UK cruise passport validity

7781Caro

We booked a UK cruise that stops only at UK ports. Upon check in we have been advised we all need passports with 6 months validity... my children don't have this and we are very short on time. We have applied for new passports however a bery real chance they won't come in time. 

Now my question... the Travel Agent I booked through did not advise me of the passport requirement either verbally at time of booking or in writing. 
As it is a UK cruise we had assumed passports would not be required. Only stops are UK ports. 
This is our first cruise which I advised at time of booking so I have no idea if this is a generic cruise policy or the cruiseline policy. Regardless we were not advised and I wouldn't have booked if so. 

How do I find what a travel agents liability is for failure to provide this information? My preference would be just to cancel and get a refund.

user1977

Have you double-checked this is actually a requirement for your cruise, rather than some generic policy which has popped up in error? I'm struggling to think of a reason why it would be needed (at a stretch, perhaps for ID purposes, but that wouldn't require six months validity). Which company is it?

Sandtree

Passport, visa requirements etc are almost exclusively the passengers responsibility to know and understand. Its a complex area and can change rapidly hence why its industry practice to say you need to check yourself. 

Have you checked with the cruise line themselves? Many do have a standard requirement of passport with 6 months validity as a broad brush approach that works with most passport holders (despite being UK to UK not everyone will be a UK passport holder) but there are exceptions.

MattMattMattUK

7781Caro said:

We booked a UK cruise that stops only at UK ports. Upon check in we have been advised we all need passports with 6 months validity... my children don't have this and we are very short on time. We have applied for new passports however a bery real chance they won't come in time. 

Now my question... the Travel Agent I booked through did not advise me of the passport requirement either verbally at time of booking or in writing. 
As it is a UK cruise we had assumed passports would not be required. Only stops are UK ports. 
This is our first cruise which I advised at time of booking so I have no idea if this is a generic cruise policy or the cruiseline policy. Regardless we were not advised and I wouldn't have booked if so. 

How do I find what a travel agents liability is for failure to provide this information? My preference would be just to cancel and get a refund

This is a requirement for all the cruise operators I can see for their UK only cruises, it is also commented in the Independent travel section below.

The short answer without knowing which cruise line you are traveling on and quoting their terms and conditions is that yes, if they say you need a passport then you need a passport. The second answer is no the travel agent is not in any way liable for not telling you about this requirement. 

The best case scenario if you do not get you passport in time is that they let you delay the trip to a later sailing date, but they are under no requirement to do so.

https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/travel-questions/travel-simon-calder-cruises-red-list-schengen-b1830283.html

user1977

MattMattMattUK said:

7781Caro said:

We booked a UK cruise that stops only at UK ports. Upon check in we have been advised we all need passports with 6 months validity... my children don't have this and we are very short on time. We have applied for new passports however a bery real chance they won't come in time. 

Now my question... the Travel Agent I booked through did not advise me of the passport requirement either verbally at time of booking or in writing. 
As it is a UK cruise we had assumed passports would not be required. Only stops are UK ports. 
This is our first cruise which I advised at time of booking so I have no idea if this is a generic cruise policy or the cruiseline policy. Regardless we were not advised and I wouldn't have booked if so. 

How do I find what a travel agents liability is for failure to provide this information? My preference would be just to cancel and get a refund

This is a requirement for all the cruise operators I can see for their UK only cruises, it is also commented in the Independent travel section below.

https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/travel-questions/travel-simon-calder-cruises-red-list-schengen-b1830283.html

I can't get past the paywall, but that seems to be saying it is just for ID purposes (similar to some domestic airlines and ferry companies, though I'm not aware of any which currently insist on the photo ID being a passport - Ryanair did for a while) - but like I said above, that doesn't explain the minimum 6 month validity, which is usually an immigration point.

None of which really helps the OP with their rights, I'm just curious about what the logic is.

JamoLew

 Very likely to do with security etc etc

Sandtree

user1977 said:
None of which really helps the OP with their rights, I'm just curious about what the logic is.

Does there need to be logic? Ultimately a company is free to set its own terms of carriage.

You can speculate about it wanting simple rules that can apply universally, that there may be a requirement for non-British passengers given the ship could go out of UK waters, maybe to deal with the risk of adverse weather requiring it to dock at a european port etc. 

user1977

Sandtree said:

user1977 said:
None of which really helps the OP with their rights, I'm just curious about what the logic is.

Does there need to be logic?

I didn't say there needed to be any (publicly-available) logic but presumably there was a reason for them coming up with that restriction. Like I said, I'm merely curious and wondered if anybody knew.

You can speculate about it wanting simple rules that can apply universally, that there may be a requirement for non-British passengers given the ship could go out of UK waters, maybe to deal with the risk of adverse weather requiring it to dock at a european port etc. 

Docking at an unexpected port wouldn't require the passengers to go through immigration (in the same way that flights frequently have to land in the "wrong" country, but you don't need to e.g. prepare for American immigration when your intended destination is Canada).

7781Caro

Thanks to those who have taken the time to reply 

We are travelling with MSC, who when speaking with directly have confirmed that 6 months passport validity is required for all passengers. They helpfully said they recently refused a baby bording for this reason. 

Perhaps not a surprise given the situation we find ourselves in I continue to be shocked that this is deemed something we should of known and the implication that the Travel Agent has no duty of care or liability to inform us of a policy that if not adhered to prevents us from boarding! 

This is a UK cruise stopping at UK ports only ... if I was to fly to Edinburgh I would need ID but no passport, if I was to get a train to Liverpool I would need nothing at all and if I got a ferry to Belfast I would again need ID and a birth certificate for my children. The requirement of a passport with 6 months validity is either a genric Cruiseline policy or an MSC one, so how and why would I know that without being advised by the "cruise specialist" I booked via?!
I have never done a UK only cruise before (as I advised the agent) .... why would I google this, I struggle to understand how I am liable to know such a policy. I wouldn't of thought to search "things I should know about UK cruises" before I booked. 
Neither the agent or MSC have proactively advised information that without our knowledge prevents us from boarding ... although this post suggests otherwise I feel lost for words! 

7781Caro

Thanks again for your replies 
Just to add that the Home Office Boarder Agency and DFT have advised it is not a requirement of theirs, it is either a cruise industry decision or MSC policy ...  again this means I should of been advised prior to booking

Sandtree

7781Caro said:

 if I was to fly to Edinburgh I would need ID but no passport, if I was to get a train to Liverpool I would need nothing at all 

So in other words, and to play devil's advocate, you were aware that requirements varied depending on mode of transport but didn't think to check?

Travel agents don't inform people because they dont want to create a liability... if they say you can go to your holiday visa free and that changes between your booking and travelling or if you say you're british and going to mexico they advise on the basis of a british passport but actually you hold a British passport issued by the BVI and so require a visa it then gets very messy.

The T&Cs you agree to will normally state that its up to you to check travel doc and visa requirements.