Denied Boarding But Bag was taken onboard and lost

[MaureenG]

We completed all the pre-boarding paperwork, Royal Caribbean approved it and confirmed we were cleared to board. When we got to the pier and provided the same information for visual checking they said it wasn’t adequate. We are now battling for a refund or cruise credit. However our bag was loaded onto the ship and they couldn’t get it back off in time before the ship left. Now the bag is lost and we can’t get any information. Any suggestions anyone?

[SpeedNoodles]

Submit your claim to your travel insurance.

[MaureenG]

We didn’t buy travel insurance 

[Wip3out]

57 minutes ago, MaureenG said:

We completed all the pre-boarding paperwork, Royal Caribbean approved it and confirmed we were cleared to board. When we got to the pier and provided the same information for visual checking they said it wasn’t adequate. We are now battling for a refund or cruise credit. However our bag was loaded onto the ship and they couldn’t get it back off in time before the ship left. Now the bag is lost and we can’t get any information. Any suggestions anyone?

What exactly was the reason for denying boarding can I ask?

 

[Pooch]

What paperwork was deemed inadequate?

[MaureenG]

Proof of my husbands second Moderna vaccine. My proof showed a batch number. His just showed the date he had the shot and where. 

[Leighq]

Why were you denied boarding ok something new to have anxiety over?

[Leighq]

38 minutes ago, MaureenG said:

Proof of my husbands second Moderna vaccine. My proof showed a batch number. His just showed the date he had the shot and where. 

 Now I am checking mine and hubbys 

[GatorCruiser]

Thanks for the heads up, we just checked all our vaccine cards for the lot numbers to confirm. 

[Wip3out]

I’m from Ireland and the official EU digital Covid cert does not have a batch number. 
 

what paperwork did you have? Official or just a vaccination card?

[Leighq]

9 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

Thanks for the heads up, we just checked all our vaccine cards for the lot numbers to confirm. 

Same here!

[Pooch]

These vax cards will be the death of us!!  Relying on the people filling them out a year ago under enormous pressure to get shots in arms and with perhaps no real understanding of the importance of their accuracy down the road!

[dodgestang]

1 hour ago, MaureenG said:

Proof of my husbands second Moderna vaccine. My proof showed a batch number. His just showed the date he had the shot and where. 

You mean the card you took a picture of, uploaded into the RC provided application for verification that took several days to come back and say "verified"?

Sounds like an interesting conundrum for sure.  Sorry for you pain on this topic.  I doubt you will get satisfaction without escalation to executive leadership.

[Lexster]

Now I'm worried that my card won't be accepted. My husband's has WM and the store number he went to. I went to Walgreens and mine just was WAG. They all have the lot#'s, though, so...I would hope that's sufficient.

[Neesa]

Power trip person! We use the same testing facility every time for our obligatory 2 day out antigen and our last sailing on the Odyssey the young lady scrutinized forever saying this isn't good enough, wait what? We already sailed 2 x with testing from the same facility. So nerve racking for no reason, ENOUGH ROYAL, ENOUGH!!!!

[fireclan]

2 hours ago, MaureenG said:

We completed all the pre-boarding paperwork, Royal Caribbean approved it and confirmed we were cleared to board. When we got to the pier and provided the same information for visual checking they said it wasn’t adequate. We are now battling for a refund or cruise credit. However our bag was loaded onto the ship and they couldn’t get it back off in time before the ship left. Now the bag is lost and we can’t get any information. Any suggestions anyone?

What a terrible thing to happen. I am so sorry your vacation was ruined.

[DJ VINCE]

1 hour ago, Wip3out said:

I’m from Ireland and the official EU digital Covid cert does not have a batch number. 
 

what paperwork did you have? Official or just a vaccination card?

Same here, curious to know how it works for us Europeans on a US cruise. 
 

does any one have experience ?

[fireclan]

36 minutes ago, Pooch said:

These vax cards will be the death of us!!  Relying on the people filling them out a year ago under enormous pressure to get shots in arms and with perhaps no real understanding of the importance of their accuracy down the road!

Maybe now your brother will see why you were so insistent that he have all his ducks in a row!

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, Pooch said:

These vax cards will be the death of us!!  Relying on the people filling them out a year ago under enormous pressure to get shots in arms and with perhaps no real understanding of the importance of their accuracy down the road!

And there's zero consistent way to fill them out. Print. Scribble. Stickers. Stickers that are often too large for the line on the card.  Stickers that have handwriting over top.

I'd encourage everyone that can get it to have secondary proof of vaccination, either from the pharmacy/practitioner or state vaccine registry.

[Templecruiser]

After mine was filled out and knowing we will need these for awhile, I laminated mine to keep it protected. The paper it was written on was not high quality.

[Pooch]

36 minutes ago, fireclan said:

Maybe now your brother will see why you were so insistent that he have all his ducks in a row!

Sent me a screenshot yesterday with the first two shots listed on the card he got for his booster (lot # included).  I THINK we are good with that.  Now six negative tests on Friday WITH clear documentation, PLEASE GOD.

[27th Lady]

This is so wrong! Their website does not even say a lot number is required, just the name of the manufacturer (see attached from their website). Im so sorry this happened to you!

[GatorCruiser]

Yup 2 weeks from today we embark on symphony with 8 adults and 2 children. Needless to say the pre cruise Covid test is always stressful and has me nervous. Need to go 10/10 on these things. 

[SimGuy]

Get a lawyer. 

[AspiringCruisePlanner]

3 hours ago, 27th Lady said:

This is so wrong! Their website does not even say a lot number is required, just the name of the manufacturer (see attached from their website). Im so sorry this happened to you!

This! You're entitled to a full refund based on your compliance to their requirements and their improper denial of boarding.  If you lost money from flight changes, You're entitled to damages for that as well. I've never been to small claims court, but I think you might be able to file a case and they'd likely settle out of court with you based on the clarity of the verbage in this FAQ page. First you should call several times to see if they can work something out for you without you having to file a court case.

My advice for you would be to escalate right away.  In this case, right when you got denied boarding by the agent. If you get a no from someone, ask for their manager.  If they say no, find someone else to talk to. There's no way I'd accept being denied boarding if I knew I had met the requirements. I'd get the pharmacy I got the shot on the phone and have them send paperwork. No is not an answer. It's kind of a Karen move, but some situations require this level of attention. 

I know this is highly unlikely, but if that second dose info was forged and you didn't push to get onboard because of it, you'd best lay off any further refund requests as that's a significant crime.

[dcr50usa]

I can understand the issues as we had a bad one in 2015 that , in our minds was not resolved properly and the TA CEO couldn't do anything when we were checking in. Unfortunately with the lot number not on the CDC Vax card, you have an invalid card as it has not been properly filled out out the time of getting the vaccine which I am sure will be the point made by RCL and point out that it was your responsibility to ensure you had a properly filled out CDC vax when vaccinated.

Sorry to hear that you did not have insurance, I know its an extra cost, but I was advised by a senior cruiser many years ago that its best to have for the monies you have outlaid for the vacation along with possible medical issues (accidents). Same logic has applied for years with car/home/life insurance.

Hope you get a refund and your baggage back

[AspiringCruisePlanner]

9 minutes ago, dcr50usa said:

Unfortunately with the lot number not on the CDC Vax card, you have an invalid card as it has not been properly filled out out the time of getting the vaccine which I am sure will be the point made by RCL and point out that it was your responsibility to ensure you had a properly filled out CDC vax when vaccinated.

Documentation requirements according to the guidelines listed on Royal's site were met. Check it out

[dcr50usa]

14 minutes ago, AspiringCruisePlanner said:

Documentation requirements according to the guidelines listed on Royal's site were met. Check it out

I did here they are, but the legal beagles will probably hammer on the incomplete "CDC vaccination Record Card" and probably argue that the lot number is part of the required manufacture info as required on the card.

Not for us to decide, I hope the best for them, but after our dealings with RCL Hq I think if they get 100% refund on monies paid to RCL and their bags back would be a draw.

"Acceptable Proof of Vaccination

In order to present proof of vaccination for our cruises, the guest must show eligible documentation on boarding day at the terminal in the form of the vaccination record issued by either (1) the country’s health authority that administered the vaccination (e.g., U.S. CDC's Vaccination Record Card) (2) electronic vaccination records where country policy requires the use of electronic documentation via app or health agency site (e.g. UK NHS App, NHS Certificate, Israel Green Pass, EU Digital COVID Certificate), or (3) a letter from the guest's medical provider that administered the vaccination, which meets the following criteria: 

• The Proof of Vaccination must include the name of the vaccinated person matching the registered cruise guest with date of birth (DoB), the dates of the completed vaccination cycle, the administering physical or medical services provider, and the manufacturer of the vaccine issued. 
• The full vaccination cycle must be completed at least 14 days before your sail date (e.g., received the second dose in a two-dose series such as Pfizer or Moderna or a single dose of J&J). 
• The vaccine is recognized and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) and/or the World Health Organization (WHO)."

NOTE: Royal Caribbean will accept a laminated original vaccine card from your country’s health authority as acceptable proof of vaccination, providing it meets all the aforementioned criteria. 

[AspiringCruisePlanner]

31 minutes ago, dcr50usa said:

I did here they are, but the legal beagles will probably hammer on the incomplete "CDC vaccination Record Card" and probably argue that the lot number is part of the required manufacture info as required on the card.

Not for us to decide, I hope the best for them, but after our dealings with RCL Hq I think if they get 100% refund on monies paid to RCL and their bags back would be a draw.

"Acceptable Proof of Vaccination

In order to present proof of vaccination for our cruises, the guest must show eligible documentation on boarding day at the terminal in the form of the vaccination record issued by either (1) the country’s health authority that administered the vaccination (e.g., U.S. CDC's Vaccination Record Card) (2) electronic vaccination records where country policy requires the use of electronic documentation via app or health agency site (e.g. UK NHS App, NHS Certificate, Israel Green Pass, EU Digital COVID Certificate), or (3) a letter from the guest's medical provider that administered the vaccination, which meets the following criteria: 

• The Proof of Vaccination must include the name of the vaccinated person matching the registered cruise guest with date of birth (DoB), the dates of the completed vaccination cycle, the administering physical or medical services provider, and the manufacturer of the vaccine issued. 
• The full vaccination cycle must be completed at least 14 days before your sail date (e.g., received the second dose in a two-dose series such as Pfizer or Moderna or a single dose of J&J). 
• The vaccine is recognized and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) and/or the World Health Organization (WHO)."

NOTE: Royal Caribbean will accept a laminated original vaccine card from your country’s health authority as acceptable proof of vaccination, providing it meets all the aforementioned criteria. 

I'd think a judge would side with the customer in this case considering the totality of the circumstances. The initial electronic submittal of vaccination proof was approved by the cruise line and the documentation they had met the requirements on the website. Pretty straightforward to me. Royal needed to either have proper info on the website or decline the initial doc submittal. Failed on both accounts. Pay the man.

[dcr50usa]

12 minutes ago, AspiringCruisePlanner said:

I'd think a judge would side with the customer in this case considering the totality of the circumstances. The initial electronic submittal of vaccination proof was approved by the cruise line and the documentation they had met the requirements on the website. Pretty straightforward to me. Royal needed to either have proper info on the website or decline the initial doc submittal. Failed on both accounts. Pay the man.

agree to disagree, like I said hope for the best but expect the worst

[RCVoyager]

I noticed a few weeks ago that my vac card was missing the Lot Number on my booster.  I went back to the facility that gave me the shot, and they added the information to my card and then gave me a printout of my complete vac record with that facility.  I thought it was a minor omission, but I guess it's good that I followed up.

 

Really sad to hear from OP on this.  As someone else mentioned, if the info was added correctly I would fight to the finish on this.  If it was forged, quit now before you bite off more than you can chew.

[Ray]

3 hours ago, dcr50usa said:

 the manufacturer of the vaccine issued. 

This part could be the issue! 

The missing batch code would show these details. 

If they were missing then under T&Cs then this could be reason to deny boarding.

Its a bit like ESTA or Visas when visiting another country, i can fill out ESTA form online to visit the US or a Visa to fly anywhere else in the world, even if it comes back granting me permission to fly it doesnt mean im getting in to the country i want to visit, it just means i have met the required criteria however I still have to go through checks and meet border control requirements once there. And even though it said online i was ok to travel i can still be refused once i land. 

 

[Ray]

16 hours ago, MaureenG said:

We didn’t buy travel insurance 

You should ALWAYS buy Travel Insurance!!

Having no Insurance reminds me of a story of someone i know! 

A couple decided to travel to Australia to visit family, the husband who organised it all paid for vacation in cash but didnt get travel insurance ( his wife had some underlying medical conditions but nothing to serious ) 

While on vacation the woman took ill and was admitted to Hospital however due to no insurance which the family didnt know about, there was only so much Australian Hospitals would and could do. This meant the family back home had to raise £28,000 to pay off medical bills and for flights to enable the woman who's condition was deteriorating to be flown home under the care of a doctor and nurse to get treatment. 

Once back home the womans condition steadily got worse! A burst ulcer in Australia had meant septicaemia was travelling through the body and put the body into septic shock. She passed away at the age of 60 due to not having insurance, if they had then it would have been treated.This is why having insurance is important.

Those who knew her called her June...i just called her mum x

 

[Jill]

Were you denied by a pier agent or an employee of Royal? If a pier agent, I would have insisted on speaking with someone from Royal. 

[ChessE4]

17 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

And there's zero consistent way to fill them out. Print. Scribble. Stickers. Stickers that are often too large for the line on the card.  Stickers that have handwriting over top.

I'd encourage everyone that can get it to have secondary proof of vaccination, either from the pharmacy/practitioner or state vaccine registry.

You are on point.  Our first two shots were documented with stickers that included all pertinent information.  My wife (nurse) tells me the lot number is important if severe adverse effects are reported for the vaccine -- they need to track down who else might be affected.

Now for our booster shots, we have handwritten information (no sticker), including lot #, etc.

Our Feb cruise was cancelled by Royal, so I have no idea what we will experience at Port Canaveral in June, but obviously there is significant variation in how cards are completed.

[Terri Smith Johnson]

Now I'm paranoid.  I uploaded our vaccine cards on the app for boarding pass and now cannot find them.  However in Louisiana, we have a Smart Health Card, a digital record of the vaccination under the LA Wallet app.  Does anyone know if this will work?

[dcr50usa]

57 minutes ago, ChessE4 said:

You are on point.  Our first two shots were documented with stickers that included all pertinent information.  My wife (nurse) tells me the lot number is important if severe adverse effects are reported for the vaccine -- they need to track down who else might be affected.

Now for our booster shots, we have handwritten information (no sticker), including lot #, etc.

Our Feb cruise was cancelled by Royal, so I have no idea what we will experience at Port Canaveral in June, but obviously there is significant variation in how cards are completed.

Ours was handwritten for all 3 shots, wife phizer at major hospital, husband Moderna county health dept. We had no issues getting on board for our first cruise and the next 3 consecutive cruises when we had to get off and on to repeat the process.

[dcr50usa]

10 minutes ago, Terri Smith Johnson said:

Now I'm paranoid.  I uploaded our vaccine cards on the app for boarding pass and now cannot find them.  However in Louisiana, we have a Smart Health Card, a digital record of the vaccination under the LA Wallet app.  Does anyone know if this will work?

no worries, just take everything with you as we uploaded but still had to show proof during the boarding process.

[Pooch]

Ok I am officially crazy about this issue.  Now in addition to fully filled out CDC cards, I have proof from our medical provider and/or state health department backing up all the card information for everyone.  Not sure there’s anything else we can do.

[Leighq]

29 minutes ago, Pooch said:

Ok I am officially crazy about this issue.  Now in addition to fully filled out CDC cards, I have proof from our medical provider and/or state health department backing up all the card information for everyone.  Not sure there’s anything else we can do.

I am absolutely paranoid now!