement permitting Aust/NZ citizens to travel between the two countries with no passport.

 

The idea being I suppose - to promote and increase tourism.:hearteyes:

 

I believe they are working on it, but I understood that you would still need to have or be entitled to a passport but that through technology it would all be registered somehow at the same time your ticket is being processed.

Big Brother will still be watching you :D

[MicCanberra]

Story reminds me of the clown who was going to sue everyone. Early this year.

 

Royal Caribbean would not let him board in Brisbane because he did not have his passport.

 

Was going to sue Royal and TA because it could not have been his fault.

 

Wonder what happened with that.

I imagine his lawyer told him it would get nowhere and then took a fee.

[getting older slowly]

I have had a look at various cruise line passage contracts, they do seam to infer, that you do need your passport to be valid for six months.

 

So it could be some shipping thingie, so if you stowaway, they have to find you in six months, so passport is valid for your trip home . OR is the ship is hijacked and land in a different country.

 

Cheers Don

[The_Big_M]

I have had a look at various cruise line passage contracts, they do seam to infer, that you do need your passport to be valid for six months.

 

So it could be some shipping thingie, so if you stowaway, they have to find you in six months, so passport is valid for your trip home . OR is the ship is hijacked and land in a different country.

 

They want the flexibility since there are times they need to change ports, e.g. due to weather, or just emergencies. I think hijacking is the least frequent of those. ;)

[Docker123]

One aspect of this report I find rather odd is the "cutting up" of the passport.

 

Passports remain the property of the government and any wilful act of destruction is forbidden. A checkin person, or even Immigration Officer, would not have authority to cut up the passport.

[GUT2407]

I imagine his lawyer told him it would get nowhere and then took a fee.

 

 

I love a story with a happy ending.