Closed Loop Cruises has been updated

[cherylandtk]

Bren, Thanks for posting this. There are few stories of 'actual experience' and if you don't mind, may I ask a couple more questions:

 

1. Did the consul give a reason for the delay of two weeks? (IMO, if nobody was sick, there is no urgency shown by the consular agent). It sounds as if the red tape just took that long. Any idea what the biggest hold-up was?

 

2. Also, I have heard of one other case where someone with a passport on the ship had to wait to get the original passport back instead of getting a new or temporary one issued. Do you know what happened in the case of this one young man who had his on the ship? Did he get his old one or did he get a new one?

 

3. Did the young folks have to wait for birth certificates to be sent to them, or was it handled in the US? (Parents sent BC's to State dept who sent OK to consular agent) I presume the BC's were also on the ship, not in hand.

 

Thanks for any other details you can provide regarding this situation.

 

FWIW, I am mystified why so many people suggest getting a passport and then leaving that passport in the safe in port. I do think having the passport copy or a BC will get you faster processing; but we only have a few anecdotal stories, such as this, and it is hard to generalize with so little actual data.

[CruiserBren]

I haven't talked to the parents as the "kids" just got home a week or so ago. Between work schedules and other committments, I haven't had time to get the details. I will post once I have the additional information.

 

Since this was the first I knew of someone getting left at the dock in Mexico, I just wanted to share that although we're being told we don't "need a passport", if something out of the ordinary happens you do need one to get back into the US, since you're then not on the cruiseship returning to the US.

 

My nephew is going with me on a cruise in October and he just told me today, he's getting a passport "in case".

[bobsfamily]

FWIW, I am mystified why so many people suggest getting a passport and then leaving that passport in the safe in port.

I have never understood leaving it in the safe on the ship either... We always take ours with us off the ship. That's why you have one.

[Cruise, J.D.]

We just got back home from our cruise on the Glory. The CBP officer did not even ask to look at our ID or citizenship docs. He took our declaration form, asked us a few questions, and waived us on. I thought it was funny considering this thread.

[Warm Breezes]

We just got back home from our cruise on the Glory. The CBP officer did not even ask to look at our ID or citizenship docs. He took our declaration form, asked us a few questions, and waived us on. I thought it was funny considering this thread.

 

We just returned home from Carnival Freedom Sunday in Ft. Lauderdale. I handed the CBP officer our Birth Certificates and Drivers Licenses. He gave me a short lecture on getting Passports because "the law will be changing". He then took our declaration form and didn't even look at the Birth Certificates or Drivers Licenses - just gave them back to me. Took less than a minute for the 4 of us to go through without passports. We had no issues at any of the ports with just our Drivers Licenses and Sail and Sign Cards and it took us just as long to get our sail and sign card at embarkation as it did people with passports.

[bobsfamily]

He gave me a short lecture on getting Passports because "the law will be changing".

And if you had a passport you would not be hearing that lecture....

[TPKeller]

He gave me a short lecture on getting Passports because "the law will be changing".

Unless there have been very recent developments, his lecture was absolutely incorrect. It has taken nearly eight years of lawmaking and translating those laws into the rules that just took effect on June 1st. I am not aware of any current efforts to change either the laws or the rules as they are now.

 

Theron

[Synical Investor]

I have seen where people miss the ship, the passports are left at the dock with the local authorities. Perhaps the passports weren't being held by the ship for this cruise????

[Synical Investor]

I have never understood leaving it in the safe on the ship either... We always take ours with us off the ship. That's why you have one.

 

That is a bad idea, as if you get mugged, you lose your passport. Happens all the time. Best to carry a copy of it.

[bobsfamily]

That is a bad idea, as if you get mugged, you lose your passport. Happens all the time. Best to carry a copy of it.

Why do you think you get a passport? IF you get robbed, you were in the wrong place to begin with. A passport does no one any good anymore except you. The photo is part of the page, not "glued" to it, very hard for someone else to use yours with the embedded strip that has info about you.

I will ALWAYS carry my REAL passport with me. A copy is just that, a COPY. It is not your passport. I would think about putting a COPY of my passport in the safe on board.

[cherylandtk]

That is a bad idea, as if you get mugged, you lose your passport. Happens all the time. Best to carry a copy of it.

That's like buying a car and not driving it because you might get in an accident. Why on earth buy one if you are not going to use it for it's intended purpose?

[Warm Breezes]

And if you had a passport you would not be hearing that lecture....

Quite frankly, I ignored the lecture because I knew what the law was. We were still through customs in under a minute because he didn't even look at what I handed him.

[Synical Investor]

Why do you think you get a passport? IF you get robbed, you were in the wrong place to begin with. A passport does no one any good anymore except you. The photo is part of the page, not "glued" to it, very hard for someone else to use yours with the embedded strip that has info about you.

I will ALWAYS carry my REAL passport with me. A copy is just that, a COPY. It is not your passport. I would think about putting a COPY of my passport in the safe on board.

 

That has to be the most ridiculous comment I've ever read :rolleyes: Muggers prey on TOURISTS. It's NOT a matter of "being in the wrong place" :rolleyes: If my passport is in my purse, and they steal my purse, well, duh :rolleyes: pretty much my passport is gone. They don't take inventory before they run off. I don't think they "PLAN" on your passport being in your purse. GEESH :rolleyes: Oh, excuse me Mrs. Jones, I didn't mean to take your passport, here you go, your wallet, money, credit cards, that's sufficient......have a nice day now.

[Synical Investor]

That's like buying a car and not driving it because you might get in an accident. Why on earth buy one if you are not going to use it for it's intended purpose?

 

Ditto my above post to you too.

[cherylandtk]

OK, have it your way. You are focusing on a minor possibility as if it were something that happens to every cruise passenger at one time or another. Balderdash.

 

The purpose of a passport is an international ID and citizenship document. If you don't plan on using it as that, fine. Your choice. But the chances of needing to actually USE the passport are higher than getting mugged. Particularly when travelling on a cruise ship itinerary.

[bobsfamily]

OK, have it your way. You are focusing on a minor possibility as if it were something that happens to every cruise passenger at one time or another. Balderdash.

 

The purpose of a passport is an international ID and citizenship document. If you don't plan on using it as that, fine. Your choice. But the chances of needing to actually USE the passport are higher than getting mugged. Particularly when travelling on a cruise ship itinerary.

Amen... and by the way I have been in at least 20 different countries and have NEVER been mugged. I have been held up in Key West though....

[jondirk]

Amen... and by the way I have been in at least 20 different countries and have NEVER been mugged. I have been held up in Key West though....

 

I was held up there once to -- the traffic is horrible!

[CruiserBren]

So far, what I've been able to gather:

They needed birth certificates and ID, just as for a new passport. Original BC and PP was on the ship in the safe. Parents were applying to get "new" BC's which takes time. In some states you can walk into a local office and get it that day, but not all states. Parents had to overnight the docs(once they had them) to their kids, so they could apply at the Embassy, since the "kids" were adults. This all took time. BC's and PP from ship arrived within a day or so of "new" BC's.

Costs included hotel for the "kids", food, some new clothes (clothes were on the ship), airfare (to get the "kids" home), $97 for PP as well expediting costs.

A few years ago, I was in Cozumel and as we were going back to the ship there was an accident between a cruise passenger on a motor bike and a taxi. Police were there taking reports etc, person on motor bike kept saying, "I need to get on my ship, I need to get on my ship!!" I don't know what happened in this case, just saying it happened as we were walking to the ship.

So back to the original question, "do you need a passport"? No, Homeland Security says we only need a BC and state issued photo ID to travel by ship. IF, and that's a big IF, something happens you're on your own to get the docs you need to get home, as well as the added expenses. With one to three ships in any given port of call on a day, that's between 2000 and 6000 people a day in a port. Anything can happen. Is it worth the $100 upfront for peace of mind?

 

1. Did the consul give a reason for the delay of two weeks? (IMO, if nobody was sick, there is no urgency shown by the consular agent). It sounds as if the red tape just took that long. Any idea what the biggest hold-up was?

 

2. Also, I have heard of one other case where someone with a passport on the ship had to wait to get the original passport back instead of getting a new or temporary one issued. Do you know what happened in the case of this one young man who had his on the ship? Did he get his old one or did he get a new one?

 

3. Did the young folks have to wait for birth certificates to be sent to them, or was it handled in the US? (Parents sent BC's to State dept who sent OK to consular agent) I presume the BC's were also on the ship, not in hand.

 

[cherylandtk]

Bren,

Thanks so very much for getting the details on this. Two new details you provided are 1) they were charged the expedite fee and 2) they (or at least one) were issued new passports even though they had passport(s) on the ship.

 

An interesting point is that it took almost as much time (~ two weeks) to get the existing passport back to Cozumel as it did for a)obtaining new copies of BC, b)overnight to Cozumel, c)visit consular agent to apply for passport, and d)get new passport. Does not say much for the speed or urgency of the cruise line. It also puts to rest the myth that the passport or docs from the room or safe will be waiting on the dock for the absent passengers.

 

Thanks again for giving us the details on this matter; FWIW I have travelled with a passport for nearly 40 years. I usually did not take it with me into port, but considering what happened to these young men, it would be well worth it to re-consider carrying that passport. That alone saves two weeks of time and expense.

 

Cheryl

[Synical Investor]

OK, have it your way. You are focusing on a minor possibility as if it were something that happens to every cruise passenger at one time or another. Balderdash.

 

The purpose of a passport is an international ID and citizenship document. If you don't plan on using it as that, fine. Your choice. But the chances of needing to actually USE the passport are higher than getting mugged. Particularly when travelling on a cruise ship itinerary.

 

So, you are saying that you've never heard of any cruise ship passengers being mugged, robbed, losing a purse or whatever? They are immune because they are cruise ship passengers? :confused: Ever been to Rio?

 

Quite frankly, I'd say the chances are less than equal of needing to use it while off ship as opposed to losing it or having it stolen ;)

[Synical Investor]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=2090

 

Closer to home than I figured I'd have to look :D

 

 

"I am one of the 17," Cruise Critic member bluebonnet posts on the Carnival forum. "It was myself, my mom and two daughters 12 and 24 on this Carnival-sponsored tour to the Lethe Village. It was a fabulous tour up to the point of gunpoint. We had been turned over to an elderly driver of the tractor pulled open air like trolley called a jitney. We had just come from the banana plantation and were headed to listen to some school age children sing for us.

 

 

Seventeen Carnival Conquest cruise passengers were robbed by two men in Jamaica's Montego Bay this past Wednesday. According to news reports, the men were armed; after demanding money from the group, they proceeded to search their pockets for cash, passports, ID's, cameras and other valuables.

[cherylandtk]

Actually, I have been to Rio, and Sao Paulo and about 5 other cities in South America. Still have not been mugged or successfully pickpocketed. And if you think your chances of being mugged are higher than your chances of missing the ship, then you are entitled to think that. I hope neither one ever happens to you.

 

I do know the reports on this board are far more frequent of pax being left behind on the pier (weekly on Carnival alone) than being mugged (maybe twice a year). I also know that not every event makes it onto these boards, but I think the relative frequency is the same for both. For that reason, I think the chances of needing the passport on your person are such that it makes sense to take it with me. You do not have to agree.

[hdgmedic]

My DW and I booked a cruise last week, on a whim. I thought we needed passports. A few hundred bucks later (PP + PPC, photos) I discover they're not required (closed-loop cruise). I thought, "That sucks! I could have used that money for something else!" Now, after reading the possibilites of needing to fly back to the states, I think it was a good thing. I sure could have used that $300 to cover my drink bill, though. ;)

 

I will make sure I carry it off the ship. What good is it to you if you need it and it's sailing away? I did make sure we got passport cards in case we lost our passports in a port. What can I say? The boy scout in me. Be prepared!

[bobsfamily]

My DW and I booked a cruise last week, on a whim. I thought we needed passports. A few hundred bucks later (PP + PPC, photos) I discover they're not required (closed-loop cruise). I thought, "That sucks! I could have used that money for something else!" Now, after reading the possibilites of needing to fly back to the states, I think it was a good thing. I sure could have used that $300 to cover my drink bill, though. ;)

 

I will make sure I carry it off the ship. What good is it to you if you need it and it's sailing away? I did make sure we got passport cards in case we lost our passports in a port. What can I say? The boy scout in me. Be prepared!

Wise SMART idea!!! Good for you. And yes I understand about the drink bill, but the bill for getting a passport overseas can be high!

[Synical Investor]

Actually, I have been to Rio, and Sao Paulo and about 5 other cities in South America. Still have not been mugged or successfully pickpocketed. And if you think your chances of being mugged are higher than your chances of missing the ship, then you are entitled to think that. I hope neither one ever happens to you.

 

I do know the reports on this board are far more frequent of pax being left behind on the pier (weekly on Carnival alone) than being mugged (maybe twice a year). I also know that not every event makes it onto these boards, but I think the relative frequency is the same for both. For that reason, I think the chances of needing the passport on your person are such that it makes sense to take it with me. You do not have to agree.

 

Actually we did get pickpocketed in Rio, after taking all normal precautions and being advised repeatedly. Those folks are pretty smoothe.

 

In any event, I don't plan on my car being stolen either, but, wouldn't leave the title in the glove box ;)

 

Have a good day :)