You're late returning to your ship and it left. NOW WHAT?

[fstuff1]

lets say you were late and by the time you got to the pier, you see the ship sail away.

you're a US citizen and now is stranded on a 3rd world Caribbean island/panama canal port/south america port.

 

all you have on you is $100 (US currency), a credit card, and your driver's licence.

(your passport is in your room safe.)

 

now what?

[zitsky]

Are you saying that this happened to you, or are you just playing a game for fun?

 

I would call whatever travel company you used, then maybe your credit card company, perhaps to ask for an increase in your spending limit to get home.

Edited December 10, 2018 by zitsky

[luv2kroooz]

You can collect your passport from the ship's port agent, as the crew will have likely left it ashore for you. The agent may allow you to call your travel insurance provider and/or help you secure lodging or a flight back home.

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by blcruising

[FLcruisergrl]

The ship would’ve searched your room for your passport and left it at the pier. You retrieve it and contact the port agent. Then, I believe you find a hotel and book a flight-either home or to the next port. These are all guesses, as this hasn’t happed to me.

[zitsky]

How do you locate the port agent??

[VideoTech]

You start by contacting the port officials, who will probably put you in touch with NCL's Port Agent for that port. That's the person and office listed at the bottom of the port information in each Freestyle Daily, BTW.

 

Hopefully, the ship's officers have been to your cabin, removed your passport from your safe, and handed it off to the port agent. If you have your passport, you're set. You buy a ticket to the next port with your credit card, and catch the ship there. 

 

If you don't have your passport, you contact the nearest U.S. Consulate or Embassy and start what will probably be a lengthy procedure to get some new travel documentation.

 

Bear in mind, that's what I'd do if I was in your scenario situation. But I've never been and hopefully never will be. Always back at the ship early. 

[oracer]

Happened to my sister.  Each port has a management office that will notify the ship (which they know about since you having dinged back on the boat) that you are back at the port.  They will help assist you to get to where the boat goes to next and bring you to the airport.  All of this will be on your own dime.   She did not have her passport (was in the safe on the boat), but allowed her to travel (the port master gave her a document to board the plane and to get to the next stop).   All of this is very costly, so you will learn a lesson real quick.

A friend of our daughter did the same thing and the boat was leaving Cozumel and the next stop was the US, so she had to fly to the US and to meet the boat to get her things off the boat.  All again at her cost.

[JamieLogical]

When you aren't back to the ship on time, the very first thing they do is search your room safe for your passport and leave it with the port agent. So you would book a flight home, use your passport to return to the US, and contact your trip insurance company for reimbursement.

[fstuff1]

6 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

When you aren't back to the ship on time, the very first thing they do is search your room safe for your passport and leave it with the port agent. So you would book a flight home, use your passport to return to the US, and contact your trip insurance company for reimbursement.

 

what trip insurance would pay for you missing the ship because it's your own fault?

ie: didnt realize the time or took the risk in booking a 3rd party excursion

 

[rtkenmore]

29 minutes ago, blcruising said:

You can collect your passport from the ship's port agent, as the crew will have likely left it ashore for you. The agent may allow you to call your travel insurance provider and/or help you secure lodging or a flight back home.

 

 

How exactly would the crew have known to check the safe and retrieve it before departing??  What if you don't leave the passport in the room safe but elsewhere in the room?  Or elsewhere packed away securely in a piece of luggage for instance.  😕

Edited December 10, 2018 by rtkenmore

[All-ready2cruise]

1 minute ago, rtkenmore said:

 

How exactly would the crew have known to check the safe and retrieve it before departing??

 

Good point, I was wondering the same thing.  Wouldn't you have to have registered your PP on your account or would the Staff simply check for it automatically?  

 

Never been in this situation so have no idea... 

[pizzalady1]

3 minutes ago, rtkenmore said:

 

How exactly would the crew have known to check the safe and retrieve it before departing??

1. The cruiser did not ding in on the ship

2. They make numerous announcements calling the name of those cruisers who have not dinged in

3. Then an officer goes to the room and opens the safe, giving you passport to the port agent.

[Homosassa]

20 minutes ago, rtkenmore said:

 

How exactly would the crew have known to check the safe and retrieve it before departing??  What if you don't leave the passport in the room safe but elsewhere in the room?  Or elsewhere packed away securely in a piece of luggage for instance.  😕

 

Then you are SOL.

[luv2kroooz]

Keep in mind, the crew will make reasonable efforts to locate your documentation. The ship has a schedule to keep and delays can have unexpected consequences such as increased fuel costs and delayed arrival at subsequent ports. I believe it is recommended to keep valuable documentation in your room safe. If they can't locate it, then they can't locate it and the ship will sail and you will be left to deal with it.

 

I typically take a picture of my passport on my phone as well as a picture of the port agent contact info as shown on the front of the daily paper. I don't know if a picture of my passport would suffice and hope I never have the opportunity to find out.

Edited December 10, 2018 by blcruising

[JamieLogical]

 

27 minutes ago, rtkenmore said:

 

How exactly would the crew have known to check the safe and retrieve it before departing??  What if you don't leave the passport in the room safe but elsewhere in the room?  Or elsewhere packed away securely in a piece of luggage for instance.  😕

 

They know you are not back onboard by the all aboard time, because your key card has not been swiped. Most cruiseline's procedure is to make several PA announcements just in case your card swipe was missed somehow. If you do not report within a reasonable time after the PA announcements, they will search your room, checking the room safe first, for your passport(s). If your passports are found, they will be left with the cruiseline's port agent at the pier.

 

[zitsky]

I'll be sure to leave my passport in the safe when leaving the ship.  Solves the old argument about leave it or not.

Edited December 10, 2018 by zitsky

[oracer]

As per my response, my sister left it in a bag that was not noticed by the search (they opened her safe in her room but the passport was not there).  So when she got back to the port an hour after the boat left, she went to the port authority.  They called the boat, she told them where her passport was, they sent an email that went with the a picture of her passport and was able to fly out of the port to the next stop.  It cost her over a $1000 to get to the next place and cost to rebound the ship.   

[tokidoki]

saw just now on youtube of a couple left stranded in Cuba.   Seems the Sky left 2 hrs earlier than expected

[tokidoki]

woops!   it happened of April this year!

[All-ready2cruise]

I think being left in Cuba is a lot different than being left in most Caribbean countries.  Cuba will hold you hostage far longer than most.  Not a good place to be left behind. I'll never go back there, having seen as much as I'm interested in, year of my son's destination wedding 2009. 

[zitsky]

19 minutes ago, tokidoki said:

woops!   it happened of April this year!

 

Read about it.  I believe cruise line said they told everyone and it was on the dailies.

[cathi007]

2 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

lets say you were late and by the time you got to the pier, you see the ship sail away.

you're a US citizen and now is stranded on a 3rd world Caribbean island/panama canal port/south america port.

 

all you have on you is $100 (US currency), a credit card, and your driver's licence.

(your passport is in your room safe.)

 

now what?

Depends on the island, I might never leave

[PTC DAWG]

2 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

lets say you were late and by the time you got to the pier, you see the ship sail away.

you're a US citizen and now is stranded on a 3rd world Caribbean island/panama canal port/south america port.

 

all you have on you is $100 (US currency), a credit card, and your driver's licence.

(your passport is in your room safe.)

 

now what?

The fun begins

[PTC DAWG]

52 minutes ago, tokidoki said:

saw just now on youtube of a couple left stranded in Cuba.   Seems the Sky left 2 hrs earlier than expected

2 people out of how many?  Someone wasn’t paying attention...

[Two Wheels Only]

8 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

2 people out of how many?  Someone wasn’t paying attention...

It was announced over the speakers the day before reaching Cuba, when the ship reached Cuba, posted in the dailies, posted at the gangway when people went ashore, and guests were informed more than a month before sailing. It was also posted in the e-docs.

 

The guy even had the dailies in his pocket but he didn't read it until he was in the airport waiting for his flight home.