Holland America Lines Disasterdam

[510picker]

So glad to hear you finally got to take your cruise and that it exceeded your expectations. The crew of Holland America is a big part what keeps us coming back. They are amazing!

 

We were actually on this cruise with you. I enjoyed watching your video and it brought back lots of memories. After seeing your photos in the video, I remember seeing you both around the ship. I too admired the yacht that was anchored in the bay. Gotta get me one of those! :)

 

[boulders]

I haven't seen this posted in the thread, but I may have missed it.

 

I might have missed it in the 20 pages on this thread, but American citizenship is NOT automatically bestowed on children of American citizens. Currently, the citizen parent must have spent 2 years or more in the US after the age of 14 and a total of 5. So, just because a birth certificate lists the parent's citizenship as US, that doesn't mean that the child will have US citizenship. I suspect that the OP was born prior to 1986 at which time, the citizen parent would have had to live in the US for 10 or more years, including 5 after the age of 14. If the OP was born prior to Dec. 24, 1952, there were even more stringent requirements. There were also requirements at that time to retain US citizenship if one was born abroad.

 

http://americansabroad.org/files/3013/3478/0295/18-04-2012_1318_971.pdf

 

The OP did NOT have proof that he was a US citizen, therefore he should have had a passport.

 

He is very lucky that a congressman was able to get him a CRBA (Consular Report of Birth Abroad) as those are only issued to people under the age of 18 and must be applied for by the parents.

[agabbymama]

Are there actually ways for Americans to leave the USA without a passport?

In Australia you must hold a passport to go anywhere outside the country, whether by ship or plane, so even the concept of trying to travel with only a birth certificate is bizarre to me. But perhapos things are different in the USA and there may be other option?

 

Australian passports have a built in microchip containing complete information about the holder. They have a special digitalized photo that cannot be forged or amended. And they're about to be enhanced with voice and retinal recognition technology. So I've always assumed that such a security conscious country as the US would be equally as strict, if not more.

 

On what is called a "Closed Loop Cruise" in the Caribbean, US citizens can indeed leave the US with an "original birth certificate" and "photo ID" (driver's license). They leave from a US port, cruise to the Caribbean, then return to the same port they left from.

 

However, if there is any kind of emergency and they have to fly home, they are in serious trouble.

 

It behooves folks from the US to have a passport if they want to travel outside the US, I have yet to understand the thinking of those that don't think it is necessary.

[Gerko]

On what is called a "Closed Loop Cruise" in the Caribbean, US citizens can indeed leave the US with an "original birth certificate" and "photo ID" (driver's license). They leave from a US port, cruise to the Caribbean, then return to the same port they left from.

 

However, if there is any kind of emergency and they have to fly home, they are in serious trouble.

 

It behooves folks from the US to have a passport if they want to travel outside the US, I have yet to understand the thinking of those that don't think it is necessary.

 

 

Thanks Eleanor. I imagined that because most islands in the Caribbean are not US territory that a passport would be mandatory. We have cruises ex Australia where its not mandatory at some ports to carry your passport with you but its certainly a requirement when you embark and disembark. Interesting to know you have exemptions to this.

[chrispb]

I find it odd that US citizens can travel to the Caribbean without passports. We Brits can't and some islands are/were British with direct flights from UK.

[cherylandtk]

LOL-then we all must find it odd that EU citizens can travel between the Schengen countries without showing a national ID card or passport. Different countries, different rules.

 

Boulders-the OP was issued a Consular Report of Birth Abroad as a child; his congressman assisted in getting a new copy of that document, not a newly issued document. And yes, it was easy to miss in the 20 pages worth of evolving explanations.

[jongbj]

LOL-then we all must find it odd that EU citizens can travel between the Schengen countries without showing a national ID card or passport. Different countries, different rules.

quote]

 

Yes, can travel without showing, but when asked by an official, MUST be able to present at all times.

[dwjoe]

Yes, can travel without showing, but when asked by an official, MUST be able to present at all times.

The US isn't the only country that allows travel without a passport in some cases. EU countries allow travel within the EU with a national identity card. The UK abolished their national identity card, however, France, Germany, Italy and others do issue them.

 

International air travel to the US requires a passport. However travel to the US by land and sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda contains some exceptions for US and Canadian citizens. A commonly used exception mentioned on cruisecritic is the "closed loop cruise", e.g. a cruise to the Caribbean that begins and ends in the same US port. A US-born citizen can travel with his/her birth certificate and driver's license. Other documents that can be used include a US passport card or US/Canadian enhanced driver's license.

 

As cherylandtk said, different countries, different rules.

 

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity_cards_in_the_European_Union

www.getyouhome.gov

Edited January 28, 2014 by dwjoe

[chrispb]

LOL-then we all must find it odd that EU citizens can travel between the Schengen countries without showing a national ID card or passport. Different countries, different rules.

quote]

 

Yes, can travel without showing, but when asked by an official, MUST be able to present at all times.

 

Except us Brits - we must have a passport. ID card not acceptable, sadly.

We are members of EU but not this Schengen lark.

[celle]

The UK abolished their national identity card, however, France, Germany, Italy and others do issue them.

 

I didn't think the UK ever had a national identity card.

[dwjoe]

I didn't think the UK ever had a national identity card.

In 2006, there was a UK government plan to create national ID cards, and there was a partial rollout and pilot programs. However it was canceled in 2010. One of the intentions was to provide an alternative to a passport for travel within the EU.

 

But my point is that the US is not the only country in the world to allow some international travel without a passport.

Edited January 29, 2014 by dwjoe