Went to check in to my cruise and had forgotten my passport
Cruise line told me to go to the passport office in Seattle and get an expedited passport. We went to the office by taxi but it was 2 hours before our passport was ready. Rushed back to the pier and the ship had sailed with my baggage.
I was able to catch the ship in Ketchikan two days later daysbut was then told I would have to disembark in Victoria before the cruise sailed to Seattle. This has to do with an 1886 Jones Act that basically makes a U.S citizen get off in a foreign country and will not take them to the U.S. Does any of this make any sense?
What can I do to get some of the money back for all the added expenses (two nights in a hotel and the flight to Ketchikan)? I have travel insurance and I want to approach this in the right way.
Best Answer
Check the terms and conditions of your cruise. You'll find in there a clause that makes you responsible for having the correct documentation. In this case you didn't and everything after that is down to you.
The passport office won't accept any responsibility for consequential loss - i.e. they won't be held responsible for you missing your ship because they were 'late'.
You can look up the 1886 Jones Act on Wikipedia. It lays down rules about the transport of passengers by non-US-flagged vessels.
Specifically, if you had boarded your ship in Seattle as planned, you could have returned to Seattle to disembark. However, because you boarded in Ketchikan, allowing you to disembark in Seattle would constitute transporting you between US ports - illegal by non US vessels. A substantial fine can be levied: the Wikipedia article mentions $762 per passenger.
You can try approaching your insurer, but it's unlikely they'll pay out for a forgotten passport.
TL;DR You're responsible for having the right documentation. If you didn't, you are responsible for any expenses accruing from that.
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Answer 2
What is being asked is perfectly clear: "What can I do to get some of the money back for all the added expenses?"
Which is followed by almost the obvious answer: Ask the same question of your travel insurance company.
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