Are passports required for children?

[scrapperluv]

Hi all,

 

My children's passports expired and we're leaving for a cruise from New Orleans on December 22nd. I read that, for cruises, if children are boarding and disembarking from the same port in the US they don't need passports. Apparently we can provide original birth certificates and they'll be fine. Is this true?

We're traveling to Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. Thanks!!

[Scrapnana]

Passports will not be needed as long as you have:

Original government issued birth certificates

It is a closed loop cruise

The cruise line has not told you a passport is required (some countries do require them)

 

I have read of problems with birth certificates if someone was born outside of the US.

[Keith1010]

We need more information to answer this for you such as where the cruise is going and if you are returning to New Orleans.

 

Keith

[nana541]

Are your children "Natural Born" US citizens? And not adopted, both parents named in Birth Cert going. Not born abroad but born in the US.

birth Certs are in English.....

If the birth has any special circumstances then you will likely need further info.

 

Check with your Cruiseline !!!! Then go find those birth certs and touch them, read them and make sure they do not get left behind or you will watch the ship sail without you!

 

PS these need to be real govt issued BC, not the ones given by the hospital ......

 

Have a wonderful journey!

 

 

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[sparks1093]

Hi all,

 

My children's passports expired and we're leaving for a cruise from New Orleans on December 22nd. I read that, for cruises, if children are boarding and disembarking from the same port in the US they don't need passports. Apparently we can provide original birth certificates and they'll be fine. Is this true?

We're traveling to Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Cozumel. Thanks!!

 

If your children are under 16 then they will only need a birth certificate (as long as they weren't born abroad), if they are 16 or over then they will need a government issued photo ID as well. As stated the birth certificate needs to be issued by a government authority and some cruise lines do require passports of all of their passengers for all sailings (usually the upscale lines).

[scrapperluv]

Thanks! That's great to know! It's going to save us a ton of money in rush fees!

[scrapperluv]

Thanks, here are the details...

 

My kids were born in Southern California

The birth certificates are government issued originals (in CA we apply to the county)

It's a closed loop cruise

Itinierary: New Orleans, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, New Orleans

 

The only thing that could be an issue is their father isn't a US Citizen. He's English and is traveling with a UK passport and a US green card. I am a US citizen and my children were born in California. THey're US citizens but not UK citizens.

[scrapperluv]

We need more information to answer this for you such as where the cruise is going and if you are returning to New Orleans.

 

Keith

 

Thanks, here are the details...

 

My kids were born in Southern California

The birth certificates are government issued originals (in CA we apply to the county)

It's a closed loop cruise

Our cruise line is Carnival

Itinierary: New Orleans, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, New Orleans

 

The only thing that could be an issue is their father isn't a US Citizen. He's English and is traveling with a UK passport and a US green card. I am a US citizen and my children were born in California. THey're US citizens but not UK citizens.

[nana541]

Are they under the age of 16???

 

 

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[scrapperluv]

Are they under the age of 16???

 

 

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Yes, the kids are 5 & 10 years old.

 

I'm a little nervous to take them without passports since my husband isn't a US citizen and doesn't have a US passport...

At this point it will cost almost $400 to have rush passports made. What do you think? I'll call Carnival, too.

[nana541]

Your husbands status has nothing to do with you or the children.... He just gets to go thru the "special" line :)

 

While you and the children go thru the fast line!

 

 

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[sparks1093]

Yes, the kids are 5 & 10 years old.

 

I'm a little nervous to take them without passports since my husband isn't a US citizen and doesn't have a US passport...

At this point it will cost almost $400 to have rush passports made. What do you think? I'll call Carnival, too.

 

They care about each individual as an individual, so dad's status wouldn't affect the kids. People travel without passports all of the time on closed looped cruises (that's all we've used, until this last time when DW and I had Enhanced Drivers Licenses, but the kids still used their birth certificates and Govt issued IDs). Of course if something were to happen and you needed to leave the cruise for some reason they wouldn't be able to fly back without getting assistance from the US consulate, but for most people the risk of not coming back with the ship for any reason is very small. Only you can determine how much risk you face and what your comfort level is with that risk.