Key Aspects:
- A family is demanding compensation after being denied boarding for their Norwegian Cruise Line sailing.
- Two members of the travel party, who are US permanent citizens, did not bring their green cards to the cruise port.
- Green cards were required to sail and to re-enter the country at the end of their planned Bahamas cruise.
If there is one thing every cruiser must remember to do, it is to double-check what documentation is needed in order to embark on their sailing and triple-check that they bring it all with them.
Guests who fail to do so could be denied boarding, which is what happened to one family who recently attempted to embark on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship in Jacksonville, Florida.
It’s unclear which specific sailing that family had booked, but the ship that ended up being just out of reach for them was likely Norwegian Gem, as she is homeporting in Jacksonville through spring of 2026.
Per an angry Reddit post, the poster’s wife and parents were denied boarding at the cruise port because the parents – who are permanent US citizens – did not have their physical green cards with them.
“I bought my wife and in-laws tickets to the Bahamas leaving from Jacksonville and they drove down there yesterday (7 hour drive) but were refused entry on to the ship because my in-laws, who are permanent residents with passports and state IDs, did not have their physical green cards with them,” the frustrated spouse posted.
“The reason given by the person refusing entry was that, quote: ‘when we come back through US Customs from the Bahamas, how are they going to get back into the country without their cards?’”, the Redditor continued.
Read Also: Do I Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise? – Full Guide
The family is now seeking a refund or future cruise credit from Norwegian Cruise Line due to the inconvenience and embarrassment, which has thus far been denied.
Who is Really at Fault?
The family has tried to claim that they did not see anything stating that physical green cards were required, and that this information was not ever conveyed to them.
“When I purchased the tickets NCL did not ask to upload them, nor did they ever mention them when I registered her parents as non-US citizens during check out,” the Redditor complained.
But just because the family may not have immediately seen these instructions, it doesn’t mean the information wasn’t readily available.
A quick search of Norwegian Cruise Line’s website makes it clear that physical green cards would have been required to sail, making it hard for the family to prove that they simply didn’t know better.
“US Alien Residents holding an Alien Resident Card (ARC), also known as a ‘Green Card’ must be in possession of the ARC in order to sail,” reads NCL’s publicly accessible travel documentation policy.
“US Alien Residents who do not have their ARC, as well as a valid passport from their country of citizenship, with them at check-in will be denied boarding,” the policy states.
Federal law also requires permanent residents (green card holders) to carry their green card with them at all times as proof of their status, and it must be presented to immigration officers upon leaving and entering the country.
Cruising to the Bahamas, of course, counts as leaving the country.
No Sympathy From the Cruise Community
Instead of advice on securing a refund, the Redditor received quite a bit of tough love in response to their post.
“It’s your responsibility to have the appropriate documents. Even a small amount of research ahead of time could have prevented this situation. It sucks and I’m sorry, this is definitely a ‘you’ problem,” one person said.
“OP could have read the NCL website or asked his travel agent. He needs to mark this up as a very expensive lesson learned,” another agreed.
At the end of the day, it is ultimately every cruise guest’s responsibility to verify what documentation is needed ahead of their sailing.
When in doubt, it is always okay to call the cruise line’s customer service department, where agents will be happy to walk you through the required documentation.
