Lost Passport

[JCinMN]

Glad to see the happy ending! The moral of the story is:

1. Check your passports and docs a week (or even a month) prior to your trip, to ensure all is in order (expiration dates, none lost, etc).

2. If something does go wrong, keep a positive attitude and don't waste time 'freaking out.' It won't help the situation at all.

3. Reach out to the friendly folks at DISboards and take advantage of the advice they share.

Bon voyage!

 

[mom2twokids]

I'm so glad you made it on the ship!!! I've been thinking of you all day today.
What a great group of people cheering you on and supporting you.
Enjoy your cruise! You definitely deserve it

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

...and the ship is moving. I think I got more gray hairs just folloing the unfolding drama since she posted on Friday.

I think its very very fortunate that the cruise left out on Monday when the office was open and not on a Sunday!

 

[Spwhoney]

YEA!!!!!

Like OP we were on the first repo cruise I am originally from SF so do not miss getting up early and sailing under the Gate it is an awesome experience! Enjoy this great cruise.

Same cruise ! cool! Did you ever hear what happened to the person that had to go back to SF? We actually got to under the bridge 4 times.

 

[BrettW]

We are on the ship!!!!! )

Wonderful!!! Have a great time (and I'll bet you sleep well tonight!)

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Susiesark]

Glad to see the happy ending! The moral of the story is:

1. Check your passports and docs a week (or even a month) prior to your trip, to ensure all is in order (expiration dates, none lost, etc).

YES! Don't just assume that because you have your passport in hand all will go well. My mother's traveling companion checked her passport just before they were leaving on a trip to Austria and noticed it had expired. She missed the trip she had looked forward to for years. The travel agent that took the original information, including copies of the passport, should have alerted her that was to expire before the trip date.

 

[Carrie in AZ]

Back in 2006 I was the manager for a small motel in Ft Lauderdale. Had clients fly in the day before Christmas and they were scheduled for a cruise the day after Christmas. 7pm on Christmas evening the lady came to my door crying her eyes out looking for help, I thought something was wrong with her husband, nope... but he was in trouble, he grabbed the wrong folder and left their passports in Washington. They were taking a Transcanal Cruise and had to have their passports. I told them to call family, get someone in their house to get the passports/birth certificates whatever they had and fax them to my office, also told them to be ready to leave no later than 7am the next morning, luggage and all... we went to Walgreens and had their pictures taken, then took the over an hour drive to downtown Miami with the faxed documents in hand... they filed for emergency replacement passports and we were told they would be ready between 1-3pm. They bought me lunch at a great italian place, and we went back to wait. The ship was scheduled to leave at 4, from Fort Lauderdale, and I called every 30 minutes with an update as I had one. Their passports were finally ready at 330. I went and got the car while they got their passports, they came running out of the building and we flew up the highway. Again contact with the cruise line. Last call I made to them the funnel from the ship was in our vision, the smoke was billowing out, and I was advised on that call... no worry, we are going to be about an hour late leaving because a flight they had several customers booked on was delayed... I dropped the clients off, got back to the hotel and received a phone call from them... Asked me to grab my binoculars and go on the front patio, I did and looked at the ship, they were on their balcony with a drink toasting me, they then asked me to take a look in the trunk of my car... when I did they had left a Thank you card, with $350 in it for me... said without me they would not have been able to take this cruise that they had saved up for. I cried and they could tell... they had their binoculars as well...

LOOOOOOVE this story and LOOOOOOOOVE the kindness of everyone here cheering and praying for our fellow DISer!! Really touching.

 

[anna08]

Gotta love the Disboards!! Hooray for good advice!! A huge sigh of relief! Hope they have a fabulous trip!

 

[cathyscrapper]

How wonderful!!!!

 

[southerngirl528]

Thanking the good Lord the OP is safely on the Wonder with her brand new Passport!!! YIPPEE!!!! Like everyone else, I had closely followed this hair-raising thread, and as a Disboards newbie, it's awesome to see how wonderful everyone here was with great advice, encouragement, and compassion to this poster. What a great group of folks!

Now, the OP is enjoying the ship I will be boarding a week from today in Vancouver! Gotta love the Wonder!!!

 

[perfectmatch300]

OP, so happy for you! Hope you have an awesome cruise!

 

[bumbershoot]

Smartest thing is when you book the cruise, make a folder that you put everything in as it comes in, first thing in is the printout of the booking confirmation along with passports. I actually have a cruise bag that hangs on the back of my closet door, and as soon as another cruise is booked, my passport comes out and is put into the bag, always ready to go.

What a great idea. I think I've just come up with an idea for the Ikea FE that I had to buy, even though I have no intention of participating in an FE.

I think its very very fortunate that the cruise left out on Monday when the office was open and not on a Sunday!

That's for sure!

And that the OP decided to arrive in LA earlier than sailing day.

 

[debsters41]

I am so happy I teared up!

 

[ChristinaDK]

We keep all our travel stuff like passport, adaptor, the spending money ect. In a Disney cookie jar, that are shaped like a book

 

[Aggiefan92]

So how was the trip????

 

[MDennis28]

I want to know if the story was shared on board? Like, "Lets share who had the hardest time getting on the ship story" at dinner one night.

 

[mstinson14]

Hey everyone! OP here, I realize I'm bringing this post back from the dead but I thought you all would be interested to know that almost a year after the cruise, I have found the lost passports! They were in MY glovebox at the very back. When we first looked last year we looked in the glovebox of my mom's car but I guess we didn't even think to check the glovebox of my car. Hahahaha I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them sitting in there!

 

[Susiesark]

Why would you have put your passport there in the first place?

 

[Jillpie]

Why would you have put your passport there in the first place?

Yes I'm wondering that too! These are the most important documents you own, why put them in a car, I just store them in a firebox. Just curious here. But glad you found them!

 

[debsters41]

Well, at least the mystery is solved! It's a great reminder for everyone to make sure their documents are in order