kids and passports???

[bpd196]

Going on magic 5/13/2006, does anyone know the policy for kids. I am going with my 4and 6 year old daughters are birth certificates ok or do they need passports???

[kitty9]

Starting in January 2006, anyone going to Mexico or the Caribbean on a cruise or land vacation will be REQUIRED to have a passport, so you don't have a choice in the matter. Everyone will need current passports. This is part of new Homeland Security requirements.

[Ella2]

Actually, starting 12/31/05, anyone going to the CARIBBEAN needs a passport.

 

The MEXICO requirement starts 12/31/06.

 

And yes to the original poster, unless something changes (there is debate and lobbying on this issue) EVERYONE in your party will need a passport to sail a Caribbean cruise next year.

[Kuffam]

Even though we're going before their required we're getting passports anyway.

 

? DD 5 DS 2- do they need photo's too?

 

How long till we get them?

[later]

Kuffam:

 

The children will need photos for their passports also. Their passports will be good for 5 years and yours for 10 years.

[deecsw]

bpd196--we are also cruising on the Magic on 5/13/06! Our son will be 5 by then and he still has a passport from when he was an infant. It does not expire until 7/06. I was told to bring it even though it has his baby pic. Passports will be required by the time we sail, so you will have to have them. Now you'll have more of an incentive to travel the world with them, LOL? BTW, a DCL rep told me that they will accept expired passports up to 6 months after their expiration dates. Don't know how true this is, so I'd double check on that (if it applies).

[later]

I think the disney rep has the experation information backwards. On some cruises they will not except your passport if it expires within 6 months, but I doubt this would be in effect for caribbean cruises due to the short lengths.

[mitcam]

We applied for our passports today. We have 2 kids ages 8 & 6. It was almost painless except for the check writing :eek: almost $400

 

Another issue came up regarding our pictures! I took the kids to a photo developing place and had ours taken a cost of $7.99 for each set - DH went on his lunch hour to Target $12.99 for his set. We got to the passport office with all necessary document filled out pictures in hand, licenses available birth certificates etc... Needless to say we were prepared! Well - DH's picture did not meet the requirements for size :confused: I am not talking 2in x 2in I am talking his head size in the picture. Apparently they were taken incorrectly and he needed to have them redone. Well you guessed it the Passport office offers this service for $15.00 so we just did his picture there!

 

Target wouldn't re-imburse us because of no receipt and told me that usually what they do is just retake the picture "till we get it right" so apparently it must happens often that the size is incorrect!

 

Well again it was painless took less than 15 minutes.

 

Now message #2 we are on the 5/13/06 Magic also. Our total party is 9 (5A/5K) It will be our 2nd DCL cruise and the other 5's first DCL cruise I am so excited. They are a nutso WDW family like we are but have been hesitant about a cruise vacation. I am trying hard not to go overboard with how excited I am about us going it should be awesome!

 

So bpd196 & deecsw I look forward to seeing you around the boards as our sail date gets closer!

 

Carolyn

[atljoo]

Yes, get the passports. This way you don't have to stress-out everytime you think of cruising or travelling overseas.

 

My DW and I have passports, but we got them for the kids (9 & 7) for our upcoming cruise. Since ATL is not a regional passport center (why, I don't know) we looked up the closest passport center on the State Dept website

(http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/)and went to a USPS closeby. We waited about 30-45 minutes (it was May--very busy), and they did everything in the Post Office, pictures and application processing. Fill-in your forms BEFORE you get there.

 

It takes 6-8 weeks to get your passports. They take your original birth certificate and send it with the application. You do get it back with the passport. If you need it sooner you can expedite the process by paying for it. Do it now and you won't need to worry about it in the future.

 

Happy sailing on your cruise. We did the Wonder in 2004 and loved it. The only problem was it was too short.

[kidoctr]

We're leaving for the Magic in August and I read elsewhere that the lines (at customs I assume) for those with passports are much shorter than the lines for those with even a single person in the party with a birth certificate.

 

FWIW ~ Eve

[atljoo]

Yes, get the passports. This way you don't have to stress-out everytime you think of cruising or travelling overseas.

 

My DW and I have passports, but we got them for the kids (9 & 7) for our upcoming cruise. Since ATL is not a regional passport center (why, I don't know) we looked up the closest passport center on the State Dept website

(http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/)and went to a USPS closeby. We waited about 30-45 minutes (it was May--very busy), and they did everything in the Post Office, pictures and application processing. Fill-in your forms BEFORE you get there.

 

It takes 6-8 weeks to get your passports. They take your original birth certificate and send it with the application. You do get it back with the passport. If you need it sooner you can expedite the process by paying for it. Do it now and you won't need to worry about it in the future.

 

Happy sailing on your cruise. We did the Wonder in 2004 and loved it. The only problem was it was too short.

 

 

Received the passports this afternoon. Almost 6 weeks to the day. I also received my docs today. Great mail day! No bills, just cruise stuff!

[mrsfuzzmo]

Not only will all travelers need them, but you may not travel on a passport if it expires within 6 months of the travel date. That's the rules and it doesn't depend on the length of travel.

 

The lines at immigration/customs is not necessarily shorter for passport travelers...it just goes faster, MUCH faster. No matter how or where you travel (cruise check in, airports, etc) the people with passports fly through and those without, always seem to be held up for some reason or another.

 

It is hard to believe that in this day and age, there are still people without passports, it makes travel so much easier...and safer for everyone.

 

You can save a few bucks by taking your own digital photos and submitting them. We have done this a couple of times. You can read the requirements and print out a photo template on the US Government's Travel website. They have the forms as well to download and fill out.