At terminal and need help

[alreadypacked]

In 2008 we were going on a cruise out of Miami. On the morning of the cruise, my mother informed me that she had forgotten her BC. We tried several ways of getting it to us, but it would have been nearly impossible to get it from TN to Miami on time. She and I went to the Homeland Security office at the port. I explained to them what had happened. I had my BC which had her listed as my mother and she had her DL. They told us that because of her age and she was travelling with me it would not be a problem. They called Carnival's people at the terminal and gave them the OK to let her board.

 

I have read that if you can prove citizenship by other means, you may be allowed to board (or fly, as the case may be), but that Homeland Security makes these decisions on a case by case basis, so nothing is guaranteed.

 

Glad it all worked out for you (and OP's friends).

 

Here's some articles that may be helpful to those in simialr situations (a lot of this info references flyers specifically, but may be helpful to cruisers as well):

 

 

http://www.fodors.com/news/story_5647.html

 

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/flight-id-stolen-lost-1533.html

 

http://www.traveldocs.com/

 

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/acceptable_documents.shtm

[BamaCruiser20]

I know we are told that the cruise lines "can not & will not" allow you on the ship without proper identification. However, this *may* be a case that really depends on who you are dealing with. A few years ago my friend and I were going and he forgot his BC in his luggage which had been sent with a porter. We go to check-in, told the agent what happened. The agent asked my friend a couple questions, asked him if he was SURE the BC was in the suitcase and then finished checking us in. Now this was my friend's 6th or 7th cruise, so the agent might have figured that surely he had the correct identification since he had used it several times before. I don't know. All he said was if we were sure the BC was in the suitcase it was OK...and if it wasn't in there, we'd just have to deal with it when we got back.

[Chigirlcruzin]

 

 

 

A fax is nothing more than a copy sent over the wire. If you are having it faxed so you can get on a ship then you are copying it for personal use.

 

I see what you're saying, but IMO, a fax should not be accepted. Yes, it is for personal use, but it's a bit more than that...you're using it for official documentation to prove citizenship. I'd be afraid of missing the ship and getting charged with a felony, since it's printed on there plain as day. It could easily be doctored. When I said personal use, I meant more along the lines of keeping a copy on hand and putting the original is a safe/safety deposit box. I can't see going to Hong Kong and handing over a copy of my passport. Wouldn't fly there, and it certainly shouldn't fly here.

[sparks1093]

I see what you're saying, but IMO, a fax should not be accepted. Yes, it is for personal use, but it's a bit more than that...you're using it for official documentation to prove citizenship. I'd be afraid of missing the ship and getting charged with a felony, since it's printed on there plain as day. It could easily be doctored. When I said personal use, I meant more along the lines of keeping a copy on hand and putting the original is a safe/safety deposit box. I can't see going to Hong Kong and handing over a copy of my passport. Wouldn't fly there, and it certainly shouldn't fly here.

 

You can only do what you feel comfortable doing, but not all states have such "no copying or we'll throw you in jail" language on the birth certificate. The fact is that a legible copy of a proper birth certificate is sufficient for a closed loop cruise. Personally I would rather bring the original but as I've said before if given the choice between showing up at the pier with a copy of my BC or showing up with nothing I'll take the copy any day;).

 

(BTW, the DHS did carefully consider requiring the use of passports for all cruise travel, but determined that the risk to the national security on a closed loop cruise is low. It was that determination that led to the closed loop exception.)

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Canadians have no choice but to have a passport to get into the US. The Americans should, but they still get away with BC/DL if they drive into Canada.....make then have a passport to come in/transit through Canada...

 

 

Yes, we can drive into Canada without a passport, but we need a passport to drive back into the U.S. :p

[celticd1]

 

(BTW, the DHS did carefully consider requiring the use of passports for all cruise travel, but determined that the risk to the national security on a closed loop cruise is low. It was that determination that led to the closed loop exception.)

 

That, and the cruise/travel lobbyists that knew it would cut into cruiselines profits. ;)

[beachgrl001]

It needs to be from the dept of vital statistics or something similar. It also needs to be the long version. It's too bad he didn't ask you before the cruise. You could've asked, and we'd have steered you in the right direction.

 

Not to be a thread stealer but i have a question. My ds BC is from the county clerks office is this ok? It looks different from the rest of ours but we were all born in pa he was jersey...

 

 

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[sparks1093]

That, and the cruise/travel lobbyists that knew it would cut into cruiselines profits. ;)

 

Doubtful. Larger lobbies (including states) attempted to influence the regulations and failed (most notably cross border land crossings- a huge economic impact in communities like mine).

 

Not to be a thread stealer but i have a question. My ds BC is from the county clerks office is this ok? It looks different from the rest of ours but we were all born in pa he was jersey...

 

 

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DS number 3's birth cert was issued by the town clerk of the town he was born in- as long as it issued by a government entity and not the hospital it should be fine. If you want to be on the safe side you should be able to obtain a copy from the state's vital records department.

[celticd1]

Doubtful. Larger lobbies (including states) attempted to influence the regulations and failed (most notably cross border land crossings- a huge economic impact in communities like mine).

 

"Fortunately, intense lobbying efforts by some US politicians, US Travel Association (then TIA), Canadian and provincial governments, border state officials, and various business and tourism groups, they were able to influence and change some aspects of the requirements."

 

Full article here: http://www.takesontravel.com/web/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=1921:%E2%80%9Cwelcome-to-the-us%E2%80%9D&Itemid=14

 

The words "...they were able to influence and change some aspects of the requirements."

 

The most notable change to the original WHTI was the fact that ALL travel outside of the US would have required a passport, inluding ALL cruises.

 

Also (paraphrased): "But while insisting on the passport requirements for air travel beginning in January 2007, the lawmakers, apparently at the last minute, entertained lobbying efforts by the cruise-ship industry to postpone the application of the requirement to cruise travellers until June 2009.

 

Notwithstanding the lobbying efforts that must be continued at the highest political levels for similar treatment to the cruise business, it is critical that the key stakeholders of the regional tourist industry intensify their campaigns in US markets to get travellers to acquire passports."

 

From here: http://cominsurancetravel.blogspot.com/2009/10/american-travel-services.html

 

(Emphasis mine)

 

So I stand by what I said. :)

[sparks1093]

"Fortunately, intense lobbying efforts by some US politicians, US Travel Association (then TIA), Canadian and provincial governments, border state officials, and various business and tourism groups, they were able to influence and change some aspects of the requirements."

 

 

From the regulations:

 

"Comment: DHS and DOS received several comments to the Land and Sea NPRM stating that because the combination of a driver's license and birth certificate is acceptable aboard a cruise ship, it should also be acceptable documentation for land-border entries. One commenter stated that because the land-border tourist industry has a far larger impact on the U.S. economy than the cruise-ship industry, the land border deserves no less protection and consideration.

 

Response: DHS and DOS disagree. As mentioned previously, due to the operational environment and the security risks assessed, the Departments have determined that U.S. citizens may use the combination of a driver's license and birth certificate when traveling on certain cruise-ship voyages. As detailed in the Land and Sea NPRM, the security risks associated with designating this document combination for U.S. citizens on round-trip cruises are low. DHS and DOS have carefully considered the issues surrounding protection of our land borders and have determined that the documents designated in this rule for entry at land ports-of-entry reflect the best approach to balance security and travel efficiency considerations in the land environment."

 

So I also stand by what I said;).

[LizaMM]

Not to be a thread stealer but i have a question. My ds BC is from the county clerks office is this ok? It looks different from the rest of ours but we were all born in pa he was jersey...

 

 

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That sounds fine.

 

My nephew was born in NJ, currently lives in Tampa as was cruising out of Miami in Dec.....He had sent in his PP with what he thought was enough time for renewal; however, it had gone through the laundry or something at some point (don't ask - hes's 21 :rolleyes:) and the gov sent it back to him and would not renew due it the condition without all documents to back it up as if it was an original request for a PP......Of course he neglected to tell his father this until a week before their cruise AND he had no idea what he did with the original BC :eek: ......Long story short, after many phone calls and notarized authorization letters and papers fed ex'd to me by his dad I was able to drive to NJ and get his certified BC from the clerks office in Livingston where he was born, fed ex'd it his dad and they sailed with no problems 2 days later

[celticd1]

From the regulations:

 

"Comment: DHS and DOS received several comments to the Land and Sea NPRM stating that because the combination of a driver's license and birth certificate is acceptable aboard a cruise ship, it should also be acceptable documentation for land-border entries. One commenter stated that because the land-border tourist industry has a far larger impact on the U.S. economy than the cruise-ship industry, the land border deserves no less protection and consideration.

 

Response: DHS and DOS disagree. As mentioned previously, due to the operational environment and the security risks assessed, the Departments have determined that U.S. citizens may use the combination of a driver's license and birth certificate when traveling on certain cruise-ship voyages. As detailed in the Land and Sea NPRM, the security risks associated with designating this document combination for U.S. citizens on round-trip cruises are low. DHS and DOS have carefully considered the issues surrounding protection of our land borders and have determined that the documents designated in this rule for entry at land ports-of-entry reflect the best approach to balance security and travel efficiency considerations in the land environment."

 

So I also stand by what I said;).

 

Looks to me as if we are both correct. The lobbying by the cruise industry was able to convince the DHS and DOS to "change some aspects of the requirements."

 

Whether it was for safety concerns or not, the lobbying worked for the cruise industry. ;)