A North Carolina mother’s dream family vacation turned into heartbreak when Royal Caribbean staff denied boarding to her special needs son due to an ID issue. Despite confirming in advance that his student ID would be acceptable, the 16-year-old was refused entry at Port Canaveral in Florida.
Shannon Nutting had spent over a year organizing the trip and had even brought along a babysitter to help. When the family arrived, the mother’s excitement quickly turned to devastation as a supervisor informed her that her son couldn’t board because he lacked a state-issued ID.
The family was forced to abandon their long-anticipated trip, but later discovered that Royal Caribbean made a human error in denying them boarding. The cruise line initially offered several options to make up for the mistake, including a full refund and compensation for future cruises. However, Nutting felt that these offers were unacceptable as they didn’t cover the money the family had already spent getting to the port.
Nutting emphasized that she made no mistakes in ensuring her son’s documentation was in order, citing certified birth certificates for all passengers who needed IDs. The incident highlights the need for greater understanding and support for families with special needs children when it comes to travel and identity verification processes.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/moms-dream-family-cruise-trip-shattered-as-staff-deny-boarding-to-her-special-needs-son-101742804052845.html