Seeking clarification on passport requirements with a sort of specific question!

[SeaShark]

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Yeah…looks like it’s clearly stated, passports are needed to go through the canal.

 

I may have missed it, but I'm not seeing where it is stated about "through" the canal

[graphicguy]

Just now, SeaShark said:

 

I may have missed it, but I'm not seeing where it is stated about "through" the canal

Meant through the canal area.

[Turtles06]

FWIW, this "official tourism guide" for ColOmbia (folks, please note the correct spelling 🙂) says this on its page called "Your guide to Caribbean cruises that stop in Colombia":

 

What do you need to travel on a cruise?

Have all your documents ready before you board, including your passport, visa, vaccination certificates and any other paperwork you may require.

Passport

You need a valid passport to visit Colombia and passports must be valid for at least six months after the date your cruise docks in the country.

 

https://colombia.travel/en/encanto/your-guide-caribbean-cruises-stop-in-colombia#:~:text=You need a valid passport,cruise docks in the country.

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

I just don't understand the aversion to getting one.

When I worked for Megacorp, occasionally out of the blue a person would be sent to some undesirable foreign country to have boots on the ground for some kind of "emergency."  I didn't need a passport for personal travel and purposely didn't have one so that if that tap on the shoulder came I could just say "but I don't have a passport."   I did get one a few months after retiring and have had one ever since.

[Anashoo]

It is a giant chunk of change if you are doing multiples, we just renewed 4, 2 of them child with slightly lower fees, and it was still about $500. The kids will need new ones in 5 years, too, not 10. I think we are one of the very few in our large extended families that have them, and that all started from being a military family and moving overseas after being stationed near a border we crossed occasionally on leave. No one else travels that much, many are low income, and yeah the US is a big place most haven’t even been to the other side of, so there’s that, too. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Anashoo

[jimsig]

36 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

The State Dept really needs to get its act together and speed things up. (I am fortunate in that my office is mere steps from a passport office that can do same-day issuance of passports)

One of the reasons for the backlog is due to C19.  A lot of people didn't bother renewing as they knew they were not going to be travelling internationally either due to personal choices or their work stopped all international travel.  So on top of the normal renewals there are 2-3 years of late renewals and brand new applicants putting a strain on the system. They are getting around half a million passport applications every week and last year they issued 22 million passports and are on track to break that this year.  Unfortunately they can only do so much with what they have for people but they have apparently authorized OT and are opening new passport offices.  For renewals they have a pilot program so that you will soon be able to do it online after it's fully tested if eligible.

 

At the end of 2021 I had to renew my DD passport.  But the first reason was not to travel but so we could see Hamilton on Broadway as not only were they requiring everyone to be vaxed but anyone either 10 or 12 years or older to have a photo ID.  It could have been a school ID but her school doesn't issue them. We ended up booking Bos to Bermuda 2 weeks before the cruise last April.   

[davencl]

29 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

When I worked for Megacorp, occasionally out of the blue a person would be sent to some undesirable foreign country to have boots on the ground for some kind of "emergency."  I didn't need a passport for personal travel and purposely didn't have one so that if that tap on the shoulder came I could just say "but I don't have a passport."   I did get one a few months after retiring and have had one ever since.

Sadly that strategy didn't work me.  Megacorp sent me to the Seattle passport office to get an emergency 24hr passport...   🙂 🙂   At least this was on their time and paid all my expenses.  Regarding this topic.  I would never travel without a passport for all the reasons stated.

Edited March 28, 2023 by davencl

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, Panhandle Couple said:

I believe there was a thread here last week or so on the disembarkation at LA from a canal cruise.

 

It seems Columbia and Panama are 2 countries that Customs considers mandatory old style screening when getting off the ship back in US.  Even if NCL (or any other cruise line) lets you on w/o a passport, you are not getting back into USA without one.

 

That could be a problem.

No...if the cruise line were to mistakenly let you cruise without a passport (BTW that is extremely unlikely) USCBP would not deny you reentry to the country. Your documentation would be examined carefully, you'll be chastised and questioned but you will be allowed to reenter. If anyone is going to get in trouble it's the cruise line, not you.  

[Homosassa]

OP,

 

It is time for your friends to face facts:

 

They need a passport for this cruise. 

 

No use arguing what is or isn't on the website or what NCL employees might answer to a random question on an information line, the information that a passport was required would have been included in the booking confirmation.

 

It was (and still is) their responsibility to have all required documents at the time of embarkation They won't get past port side check in without them.

 

Depending on how far out you are from the cruise, various penalties will attach to cancellation or being refused passage because of improper documentation.  Read the NCL Terms and Conditions and Ticket Contract for the specific details applicable to your cruise.

 

If there is no way they can obtain a passport, they need to call NCL if they did their own booking or their travel agent to notify NCL that they are canceling their cruise.

 

If you are within a certain time period before the cruise, they will lose their money. However, there is a slim chance that they will be given a credit to use the funds to book a cruise in a specified time period.

 

 

[DCGuy64]

35 minutes ago, jimsig said:

One of the reasons for the backlog is due to C19

That is certainly true, although State was still deluged even prior to C19. I'm afraid that CC rules about discussing politics prevent me from saying what I really think about this subject. I am just glad that in my case, I started 8 months before my then-current passport was scheduled to expire. We had a trip planned for late August 2021 and I was worried about my passport being within the 6-month validity period to travel. As it was, I was glad I got my passport as quickly as I did. A friend of mine had planned a trip with his wife and her application took about 4 months!

[UKstages]

39 minutes ago, jimsig said:

Unfortunately they can only do so much with what they have for people but they have apparently authorized OT and are opening new passport offices. 

 

5 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

That is certainly true, although State was still deluged even prior to C19.

 

the real problem is that they let staff go during the heart of the pandemic due to lack of demand for passports and are only now rehiring and staffing up.

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, UKstages said:

the real problem is that they let staff go during the heart of the pandemic due to lack of demand for passports and are only now rehiring and staffing up.

That is correct.

[graphicguy]

4 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

I was curious, so I looked it up.  Only 38% of US Citizens have a valid passport.

I'm betting that percentage is 2.5X that number if only looking at the cruiser portion of that statistic.

[gigem_aggies]

Well, our friends have decided to cancel as they just don't feel like they have enough time to get their passport.  This was a last minute booking (yesterday), so they were able to get a full refund, thankfully.

I will say this though--the wording from NCL's website and the vagueness of their agents when asked for specific requirements for this sailing are an issue.  This is specifically listed as a Caribbean cruise on both the NCL site and on the booking confirmation.  I realize that the Caribbean covers a wide range of areas, but then NCL should update their wording on the Travel Documents page they keep referring guests to so as not to lump all of the Caribbean in with birth certificates as an acceptable form of documentation.  If there are ports on Caribbean sailings that require a passport for travel, then the below photo is NOT accurate information.  

And, we always travel with passports and I'm not debating the importance of having them.  In this particular instance there wasn't enough time for our friends to renew as it was a last minute booking for them.

[graphicguy]

OP...So, the cruise you were inquiring about sails May 1.  That falls under their 31-60 days cancellation fee policy.  Your friends gave up 75% of their cruise fare.  Not sure what they told you, but they did not get a full refund.

[gigem_aggies]

They booked yesterday.  Because it was less than 24 hours NCL waived the cancellation fees.  They absolutely did receive a full refund.  

[ggTexasGal]

1 minute ago, gigem_aggies said:

They booked yesterday.  Because it was less than 24 hours NCL waived the cancellation fees.  They absolutely did receive a full refund.  

That's good news that they were protected by the under 24 hours rule!

[hallux]

24 minutes ago, gigem_aggies said:

I will say this though--the wording from NCL's website and the vagueness of their agents when asked for specific requirements for this sailing are an issue.  This is specifically listed as a Caribbean cruise on both the NCL site and on the booking confirmation

Part of the issue here is that NCL doesn't call out Colombia in the travel documents page, and it should be for just these circumstances.  Ultimately it falls on the passenger to understand the rules for travel to the countries they wish to visit.  While I'm sure NCL has people monitoring things, the government of Belize could decide tomorrow that a passport is required for cruise travel to that country but the NCL site may not be updated until a week from when the decision is made.  That puts people relying on the cruise line to inform them of these requirements in a bind.

[graphicguy]

You're better than me.  I wasn't even aware of any "24 hour rule".  

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule

 

If so, "buon per loro....il mio rispetto"

[UKstages]

 

1 hour ago, gigem_aggies said:

This is specifically listed as a Caribbean cruise on both the NCL site and on the booking confirmation. 

 

i hear ya... and you're right.

 

it is vague and confusing.

 

for the record, they also show a lobster in their photos for "free at sea" dining and there ain't no "free" lobster at "free at sea" specialty dining restaurants. 

 

11 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I wasn't even aware of any "24 hour rule".  

 

there is such a thing as the "24 hour rule," but it's imposed by the department of transportation and it applies to air travel. you have 24 hours in which to cancel your reservation for a full refund. NCL may make the whole thing cancelable within 24 hours if there is air travel attached to the reservation.

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

That puts people relying on the cruise line to inform them of these requirements in a bind.

I would be very surprised indeed if NCL's lawyers didn't insert some verbiage into the T&C's saying it's ultimately the cruise passenger's responsibility to familiarize him/herself with the entry requirements. Oh, and glad to hear the OP's friends got their money back!

Edited March 28, 2023 by DCGuy64

[ggTexasGal]

Indeed: (When you "Check-In" you agree that you have read and understand their documents!)

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Guests are advised to carefully read and review the terms and conditions of the Guest Ticket Contract set forth below which affect your legal rights and are binding. The Guest’s attention is specifically directed to SECTION 6 (Limitations and DISCLAIMERS OF LIABILITY), SECTION 8 (LIABILITY LIMITATION FOR BAGGAGE AND VALUABLES), SECTION 11 (TIME LIMITations FOR ACTIONS, MANDATORY ARBITRATION FOR CERTAIN CLAIMS AND WAIVER OF CLASS ACTIONS) and SECTION 15 (VENUE AND GOVERNING LAW).
GUESTS ARE ALSO ADVISED TO CAREFULLY READ AND REVIEW SECTION 4 AND CARRIER’S WEBSITE AT HTTPS://WWW.NCL.COM/SAFE WHICH CONTAIN IMPORTANT TERMS, CONDITIONS, POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND COVID-19.
ACCEPTANCE OR USE OF THIS CONTRACT SHALL CONSTITUTE THE AGREEMENT OF GUEST TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

[The Traveling Man]

8 hours ago, gigem_aggies said:

11 day sailing on the Joy that is listed as a CARIBBEAN sailing.  It makes a stop in Panama, but does NOT go through the canal.  It is a US closed loop sailing.  

NCL's travel documentation page says a birth certificate and government ID is acceptable for US closed loop Caribbean cruises, which is what this is listed as.  However, for Panama CANAL cruises, a passport is required.

Of course, we always travel with a passport, but part of our party booked this cruise and specifically looked to see if a passport was required because they do not have them.

So, seeking clarification here--is a passport required? You can see below how the cruise we booked is listed as a Caribbean cruise while the Panama Canal cruises are listed as that.  And, then the passport requirements page from NCL.

*Also, I KNOW the importance of traveling with a passport and have expressed that to the rest of our party.*  That's not my question though.  🙂  

We were on a similar itinerary on the Sky in February.  Once on board the ship, an announcement was made that we must have a passport if we wanted to go ashore in Panama.  We took a tour there, but no one in Panama, either going or coming back to the ship, asked to see our passports.  Once we returned to Miami, however, everyone on board, whether they went ashore in Panama or not, were required to show their passports and go through a CBP checkpoint.  It took us about an hour and a half from the time we got off the ship until we got to the Customs officer.

[The Traveling Man]

7 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

I was curious, so I looked it up.  Only 38% of US Citizens have a valid passport.

I wonder what percentage of US citizens have ever traveled outside of the US.

[Panhandle Couple]

6 hours ago, njhorseman said:

No...if the cruise line were to mistakenly let you cruise without a passport (BTW that is extremely unlikely) USCBP would not deny you reentry to the country. Your documentation would be examined carefully, you'll be chastised and questioned but you will be allowed to reenter. If anyone is going to get in trouble it's the cruise line, not you.  

Yes, but the 6 hours in detention, and the body cavity searches are not desirable.