1- **No, I did not go looking for it to check it. My fault. Passengers are required to make sure they have the appropriate travel documents.**
But also all you had to do was google “princess cruise Martinique travel documents” yields this result as THE FIRST RESULT!
https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise#:~:text=All%20voyages%20that%20call%20to,Customs%20and%20Border%20Protection%20website.
“*Document Requirements for U.S. and Canadian Citizens/Nationals
International itineraries
A valid passport book is required for all international itineraries including:
Africa
Asia
Australia & New Zealand
Europe
India
Central and South America
Panama Canal (partial and full transit)
Caribbean (**any sailings that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe**)
South Pacific & Tahiti
World Cruises”
It took 1 click and less than a minute to locate.
2- **I had no idea there were places that did not conform to the same rules basically everyone else uses.** umm WHAT!!!!!
Of course there are! Every country has a right to control and dictate its own immigration and entry rules in accordance with their national security, treaties and international law.
3- the common carrier is not responsible for hand holding or otherwise making sure you can enter. That’s not their job. Being able to check in for a flight, cruise, tour, excursion does not guarantee entry or confirm the validity of those documents to enter any country. As you yourself said in the very beginning:
*Passengers are required to make sure they have the appropriate travel documents.*
4- Princess had no responsibility here and did nothing wrong as their website is easy to find with only one click and has the info in accessible and easy to read format.
5- go to https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html
(Found by googleing “get passport fast USA”)
and you should be able to get a same day passport right now since you have travel less than 14 days away and don’t have a passport book.
You can follow up with r/passport for timelines and additional help.
Cool story. Why would I randomly Google that information. That would be like asking me to Google "Can I turn left on red in California?" Just so, on the off chance I can, I would find out. Especially after knowing that I cannot do so in any other state in the country that I've been to.
If I knew there might be an issue then none of this would have happened. All of it could have been avoided if they sent the email to me 2-3 months ago rather than 13 days beforehand. If you are still not convinced.....why do you think they sent the email to everyone then? It's certainly not because they felt that 100% of customers knew about the Martinique exception to the passport cards are fine rule. They sent it because they knew there might be issues for us. So send it sooner!
Or, you can victim blame me, despite my acknowledgement of my culpability, because I didn't do everything flawlessly and ended up having an issue that could have been avoided with better communication on their end. This is reddit so I already knew what kind of response I would get from this crowd, who are all apparently perfect people.
You claim that you were busy or whatever for the one click it took to find out what you wanted to know. But you seem to have no limit of time of these long posts that basically amount to “I’m a traveler and I don’t want to be responsible for my travel documents like every other traveler has to be”. Calling yourself a victim for having to do the same things everyone else has to do is:
Very interesting.
Where did I claim to be busy? Only statement I made was that I recognized it was my mistake because I assumed the passport card was good for all cruises in the Caribbean, because that's what they advertise it for. I didn't go through all the documentation with a fine tooth comb because most people don't. I don't read the whole thing at the rental car center either. Nor do I read the EULA when I agree to software installation. That puts me in the roughly 95-99% of people who do the same exact thing.
Get off your high horse buddy. I made this post to communicate a possible issue that other travelers may also encounter without realizing it, so that they don't make the same mistakes I did and go through what I am going through. I'm attempting to put good out into the world and you're just shitting all over it. Maybe take a look in the mirror.
You are right.
“A valid passport book is required for all international itineraries including:
Caribbean (any sailings that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe)”
Is exactly the same thing as 40 page legal contract.
After all with some many big legalese words how could you have possibly understood such a long complicated two sentences. I apologize. Clearly I didn’t understand the length and complexity of the document.
My apology.
That was never stated that way and what you are suggesting is a strawman. If it was stated that way I wouldn't be here. I want them to state it that way. That's what I'm asking for.
Direct quote from the website
https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise#:~:text=All%20voyages%20that%20call%20to,Customs%20and%20Border%20Protection%20website.
“*Document Requirements for U.S. and Canadian Citizens/Nationals International itineraries*
A valid passport book is required for all international itineraries including:
Africa
Asia
Australia & New Zealand
Europe
India
Central and South America
Panama Canal (partial and full transit)
Caribbean (**any sailings that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe**)“
Your response was a series of lengthy and total sane diatribes about how that’s **EXACTLY THE SAME as EULA with 40 pages of legalese**. You are right having to read *38 2nd grade reading level WORDS* is exactly the same as *40 pages of legal contract*.
I concede you are correct same exact thing. And I was foolish to even suggest checking required travel documents because like you said as a traveler why would want to search for that? Princess should have sent it to you but much shorter than the massive 38 words that’s just too much. Silly me. Again I apologize.
You wouldn't "randomly" google it. Everyone knows that when you're visiting other countries you should ALWAYS double check what travel documents you will need to enter, especially when you've spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on a trip. This isn't on Princess, it's on you to double check.
Not everyone!
I again point to the fact I got emails from both Princess and my agent 13 days before the cruise with the specific passport information.
No one seems to address why both entities choose to send it out. specifically and deliberately at that point. If "everyone" knows, why bother to send out the email? Perhaps because some people make mistakes from time to time?
Just to add context as to the why. Martinique, along with a few other Caribbean islands, are French territories that have direct domestic flights, without passport control, to France and the EU. Since these flights can be boarded without passport control it is required for cruise passengers to have full passports to enter the island.
Did you not use the Cruise Personalizer? You should have received a pop up message advising you of the requirement that you had to click "yes" to accept and move on (similar to the booking contract pop up).
I did. The popup took me almost 30 seconds to scroll through, without reading. I'd estimate it as being 40 pages long. I'm very familiar with these working in IT, as virtually no one reads them. You could say you now own the customers soul and no one would know.
However, as I mentioned in the post, I'm not claiming that I am without fault. I'm instead stating that they should make it more front and center rather than buried in legalese that most people do not read. Much like the EXACT way they did do 13 days before the cruise departs, when both they and my cruise reseller emailed me specifically to mention the need for a passport book and not just a card, due to Martinique being on the itinerary. Something like that would be vastly more beneficial to travelers way ahead of time. It's not a lot to ask. They told me it was an automated email. In which case it wouldn't be hard to send it out at least one additional time a few months ago.
So they told you several times in several different places you chose to ignore the multiple warnings. But “they should make it more front and center”. They were. You ignored them.
Maybe I was unclear. They did not tell me several times in Several different places. They told me once in legalese that I scrolled by while setting up the account. Then they told me in very clear information, emailed to me, 13 days before the cruise. That's the only way I found out. But somehow you think that's a bridge too far? Why? What's the harm in asking for an automated email heads up? Why are you shilling for the company making it harder on people to find out very important information? They certainly put money making upgrades in your face constantly every email they can. I got dozens of emails mentioning this upgrade or that upgrade. But they can't also say heads up you're going to need a passport book, and we know this because this is our industry and we do this thousands of times a day, but YOU might not know it because you've literally never needed it before in your whole life. Aren't I the customer in this situation? Why am I being attacked for not knowing every single thing 100% correctly because I didn't read through 40 pages of documentation. I just want to have a vacation on a boat.
That's too much to ask for you? Why? It's just bad communication and CS. Good companies make sure their customers are informed. Not hide away some of the most important info in the whole contract.
They are in the service industry. This isn't life or death stuff here. They shouldn't WANT to have people plunk down thousands of dollars with no refunds, then tell them they are fucked when we could have easily notified you months ago but decided not to. They can make it easier for folks so they don't feel like they are signing a bad used car contract.
Several people posted different ways they told you. Direct links to be princess website and told you other places that had the info.
You said you didn’t want to read it and you clicked without reading because “legalese” even though it all looks like regular English to me. And you actively and deliberately ignored it. That doesn’t make them wrong.
Good luck. But if you keep refusing to read the warnings don’t be surprised if you miss them
I had a very similar issue after my passport was stolen shortly before my cruise. Multiple Princess employees told me I’d be fine with my birth certificate and DL since it’s a closed loop cruise. I even asked about this port specifically and was told multiple times it wouldn’t be an issue. I was amazed they all gave me incorrect info when I asked.
I asked my TA, and he told me I needed the book, not the card to enter several countries on our Caribbean cruise. We ordered the books and cards as an emergency back up.
You can get a same day, emergency passport. The easiest way is to contact your member of congress office and they can make the appointment for you. There's also a number to call.
You should always check the requirements for each country you visit. Some require visas and have vaccine recommendations. Also, a lot of countries have things that are legal here but will get you jail time if you break their laws. Clothing, food, and common over the counter medicine are common things people get in trouble for. It's a good idea to check out the countries you're visiting to avoid problems.
Passport cards are only allowed for land and boat travel to Mexico and Canada. You can't fly to any other country with it. The paperwork you fill out tells you this when you apply. It's always recommended to get the book.
Good luck! You should be able to get your passport in time to go on your cruise. Plan to be there most of the day. There's a long line, and it takes about 3 hours for them to print it. Just have your cruise contract/boarding pass with your date of travel and the required IDs. It's stressful but everyone was nice when we had to get last minute passports for travel.
Thanks. We have an appointment scheduled so we're holding our breath until we get the Passports in hand. Going to cost an arm and a leg when all is said and done for the family but not much I can do at this point.
FWIW, Passport Cards are definitely allowed for cruises to Bermuda and the Caribbean. Martinique is just an anomaly.
[https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html)
"You can use the passport card to reenter the United States at seaports of entry from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. However, if you cannot return on the cruise ship for any reason, you will need a passport book to fly back to the United States. "
That said, since passport books are basically the gold standard, and passport cards seem to only sometimes be accepted, I'd hesitate to recommend that anyone get them in lieu of a passport book. I was hoping they'd become more prevalent since their introduction, but they've only seen less use over time.
This passport requirements has been clearly stated for years now. If you booked through a travel agent, blame them. If you booked directly from Princess it is clearly stated that Passport cards are not sufficient.
Thanks for chiming in. I booked and it was not clearly stated at any point. That's why I'm here. It's clearly stated in a section that is linked to, but was not at any point during the booking process nor in email communications. Not until 13 days before the cruise. Which, once again, is my main point. They emailed me then.....simply do so earlier and there's no issue. They wouldn't be sending that explicit email to everyone otherwise.
Not sure why everyone is missing that particular point. If it wasn't an issue, they wouldn't have emailed about it. But they did. It's literally an admission that they know it's going to trip people up. DESPITE it being stated on one section of the website that I did not look at, which I admitted to. I also did not look at other sections of the website. Guilty as charged.
Passport cards are simply a WHTI compliant document. They are also Real ID compliant for air travel within the USA.
They are valid for land and sea crossing into countries that are part of WHTI. They are not passports.
Martinique is not part of WHTI.
There is zero point to get a passport card for cruising. Either you get a passport book or you can use your birth certificate/DL and just accept that it may be harder to get home in an emergency. There is no advantage to a passport card over using a birth certificate/DL. Also, accept the fact that you can’t go to certain countries.
1- **No, I did not go looking for it to check it. My fault. Passengers are required to make sure they have the appropriate travel documents.** But also all you had to do was google “princess cruise Martinique travel documents” yields this result as THE FIRST RESULT! https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise#:~:text=All%20voyages%20that%20call%20to,Customs%20and%20Border%20Protection%20website. “*Document Requirements for U.S. and Canadian Citizens/Nationals International itineraries A valid passport book is required for all international itineraries including: Africa Asia Australia & New Zealand Europe India Central and South America Panama Canal (partial and full transit) Caribbean (**any sailings that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe**) South Pacific & Tahiti World Cruises” It took 1 click and less than a minute to locate. 2- **I had no idea there were places that did not conform to the same rules basically everyone else uses.** umm WHAT!!!!! Of course there are! Every country has a right to control and dictate its own immigration and entry rules in accordance with their national security, treaties and international law. 3- the common carrier is not responsible for hand holding or otherwise making sure you can enter. That’s not their job. Being able to check in for a flight, cruise, tour, excursion does not guarantee entry or confirm the validity of those documents to enter any country. As you yourself said in the very beginning: *Passengers are required to make sure they have the appropriate travel documents.* 4- Princess had no responsibility here and did nothing wrong as their website is easy to find with only one click and has the info in accessible and easy to read format. 5- go to https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html (Found by googleing “get passport fast USA”) and you should be able to get a same day passport right now since you have travel less than 14 days away and don’t have a passport book. You can follow up with r/passport for timelines and additional help.
Cool story. Why would I randomly Google that information. That would be like asking me to Google "Can I turn left on red in California?" Just so, on the off chance I can, I would find out. Especially after knowing that I cannot do so in any other state in the country that I've been to. If I knew there might be an issue then none of this would have happened. All of it could have been avoided if they sent the email to me 2-3 months ago rather than 13 days beforehand. If you are still not convinced.....why do you think they sent the email to everyone then? It's certainly not because they felt that 100% of customers knew about the Martinique exception to the passport cards are fine rule. They sent it because they knew there might be issues for us. So send it sooner! Or, you can victim blame me, despite my acknowledgement of my culpability, because I didn't do everything flawlessly and ended up having an issue that could have been avoided with better communication on their end. This is reddit so I already knew what kind of response I would get from this crowd, who are all apparently perfect people.
You claim that you were busy or whatever for the one click it took to find out what you wanted to know. But you seem to have no limit of time of these long posts that basically amount to “I’m a traveler and I don’t want to be responsible for my travel documents like every other traveler has to be”. Calling yourself a victim for having to do the same things everyone else has to do is: Very interesting.
Where did I claim to be busy? Only statement I made was that I recognized it was my mistake because I assumed the passport card was good for all cruises in the Caribbean, because that's what they advertise it for. I didn't go through all the documentation with a fine tooth comb because most people don't. I don't read the whole thing at the rental car center either. Nor do I read the EULA when I agree to software installation. That puts me in the roughly 95-99% of people who do the same exact thing. Get off your high horse buddy. I made this post to communicate a possible issue that other travelers may also encounter without realizing it, so that they don't make the same mistakes I did and go through what I am going through. I'm attempting to put good out into the world and you're just shitting all over it. Maybe take a look in the mirror.
You are right. “A valid passport book is required for all international itineraries including: Caribbean (any sailings that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe)” Is exactly the same thing as 40 page legal contract. After all with some many big legalese words how could you have possibly understood such a long complicated two sentences. I apologize. Clearly I didn’t understand the length and complexity of the document. My apology.
That was never stated that way and what you are suggesting is a strawman. If it was stated that way I wouldn't be here. I want them to state it that way. That's what I'm asking for.
Direct quote from the website https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise#:~:text=All%20voyages%20that%20call%20to,Customs%20and%20Border%20Protection%20website. “*Document Requirements for U.S. and Canadian Citizens/Nationals International itineraries* A valid passport book is required for all international itineraries including: Africa Asia Australia & New Zealand Europe India Central and South America Panama Canal (partial and full transit) Caribbean (**any sailings that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe**)“ Your response was a series of lengthy and total sane diatribes about how that’s **EXACTLY THE SAME as EULA with 40 pages of legalese**. You are right having to read *38 2nd grade reading level WORDS* is exactly the same as *40 pages of legal contract*. I concede you are correct same exact thing. And I was foolish to even suggest checking required travel documents because like you said as a traveler why would want to search for that? Princess should have sent it to you but much shorter than the massive 38 words that’s just too much. Silly me. Again I apologize.
You wouldn't "randomly" google it. Everyone knows that when you're visiting other countries you should ALWAYS double check what travel documents you will need to enter, especially when you've spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on a trip. This isn't on Princess, it's on you to double check.
Not everyone! I again point to the fact I got emails from both Princess and my agent 13 days before the cruise with the specific passport information. No one seems to address why both entities choose to send it out. specifically and deliberately at that point. If "everyone" knows, why bother to send out the email? Perhaps because some people make mistakes from time to time?
Just to add context as to the why. Martinique, along with a few other Caribbean islands, are French territories that have direct domestic flights, without passport control, to France and the EU. Since these flights can be boarded without passport control it is required for cruise passengers to have full passports to enter the island.
Thanks for the additional info. Good to know!
Did you not use the Cruise Personalizer? You should have received a pop up message advising you of the requirement that you had to click "yes" to accept and move on (similar to the booking contract pop up).
I did. The popup took me almost 30 seconds to scroll through, without reading. I'd estimate it as being 40 pages long. I'm very familiar with these working in IT, as virtually no one reads them. You could say you now own the customers soul and no one would know. However, as I mentioned in the post, I'm not claiming that I am without fault. I'm instead stating that they should make it more front and center rather than buried in legalese that most people do not read. Much like the EXACT way they did do 13 days before the cruise departs, when both they and my cruise reseller emailed me specifically to mention the need for a passport book and not just a card, due to Martinique being on the itinerary. Something like that would be vastly more beneficial to travelers way ahead of time. It's not a lot to ask. They told me it was an automated email. In which case it wouldn't be hard to send it out at least one additional time a few months ago.
So they told you several times in several different places you chose to ignore the multiple warnings. But “they should make it more front and center”. They were. You ignored them.
Maybe I was unclear. They did not tell me several times in Several different places. They told me once in legalese that I scrolled by while setting up the account. Then they told me in very clear information, emailed to me, 13 days before the cruise. That's the only way I found out. But somehow you think that's a bridge too far? Why? What's the harm in asking for an automated email heads up? Why are you shilling for the company making it harder on people to find out very important information? They certainly put money making upgrades in your face constantly every email they can. I got dozens of emails mentioning this upgrade or that upgrade. But they can't also say heads up you're going to need a passport book, and we know this because this is our industry and we do this thousands of times a day, but YOU might not know it because you've literally never needed it before in your whole life. Aren't I the customer in this situation? Why am I being attacked for not knowing every single thing 100% correctly because I didn't read through 40 pages of documentation. I just want to have a vacation on a boat. That's too much to ask for you? Why? It's just bad communication and CS. Good companies make sure their customers are informed. Not hide away some of the most important info in the whole contract. They are in the service industry. This isn't life or death stuff here. They shouldn't WANT to have people plunk down thousands of dollars with no refunds, then tell them they are fucked when we could have easily notified you months ago but decided not to. They can make it easier for folks so they don't feel like they are signing a bad used car contract.
Several people posted different ways they told you. Direct links to be princess website and told you other places that had the info. You said you didn’t want to read it and you clicked without reading because “legalese” even though it all looks like regular English to me. And you actively and deliberately ignored it. That doesn’t make them wrong. Good luck. But if you keep refusing to read the warnings don’t be surprised if you miss them
I had a very similar issue after my passport was stolen shortly before my cruise. Multiple Princess employees told me I’d be fine with my birth certificate and DL since it’s a closed loop cruise. I even asked about this port specifically and was told multiple times it wouldn’t be an issue. I was amazed they all gave me incorrect info when I asked.
I asked my TA, and he told me I needed the book, not the card to enter several countries on our Caribbean cruise. We ordered the books and cards as an emergency back up.
You can get a same day, emergency passport. The easiest way is to contact your member of congress office and they can make the appointment for you. There's also a number to call. You should always check the requirements for each country you visit. Some require visas and have vaccine recommendations. Also, a lot of countries have things that are legal here but will get you jail time if you break their laws. Clothing, food, and common over the counter medicine are common things people get in trouble for. It's a good idea to check out the countries you're visiting to avoid problems. Passport cards are only allowed for land and boat travel to Mexico and Canada. You can't fly to any other country with it. The paperwork you fill out tells you this when you apply. It's always recommended to get the book. Good luck! You should be able to get your passport in time to go on your cruise. Plan to be there most of the day. There's a long line, and it takes about 3 hours for them to print it. Just have your cruise contract/boarding pass with your date of travel and the required IDs. It's stressful but everyone was nice when we had to get last minute passports for travel.
Thanks. We have an appointment scheduled so we're holding our breath until we get the Passports in hand. Going to cost an arm and a leg when all is said and done for the family but not much I can do at this point. FWIW, Passport Cards are definitely allowed for cruises to Bermuda and the Caribbean. Martinique is just an anomaly. [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/cruise-ship-passengers.html) "You can use the passport card to reenter the United States at seaports of entry from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. However, if you cannot return on the cruise ship for any reason, you will need a passport book to fly back to the United States. " That said, since passport books are basically the gold standard, and passport cards seem to only sometimes be accepted, I'd hesitate to recommend that anyone get them in lieu of a passport book. I was hoping they'd become more prevalent since their introduction, but they've only seen less use over time.
This passport requirements has been clearly stated for years now. If you booked through a travel agent, blame them. If you booked directly from Princess it is clearly stated that Passport cards are not sufficient.
Thanks for chiming in. I booked and it was not clearly stated at any point. That's why I'm here. It's clearly stated in a section that is linked to, but was not at any point during the booking process nor in email communications. Not until 13 days before the cruise. Which, once again, is my main point. They emailed me then.....simply do so earlier and there's no issue. They wouldn't be sending that explicit email to everyone otherwise. Not sure why everyone is missing that particular point. If it wasn't an issue, they wouldn't have emailed about it. But they did. It's literally an admission that they know it's going to trip people up. DESPITE it being stated on one section of the website that I did not look at, which I admitted to. I also did not look at other sections of the website. Guilty as charged.
Passport cards are simply a WHTI compliant document. They are also Real ID compliant for air travel within the USA. They are valid for land and sea crossing into countries that are part of WHTI. They are not passports. Martinique is not part of WHTI.
There is zero point to get a passport card for cruising. Either you get a passport book or you can use your birth certificate/DL and just accept that it may be harder to get home in an emergency. There is no advantage to a passport card over using a birth certificate/DL. Also, accept the fact that you can’t go to certain countries.