Lost drivers license

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Hi Web, in an ideal situation, documents are quickly checked either at the terminal entrance, or prior to the passenger getting thru security and the check-in counter.  Having the Covid Wellness checks at the beginning of the embarkation process, there was an opportunity to check travel documents.  The downside to that was that some cruise lines used an outside contractor staffing agency and while those workers did a yeoman's job of checking vaccination status, negative Covid test results and everything else related to public health protocols, catching potential documentations problems suffered.  Sometimes passengers lacking the needed citizenship documentation made it thru to the check-in area where agents would catch the mistake.

 

The list of countries that require a Canadian visa is long (over 170), and we all have a handy card at our desk/tablet stand that clearly lists them.  Some passengers do make the argument that they had no intention of getting off the ship in Canada and promise that they won't.   I had a party of four passengers (2 staterooms) with two passengers from a Middle East country.  Two of the passengers had US passport/US Permanent Resident Card, but the other two had passports from a country that required a Canadian visa.  The two US citizen(s)/resident(s) were not happy and just argued, bringing up how much they spent on the cruise, etc.  They even got their travel agent on the phone to explain to us that these foreign passengers should be considered "in transit" because they are just at a Canadian port of a matter of 5 hours - similar to being "in transit" during a stop at an international airport.  The poor supervisor had to spend a lot of time dealing with these people.  It ended up that the two folks that had the US passport and Green Card sailed, and the two without the Canadian visa didn't sail.

 

Another situation I had was a couple - she was traveling of a Mexican passport, and he had a passport from Brazil.  The Mexican passport was fine, but I explain to him that he needed a Canadian visa, he argued, but he did go to our documentation desk.  While we were walking there, he is on his phone bringing up info about Canadian visas.  Argues with me that he can get a Canadian visa (in transit) for $10.  I explain that that isn't acceptable for the cruise.  I heard that he continued his arguing with the documentation folks.

 

I had another couple from South America that did have the Canadian visa, but were watching intently as the agent next to me was dealing with passengers that didn't have the visa.  After those folks were escorted away, the man asked me what would have happened if they had brought their young daughter that didn't have a Canadian visa.  I told him that she would be denied boarding.  He then told me that they indeed had left their daughter with the grandparents because her passport didn't have the visa, but wondered if they made the right decision.  After seeing what happened to the other passengers, they knew they made the correct decision.

 

Have the police been called to the terminal?  Yes, they have.  It is a highly stressful and emotional situation.  The folks at the documentation desk have been call ed the B-word, their appearance has been disparaged and other similar insults.  Security is close by, and sometimes the canine officer will hang out there as a calming influence.

 

The staff who work at the documentation desk take the brunt of the abuse.  Often times they are heroes by handholding US born passengers as they brainstorm with these folks on how they can get a copy of their US birth certificate.  The harder situations are the both the US passengers who can't get their birth certificate and foreign passport holders that don't have the needed Canadian visa.   Not only do they have to deal with the shock, anger and sadness of not sailing, and the (real) possibility of no refunds, but it is compounded by having to sit there waiting for longshore to find and retrieve their luggage from the ship.   Sometimes the wait is short, sometimes it's hours, and sadly, sometimes the luggage sails without them. 

 

There are so many other stories.  Every day is different.  We really do what we can to get passengers on the ship, but sometimes we just can't.

Thanks. I just wonder about the passengers who get their TA to argue with you and your fellow agents and/or supervisors. It would seem to me that they have incompetent TAs who did not give them the information that they needed to board the cruise. I wonder if they could have a legitimate case to sue the TA.

[sparks1093]

27 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

 I wonder if they could have a legitimate case to sue the TA.

Probably not because the ultimate responsibility to have the correct documentation is the traveler's.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

Probably not because the ultimate responsibility to have the correct documentation is the traveler's.

I hear what you are saying, but doesn't a TA have some responsibility to provide basic information that if not followed would not let someone board the ship? I would think it would not be common knowledge as to what countries Canada has listed as requiring visas. In the post that I was quoting from the TA was trying to argue that you could get around that. He or she should know better.

[Ferry_Watcher]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Thanks. I just wonder about the passengers who get their TA to argue with you and your fellow agents and/or supervisors. It would seem to me that they have incompetent TAs who did not give them the information that they needed to board the cruise. I wonder if they could have a legitimate case to sue the TA.

 

It's funny that you mention this, as the American & Green Card holder in this story were really difficult people - their middle eastern friends just looked bewildered.  After the supervisor got the four passengers escorted to the documentation desk she remarked that she 'wouldn't want to be that travel agent, having to deal with the aftermath of this problem'.  All of us that were nearby were also thinking the same thing.

 

Sadly, it's not uncommon for travel agents to give incorrect information to folks booking cruises.  It would be interesting to find out if a passenger could collect the loss of their cruise payment thru a small claims court.  I would think that hiring an attorney could be more than the cruise itself.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Ferry_Watcher

[sparks1093]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I hear what you are saying, but doesn't a TA have some responsibility to provide basic information that if not followed would not let someone board the ship? I would think it would not be common knowledge as to what countries Canada has listed as requiring visas. In the post that I was quoting from the TA was trying to argue that you could get around that. He or she should know better.

I think so and you think so, but "basic information" could be insufficient if a traveler's situation were complex. The basic information could also be provided in the small print. I guess this is why lawyers have jobs 🙂.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

I think so and you think so, but "basic information" could be insufficient if a traveler's situation were complex. The basic information could also be provided in the small print. I guess this is why lawyers have jobs 🙂.

I would think that needing a passport and/or visa for a cruise with certain ports should be basic knowledge for a competent TA.

[sparks1093]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I would think that needing a passport and/or visa for a cruise with certain ports should be basic knowledge for a competent TA.

Indeed, with the operative word being "competent". 

[redsox1584]

@Dwright826 I hope you were able to get this resolved and are having a wonderful cruise. 

[RickAinley]

On the documentation and visa theme, when I first came to the US (now a citizen) but I had a rare visa, an "I" one which is representative of foreign media. It was multiple entry and valid for 5 years. On my first cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, I was prevented from boarding on the grounds that my visa was a "one time entry". I obviously pointed out that it's not and my passport was littered with immigration entry stamps and staples of the multitude of the I-94 forms we used. Long story short, someone from the then INS (now CBP) was summoned to the port. Looked at the visa, apologized to me and said all is well, it's totally fine and off we went. 🙂. So sometimes, they do get it wrong.

Edited October 7, 2022 by RickAinley
error correction

[Purvis1231]

15 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

I'd also be careful with this. I don't believe you will be fully reimbursed for a trip because you lost your ID. Many have "qualifying events," and CFAR insurance isn't getting your full amount returned. 

 

Let's say even if insurance covers you, do you really want to miss out on your vacation? 

Of course, I would not want to miss a vacation over a lost ID or passport but it is good to have insurance just in case. The travel insurance I use covers trip interruption due to lost ID.

 

[Purvis1231]

13 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

Most travel insurance will not kick in because you lost your ID, just CFAR which is expensive and doesn’t pay out 100%.

The insurance I purchase claims if your ID is lost or stolen they will take care of it.  Thankfully, I have never lost an ID but I like having the confidence if it does while I am traveling, I will have someone to help me. 

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Indeed, with the operative word being "competent". 

One would hope for excellent or at least very good, but competent should be a minimum standard.

[sparks1093]

17 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

One would hope for excellent or at least very good, but competent should be a minimum standard.

Since only 4 or 5 states even license TA's and who knows if they even require any formal training to do so it seems that it's a complete crapshoot, but I agree- competent should be the minimum (and that goes for many professions as well).

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Since only 4 or 5 states even license TA's and who knows if they even require any formal training to do so it seems that it's a complete crapshoot, but I agree- competent should be the minimum (and that goes for many professions as well).

Yes, one really should expect at least competence. That really is not a lot to expect. One should probably look for experience as a TA (or any other proffessional) should learn from experience.

[Dwright826]

Hey every one. I'm really sorry that I never updated you on this situation. When it rains it pours. It was the perfect storm. So Monday morning I got my DMV appointment and was first in line the moment it opened. My number was a001. There was hope. They told me temp d.l. do not have a picture but the MOTORCYCLE PERMIT DOES! Luckily I actually had this permit a few years back so all I had to do was redo it. Took all of 5 minutes. When they gave it to me, the dang picture had a water mark on it saying this document cannot be used as a form of identification. Crap. I was still going to give it a shot but wanted a back up. That's when I remember that I got a real id in Georgia a long time ago that doesn't expire until 2025. Little bit of google-foo and I Google was saying the Georgia was the first of a couple states to do virtual IDs. SCORE....or so I thought. So apple wallet has not started using virtual IDs yet. BUT Georgia has a dds app that has something similar. But without a picture. I was hoping that I would be able to use everything I've collected, along with a picture of my id I found on my phone. My hopes were pretty high. I told the kids I think I figured it out and we were on our way to long Beach by 10. This is where it gets good. ALL of our boarding passes, birth certificates, my phone, etc. We're in the bottom of my son's stroller. At some point while we were all going to the bathroom before heading into the terminal, I'm assuming my back or my wife's back was turned and someone snagged all the stuff from the bottom of the stroller. All hopes and dreams went straight out the window. Without all that and everything on my phone, there was no hope. I just got my phone replaced and am just now wanting to talk about what happened. It was a shot to the gut but a lesson learned. Thank you all for your help and advice. 😇

[jamie717]

Dwright826, Thank you for updating us all, sorry it didn't pan out for you and the family. 

[starstruck05]

Thank you for updating! I had so much hope. I'm sorry all that happened to you and your family.

[ObstructedView2]

On 10/2/2022 at 10:28 AM, Dwright826 said:

 

We sail tomorrow and someone stole my wallet yesterday. 

 

 

27 minutes ago, Dwright826 said:

ALL of our boarding passes, birth certificates, my phone, etc. We're in the bottom of my son's stroller. At some point while we were all going to the bathroom before heading into the terminal, I'm assuming my back or my wife's back was turned and someone snagged all the stuff from the bottom of the stroller. 

 

Twice! You got robbed twice🤯🤯 Oh my goodness. So sorry to hear about this. 

 

 

😔

[Dwright826]

20 minutes ago, jamie717 said:

Dwright826, Thank you for updating us all, sorry it didn't pan out for you and the family. 

 

12 minutes ago, starstruck05 said:

Thank you for updating! I had so much hope. I'm sorry all that happened to you and your family.

Thank you both. I try and live life with no regrets and take everything as a learning experience. There are several thing I will do different next time. Just wish it wasn't such an expensive lesson 🤣

[Dwright826]

2 minutes ago, ObstructedView2 said:

 

 

Twice! You got robbed twice🤯🤯 Oh my goodness. So sorry to hear about this. 

 

 

😔

Twice in one week. Yup. Back packs from now on 😁

[sparks1093]

34 minutes ago, Dwright826 said:

Hey every one. I'm really sorry that I never updated you on this situation. When it rains it pours. It was the perfect storm. So Monday morning I got my DMV appointment and was first in line the moment it opened. My number was a001. There was hope. They told me temp d.l. do not have a picture but the MOTORCYCLE PERMIT DOES! Luckily I actually had this permit a few years back so all I had to do was redo it. Took all of 5 minutes. When they gave it to me, the dang picture had a water mark on it saying this document cannot be used as a form of identification. Crap. I was still going to give it a shot but wanted a back up. That's when I remember that I got a real id in Georgia a long time ago that doesn't expire until 2025. Little bit of google-foo and I Google was saying the Georgia was the first of a couple states to do virtual IDs. SCORE....or so I thought. So apple wallet has not started using virtual IDs yet. BUT Georgia has a dds app that has something similar. But without a picture. I was hoping that I would be able to use everything I've collected, along with a picture of my id I found on my phone. My hopes were pretty high. I told the kids I think I figured it out and we were on our way to long Beach by 10. This is where it gets good. ALL of our boarding passes, birth certificates, my phone, etc. We're in the bottom of my son's stroller. At some point while we were all going to the bathroom before heading into the terminal, I'm assuming my back or my wife's back was turned and someone snagged all the stuff from the bottom of the stroller. All hopes and dreams went straight out the window. Without all that and everything on my phone, there was no hope. I just got my phone replaced and am just now wanting to talk about what happened. It was a shot to the gut but a lesson learned. Thank you all for your help and advice. 😇

Maybe @Ferry_Watcher can confirm, but I think even with the watermark it would have been acceptable for a cruise. Thank you for the update and it sure does suck the way this all turned out.

[Dwright826]

Just now, sparks1093 said:

Maybe @Ferry_Watcher can confirm, but I think even with the watermark it would have been acceptable for a cruise. Thank you for the update and it sure does suck the way this all turned out.

I've heard stories of this being accepted. That's why I was so hopeful. Especially with all of the talk of the terminal workers will do whatever they can to get you on that boat. I have a feeling if I would have made it into the terminal with it, the cruise would have happened.

[ninjacat123]

44 minutes ago, Dwright826 said:

Hey every one. I'm really sorry that I never updated you on this situation. When it rains it pours. It was the perfect storm. So Monday morning I got my DMV appointment and was first in line the moment it opened. My number was a001. There was hope. They told me temp d.l. do not have a picture but the MOTORCYCLE PERMIT DOES! Luckily I actually had this permit a few years back so all I had to do was redo it. Took all of 5 minutes. When they gave it to me, the dang picture had a water mark on it saying this document cannot be used as a form of identification. Crap. I was still going to give it a shot but wanted a back up. That's when I remember that I got a real id in Georgia a long time ago that doesn't expire until 2025. Little bit of google-foo and I Google was saying the Georgia was the first of a couple states to do virtual IDs. SCORE....or so I thought. So apple wallet has not started using virtual IDs yet. BUT Georgia has a dds app that has something similar. But without a picture. I was hoping that I would be able to use everything I've collected, along with a picture of my id I found on my phone. My hopes were pretty high. I told the kids I think I figured it out and we were on our way to long Beach by 10. This is where it gets good. ALL of our boarding passes, birth certificates, my phone, etc. We're in the bottom of my son's stroller. At some point while we were all going to the bathroom before heading into the terminal, I'm assuming my back or my wife's back was turned and someone snagged all the stuff from the bottom of the stroller. All hopes and dreams went straight out the window. Without all that and everything on my phone, there was no hope. I just got my phone replaced and am just now wanting to talk about what happened. It was a shot to the gut but a lesson learned. Thank you all for your help and advice. 😇

You were at the port terminal and another passenger stole everything from the bottom of a stroller?  OMG!  Did you get any sort of future cruise credit?  Sorry this happened!

[cruisingguy007]

Wow, sorry to hear that, I could only imagine the heartbreak for the family being left behind and having your vacation ruined like that. That's so awful. Thanks for updating everyone, we were all pulling for you. 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, Dwright826 said:

Hey every one. I'm really sorry that I never updated you on this situation. When it rains it pours. It was the perfect storm. So Monday morning I got my DMV appointment and was first in line the moment it opened. My number was a001. There was hope. They told me temp d.l. do not have a picture but the MOTORCYCLE PERMIT DOES! Luckily I actually had this permit a few years back so all I had to do was redo it. Took all of 5 minutes. When they gave it to me, the dang picture had a water mark on it saying this document cannot be used as a form of identification. Crap. I was still going to give it a shot but wanted a back up. That's when I remember that I got a real id in Georgia a long time ago that doesn't expire until 2025. Little bit of google-foo and I Google was saying the Georgia was the first of a couple states to do virtual IDs. SCORE....or so I thought. So apple wallet has not started using virtual IDs yet. BUT Georgia has a dds app that has something similar. But without a picture. I was hoping that I would be able to use everything I've collected, along with a picture of my id I found on my phone. My hopes were pretty high. I told the kids I think I figured it out and we were on our way to long Beach by 10. This is where it gets good. ALL of our boarding passes, birth certificates, my phone, etc. We're in the bottom of my son's stroller. At some point while we were all going to the bathroom before heading into the terminal, I'm assuming my back or my wife's back was turned and someone snagged all the stuff from the bottom of the stroller. All hopes and dreams went straight out the window. Without all that and everything on my phone, there was no hope. I just got my phone replaced and am just now wanting to talk about what happened. It was a shot to the gut but a lesson learned. Thank you all for your help and advice. 😇

Oh my, this sounds like an old Albert King blues song, If It Wasn't for Bad Luck, I'd Have No Luck at All.