TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Road blocks from cruise pax perspective

"The ship has left with your clothes,money,and passport."

Not very smart to leave your money (CCs) and passport on the ship. Just saying .....

People who are stupid enough to get left behind can get on a flight to the ship's next destination with just their ship photo ID which has embedded in it their passport info. It happens all the time. Problem is this costs more than the entire cruise!

Not every comment made is made out of malice.

I carry copies, and one credit card. The rest and originals are in the safe.
Also a phone.

Just a little information about passports....when you cruise....the ship TAKES your passport.....and they hold that passport for you. You receive a passcard to use on the ship and to get off the ship and to get back on the ship. You get your passport back when you disembark.

So you do leave your passport and your important papers on the ship.

IF you book excursions...THROUGH the ship.....they will not leave without you. SO if you booked a trip to the French side through the cruise line....they will not leave you behind.

If however...you got off of the ship and hailed a taxi to the french side...and you do not get back to the ship in time to leave...they will most certainly leave without you....and you can arrange transportation to get back on the ship at the next destination.....but it will be on YOUR dollar.

This is one reason I ALWAYS book our excursions through the cruise line. I want to know if something happens they will wait for me. It costs more...but it is worth my peace of mind.

We have been to SXM 15 times...we support the people of SXM in their effort to have equality and fairness. I don't agree with the way they handled it....and i am afraid it may have done mare damage then good....but i support their rights and their choice to do so.

It will certainly be reflected on trip reports and cruise reports...and it will certainly deter tourists from choosing SXM as their destination. It may also cause cruise lines to change their destination.

We will hope and pray the protest achieved the goal....and that the damage will be minimal.

Cathy--we haven't been on a cruise for 3 years now, but they never USED to take your passport, on cruises in the Caribbean anyway. They do that now?

Very nicely explained.

The locals have tried for over 1 year to effect this ruling no luck only recourse was to do what they did guess what it got some results at least the government will take a better look at this time

Good post, Dickg,

And now would be a perfect time to put this whole thing to bed. Let the people of the island deal with their political situations and those of us who weren't there and personally involved BACK OFF and MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for this information. I took 1 cruise to the Bahamas and my passport stayed with me at all times so I don't know if it depends on the cruise line, the destinations or something else.

Is the passcard they give you an official passport card like this one?

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/card.html

Um, Ed, I find that you are being the one that is a bit narrow minded here. I wasn't on St Martin, I wasn't inconvenienced, I recognize the French law that allows some civil disobedience, and I am happy that the local residents have gotten their elected government to listen to them. That said, your US analogies are moot as the US economy isn't tourist based. And the tourist voices I have seen here have only been explaining how the protest affected them on their vacation. Inconvenience is in the eye of the inconvenienced and certainly nothing wrong with saying "I wish that wouldn't have happened" or "I was frightened when the road block caused my bus to detour down a dark uninhabited dirt road". None of the comments I read, save the silly freedom fries, seemed inappropriate or uncaring. I didn't see anyone say "simple, provincial people and their road blocks, don't they know I am important". They were just people saying that they didn't like it. An opinion they have every right to. And if a legal act of civil disobedience causes someone to say that it inconvenienced them enough to want to seek a different place to spend their economy-supporting tourist dollars next year, they should have the right to say so. And locals should listen to the unfortunate result of their actions as well as celebrate the successful results. Some tourists WERE inconvenienced and frightened and may well change their travel plans. And shouldn't be pilloried for saying just that. Some of the"pro" roadblock people here are not seeing the forest for the trees.

I appreciate all the reasoned and thoughtful responses to this incident. The rest....

I will say this. I support the protests and I also see the forest thru the trees and understand that some tourists were scared, ticked, may not come back, may give bad reviews. That's the risk you take, and I think it was worth it. If it helps the overall governance, economy, and well being of ALL of French st Martin, not just those coming from France, then that will be a benefit for tourists in the long run. So I'm down for some short term pain for some long term gain.

I was born and raised in the states, but my entire family is from SXM and my rents live on the French side. So I have a unique perspective on all things related to the rock.

Whenever you leave your country you have to expect the unexpected. That's what makes travel so exciting. You never know what it going to happen and unfortunately when you leave the US and are in a foreign county you have no rights other than what the country you are in wants to afford you.

It's not a vacation without a life threatening experience!

Just my $0.02 worth. How long do think the cruise industry will tolerate his kind of behavior? I can and do understand the frustration the French side folks must be enduring, but from a business perspective, I would have to consider dropping SXM as a port of call if this continues.

Now you and I both understand that without the cruise industry, and land vacationing tourist, SXM would be in even worse shape than it is now.

Talk about shooting one's sell in the foot...

Even though i am not a great fan....have taken a few cruises over the years....and have NEVER EVER given up my passport to the ship. I have never heard of this happening. I would think twice about cruising if they were the ones to hold MY passport. As for a one day protest....i truly doubt that the cruise ships will stop going to SXM. Especially with all the money being spent now to build the new stuff nearby the docks. All the crime, ripoffs, murders etc. has NOT stopped them from visiting Jamaica....home of the most crime ridden country in the Carribbean. To each..their own

Jeez, louise, Bob, I think you're a lot more adventurous vacationer than I am!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> I have to assume that's a joke!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

we cruise at least twice a year, and have since 2000. This year in April when we were in SXM the ship DID NOT hold our passports. Maybe if you are not a U.S. citizen - I don't know. But from experience they NEVER have held ours.

The silly "freedom fries" comment was meant to be just that, silly. The comment followed an equally silly comment about the dislike of the French. Nothing like mocking a stupid stereotype.

We have enjoyed several cruises and we have never had to give our passports to the cruise line.Some people may have to give them over for a specific reason, but most people do not. You do not need them to leave the ship and you are warned to leave them in the safe in your room. You only need your cruise card for EVERYTHING!

we have been on many cruises in the last 20 yrs and have always had to hand over our passports - always -I thought it was because we are Canadian but guess not. Also just for the record I totally agree with CptCook.

Did you ever ask why you had to do so? Perhaps it is the policy of a particular cruise line. I definitely would ask the reason for having to do this although we have travelled on different cruise lines and never had to give over our passports. I would not be happy about ever having to do this as it is not the norm.

I have just finished my 16th cruise and have always kept my passport (in my safe in my cabin).

I just checked with my husband and he says that we didn't always hand them over but mostly we did-I really never thought to ask why-it seemed apparent that if we wanted to embark we had to hand over the passports-also on many different lines-next time I'll ask.

Year before last, 8 days in a raft down the Grand Canyon with no easy way out in an emergency. This year 8 day horse pack trip in Wyoming wilderness with no easy way out.
See Photo: This was a life threatening experience! I love it!
I hope this works. Please repair if not

Fixed:


Those are definitely some skilled pack animals that you have to trust your life to. I've been on both horses and donkeys.

They don't want to go over the edge anymore than I do!

Tell me how you got the photo to show up please

well I got the image but it's small.

Bob--Ain't no FREAKING way!! I am terrified of heights!!

Bob,
It shows up large on my computer screen.
It reminds me of a few scenes from a movie I watched years ago, Ride the High Country.
Thanks for sharing and you are adventurous.

The first time you posted it there was a few links in the text....when I followed one of them I got to your picasa page with the photo. I then Clicked and dragged the image into the address bar (an ulternate way would be to right click on the image and copy image location) to get a link to the actual photo file. The trick to posting on the forum is that the link to the photo MUST have a .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png at the end. So when I got the image to show up with only the picture and the address ended in .jpg...I copied that address and then used the Image button in my reply. It sounds complicated the way I'm describing it but the whole thing was done in 10 seconds or so.

Thanks, I got it but from now on I'm switching to Photo bucket. It may be easier. I right clicked the image in my picasa web album and copied the address for the photo and that seemed to help but for me it showed up small in the post. Now all I have to do is remember this the next time I post a photo! LOL

Carol, My stomach was in my mouth! A few hours before on not so steep a trail, my saddle slipped and I went down. Rolled a few times and came up on my hands and knees and got right back in the saddle. That night was a Alleve type of night! I ate my dinner in my tent and all night worried about the smell of the chicken and the grizzly bears. They told me grizzlies don't like chicken. Ha!

I was in the travel industry for over 30-years. stopped counting cruises after 50.

Only in the Med has a cruise line held our USA passports. NEVER in the Carib.

Of course if on a cruise line purchased shore ex, the ship would never leave passengers on shore unless the ship was in danger by remaining at the pier. In the case of local unrest, the ship's officers would be in contact with local authorities via the local agent; Exactly why they have such arrangements.

This situation was disconcerting, certainly. Not life threatening. Good story to tell post cruise.