Should we get passports?

[grandmarnnurse]

They are good for 10 years.

 

The advantage is that should something happen on the cruise and you needed to fly home from a port that is not part of the USA you would need a passport.

 

While not necessary if all goes well I would recommend it.

 

Keith

 

I agree. After a family emergency back home forced us to leave a cruise early back in 1995, having to be tendered in to a nearby island, and flown home from there, we are always prepared for anything that could happen. Be prepared. Get your passports. If you end up liking cruising, you will get plenty of use out of them.

[sparks1093]

Actually the lesson out of that to me is to fly in the day before at the latest and get travel insurance.

 

Yep, those that flew in the day before had no problem with leaving early.

[Extra Kim]

I just don't get the deal with americans and passports. If I not misstaken the cost for a passport is $110 & the passport is valid for 10 years. 110/10 = $11 for each year, well the cost for a passport is around the same as for ONE drink onboard. Can't you "lose" ONE drink a year?

 

I got a new passport in december since my old only would have had 5 months left when we left the US after our last cruise in february. That also ment that I had to get a new ESTA.

Our Swedish passports are only valid for 5 years. Last year I got a new drivers licens, they are valid for 10years.

I will get married in july this year and will change my last name = I will need a new passport, ESTA & drivers licens again this year. I don't see a big issue with this, it will take me a trip to the local policestation and two weeks later I will have my new passport and drivers licens.

 

If $11/year is a big deal, how can people afford to cruise?

[Hflors]

I don't know if it is a coincidence, when I use my Passport for ID to check in at the airport, I get put in the pre check line. When I use my Drivers License, I go in the regular line. Most likely a coincidence but I have wondered about this.

 

Now that I think about we used our passports to fly on our last cruise and were also directed into the pre-check line. We have been wondering why, but we thought TSA decided ahead of time that a 72 yr old man and a 62 yr old woman were probably not too great a risk. Dh is getting ready to fly our later this month and will be using his drivers license. I'll let everyone know if he gets the same treatment (pre-check line) as when he used his passport.

 

To the OP bite the bullet and get passports. You will not be sorry. There are some Caribbean islands that require passports from cruise passengers even if you are on a closed looped cruise. St. Barts comes to mind. And with your father I would not chance it.

 

I wonder if Cuba is going to require them when ships start calling there?

[sparks1093]

I just don't get the deal with americans and passports. If I not misstaken the cost for a passport is $110 & the passport is valid for 10 years. 110/10 = $11 for each year, well the cost for a passport is around the same as for ONE drink onboard. Can't you "lose" ONE drink a year?

 

I got a new passport in december since my old only would have had 5 months left when we left the US after our last cruise in february. That also ment that I had to get a new ESTA.

Our Swedish passports are only valid for 5 years. Last year I got a new drivers licens, they are valid for 10years.

I will get married in july this year and will change my last name = I will need a new passport, ESTA & drivers licens again this year. I don't see a big issue with this, it will take me a trip to the local policestation and two weeks later I will have my new passport and drivers licens.

 

If $11/year is a big deal, how can people afford to cruise?

 

Our government gives us choices is the easy answer. While one passport is not too big of a deal when you are buying for a family it can be a different matter. When we started cruising it would have cost us around $850 for passports for the seven of us. I did the research and we decided that for a 4 day cruise it wasn't worth getting passports since our risk was so low. We further decided that since we could only do closed loop cruises that we would wait to get passports until such time that we would actually need them for the type of travel we were undertaking.

[OCruisers]

Please do consider getting a passport (book) because without one you are so limited in where you can cruise or fly!

[Haoie]

I'll pitch in 2 cents - in pretty much every other country, if you leave the country, you must have a passport. Even closed loop cruises - yup still need a passport.

[Warm Breezes]

I'll pitch in 2 cents - in pretty much every other country, if you leave the country, you must have a passport. Even closed loop cruises - yup still need a passport.

 

Thanks for your 2 cents but it means nothing in the USA which has other means of ID valid and legal for closed loop cruises.

[BeagleOne]

No. That is because licenses from some states may no longer be valid as those states refuse to conform to the REAL ID act. These are mostly red states that believe it is OK to tell people what to do with their bodies but how dare the Government tell us how to license. :rolleyes:

 

Yeah, Minnesota, Illinois, and Washington are really red states. :rolleyes:

 

Even New Mexico and Missouri are purple.

[GottaKnowWhen]

Thanks for your 2 cents but it means nothing in the USA which has other means of ID valid and legal for closed loop cruises.

 

 

I thought that this was an international forum? Yes, the OP is US but others have similar issues and it is useful when those with broader experience weigh in on a discussion like this.

[sparks1093]

Please do consider getting a passport (book) because without one you are so limited in where you can cruise or fly!

 

For most of our married life we weren't limited in where we could cruise or fly because of the lack of a passport, but because of the lack of money and the time necessary to take those trips. Having a passport is only one part of the equation and if one foregoes getting one now that doesn't mean that the decision is a permanent one as it may obtained at a later date quite easily.

[slidergirl]

Since you don't need a passport for a close loop cruise, they would not be denied boarding because they don't have a passport.

 

I believe they were referring to boarding a flight back home, not getting back on the ship. An airline will not allow a US citizen to board a plane from outside the US back to the US without a passport, be it your actual passport or approved emergency documentation you spent many days trying to get by figuring out how to get from which island you are on to one of the very few islands that have the necessary US Consulate from which you will spend time waiting to get emergency documentation processed…

 

Passports on closed loop trips on the low-end mass market ships is just like travel insurance; some will consider it part of the cost of the vacation, some will be willing to roll the dice that it won't be needed, some will want to use the money they would spend on insurance/passport on booze… Americans are a different breed of animal - since the US is so vast, many spend their lifetimes never setting foot out of the country, so only have their DL/State ID. Wanting to "dip a toe" outside, used to go to Canada or Mexico, which still took just the DL. Now with those options closed (except to those on border states who can pay for the EDL and drive across the border), the closed loop is the last remaining option for those who won't do a passport.

Edited April 4, 2016 by slidergirl

[sparks1093]

I believe they were referring to boarding a flight back home, not getting back on the ship. An airline will not allow a US citizen to board a plane from outside the US back to the US without a passport, be it your actual passport or approved emergency documentation you spent many days trying to get by figuring out how to get from which island you are on to one of the very few islands that have the necessary US Consulate from which you will spend time waiting to get emergency documentation processed…

 

Passports on closed loop trips on the low-end mass market ships is just like travel insurance; some will consider it part of the cost of the vacation, some will be willing to roll the dice that it won't be needed, some will want to use the money they would spend on insurance/passport on booze… Americans are a different breed of animal - since the US is so vast, many spend their lifetimes never setting foot out of the country, so only have their DL/State ID. Wanting to "dip a toe" outside, used to go to Canada or Mexico, which still took just the DL. Now with those options closed (except to those on border states who can pay for the EDL and drive across the border), the closed loop is the last remaining option for those who won't do a passport.

 

I don't think it's so much "those who won't do a passport" as much as people saying they don't need it, why get it. I know that is the camp that I was in since I would have been perfectly fine with getting a passport if the travel actually required it. And the options of Mexico or Canada aren't necessarily closed to those living in states without EDLs since they may obtain a passport card for the cross border travel. For us it was "why obtain a document that we don't need and that is likely to expire, or be well on its way to expiring, before we actually do need it". Multiply that times 7 and the answer for us was clear enough, especially for a 4 day cruise. Travel documentation needs are not one size fits all and each traveler should choose the documentation that meets their needs- for some that is the passport, for some it's not.

[RecoveryDude]

I'm in the "get a passport" group. I've travelled the world and NEVER leave home without it. Also, I NEVER leave the cruise ship without it, either! That's RIGHT! I actually CARRY MY PASSPORT WITH ME ON FOREIGN ISLANDS instead of leaving it locked in the cabin safe :)

 

By the way, you will be amazed how often you will see great deals to Europe or someplace international "if you have a passport" .... so you never know, you may start doing other types of travel if you already had a passport! ;)

 

Cheers!

 

Jeff aka Recovery Dude

[thinfool]

By the way, you will be amazed how often you will see great deals to Europe or someplace international "if you have a passport" .... so you never know, you may start doing other types of travel if you already had a passport! ;)

 

 

This is SO true...in fact I recommend that no one get a passport as it is hazardous to your family's financial well being.

 

I got my passport for a Caribbean cruise...and then a deal came up to go to Norway....and then to the Med...and then the Panama Canal....now we are looking at South America...it's terrible...!!!! LOL

[zqvol]

I believe they were referring to boarding a flight back home, not getting back on the ship. An airline will not allow a US citizen to board a plane from outside the US back to the US without a passport, be it your actual passport or approved emergency documentation you spent many days trying to get by figuring out how to get from which island you are on to one of the very few islands that have the necessary US Consulate from which you will spend time waiting to get emergency documentation processed…

 

Passports on closed loop trips on the low-end mass market ships is just like travel insurance; some will consider it part of the cost of the vacation, some will be willing to roll the dice that it won't be needed, some will want to use the money they would spend on insurance/passport on booze… Americans are a different breed of animal - since the US is so vast, many spend their lifetimes never setting foot out of the country, so only have their DL/State ID. Wanting to "dip a toe" outside, used to go to Canada or Mexico, which still took just the DL. Now with those options closed (except to those on border states who can pay for the EDL and drive across the border), the closed loop is the last remaining option for those who won't do a passport.

 

 

The person that I was responding to was talking about boarding the ship for the cruise, it had nothing to do with flying.

[Warm Breezes]

I'm in the "get a passport" group. I've travelled the world and NEVER leave home without it. Also, I NEVER leave the cruise ship without it, either! That's RIGHT! I actually CARRY MY PASSPORT WITH ME ON FOREIGN ISLANDS instead of leaving it locked in the cabin safe :)

 

By the way, you will be amazed how often you will see great deals to Europe or someplace international "if you have a passport" .... so you never know, you may start doing other types of travel if you already had a passport! ;)

 

Cheers!

 

Jeff aka Recovery Dude

 

I was one of those people who didn't get a passport for years because I didn't need it for closed loop cruises and I was ok with the risk that came with it. That risk changed a few years back and we got passports for our cruise for our own peace of mind with the change in our own personal risks. Our ability to find and go on a trip to Europe or any where else requiring a passport is the same now as it was then. Guess what, we still haven't gone on one of those trips....why? Because we do not have the time nor the willingness to want to travel there. I haven't started doing all sorts of travel since I got a passport that would require one...just the same as before and those passports are still not needed for the type of traveling we do, they are insurance for the risks we have which now warrant the want for them that we didn't have before. Everyone needs to evaluate their own travel needs when it comes to a passport....and many in the USA just do not need them or are required to have them for the type of travel they want and are willing to do.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Warm Breezes