Enhanced ID yay or nay?

[CharlzinCharge]

Hello everyone! I'm planning a trip soon on a cruise and I have my Enhanced Id from NY, and from what the official U.S government website tells me I can use it cause of the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) that is basically a Passport card (land or sea). Has anyone used the Enhanced Id for travel? If so did you have any problems?. Please do not respond with hey just get a passport is saves you all the problems, cause we all know this.. I'm just curious about the experience. Most port of entry into most Caribbean islands never had problems with citizens just showing id and birth certificate. I know times have changed can someone give me a little in-site on the experience of using the Enhanced ID.

Thank You

[sparks1093]

Hello everyone! I'm planning a trip soon on a cruise and I have my Enhanced Id from NY, and from what the official U.S government website tells me I can use it cause of the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) that is basically a Passport card (land or sea). Has anyone used the Enhanced Id for travel? If so did you have any problems?. Please do not respond with hey just get a passport is saves you all the problems, cause we all know this.. I'm just curious about the experience. Most port of entry into most Caribbean islands never had problems with citizens just showing id and birth certificate. I know times have changed can someone give me a little in-site on the experience of using the Enhanced ID.

Thank You

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic! My family and I have traveled twice with birth certs and gov't issued photo ID. I wouldn't anticipate any problems boarding with an EDL, but me being me I'd probably bring the birth certs as back up. I have read about people using them and hopefully one of them (or more) will post here.

[CharlzinCharge]

Thanks for the feed back I haven't traveled outside the country since the changes have been made so it's all new again I don't think the other country's would change there policy cause U.S has changed. Tourism is a big part of the economy.

[6rugrats]

Using the enhanced ID for a closed loop cruise is the same as using your driver's license or another government issued photo ID. You're still going to need to bring your birth certificate:

 

"Closed Loop" Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

 

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

Edited July 31, 2012 by 6rugrats

[CharlzinCharge]

I know the info have you personally used the Enhanced Id? Cause if all i had to do was use my normal Id and Birth Certificate it make no sense to even have the Enhanced or Passport Card..

[cb at sea]

It's the same as any other form of government ID.....so it will work, along with your BC....that's all.

[sparks1093]

Using the enhanced ID for a closed loop cruise is the same as using your driver's license or another government issued photo ID. You're still going to need to bring your birth certificate:

 

"Closed Loop" Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

 

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

 

It's the same as any other form of government ID.....so it will work, along with your BC....that's all.

 

I think the Enhanced Driver's Licenses were in development when getyouhome.gov was published, but the EDL is a stand alone document that proves ID and citizenship. Here's what one cruise line says:

 

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) allows U.S. citizens (including children) sailing on cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port to travel with one of the following WHTI compliant document:

• Valid U.S. Passport
  
• Passport Card
  
• Original or suitable quality copy of a Birth Certificate (Issued by a government agency: state/county/city)
  
• Certificate of Naturalization
  
• Trusted Traveler Program Membership Card, e.g., Nexus Card, Sentri Card or Fast Card
  
• Enhanced Tribal Card
  
• A Consular Report of Birth Abroad
  
• Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)
  

Note: Enhanced Driver's Licenses can be used as proof of citizenship at land and sea ports of entry. However, it cannot be used to travel by air outside the United States.

There are currently four U.S. states and four Canadian provinces producing EDLs:

 

Michigan

New York

Vermont

Washington

British Columbia

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

[CharlzinCharge]

Not what it say's on the website the whole point of getting it is to show's your citizenship and id at once that mean it was a waste of time for me to get it. Question again has anyone with a Enhanced ID from the states like Ny, Michigan, have you traveled with the Enhanced Id with or without any problems?

[Jana60]

Not what it say's on the website the whole point of getting it is to show's your citizenship and id at once that mean it was a waste of time for me to get it. Question again has anyone with a Enhanced ID from the states like Ny, Michigan, have you traveled with the Enhanced Id with or without any problems?

 

Hopefully someone with experience with answer your question but it might be safer to request this information directly from the cruise line and get it in writing if possible. Also check with airlines because if (God forbid!) you should miss the boat at a port and need to fly home you would want to be able to do so.

[CharlzinCharge]

I Guess the only way you can find out if it's really reliable is to try it on your own since it's limited to only a few states. Hope someone who has actually used can tell me there experience.

[sparks1093]

Hopefully someone with experience with answer your question but it might be safer to request this information directly from the cruise line and get it in writing if possible. Also check with airlines because if (God forbid!) you should miss the boat at a port and need to fly home you would want to be able to do so.

 

Only the passport would be good for that.

[sparks1093]

OP, here's a thread that might help. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1427066&highlight=edl

[CharlzinCharge]

Hey everyone I have traveled on my EDL to Canada many times and two cruises. It works fine no problems at all!! EDL work great!

[spookwife]

Hopefully someone with experience with answer your question but it might be safer to request this information directly from the cruise line and get it in writing if possible. Also check with airlines because if (God forbid!) you should miss the boat at a port and need to fly home you would want to be able to do so.

 

 

actually the Cruise line is not the peopek to talk to.. its ICE/TSA.

 

the cruise line may accept it but the guys in Customs may not.

 

an EDL or passport card is NOT valid for air travel outside the lower 48.

[Steviewonder1]

I have a US Passport and do not leave home without it on cruises or anything that takes me out of US Soil. YMMV, but I will always carry the Best ID when traveling my USA Passport. It does have several stamps from abroad in it.