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Passport Question


spareparts73
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Hi,

I am getting ready to book my first cruise. I called Travelocity to book it. I asked about a passport. They said since I was leaving Florida and returning I didn't need one. Just birth certificates and marriage license???

 

Is that true, can anyone help me with this so I know for sure. Passports are expensive for 3 of us, but so is a cruise we can't go on due to no passport...

 

 

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Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

As long as you are American citizens and are doing a closed-loop cruise (FLA port to same FLA port) you do not need a passport. Since you are leaving from Florida I am guessing that you will be doing the Caribbean, Bahamas or Mexico. None of them require passports for US travelers.

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Hi,

I am getting ready to book my first cruise. I called Travelocity to book it. I asked about a passport. They said since I was leaving Florida and returning I didn't need one. Just birth certificates and marriage license???

 

Is that true, can anyone help me with this so I know for sure. Passports are expensive for 3 of us, but so is a cruise we can't go on due to no passport...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

You will also need a photo ID (drivers license,etc) in addition to your birth certificate. This applies to anyone 16 and over

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In general, if you are a US Citizen on a closed loop cruise then yes, all you need is a government issued photo ID and a copy of your Birth Certificate. There has been some debate recently regarding whether a clean photocopy is acceptable (I know it is on Carnival) or if the cruise line requires a certified copy of your BC - do your due diligence. While the laws may state one thing, the cruise line has the ultimate say.

 

A passport will cover both requirements and yes, if you get left behind a port, you WILL need one in order to either travel to the next port of call to meet the ship (if possible) or to fly home, especially in the case of a medical emergency. There are ways to do it without having a passport, but that will require contacting the nearest US Embassy, etc, .

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The photo ID must be government issued. Most use their Driver's License. Something like a work ID issued by your employer would NOT be acceptable.

 

Have a great cruise

 

Unless you work for the government. :)

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Also realize, that in some cases in the Caribbean, there is no US Embassy or Consulate in the country, so you will need a passport to get to the other country, where there is an Embassy to get a passport. And in Mexico, you might not be in a city near a Consulate.

 

Personally, I would NOT travel outside the US without a valid passport.

 

First cruise, my Mother had medical problems and my Dad and I left the cruise. I was VERY glad I had a passport. A neighbor of my Dad's had a similar situation. It DOES happen.

 

Remember, for adults the passport is good for 10 years. So per year cost is not that high.

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Perhaps it might be best for the OP to read the actual government rules :). The link is:

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

 

This explains the oft used term of "closed loop cruise" and the minimum documents needed to be able to board your ship. Over fifty years of extensive foreign travel have also taught me that there is nothing better then having a valid Passport (with at least 6 months remaining before expiration). That being said, while having a Passport is a very wise move......it is possible to take a closed loop cruise without a valid Passport.

 

Hank

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If you are leaving the country get a passport. If you get left in a foreign country you are going to be stuck there

 

 

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No, you will not be "stuck there". You will be delayed while you obtain the necessary travel document but you will not be "stuck there". As long as one is willing to accept that small risk (for most people) cruising without a passport is a legal choice.

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No, you will not be "stuck there". You will be delayed while you obtain the necessary travel document but you will not be "stuck there". As long as one is willing to accept that small risk (for most people) cruising without a passport is a legal choice.

 

 

Perzactly

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Legal is not always prudent.

 

If you get stuck on St Kitts, there is no US Embassy or Consulate there.

 

So you have to go to Barbados to the Embassy to get a passport. Oops, now you have to travel from one country to another, without a passport.

 

Why subject yourself to the hassle? To save $135 for a document that is good for 10 years? So over $13.50 PER YEAR. Or about one frozen drink on board per year.

 

Ever heard of penny wise and pound foolish?

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Legal is not always prudent.

 

If you get stuck on St Kitts, there is no US Embassy or Consulate there.

 

So you have to go to Barbados to the Embassy to get a passport. Oops, now you have to travel from one country to another, without a passport.

 

Why subject yourself to the hassle? To save $135 for a document that is good for 10 years? So over $13.50 PER YEAR. Or about one frozen drink on board per year.

 

Ever heard of penny wise and pound foolish?

 

How am I going to get stuck on St Kitts? By missing the ship. So why subject myself to the hassle when all I have to do is make sure that I make it back to the ship on time (which is largely within my control). Yes, something could happen to make me still miss the ship no matter how careful I am, but that makes a better case for travel insurance then a passport.

 

Penny wise and pound foolish? When I started cruising it would have cost me $850 for passports for my family for a 4 day cruise. That was almost as much as the cruise itself. So I looked at the rules, I looked at our travel plans (at that time the only travel we could undertake was closed loop cruises) and I analyzed our risk. I determined that spending that much money for a document that would likely never be used was foolish so we decided to wait until the day came when we needed a passport for the travel we were doing.

 

Everyone's travel needs are different and there are options other than a passport for many of them. Some will meet their travel needs by using birth certificate/gov't ID. Others by using a passport card. Others still by using an Enhanced Drivers License. As long as they are using the document that makes the most sense for their circumstances I'll not criticize them because their choice doesn't affect me at all.

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How am I going to get stuck on St Kitts? By missing the ship. So why subject myself to the hassle when all I have to do is make sure that I make it back to the ship on time (which is largely within my control). Yes, something could happen to make me still miss the ship no matter how careful I am, but that makes a better case for travel insurance then a passport.

 

Penny wise and pound foolish? When I started cruising it would have cost me $850 for passports for my family for a 4 day cruise. That was almost as much as the cruise itself. So I looked at the rules, I looked at our travel plans (at that time the only travel we could undertake was closed loop cruises) and I analyzed our risk. I determined that spending that much money for a document that would likely never be used was foolish so we decided to wait until the day came when we needed a passport for the travel we were doing.

 

Everyone's travel needs are different and there are options other than a passport for many of them. Some will meet their travel needs by using birth certificate/gov't ID. Others by using a passport card. Others still by using an Enhanced Drivers License. As long as they are using the document that makes the most sense for their circumstances I'll not criticize them because their choice doesn't affect me at all.

 

I agree with sparks. My first cruise, I used a clean photocopy of my BC, which was and still is allowed by Carnival. I understood the difference between local time and ship's time and made sure I was back on board well before the all aboard time. I also understood the ramifications of being left behind but was willing to take the chance.

 

Times have changed and I now sail with a passport, but then again I have been doing much more international traveling over the years

 

Its up to each person to determine their own comfort level in traveling with/without a passport. While its a smart thing to travel with one, its not an absolute necessity. There have been hundreds of thousands of people who have successfully sailed without one and had no issues.

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I just called the U.S. Passport # and they asked for my zip code for the post office to in my area to take the picture. Also if you wear glasses take them off for the picture. I'm glad I called them and found out this info. I just thought I would pass it along.

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I just called the U.S. Passport # and they asked for my zip code for the post office to in my area to take the picture. Also if you wear glasses take them off for the picture. I'm glad I called them and found out this info. I just thought I would pass it along.

 

 

 

Had my passport renewed this past June and got my free passport pics at AAA - was told not to smile as you cannot smile in the photos anymore, either

 

 

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How am I going to get stuck on St Kitts? By missing the ship. So why subject myself to the hassle when all I have to do is make sure that I make it back to the ship on time (which is largely within my control). Yes, something could happen to make me still miss the ship no matter how careful I am, but that makes a better case for travel insurance then a passport.

 

.

 

It really isn't about missing the ship. However, if you have a medical emergency and need to fly home or someone at home becomes ill or passes away, getting back to the U.S. via plane could be significantly delayed if you do not have a passport. We tend to think that these things don't happen but, unfortunately, they have more often than you may realize. Passengers are airlifted off of cruise ships all the time due to heart attacks (can happen at any age), appendicitis and other things that require medical attention. In these cases, they would take. you to the nearest port ...... not the U.S. You would likely be in a local hospital until transportation can be arranged and the U.S. government can verify your status in order for you to fly home.

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It really isn't about missing the ship. However, if you have a medical emergency and need to fly home or someone at home becomes ill or passes away, getting back to the U.S. via plane could be significantly delayed if you do not have a passport. We tend to think that these things don't happen but, unfortunately, they have more often than you may realize. Passengers are airlifted off of cruise ships all the time due to heart attacks (can happen at any age), appendicitis and other things that require medical attention. In these cases, they would take. you to the nearest port ...... not the U.S. You would likely be in a local hospital until transportation can be arranged and the U.S. government can verify your status in order for you to fly home.

 

You are likely going to end up in a local hospital anyway in order to be stabilized and yes, it can happen which again is a stronger argument for good travel insurance than for a passport. But if one really thinks about it what are the real odds of it happening during the 7 days you happen to be on a cruise (the risk would be a little higher for a longer cruise but smaller for a shorter one)? For most people those odds are extremely low. If something happens back home it has to happen at just the right time in order for you to get back timely even if you have a passport and it could still take you so long to get home that you might be better off just staying with the ship. These are all definite factors that one needs to consider, absolutely, but they need to be considered realistically. And after they are considered if the person making the decision doesn't find the slight risk acceptable they can certainly spend the money on a passport. It's all about making the best choice for each individual based on each individual's needs.

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