Passport Book, Card, Both or Neither?

[cruisinfanatic]

It is a form of travel insurance. The customers on the Carnival cruise ship that just caught fire are proof of that. Passengers with passports are being flown home. Passengers without have a long bus ride to the US border from the Yucatan penninsula.

You absolutely do not know that!!!

 

I would suspect that everyone will be flown to the US and will be processed there as they would have been at the returning port

[id1scott]

Thanks for all the responses. I will say that after reading about the Carnival ship, we have decided that we MUST get a passport. So you can all rest easy now. We will get them and be free to go as we please. Watch out Europe! I'm coming for you as soon as I can!

[njhorseman]

Thanks for all the responses. I will say that after reading about the Carnival ship, we have decided that we MUST get a passport. So you can all rest easy now. We will get them and be free to go as we please. Watch out Europe! I'm coming for you as soon as I can!

 

By all means get your passports, but what about the Carnival Triumph situation is forcing your decision? No one is going to be stuck in Mexico. I suspect what's going to happen is that the State Department will issue a one time authorization to fly back to the US for those passengers who don't hold passports.

[TravelerThom]

OK - I live in Michigan and we have what's called an enhanced driver's license. If any of you are familiar with it -- is it the same as the passport card you are talking about?? I haven't heard of the passport card before -

Although they are issued by different authorities [state of MI vs. US State Department] they should function similarly. According to http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_uspc.html

 

U.S. Passport Card – This is a limited-use international travel document valid for entry into the U.S. by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, per the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. It is not valid for international air travel.

 

And according to http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_edl.html

Enhanced Driver's License – This is a driver’s license that can also be used as a cross-border travel document to enter the U.S. by land and sea. It denotes both identity and citizenship, per the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

 

Certainly sounds like it would suffice on its own for a closed loop cruise, but I'd suggest further confirmation before taking that as gospel. It would not surprise me if the Cruise Check-in person has never seen a MI Enhanced Driver's License and might not know what to make of it. Even if you have definite confirmation that the MI EDL is sufficient for a closed loop cruise, I would allow extra time for sorting this out at cruise check-in.

 

Thom

[njhorseman]

Although they are issued by different authorities [state of MI vs. US State Department] they should function similarly. According to http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_uspc.html

 

U.S. Passport Card – This is a limited-use international travel document valid for entry into the U.S. by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, per the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. It is not valid for international air travel.

 

And according to http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_edl.html

Enhanced Driver's License – This is a driver’s license that can also be used as a cross-border travel document to enter the U.S. by land and sea. It denotes both identity and citizenship, per the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

 

Certainly sounds like it would suffice on its own for a closed loop cruise, but I'd suggest further confirmation before taking that as gospel. It would not surprise me if the Cruise Check-in person has never seen a MI Enhanced Driver's License and might not know what to make of it. Even if you have definite confirmation that the MI EDL is sufficient for a closed loop cruise, I would allow extra time for sorting this out at cruise check-in.

 

Thom

 

Yes, an enhanced drivers license is good for a closed loop cruise. If the check in person questions it all you have to do ask for a supervisor, who will approve it (assuming they're even minimally competent at their job).

[id1scott]

Just the fact that things are out of our control when out at sea and I want us to be able to get home quickly. Although none of the passengers will be stuck in Mexico, I'm sure those with passports will have an easier time with it.

[Havingfun2010]

Those folks on Carnival Triumph being towed back to Mexico now are going to be flown back to the US from Mexico. I wonder if the US Consulate will be busy processing the people who were traveling with only their birth certificates.

 

The USA is not in a position to keep US citizens stuck in Mexico (or any place for that matter) in the events of situations like this because they don't have a passport. Imagine the possiblity of 1500 - 3000 people without a passport? What will most likely happen, is that Carnival is in the process of chartering planes. Those passengers, on the manifest of the ship, will get on the plane, and fly to the USA, where they will be checked off the manifest, which is basically what the cruise ship does when it arrives in port. They did not get on the ship without showing proof of citizenship, whether is was a birth certificate or passport.

[VernRDH]

I had to renew my drivers license this past November, and as we live only 3 hours from the Canadian border, I opted to get the enhanced DL. One of the forms of ID I took was my passport book.

 

The lady at DMV asked me why I wanted the enhanced DL if I had a passport. I told her that it was easier for me to travel to Canada with the DL as opposed to taking the passport. She sneered at me and said "well I ain't leaving the country, I ain't getting either one". /sigh.

 

She just couldn't get it why I would spend the money for either one.

[smoosh21]

We are going on a cruise next year leaving from Galveston. Since it's a round trip, we don't "technically" need a passport. We don't travel much either, so I'm not foreseeing any international travel within the next 10 years, but you never know. I know we can get just a passport card, but that wouldn't help us for air travel. Should we bother getting a passport when we already have certified birth certificates? They are kinda expensive, especially if you don't travel much. Just curious what others would say about this. Thanks in advance.

I wouldnt bother with a passport card. I would either get a real passport, or just use your birth certificates. If you ever find yourself wanting to travel again, get the passport book at that time. I think the passport card is a waste of time unless you live near the border and make lots of trips across the border by car, but no other travel.

[poncho1973]

In other threads, people are posting that the Carnival ship is being towed to Mobile instead of back to Mexico. One of the reasons given is the high number of passport issues.

 

True or pulled out of their behinds... I don't honestly know... but it is reasonable.

 

ETA:

Yes, I'm sure doing repairs in a US port is also a huge plus, as well.

[srlafleur]

In other threads, people are posting that the Carnival ship is being towed to Mobile instead of back to Mexico. One of the reasons given is the high number of passport issues.

 

True or pulled out of their behinds... I don't honestly know... but it is reasonable.

 

ETA:

Yes, I'm sure doing repairs in a US port is also a huge plus, as well.

 

 

Actually, it's because the ship has drifted with the current far enough to be equidistant between Mexico and Mobile. And the towing will be easier with the current than against. Plus not having to deal with the (about 900) people without passports probably made the decision that much easier.

[dwjoe]

Any chance that was a flight in Europe between two Schengen countries? There's no requirement for a passport to travel within the Schengen area...the most you're going to be asked to produce is proof of identity. On land crossings not even that because border checkpoints were done away with.

 

When you fly into the Schengen zone from the US or elsewhere outside the zone, your passport is only checked at your point of entry into a Schengen country but not thereafter. For example if you're flying from NY to Venice with a change of planes in Amsterdam, your passport will be checked when you arrive in Amsterdam, but not when you arrive in Venice. If your baggage is checked through to Venice, it won't go through customs in Amsterdam, but will in Venice.

Not sure, can't find the reference anymore. Thought I saw it on flyertalk.

[dwjoe]

Spoke to a friend who works at the CBP. Since it is NOT a closed loop cruise AND they apparently ported at least once outside the US (they were on their way back), the closed loop and no port exception to the rules do not apply. The same procedures will apply as if they had flown in, with the exception the facility is better equipped to handle large volumes of people at one time and the staff will likely be more considerate of the passengers situation because they are handling just them, then ones at an airport could be (at the airport, the immigration folks would be handling normally arriving flights as well)

 

BUT they will still need to show either passports, or other acceptable ID and those without passports may still get additional screening.

Reposted from the main Carnival Triumph thread. Folks with a BC/DL may be subject to additional screening but will be admitted.

 

A passport card and EDL should also be fully valid.