Passports for children

[tayzia00]

Hello. I am in the process of putting together a family cruise on Carnival Destiny on December 10-15, 2012. There are 4 adults and 9 children ranging from ages 3-12. This will be the first cruise as well as flights for all of the children. I purchased myself a passport for my first cruise and flight. I am wondering if anyone knows if getting passport books for the children is worth it or not. The cruiseline said they are recommended for each guest but not required. Any thoughts on this will be greatly appreciated and welcome as we are lost on this issue. Thanks

[smeyer418]

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html#step4minor

 

 

Is it worth it? as you know international air travel and some cruises(not all) require them.

 

But for air travel within the US they are not required...no id for children less than 16 is required.

 

and for most close circuit(return to the same US port) they aren't required.

 

Children's passports are only good for 5 years...

 

but if you miss the ship in any foreign country you will need the passport..

 

We have taken three cruises with the grand kids above without passports...

 

you can only decide if its worth it to you...

[Warm Breezes]

Hello. I am in the process of putting together a family cruise on Carnival Destiny on December 10-15, 2012. There are 4 adults and 9 children ranging from ages 3-12. This will be the first cruise as well as flights for all of the children. I purchased myself a passport for my first cruise and flight. I am wondering if anyone knows if getting passport books for the children is worth it or not. The cruiseline said they are recommended for each guest but not required. Any thoughts on this will be greatly appreciated and welcome as we are lost on this issue. Thanks

 

That depends on you and the level of risk you are willing to take. We do not cruise with passports as it is not required and the risk of something happening that would require one is extremely small. We always get to our cruise port the day before so we won't miss the ship (plus it extends our vacation a day :D) and we don't book excursions that would put us at risk. We have cruised 9 times in the past 10 years without a single issue using our DL and BC. That's one passport each for DH and myself and 2 passports each for DD and DS that would not have been needed if we would have purchased them.

 

We will purchase passports when they are required for a trip we are taking. Until then, I will save my money and my passport years. To be fair, there is an extremely small risk that something could happen and you would need to get an emergency passport to get home from an island. Some people say you will be stranded and unable to get home....I have never seen one example of that posted anywhere. You will be able to get an emergency passport and you will be able to get home.

 

Again...it is all up to and your family and the amount of risk you are willing to take. IMHO, when I compare the cost of passports for a family of 4 to the small risk involved...I'd rather take my chances then waste my money and passport years on a passport that I do not need for the type of traveling I am doing.

[jamminlion]

We recently got first passports for our girls. While not 'required', I do feel better knowing that we have them. That alone is priceless to me.

[tayzia00]

Thank you. I think that the sense of knowing that they do have the passports for the "what if's" on any trip would be helpful to us and make us feel more at ease.

[tayzia00]

That depends on you and the level of risk you are willing to take. We do not cruise with passports as it is not required and the risk of something happening that would require one is extremely small. We always get to our cruise port the day before so we won't miss the ship (plus it extends our vacation a day :D) and we don't book excursions that would put us at risk. We have cruised 9 times in the past 10 years without a single issue using our DL and BC. That's one passport each for DH and myself and 2 passports each for DD and DS that would not have been needed if we would have purchased them.

 

 

Thanks!!! I think we will probably skip out on the passports for the children for this trip and possibly just wait until a trip where they are required to have them. That would help save us money on an already costly family cruise.

[cherylandtk]

One last piece of advice: make certain that all the birth certificates are government issued (not hospital!) certificates that have a certified mark/stamp/seal/hologram.