important tip for those about to travel...

[aalan]

we were on the 3/23 magic, and i forgot to mention this: if you are using your driver's license as photo i.d., make SURE it hasnt EXPIRED! a person in front of us at the airport check-in did not realize his driver's license had expired, and it was the only photo i.d. he had. the airline would NOT let him travel without VALID identification: his wife went on without him, he headed to the closest motor vehicle office to get a new license, and was going to catch a later flight. what a bummer! not the way to start a vacation, so double-check that license!

 

[ruvidu]

That is one hint I have never seen on this board. I lost my wallet on our first cruise and had a time getting the airline to let me fly back home. Of course that was before 9/11 and now I would probably have to walk back to SC.

 

[dijid]

I've also experienced the lose wallet while traveling. This happened prior to 9/11, but I went to the airport police station. I was quizzed about all sorts of information that helped verify who I was. I was then fingerprinted and given a form from the police that said I was who I claimed to be. The airline accepted that in lieu of my drivers license and I was allowed to fly. The airport police would be my first stop if this happened again.

 

[tkd lisa]

That license thing is something that always seems to slide by! My boss and I were on travel when he went to rent a car, and his was expired. Thanks goodness mine wasn't, so I got the car and we fixed the paperwork later!

A really nice clerk at Wal Mart one time mentioned to me that my license was expiring the end of the month, which prevented me from the same snafu. Anybody out there who routinely checks licenses for check cashing, etc? It would probably save someone's sanity if you pointed out the license was expiring if you notice it!

 

[Scott H]

It is also advantageous to travel with copies ( one set or more) of documents stowed a way in a seperate location. This aids in replacement of those lost documents.

 

[Parrotheader]

Amen. I always make photocopy backups of all our critical documents before we go on a big trip and store them separately from everything else. While they might still give you a hard time, it would probably help things go a little easier if you had photocopied backups of things.

 

[atigeg]

I'll throw in another hint: Always carry more than one charge card. There are two reason, both of which I have had personal experience with:
1) In case of medical emergency, you will be expected to pay in full for treatment. When my kneecap popped off on the Magic, the bill was in the neighborhood of $700, and I'm sure it could easily be more for more serious injuries. Thankfully, our medical insurance reimbursed us, but we had to pay upfront first.
2) Your charge card might be turned off for suspected fraud. We travel a lot, and our charge card issuer got suspicious because we used it in California one weekend and Nassau two weeks later. A simple phone call would have resolved it, but even tho' we were in port, Guest Services would not let us call unless we used the $6.95 a minute phone in our stateroom. Thankfully, we had a spare card...otherwise, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened!
Barb
Visit the Platinum Castaway Club at: www.castawayclub.com

 

[Señor Ferrari]

To expand on what Barb said, I'd suggest calling your credit card companies before you leave. Let them know you'll be traveling out of the country. That way they won't (or shouldn't) put a hold on your card due to "unusual activity." It can't hurt anyway. I had my card shut down after buying lunch in Dallas and dinner at MCO on the way to the ship. Luckily, I was able to take care of it before we got on the bus on the morning of the cruise. The same credit card company thought nothing of us traveling to Tahiti and charging up a storm. Go figure.

Also, this whole thread is another good argument for traveling with a passport. It gives you a second means of photo ID, as you usually keep it separate from your driver's license, i.e. locked up in the safe. Since they're good for 10 years, it's less likely that it will expire without your knowledge.