Passports

[1st_timer_9ers]

Sorry for sounding stupid but we are first time cruisers and do not have passports we are going to Mexico Honduras and Belize. Can anyone tell me do I need them and or can I use our BC or a passport card? TIA! Angie

Edited August 27, 2014 by 1st_timer_9ers

[NOLABEAUTY]

While you don't NEED a passport , people will tell you to apply for one, in case you miss the ship or have to fly home for an emergency.

 

 

 

 

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[NOLABEAUTY]

I forgot to add,

Your birth certificate and photo ID will be just fine.

 

 

 

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[1st_timer_9ers]

I would rather save the money and use it for the trip honestly but just don't want to get there and need it and not have it. I read that if it's a closed loop cruise we don't have to have it.

[sparks1093]

I would rather save the money and use it for the trip honestly but just don't want to get there and need it and not have it. I read that if it's a closed loop cruise we don't have to have it.

 

If you are US citizens and it's a closed loop cruise then a government issued birth certificate and government issued photo ID are all that you need (unless of course you are travelling on a cruise line that requires passports for all sailings, but if you are saving money I doubt you are on one of those:)). Only you can assess the risk that you face, which for most travelers is very low. If you already have a passport card it is sufficient by itself as long as you don't have to fly, but unless you are near a border buying one just for cruises has few benefits over the BC/ID route for a closed loop cruise.

[NOLABEAUTY]

I would rather save the money and use it for the trip honestly but just don't want to get there and need it and not have it. I read that if it's a closed loop cruise we don't have to have it.

 

 

You are correct, as long as you return to the same port you departed from a passport is not required.

But as I stated above, others will disagree and say you should apply for one. It will save you a lot of trouble and money if an emergency arises.

 

 

 

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[1st_timer_9ers]

Thanks folks. We're going on a carnival cruise do u know if they require one?

[NOLABEAUTY]

Thanks folks. We're going on a carnival cruise do u know if they require one?

 

 

You are welcome.

They do not require one.

 

 

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[qianabb]

Thanks folks. We're going on a carnival cruise do u know if they require one?

 

 

No, it's not required on Carnival. As long as your cruise (for example), begins in Miami and ends in Miami.

 

 

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[1st_timer_9ers]

Thanks. It's leaving from port canaveral and returns there too.

[Treven]

I would imagine your Passport Card would be sufficient for a closed loop cruise. You might take along your BC, but present your passport card upon check in. If the person checking you in asks for something more, I.e. a birth certificate then you can whip that out. However, I really don't think you'll need it.

[Flatbush Flyer]

I would imagine your Passport Card would be sufficient for a closed loop cruise. You might take along your BC, but present your passport card upon check in. If the person checking you in asks for something more, I.e. a birth certificate then you can whip that out. However, I really don't think you'll need it.

 

 

While I understand that the OP finally id'ed that they are going on carnival, I still wish folks wouldn't make generic answers that appear to apply to all cruise lines. For the "millionth" time, most premium and luxury lines require a passport book for ALL passengers on ALL itineraries for all of the obvious reasons.

 

 

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[searoses]

Getting a passport made me feel like a real adult!!....just get one and be done with it for 10 yrs!......if you have a student doing a yr abroad or you win a free trip to paris or your sister gets married in italy you can't go without one.....and if you break a leg you can't get back to the us from a cruise stop without one...or you have a family emergency and you have to fly home....you will have to wait for days and have a lot of expense while you wait in whatever country you are stranded....these things do happen to every day people...and it stirs the imagination just holding it in your hand...

[Treven]

While I understand that the OP finally id'ed that they are going on carnival, I still wish folks wouldn't make generic answers that appear to apply to all cruise lines. For the "millionth" time, most premium and luxury lines require a passport book for ALL passengers on ALL itineraries for all of the obvious reasons.

 

 

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Well excuuusse me!

[sparks1093]

While I understand that the OP finally id'ed that they are going on carnival, I still wish folks wouldn't make generic answers that appear to apply to all cruise lines. For the "millionth" time, most premium and luxury lines require a passport book for ALL passengers on ALL itineraries for all of the obvious reasons.

 

 

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Post 5 pointed that out:).

[sparks1093]

Getting a passport made me feel like a real adult!!....just get one and be done with it for 10 yrs!......if you have a student doing a yr abroad or you win a free trip to paris or your sister gets married in italy you can't go without one.....and if you break a leg you can't get back to the us from a cruise stop without one...or you have a family emergency and you have to fly home....you will have to wait for days and have a lot of expense while you wait in whatever country you are stranded....these things do happen to every day people...and it stirs the imagination just holding it in your hand...

 

I have felt like an adult for years and I've never had a passport:). If any of those things might happen to you than it might be worth having a passport, but for most they aren't really a concern (heck, if I won a trip to Paris there would be plenty of time to obtain the passport;)). As for the rest of your post if an emergency happens speaks more for the need for good travel insurance than a passport. It could take days, it will depend on the facts and circumstances, but the Consulate is there to help out and I would hope that in a bona fide emergency they would act quickly to repatriate the traveler (and they do have the authority to waive the passport requirements in an emergency).

[dancinman66]

Passport can be a blessing if something goes base over apex

 

 

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[shirleygallegos60]

But I would not want to gamble on nothing happening. ...... emergency, illness, accident. ... you need to fly home NOW....NOPE, No Passport!!!

[internetwhiz]

Just be sure you have a county or state issued birth certificate. Many times they have a raised seal on them. A hospital or church certificate will not do.

 

 

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[cb at sea]

Your BC and DL are ALL you need. I see no point in spending a couple hundred dollars for something that's not required.

[Tatka]

I have felt like an adult for years and I've never had a passport:). If any of those things might happen to you than it might be worth having a passport, but for most they aren't really a concern (heck, if I won a trip to Paris there would be plenty of time to obtain the passport;)). As for the rest of your post if an emergency happens speaks more for the need for good travel insurance than a passport. It could take days, it will depend on the facts and circumstances, but the Consulate is there to help out and I would hope that in a bona fide emergency they would act quickly to repatriate the traveler (and they do have the authority to waive the passport requirements in an emergency).

 

 

You really never know.

We of course applied for the passports right away after getting our citizenships for many reasons, but let's assume we did not and used your logic.

 

Last year our son was still serving in US Army in Germany and there was emergency situation when we had to fly over the day we found out. It would absolutely not be possible without us having passports.

 

Getting passport is really cheap, something like $120 with a photo I believe. Why would somebody risk not having it? :)

[sparks1093]

You really never know.

We of course applied for the passports right away after getting our citizenships for many reasons, but let's assume we did not and used your logic.

 

Last year our son was still serving in US Army in Germany and there was emergency situation when we had to fly over the day we found out. It would absolutely not be possible without us having passports.

 

Getting passport is really cheap, something like $120 with a photo I believe. Why would somebody risk not having it? :)

 

If I had a son or daughter stationed overseas I would probably have a passport even if I have no travel plans at all.

 

As for your question, I can only speak for myself and would not presume to speak for anyone else but we don't need a passport for the types of travel that we plan for or can take. Since the risks involved are very low for us we decided that the passports can wait until we can plan trips that would require one. We are planning to take a trip to Germany next year to visit DW's natural family and will of course obtain passports before we go on that trip and since we waited until now to get the passports they will have a full ten year validity. Had we obtained them when we first started traveling then 6 years would be gone.

[BlueRiband]

This is the best comparison for the difference between a Passport Card and a Passport Book.

 

You can use a BC for this type of trip but the name and date of birth on it must match the name on you booking. If your name is different from your BC you will need a "bridge" document such as a marriage record or court decree to link the two.

 

If by chance you were born overseas you also need a Consular Record of Birth Abroad. About a year ago we had a post from a man denied boarding because he presented a German birth certificate (born in Germany to a US military family). He we livid because "nobody told him" he would need this document.

 

That's probably more information than you asked for but in some cases your BC isn't just fine. Mess up on this and you'll get a nice view of the stern as the ship leaves without you. You're doing the right thing to ask now because proper travel documentation is solely the responsibility of the passenger.

[Zach1213]

I wonder how vastly the cruise industry would change if the US got rid of jus soli (birthright citizenship), where birth proves citizenship in 99.9% of cases. If a birth certificate no longer proved citizenship, and everyone needed a passport or something like that, I imagine the industry would take a huge blow.

Edited August 30, 2014 by Zach1213

[Algebralovr]

One other reason I always use my passport when traveling: it makes check-in and customs/immigration easier. I've been on trips, including cruises, where I've watched as the person doing check in called over the supervisor to decide if the ID and BC offered was to be accepted. Meanwhile, we got to check in, presented our passports, we're checked in and on our way to our first drink while the person with the DL and BC was still standing there.

 

Additionally, we've often cruised through re-entry by showing our passport while people around us using DL and BC were definitely taking more time. On our first cruise, out of Mobile, AL, the agents at both ends looked almost relieved to see passports. There was just no question.

 

On our trip last February, they set up a couple of lines just for US citizens holding passports that moved a little faster than the lines that allowed other ID. Of course, they also had a separate line that was for non-US citizens that moved even slower than the rest.

 

We are definitely glad we sprung for passports.