Passport or Birth certificate ?

[triptolemus]

https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents

 

The problem with that response is that the NCL travel docs page doesn't explain what to do when names on photo IDs don't match birth certificates due to marriage and divorce.

[WillandTam]

https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents

 

Thank you. We were concerned because when we applied for a passport the Dept of state asked for divorce documents because they couldn't determine her identity. I've known her since we were children and we are fifty something. Go figure; we let people in with literally no documentation and they give an American citizen a problem. I can't understand where the values are. Plus, it is very confusing.

[Charles4515]

I have a question, my girlfriend and I are leaving February 12th on the Getaway and she doesn't have a passport. I've been on 17 cruises but have always traveled with a passport. This is her 1st cruise and i so want it to be perfect. She's been married twice. She has her birth certificate, current NC drivers license and both divorce decrees. She kept her first husband's name because of the kids. We need to know; what does she need to cruise? Thank everyone so much!

 

 

 

You don't mention the marriage license. Doesn't she have the marriage license with the husbands name she kept?

 

I think you need to call NCL about required documents.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Charles4515]

The problem with that response is that the NCL travel docs page doesn't explain what to do when names on photo IDs don't match birth certificates due to marriage and divorce.

 

 

 

Probably they want the marriage license. But they should call NCL.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[sanger727]

I have a question, my girlfriend and I are leaving February 12th on the Getaway and she doesn't have a passport. I've been on 17 cruises but have always traveled with a passport. This is her 1st cruise and i so want it to be perfect. She's been married twice. She has her birth certificate, current NC drivers license and both divorce decrees. She kept her first husband's name because of the kids. We need to know; what does she need to cruise? Thank everyone so much!

 

I don't think the divorce decrees matter. She probably needs her marriage license. They don't care what her current marriage status is, she just needs a document to link the name on her birth certificate to the name on her driver's license to show that it's her birth certificate.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

It's not the marriage license but the marriage certificate she should take. She will likely not be asked for it, but it does happen on occasion. I cruised a few times before I renewed my passport and on one of those three cruise, I was asked for my marriage certificate. That's the "bridging" document that shows the name change from birth certificate to DL.

 

Lots of people will tell you they'll never ask you for it or that they've cruised 50 times and have never needed it so you don't need it either. But, as said, sometimes they DO ask...

[don't-use-real-name]

With all this discussion of Certificates and Licensing consider this:

Unless you decide to marry just before or on each cruise* - having gone

thru the Red Tape to get the Passport (A License to Travel) there

would be no more stress or documentation necessary - one document

that virtually does it all outside of a Drivers License for car rental or VISA

for specific other country visits.

One document that gets you on a jet plane and is a universal ID.

A Passport is the real travel document and does not need to be

enhanced limiting visits to only countries in this hemisphere.

Closed Loop - Open Loop - the Passport has no limitations - B2B -

open jaw - TATL - TPAC - one way - round trip - etc.

Sure it is expensive the first time and slightly less on renewals but

how much do you pay for your drivers license and how often do you

renew it in the 10 year Passport time period ?

 

Another thing to consider that fragile piece of paper documentation

are you carrying that with you or a notarized copy. Keep the fragile

paper document in a safe at home or bank lock box. If and when

you decide to get a Passport in the future that fragile document

better be in good condition least the hieroglyphics become worthy

of architectural inspection like the dead sea scrolls.

Take only copies of the original for travels.

 

Happy New Years and travel safely with restrictions ! LOL !

 

*Marriages performed on board the cruise are valid only for the

duration of the cruise !

[tempus137]

DW & I both have passports, and have had them for close to 40 years, so we're used to carrying them.

 

What bugs me is that we're cruising the Greek Isles on the Star in May, and our passports expire in August, and NCL says your passport cannot expire less than 6 months after your return date. So now we have to renew our passports early, and since the new ones will expire 10 years from the issue date, we're losing almost 6 months of use.

[norway olin]

DW & I both have passports, and have had them for close to 40 years, so we're used to carrying them.

 

What bugs me is that we're cruising the Greek Isles on the Star in May, and our passports expire in August, and NCL says your passport cannot expire less than 6 months after your return date. So now we have to renew our passports early, and since the new ones will expire 10 years from the issue date, we're losing almost 6 months of use.

 

This is not NCL's idea of harassment. Greece and Italy are the countries on your cruise that require it.

[triptolemus]

DW & I both have passports, and have had them for close to 40 years, so we're used to carrying them.

 

What bugs me is that we're cruising the Greek Isles on the Star in May, and our passports expire in August, and NCL says your passport cannot expire less than 6 months after your return date. So now we have to renew our passports early, and since the new ones will expire 10 years from the issue date, we're losing almost 6 months of use.

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html

 

https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/09/231319.htm

 

As indicated above, not NCL's fault or problem.

Edited January 3, 2017 by triptolemus

[Charles4515]

DW & I both have passports, and have had them for close to 40 years, so we're used to carrying them.

 

What bugs me is that we're cruising the Greek Isles on the Star in May, and our passports expire in August, and NCL says your passport cannot expire less than 6 months after your return date. So now we have to renew our passports early, and since the new ones will expire 10 years from the issue date, we're losing almost 6 months of use.

 

Many countries require that passports have more than six months left before they expire. So NCL requires it for cruises that leave out of non US ports. (you only need a valid passport out of US ports because the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean ports don't have that six months requirement)

[Lookingforfacts]

Another thing to consider that fragile piece of paper documentation

are you carrying that with you or a notarized copy. Keep the fragile

paper document in a safe at home or bank lock box. If and when

you decide to get a Passport in the future that fragile document

better be in good condition least the hieroglyphics become worthy

of architectural inspection like the dead sea scrolls.

Take only copies of the original for travels.

 

Happy New Years and travel safely with restrictions ! LOL !

 

*Marriages performed on board the cruise are valid only for the

duration of the cruise !

 

Wrong and dangerous advice. You can't use a copy of your birth certificate to travel, or to apply for a passport. There is no such thing as a notarized copy. You need an original with the raised seal or equivalent. You can buy multiple originals. You can't use a home made copy, notarized or not.

 

I used to agree with the posters who said only use a passport. I've come around the other way. Some people cruise because the hate to fly. It won't hurt to get a passport but there really isn't any reason.

 

Customs agents are used to screening passengers who don't have a passport. As long as you have the correct documentation, original government issued birth certificate and drivers license, you won't have an issue.

[sparks1093]

Wrong and dangerous advice. You can't use a copy of your birth certificate to travel, or to apply for a passport. There is no such thing as a notarized copy. You need an original with the raised seal or equivalent. You can buy multiple originals. You can't use a home made copy, notarized or not.

 

I used to agree with the posters who said only use a passport. I've come around the other way. Some people cruise because the hate to fly. It won't hurt to get a passport but there really isn't any reason.

 

Customs agents are used to screening passengers who don't have a passport. As long as you have the correct documentation, original government issued birth certificate and drivers license, you won't have an issue.

 

While you cannot use a copy to apply for a passport you may use a copy to travel on a closed loop cruise. This is an excerpt from the DHS regulations:

 

"When traveling entirely within the Western Hemisphere on a cruise ship, and when the U.S. citizen boards the cruise ship at a port or place within the United States and returns on the return voyage of the same cruise ship to the same United States port or place from where he or she originally departed. That U.S. citizen may present a government-issued photo identification document in combination with either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate..."

 

This is important to keep in mind as many cruises have been saved because the passenger was able to have their birth certificate faxed to the port. It is best to bring the original (you would need it if you needed to enlist the help of the State Department to get home) but it is also good to keep in mind that a copy will do in a pinch.

 

As for your earlier remarks about the cruise line lobbying for the exception this isn't true, either. The reason the exception exists is because DHS found that a US citizen traveling on a closed loop cruise represents a low risk to the national security and had that finding been different the exception would not exist.

 

And for the question of whether or not someone should use a passport or other form of verifying citizenship the law does allow US citizens a choice when it comes to closed loop cruises. Whether or not it is advisable for each individual traveler to use an alternative depends on their individual needs and risks. For most people using an alternative is a very low risk proposition.

[BirdTravels]

DHS requirements may not be the same as the cruise line requirements. The cruise line may be more restrictive to prevent fraud that puts them at risk. Follow the cruise line requirements if you want to travel!

Edited January 4, 2017 by BirdTravels

[triptolemus]

While you cannot use a copy to apply for a passport you may use a copy to travel on a closed loop cruise. This is an excerpt from the DHS regulations:

 

"When traveling entirely within the Western Hemisphere on a cruise ship, and when the U.S. citizen boards the cruise ship at a port or place within the United States and returns on the return voyage of the same cruise ship to the same United States port or place from where he or she originally departed. That U.S. citizen may present a government-issued photo identification document in combination with either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate..."

 

Further clarification on "copy":

 

"The birth certificate can be original, photocopy, or certified copy."

 

https://www.dhs.gov/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

 

The question one must ask themselves before heading to the port with a photocopy of their birth certificate is whether or not this satisfies the cruise line's requirements and the agent's expectations:

 

From NCL.com:

 

"State certified U.S. birth certificate"

 

https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents

 

As always, it's best to take travel document advice from a forum with a grain of salt. Do your own research upon multiple sources and make an informed decision based on all available information. Personally, reading the two sources cited above, I would not go to the port with a photocopy of a birth certificate because that does not align with the cruise line's requirements. The process of obtaining the correct document is trivial compared to watching the ship sail without me.

Edited January 4, 2017 by triptolemus

[sparks1093]

DHS requirements may not be the same as the cruise line requirements. The cruise line may be more restrictive to prevent fraud that puts them at risk. Follow the cruise line requirements if you want to travel!

 

Absolutely, but if given the choice between showing up at the port with nothing or showing up with a copy of my birth certificate I know what I would choose. As I said, this is important information to keep in mind as a contingency.

[sparks1093]

Further clarification on "copy":

 

"The birth certificate can be original, photocopy, or certified copy."

 

https://www.dhs.gov/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative

 

The question one must ask themselves before heading to the port with a photocopy of their birth certificate is whether or not this satisfies the cruise line's requirements and the agent's expectations:

 

From NCL.com:

 

"State certified U.S. birth certificate"

 

https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/cruise-travel-documents

 

As always, it's best to take travel document advice from a forum with a grain of salt. Do your own research upon multiple sources and make an informed decision based on all available information. Personally, reading the two sources cited above, I would not go to the port with a photocopy of a birth certificate because that does not align with the cruise line's requirements. The process of obtaining the correct document is trivial compared to watching the ship sail without me.

 

As I point out in the part of my post that you omitted the information is important to keep in mind because a copy will work in a pinch. If people only read part of the information presented then they will miss critical information that they need. (And for clarification the original, that is the one the state sends you, is a certified copy and it's the only way to get a certified copy.)

Edited January 4, 2017 by sparks1093

[triptolemus]

As I point out in the part of my post that you omitted the information is important to keep in mind because a copy will work in a pinch. If people only read part of the information presented then they will miss critical information that they need. (And for clarification the original, that is the one the state sends you, is a certified copy and it's the only way to get a certified copy.)

 

Perhaps it's early, but your post seemed to convey that it is okay to show up with a photocopy birth certificate. I was only trying to point out that a photocopy does not align with NCL's listed requirements. Maybe next time you can be a little more clear on that bit and ease up on the anecdotal tales of last minute luck.

 

Otherwise, I was in agreement with you. DHS accepts a photocopy. Does NCL?

[hawkeyetlse]

This is not NCL's idea of harassment. Greece and Italy are the countries on your cruise that require it.

Greece and Italy are Schengen countries, so they only require passports to be valid for 3 months beyond the date of departure. But it sounds like tempus137 would be cutting it close even with this more lenient requirement. What BirdTravels said above is true, that NCL's stated rules are sometimes more restrictive than the actual requirements, and at the port they generally apply the actual rules. So you might get away with having a passport with only 3 months left on it for an intra-Schengen cruise, but do you want to take the chance?

 

The fact is that so many countries have a 6-month rule that a passport with less than 6 months left on it is useless in many situations, so the standard recommendation is to suck it up and renew early. And when you get your new 10-year passport, tell yourself from the beginning that it's really only good for 9 1/2 years.

Edited January 4, 2017 by hawkeyetlse

[Lookingforfacts]

While you cannot use a copy to apply for a passport you may use a copy to travel on a closed loop cruise. This is an excerpt from the DHS regulations:

 

"When traveling entirely within the Western Hemisphere on a cruise ship, and when the U.S. citizen boards the cruise ship at a port or place within the United States and returns on the return voyage of the same cruise ship to the same United States port or place from where he or she originally departed. That U.S. citizen may present a government-issued photo identification document in combination with either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate..."

 

This is important to keep in mind as many cruises have been saved because the passenger was able to have their birth certificate faxed to the port. It is best to bring the original (you would need it if you needed to enlist the help of the State Department to get home) but it is also good to keep in mind that a copy will do in a pinch.

 

As for your earlier remarks about the cruise line lobbying for the exception this isn't true, either. The reason the exception exists is because DHS found that a US citizen traveling on a closed loop cruise represents a low risk to the national security and had that finding been different the exception would not exist.

 

And for the question of whether or not someone should use a passport or other form of verifying citizenship the law does allow US citizens a choice when it comes to closed loop cruises. Whether or not it is advisable for each individual traveler to use an alternative depends on their individual needs and risks. For most people using an alternative is a very low risk proposition.

A copy of a birth certificate generally means an official copy with the seal or equivalent. Homemade copies are accepted for kids on some group travel. I can't find any reference to homemade copies being acceptable for adults on closed loop cruises.

From state department

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same U.S. port) are able to enter the United States with a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID.

 

Customs agents are allowed to verify citizenship by other means. Maybe that's how faces were accepted. Not a good plan.

 

Do you have a link to your alleged quotebof DHS regulations?

 

Based on the public FAQ section, you appeared to have combined two separate sections.

[sparks1093]

Perhaps it's early, but your post seemed to convey that it is okay to show up with a photocopy birth certificate. I was only trying to point out that a photocopy does not align with NCL's listed requirements. Maybe next time you can be a little more clear on that bit and ease up on the anecdotal tales of last minute luck.

 

Otherwise, I was in agreement with you. DHS accepts a photocopy. Does NCL?

 

NCL's FAQ does say that WHTI compliant documents are acceptable, even if they don't list all of the possibilities in the list immediately above it, and according to the DHS regulations that control the question a copy of a birth certificate is acceptable. I am sorry that you found my post confusing.

[sparks1093]

A copy of a birth certificate generally means an official copy with the seal or equivalent. Homemade copies are accepted for kids on some group travel. I can't find any reference to homemade copies being acceptable for adults on closed loop cruises.

From state department

U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end at the same U.S. port) are able to enter the United States with a birth certificate and government-issued photo ID.

 

Customs agents are allowed to verify citizenship by other means. Maybe that's how faces were accepted. Not a good plan.

 

Do you have a link to your alleged quotebof DHS regulations?

 

Based on the public FAQ section, you appeared to have combined two separate sections.

 

Here is a link to the regulations: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/04/03/E8-6725/documents-required-for-travelers-departing-from-or-arriving-in-the-united-states-at-sea-and-land#h-111

 

We had the same debate on the CCL board about what constituted a "copy", even though at the time CCL's FAQ clearly said that a legible photocopy was acceptable, so when I boarded my CCL cruise that is exactly what I presented every time it was asked for. No one batted an eye at the photocopy at embarkation or disembarkation.

 

Again, for clarity, the preferred document is the original birth certificate as received from the government but if needed because of lost/misplaced/stolen documentation a copy is acceptable under the DHS regulations.

[Lookingforfacts]

NCL's FAQ does say that WHTI compliant documents are acceptable, even if they don't list all of the possibilities in the list immediately above it, and according to the DHS regulations that control the question a copy of a birth certificate is acceptable. I am sorry that you found my post confusing.

 

I didn't find it confusing, I found it misleading. The only place homemade copies is discussed is in the section regarding reduced requirements for kids. Combining the birth certificate requirements for closed loop cruise with the homemade copies alternatives for kids isn't honest.

 

I did find this interesting:

CBP recommends that, where possible, an or

iginal or a certified copy of your birth

certificate be presented. However, under cert

ain circumstances, e.g., if you have sent

the original in for a passport application, a copy may be accepted.

 

That suggests under some (many) circumstances a copy won't be accepted.

JMO, for an adult who is a US citizen, Travel with a passport, passport card, enhanced license (and similar items) and you're good to go. Travel with an original (or certified copy) of your birth certificate along with a current gov't ID and you're good to go. Travel with anything else and you're hoping your cruise line is good with the alternative proof of citizenship and that the CBP officer is OK with it.

 

I've learned from this thread traveling with homemade copies works far more then I would have expected. I can understand people who don't want to spend the money, time and "red tape" required to get a passport. I can't understand someone who puts them self at the mercy of a CBP officer in order to save the few dollars it takes to get a certified copy of a birth certificate.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Lookingforfacts

[Lookingforfacts]

I think I waited to long to edit my post. My comments regarding copies of birth certificate was directed to the poster who suggested leaving your original birth certificate home for safe keeping and traveling with a home made copy. Knowingly leaving valid proof of citizenship home and bringing a copy which could get rejected makes no sense.

 

AFAIK the specific references to homemade copies is only found in the section applicable to kids.

[sparks1093]

I didn't find it confusing, I found it misleading. The only place homemade copies is discussed is in the section regarding reduced requirements for kids. Combining the birth certificate requirements for closed loop cruise with the homemade copies alternatives for kids isn't honest.

 

I did find this interesting:

 

 

That suggests under some (many) circumstances a copy won't be accepted.

JMO, for an adult who is a US citizen, Travel with a passport, passport card, enhanced license (and similar items) and you're good to go. Travel with an original (or certified copy) of your birth certificate along with a current gov't ID and you're good to go. Travel with anything else and you're hoping your cruise line is good with the alternative proof of citizenship and that the CBP officer is OK with it.

 

I've learned from this thread traveling with homemade copies works far more then I would have expected. I can understand people who don't want to spend the money, time and "red tape" required to get a passport. I can't understand someone who puts them self at the mercy of a CBP officer in order to save the few dollars it takes to get a certified copy of a birth certificate.

 

I was quoting the actual regulations from the CFR, not from the CBP website. Yes, as you point out the CBP website does make a distinction between documentation for the land travel for kids and closed loop cruises, but again if you look at the underlying regulations the section regarding both forms of travel are written the exact same way (i.e. original or copy of birth certificate) (and the CBP website has been re-written several times and this is the first time that I've seen it not specify that a copy of the birth certificate works). If both sections of the regulations say the same thing why doesn't CBP's website say the same thing?

 

Again, traveling with the original is best but it's good to know that an alternative exists in case the original isn't available, that is all that I am saying. I have never read of someone not wanting to spend a few dollars for a birth certificate.

Edited January 4, 2017 by sparks1093