Probably "duh" questions from first timer......

[suemag]

Am going on the Zuiderdam 6/25 to E Carribean. Do we need passports? Where do you get passports from? How early can you book your off- shore excursions? We asked for a small table for dining- how small is that? I assumed it would be 6........ Thanks

[Vic The Parrot]

Not 'duh' at all .....

 

 

1- Passport

 

 

It's recommended now to use a passport as ID.

You can pick up an application at your post office.

The fee is $105 for new issues ....

 

2- Table size

 

 

A small table is usually 4 ... or 2 if you want to be

alone.

 

 

3- Shore Ex

 

 

You can book em online at HALs website.

[doone]

Welcome to the boards.

 

As far as your passport question goes, no, you do not need a passport as of now, but be aware that rule can change at any time. I would highly recommend you get them though. What you will need is a certified copy of your birth certificate and a government issued picture i.d., such as your license. But like I said a passport is best. Its takes about 4-6 weeks to get a passport. You must fill out the proper paperwork, which can be downloaded on-line, but I am sorry, I don't have the address, maybe someone else here does. Get a passport photo, which are two photo's printed simultaneously, AAA, if you are a member can do them, otherwise, there are other places that do the passport photo's for a nominal fee.

 

As far as table size is concerned, the small table could be as small as just 2 or as large as 10.

 

Hope this helps and enjoy your cruise.

[Cathy p]

I am a newbie myself. I am going to the EC on the Zuiderdam 3/5. No you do not need a passport. You need a certified copy (raised seal) of your birth certificate and your drivers license. You can get a passport at the local post office. I think it is only certain ones so you may want to call. I have a table for two for dining on the early times 5:45. This is all I know, maybe someone else will fill in the blanks. Enjoy yourself and look for my review when I come back.:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We would recommend passports - they are good for 10 years. Yes, I know some people just use their certified birth certificates - raised seal.

Go to your local post office, get a form. You will also need to have passport pictures taken - post office doesn't do that. We go to AAA. Complete the form, go back to post office with form, pictures, check. They will take care of everything - sending in the forms, etc. for you since you will be sending in for your passport for the first time. Do it now, as I have read that the price of passports will be going up in early March - to cover the added security costs. For first timers, it might take 4 - 6 weeks before you get your passport.

You can book HAL's shore excurions through their website 60 days in advance of your cruise.

Size of table - they begin with 2's. You mentioned that you reguested a small table so you might be put at a table for 2.

 

[Vic The Parrot]

Thanks doone

 

 

Forgot to mention the birth cert, and other proper form of ID.

Along with getting the photos for the passports.

 

But it does seem that passports will be the preferred form

in the years to come.

[Vic The Parrot]

echo ..... echo .... echo ..... echo ......

[doone]

Vic the Parrot, your right, I am surprised it hasn't changed yet.

[Vic The Parrot]

I've noticed during every check-in procedure .... airports, cruise docks, even hotels!!

 

All the reps at the above have been asking for passports.

And many people I noticed at the above always seem to have them handy. It's the sign o the times now, I guess.

[sandij]

Yes ditto, get a passport. Last year we got the chance to do Europe and were glad we already had them. And it's easy, get the pictures taken at Walgreens or someother place like that and take them to a post office, fill out the forms, pay the money(and it keeps going up) and in 2-4 weeks you have passports.

We always book excursions online, it's easy too.

And don't worry about questions we were all newbies at one time.

[jhannah]

Another plus for having a passport is that if a great last-minute cruise deal comes up for an itinerary that requires a passport, you're good to go. Getting one in an expedited fashion is very expensive.

[KFH]

You can book your excursions through HAL now. At least I could for my August cruise. You can book you independent tours now also.

[JDee]

For everything you will ever want to know about passports go to:

 

travel.state.gov

 

You will need form DS-11, for those who never had a passport. All the forms can be downloaded & You will have them NOW....

 

Happy cruising.....

[JDee]

For everything you will ever want to know about passports go to:

 

travel.state.gov

 

You will need form DS-11, for those who never had a passport. All the forms can be downloaded & You will have them NOW....

 

You can also use e-mail, NPC@state.gov or call customer service 1-877-487-2778 (TDD 1-888-874-7793) M-F, 8AM - 8PM, EST. Automated info 24/7.

 

Happy cruising....

 

(Sorry for the duplicate posting...wanted to edit my prior post & wound up with both postings....now I can't completely cancel either??)

[the2ofus]

Re: booking excursions on-line at the HAL website. It may be possible to book them now for an August cruise, but I would keep checking the site because not all will be posted this far ahead. Don't assume that the choices are as limited as they seem at this point.

[richnorto]

I just got my passport renewed from Birmingham out of the New Orleans' office. It took 18 days, but expect up to 6 weeks (average!!!) from some other offices! It depends where you live. If you only have 1 copy of your Birth Certificate, don't apply if you have less than 7 weeks till your cruise! ie... do it now!!! They take the B.C. and send it back with the passport. You wouldn't want to be caught without either with a cruise in jeopardy!! I made my DH and kids wait on theirs till post cruise so there wouldn't be a problem. I luckily had an old passport as I couldn't find my B.C. The B.C. out of CA took 3.5 weeks!!!! Longer that the Passport!

 

Happy Cruising!:)

[richnorto]

By the way, I read on a site that passport prices are going up by $15.00 on March 8. Another reason to "do it now"!:)

[xpcdoojk]

As a proud member of the Passport Pusher Society (PPS), I am required to state that you really have no good excuse not to get a passport. A passport is not just for this cruise, but is the ticket to see the world. Without a passport traveling to Europe, Asia, South America is not possible. Why would you want to deny yourself the oppurtunity to visit the world. There are lots of deals out there for inexpensive trips to places at the last moment, without a passport you can never take advantage of them.

 

Here is the website for the National Passport Center.

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/npic/npic_898.html

 

It tells you the step by step information.

 

My understanding is that a renewal is going from $55 to $67 on March 12, 2005. Since, I am in this category, I am renewing my passport this week as mine expires in November and I don't want to pay an extra $12 for a 10 year passport. I don't know if new passports are going up the $12 or not. I would guess they are, but I don't know.

 

jc

[Rosarymb]

I'm also a newbie, and had to get my first ever passport. So, here's what I discovered getting a passport in North Carolina:

 

1) Getting my birth certificate: Since I hadn't needed a raised seal BC before, I had to order mine from the state. I ordered 2, since one goes off with your passport application. If it gets lost, you still want to have the backup driver's license/BC option. That was about $25 dollars, including the "hurry up" cost. If you weren't born in a hospital, lord help you.

 

2)I had to go to the county seat, and hand in my paperwork at the Veteran's Affair's office. The website said the post office in 2 local towns would do it, but calls to each one stated that the website was premature. Call before you go, some site only do passports on specific days of the week, or times of day.

 

3) They repeatedly tell you, "don't smile!" and "don't show your teeth!" when you have your passport picture made; apparently this can cause troubles, depending on where you go. You'd be surprised how hard it is to look into a camera and deliberately not smile. My passport picture was 10 bucks, and you need 2 of them. The local CVS would have done it, but their machine was out; I went to a local camera store. Of course, I think I look like a demented serial killer in the picture, worse than even a DMV picture....ooh, yeah, you'd want to let ME into your country based on that picture...

 

4 ) While they would take a check for the $55 dollars, they wanted the $30 dollar local fee in cash -- not debit card, not check, not visa, CASH. I would've hated to have driven over there and had 29.95 in hand, ya know?

 

4) They told me it would take 25 working days to get a passport, and sure enough, it showed up on day 26. Don't wait until the last minute.

 

Total cost for my passport: $25 for the certified BC's, $10 for the picture, $30 for the local fee, $55 for the federal fee. So it cost me $120.

[BS Cruisers]

re:rosa we went to the local post office and the same fees were paid but we could use a credit card for the local charges. 15.00 @ 2 passports for pictures profit for post office :eek:

[kryos]

I am a newbie myself. I am going to the EC on the Zuiderdam 3/5. No you do not need a passport. You need a certified copy (raised seal) of your birth certificate and your drivers license. You can get a passport at the local post office. I think it is only certain ones so you may want to call. I have a table for two for dining on the early times 5:45. This is all I know, maybe someone else will fill in the blanks. Enjoy yourself and look for my review when I come back.:)

When I took my first cruise to the Panama Canal, passports were required. I had never gotten a passport before this point (48 years of age) because I had never needed one for my travels.

 

Best thing I ever did going through the trouble of getting that. Sure it's a bit pricey (and to get two "professionally taken" passport photos cost me an additional $15), but it's good for ten years and makes traveling anywhere so much easier. I use it for ID even when I take non-cruising trips right within the U.S.

 

My advice is to just get the passport. It'll be the best form of ID you'll have and will get you right through airports in a flash.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[love2gogogo]

Hi .WE have certified BC BUT they look like copies of certified copy. The raised seal is not raised....I'm so scared We'll get to the doc and they'll turn us away:( We leave in less then 4 weeks!!

 

 

Scared in Cali,

Love2gogogo

[Rosarymb]

Lovetogogo, you can get copies with a raised seal from Vitalcheck.com; I got mine in a week. I was panic stricken because mine didn't have the raised seal, either.

[ekerr19]

Hi .WE have certified BC BUT they look like copies of certified copy. The raised seal is not raised....I'm so scared We'll get to the doc and they'll turn us away:( We leave in less then 4 weeks!!

 

 

Scared in Cali,

Love2gogogo

 

love2gogogo -

 

You need to check on this ASAP! I don't mean to alarm you, but when California went to the "short form" of BC's in the 80's in order to save money; we found out that our son's "short form" BC is virtually worthless anywhere as a legitimate form of ID. The State has since stopped issuing them (in the early 90's, I believe) because of the ease in which they can be forged. When we applied for his Passport several years ago, the Passport agency refused to accept it. I had to contact the LA County Clerk & Recorder to pay for an expedited long form abstract of his birth. We were able to get it done in time, but I would urge you not to wait. I was born in LA county and my BC DOES have the raised seal (this is from the 60's) but I'm not sure if my son's does...

 

Your cruise tickets should clearly state that if you do not have proper identification, you will be denied boarding - and the cruise line has no responsibility should you be denied.