Passport?

My husband and I and our two teen boys are taking a closed loop cruise to Bermuda. We do not have passports and I am wondering if anyone has directly experienced the problems that arise without one?

My husband and I and our two teen boys are taking a closed loop cruise to Bermuda. We do not have passports and I am wondering if anyone has directly experienced the problems that arise without one?

I'm fairly certain that someone, without a passport, has encountered a problem if they need to fly home to the US from a foreign port. They would be delayed while an emergency passport is issued.

What are the chances that will happen to you? Not very big. Could it happen to you? Yes.

The only problem will be if you have to fly back.

It will only take a day, maybe 2, but the US Embasy or Consulate will have to get involved to let you fly home.

My husband and I and our two teen boys are taking a closed loop cruise to Bermuda. We do not have passports and I am wondering if anyone has directly experienced the problems that arise without one?

Beyond the need for a passport to fly internationally, your choice of cruise line is a factor to consider. Most of the premium/luxury lines require ALL passengers on ALL itineraries to produce (and often surrender) a passport at embarkation.

I'm fairly certain that someone, without a passport, has encountered a problem if they need to fly home to the US from a foreign port. They would be delayed while an emergency passport is issued.

 

What are the chances that will happen to you? Not very big. Could it happen to you? Yes.

You don't need them, until you need them. I would not even consider leaving the US without a passport. I also carry mine when off the ship in case something happens and I miss the ship. I am not going to rely on the ship to leave my passport behind when it leaves.

But those choices are entirely up to you. You don't have to have one, and there are people that have never needed one. You don't have to carry it in port, and there are people that will tell you that you shouldn't. You have to decide what the risks are to you.

We took a cruise several years ago and because of a hurricane we were told that we may not return to Miami on time, several people from our group had to purchase flights from the Bahamas because they HAD to be back on time.

If you chose not to sail with passports, be very, very sure you have the proper alternate documents: official state Birth Certificates, DL or other approved photo ID, and for married women who changed their name, a marriage license.

There have been a few threads here from people who assumed they had adequate documentation, only to be denied boarding because, nope, they didn't.

Then cross your fingers and hope you don't have to leave the ship (or get left behind) before you get back to your home port. Like travel insurance, you need to weigh the risk and your tolerance to it.

As stated for most people traveling without a passport is a low risk proposition and millions of US citizens travel on closed looped cruises each year with something other than a passport. Make sure you have government issued birth certificates and non-expired ID. If I didn't have any immediate international travel plans (within a year or so) then I would be hard pressed justifying spending an extra $600-ish on something that might be needed, unless there was an evident risk factor in play that warranted it (such as an elderly parent at home whose health could require an immediate return).

For your question there was a gentleman who missed the ship in Nassau because of a miscommunication with the rest of his party and he waited too long for them. He went to the embassy the next day (after getting passport photos) and walked out an hour and a half later with his passport (he did have an expired passport but nothing in his story suggests that this helped with the process). So for a non-emergency it didn't take that long to get a passport, noting of course that this traveler was on an island with an embassy (as you will be). I also recall reading about some travelers who left the ship in Puerto Vallarta because of a medical emergency. They were directed by the port agent to go to the airport. It took them about 45 minutes to find someone in the airport that would give them permission to board the plane and then spent about 10 minutes at secondary inspection with CBP. So, yes, if you have to return home it's going to be a hassle. Having a passport would lessen the hassle somewhat, but there are provisions in the regulations for having the passport requirement waived for emergencies/humanitarian reasons and the fact remains you will make it home.

Your single source of truth is travel.state.gov .

A passport card is good for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bemuda, and the Carribean. It is NOT good for international air travel.

See this story from Elliott:

Can you cruise with just a passport card? Yes, but…

Daniel Sellers decided to surprise his wife with a Princess cruise to the Caribbean. After he confirmed that his spouse could cruise with just a passport card, he booked their tropical vacation. As it turned out, he was the one in for the (unpleasant) surprise.

 

This case is an unfortunate example of what can go wrong if you decide to cruise with just a passport card. Things may go just fine. But you should consider what will happen if you miss the boat and need to take a flight to catch up with it. Because although you can cruise with just a passport card, you can’t fly anywhere internationally with one.

One subnote... if you have a non ReadID-compliant Driver's License (e.g. California), a passport is an excellent subtitute.

As stated for most people traveling without a passport is a low risk proposition and millions of US citizens travel on closed looped cruises each year with something other than a passport. Make sure you have government issued birth certificates and non-expired ID. If I didn't have any immediate international travel plans (within a year or so) then I would be hard pressed justifying spending an extra $600-ish on something that might be needed, unless there was an evident risk factor in play that warranted it (such as an elderly parent at home whose health could require an immediate return).

 

For your question there was a gentleman who missed the ship in Nassau because of a miscommunication with the rest of his party and he waited too long for them. He went to the embassy the next day (after getting passport photos) and walked out an hour and a half later with his passport (he did have an expired passport but nothing in his story suggests that this helped with the process). So for a non-emergency it didn't take that long to get a passport, noting of course that this traveler was on an island with an embassy (as you will be). I also recall reading about some travelers who left the ship in Puerto Vallarta because of a medical emergency. They were directed by the port agent to go to the airport. It took them about 45 minutes to find someone in the airport that would give them permission to board the plane and then spent about 10 minutes at secondary inspection with CBP. So, yes, if you have to return home it's going to be a hassle. Having a passport would lessen the hassle somewhat, but there are provisions in the regulations for having the passport requirement waived for emergencies/humanitarian reasons and the fact remains you will make it home.

Sadly I'm betting those happened before all the rules changes. I do a fair amount of international travel, and they have gotten extremely picky about passports.

Sadly I'm betting those happened before all the rules changes. I do a fair amount of international travel, and they have gotten extremely picky about passports.

Nope, the PV one was within the past 6 months. The other within the past few years. I live 8 miles from the border and we need a passport/passport card/Enhanced Drivers License to cross the border and it happens once or twice a year that someone goes to Canada and loses their document. They are still allowed to re-enter the US after they've been verified in secondary inspection.

If you take your birth certificates they MUST be the official with a raised seal. NOT the ones a hospital gives.

Did you know passports and passport cards are good for 10 years? I don't know cost now but divide it by 10 and that's what it costs per year. But I think length for teens is less than 10 years.

Maybe just you and your husband get them, use teen's birth certificates.

Nope, the PV one was within the past 6 months. The other within the past few years. I live 8 miles from the border and we need a passport/passport card/Enhanced Drivers License to cross the border and it happens once or twice a year that someone goes to Canada and loses their document. They are still allowed to re-enter the US after they've been verified in secondary inspection.

I'm impressed that they let them get on a plane that easily then.

And of course, this also proves how these new rules really aren't doing anything but hassling people and making other people feel good thinking that they do something. Sort of like the harassment in airports.

I'm impressed that they let them get on a plane that easily then.

 

 

And of course, this also proves how these new rules really aren't doing anything but hassling people and making other people feel good thinking that they do something. Sort of like the harassment in airports.

Well, the new rules don't really apply to international air travel because one has always needed a passport for that, and I'm sure that there have been times before the new rules went into place where someone needed to fly without a passport for one reason or another. The trouble with added security is that it's hard to quantify how effective it is.

If you take your birth certificates they MUST be the official with a raised seal. NOT the ones a hospital gives.

 

Did you know passports and passport cards are good for 10 years? I don't know cost now but divide it by 10 and that's what it costs per year. But I think length for teens is less than 10 years.

 

Maybe just you and your husband get them, use teen's birth certificates.

Keeping in mind, of course, that some states don't use raised seals. One can play all sorts of magic math tricks one wants but it's still $600-ish for a family of four. (And it depends on how old the teen is, 16 and over get a 10 year passport, 15 and under get a 5 year).

Keeping in mind, of course, that some states don't use raised seals. One can play all sorts of magic math tricks one wants but it's still $600-ish for a family of four. (And it depends on how old the teen is, 16 and over get a 10 year passport, 15 and under get a 5 year).

And some states, like Hawaii don't issue birth certificates.

(Not getting in to politics here with this.)

And some states, like Hawaii don't issue birth certificates.

 

(Not getting in to politics here with this.)

That's what I love about this board, you learn something new all of the time.