Still Confused about ID's.

[mcwebber]

Ok then just mark my word:D

 

More and more people show up with the wrong docs....you didn't hear about this problem even a few years back.....Cruiselines have even added on their website that they suggest passports.

 

It's just a matter of time.......

 

A few years back you didn't have the Internet and people making things up constantly and posting them as fact.

[ehfl]

Can you be more specific about what you find confusing? Why not just get a passport? That way you don't have to worry?

[mcwebber]

More people are cruising' date=' more people aren't reading their terms/conditions/documents required.....and, more are doing their own reservations knowing absolutely nothing about what's required and what is missing. [/quote']

 

Funny how the ship manages to sail pretty full despite your imaginary suppositions.

[zqvol]

It's not as simple as "a few phone calls". Identity has to be established, confirmed, and paperwork has to be processed. You won't be stuck in a foreign port like a man without a country, but it is a major, major hassle.

 

That said, I understand where you're coming from. You consider it an expense. I consider it an investment as it means I'm not limited in where I can travel to. If I wish to randomly drive to Canada for the weekend, I can.

 

 

and so can the OP who has an Enhanced DL. That is the purpose behind it.

[zqvol]

or you could save the trouble and just bring a passport... but them Mom wouldn't get to go with you ;)

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Why? Why? Why?

 

Too many people who have no idea what an EDL is or how it works keep chiming in with incorrect information.

 

 

You don't seem to understand. An EDL works as a passport for all travel in the western hemisphere unless it is by air.

 

The OP neither needs a passport nor a birth certificate.

 

The only real issue is what might carnival do with an EDL? I suspect that they will have no clue what one is, and will insist on more, thus the OP should drag along a BC to be safe.

[zqvol]

And they won't. They would have absolutely no reason to and every reason NOT to.;);)

 

Don't be so sure. While the 8 mass market lines do not require passports, MOST of the other lines do require them.

[zqvol]

I know that they will be mandated and when that happens the cruiselines will mandate them;)

 

Could you please enlighten us on the source of this knowledge?

[nrdsb4]

Don't be so sure. While the 8 mass market lines do not require passports, MOST of the other lines do require them.

 

If not for a very strong lobby against the passport requirements funded largely by the cruise lines, passports would be a requirement. The big lines don't want any unnecessary impediments to travel and they made that very clear when the new passport requirements were being considered.

 

I've had a passport for decades, so no matter what happens, I'm good.;)

[victoryred]

Could you please enlighten us on the source of this knowledge?

 

Common sense......not to mention they will get tired of all the confusion.....

[cooltch]

Just putting in my opinion... I think it's best to have a passport, if at all possible. Most times you are going into foreign ports ... as most carribean islands are... and on the off chance you miss the boat... and/or have a family or medical emergency and have to fly back to the US... you will HAVE to have a passport; and getting one while in on a carribean island...is going to take time, money and frustration. The inital cost of a passport is a bit high... but well worth it for a piece of mind. The wait time for getting a passport isn't all that long... often you are told it could be six weeks - but many folks tend to get them back in 3 weeks. The added benefit...you have it AND can go just about anywhere in the world you want - at a moment's notice :)

[dcedar]

Okay...I am no longer confused!!! LOL

 

All I showed was boarding pass and EDL (Enhanced Drivers License). No one questioned it or looked at it funny. They all knew what it was. I did bring our birth certificates along just in case but did not need them.

 

In ports (Nassau, St Thomas, and St Maarten) I only carried my S&S and my EDL.

[Cruise, J.D.]

Common sense......not to mention they will get tired of all the confusion.....

 

LOL. In other words, you have nothing.

[Cruise, J.D.]

Okay...I am no longer confused!!! LOL

 

All I showed was boarding pass and EDL (Enhanced Drivers License). No one questioned it or looked at it funny. They all knew what it was. I did bring our birth certificates along just in case but did not need them.

 

In ports (Nassau, St Thomas, and St Maarten) I only carried my S&S and my EDL.

 

Great! It's good to see everyone you interacted with was aware of the law. The training must be better.

[GaNavy]

Only the U.S. State Department/Homeland security can make and enforce passport rules and laws.

 

I hate conspiracy innuendos......

 

Just get one....end of worrying about it.

 

You're only half right. While it's true that only the State Dept. can enforce passport laws (reminder from h.s. civics class: Congress makes the laws)' date=' the cruise lines have every right to insist that all pax have a passport [i']as a condition of boarding the ship[/i]. This wouldn't be a matter of how to get in/out of the country or what one would need to do so - not a matter of law, but part of the cruise contract just like paying for your ticket.

 

I agree with you - get a passport. And for those of you who wear it as a point of pride that you don't have/use a passport for cruising, good for you, you've made your point. Now, why anyone who actually has a passport wouldn't use it for their cruise.... well, that's another thread, and we can all draw our own conclusions till then.

 

OP, I'm glad you got it sorted out - and glad you had a good time! :)

[Cruise, J.D.]

You're only half right. While it's true that only the State Dept. can enforce passport laws (reminder from h.s. civics class: Congress makes the laws), t

 

Actually, G'ma was not entirely incorrect. Agencies make laws all the time in addition to enforcing them. Congress delegates authority to them to do it. Same thing happens on the state level. They are usually described as "rules" or "regulations". Try violating one and claiming it is not law.

 

The entire Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative that imposes passport requirements and the closed-loop cruise rule is an agency rule, not an act of Congress. Here is a link, but it is also incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations.

 

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/whti_landseafinalrule.pdf

[GaNavy]

Actually, G'ma was not entirely incorrect. Agencies make laws all the time in addition to enforcing them. Congress delegates authority to them to do it. Same thing happens on the state level. They are usually described as "rules" or "regulations". Try violating one and claiming it is not law.

 

The entire Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative that imposes passport requirements and the closed-loop cruise rule is an agency rule, not an act of Congress. Here is a link, but it is also incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations.

 

http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/whti_landseafinalrule.pdf

 

Oh good grief - I'm a JD, too, shall we get into hair-splitting about the fact that if Congress didn't make the law, the agency couldn't make the regulation? (And didn't I say that G'ma was "half right"? Surely, that's at least as good as "not entirely incorrect.")

 

My point was that the cruise line has every right to demand that all passenger have passports as a part of the cruise contract. The fact that they don't make that demand doesn't mean that they can't.

 

Next time I'll omit the parenthetical....

[klmorg]

Okay...I am no longer confused!!! LOL

 

All I showed was boarding pass and EDL (Enhanced Drivers License). No one questioned it or looked at it funny. They all knew what it was. I did bring our birth certificates along just in case but did not need them.

 

In ports (Nassau, St Thomas, and St Maarten) I only carried my S&S and my EDL.

 

YAY! Thanks for coming back to your thread & giving us your first-hand experience. I didn't think you'd have any trouble, since it was clear to me that the EDL was perfectly acceptable (just like a passport).:D

 

But NOW look what you've done, LOL...

 

The great debate(ers) has returned! :eek: YIKES!!!

[marie0157]

Enhanced Driver's License is the same as a passport card.

 

 

Enhanced licenses essentially combine a regular driver's license with the same specifications of the new US passport card. Thus in addition to proving driving privileges, the enhanced license also is proof of U.S. citizenship (for EDLs/EIDs issued in the US) or Canadian citizenship (for EDLs/EIDs issued in Canada), and can therefore be used to cross the US-Canadian and US-Mexican borders by road, rail, or sea, BUT NOT AIR (this will always require a traditional passport book) [9] The enhanced licenses are also fully Real ID compliant. These cards have RFID so they may be used at border crossings that have RFID readers.

[Cruise, J.D.]

Oh good grief - I'm a JD, too, shall we get into hair-splitting about the fact that if Congress didn't make the law, the agency couldn't make the regulation?

 

You implied that agencies can't make law. Don't get mad at me for pointing out that is wrong. Federal agencies make law every day.

 

My state has constitutional agencies that derive their authority from the state constitution and don't require enabling legislation.

 

I just thought your comment was funny considering the WHTI is an agency regulation, not an act of Congress.

[nrdsb4]

Oh good grief - I'm a JD, too, shall we get into hair-splitting about the fact that if Congress didn't make the law, the agency couldn't make the regulation? (And didn't I say that G'ma was "half right"? Surely, that's at least as good as "not entirely incorrect.")

 

My point was that the cruise line has every right to demand that all passenger have passports as a part of the cruise contract. The fact that they don't make that demand doesn't mean that they can't.

Next time I'll omit the parenthetical....

 

Okay, sure they can. But why would they? WHY would they enact a policy which would be sure to decrease the amount of bookings they get? If you owned a business which depended upon numbers of paying customers, would you put policies into place which would be an impediment to getting those customers? Seriously?!

[habby]

Of course, once passports are required, that will eliminate an awful lot of threads on CC! ;)

And, if passports ARE REQUIRED, it will eliminate a lot of awful threads on CC!

 

 

Glad the OP had knowledgable staff to deal with. That said, since our DS will be sailing with his EDL, I'll have his BC too just in case we're not so lucky!