Documents for 1 year old....

[Leona1]

My grandson is going to be cruising with his parents and the rest of the family. Does he need a passport or is an original birth certificate ok.

[sdmike]

My grandson is going to be cruising with his parents and the rest of the family. Does he need a passport or is an original birth certificate ok.

 

Where is their cruise?

 

I believe most cruises departing from and returning from the US (closed loop cruises) do not require passports. However, keep in mind that a passport IS required to fly back into the country if needed, and is a good idea to have. There are no exceptions for infants.

[njhorseman]

Assuming he is a US citizen and on a closed loop Western Hemisphere cruise departing from a US port, he can cruise using just an original or certified copy of his birth certificate (government-issued official birth certificate only, not a hospital certificate).

 

However, should the family have to fly home from a foreign port mid cruise due to unforeseen circumstances, the birth certificate is not sufficient. A passport is required for international air travel.

 

So...birth certificate works for the cruise, but you take a slight risk of having a problem should an emergency dictate an unplanned flight home.

[canpass]

I would highly recommend a passport. this is from the NCL web site

 

U.S. Citizens

Hawaii Cruises

 

There's no need for a passport when you sail on any Hawaii inter-island cruise. If your ship never sails beyond the islands of Hawaii, all you need is a government-issued photo I.D. which includes a passport or a valid driver's license with a photo. A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.

 

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

 

For closed-loop sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you need a valid passport OR proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver's license with a photo) or any other WHTI compliant document. Proof of Citizenship examples include: an original or state certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, original certificate of U.S. naturalization, original certificate of U.S. citizenship, or a U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad. A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.

Important: Baptismal paper and hospital certificates of birth are not acceptable.

 

For open-jaw sailings (cruises that depart from one U.S. port and return to a different U.S. port), you are required to carry a valid passport, U.S. passport card, U.S. or Canadian Enhanced Drivers License, as well as have in your possession all relative visas that pertain to your travel itinerary. Permanent residents of the U.S. are required to carry their valid ARC cards for boarding AND passport from their country of citizenship, if available.

 

Note: If you miss your ship at its scheduled U.S. departure port and need to travel outside the U.S. to meet your ship, or should you unexpectedly need to depart the ship from a foreign port prior to the end of sailing, a passport would be required to leave or re-enter the U.S. by air. To that end, NCL strongly recommends all guests to obtain a passport for their voyage on any NCL vessel.

[Mom2B&Z]

If they plan on travelling at all with their youngster, it is much easier to get the "blank look" stare required for the passport photo out of a 1 year old than a 2 or 3 yo. This is from a Mom talking from experience :)

Personally, we travel with passports for both kids, regardless of where we go and whether they are required. They are a very good proof of identity when abroad.

[Twin.Mom1]

I planned on just using my 1 year olds birth certificates for our upcoming cruise in April until I was told that if there is an emergency at home, or if, god forbid, something happens to them and they need to be air lifted we would be out of luck.

I ended up paying and EXTRA $160 for both 1 year old to expidite their passports so we got them in time.

So don't wait like I did....tell them it's better to be safe than sorry.

[newmexicoNita]

I planned on just using my 1 year olds birth certificates for our upcoming cruise in April until I was told that if there is an emergency at home, or if, god forbid, something happens to them and they need to be air lifted we would be out of luck.

I ended up paying and EXTRA $160 for both 1 year old to expidite their passports so we got them in time.

So don't wait like I did....tell them it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

you are right. I know the cost for a passports seems high and they are, but the added protection is well worth it.

 

Nita

[bean24]

We cruised to Bermuda with my 9 month old son last June. We were going to do the bc thing, but then decided to get his passport. He developed bronchiolitis and we had to fly home. This happened on Friday afternoon, I can't imagine how much tougher it would have been if we had to deal with getting a passport, including not getting back in time for work, since we would have had to wait till Monday the earliest to get a passport.

-Michelle

[Leona1]

Thanks for your advice about getting a passport for my grandson. My daughter is going to get one for him this week.

[ruarmed2]

Can't you just hide him in your carry-on? :D

[TravisJ]

Passport is the way to go. We just got one for our 5.5 month old in preparation for his first cruise in a couple of weeks. His photo is priceless!

[Leona1]

Can't you just hide him in your carry-on? :D

 

 

Hmmmmm.. Let me think about that:)

[tkportersat]

We just traveled with our 10 month old and we purchased a passport for him. Just too big a risk if he had become ill or we needed to get home, so while we didn't need it for that purpose I was glad to have it in case of an emergency. For now as long as cruises start and end in the same US port the passport is not required but recommended.

 

My grandson is going to be cruising with his parents and the rest of the family. Does he need a passport or is an original birth certificate ok.