Travel Documentation 101

by Brenda Ajay
Picture this. You've just spent thousands of dollars on a dream Alaskan Cruise for you and your family, spent months planning the trip of a lifetime, traveled a great distance to Seattle to board your ship only to be turned away because you don't have the proper documents. It's not uncommon. In fact, that's the very scene that a family from India faced this summer when they were left standing at the dock. A cruise line reservation agent who helped book their cruise explained that they would only need valid Indian passports to board the ship. She was wrong. The cruise itinerary, that embarked and disembarked in Seattle, would be sailing through Canada where passengers from India are also required to have a Canadian visa to set sail. The good news is that the family received a credit from the cruise line so they can reschedule their cruise. But it brings up an important fact - it is ultimately the traveler's responsibility to have proper documents to travel.

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