Little known EU passport rule that cost couple £3,600

Jenny Gee, 69, and Trevor Bamford, 77, were due to set sail on Sunday April 27, two weeks after Trevor finished three years of treatment for severe prostate cancer

A couple were left disappointed after being denied their dream cruise to New York due to a post-Brexit passport rule that prevented them from sailing through EU waters.

Grandparents Jenny Gee, 69, and Trevor Bamford, 77, had planned the trip for the autumn, with the voyage being a bucket-list item for Trevor.

The pair were set to embark on their journey on Sunday, April 27, just two weeks after Trevor completed three years of treatment for severe prostate cancer. They had splashed out £3,600 for a top cabin on the deck-12 cruise ship.

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However, they were pulled out of the check-in queue and informed that Trevor couldn't travel because of a post-Brexit passport rule. British passports issued before 2018 can be valid for over 10 years, as any remaining time on the previous passport could be added to a new one.

But under current EU rules, to travel in the EU or Schengen zone, a British passport must be less than ten years old and valid for three months after the planned date of return to the UK. Trevor's passport was issued on March 2, 2015, and expires in September, making it valid for ten years and seven months.

Staff explained to the couple that the extra months on Trevor's passport didn't count and he couldn't board the boat because it travelled through EU waters, docking in Le Havre, France, the following day (Monday 28/4), before heading across the Atlantic. The couple had booked the cruise as the first leg of their trip to visit their daughter and her family.

The couple from Bristol faced a devastating blow when they were forced to shell out an extra £1,400 to fly to New York next Monday (5/5). Jenny, a former communications worker, shared her distress: "We were so shocked and upset."

She further described the emotional toll it took on Trevor: "This trip has been Trevor's dream for ages: I honestly thought he was going to have a stroke he was so upset he went white and was shaking."

Looking forward to their most extensive trip yet, Jenny lamented the lack of public knowledge about the passport regulations: "There needs to be more awareness of this passport rule: I've spoken to loads of people about this and none of them knew about it."

Despite her husband's trouble-free travel around Europe in the preceding month, inconsistencies arose: "It's not even consistent: Trevor has travelled in Europe in the last month with no border problems at all, and we have to fly via Dublin and we've been told that's fine."

Jenny voiced her frustration over the situation: "It's such a shame, we can travel anywhere in the world but not the EU, and they are our closest allies."

The cruise ship was set to reach New York on Monday 5/5, where the pair planned to stay for a week before heading off to Arkansas to visit relatives, then returning home on 22/5. Trevor, who had just finished treatment for severe prostate cancer and longed to make the transatlantic voyage due to his history in the merchant navy, wasn't forewarned when booking their trip that his passport could cause issues.

However, he successfully used the same passport for recent visits to Spain, Italy, and Switzerland.

Jenny was left in the dark about a new passport rule until she and Trevor were pulled out of the queue and given a letter by staff, which stated that Trevor, a retired business owner, wasn't eligible for any compensation or refund. Jenny also couldn't claim her money back.

She expressed her frustration, saying: "It doesn't matter to travel companies, they can sell the places again."

She added, "This is happening to people a lot, they need to be told about the rule when they book."