Help on the new passport law!!!!!

[kmom235678]

I would Like to thank every one for all your input!

 

I called Rccl today and they said yes I also call the State Dept. to find out about Travel Visa's.

 

The info. that was given to me is yes I will need to start applying for Passport for eveyone in our party. They will not be issuing travel visa's.

 

I don't mind getting passports it was just a surprize to me to recive that e-mail when I had just read in our local paper that they would not be needed till 2008. Our oldest son is 15 and won't be 16 till Oct 1,2005 so we will only be able to get a 5 year passport for him since I would hate to wait till Oct and the state be backed up so bad that we would not recive it in time.

 

I do like the ideal of a passport just hate the ideal of spending 400$ for more id's to lock up in a safe for 99% of the time.

[mek]

Michael - I wonder why is it necessary for some US territories and not other's?

[Coralc]

Mek, could it be US territories VS. US possessions? I was more just curious about it. I have no plans to visit Saipan or Amarican Samoa, or Guam for that matter, anytime soon. :D

[hstrybuf]

Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong. One of the posters asked about cruises that go from one U.S. port to another. Other than a cruise to nowhere, they don't. Cruises that originate in the U.S. stop in at least one foreign port before returning to the U.S. It has something to do with the Jones Act.

[smeyer418]

I was told by a Satet Dept. Employee once that if you are in a foreign country and a problem occurs, our State Dept. will do NOTHING to help you if you do not have a valid US Passport. Think of all the possibilities!!! Getting ill on an island and having to be hospitalized and missing the boat and having to fly back to the US WITHOUT a PASSPORT. Others incude terrorism, being robbed, mugged or missing the ship. It is a small price to pay for that extra security, just knowing they will help you get out of a foreign country.

This happens all the time. You can be sure they still help the person get back. Sometimes you need to get you help(from your congressional rep). Many times its because of a stolen passport. There are rules for all these things. Yes it will be harder and you can see what I think about this in my signature.

 

US Flagged ships can go between US Ports without leaving the country...NCL America is the only ones now...

[Coralc]

Sorry, it was a little OT that snuck in. Not really about cruising.

 

"American territories i.e St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, and Guam you do not need a passport, though you will have to clear customs upon your return. American Samoa and the Northern Marianas are a different story, you need a passport to enter & depart from there.

 

Michael"

 

I don't know how to do the quote thing either.

[beachchick]

Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong. One of the posters asked about cruises that go from one U.S. port to another. Other than a cruise to nowhere, they don't. Cruises that originate in the U.S. stop in at least one foreign port before returning to the U.S. It has something to do with the Jones Act.

 

The only cruise line that is allowed to do this is NCL with the US-flagged (and staffed) Pride of Aloha and soon to be released Pride of America. Before this, the only company that did was American Classic Voyages (until they went bankrupt). They had the Independence and then there was the ill-fated Patriot. All of these ships do/did itineraries in Hawaii with no other stops. Anyway, they were required to be a US company as well as having the ships US flagged/staffed. NCL got some sort of special waiver to register the Pride ships as US and are required to hire US staff (at US pay rates, hours, etc.).

 

Other than that, it wouldn't apply at this point. All other cruises would have at least one foreign port.

 

beachchick

[Happy ks]

well, we are cruising end of this year and won't again until around the same time in '06.........I'm just going to take my time in '06 getting them one at a time.......they last for 10yrs? why throw away 1 of those years when I know I'm not going to be using it? LOL

at this time this is all 'proposed' legislation.......guess I'm in a good position this year because the timing gives me a chance to see how the dust settles.

and Pleasssssssssseeeeeeeee leave politics out of this - one place where I can go and avoid that fireworks show........:)

 

Sorry, I don't see anywhere that this is proposed legislation, but they do have a proposed timeline for the implementation:

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2224.html

 

It looks like you will be fine this year, as long as your cruise doesn't end before 12/31/05. What people need to realize is, if you do not have the proper documents to re-enter the US, they will not allow you to board the ship at the start of the cruise. It would be a shame to miss a cruise because you are unwilling to spend $$ on a passport.

 

While the timeline may possibly change (no one can predict) the legislation looks definite.

[MikeNJ1109]

Michael - I wonder why is it necessary for some US territories and not other's?

 

From what I've been told by a State Department acquaintance of mine, using American Samoa and the Northern Marianas as an example, it is because these two places are self-governing entities that are in a "Compact of Free Association" with the United States. From what I gather, it's this "Self-Governing" aspect that requires us to show our passports there.

 

Michael

[SharleneinTexas]

Sorry, I don't see anywhere that this is proposed legislation, but they do have a proposed timeline for the implementation:

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2224.html

 

It looks like you will be fine this year, as long as your cruise doesn't end before 12/31/05. What people need to realize is, if you do not have the proper documents to re-enter the US, they will not allow you to board the ship at the start of the cruise. It would be a shame to miss a cruise because you are unwilling to spend $$ on a passport.

 

While the timeline may possibly change (no one can predict) the legislation looks definite.

 

we will be returning 12/24/05 and ports are in Mexico.......so, we don't have a problem with any of it this time...........next cruise will probably be late '06.....have time to take care of passports next year.........

 

I've traveled with passports in the past and realize how handy they can be..........just not in a rush to spend the money and throw away one year when it's not necessary.....:)

[xpcdoojk]

Just curious, I've had a passport for over 20 years, but does anyone know if one will be necessary to travel from the US to US territories?

 

You don't need one to travel to most US territories.

 

Odd question though, very few cruiseships travel only to US territories.

 

jc