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Bottomline Can you cruise with your Birth Certificate ONLY?

seasearider59

By seasearider59,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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Warm Breezes

Warm Breezes

Posted
Posted
I doubt the cost would change because you don't have a passport and the US Embassy would probably be just as helpful getting you home regardless from countries you can visit from a US port. I just get tired of people posting that somehow you MUST have a passport if you get stuck in port or have an emergency and have to get home. I don't think I've seen a single post from someone who has had to do that saying what was involved and whether they had a problem if they didn't have a US passport.

 

I agree with you 100%. There are a lot of "what if's" out there but I have yet to see a documented case. This tells me the chances of it happening have to be extremely small....so small that I will not waste my money on a passport that is not needed for a the travel plans I currently have.

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S.S.Oceanlover

S.S.Oceanlover

Posted
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Thank You All for the great information!

 

Now, one of our port is St Thomas USVI....The last time my Husband and I went, before we disembarked, we all had to walk through the diningroom and show our passports as we walked by. Never thought anything of it, but it is the US. Does anyone think that port will be a problem without a passport? That maybe they would have to stay onboard?

 

I think I'm thinking about this too much, right? Thousands of people cruise daily and you never hear that some nice tourist family was refused entry to St Thomas just because they did not have a passport. LOL

 

you wont have to go through customs in St Thomas as your cruise leaves from FLL and goes to San Juan and St thomas first so you haven't visited a foreign country yet so you're not renetering the US.

 

Bill

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Cruise, J.D.

Cruise, J.D.

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Not that I don't believe everyone else. I just know that on the last cruise we went on we were told we had to have a passport. I just checked the State Department website and found this.

 

The State Department has posted incorrect information on its website, as it has before. The chart does not recognize the closed-loop cruise exception, which is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. It is a federal regulation and applies regardless of a chart on a website.

 

The Department of Homeland Security, specifically Customs and Border Patrol, controls re-entry into the U.S. If you want correct information, go to the DHS website.

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nrdsb4

nrdsb4

Posted
Posted
I doubt the cost would change because you don't have a passport and the US Embassy would probably be just as helpful getting you home regardless from countries you can visit from a US port. I just get tired of people posting that somehow you MUST have a passport if you get stuck in port or have an emergency and have to get home. I don't think I've seen a single post from someone who has had to do that saying what was involved and whether they had a problem if they didn't have a US passport.

 

In most cases of an emergency, the US Embassy will help you get an expedited passport in order to get home. So, in most cases, it technically is necessary to have the passport in order to return. If you are a US citizen, you won't be stuck forever, though it may take longer to process your passport than you would prefer. But no, you won't be stuck in limbo land forever.

 

There have been a few posts from people in this situation, but not enough to warrant some of the extreme responses you'll see about it here.

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nrdsb4

nrdsb4

Posted
Posted
Thank You All for the great information!

 

Now, one of our port is St Thomas USVI....The last time my Husband and I went, before we disembarked, we all had to walk through the diningroom and show our passports as we walked by. Never thought anything of it, but it is the US. Does anyone think that port will be a problem without a passport? That maybe they would have to stay onboard?

 

I think I'm thinking about this too much, right? Thousands of people cruise daily and you never hear that some nice tourist family was refused entry to St Thomas just because they did not have a passport. LOL

 

St. Thomas USVI is a US territory-its citizens are US citizens also. You don't have to have a passport to travel there by ship or air. They may ask to see your passport, but what they are really asking for is your documentation, and your DL and BC qualify.

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nrdsb4

nrdsb4

Posted
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As long as you are sailing "closed loop" from a U.S. port you can get by with an original birth certificate (not a copy) and a govt issued ID. As far as her child she may need to ( or should ) have a letter from the dad giving permission for the child to travel unless she has documentation showing her as the sole legal guardian. She will generally be ok.... most people never get asked about it. Enjoy your cruise.

 

It's not necessary to have "an original" - a certified copy will do just fine. You cannot bring a xeroxed copy, of course, but it's not required that the BC be your "original" one (which is actually also a copy since the original remains with the bureau of vital statistics).

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WooWooGirl

WooWooGirl

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I just came back from my 9th cruise and have ALWAYS used my BC (with a raised seal) and my drivers license...these have always left from a US port and returned to a US port so I have had no problems...and yes I know had I needed to fly back from one of the ports I would not have been able to since I only had a BC and a drivers license but my kids were with me or with my husband SO I felt fine sailing w/o a passport..I have never had any problems using my BC and a drivers license..

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mcwebber

mcwebber

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There have been a few posts from people in this situation, but not enough to warrant some of the extreme responses you'll see about it here.

 

Yeah, you would think some of the people's livelihoods depend on people buying passports the way they react to those saying you don't need one.

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mcwebber

mcwebber

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Well I guess there has to be a smart a** on every thread......

 

I admit, when I read the title of this thread I thought I'd recommend some luggage besides JUST a BC.:D

 

Heh. I guess the right answer to the thread is, it depends on the size of your BC.

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Detroit Donna

Detroit Donna

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Friends of ours do not have passports. They are an unmarried couple and she has a 7 year old Son. $450 is quite a price for them to pay, seeing how they do not travel often.

 

Will Birth Certificates get them on the ship and back into the States?

 

As many have already said, a BC will work just fine. Just wanted to warn you though, on my last cruise, those with a BC were the last to leave the ship. It would be announced something like this, "If you have disembarkment tags blah, blah, blah, and a passport, you may now come to the blah, blah, blah for disembarkment. Those w/o a passport will be called momentarily." I was surprised but then I also remembered when coming into the building, security was asking to see everyone's passports before allowing them to enter. If they were using a BC, they would call over another person from security to take the BC to the secret back room and then they returned and allowed those passengers entry. So...just be prepared to allow a little extra time in case something like this happens.

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Onearmbandit

Onearmbandit

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Since my birth certificate has my maiden name and my drivers licence will have my married name is that an issue? Do I need a marriage certificate or something?????:confused:

 

No they don't require a marriage cert........we have several married women in our group that just cruise with their B.C. and it has never been an issue.....if it was it would be required by the cruiselines.....

A marriage cert is not even required when you apply for a passport.....

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cohollywood

cohollywood

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Since my birth certificate has my maiden name and my drivers licence will have my married name is that an issue? Do I need a marriage certificate or something?????:confused:

 

I had a post about this a few weeks ago and was told to bring a marraige certificate. They do not always ask for it, but if they do, and you do not have it, you may get denied boarding. According to Carnival's website, you need proof of a change of name (ie: marriage certificate).

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Onearmbandit

Onearmbandit

Posted
Posted
I had a post about this a few weeks ago and was told to bring a marraige certificate. They do not always ask for it, but if they do, and you do not have it, you may get denied boarding. According to Carnival's website, you need proof of a change of name (ie: marriage certificate).

 

Link please

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cgrout78

cgrout78

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Posted
No they don't require a marriage cert........we have several married women in our group that just cruise with their B.C. and it has never been an issue.....if it was it would be required by the cruiselines.....

A marriage cert is not even required when you apply for a passport.....

 

 

I needed my marriage certificate to fly because of the different last names. The cruiseline might not require it, but if you're flying, the airline might.

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Warm Breezes

Warm Breezes

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Why travel without a passport? Dumb idea Because our government and the governments of the countries sailed to on a closed loop cruise do not require it. Not dumb. It is legal and the majority of us who sail without a passport have never had an issue using our DL and BC.

 

If ship stops in foreign port prior to St Thomas, of course you have to clear customs before getting off ship in St Thomas. [/quote] Where a BC and DL work just as well as a passport for clearing customs...

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pnjkeith

pnjkeith

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Posted
Why travel without a passport? Dumb idea Because our government and the governments of the countries sailed to on a closed loop cruise do not require it. Not dumb. It is legal and the majority of us who sail without a passport have never had an issue using our DL and BC.

 

If ship stops in foreign port prior to St Thomas, of course you have to clear customs before getting off ship in St Thomas. [/quote] Where a BC and DL work just as well as a passport for clearing customs...

 

Still a dumb idea. What ya gonna do if you miss ship or get sick in foreign port?

 

Sneak back In thru Mexico?

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cohollywood

cohollywood

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Posted

 

Still a dumb idea. What ya gonna do if you miss ship or get sick in foreign port?

 

Sneak back In thru Mexico?

 

So are you going to yell at the people who go to port and leave their passport in their safe boxes...because I've seen so many people recommend doing that so as not to lose your passport.

 

No passport on port + missing ship = sneaking back in thru Mexico. Or going to the US Embassay where they will be happy to help you out.

 

Get off your horses people. Happily cruise with your passport and those of us who do not have a passport will happily cruise without it.

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