Passport missing… can I board?

[styxfire]

I am at the airport in between flights, supposed to embark on a Norwegian cruise tomorrow. I’ve already completed the online check-in for this cruise, including entering my passport number and uploading photo. Now I notice my passport isn’t in my bag. Of course I don’t have my birth certificate with me. Will I be allowed to board? I do have drivers license.…

Help?!?

[The Traveling Man]

1 minute ago, styxfire said:

I am at the airport in between flights, supposed to embark on a Norwegian cruise tomorrow. I’ve already completed the online check-in for this cruise, including entering my passport number and uploading photo. Now I notice my passport isn’t in my bag. Of course I don’t have my birth certificate with me. Will I be allowed to board? I do have drivers license.…

Help?!?

It probably depends on where you are boarding and which countries you will visit on your cruise.  You may be OK even without your passport.

[msmayor]

A driver's license does not prove citizenship...that's the purpose of the passport or the birth certificate. 

 

I've heard of some that have been able to get past the issue if someone at home can scan/send these documents to the pier, but you have an uphill battle to climb.

[julig22]

Depends on where you are going. 

Get on the ship - probably. 

Get off in a foreign port - probably not.

[mking8288]

Looks like OP is sailing on the Bliss tomorrow (Sun - Jan 9th) out of LAX/Long Beach doing the Mexico Rivera

[styxfire]

There is nobody at home.  It may have fallen out in the purse or car.  Missing the ports would be okay.  I found a rush service that may issue new passport in 48 hours, but my ship sails in 22 hours.  Big problem.  I wondered if my prior Norwegian cruises with that same passport means they may kept something on file for me?  I suppose not.  At this point with all my luggage somewhere in the air, and me as well, there’s nothing I can do.

[bluenose1]

If you have a Enhanced Drivers License (Washington state) that should do. Used ours on the same cruise itinerary on NCL Star some years ago.

 

[WYB!]

Do you have at least a copy of your passport available?

 

If not, you will be denied boarding.

 

Hope you find it.

 

Please keep us posted.

[mking8288]

OP might not have a EDL issued from her/his home state ... we scanned & imaged both our passports and EDL, encrypt for upload & securely stored them in our .edu cloud server plus another, just in case (or, at least in a secured/private folder in the smart/i/phone).  

 

Have trip/travel insurance - might help, or not ... oh dear.  

[WYB!]

I also keep a copy of my passport and DL on my phone. The copies on the phone are not valid for travel but will facilitate replacement if lost.

 

But that doesn't help the OP.

 

Sorry, keep us posted with the outcome.

Edited January 8, 2022 by WYB!

[tallnthensome]

1 hour ago, styxfire said:

I am at the airport in between flights, supposed to embark on a Norwegian cruise tomorrow. I’ve already completed the online check-in for this cruise, including entering my passport number and uploading photo. Now I notice my passport isn’t in my bag. Of course I don’t have my birth certificate with me. Will I be allowed to board? I do have drivers license.…

Help?!?

No, you'll need your BC at least.

Edited January 8, 2022 by tallnthensome

[ronheg]

We boarded in san pedro and i forgot our passports.  We called our neighbor and they were able to get inside our house and xerox them and fax them to the port.  They supplied the photo copies at noon and we were not allowed to board until 4pm.  The agents asked us a ton of questions to determine if we were really who we said we were.  Very upsetting.  There was also an issue at the port when we returned without the passports, but they let us through.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, styxfire said:

There is nobody at home.  It may have fallen out in the purse or car.  Missing the ports would be okay.  I found a rush service that may issue new passport in 48 hours, but my ship sails in 22 hours.  Big problem.  I wondered if my prior Norwegian cruises with that same passport means they may kept something on file for me?  I suppose not.  At this point with all my luggage somewhere in the air, and me as well, there’s nothing I can do.

 

I suggest when you get off the ship carefully going through your purse and all your luggage. I am afraid if you can't find  your passport you are out of luck. 

[BEACHBARB]

OMG - I brought an expired passport on our last cruise on the Bliss out of NYC.  I noticed it about an hour before getting into NYC.  Luckily, we were in a Haven and got there early and my bro-in-law was able to get into my house in Pittsburgh and get a copy of my passport and send it to NCL and the NCL employees in NYC were totally awesome and we were on by around noon.  What a stupid mistake I made and I will never live it down with my family.  I was making plans to meet the ship in Orlando or somewhere else with all the additional costs and flights and luckily that didn't have to happen.  

[Viajera7]

It happened to me and my brother sent me an e-mail with photos of my birth certificate and I could board but that was Pre Covid and it was a Caribbean cruise.

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, mking8288 said:

OP might not have a EDL issued from her/his home state ... we scanned & imaged both our passports and EDL, encrypt for upload & securely stored them in our .edu cloud server plus another, just in case (or, at least in a secured/private folder in the smart/i/phone).  

 

Have trip/travel insurance - might help, or not ... oh dear.  

Unfortunately, I do not think trip insurance will cover you for not being able to board because you lost your passport. I suppose you have to read the policy to be sure.

[TNcruising02]

Do you have a relative who can scan a copy of your birth certificate?  Maybe that will work.  I keep a scanned copy on my phone and computer.  Good luck!  That sounds very stressful.
 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by TNcruising02

[dad son team]

With nothing I would say that you aren't going anywhere.  

[mlgb]

 Did you make it to San Pedro? Gates at the port open for testing in half an hour.

 

Curious about the outcome?

 

There is a chance they will let you on with the Enhanced Driver's License since it is a closed loop LA to LA.  Border Patrol would be okay with it, not sure about NCL tho.

Edited January 9, 2022 by mlgb

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, mlgb said:

 Did you make it to San Pedro? Gates at the port open for testing in half an hour.

 

Curious about the outcome?

 

There is a chance they will let you on with the Enhanced Driver's License since it is a closed loop LA to LA.  Border Patrol would be okay with it, not sure about NCL tho.

Yes, NCL will accept an EDL but there's no indication that the OP has one. 

[BirdTravels]

21 hours ago, styxfire said:

I am at the airport in between flights, supposed to embark on a Norwegian cruise tomorrow. I’ve already completed the online check-in for this cruise, including entering my passport number and uploading photo. Now I notice my passport isn’t in my bag. Of course I don’t have my birth certificate with me. Will I be allowed to board? I do have drivers license.…

Help?!?

You need some form of proof of citizenship. Otherwise you will be denied boarding. They won’t let you on the ship, but not allow you to go ashore as suggested. 

[AndyCapn]

50 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

They won’t let you on the ship, but not allow you to go ashore as suggested. 

 

Thanks for clearing that up for everyone. 🙄

[dobiemom]

@styxfireOP, please let us know if you were able to get on the ship 🤞(or not). 

[WYB!]

I think the OP has other issues to worry about then updating the outcome on CC.

 

They will update when/if they can.

 

safe travels,

 

- WYB

[jstraw89]

This brings back bad memories for

myself. In 2019 for our honeymoon we flew into Miami Friday night for our Sunday cruise. When we got dropped off at our hotel by the Uber I left my bag in the car that held my money and passport. I did not realize this until 3 hours later and by the time i got ahold of the Uber driver the bag as a goner. 
 

I did not sleep that night and when I called NCL Saturday morning when they opened they said that I would need a birth certificate with the raised seal for guaranteed  boarding. A copy could work, but no guarantee . 
 

Thankfully my wife was quick to call Southwest Airlines to see if we could get it on a flight that day and they said that they could do that as long as it could get to the airport in the next 2 hours. Called my parents in a panic and told them to get to my house to pick up the birth certificate (which thankfully I knew where it was) and Head to the St Louis airport. They were able to take it to the cargo area and send it on a plane to Ft Lauderdale where we picked it around 430 that day up for 90 bucks. 
 

To say I was stressed was an understatement. I was so happy to get on the ship and get a drink. Thankfully my wife had her passport in her own bag and they were not together. Now the new rule is that I do not hold any important documents while traveling. 
 

Hope the OP was able to find a resolution.