Princes cruise line is the most unorganized cruising tgere is

[Don nix]

I was booked on a 14-day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale flew all the way down there got to the ship to board it and they would not let me on because I didn't have a passport so I was turned away and then come to find out after the fact they were wrong I could have went but nobody will take responsibility at all on this matter from the security people to the doc people to princess nobody will help me sad ain't it

[Woody14]

Couple of questions come to mind immediately are you a US citizen? was the cruise a closed loop (ie. return trip departing and leaving the same US port)?  how did you book (on your own, direct with a TA)?  Do any of the countries you are sailing to require a passport for entry?

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Don nix That's such an awful circumstance. The night before a cruise I'm always double, triple checking for all of my documents to ensure they don't accidentally get misplaced or left behind. After spending some much time and energy planning a cruise vacation, this is an absolute bummer you were denied boarding! What sort of documentation was acceptable other than a passport? What will you end up doing in Fort Lauderdale with all of this unexpected free time?

@Woody14 Those are all really good questions. I hope that this cruise guest wasn't denied boarding without a very factual reason. After flying all that distance to arrive there, it must be such a disappointment to find out you didn't have the proper documentation to get on board the ship!

Carnival Cruise Line recently sent out a notification on necessary documentation for two of its specified sailings. I wonder if this cruise guest was notified by Princess Cruises that this particular itinerary had some sort of specified exemption. 

[Redhawt05]

When you open the princess app or the medallion app..the first line at the top of the page ...required documents ...when you port anywhere other then USA or Mexico and Canada you are required to have a passport 

[3Sisters]

@Redhawt05 I'm glad you were able to locate the required documents area on the Medallion app. Usually, cruise lines are really good at telling you exactly what documentation you may need for embarkation. I'm bummed that @Don nix was unable to cruise but would imagine the necessary documentation was listed somewhere visible prior to the sail date. Have you ever cruised with a Princess Cruises MedallionClass experience before? The line's Medallion has by now been rolled out fleetwide as a wearable device that provides guests with a touchless experience and can potentially be personalized with logo customizations.  I think the technology is so great! 

[ombud]

On 4/4/2023 at 7:36 AM, Woody14 said:

Couple of questions come to mind immediately are you a US citizen? was the cruise a closed loop (ie. return trip departing and leaving the same US port)?  how did you book (on your own, direct with a TA)?  Do any of the countries you are sailing to require a passport for entry?

Well there's several Caribbean stops that require cruisers to have a passport for even though it might be a closed loop cruise. To name just a few: Panama inc Panama Canal, Barbados, Colombia, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, St. Bart’s, and Trinidad and Tobago. No passport / no boarding / my travel summary told me to bring mine.

@Don nix was the ship stopping at any of those?

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@ombud This is great feedback. I'm assuming that @Don nix was not permitted entry due to proper documentation that was likely notified as necessary ahead of time. It's quite a shame that the cruise was missed, but you can't blame Princess Cruises for staying true to its policies and procedures. I'm curious to hear more details about what exactly happened in Fort Lauderdale that day and how things unfolded.

[3Sisters]

@Redhawt05 For those of you who aren't salty with Princess Cruises, the cruise line is going out of its way to restructure one of its upcoming itineraries to give guests a full view of the solar eclipse. Emerald Princess will be modifying one of its itineraries this month truly soaking in this momentous occasion by even providing drinks and snacks for the event! It's definitely going to be an unforgettable evening onboard the ship.

[euroguy]

I can't say anything regarding Princess nor many of the Caribbean ports but I can say that with Carnival doing a mexico riviera cruise on West Coast which is a closed loop cruise it is recommended to have a passport however if you have a certified copy of your birth certificate and a valid state ID you are allowed to cruise. Me personally I carry a passport which is easier to get through customs and God forbid something happens on foreign soil I have easy proof of citizenship and can get into a U.S. consulat or embassy.

[3Sisters]

@euroguy Thanks for sharing this supporting information. I agree that having your passport is just the more secure form of documentation, and allows you to ensure the documentation will be valid and accepted everywhere. I would imagine that not having the proper documentation would be very upsetting, especially if you are denied boarding, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Having more forms of documentation is better than having fewer. Based on @Don nix comment above, I will always be cruising with my passport from now on! It must have been so frustrating to fly all the way to Fort Lauderdale to then not get on board.