Here's why you should get a passport.

[insureman]

Local Rhode Island family's children stuck in Cozumel. Another reason to have a passport. News link below.

Rhode Island children stranded in Mexico after medical emergency https://turnto10.com/news/local/rho...ort-travel-southern-new-england-april-22-2024

 

[Lewisc]

The article was updated. The US Embassy is working with the family. They may be flying home as early as Tuesday.

There is a process to accomodate US citizens who don't have a passport. Citizens with passport will be able to fly home a few days earlier

 

[auntlynne]

The article was updated. The US Embassy is working with the family. They may be flying home as early as Tuesday.

There is a process to accomodate US citizens who don't have a passport. Citizens with passport will be able to fly home a few days earlier

It still is less trouble and delay if you have a passport. A stolen passport can be replaced same day if you can get to a consulate. Even that requires jumping through hoops - and paying in the local currency. Starting from scratch? Hope you have your documents, photos, and cash.

 

[Travel60]

If you can afford to cruise, you can afford a passport.

 

[mjkacmom]

If you can afford to cruise, you can afford a passport.

To be fair, our first family cruise was a 3 day DCL to the Bahamas, we got passports, $1000 for our family of 7. Definitely not worth it, especially since 5 were kid passports and expired in 5 years. A family with 5 young kids usually doesn’t partake in a lot of international travel. These kids will get back, just like others who didn’t have passports.

 

[insureman]

The article was updated. The US Embassy is working with the family. They may be flying home as early as Tuesday.

There is a process to accomodate US citizens who don't have a passport. Citizens with passport will be able to fly home a few days earlier

It's still a big hassle. They actually had to get their Congressional representatives involved.

 

[insureman]

To be fair, our first family cruise was a 3 day DCL to the Bahamas, we got passports, $1000 for our family of 7. Definitely not worth it, especially since 5 were kid passports and expired in 5 years. A family with 5 young kids usually doesn’t partake in a lot of international travel. These kids will get back, just like others who didn’t have passports.

They will get back but at what cost. The Mexican local authorities will likely charge the family for accommodations during the period they are waiting plus the stress on the parents and children. It's peace of mind just like travel insurance.

 

[mjkacmom]

They will get back but at what cost. The Mexican local authorities will likely charge the family for accommodations during the period they are waiting plus the stress on the parents and children. It's peace of mind just like travel insurance.

Depending on the policy, insurance might cover the cost of accommodations and return flight. We always get insurance mostly for costly health care emergencies.

 

[DnA2010]

Wow, I didn't realize people actually cruise without passports?! I hope they can get it sorted.

 

[mjkacmom]

Wow, I didn't realize people actually cruise without passports?! I hope they can get it sorted.

I’ve seen the percentage of 50% of US citizens cruise without passports since they aren’t necessary for closed loop cruises. I assume they all made it back.

 

[DnA2010]

I’ve seen the percentage of 50% of US citizens cruise without passports since they aren’t necessary for closed loop cruises. I assume they all made it back.

Being from Canada, and always travelling with a passport, I never realized you could cruise and go to other countries in the ports without having one!

 

[insureman]

An update that was just on the local news. They might be coming home Thursday. Also the 8 year old boy is on some type of epilepsy medication
Update on the update. They might be on a plane tonight. Seems like the news is confused as usual .

 

[anricat]

This happened to a family once when we were on the Magic. I suddenly heard blood curdling screaming on deck 2. A woman was running down the hall with a girl in her arms screaming for help. It was the most terrifying thing I've ever heard. Some other passengers helped her get down to deck 1 and I also called on the stateroom phone for help. She was on our Facebook group and told us about it later. Her daughter started suddenly having seizures. They got off in Nassau. They didn't have passports and it was a massive headache getting home on top of dealing with having a child in a foreign hospital. She said they really regretted not having them. Her daughter was fine. It was some kind of puberty-onset epilepsy. Doc said the seizures would stop in a few years.

 

[tvguy]

To be fair, our first family cruise was a 3 day DCL to the Bahamas, we got passports, $1000 for our family of 7. Definitely not worth it, especially since 5 were kid passports and expired in 5 years. A family with 5 young kids usually doesn’t partake in a lot of international travel. These kids will get back, just like others who didn’t have passports.

Our kids all had Passports by age 3. In the end the Passports got used more for things at home, like enrolling them in school, sports and when their got their driver's licenses, so definitely worth is in the big picture.

 

[kdonnel]

Here is my cruise medical emergency / passport story.

My family and the in-laws spent half a week in Los Angeles prior to getting on a DCL Mexican Riviera cruise back in 2008.

During our time in LA my mother in law was apparently sick but didn't want to be a bother so she just powered on. Keep in mind there are thousands of doctors in LA, dozens of hospitals, and hundreds of after hour clinics.

I think it was day 4 of the cruise in Acapulco Mexico when she woke up unable to easily swallow. She ended up in a hospital that catered to tourists, with a recommendation of surgery to clear an infection in her salivary glands that had progressed to a life threatening point because she did not want to be a bother back in LA.

We were not sure what was going to happen in the morning so I went with the kids to do the planned shore excursion while my wife and father in law went with my mother in law to the hospital arranged by DCL.

I came back to the ship after the shore excursion to find my wife packing up our cabin. We were all getting off in Acapulco. The mother in law was in surgery and expected to spend 2-3 days in recovery.

DCL had come and collected our passports and given them to the port agent who was getting us admitted to Mexico. I have never gone through customs and immigration before without going through customs and immigration personally but that is what happened that day. The process was much less stressful since we all had passports.

DCL helped us find a hotel, we ended up at an all inclusive, and I remember walking to the ocean at the resort to watch the Disney Magic sailaway. It was pirate night.

We ended up flying home the same day we would have arrived home from the cruise.

Not only should have have passports but you should also have trip insurance.

In my case I did not so I was out the cost of the resort, the airline change fees, and missed out on the last 3 nights of the cruise.

My in laws were out many of thousands. The hospital required payment up front of $7,000. They of course also spent another $2000 or so on the resort and airline change fees.

When they got back home they filed a claim with the health insurance. Kaiser Permanente told them they should have negotiated better and would only pay what they believe they would have been able to negotiate which was $500.

My mother in law has not learned her lesson and continues to try to not be a bother which most times ends up being a much bigger problem.

 

[mjkacmom]

Our kids all had Passports by age 3. In the end the Passports got used more for things at home, like enrolling them in school, sports and when their got their driver's licenses, so definitely worth is in the big picture.

lol I had no difficulty enrolling my kids in school, sports or getting drivers licenses without passports. At one point only two had them because they traveled internationally every year for a time period.

 

[tvguy]

lol I had no difficulty enrolling my kids in school, sports or getting drivers licenses without passports. At one point only two had them because they traveled internationally every year for a time period.

No, a birth certificate will also work, but it is a much more fragile document than a Passport. Our birth certificates stay locked up in the safe deposit box at the bank.

 

[Flip flops in winter]

Here is my cruise medical emergency / passport story.

My family and the in-laws spent half a week in Los Angeles prior to getting on a DCL Mexican Riviera cruise back in 2008.

During our time in LA my mother in law was apparently sick but didn't want to be a bother so she just powered on. Keep in mind there are thousands of doctors in LA, dozens of hospitals, and hundreds of after hour clinics.

I think it was day 4 of the cruise in Acapulco Mexico when she woke up unable to easily swallow. She ended up in a hospital that catered to tourists, with a recommendation of surgery to clear an infection in her salivary glands that had progressed to a life threatening point because she did not want to be a bother back in LA.

We were not sure what was going to happen in the morning so I went with the kids to do the planned shore excursion while my wife and father in law went with my mother in law to the hospital arranged by DCL.

I came back to the ship after the shore excursion to find my wife packing up our cabin. We were all getting off in Acapulco. The mother in law was in surgery and expected to spend 2-3 days in recovery.

DCL had come and collected our passports and given them to the port agent who was getting us admitted to Mexico. I have never gone through customs and immigration before without going through customs and immigration personally but that is what happened that day. The process was much less stressful since we all had passports.

DCL helped us find a hotel, we ended up at an all inclusive, and I remember walking to the ocean at the resort to watch the Disney Magic sailaway. It was pirate night.

We ended up flying home the same day we would have arrived home from the cruise.

Not only should have have passports but you should also have trip insurance.

In my case I did not so I was out the cost of the resort, the airline change fees, and missed out on the last 3 nights of the cruise.

My in laws were out many of thousands. The hospital required payment up front of $7,000. They of course also spent another $2000 or so on the resort and airline change fees.

When they got back home they filed a claim with the health insurance. Kaiser Permanente told them they should have negotiated better and would only pay what they believe they would have been able to negotiate which was $500.

My mother in law has not learned her lesson and continues to try to not be a bother which most times ends up being a much bigger problem.

I have to say, this has compelled me to buy trip insurance from now on. I have always gone without because healthcare is SO MUCH CHEAPER in other countries. I figured I could pay easily pay if someone has a medical emergency. I am legit shocked to see the hospital in MX charged her $7k, I was thinking more like $700 honestly, which more closely aligns with Kaiser's estimate of $500.

 

[Flip flops in winter]

lol I had no difficulty enrolling my kids in school, sports or getting drivers licenses without passports. At one point only two had them because they traveled internationally every year for a time period.

I just had to show ID for my 13 year old at the dermatologist yesterday - the only ID she has is her passport, which they copied. I don't know how they address kids that don't have a real ID. Maybe a birth certificate? I definitely don't want to hand that over to them.

 

[kdonnel]

I have to say, this has compelled me to buy trip insurance from now on. I have always gone without because healthcare is SO MUCH CHEAPER in other countries. I figured I could pay easily pay if someone has a medical emergency. I am legit shocked to see the hospital in MX charged her $7k, I was thinking more like $700 honestly, which more closely aligns with Kaiser's estimate of $500.

Maybe if she had gone to a local hospital it would have been cheaper but DCL arranged for her to go to a hospital that catered to western tourists.

But it would have all been avoided with a $10 antibiotic prescription back in Los Angeles prior to leaving the US.