Passport question and carnival triumph

[LocaRoja]

So 20/20 is doing a story on the Carnival Triumph and they said the reason the ship was towed all the way to Mobile instead of nearby Cozumel was because many passengers didn't have passports. Would they really let this drive the decision? Isn't that a risk folks take when traveling without a passport? Seems it would have been so much better to get the ship to land asap!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

So 20/20 is doing a story on the Carnival Triumph and they said the reason the ship was towed all the way to Mobile instead of nearby Cozumel was because many passengers didn't have passports. Would they really let this drive the decision? Isn't that a risk folks take when traveling without a passport? Seems it would have been so much better to get the ship to land asap!

I believe it was a small factor in the decision. From what I read, by the time they could get the towboats to it, it was 50/50 whether to actually tow it back to Mexico, or onward to Mobile. Mobile would be a better choice in this case.

 

[sayhello]

Everything I heard was that the wind direction was really the reason that pushed them to go to Mobile. Not that I'm sure they weren't happy not to have to deal with the passport issue, but that wasn't the main reason.

Sayhello

 

[ilovetexas]

So 20/20 is doing a story on the Carnival Triumph and they said the reason the ship was towed all the way to Mobile instead of nearby Cozumel was because many passengers didn't have passports. Would they really let this drive the decision? Isn't that a risk folks take when traveling without a passport? Seems it would have been so much better to get the ship to land asap!

My 13 year old is sitting here laughing at the absurdity of not only the 20/20 show but the Piers Morgan show that was on an hour ago as well. So much nonsense! The one woman that had to be taken off by the CG in order to get dialysis in Cozumel was being interviewed. There was a picture of her and her sister with their lifejackets on....both with smiles on their faces. The interviewer said "you are smiling in the picture but surely you couldn't have been smiling in those horrible conditions", or something to that effect.

WOW! Just in case the news isn't bad enough, let's see if the reporters can't make it worse! The reporters can't stand it when anyone has anything positive to say.

 

[dansamy]

By the time the decision was made to tow it back to port, the ship had drifted another 90 miles north. That made it pretty even steven between Mexico & Alabama for distance. Passport-less passengers & a full repair facility capable of handling the ship made Mobile the hands down winner. It's just a shame they missed Mardi Gras. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

 

[disneymarie]

There was a plan to charter a plane. On a closed loop cruise you only need birth certificate and driver license, kids birth certificates. So you cannot get through customs at a foreign air port. But getting the charter, you still need to enter the country to get on the flight. Mexican gov would have some say in it.

I was surprised to learn they actually towed it all the way to Mobile Alabama. there must have been issues with getting a charter in and out of Mexico.
I was on a plane an hr and half that last power when it shut down on the runway in Detroit. It has to be jump started. As the pilot was backing up he had to stop shortly when he learned a passenger was in the lav. Umm not saying who's kiddo...
So the plane would not restart.

For the hr and half, no air conditioning, toilets backing up smell, no power to flush them, people sick in all the bags from the heat and odor. I can't imagine how terrible it was in the inside cabins without lights, the lower decks with smells.
No fresh food, clean clothes ugh.

It is making me rethink a passport instead of a pass card to travel now!

Edited to change final destination. My BFF is cruising out of New Orleans this week, must have been in the brain.

 

[HeatherH]

There was a plan to charter a plane. On a closed loop cruise you only need birth certificate and driver license, kids birth certificates. So you cannot get through customs at a foreign air port. But getting the charter, you still need to enter the country to get on the flight. Mexican gov would have some say in it.

I was surprised to learn they actually towed it all the way to New Orleans. There must have been issues with getting a charter in and out of Mexico.
I was on a plane an hr and half that last power when it shut down on the runway in Detroit. It has to be jump started. As the pilot was backing up he had to stop shortly when he learned a passenger was in the lav. Umm not saying who's kiddo...
So the plane would not restart.

For the hr and half, no air conditioning, toilets backing up smell, no power to flush them, people sick in all the bags from the heat and odor. I can't imagine how terrible it was in the inside cabins without lights, the lower decks with smells.
No fresh food, clean clothes ugh.

It is making me rethink a passport instead of a pass card to travel now!

They didn't tow to New Orleans, they towed to Mobile, Alabama.

Yes, it would have been more of a customs issue with Mexico, but currents helped the decision to head to Mobile.

And yes, the news is full of ridiculous hyperbole and misstatements. No doubt it was a horrible experience, but the news coverage is typical hype.

 

[mdsoccermom]

There was a plan to charter a plane. On a closed loop cruise you only need birth certificate and driver license, kids birth certificates. So you cannot get through customs at a foreign air port. But getting the charter, you still need to enter the country to get on the flight. Mexican gov would have some say in it.

I was surprised to learn they actually towed it all the way to Mobile Alabama. there must have been issues with getting a charter in and out of Mexico.
I was on a plane an hr and half that last power when it shut down on the runway in Detroit. It has to be jump started. As the pilot was backing up he had to stop shortly when he learned a passenger was in the lav. Umm not saying who's kiddo...
So the plane would not restart.

For the hr and half, no air conditioning, toilets backing up smell, no power to flush them, people sick in all the bags from the heat and odor. I can't imagine how terrible it was in the inside cabins without lights, the lower decks with smells.
No fresh food, clean clothes ugh.

It is making me rethink a passport instead of a pass card to travel now!

Edited to change final destination. My BFF is cruising out of New Orleans this week, must have been in the brain.

They towed it to Mobile because the ship was pushed north making it equal distance from both Mexico and Mobile. It made more sense to push on towards Mobile due to the current and the 900 fools who left the country without a passport. You need a passport to re-enter the United States by air.

Yes, I said it. Fools. That is exactly what a person is if they travel to a foreign country without the proper documentation to get them on a plane if needed

 

[rigs32]

I understand the initial cost of a passport seems high, but it lasts for TEN years. It just seems like a no brainer to me. I also use mine as ID when I fly domestically and I've never been tapped for random secondary screening. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

 

[jodifla]

I understand the initial cost of a passport seems high, but it lasts for TEN years. It just seems like a no brainer to me. I also use mine as ID when I fly domestically and I've never been tapped for random secondary screening. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Kids passports only last for 5 years, though.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Everything I heard was that the wind direction was really the reason that pushed them to go to Mobile. Not that I'm sure they weren't happy not to have to deal with the passport issue, but that wasn't the main reason.

Sayhello

Not only the wind but the currents were moving northly. To tow the massive 102,000 ton vessel agianist the wind and current would have reduced its speed big time. The logistical action was to go north.

Of course, that kind of factual news wouldn't give 20/020 better sentationalized ratings!

 

[deserrai]

I heard the same, that they had drifted before they actually were able to start towing and that is why they went to Mobile.

 

[allison443]

I understand the initial cost of a passport seems high, but it lasts for TEN years. It just seems like a no brainer to me. I also use mine as ID when I fly domestically and I've never been tapped for random secondary screening. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

I agree. I am surprised people don't opt to get passports for cruising.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

They towed it to Mobile because the ship was pushed north making it equal distance from both Mexico and Mobile. It made more sense to push on towards Mobile due to the current and the 900 fools who left the country without a passport. You need a passport to re-enter the United States by air.

Yes, I said it. Fools. That is exactly what a person is if they travel to a foreign country without the proper documentation to get them on a plane if needed

Why are they fools? It's not required.

 

[North of Mouse]

They towed it to Mobile because the ship was pushed north making it equal distance from both Mexico and Mobile. It made more sense to push on towards Mobile due to the current and the 900 fools who left the country without a passport. You need a passport to re-enter the United States by air.

Yes, I said it. Fools. That is exactly what a person is if they travel to a foreign country without the proper documentation to get them on a plane if needed

Fools? Hardly! It is not required, and you cannot *prepare* for *every* contingency!

We have them because dh needed them to travel for work, and I wanted to be sure I had one in case, worse case scenario, I would need to join him quickly. Have never used it, but glad to have it. Necessary? Absolutely not, as I have no plans to leave the country again. I *will* keep mine renewed now though, for travel to Canada occasionally. Didn't need it for travel there when I got it.

 

[Darcy03231]

Why are they fools? It's not required.

I'm in the camp of never setting foot outside the US without a passport, even if its not required. What if there is a medical emergency and you need to stay in the country you stopped in? What if you miss the ship? What if the ship breaks down in a foreign port? What if there is an emergency at home and you have the leave the ship to fly home? All of these things have happened to cruise passengers.

Too many things can go wrong when you travel and not having a passport is not one of the things I want to worry about, not to mention having to spend extra time trying to get through the red tape when you may need to get home ASAP.

 

[allison443]

I'm in the camp of never setting foot outside the US without a passport, even if its not required. What if there is a medical emergency and you need to stay in the country you stopped in? What if you miss the ship? What if the ship breaks down in a foreign port? What if there is an emergency at home and you have the leave the ship to fly home? All of these things have happened to cruise passengers.

Too many things can go wrong when you travel and not having a passport is not one of the things I want to worry about, not to mention having to spend extra time trying to get through the red tape when you may need to get home ASAP.

This is how I feel. There are so many things you can't control when traveling (like this cruise ship breaking down) but I like to take whatever steps I can in advance to possibly avoid problems. The cruise ship could have just as easily broken down at a foreign port, right? So having a passport would have made things easier for me.
JMO though.

 

[Acklander]

I'm in the camp of never setting foot outside the US without a passport, even if its not required. What if there is a medical emergency and you need to stay in the country you stopped in? What if you miss the ship? What if the ship breaks down in a foreign port? What if there is an emergency at home and you have the leave the ship to fly home? All of these things have happened to cruise passengers.

Too many things can go wrong when you travel and not having a passport is not one of the things I want to worry about, not to mention having to spend extra time trying to get through the red tape when you may need to get home ASAP.

If this happens you go to the embassy and get an emergency passport. Not the ideal way to do it but it's not the big trauma that some make it out to be. Things work out in the end.

 

[mdsoccermom]

Why are they fools? It's not required.

Just because it's not required doesn't make it a wise idea. It's plain stupid to leave the country without proper documentation. You can't plan for every little thing, but a passport, the gold standard if ID, takes care of a whole lot.

I believe if you are planning a trip out of the country, you need to budget for a passport, more so than fish extenders or candy for the crew.

 

[Darcy03231]

If this happens you go to the embassy and get an emergency passport. Not the ideal way to do it but it's not the big trauma that some make it out to be. Things work out in the end.

Yes, but it isn't quite as easy as you make it sound. It can take days to process, depending on whether its on a weekend, holiday, etc.

My SIL was in France and her passport was stolen. While she was able to get it replaced through the embassy there was quite a bit of red tape and it took several days (happened over a weekend). It wasn't an issue for her because she was going to be there for a month, but for someone needing to get home quickly you can be delayed, which could be an issue.