Passport Card

Hello, My elderly parents will be accompanying us on a Caribbean 14 day cruise on the Regal this Nov. My mom's passport book expires while we are on the cruise, so she needs a new one before we leave. Given that a passport book now costs $110 to renew and they are not expecting to travel outside the US by air anymore, am i correct in that a passport card ($30) is all they would need as far as documentation. (Would they also need birth certs?) If a passport card is all thats needed, it seems silly to have them pay for new passport books?

Second, my wife's and my current passport books expire Feb 2017. I have heard that generally your passport book should not expire within 6 months of returning. Is this just advice, or is there something which would require us to get a new passport this year, instead of waiting till next falls cruise.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

Mark

NO GOOD... you all will need new passports

If you are sailing from an American port and returning to an American port and only sailing the Caribbean then the Passport Card works fine . No birth certificate required ! We've done 5 cruises now with the passport card with no problems . We've done Southern Carib, Panama Canal and Eastern Carib. Cruises with it .

A passport card will work for your mom's situation. Read the article that JimmyVWine posted so that you are aware of the potential shortcomings of a card alone.

NO GOOD... you all will need new passports

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1913

First answer is mostly incorrect. Your parents can use passport cards and you can too. Heck, for a closed-loop Caribbean cruise, birth certificates are probably ok, but not recommended.

Those passports which expire in February of 2017 pretty much cannot be used after August of this year due to the six month requirement of other countries. They can of course be used to get back into the USA.

The article JimmyVWine provided is an excellent source of information.

There are no countries visited on a Caribbean cruise that require six months on the passport. But I strongly recommend your parents get passports renewed because, as you said, they are elderly. What that means to you, I don't know. 60? 70? 80? Are they purchasing travel insurance? If they get sick on the cruise and have to be left in a Caribbean port, getting a full passport to stay and then return to the US would be time consuming and more costly than getting the passport now. EM

Depends - these are the rules required by Customs & Border Protection

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/~/documents-needed-to-take-a-cruise

Hello, My elderly parents will be accompanying us on a Caribbean 14 day cruise on the Regal this Nov. My mom's passport book expires while we are on the cruise, so she needs a new one before we leave. Given that a passport book now costs $110 to renew and they are not expecting to travel outside the US by air anymore, am i correct in that a passport card ($30) is all they would need as far as documentation. (Would they also need birth certs?) If a passport card is all thats needed, it seems silly to have them pay for new passport books?

 

Second, my wife's and my current passport books expire Feb 2017. I have heard that generally your passport book should not expire within 6 months of returning. Is this just advice, or is there something which would require us to get a new passport this year, instead of waiting till next falls cruise.

 

Thanks in advance for your responses!

 

Mark

The passport cards were developed for those who drive back and forth across the borders between the US and Mexico and Canada. They an be used also for closed itinerary cruises in the Caribbean. If you assume that they will not have any issues like medical that would require them to fly home, then the passport cards will work fine. If they do have issues and have to leave the ship, then the cards will not work fine. In fact, the cards won't work any better than a birth certificate. You might as well save the money you planned on spending on the cards. The best thing to do is to get the real passports.

Your passports are good as proof of citizenship and re-entry into the US until the day they expire. Some countries, none of which you will visit on a closed loop Caribbean cruise, require that the passport have 6 months remaining from entry into their country. Basically they don't want someone to get "stuck" in their country with an expired passport. So for you--it is totally up to you as to whether you renew your passport before or after the cruise. Personally, I'd go for after. That way, you know you have it in your hand right now and you will extend the life of the new passport.

As to your elderly parents--what is required is proof of citizenship and proof of identity (government issued photo ID). This can be accomplished with a birth certificate and a driver's license. So, reality, if they have birth certificates and licenses, you don't need to get them anything. On the other hand, that assumes they will depart and return to the US on the same ship. Should there be an emergency that would require them to leave the ship for medical care and fly back, they would have to follow the procedures to obtain an "emergency passport" for repatriation. The cost of this is the same as for a standard passport. A passport card is not good enough although it does make obtaining the emergency passport slightly easier.

I strongly recommend a passport for all foreign travel, but getting just a passport card makes no sense. Either spend the bucks and get the passport or save all the money and get nothing. No point in paying for a document that will have no value in an emergency.

NO GOOD... you all will need new passports

??? :(

1st rule should be, if you don't know, don't post

OP your mom's passport card is fine for RT Caribbean cruises

Srpilo

Thanks everyone. I think I will recommend they get full passport books. My dad is 92 and my mom is 83. They're in relatively good health for their age, and yes they are buying Princess Platinum coverage. (full travel coverage at their age is extremely costly), and they do have medical insurance outside the US. But the point that it is conceivable that they would need to be hospitalized abroad, and not return on the ship is a good one.

I think my wife and I will stick with our old passports for this one last cruise, before renewing next year.

Thanks Again,

Mark

Thanks everyone. I think I will recommend they get full passport books. My dad is 92 and my mom is 83. They're in relatively good health for their age, and yes they are buying Princess Platinum coverage. (full travel coverage at their age is extremely costly), and they do have medical insurance outside the US. But the point that it is conceivable that they would need to be hospitalized abroad, and not return on the ship is a good one.

 

I think my wife and I will stick with our old passports for this one last cruise, before renewing next year.

 

Thanks Again,

 

Mark

I would check with Princess. When we tried to enter our information on line one time for a closed loop cruise, Princess would not accept our passport information because they expired within 6 months. We scrambled and renewed them and then all information was accepted.

I would check with Princess. When we tried to enter our information on line one time for a closed loop cruise, Princess would not accept our passport information because they expired within 6 months. We scrambled and renewed them and then all information was accepted.

Princess is being cautious as they should be and requiring a passport good for 6 months after sailing.

If you don't have a valid passport and for whatever reason you are left at a foreign port (missed ship, illness, etc), you will need a temporary passport issued by a US Embassy or Consulate. Not every port has one which would require you to travel in that country to the nearest US office. Emergencies on your part does not constitute an emergency on their part. The US Embassy/Consulate is only open certain business hours not including US holidays, host country holidays and weekends. Anyone who believes the US government will expedite their "emergency" is engaging in foolish thinking. This is something for those who refuse to get passports because they cost $$$ needs to think about.

Think of the passport book as "insurance." It's not needed for a closed loop Caribbean cruise. Expect the unexpected. Anything can happen at any age that could require having to disembark the ship early and either stay on an island or fly home. The passport card is good only if you're driving which you can't from a Caribbean island.

Think of the passport book as "insurance." It's not needed for a closed loop Caribbean cruise. Expect the unexpected. Anything can happen at any age that could require having to disembark the ship early and either stay on an island or fly home. The passport card is good only if you're driving which you can't from a Caribbean island.

I would play it safe and order renewal passports. I always say in the long run if one is needed quickly to get back to the States... you will not care how much it would cost to get a love one home. You do have to have pictures remade--$13.00 each person, and then the cost of the passport in check or money order. Mail in the old passport with the form that can be filed out online. They will return the old passport and a newly issued one.

It took us about 3 weeks to receive ours.

Check out this link: travel.state.gov for ALL renewal info.

Good Luck.

Hello, My elderly parents will be accompanying us on a Caribbean 14 day cruise on the Regal this Nov. My mom's passport book expires while we are on the cruise, so she needs a new one before we leave. Given that a passport book now costs $110 to renew and they are not expecting to travel outside the US by air anymore, am i correct in that a passport card ($30) is all they would need as far as documentation. (Would they also need birth certs?) If a passport card is all thats needed, it seems silly to have them pay for new passport books?

 

Second, my wife's and my current passport books expire Feb 2017. I have heard that generally your passport book should not expire within 6 months of returning. Is this just advice, or is there something which would require us to get a new passport this year, instead of waiting till next falls cruise.

 

Thanks in advance for your responses!

 

Mark

NO GOOD... you all will need new passports

This response is totally wrong.

For US citizens on a closed loop cruise the minimum requirement is a birth certificate and (for those 16 and over) a government issued photo ID.

OP, in your position, you mother can travel with just her birth certificate and photo ID. Or a passport card. Or a passport book.

Personally, in my opinion, if you're only looking at getting a passport card, it's just a waste of money. There's nothing a passport card will get you over just using the birth certificate/photo ID. And it costs money.

If you're going to spend the money, I'd go with the book.

Next item - the "must have 6 months left on passport" is generally only on cruises in Europe. There's no requirement for this on a Caribbean cruise.

Of course all this is moot, if your cruise line is one of those that requires a passport book for all cruises (regardless of what the law actually states).

My passport book is still good, but it's in my maiden name. And everything else is in my married name, so myself and I got passport cards for our closed loop trip to Mexico. We did however travel with our birth certificates for whatever reason we may had needed them. Note that passport cards cannot be used for air travel, only by land and sea.

I think we applied for them in Oct, and got them the first week of December, but I would apply for them ASAP. Also, you are able to track the progress of your cards online, which is great.

I want to get a new passport book one day, so we could resume travel internationally, but for now the passport card is great.

Think of the passport book as "insurance." It's not needed for a closed loop Caribbean cruise. Expect the unexpected. Anything can happen at any age that could require having to disembark the ship early and either stay on an island or fly home. The passport card is good only if you're driving which you can't from a Caribbean island.

Totally agree with Pam on this!

Do seriously consider getting the passport books renewed!

Totally agree with Pam on this!

Do seriously consider getting the passport books renewed!

I think Pam was saying the Passport book is like Insurance, you don't need it until you need it, so you should get it.

We have Enhanced Driver Licenses, Nexus Cards and Passport books. Some US officers in ports (such as in San Pedro, CA) do not understand what EDL and Nexus are and insisted on seeing our Passports. Passport books just make it easier sometimes.

My wife got sick on a cruise and we had to get off the ship in Grenada. We had to stay there for 3 days. We needed our passports to get back home in Boston MA.

Tony

My wife got sick on a cruise and we had to get off the ship in Grenada. We had to stay there for 3 days. We needed our passports to get back home in Boston MA.

Tony

I have read quite a few testimonials here on CC about being left in a foreign port and needing a passport to get home. Why people in the US are always trying to avoid the passport is mind boggling. Yes it costs money but so didn't the cruise and in the case of the cruise a whole lot more. The passport is recognized by all countries on this earth as legal ID. It is not that difficult to get one. You want to travel outside the US then get a passport!

 

I want to get a new passport book one day, so we could resume travel internationally, but for now the passport card is great.

"Great" only until you have an emergency and need a real passport. It won't get you back into the country if you have to leave the ship. Seriously, a passport card is no better than your birth certificate.

"Great" only until you have an emergency and need a real passport. It won't get you back into the country if you have to leave the ship. Seriously, a passport card is no better than your birth certificate.

Thank you--that is exactly what I keep saying, but no one seems to realize this point.

The passport card is not legal to return to the US by air. If you want the photo to carry in your wallet, fine. It MIGHT even make it a little easier to get that emergency passport if needed. But it cannot be used in place of a passport book.

Agree - do Renew. We always renew at least 10 months prior to the expiration date. Yes - it does take a little advance planning around travel dates & we do lose a few months of existing passport use - but the comfort level of having a new 10 year passport is well worth it. Using regular passport processing - usually takes 3-4 weeks to receive new passport.