A North Carolina family’s long-awaited Royal Caribbean cruise ended in disappointment after one of their children was denied boarding at Port Canaveral due to an ID issue.
Shannon Nutting, a teacher from Pembroke, North Carolina, had been planning the surprise cruise for over a year, saving and making payments since November 2023.
She took time off from work and even brought a babysitter to help her four children.
The family arrived at the terminal excited to reveal the surprise to the kids and captured the moment on video.
However, their excitement quickly turned to heartbreak when Royal Caribbean staff informed them that Nutting’s 16-year-old son could not board due to an issue with his student ID.
Despite prior assurances from Royal Caribbean that the ID was acceptable, staff at the terminal said it did not meet the requirements for boarding.
ID Issue Leads To Denial Despite Earlier Confirmation
Nutting explained that her son, who has special needs, did not have a state-issued ID yet, so she had confirmed with Royal Caribbean in advance that a student ID would be sufficient.
Despite her attempts to clarify the situation with a supervisor, her concerns were dismissed, and the family was forced to watch their cruise ship sail away without them.
Stranded at the port, Nutting and her family opted to stay in Florida for a few days while her travel agent contacted Royal Caribbean for answers.
In a written response, a Royal Caribbean representative admitted it was “human error” by port staff and confirmed that the family had the correct documentation.
The cruise line said additional training has been provided to prevent similar mistakes.
Compensation Options Fall Short
Royal Caribbean offered Nutting three options: a full refund with a 25% future cruise credit, a full refund with no future credit, and no refund, but a 100% future cruise credit and a $700 onboard credit.
Nutting declined all three options, insisting Royal Caribbean reimburse the family’s additional expenses, including travel, lodging, and meals.
“If I had made the mistake, I’d be grateful for any refund. But I didn’t. I made sure we had the proper documentation,” Nutting explained.
Royal Caribbean’s Documentation Policy
Royal Caribbean recommends passports as the best identification documents for most US travelers, with state-certified birth certificates as an acceptable alternative.
However, these are subject to additional guidelines and conditions, such as whether the guest is a US citizen and a cruise’s ports of call.
In February 2024, another passenger was turned away by Carnival Cruise Line at an Australian port.
Since the guest was 26 weeks pregnant, she didn’t meet the cruise line’s official 24-week pregnancy limit, exposing her to health risks that Carnival may not have been equipped to handle.
