Urgent Doc Problem

[shaq]

I still have not received my doc's for my Jan. 17 Noordam cruise. The TA I used told me they were sent first class mail. He told me there is nothing he can do about this. I spoke to Hal customer service today. They told me I can not request replacement doc's it has to come from the TA. The TA refuses to do this because he doesn't want to pay the fee. Hal also told me I will not be able to board the ship with out these doc's. Does anyone have any idea what to do?

[hammybee]

Board the ship without your docs.

 

The docs are a formality and unnecessary for boarding. Have your booking number and passport and you will have no problem at check in. It happens all the time. Passengers don't get the docs or they leave them at home in a safe place.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Seago2]

Ok, let's see... the first thing I would do is call a lawyer if it's a local TA- just because I am a lawyer myself and I find that miracles happen when I make calls for people. If it's just a matter of the TA generating new docs then that might work. I just got my docs for the same cruise a week ago- HAL put 123123 Maple Lane on them, instead of 123 Maple Lane. So DHL tried to deliver them to Maple Ave, Maple Road, etc, then figured out it was plain old "123" Maple Lane, looked it up, and of course the listing is in my maiden name, not the name the docs are in. Thank God someone from DHL called me, and thank GOD that I answered my home phone- a once a year event. DHL said the docs were headed back to HAL the next day!!! So check to make sure someone didn't address them incorrectly.

 

NMNita might be able to tell you what to do. She is usually on the NCL board. Try to find her, she'll know.

 

Good luck.

[Seago2]

Ok, let's see... the first thing I would do is call a lawyer if it's a local TA- just because I am a lawyer myself and I find that miracles happen when I make calls for people. If it's just a matter of the TA generating new docs then that might work. I just got my docs for the same cruise a week ago- HAL put 123123 Maple Lane on them, instead of 123 Maple Lane. So DHL tried to deliver them to Maple Ave, Maple Road, etc, then figured out it was plain old "123" Maple Lane, looked it up, and of course the listing is in my maiden name, not the name the docs are in. Thank God someone from DHL called me, and thank GOD that I answered my home phone- a once a year event. DHL said the docs were headed back to HAL the next day!!! So check to make sure someone didn't address them incorrectly.

 

NMNita might be able to tell you what to do. She is usually on the NCL board. Try to find her, she'll know.

 

Good luck.

[jtl513]

I still have not received my doc's for my Jan. 17 Noordam cruise. The TA I used told me they were sent first class mail. He told me there is nothing he can do about this. I spoke to Hal customer service today. They told me I can not request replacement doc's it has to come from the TA. The TA refuses to do this because he doesn't want to pay the fee. Hal also told me I will not be able to board the ship with out these doc's. Does anyone have any idea what to do?

 

I think you're panicing too soon ... give them another week!

 

Besides, I don't know who you talked to at HAL, but it has been said many times on this board that the doc's are merely a formality, and you can get on the ship without them. Go to the HAL site, "For Booked Guests" section and fill out the Immigration forms and print them. Bring them, your passports, and a credit card, and they'll let you on.

 

Of course if your plane and bus transfer vouchers are in the docs that would complicate things a bit! :D

[RuthC]

First and foremost---relax. If it's only the documents for the ship you have been given excellent advice. You can get on without them.

If you need vouchers for whatever purpose you should first find out when they were put in the mail. Remember, there was a long weekend followed by a national day of mourning with no mail delivery.

If they should have arrived by now contact the Post Office. There is a regulation about holding undeliverable mail for 10 days before it's returned that may be coming into play.

If it should have arrived and the Post Office doesn't have it then it's time to raise holy heck with the TA. He can initiate another set with HAL. Insist he do so.

If all of this fails then I'll just stay on and take your place on the next go-round. :D K?

[RuthC]

If you need to read it twice you may return to the prior post.

[Jsipes]

Pray... for cruise-critic intervention....

[jtl513]

If you need to read it twice you may return to the prior post.

 

LOL !! :D Love it! :D

[Bill S]

We were in the same "boat" (pardon the pun) for a South America HAL cruise and never did get our cruise docs! We had our booking confirmation doc from our TA with booking # and a print-out of our immigration form and had no trouble boarding. I cannot believe someone at HAL told you that you cannot board without your cruise docs. In fairness, maybe they were referring to having your proof of citizenship, eg. passport. I'll be the first to admit that it is nice to get your cruise docs by now, but you really don't need them.

I agree that you have plenty of time to still get your docs and also, you should consider finding a new TA-that is just an outrageous response to you as a paying customer.

Save your money---skip the lawyer bit-and have a great cruise! BTW, I'm a lawyer, too.

[Seago2]

Skip the lawyer bit? What blasphemy!

 

I have also boarded with e docs. I was definitely nervous but it was all good. Maybe they can generate those for you??

[Stevesan]

I still have not received my doc's for my Jan. 17 Noordam cruise. The TA I used told me they were sent first class mail. He told me there is nothing he can do about this. I spoke to Hal customer service today. They told me I can not request replacement doc's it has to come from the TA. The TA refuses to do this because he doesn't want to pay the fee. Hal also told me I will not be able to board the ship with out these doc's. Does anyone have any idea what to do?

 

You certainly won't use this travel agency again, will you?

[twinkletoes4445]

Ok, let's see... the first thing I would do is call a lawyer if it's a local TA- just because I am a lawyer myself and I find that miracles happen when I make calls for people. If it's just a matter of the TA generating new docs then that might work.

 

That is so true. I can't tell you how many times our attorney has resolved an issue with a phone call or a letter.

 

Once this is resolved, I'd also ditch the TA and find another one.

[shaq]

No I will not use this TA again. I'm also sorry that I gave him some new clients, but that I can change. I have used e-docs and they happen to be great for me. I never had a TA with such unprofessional attitude before. I would have used my regular TA but she retired and closed up shop last year.

 

So if any one has a good TA they can recomend to me, let me know at cultural2@aol.com

[mafig]

Who sent the docs first class mail? Not Holland, I don't believe. They've been sending their docs DHL, which, while slow, is also trackable.

 

Tell your TA you know you don't need the docs to board, but you WANT THEM!!! Just because they chose to send the docs to you by mail rather than by a "trackable" route is not your fault, it is theirs.

[Fatfish]

Who sent the docs first class mail? Not Holland, I don't believe. They've been sending their docs DHL, which, while slow, is also trackable.

 

Tell your TA you know you don't need the docs to board, but you WANT THEM!!! Just because they chose to send the docs to you by mail rather than by a "trackable" route is not your fault, it is theirs.

 

Yes, HAL sends them DHL to the TA but the TA can send then anyway they want & in this case it looks like they sent them Ist class mail.

[J&JCRUISE]

HAL does send docs by mail sometimes. I just received mine two weeks ago by mail.

[jtl513]

HAL does send docs by mail sometimes. I just received mine two weeks ago by mail.

 

And sometimes (when not using a TA) DHL brings your docs not to your door but to your local p.o. for the final delivery step! I got mine that way once.