Passport Needed for RC San Juan Cruises

[spookwife]

Usually? There is no usually. It's either law or not. A passport is not required to sail closed loop from San Juan

You can also fly to SJU with drivers license

 

 

NOT if the DL/state ID is NOT Real ID complaint!

 

therefore a passport WILL be necessary even for a Domestic flight.

[cruisinfanatic]

NOT if the DL/state ID is NOT Real ID complaint!

 

therefore a passport WILL be necessary even for a Domestic flight.

You'd better do some reading up. ID complaint doesn't go into affect until 2018

[Ashland]

You'd better do some reading up. ID complaint doesn't go into affect until 2018

 

And so should the TA that gave the OP wrong info.

[awestover89]

I am sailing out of San Juan in December - I have checked and double checked if you need a passport and the answer has been no every time - traveling with a passport is obviously the best - but if you don't have one or are crunched for time the answer is no you don't need one - but remember if you are a lady who is married you will need your certified marriage license too if you carry a name other than your maiden name.

 

Not just women :) My husband and I hyphenated after getting married, and just now updated our passports. We just had to book in our pre-married names. We weren't hassled as much since it was just hyphenated and our names were still there, just "half" of the name was there.

 

You'd better do some reading up. ID complaint doesn't go into affect until 2018

 

According to the Department of Homeland Security it went into effect January 10th, 2016. https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-enforcement-brief#

Edited April 29, 2016 by awestover89

[payitforward]

According to the Department of Homeland Security it went into effect January 10th, 2016. https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-enforcement-brief#

 

The article you linked above clearly states it is being rolled out in phases. Here is a bullet point right from the FAQ section:

 

"Starting January 22, 2018, passengers with a driver’s license issued by a state that is still not compliant with the REAL ID Act (and has not been granted an extension) will need to show an alternative form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel to board their flight. To check whether your state is compliant or has an extension, click here. Passengers with driver’s licenses issued by a state that is compliant with REAL ID (or a state that has been issued an extension) will still be able to use their driver’s licenses or identification cards."

[spookwife]

You'd better do some reading up. ID complaint doesn't go into affect until 2018

 

 

Only a few non compliant states got the extension. And it IS in effect on all military bases already. And as already been stated the individual cruise line or airline can still require a passport regardless of other regulations that are or are not in effect

[Central Oregon Gal]

Even that is disputable. You hear here some bring their marriage license every cruise and have never been asked to show it. Then there are those that say they've been asked for it. The thing is that I've never heard of anyone being denied boarding as long as their drivers license name and birth date matches the cruise docs and birth date on the BC.

The stories you hear about problems with denied boarding are those that are newly married who are booked in new married name. Problem arises because they have no official ID with new married name. In that case a marriage license would be required

 

good to know - I have always carried it when I did not have a passport - mine just expired and I forgot to renew - since mine renews at an odd time compared to rest of family - it was super easy to obtain - would rather not travel across the country to be denied because of my silly name :)

[Central Oregon Gal]

Not just women :) My husband and I hyphenated after getting married, and just now updated our passports. We just had to book in our pre-married names. We weren't hassled as much since it was just hyphenated and our names were still there, just "half" of the name was there.

 

 

 

According to the Department of Homeland Security it went into effect January 10th, 2016. https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-enforcement-brief#

 

How rude of me - I never thought of that or same sex marriages - ok now I am blushing -

[cruisinfanatic]

Only a few non compliant states got the extension. And it IS in effect on all military bases already. And as already been stated the individual cruise line or airline can still require a passport regardless of other regulations that are or are not in effect

If the non complaint states got an extension, why is it an issue? Anyone can fly with a license until at least 2018

There aren't a whole lot of us that care what is currently in effect on military bases

I don't know of any cruiseline or airline that doesn't go by what the current TSA regulation is

Edited April 30, 2016 by cruisinfanatic

[dcgrumpy]

A cruise line can and often does impose further restrictions and does require a passport for sailings that depart out of CONUS

 

furthermore, to get there the airlines usually require a PP as well.

 

furthermore not all state IDs are valid any longer to travel or enter government facilities under RealID.

 

Which airlines require a passport to fly to Puerto Rico?

[leaveitallbehind]

That's interesting. We were on Adventure last month (different cruise, not that itin). When we reboarded in St Croix they asked to see nothing but our seapass card.

 

Our experience on our recent Adventure cruise as well.

 

Closed loop US based itineraries - which includes PR - do not require a Passport. Only a valid picture ID and a birth certificate.

[Cruzin-K]

The woman in St. Croix wanting my passport was in a TSA uniform. (Makes sense, USVIs are US territories, using TSA agents.) So maybe it was my "non-compliant" Minnesota drivers license that triggered the passport issue. But the printed materials you get the night before you arrive in a foreign port may state that you need a passport to return to the pier and the ship.

 

TSA runs security at U.S. Airports.

 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checks passports at ports of entry.

[AZCactusCruiser]

Which airlines require a passport to fly to Puerto Rico?

 

no US airline

Edited April 30, 2016 by AZCactusCruiser

[Ocean Boy]

no US airline

 

Exactly.

[chengkp75]

Even that is disputable. You hear here some bring their marriage license every cruise and have never been asked to show it. Then there are those that say they've been asked for it. The thing is that I've never heard of anyone being denied boarding as long as their drivers license name and birth date matches the cruise docs and birth date on the BC.

The stories you hear about problems with denied boarding are those that are newly married who are booked in new married name. Problem arises because they have no official ID with new married name. In that case a marriage license would be required

 

While you may not have heard of anyone being denied BOARDING because the two forms of ID do not match (BC and DL), that is not the problem. The problem comes at the END of the cruise, when you go past the CBP agent. From their own website's FAQ's, it states that if a WHTI compliant document (in this case a BC is compliant for a closed loop cruise) does not match the current name, the agent can ask for a "bridging" document to cover the name change. So, while you may get on the cruise, and enjoy the entire cruise, when you disembark you may miss your flight home while you talk to CBP about your name change. Even this depends on how thorough your state of residence and your state of birth are in digitalizing their records. CBP uses the information provided at check in to screen passengers for as long as necessary, and since the cruises are multiple days (unlike an air trip), they can go deeper into records, hence the ability to use a non-federal form of ID for travel outside the country. However, that multi-day screening may just throw up a red flag if they cannot document that the BC and DL match the same person.

[cruisinfanatic]

While you may not have heard of anyone being denied BOARDING because the two forms of ID do not match (BC and DL), that is not the problem. The problem comes at the END of the cruise, when you go past the CBP agent. From their own website's FAQ's, it states that if a WHTI compliant document (in this case a BC is compliant for a closed loop cruise) does not match the current name, the agent can ask for a "bridging" document to cover the name change. So, while you may get on the cruise, and enjoy the entire cruise, when you disembark you may miss your flight home while you talk to CBP about your name change. Even this depends on how thorough your state of residence and your state of birth are in digitalizing their records. CBP uses the information provided at check in to screen passengers for as long as necessary, and since the cruises are multiple days (unlike an air trip), they can go deeper into records, hence the ability to use a non-federal form of ID for travel outside the country. However, that multi-day screening may just throw up a red flag if they cannot document that the BC and DL match the same person.

And when is the last time you read that any of this happened? If it had, there certainly would have been a pretty stern complaint here in the last decade

Ladies have been cruising for decades with just BC and license

Edited April 30, 2016 by cruisinfanatic

[chengkp75]

And when is the last time you read that any of this happened? If it had, there certainly would have been a pretty stern complaint here in the last decade

Ladies have been cruising for decades with just BC and license

 

Actually, every time this comes up, at least one CC member chimes in that they have been asked for a marriage license at least once. I can't vouch for the time frame that they said it happened, and each state and municipality is getting more and more into digital records, but I'm just reporting what CBP states as their recommendation. And as far as I know, the WHTI, which allows the use of BC/DL was implemented in 2007. As I've had a passport since the '70's, I don't know if you were allowed to travel on BC/DL before the WHTI, but I don't think so. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Edited April 30, 2016 by chengkp75

[cruisinfanatic]

Actually, every time this comes up, at least one CC member chimes in that they have been asked for a marriage license. I can't vouch for the time frame that they said it happened, and each state and municipality is getting more and more into digital records, but I'm just reporting what CBP states as their recommendation.

As I said before, sometimes it's asked for for never causes much of any delay let along a missed cruise or flight after the cruise.

A recommendation doesn't equate to law. I could recommend lots of things too

Edited April 30, 2016 by cruisinfanatic