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Passport Clarification Needed..


cruisin_fanatic
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I agree passports should be obtained, but there are NOT any risks associated with cruising without one until required - cruise ships do NOT go to Beirut, they go to friendly places - for a reason, and the whole sky is falling thing is just not substantiated with facts, in an emergency you can be cleared with one phone call, even before the ship makes port or while headed to the airport, here it is from the "official" site:

 

Q. What happens to U.S. citizens who attempt to re-enter the country without a passport or an alternative travel card?

Under the law, the new documentation requirements may be waived under certain circumstances. These exceptions include individual cases of unforeseen emergency and individual cases based on “humanitarian or national interest reasons.” In addition, the State Department has processes to assist U.S. citizens overseas to obtain emergency travel documentation for those with lost or stolen passports.

For the general public, people who apply for entry but do not have appropriate documentation will be referred for secondary screening at the port. In secondary, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will evaluate any evidence of citizenship or identity the individual may have and will verify all information against available databases. However, to prevent delay at the ports of entry, we would encourage all U.S. citizens to obtain the appropriate documents before they travel.

 

Thanks for posting that.

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Actually, the information I received from Carnival for our April '08 cruise is that the push back of the date that cruise passengers will need a passport is due to the fact that the government is planning to issue a smaller Pass Port type card and the cost will be significantly less - approximately $50 per card.

 

I am waiting for that to be implemented before I spend $400 on passports for a family of 4.

 

This is the statement from Carnival in my documents:

 

The U.S. Government will require that all of our guests, including U.S. Citizens be in possession of a valid passport when traveling on any Carnival Cruise. This requirement will become effective no later than June 1, 2009. This effective date may be moved to an earlier date pending the U.S. Government's implementation of new identification cards (PASScards) that will provide a less expensive alternative form of documentation. For travel by air, the passport deadline will remain January 8, 2007.

 

Unless you live along the southern or northern borders, you can forget about the passport type card. This is still under debate by Congress and it will only apply to those who live on the border and have to go across rather frequently.

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Hi! Everyone! I am new to the board and a first time cruiser.(hopefully i will be a repeat cruiser- hubby is not so sure about the whole cruise thing) We are going on a cruise soon and we are wondering who all will be using just there birth certificate and drivers license since it is not mandantory that you have a passport yet? :)

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Hi and welcome to the boards.

 

At this point I think everyone should be using passports. While they may not strictly be required for your cruise, they are required to fly back into the US. So if anything should happen that requires you to fly home from one of the foreign ports, you would be in trouble. Just my opinion. There are many posts on this subject and you may want to do a search and check some of them out.

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What happens, worst case scenario, if you miss the ship and have to fly to your next port? You are not flying anywhere without your passport!

 

And what if someone gets ill and has to leave the ship early to fly home? Nope, not without a passport!

 

And finally, what if someone at home gets ill or, God forbid, dies? You need to get off the ship in a hurry and get home? Better have that passport.

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Hi and welcome. While you don't have to have passport at this time, you are taking a risk. If something happens while on your cruise (illness of someone back home or ANY reason you may have to fly back for) you will not be able to get back into the states as you are required to have a passport to enter. It's really up to you and what you feel comfortable with. I have had one since my first cruise 7 years ago just because of visting other countries you never know what could happen. I hope you and your hubby enjoy your cruise!

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Hi and welcome. While you don't have to have a passport at this time, you are taking a risk. If something happens while on your cruise (illness of someone back home or ANY reason you may have to fly back for) you will not be able to get back into the states as you are required to have a passport to enter. It's really up to you and what you feel comfortable with. I have had one since my first cruise 7 years ago just because of visting other countries you never know what could happen. I hope you and your hubby enjoy your cruise!

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When hubby and I were getting ready for our cruise lastmonth, I realized that when we moved from our house back into an apartment over the summer, somehow hubby's passport didn't make the move with us. We searched everywhere for it. We were travelling before the new guidelines went into effect, but I just didn't feel comfortable travelling unless we both had passports. So we paid the expedite fees, and had a new one for him within a week.

 

Now that we are going on a "last minute" cruise in less than a month at this point, I am really glad that we have his passport and don't have to worry about that. Is it expensive? Yes. But you won't need to worry about getting a new one for another 10 years :)

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I would never travel without a passport. They are good for 10 years, and very soon you will need one to cross the street. I also have them for my kids. Once you have one its very easy to renew. Also they are very good ID for the DMV.

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My wife and I always travel with a passport. Lets say we used our Birth certificates and picture ID to board the ship. We get stranded in lets say Nassau. The ship has left and you have no Passport. What would you be required to do? I'm sure there must be a way home. I don't think that we would become one of the homeless of Nassau. Just what would one have to do to get home? I guess the first thing would be to contact the Cruise line and then the American Embassy. What other options are there? What do you all think?

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My wife and I always travel with a passport. Lets say we used our Birth certificates and picture ID to board the ship. We get stranded in lets say Nassau. The ship has left and you have no Passport. What would you be required to do? I'm sure there must be a way home. I don't think that we would become one of the homeless of Nassau. Just what would one have to do to get home? I guess the first thing would be to contact the Cruise line and then the American Embassy. What other options are there? What do you all think?

 

Double post sorry about that.

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I just sailed on a few weeks ago with just a birth certificate and driver's license. So, it isn't an issue or a problem if there aren't any emergencies, as others have outlined. However, when I returned home, I sent in the renewal papers for my expired passport. I'll be more comfortable that way for future travels.

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You are being misinformed, you do not currently need a passport to cruise, if you have an emergency and need to fly home, that can be arranged with one phone call quickly and easily before your ship even makes port.

 

YOU DO NOT NEED A PASSPORT TO FLY HOME IN AN EMERGENCY!!!

 

here it is form the department of state web:

 

Q. What happens to U.S. citizens who attempt to re-enter the country without a passport or an alternative travel card?

Under the law, the new documentation requirements may be waived under certain circumstances. These exceptions include individual cases of unforeseen emergency and individual cases based on “humanitarian or national interest reasons.” In addition, the State Department has processes to assist U.S. citizens overseas to obtain emergency travel documentation for those with lost or stolen passports.

For the general public, people who apply for entry but do not have appropriate documentation will be referred for secondary screening at the port. In secondary, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will evaluate any evidence of citizenship or identity the individual may have and will verify all information against available databases. However, to prevent delay at the ports of entry, we would encourage all U.S. citizens to obtain the appropriate documents before they travel.

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well, as of Jan 23rd you will need a passport to enter the US when entering by air.

 

Personally, I think you should get a passport. Not all countries will accept your birthcertificate either.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

 

All cruise ports in the Caribbean accept BC and photo ID, or they would not have ships stopping there...:rolleyes: Who cares what is required to get into Beirut, I am not going there, and no, they will not let me in with my BC.

 

Please see my post above, if you are a US citizen, you will NOT be denied entry back into the US if you have an emergency and need to fly - no matter what country you are coming in from, no matter when in the future as of the current laws. You can expedite your entry by making arrangements in advance, SOME airlines will require you to do this before you board a plane, others will not.

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we got passports in 1999 for our first trip to Europe. Now we use them for ALL travel - foreign and domestic. IT makes everything a breeze. We did go to the Bahamas once before that (long before 9/11) and using birth certificates was a huge to-do. LOVE LOVE LOVE my passport. Wish we got stamps on cruises, though.

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We just got our passports at the end of November.

We received them in 4 weeks.

Now we're good to go, and don't have to worry about our Birth Certificates, and drivers licenses!

 

We will definitely use them again. We are planning on going to Cancun next March, for our daughters 18th birthday.

 

JUST DO IT!!!

 

We are sailing on the Triumph, June 16th, 2007!

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As of this winter, a passport is required, ever for travel to Canada. Now as a practical matter, it is very difficult to keep out a citizen who has all the other paperwork in order, but they've been saying "passports will be required by January '07" for about three years now.

 

Go to the local courthouse, clerk of the court's office, have your SS card, your driver's licence and a "passport photo" from Walgreens in your possession and $10 {i think it is] in your wallet, fill out the form and mail it in right there. Allow 8-10 weeks for delivery.

 

And don't smile in the photo. The guvmint hates happy citizens.

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...and don't misunderstand me, I have a passport, have always had a passport, need it for work and play, I have lived in Europe for several years, traveled all over - had to get extra pages when I was in Europe because of all the stinking government visas etc. I highly recommend getting one.

 

I just don't like people spreading misinformation that a US citizen will be denied entry into the US without a passport if flying, that is absolutely NOT true. Again, if you are in a hurry, or the airline requires it you will need to be faxed a permission letter from the State Dept. if not, you will just be detained until your citizenship can be validated.

 

The US citizen, who did not violate foreign laws, trapped abroad is a load of BS!!!

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What happens, worst case scenario, if you miss the ship and have to fly to your next port? You are not flying anywhere without your passport!

 

And what if someone gets ill and has to leave the ship early to fly home? Nope, not without a passport!

 

And finally, what if someone at home gets ill or, God forbid, dies? You need to get off the ship in a hurry and get home? Better have that passport.

This is why I finally broke down and applied for them, too scary to think of what could happen in an emergency without them.

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Hi! Everyone! I am new to the board and a first time cruiser.(hopefully i will be a repeat cruiser- hubby is not so sure about the whole cruise thing) We are going on a cruise soon and we are wondering who all will be using just there birth certificate and drivers license since it is not mandantory that you have a passport yet? :)

 

 

I will be cruising soon in April this year and I'm gonna hold off until later in the year to get my passport. I'm getting it later this year because I know eventually we will need it and its just a safe thing to have. But for my April cruise, I will just use my BC and DL.

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Have never traveled outside the U.S. (except twice to Canada) over the past 30 years without a passport and don't plan to leave this country without one on my person.

 

Got my first passport in 1968 when I flew to Berlin, Germany to join my husband who was stationed with the U.S. Army. Learned then that a passport is the way to travel outside the U.S.

 

Made a trip to Canada in 1974 without my passport with no problem. Took my next trip out of the country in 1996 to Europe and re-applied for a passport since my original had expired. Have kept my passport updated and current ever since.

 

It's so much quicker and easier to just plop my passport on the counter at the airline's or cruise ship check in than to fiddle with paper's showing proof of identity. Like the famikiar commercial says, ``won't leave home without it.''

 

Dianne

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Hi and welcome. While you don't have to have passport at this time, you are taking a risk. If something happens while on your cruise (illness of someone back home or ANY reason you may have to fly back for) you will not be able to get back into the states as you are required to have a passport to enter. It's really up to you and what you feel comfortable with. I have had one since my first cruise 7 years ago just because of visting other countries you never know what could happen. I hope you and your hubby enjoy your cruise!

 

This is just not true...you will be able to get back to the states. You don't have to stay on an island forever (though some might like that idea.) :p While I agree traveling with a passport is best, you can return without one.

 

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/c...c_2225.html#12

 

Q. What happens to U.S. citizens who attempt to re-enter the country without a passport or an alternative travel card?

Under the law, the new documentation requirements may be waived under certain circumstances. These exceptions include individual cases of unforeseen emergency and individual cases based on “humanitarian or national interest reasons.” In addition, the State Department has processes to assist U.S. citizens overseas to obtain emergency travel documentation for those with lost or stolen passports.

For the general public, people who apply for entry but do not have appropriate documentation will be referred for secondary screening at the port. In secondary, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers will evaluate any evidence of citizenship or identity the individual may have and will verify all information against available databases. However, to prevent delay at the ports of entry, we would encourage all U.S. citizens to obtain the appropriate documents before they travel.

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