Rare sparks1093 Posted January 24, 2014 #26 Share Posted January 24, 2014 It is well worth it! A value judgment that will vary by individual. To me it would not be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydrokitty Posted January 24, 2014 #27 Share Posted January 24, 2014 CBP actually interprets the rule more liberally than you state, and a typical Panama Canal cruise can be taken with just the passport card. Both NCL and Royal Caribbean clearly allow it by the statements in their documentation FAQs, as may other lines. Some cruise lines set more stringent requirements, as is their right, than technically required by the rules and require a passport book for those itineraries. (Regent Seven Seas even requires a passport book for closed loop cruises that by rule can be taken with only a BC and photo ID.) There are other instances where CBP interprets the rules more liberally than a strict reading would suggest. For example a closed loop cruise that calls on Roatan or Belize technically doesn't fall under the BC/ID rule because Belize and Roatan aren't identified as WHTI countries, but in fact CBP treats them as if they are on that list and allows the use of a BC/ID combination rather than a passport. Celebrity required a passport for Panama Canal full transit. I do not know if they would require it for a partial transit. Bottom line: always check with your cruise line and ask specifically what is required and then double check what they tell you with their FAQ page. I remain on the opinion that a passport is worth it because it's accepted everywhere and you needn't worry about whether or not it will be ok, but everyone's stress level is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njhorseman Posted January 24, 2014 #28 Share Posted January 24, 2014 (edited) Celebrity required a passport for Panama Canal full transit. I do not know if they would require it for a partial transit. Bottom line: always check with your cruise line and ask specifically what is required and then double check what they tell you with their FAQ page. I remain on the opinion that a passport is worth it because it's accepted everywhere and you needn't worry about whether or not it will be ok, but everyone's stress level is different. Yes, some cruise lines require more than the government regulations state. As I noted, Regent Seven Seas requires a passport book even for closed loop cruises. As you say, you should always check with your cruise line. Edited January 24, 2014 by njhorseman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwjoe Posted January 29, 2014 #29 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Last question: If I did get the passport cards for the kids, would it make it quicker to get a full passport if something happened and we were stuck? I don't think anyone addressed this question. Yes, it would be easier to get a passport if you already have a passport card. You are already "in the system" and your birth certificate has already been vetted. Getting a passport when you already have a passport card is treated as a renewal and you get $25 off the cost of the passport. Whether that is worth the $55 cost of the passport card is up to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulav99 Posted January 29, 2014 #30 Share Posted January 29, 2014 We aren't getting a passport for our upcoming cruise. This is our 2nd cruise and we're going with the BC and license. I know we won't be flying internationally at all. IF for some reason we do, we'll get the passport then....but it's a BIG if. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gra2172 Posted January 29, 2014 #31 Share Posted January 29, 2014 I need some help deciding if I should get passports for myself, DH, DD, and DS for our cruise. We are leaving Galveston and going to Progeso and Cozumel. I know some people that have sailed with only their birth certificate but I am unsure if that is a good idea. Any advice would be greatly appreciated? It is a large cost for the 4 of us so I'm not sure what to do. I have a passport that I use whenever I travel. I prefer it at the airport, on cruises, border crossings. Whatever. They are set up for them, and Id rather not have any kinds of hassles or questions with my drivers license or other IDs. I also dont have to worry about IDs if I travel overseas. A foreign country will want your passport. Yes, they are expensive, but they last 10 years, so you wont have to pay again for quite some time. Renewing it isnt all that expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sparks1093 Posted January 29, 2014 #32 Share Posted January 29, 2014 (edited) We aren't getting a passport for our upcoming cruise. This is our 2nd cruise and we're going with the BC and license. I know we won't be flying internationally at all. IF for some reason we do, we'll get the passport then....but it's a BIG if. As long as one is mindful of the risks and comfortable with those risks this is a viable alternative. We used them for our first three cruises. For our upcoming cruise DW and I are using Enhanced Drivers Licenses (since we happen to live in one of the four states that issue them:)). Edited January 29, 2014 by sparks1093 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare S.A.M.J.R. Posted January 29, 2014 #33 Share Posted January 29, 2014 If you can afford to cruise, you can afford to get a passport. If you can afford to cruise, you can afford to get a suite. If you can afford to cruise, you can afford to get the drink package. If you can afford to cruise, you can afford to go on excursions. If you can afford to cruise, you can afford to fly in the day before your ship departs. Is a passport beneficial? Maybe. But I don't like the argument "if you can afford the trip, you can afford the passport".:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wassup4565 Posted January 30, 2014 #34 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I don't understand the money argument, but for different reasons. When you travel, you're going to a different country - you are not their citizen and they don't have to give you any help. If all your money is stolen, if you somehow by mistake find yourself locked in a police cell, or if you wind up in a hospital because a car hit you, - you're not their citizen, they don't care that much about you. Why should they? Let's put it this way. If a Bulgarian person who had no passport somehow ended up in a US jail with no money, how do you think that would go? When you have a passport, you help your government help you in foreign countries. If you get slammed in jail and wave your passport, they know they have to call the US consulate. If they don't, there's going to be a BIG diplomatic issue. If you have no money and the local hospital demands $500, if you wave your passport, they will call the US consulate. The consulate will help you with the charges or pay them to get you out (you might have to pay back, but you get out). Yes a drivers license or birth certificate might suffice, but the faster better way is to wave the passport. Everyone recognizes a passport. Not everyone recognizes a pick-a-state drivers license. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wassup4565 Posted January 30, 2014 #35 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Please see the new thread I started in Ask a Cruise Question. "Has your passport ever been stolen?" The reason given for leaving your passport in the safe is that thieves are lurking to steal it away from you. So let's see what people say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sparks1093 Posted January 30, 2014 #36 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I don't understand the money argument, but for different reasons. When you travel, you're going to a different country - you are not their citizen and they don't have to give you any help. If all your money is stolen, if you somehow by mistake find yourself locked in a police cell, or if you wind up in a hospital because a car hit you, - you're not their citizen, they don't care that much about you. Why should they? Let's put it this way. If a Bulgarian person who had no passport somehow ended up in a US jail with no money, how do you think that would go? When you have a passport, you help your government help you in foreign countries. If you get slammed in jail and wave your passport, they know they have to call the US consulate. If they don't, there's going to be a BIG diplomatic issue. If you have no money and the local hospital demands $500, if you wave your passport, they will call the US consulate. The consulate will help you with the charges or pay them to get you out (you might have to pay back, but you get out). Yes a drivers license or birth certificate might suffice, but the faster better way is to wave the passport. Everyone recognizes a passport. Not everyone recognizes a pick-a-state drivers license. The US consulate will help a US citizen, passport or not. Yes, someone should consider these scenarios when deciding whether or not to get a passport for a closed loop cruise but the likelihood of any of this happening for most people is low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njhorseman Posted January 30, 2014 #37 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I don't understand the money argument, but for different reasons. When you travel, you're going to a different country - you are not their citizen and they don't have to give you any help. If all your money is stolen, if you somehow by mistake find yourself locked in a police cell, or if you wind up in a hospital because a car hit you, - you're not their citizen, they don't care that much about you. Why should they? Let's put it this way. If a Bulgarian person who had no passport somehow ended up in a US jail with no money, how do you think that would go? When you have a passport, you help your government help you in foreign countries. If you get slammed in jail and wave your passport, they know they have to call the US consulate. If they don't, there's going to be a BIG diplomatic issue. If you have no money and the local hospital demands $500, if you wave your passport, they will call the US consulate. The consulate will help you with the charges or pay them to get you out (you might have to pay back, but you get out). Yes a drivers license or birth certificate might suffice, but the faster better way is to wave the passport. Everyone recognizes a passport. Not everyone recognizes a pick-a-state drivers license. The last thing you want to have on your person if you're arrested in a foreign country is your passport. It will be seized by authorities and then you're going to have a struggle to get it back. All you have to do to get a hospital to call your country's consulate or embassy is to ask them. No passport waving required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwjoe Posted January 30, 2014 #38 Share Posted January 30, 2014 (edited) For our upcoming cruise DW and I are using Enhanced Drivers Licenses (since we happen to live in one of the four states that issue them:)). Question for you: do you use the shielded sleeve when carrying the Enhanced DL in your wallet? Personally, I keep my passport card in its sleeve except when showing it. FYI to others: Enhanced DLs, as well as passport cards, contain an RFID indenfication chip that can be read by machine. It does not contain personal information directly, but links to a government record in a secure database. They come with a shielded sleeve that prevents it from being read. Edited January 30, 2014 by dwjoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sparks1093 Posted January 30, 2014 #39 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Question for you: do you use the shielded sleeve when carrying the Enhanced DL in your wallet? Personally, I keep my passport card in its sleeve except when showing it. FYI to others: Enhanced DLs, as well as passport cards, contain an RFID indenfication chip that can be read by machine. It does not contain personal information directly, but links to a government record in a secure database. They come with a shielded sleeve that prevents it from being read. Actually I am still waiting for it so I haven't decided if I am going to use the sleeve or not (probably will though) (DMV did give me the sleeve already). I thought about the passport cards and while they may have been less expensive in the long run (my EDL costs $25 extra when I renew my license every 4 years) it was one more document to remember to carry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwayneb236 Posted January 30, 2014 #40 Share Posted January 30, 2014 I need some help deciding if I should get passports for myself, DH, DD, and DS for our cruise. We are leaving Galveston and going to Progeso and Cozumel. I know some people that have sailed with only their birth certificate but I am unsure if that is a good idea. Any advice would be greatly appreciated? It is a large cost for the 4 of us so I'm not sure what to do. We just got our passports before our last cruise out of Galveston. Seemed to speed things up a bit compared to when we used BC and DL. When we deparked there were two Passport only lines which were very short and very quick. Off the ship at 8 am and in our car heading home at 815...We like em.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rluzius Posted January 30, 2014 #41 Share Posted January 30, 2014 This is what the wife and I do. We made a 2-sided color copy of the first pages of our passports. Laminated them and carry just those (Kinko's will do this). The passports are not taken off the ship, but left in the cabin safe. Sent from my SPH-D700 using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwjoe Posted January 30, 2014 #42 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We just got our passports before our last cruise out of Galveston. Seemed to speed things up a bit compared to when we used BC and DL. When we deparked there were two Passport only lines which were very short and very quick. Off the ship at 8 am and in our car heading home at 815...We like em.. I believe the passport card can also be used in the "passport" line at the cruise terminal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherC430 Posted January 30, 2014 #43 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Personally, I would never get on a cruise without a passport. You don't have to worry about the "what if" scenario. Plus, it's good for 10 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackytar Posted February 4, 2014 #44 Share Posted February 4, 2014 (edited) Herself and I have both had passports pretty much since the events of 9/11. Used to be my military ID and her dependent's ID sufficed for border crossings; now, not so much. Besides, the RCN requires all members to have a passport now, so there's no point in not making use of it, right? Though I do like that idea mentioned above - might get a notarized copy of each, in colour, to carry on our persons, and leave the originals in the cabin safe/hotel safe when we get to London. Edited February 4, 2014 by Jackytar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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