A North Carolina mother and her four children were denied boarding for their Royal Caribbean cruise in Port Canaveral due to misunderstandings over appropriate ID for one of the children. But how did the miscommunication occur?

Shannon Nutting had saved for months to buy the cruise vacation as a surprise for her children, and even kept the exciting secret on the 8-hour drive to Florida.

Once parked at Port Canaveral, Nutting filmed the happy reaction of her children when she told them they would be setting sail on a Royal Caribbean cruise, but that happiness was short-lived.

According to ABC News, upon checking in at the cruise terminal, Nutting, who is a teacher, was told there was a problem with the identification for her 16-year-old son. His student ID would not be accepted for him to board the ship.

Nutting had spoken directly to Royal Caribbean prior to the cruise about her son’s special needs, noting that he does not possess a state-issued ID. The cruise line requires that all guests age 16 and older show a valid, government-issued photo ID along with a state-certified birth certificate if they aren’t traveling with a passport.

Due to her son’s special circumstances, Nutting was told his student ID would be acceptable, but once at the port, the story changed and she was told he would not be able to board.

“I explained to [the check-in staffer] that we had talked to Royal Caribbean, and they had assured us that the school ID was valid, and I was upset by that point, crying, so I asked could I speak to a supervisor,” Nutting said.

The supervisor continued to deny the boarding, and ultimately, the family watched their Royal Caribbean cruise ship sail away without them aboard.

“All that year of saving and paying on it, everybody was just heartbroken and devastated. Everybody was exhausted,” Nutting said.

The exact ship and sailing date has not been disclosed, but several Royal Caribbean ships are currently homeported from Port Canaveral.

Because the next step – after conferring with Royal Caribbean and verifying that yes, the family should have been permitted to board – would have been to catch up with the ship in Cozumel, it is likely the cruise was to have been aboard Wonder of the Seas.

Rather than go through the hassle of flying her family to Mexico to board the ship late, Nutting chose to remain in Florida and enjoy time in the Sunshine State for a few days before returning home – definitely not the vacation she had planned.

How Much Compensation Is Enough?

Royal Caribbean did offer Nutting several options for the denied boarding after the identification paperwork was confirmed to have been suitable.

First, she could have gotten a 100% future cruise credit along with $700 of onboard credit for another cruise, but this would not include any monetary refund.

Second, she could simply choose a full refund covering some expenses, or a full refund plus a 25% future cruise credit, if she was interested in rebooking for another sailing.

Nutting reportedly did not accept any of the options. She wanted not only a full refund, but also coverage of the expenses in traveling to Florida and while remaining there when they should have been on their cruise.

“If I made the mistake and they offered me anything, any kind of refund, then I would think that would be gracious of them,” Nutting said.

“But I didn’t make any mistakes. I made sure we had our documentation. Everybody’s birth certificates were certified. The people who needed IDs had IDs, and I just feel like them offering a refund of the cruise price is just unacceptable.”

Royal Caribbean has provided further training to port personnel about acceptable travel documentation, especially for these types of special circumstances.

Many experienced cruise travelers might immediately note that Nutting could have had passports for herself and all four children. This would have avoided the problem, but such documentation can be expensive.

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

Two adult passports (necessary for age 16 and older) and three additional children’s passports add up to $735 just for the application and execution fees, not counting any rush fees, photo fees, or expedited delivery.

Nutting is not turned off from cruising by this devastating experience, but has said she would be sure to get everything in writing if she cruises with her family again.