Passport vs. Passport Card vs. Birth Certificate & Photo ID

[toyotaford]

Leaving next Saturday on the Jewel to Alaska roundtrip out of Seattle. Bringing my nephew and 3 friends as a high school graduation trip. All 4 of them will be 18. Just realized that two of the guys have passport cards, not full passports. Didn't think that would be a problem but called NCL just now and they said a passport card nor the certified copy of the birth certificate with state issued ID would do. Has to be actual passport. I know we traveled to New England which did a stop in Canada in October and to Mexico in November with friends who had the cards and some who had birth certificates and photo ID and it was not a problem. Anyone have any recent experience with this?

[triptolemus]

Remember that required documentation is used to establish your US citizenship. As such, a passport, passport card, or a State issued ID with a state issued birth certificate are acceptable,

 

http://www.ncl.com/about/required-travel-documentation

 

Info on US Passport Card: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/information/card.html

 

You will be fine.

Edited May 17, 2014 by triptolemus

[garycarla]

i would check the state department page.... but pretty sure the main reason for passport cards are to and from Canada and Mexico - other than that, they are not worth much.

[smeyer418]

...called NCL just now and they said a passport card nor the certified copy of the birth certificate with state issued ID would do. Has to be actual passport. I know we traveled to New England which did a stop in Canada in October and to Mexico in November with friends who had the cards and some who had birth certificates and photo ID and it was not a problem.

Round trip US from same port does not require a passport. either passport cardor state issued ID and birth certificate are ok...this is from NCL's website

 

Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Or Canada & New England Cruises

For round-trip sailings (cruises that depart from and return to the same U.S. port), you may sail with either a valid passport, proof of citizenship and a valid government-issued photo I.D. (driver’s license with a photo), or any other WHTI compliant document.

Proof of Citizenship examples include:

 

• State certified U.S. birth certificate
  
• Original certificate of U.S. naturalization
  
• Original certificate of U.S. citizenship
  
• U.S. Consular report of your birth abroad.
  
• Baptismal paper, hospital certificates of birth and Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to 7/1/10 are not acceptable.
  
• A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.
  

 

For open-jaw sailings (cruises that depart from one U.S. port and return to a different U.S. port), you are required to carry:

 

• A valid passport
  
• U.S. passport card
  
• U.S. or Canadian Enhanced Drivers License(emphasis added)
  
  

even though it doesn't say it the passport card is ok for the round trip too...

 

the NCL csr who told you otherwise is mistaken(as in wrong)

Edited May 17, 2014 by smeyer418

[toyotaford]

Thanks for the comfirmation. I went to the NCL website after I had called them and saw the information. I then called them back to confirm and the second person I talked to gave me the information that agreed with the website. I think I am going to go get them certified copies of their birth certificates this week just to make me feel better. Traveleing with 4 guys all 18 years old makes me want to cover all my bases. Can't wait to see what they pack.

[Medtech2]

Thanks for the comfirmation. I went to the NCL website after I had called them and saw the information. I then called them back to confirm and the second person I talked to gave me the information that agreed with the website. I think I am going to go get them certified copies of their birth certificates this week just to make me feel better. Traveleing with 4 guys all 18 years old makes me want to cover all my bases. Can't wait to see what they pack.

Make sure you get signed letters of consent from their parents to take with you, just in case. No one ever seems to ask for them but you never know.

 

Also carry their insurance cards and when my son travelled with others I also sent along a medical consent form, in case of emergency.

 

I work in a hospital and like to cover my bases...

[Sauer-kraut]

Make sure you get signed letters of consent from their parents to take with you, just in case. No one ever seems to ask for them but you never know.

 

Also carry their insurance cards and when my son travelled with others I also sent along a medical consent form, in case of emergency.

 

I work in a hospital and like to cover my bases...

 

They are in their majority, no need for parental consent. :)

[JMHAM1]

We had passport cards along with the other documents needed because I'm paranoid about having someone denied boarding. In New Orleans, they just swiped the passport cards through a credit card type machine and they did not ask us for any of the other documents. Could not have been easier.

 

 

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[toyotaford]

I am a little paranoid. We take our employees on company trips every year and last year we had two that were denied boarding. One was out of New York and one out of New Orleans. We have been doing company trips for about 15 years and it had only happened once before and that was right after Katrina. Our employees wife had sent her passport for renewal to New Orleans and Katrina hit before she got it back. She had been an army baby born in Germany. We went to the port with ever piece of documentation she had and they wouldn't let her on. I had not really worried about it again but then after last year I pay a little more attention.

[Medtech2]

it always throws me because 18 can·t drink here or even rent a car but can do everything else

 

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[garycarla]

... I think I am going to go get them certified copies of their birth certificates this week just to make me feel better. Traveleing with 4 guys all 18 years old makes me want to cover all my bases. Can't wait to see what they pack.

 

Passport cards are fine.

 

Then again, for some reason 18 year old have a high rate of things getting lost.

[Traveller20074]

Leaving next Saturday on the Jewel to Alaska roundtrip out of Seattle. Bringing my nephew and 3 friends as a high school graduation trip. All 4 of them will be 18. Just realized that two of the guys have passport cards, not full passports. Didn't think that would be a problem but called NCL just now and they said a passport card nor the certified copy of the birth certificate with state issued ID would do. Has to be actual passport. I know we traveled to New England which did a stop in Canada in October and to Mexico in November with friends who had the cards and some who had birth certificates and photo ID and it was not a problem. Anyone have any recent experience with this?

 

Only a problem if you have to fly back for any reason.

[Traveller20074]

I am a little paranoid. We take our employees on company trips every year and last year we had two that were denied boarding. One was out of New York and one out of New Orleans. We have been doing company trips for about 15 years and it had only happened once before and that was right after Katrina. Our employees wife had sent her passport for renewal to New Orleans and Katrina hit before she got it back. She had been an army baby born in Germany. We went to the port with ever piece of documentation she had and they wouldn't let her on. I had not really worried about it again but then after last year I pay a little more attention.

 

what? on a closed loop cruise (out of Seattle, and coming back to SEattle)a passport isn't needed *shrug* I must not be getting what you're saying.

 

why would they deny boarding to someone without a passport if they have other documentation???

[Saving Up To Be Eccentric]

Passport cards are fine.

 

Then again, for some reason 18 year old have a high rate of things getting lost.

 

Make copies of all important documentation. Even if they had another decade, this is a good idea.

[Jason26]

Passport cards will work as long as you come back into the US via the cruise ship. If you need to leave the ship early and be required to fly back into the US, I believe the passport card is useless.

[toyotaford]

what? on a closed loop cruise (out of Seattle, and coming back to SEattle)a passport isn't needed *shrug* I must not be getting what you're saying.

 

why would they deny boarding to someone without a passport if they have other documentation???

If you are referring to the trip I am fixing to take I think it has been pretty much determined that the original person I talked to at NCL just gave me the wrong information.

 

If you are referring to the post you quoted here are the reasons those three were denied boarding. All three trips were closed loop out of three different ports. Galveston on CCL and NYC and New Orleans on NCL.

 

On the first on her birth certificate was in German(born while dad was in military) and they couldn't read it. The only things they could read were the names. We had her parents birth certificates in English and her dads discharge papers. We had her drivers license and her marriage license. We tried everything we could and waited until they came and told me if I didn't get on I would miss it too.

 

Last year the two different guys that weren't allowed just didn't have the right stuff. One of them was adopted and his adoptive parents divorced when he was very small. When his mother remarried he took her husbands name but never legally. I'm not sure how he has done it up to this point but everything he has is in the name he took. Social Security number, drivers license, etc. He went to the dock in New York with the document signed by a judge that says that John Smith (his adoptive birth name) is now John Jones (the name he took after his mother remarried). He had drivers license and social security card with him with the name John Jones. What he didn't have was his original birth certificate showing that he was born John Smith. The other guy didn't have an actual birth certificate. It was something issued by the hospital, not the state. We always stress to our employees the importance of getting a passport but leave it up to them to get it.

[toyotaford]

Only a problem if you have to fly back for any reason.

Exactly. When we took my niece on her senior trip a couple of years ago that did happen. We were still in the US so the passport was not an issued. Just as the boat was pulling out we got a call that the mother of one of the friends she had taken with her had died.

[toyotaford]

Passport cards will work as long as you come back into the US via the cruise ship. If you need to leave the ship early and be required to fly back into the US, I believe the passport card is useless.

That is my understanding. We have been told the card is only good if you are driving between the countries.

[njhorseman]

That is my understanding. We have been told the card is only good if you are driving between the countries.

 

Passport card is also good for entry to the US by sea...such as on a cruise, as you have been told several times.

Edited May 18, 2014 by njhorseman

[bowbiter]

Passport card is good to entry by sea, train or car into the US from Canada. The only reason you would need a real passport is of you need to fly in from Canada. All of your other stops are US so you will be fine. The Canadian ports on Alaska cruises are usually only a few hour car or train ride so the flying back is likely a non issue.

 

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[rbrugler]

I think your mind is creating a problem. Do not overthink this. They have passport cards. Enough said.

[DevCruise]

Do keep in mind, there is at least one excursion out of Skagway that you will not be able to do if you don't have a passport or other legal means of entering Canada. This won't keep you from boarding the ship, you just won't be able to do those excursions.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Do keep in mind, there is at least one excursion out of Skagway that you will not be able to do if you don't have a passport or other legal means of entering Canada. This won't keep you from boarding the ship, you just won't be able to do those excursions.

 

Yep, the one up into the Yukon.

 

Great excursion BTW.

 

Bill

[njhorseman]

Do keep in mind, there is at least one excursion out of Skagway that you will not be able to do if you don't have a passport or other legal means of entering Canada. This won't keep you from boarding the ship, you just won't be able to do those excursions.

 

Yep, the one up into the Yukon.

 

Great excursion BTW.

 

Bill

 

It's actually not Canada that's the issue...a US citizen is allowed to enter Canada with just a birth certificate. Reentry to the US is what requires more than a BC. A passport card is perfectly valid for any land or sea crossing between the US and Canada (including excursions from Alaska into Canada)...only air travel between the US and Canada requires a passport book.

 

Any cruise line that says you must have the passport book is wrong. (Although if they want to enforce something that's not required they can.)

Edited May 19, 2014 by njhorseman

[DevCruise]

Yep, the one up into the Yukon.

 

Great excursion BTW.

 

Yep, we did it, but due to us being on the last cruise of the season, we only made it to the border and back. Still worth it.....