Passports

Taking our 2 Year Old and 4 Year Old on Wonder in 2016..Vancouver to Vancouver. Do they need passports.

Absolutely. They both will need passports

Assuming you (and they) are US citizens, each member of the family will need a passport.

If you plan to fly to Vancouver you will need to have the book form passports. The cards don't work for air travel.

If you arrive by land or sea, and they're US citizens, the kids don't need passports just birth certificates or other proof of citizenship. Loooooong drive from Texas though! Even if you are driving I'd personally still always recommend a passport - it opens many travel options.

If you arrive by land or sea, and they're US citizens, the kids don't need passports just birth certificates or other proof of citizenship. Loooooong drive from Texas though! Even if you are driving I'd personally still always recommend a passport - it opens many travel options.

Are you sure? A birth certificate will get them into Canada, but I don't believe it will get them on the ship. When we did the Alaska cruise, passports were required to board the ship AND at each Canadian port.

Are you sure? A birth certificate will get them into Canada' date=' but I don't believe it will get them on the ship. When we did the Alaska cruise, passports were required to board the ship AND at each Canadian port.[/quote']

 

I believe a birth certificate is all that's basically necessary for children (as long as they are not flying into/out of Canada/US).

 

However, I do know that cruises that have itineraries that include excursions that would require a passport (like the train out of Skagway into Canada) will usually require passports for everyone. Even if they do not book that particular excursion.

I believe you will find that you will need a passport to return to the U.S. in almost any case. There are some exceptions for organized school, religious or youth trips that would not apply here. Best to have the passport.

Time to call DCL and the Canadian Officials me thinks....

ex techie

Since the issue is a cruise, a quick call to the cruise line or your travel agent will resolve the issue. Shmoo's explanation makes sense, but I know that the cruise line required passports on our Alaska cruise. If they are required to board the ship, you'll want to have them despite the fact that you can visit Canada by car without them.

I would put faith in a call to DCL and Canadian officials as a must.

No faith in DCL shoreside provide accurate answers depending on who you speak to!

ex techie

This is actually one of the few situations where I would trust DCL shoreside. They have all of the cruises in their computers with a notation of whether passports are required or not. All you have to do is make sure they are looking it up on the computer and not trying to give you an answer off the top of their head.

There are no separate requirements for children. Guests either need a passport or they don't.

Are you sure? A birth certificate will get them into Canada' date=' but I don't believe it will get them on the ship. When we did the Alaska cruise, passports were required to board the ship AND at each Canadian port.[/quote']

Whether or not *I'm* sure isn't really relevant. I linked to the US government requirements which are very clear - under 16, no passport unless flying (up to age 19 for school/church groups is the extra exemption another poster referred to); Canada has less stringent documentary requirements (we only *require* proof of citizenship and proof of identity - often, *for your convenience,* our CBSA also ask to see what we know your own government wants so that you don't get stuck here unable to return home...); DCLs website only specifies passports for US guests flying in/out of USA.

 

It's quite possible DCL had different requirements in the past; they may have different again by 2016; as I already stated I'd personally always *recommend* a passport for anyone, but currently the facts are that neither Canada nor the US *require* a passport for anyone 16 or under. If DCL do require one, then their FAQs need updated.

I understand that the legal requirements are what matters. And in this case, there are separate legal requirements for children under 16, so I stand corrected on that. I would still verify that the cruise line is consistent with the minimum legal requirements.

Like other posters, we always travel with passports as it is a good safety measure. And we were required to show them to board the ship and at various ports. This particularly stands out in my mind as it is rare to have to show a passport at a port of call. It was required at a few countries in Europe and in Canada, but again, those trips were a few years ago.

Disney's documentation page is actually one of the better ones put out by all cruise lines. Their page makes (correct) distinctions between arriving in Vancouver by air or land/sea, as well as distinguishing between US and Canadian citizenship, and the different requirements between adults and children.

The upshot is, consistent with WHTI regulations, if traveling by air all of OP's family need passport books. If getting to Vancouver by bus/train/ferry/car, the children need government issued BC, the adults need passport book or card.

https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/planning-center/my-cruise-plans/my-reservations/alaska-passport-and-travel-documentation/

Better to have and need not than need and have not.*

*also doesn't hurt to have color photocopies of them stashed in various places.