How many of you have cruised without passport?

[Cristallo]

Maybe in an attempt to help clarify things all that is required to travel is your birth cert and a government issued id. Some people feel that for women who have been married and have a different last name on their birth cert that you should bring a marriage document showing the reason for the name change. From my understanding it is not required.

 

 

Side note in the state of FL your marriage licenses IS your marriage cert. You file for the marriage licenses and after you're married you mail the licenses into the county for it to be registered and afterward they mail it back to you.

[bobbyleduck]

Never happened! I got my first passport in 1986 and went on first cruise in 1991.

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

[luvmysox1]

My mom does not have a passport. She also cruises w/ her notarized copy on her birth cert. that we had to get from vital facts. She had a hosiptal cert. with her foot prints but that would not get her on the ship. She has been married and divorced so her name doesn't match her BC. She has her BC and Driver license and all is good. She was always fine on a closed looped US port.

[joeandaimeesmom]

Hubby and I have had our passports since our first cruise on the Inspiration..Just made sense to us to get them..:D

[5o'clocksomewhere]

 

Side note in the state of FL your marriage licenses IS your marriage cert. You file for the marriage licenses and after you're married you mail the licenses into the county for it to be registered and afterward they mail it back to you.

 

Yes and once the license is submitted to be registered it becomes a marriage certificate........can't have both........License in order to be married.....marriage certificate proof of marriage.....albeit the same piece of paper.......two different documents.......

 

And you are right.......neither are required to board a cruise ship....

[The4Cruisers]

for those that have used a BC, does it matter whether it is a short form or a long form version?

 

BC has to be government issued with a raised seal, I believe.

 

And only 1 of the 4 in our family uses a passport.

[KTB_DGB]

We always do, but then again we are Canadian so there is not much choice! Can't get on the plane without one!

[Cristallo]

Yes and once the license is submitted to be registered it becomes a marriage certificate........can't have both........License in order to be married.....marriage certificate proof of marriage.....albeit the same piece of paper.......two different documents.......

 

This is correct but not in the fact that they are always the same piece of paper.

[cruisingagaininnov2008]

I cruised in 2008 without a passport - we stopped in Key West and Cozumel. But in 2009 - we stopped just in Cozumel - we had passports. We leave our small kids home with my mom and I want to be able to get home quickly in case something happens.

[paulandfran]

You got that right....no worries.....

 

Awesome! I knew if I kept trying we'd eventually come to a point of agreement. :)

[taliacamp]

Wow guys, thanks so much! (I love this site!!) It seems like the majority of you don't think I'll have a problem so I may just use the $270 for something fun! Thanks again!!:D

[WAHMto5]

We have always used our BC and ID as well with no problems.

[RoadTripFanatic]

I use a passport.

[denred4]

We went twice w/o passports and for some reason I felt like I should get them this year. sooooo much money, shouldn't have done it. The only saving grace is that they are good for 10 years, so my boys will have them if/when they study abroad in college!

[tea4ular]

It seems I am in the minority here. I have always had a passport, got D one when she was old enough to be on mine, then her own when she turned 13.

 

I have always said, "if someone asked me to go to Paris for breakfast...tomorrow, I wouldn't want to have to say, "I don't have a passport""

 

It only takes one fool thing to make it near impossible to travel without one (a crazy person or group to do something; a freak accident; a weather pattern...).

 

Since they're good for 10 years I see it as an annoyance rather than a huge expense.

 

When the prices were going up, I immediately checked to see if we 3 were good for awhile, and we are.

 

I say splurge on the passports and take a breath knowing that if something changed that suddenly required you to have them, that you do.

[5o'clocksomewhere]

Awesome! I knew if I kept trying we'd eventually come to a point of agreement. :)

 

LOL! I believe that is not what you kept trying for;)

But happy cruising:D

[5o'clocksomewhere]

Wow guys, thanks so much! (I love this site!!) It seems like the majority of you don't think I'll have a problem so I may just use the $270 for something fun! Thanks again!!:D

 

Glad you got your answers! Have a great cruise!

[Chief Cruiser]

The simple fact of the matter is that passports are not required for closed loop cruises from the US... cruises that originate and return to the same port.

There are a number of scenarios where it would be desirable to have a passport in hand but they are all at the far end of the bell curve. Millions of people cruise annually without a passport and don't have problems.

I'd say save the additional dollars and enjoy.

:)

 

I wouldn't go so far to say "all" the scenarios are at the "far" end of the bell curve. A bell curve has two sides. No doubt, while some odds are rare that would require a quick return to the US, some are very well within the concern of the other side of that bell curve! I don't know that I would argue much that millions cruise annually without problems. But, there are also the ones who do and need to abandon their cruise and immediately return to the US via air. While it is an individual choice, I see a passport kinda like I see cruise/travel insurance. It's better to have it and not need it than vice-versa!

[Chief Cruiser]

Wow guys, thanks so much! (I love this site!!) It seems like the majority of you don't think I'll have a problem so I may just use the $270 for something fun! Thanks again!!:D

 

You shouldn't have a problem "cruising", but that is not the reason for the passport anyway since it is not required on a closed loop cruise. The passport is for all the other reasons that you would need one and the main reason is to be able to fly back to the US in the event of an emergency or other situation that required you to abandon your cruise and immediately return to the US.

[jleiwig]

Even though the cost of the passports was high, and the money could have been spent for other things, I felt that the rewards outweighed the costs.

 

My main reasoning is I have elderly parents, and I know I wouldn't want to be stuck on a ship waiting 4 days to get back to the home port if someone called me and told me they were suddenly dying. With a passport I do not have that problem.

 

Morbid I know, but death is about the only guarantee in life anymore.

[CannonFodder]

Despite responses to the contrary, I would strongly recommend taking the marriage certificate if the name on the photo ID and the name on the Birth Certificate do not match.

 

Why? - Because the marriage certificate provides the "chain of evidence" linking the name on the birth certificate with the name on the photo ID. Without it, the agent is simply taking your word that it's your birth certificate and not someone else's with the same first name and birth date.

 

While many will let it pass, there have been many, many stories on these boards of ladies denied boarding because of the mismatch between the photo ID and BC with no other supporting documentation. That one additional piece of paper isn't all that heavy nor does it take up that much space. You may not need it, but if you run into that occasional agent who is "by the book" you'll be VERY glad you brought it.

[5o'clocksomewhere]

While many will let it pass, there have been many, many stories on these boards of ladies denied boarding because of the mismatch between the photo ID and BC with no other supporting documentation. .

 

Link please:confused: Facts please:confused:

[paulandfran]

Despite responses to the contrary, I would strongly recommend taking the marriage certificate if the name on the photo ID and the name on the Birth Certificate do not match.

 

Why? - Because the marriage certificate provides the "chain of evidence" linking the name on the birth certificate with the name on the photo ID. Without it, the agent is simply taking your word that it's your birth certificate and not someone else's with the same first name and birth date.

 

 

Good suggestion, why risk it? It's just as easy to tuck it in with your documents.

[rvrgirl]

While many will let it pass, there have been many, many stories on these boards of ladies denied boarding because of the mismatch between the photo ID and BC with no other supporting documentation. .

 

I would love to see the facts on this too:D This is simply not true........

Only your cruise docs and id need to match.......

You already showed your birth certificate in order to get your id;)

 

Someone already posted what was required.........and marriage certs were not on Carnivals list....

[paulandfran]

Rather than spending lots of time determining if anyone was or was not denied boarding, probably would be just as easy to tuck it in with your docs though. I'd rather get on the ship w/o a hassle. Sometimes you run into people who are just looking for a fight so it'd be better to have proof with you so you don't have to waste energy arguing about it.

 

But to each his own. :D