Kids passport book or passport card

[canastasi]

My husband and I are trying to decide if we should get the kids a passport book or passport cards. The price difference is 100 for the book and 35 for the card. Any advice is appreciated.

 

 

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[cheeseclan]

A passport card cannot be used for international air travel. Only the book can be used. So if you are on a cruise and have to fly home, you are out of luck if you have a card.

 

My son who is now 18, is on his 4th passport book. He has traveled all over the world with it...

[cb at sea]

Passport...unless they are DRIVING...get the passport, if you are going that route. If you are on a "closed loop" cruise, you don't need a passport at all...the BC will be all you need if they are under 16 years old. 16 and up will also need a photo id...like a driver's license.

Edited December 19, 2016 by cb at sea

[Floridiana]

The card cannot be used for international travel outside a closed-loop Caribbean cruise. You need a passport book to fly to or back from the islands in case of missing the ship.

[LibrarianBecky]

We got my son a passport card a few years ago, instead of the book. We do not have any plans for flying internationally for a number of years. I believe children must have their passport renewed every 5 years. With it being good for so much less time for children, we decided to save a little money and get the card. We did not get it for cruising though. We got it for a trip to Niagara Falls by car.

 

 

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[easyboy]

Suggest you get your kid a passport book. It is a one-time expense for multiple use.

 

 

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[sparks1093]

The passport card may be used to cross the land border into Canada (if you are close enough for that to be a consideration) and it may be used for both closed loop and open jaw sailings. Only you can decide if a passport book is worth investing in based on your future travel needs.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Passport...unless they are DRIVING...get the passport, if you are going that route. If you are on a "closed loop" cruise, you don't need a passport at all...the BC will be all you need if they are under 16 years old. 16 and up will also need a photo id...like a driver's license.

 

 

Wrong- need for passport on a cruise also depends on the cruise line. Most premium/luxury lines require all passengers on all itineraries to have a passport.

[MrsPete]

My husband and I are trying to decide if we should get the kids a passport book or passport cards. The price difference is 100 for the book and 35 for the card. Any advice is appreciated.

Either go with a passport book or just a birth certificate. Buying a passport card for a cruise is pretty much unsupportable. Why? Consider what each one can do:

Birth certificate. This is enough for an American on a closed-loop cruise. The benefits are very real: You probably already have one in your house (and if you don't, you'll have to get one to obtain the passport). The birth certificate never expires. You do need to make sure it's a certified copy, but you're smart enough to do that.

 

Passport book. This allows for international air travel, though the likelihood of that being a need are incredibly small. Both parents must go in person (or take a notarized form) to get the child's passport, and it's only good for five years -- and it cannot be renewed; you'll have to go in person again in five years. If you travel frequently, it may be a need; but if you're only talking about this one cruise, it's pretty expensive.

 

Passport card. In contrast with the above, the card has no real benefits for cruisers. Unlike the birth certificate, it isn't free. Obtaining one means going through the two-parents-in-person process just like the passport book. But unlike the passport book, it doesn't allow you to fly -- it literally gives you no benefits beyond the free birth certificate.

 

So why does the Passport Card exist? It's intended for people who live close enough to the Mexican or Canadian border that they can drive over the border frequently.

[sparks1093]

Wrong- need for passport on a cruise also depends on the cruise line. Most premium/luxury lines require all passengers on all itineraries to have a passport.

 

You bring this up frequently and while it's true how many people really considering sailing on one of those premium/luxury lines would be really worried about the price difference between a passport book and a passport card;)?

[zqvol]

My husband and I are trying to decide if we should get the kids a passport book or passport cards. The price difference is 100 for the book and 35 for the card. Any advice is appreciated.

 

 

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The answer of which to purchase is quiet simple. Get a passport unless you travel by land to Mexico or Canada on a regular basis. The card is a nice form of ID, but is no better than a birth certificate when cruising. It doesn't allow you to fly home in the extremely slight chance that becomes necessary, and it will not speed up the process of getting back home.

 

In the many years that I have been on these boards I have not once seen anyone post that they needed to fly home in an emergency and had any issue with the process.

[SadieN]

IMHO, I'd only use a passport card where Ensenada is the only foreign port. It's about a two hour drive to San Diego.

 

Friend missed the ship on the last Alaskan port stop. They had to fly to Vancouver to meet the ship.

 

***

These pax never would have made their cruise without a passport.

 

Our Most Excellent Adventure - We Missed the Ship

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2175456

Edited December 19, 2016 by SadieN

[sail7seas]

wHWhich you choose to get should dpend upon what kind of travel thew cxhilxrewn will do. If you want it for cxxruises, get a passport book. if you wantrr itr in order to cross er border into Canada by c ar, bus ,,,,, land get a passport card, iMO. Why get it at all if it will not seve the needs for which you are gettting the ID. Both have specific good uses. I renewed my passport recently and bought a passport card at the same time.Passport book is gold standard for best ID world wide.

Edited December 19, 2016 by sail7seas

[davekathy]

My husband and I are trying to decide if we should get the kids a passport book or passport cards. The price difference is 100 for the book and 35 for the card. Any advice is appreciated.

 

 

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Get the passports for the kids. IMO they should be traveling with the same documents as you are. The cost should not be the reason not to.

[Flatbush Flyer]

You bring this up frequently and while it's true how many people really considering sailing on one of those premium/luxury lines would be really worried about the price difference between a passport book and a passport card;)?

 

 

You're making an often erroneous assumption that only "monied" folks travel on premium or luxury lines. While, in most cases, luxury lines might be considered "expensive," many savvy middle class travelers have done the math and figured out that "premium" lines (e.g., Azamara, Oceania) provide real value when measured by "net daily rate" for the entire cruise vacation. And, for many of those folks, each expense is a consideration in the overall picture.

Perhaps, more importantly, many of the first time cruisers, who look to CC for advice are not hurting for cash and become ill-informed when posters make erroneous generalizations.

Let's just give accurate answers.

Edited December 19, 2016 by Flatbush Flyer

[sparks1093]

You're making an often erroneous assumption that only "monied" folks travel on premium or luxury lines. While, in most cases, luxury lines might be considered "expensive," many savvy middle class travelers have done the math and figured out that "premium" lines (e.g., Azamara, Oceania) provide real value when measured by "net daily rate" for the entire cruise vacation. And, for many of those folks, each expense is a consideration in the overall picture.

Perhaps, more importantly, many of the first time cruisers, who look to CC for advice are not hurting for cash and become ill-informed when posters make erroneous generalizations.

Let's just give accurate answers.

 

And of course CC shouldn't be their only source.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Suggest you get your kid a passport book. It is a one-time expense for multiple use.

 

 

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It's not a one-time expense for adults, much less children. Adults will need to renew every 10 years, children every 5. Yes, you can use it as much as you'd like in that time, but if you're only taking one trip...

[MrsPete]

You're making an often erroneous assumption that only "monied" folks travel on premium or luxury lines. While, in most cases, luxury lines might be considered "expensive," many savvy middle class travelers have done the math and figured out that "premium" lines (e.g., Azamara, Oceania) provide real value when measured by "net daily rate" for the entire cruise vacation. And, for many of those folks, each expense is a consideration in the overall picture.

Perhaps, more importantly, many of the first time cruisers, who look to CC for advice are not hurting for cash and become ill-informed when posters make erroneous generalizations.

Let's just give accurate answers.

I see no connection between how much money you have and whether you'd choose to spend on a passport. Personally, I have a pile of money because I don't buy everything I could buy /everything people tell me I should buy.

 

Instead, you should spend on a passport if your personal circumstances suggest that it's a good spend.

It's not a one-time expense for adults, much less children. Adults will need to renew every 10 years, children every 5. Yes, you can use it as much as you'd like in that time, but if you're only taking one trip...

Exactly. If you're going to take one trip, a passport is a very expensive choice. If you're going to do other traveling, it may be a necessity.

[NMLady]

Suggest you get your kid a passport book. It is a one-time expense for multiple use.

 

 

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I'm not sure why you say it's a one-time expense. Children's passports are only good for five years.

 

Even an adult passport is not a one time expense. I'm on my third passport.

[easyboy]

I'm not sure why you say it's a one-time expense. Children's passports are only good for five years.

 

Even an adult passport is not a one time expense. I'm on my third passport.

I was relating the expense of getting a passport with the expense of traveling. I presumed that most, if not all, on CC here travel more than once before their passport expires. If a kid travels 2 or more times in 5 years, he spends 2 or more times for the travel. But he spent only once for the passport that was valid for the times he traveled.

 

If all kids, or adults, travel only once during the life of a passport, then my presumption is wrong.

[sanger727]

I see no benefit to the passport card for a cruise. Either do the passport so they have it and you have the option of flying home or to meet the ship if needed, or stick with a birth certificate since it's free. Since a passport card is only good for land travel to Mexico and Canada, unless all of your ports are in Mexico/Canada and you want the option of driving home, see no benefit to it for a cruise.

 

 

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Edited December 28, 2016 by sanger727

[sparks1093]

I was relating the expense of getting a passport with the expense of traveling. I presumed that most, if not all, on CC here travel more than once before their passport expires. If a kid travels 2 or more times in 5 years, he spends 2 or more times for the travel. But he spent only once for the passport that was valid for the times he traveled.

 

If all kids, or adults, travel only once during the life of a passport, then my presumption is wrong.

 

There have been a few posters over the years that indicated their cruise was one and done, so yes it does happen that people do not travel often if at all. That is why they need to look at their future travel plans when deciding to get a passport, especially for children.

[sparks1093]

I see no benefit to the passport card for a cruise. Either do the passport so they have it and you have the option of flying home or to meet the ship if needed, or stick with a birth certificate since it's free. Since a passport card is only good for land travel to Mexico and Canada, unless all of your ports are in Mexico/Canada and you want the option of driving home, see no benefit to it for a cruise.

 

 

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There are a couple of benefits and only the purchaser can determine if they are worth it or not. They do make open jaw sailings an option (because they are also valid for sea port of entry returning from Bermuda, Caribbean, Canada and Mexico also), they are a durable form of ID and the State Department database will have the traveler's information should assistance be required. Is that worth it? To some it very well may be.

[MrsPete]

I was relating the expense of getting a passport with the expense of traveling. I presumed that most, if not all, on CC here travel more than once before their passport expires. If a kid travels 2 or more times in 5 years, he spends 2 or more times for the travel. But he spent only once for the passport that was valid for the times he traveled.

 

If all kids, or adults, travel only once during the life of a passport, then my presumption is wrong.

Some people will travel frequently during a passport's lifespan, while others will travel only once. Some people will travel internationally to places where a passport is a necessity,while others will cruise from an American port back to that same port.

 

Since people's plans are different, I maintain, as I always have, that every individual should make up his mind whether to buy a passport based upon facts and his own plans -- no blanket answer exists.

[MrsPete]

There are a couple of benefits and only the purchaser can determine if they are worth it or not. They do make open jaw sailings an option (because they are also valid for sea port of entry returning from Bermuda, Caribbean, Canada and Mexico also), they are a durable form of ID and the State Department database will have the traveler's information should assistance be required. Is that worth it? To some it very well may be.

But the point is that the Passport Card has no benefits beyond a birth certificate. I can understand buying the Passport Book OR traveling with just a birth certificate, but -- for a cruise -- I see no point in spending money on the Passport Book.