Sobbing Passengers Left Behind by Cunard Due to Documentation Mix-Up

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A simple mistake cost the Conway family their dream cruise vacation.ย Anne Conway, a 75-year-old grandmother and part-time nurse, was excited to board Cunard Lineโ€™s Queen Mary 2 for a two-week sailing with her granddaughter, a 15-year-old named Leila.ย 

The vacation was meant to be a repeat of a voyage the grandmother took with her daughter, Bethany, 15 years prior to celebrate Anneโ€™s 60th birthday – with the cruise feeling like a full-circle moment of sorts. 

But when the excited duo arrived at the Port of Southampton in the UK on July 21, 2024, they quickly realized there had been a terrible mistake. Anne was operating under the incorrect assumption that her granddaughter didnโ€™t need an ESTA to sail. 

“I knew I needed an ESTA but I thought I read somewhere that children under 16 didn’t need one if they’re traveling with an adult. But I obviously got that wrong.โ€ Anne told The Mirror, a British news outlet. 

For context, an ESTA is a visa through the United States Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of other countries to visit the US for a period of up to 90 days. 

As residents of the UK – specifically Gourock, Inverclyde, in Scotland – both women needed an ESTA in order to sail to the one-and-only port of call on the itinerary: New York City. Because of the simple mistake, the Conways were denied boarding.ย 

โ€œBoth of us were just sobbing. I was so disappointed for Leila. She was so excitedโ€ฆTo get within yards of the boat, it was devastating. I cried all the way home and all night,โ€ said the Grandmother. 

While the family did attempt to apply for Leilaโ€™s ESTA at the port as a last ditch effort to save their trip, the approval did not come back in time.

The visa came in at 5:04 pm local time – less than five minutes after Queen Mary 2 embarked at 5:00 pm – sailing away with their dreams and the ยฃ3,934 (or $5,062) Anne had paid for the vacation. 

โ€We are very sorry to hear that these guests were unable to board Queen Mary 2 in Southampton. Prior to sailing with us, we ask guests to ensure they have the appropriate travel documentation for their specific voyage (including ESTAs), and unfortunately, we are unable to accept guests without the correct documentation,โ€ a Cunard Spokesperson told The Mirror

Read Also: Do Kids Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise?

Although being denied boarding is tragic, this also serves as a cautionary tale for future guests to check (and double check) documentation requirements from their prospective cruise lines. 

Documentation requirements can vary based on factors like the embarkation port, the destinations on the itinerary, the ages of the passengers, and citizenship. 

The Conways Get A Happy Ending

While itโ€™s still not exactly the dream vacation, the grandmother and granddaughter will get to join Queen Mary 2 when she docks in New York on July 27, 2024 – halfway through the 2,691-guest vesselโ€™s two-week voyage.

Leila posted a GoFundMe page, which has since been taken down, detailing their plight – and raised ยฃ1,720 in donations (or about $2,213) in less than two days. The duo then used the funds to secure airfare to New York. 

“I can’t begin to put a price on the stress this has caused me, or the toll it may have taken on my heart, and the inconvenience for the whole family. We’ve also lost the cost of the first half of the trip,โ€ Anne said.ย 

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 in Southampton
Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 in Southampton (Photo Credit: Skyshark Media)

“I’m thrilled that at least she can get half of it. It will be better than writing the whole thing off. I think she’ll enjoy it so much, she was so looking forward to it,โ€ continued the grateful grandmother. 

Read Also: What Happens If You Miss Your Cruise Ship?

Thankfully, the Conway family had a happy ending. Unfortunately, they arenโ€™t the only recent cruisers to find out how it feels to be left behind by their cruise ship.

Earlier this week, on July 23, 2024, more than 100 cruisers became stranded after a rockslide trapped the guests in Canada – making it impossible for them to rejoin their prospective ships in Skagway. 

Luckily, the impacted Carnival-owned cruise lines worked quickly so that the displaced guests could rejoin their vessels the following morning in the next port of call.

Last month, in June of 2024, one teenager taught his parents a tough lesson when his guardians didnโ€™t respect the strict all aboard time. 

The 18-year-old returned to the ship alone after his parents refused to stop shopping, and ended up missing the shipโ€™s departure by almost an hour despite numerous warnings from their child. 

The parents ended up having to rejoin the cruise at the following port – after incurring some significant costs from the last-minute hotels and airfare.

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Catie Kovelman
Catie Kovelman
Catie is an award-winning journalist and researcher. By day, she helps market new movies and TV shows as a senior research manager. But by night, she loves writing cruise news. In addition to Cruise Hive, Catie has contributed to a variety of newspapers, magazines, and other online publications, such as The Plaid Horse, Unwritten, YourTango, Fangirl Nation Magazine, Chapman Magazine, the Orange County Register, and Voice of OC.

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