Life Lesson Learnt!
This weekend just gone, I travelled to Benidorm for a friends hen do. I have never been to Benidorm before and have to say I have no immediate desire to return. I had an amazing time with some amazing friends old and new, but the place itself is completely like the programme Benidorm and worse. But let’s leave that there shall we?
There was one MAJOR problem I experienced this weekend that trumped all others. My passport!
When you travel in a big group, there is always one, and that one this time was of course me. I went and had my passport stolen. And yes, there was a lot of tears and tantrums of how on Earth I was going to get home. People always say that your passport is one of, if not the most important document you can own, and until someone takes it from you, especially when you need it most, you don’t fully believe it. Well I do now.
You would think these days, the embassy could email something to you to allow you to fly home, especially in this day and age (yes I sound like my mother). But alas no.
Arriving on the Saturday, it wasn’t until the Sunday that I realised it was missing. I called the emergency consulate who advised me that I needed to apply for an emergency travel document online, and that it would take 48 hours to process (from the Monday), but that I would then be able to pick the document up from the consulate in Alicante to then travel home. The problem was, 48 hours from the Monday was Wednesday and we were due to fly back on the Tuesday. So I had to book another flight for the Wednesday at a cost of £120, thank you Jet2, and then book a hotel in Alicante which was another £80. M7y husband did offer to stay with me for the day, but that would have been the cost of 2 new flights, plus someone needed to get home to collect the dog.
My Day in Alicante was relaxing, and I will say it is a beautiful city, but after all the trauma of trying to sort out my passport I again have no desire to visit, well not in a hurry.
Eventually I did make it home (obviously as I am writing this), but with a big life lesson learnt. LOOK AFTER YOUR PASSPORT!
Has anyone else ever done anything similar? Let me know below.
10 Comments on “Life Lesson Learnt!”
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Hi Cruisers. About me..?? Well I like long walks on the beach, fried chicken and fine wine... Oh sorry, wrong website, this isn't a dating site. Although, if your looking for love why not check out our forums ;) Sorry, I digress. Back to the job in hand George. Well…
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Quick tip, take a photo off your passport and save. If lost or stolen you at least have copy of it showing all your details. Regards JT
That is so sad, sorry to hear this. You would think with todays electronic systems the thief could have been tracked from the code on your passport and the system generate new passports straight away. I use to be in the electronic printing business 20 years ago and it was possible then so why is it not in operation now?
Enjoyed above reading. I was originally from “up north” myself, now Cornwall. I agree that not just cruising but all holidays should be fun, what’s the point in going otherwise? You are lucky going to these amazing places, one on your list is still on our bucket list
Regards Catherine
Why do “they” always say take a photo-copy if your passport?
What good does it do?
If I go out of a hotel or get off as hip I always carry a. Copy of my passport with not the actual passport I know you need it for passport borders just be very aware
I have a copy of the passport page of my passport online at Evernote – but there plenty of options for making that page accessible on-line. I wonder if that would have made any difference to the procedure for obtaining either a new passport or a travel document. I can understand the cruise line’s refusal to take you on board without any documents but you could have caught up perhaps if the time to provide a replacement document could have been shortened (same question about getting back from Benidorm?)
We had flown to Santiago in Chile to join Queen Victoria to sail to Sydney. Visitors are advised to carry their passport with them when out and about. We had 1 night pre cruise and whilst in a shopping mall a diversion took place and my handbag containing passports was stolen.
The girl on visitor welcome at the mall took me to the police station to report the theft and back to the hotel, my husband returned to the hotel so our keycard could be changed and to ring the credit card companies.
On my return I rang the British Consulate. It was Saturday evening so nothing could be done until Monday advised to go to the ship in Valparaiso and let them know the problem. As antipsted we could not board but they took onboard the baggage we did not require and Cunard contacted us every day until we could fly out to Papeete 9 days later to join the ship. The first port after Santiago of our emergency passport we could visit 5 countries including transit on the way home. Just made it.
The thieves ran up £1500 in 30 minutes and were on CCTV but everything was sorted by insurance and being patient. We really enjoyed our enforced stay in Chile and we landed on Easter Island enroute whilst the ship sailed by.
Barcelona lovely city but completely lawless concerning pickpockets and bag snatchers. Been 4 times but last time my wife had bag cut from her shoulder. Afraid last time we will visit. Case of when not if you will be robbed. Place does not deserve our support until something drastic is done to tackle this state of affairs.
No, not personaly, but some years ago a fellow attendee at my husband’s WHO meeting in Geneva had her handbag (should say ‘purse’ as she is American) stolen while we were at a restaurant … in all places … Geneva???
This was not discovered of course until late evening. Panic, on her part, surprising as she was normally a person who had coped with all sorts in her life.
The hotel was very helpful and pointed us in the direction of the police station which, unlike in the UK was pretty much ‘open all hours’ ! They coped efficiently with the passport theft report as well as to Amex (her CC company).
HOWEVER, there is no US Consulate in Geneva, unbelievable being such a centre for international organisations.
So the next morning we made our way to the Swiss capital Bern. Luckily self and my husband we there to help her with funds for train fares etc. We were told the Consulate closed for lunch break at 1pm, but in reality it was 12.30.
So a meal and wasted 90 minutes later we were able to proceed.
Naturally the Consulate staff put us through many hoops, but by late afternoon and more payments we had a result – her very expensive ‘Emergency Passport’ was handed over, but not before I myself had to take an Oath of Allegience as a temporary ‘American citizen’ just for a few minutes!!! – in essence to verify HER status.
Luckily her flight was not until the following morning, but we were just fortunate that it wasn’t any kind of national or religious holiday. I myself had experience of seversl shut down for such in Europe when I was managing Technical Exhibitions and Conferences in rhe Netherlands and Switzerland – so know the disruption they can cause.
I guess you can say all was well that ended well, but it is a satutory lesson.
Yes, my passport was stolen on a Regent cruise (the day of my 60th birthday) My husband had gone ashore to Tallinn and had also taken my passport out of the safe and put it in the dressing table drawer in case He decided to,go ashore. I only left the cabin once to go for breafast. Security found no breach of security on the cabin door… but we did later notice that cleaning staff frequently left doors open and cabins unattended whilst cleaning multiple cabins. Also I had ordered room service coffee whilst enjoying the view from the veranda, keeping the door shut (as requested). On the veranda it’s impossible to see into the cabin as the window glass acts like a mirror.
Nightmare. I couldn’t leave the ship for excursions as I had no passport. On disembarkation, there was a mad dash to the consulate in Copenhagen, including a frenetic detour to acquire passport photographs.
A memorable birthday for a the wrong reasons. Lesson learned. Always leave passports in the safe when they are not needed ashore