Question about passport

[amyotravel]

10 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

That's why I specified that she wouldn't need one for her cruise (since she already has the book).

Thank you. She has a passport so is not planning to bring a birth certificate and ID. She wanted to make sure the PASSPORT she is planning to bring is going to be OK. That is why we specifically addressed the question about passports. Sheesh.

We know, we know, some of you just refuse to want to even think about passports...

Edited July 30, 2019 by amyotravel

[VentureMan_2000]

My BIL was not allowed to board a Caribbean cruise because he had less than 3 months left on his passport.  He had to get an expedited passport renewal -- had to walk it into a U.S. State Department to get it renewed before the ship left.  $60 extra, not to mention the angst.  Just say'n… you never know. 

[amyotravel]

 

1 minute ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

My BIL was not allowed to board a Caribbean cruise because he had less than 3 months left on his passport.  He had to get an expedited passport renewal -- had to walk it into a U.S. State Department to get it renewed before the ship left.  $60 extra, not to mention the angst.  Just say'n… you never know. 

It is less than 6 months, but more than 3. It may be also, that your BIL was going somewhere besides the Bahamas. I agree you never know, and it is always best to have at least six months, but the State Department's website is pretty clear about the Bahamas.

[Organized Chaos]

5 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Yes, but obviously the OP is looking to her future travel needs and is planning to renew her passport with those needs in mind, not just this one trip.

 

When I suggested that she didn't have to renew the passport card for her cruise, the OP had given NO indication of any future travel plans where it would come in handy. My suggestion was based solely on the information at hand...a Bahamian cruise and the fact that she said money is tight. That's it.

[VentureMan_2000]

Funny... I was thinking to myself, "It's only $140... worth the convenience".  Then I thought, "Well, she said it's only a 4 day Bahamas cruise -- wonder how much that costs".

So, I'm assuming the cruise would be about $400 pp, not including gratuities or cocktails.  So... $140 is about 1/3 of the cruise price... that's a lot.  Now I get why you prefer to wait.

Have fun !

[ontheweb]

15 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

 

Since OP lives in Maine she may find it more convenient to use a passport card if she goes into Canada.

I don't understand the need for a passport card if you have a passport. What if anything does it allow you to do that you would not be able to do with the passport? It seems to me to be just an extra unnecessary expense.

[VentureMan_2000]

1 minute ago, ontheweb said:

I don't understand the need for a passport card if you have a passport. What if anything does it allow you to do that you would not be able to do with the passport? It seems to me to be just an extra unnecessary expense.

 

I like the card because it is much easier to carry... fits right in my wallet.  Worth the $30 for the convenience.  Also, as mentioned, Some State ID's are not recognized by the Feds as valid citizenship identification, so having the card is very convenient.  I live in one of those States.

[Susan in Maine]

9 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I don't understand the need for a passport card if you have a passport. What if anything does it allow you to do that you would not be able to do with the passport? It seems to me to be just an extra unnecessary expense.

 

Which is your prerogative. However, I don't want to carry my passport every time I step on a plane or go to Canada. The card fits easily in my wallet and the passport itself.......well........doesn't fit easily pretty much anywhere.

 

The issue isn't whether a passport card is or isn't necessary. The issue is questioning why someone else wants one.

 

[ontheweb]

Just now, Susan in Maine said:

 

Which is your prerogative. However, I don't want to carry my passport every time I step on a plane or go to Canada. The card fits easily in my wallet and the passport itself.......well........doesn't fit easily pretty much anywhere.

 

The issue isn't whether a passport card is or isn't necessary. The issue is questioning why someone else wants one.

 

OK, I understand your reasoning, but I was going by you said you were on a tight budget, so I wondered about the need for both.

[Susan in Maine]

Geeze guys!

 

I thought I'd asked a pretty simple question: If I'm cruising to the Bahamas from FL from September 23 - 27, and my passport is good until February, do I need to renew before I go!

 

Sorry this thread got so convoluted and the answers went all over the place!

[amyotravel]

1 minute ago, Susan in Maine said:

Geeze guys!

 

I thought I'd asked a pretty simple question: If I'm cruising to the Bahamas from FL from September 23 - 27, and my passport is good until February, do I need to renew before I go!

 

Sorry this thread got so convoluted and the answers went all over the place!

Not you. It happens.

[Organized Chaos]

39 minutes ago, Susan in Maine said:

My apologies. The big piece of information that none of you had, since you're not from Maine, is that we haven't adopted RealID yet. So having a passport card makes travel much much easier. Also - if I don't renew both at the same time, I'll forget when one or the other has to be renewed later.

 

We haven't adopted RealID yet either, but I don't travel out of the country, except cruises. And we use our passports for that. I was tempted to get us passport cards years ago when we first applied for passports, simply because they're much easier to carry than a passport book, but we decided against them since we don't need them for land crossings and we can't use them to fly home in an emergency. We just leave our passport books in our cabin safe, even when in port (another huge debate on here). For what it's worth, if something happens, ship security can access a passenger's cabin safe and will leave passports with port authority.

 

As far as forgetting different renewal dates, I understand perfectly. My forgetfulness drives me mad sometimes. I'll tell myself NOT to forget my wallet before leaving the house, then 5 minutes later, walk out without it. Usually remember about a half mile down the road. 🥴

[FSHLOT]

OP, so after reading these responses, It sounds like you will have to re-new eventually. So dont get too upset when people say you should just re-new, and consider it part of the price. Pretty simple really.

 

Snarky enough?😀

 

 

Edited July 30, 2019 by FSHLOT

[BeachChik]

6 hours ago, FSHLOT said:

We are always safe then sorry. Do you have to get it re-newed? Probaly not, but if its that close why not just re-new it?  I know the 150$ is a bit much for your budget, but maybe you should have included passport fees into the equation before you booked. 

 

What is there to be safe about? Unless her cruise gets trapped in the Bahamas for six months she will be returning while the passport is still valid. 

 

People love throwing around oh you don’t want to be trapped in a foreign country. When does that ever happen? Been on these boards for years and haven’t read a single story of someone being trapped indefinitely. I have actually read the opposite. A very long post a few years ago from a guy who I believe lost his passport and had to get a new one before he could fly out. Took him about a day and was a pretty painless process. These countries don’t want to keep you. 

[coevan]

14 hours ago, gatour said:

The Bahamas, countries in the Caribbean, Mexican Coast (Cozumel) just want you to have an active passport no matter how close the expiration date is.

 

 

completely inaccurate, do some research, several Caribbean islands adhere to the 6 month rule.

[amyotravel]

Just now, coevan said:

 

 

completely inaccurate, do some research, several Caribbean islands adhere to the 6 month rule.

Yes. A very important distinction. The Bahamas does not equal all of the Caribbean.

[coevan]

Just now, amyotravel said:

Yes. A very important distinction. The Bahamas does not equal all of the Caribbean.

 

 

read Gatours post again, specifically states Mexico (not) and the Caribbean

[amyotravel]

1 minute ago, coevan said:

 

 

read Gatours post again, specifically states Mexico (not) and the Caribbean

Confused. Thought I was agreeing with you and it's still a valid statement.

[coevan]

Bahamas does not equal any of the Caribbean

[sparks1093]

 

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

I don't understand the need for a passport card if you have a passport. What if anything does it allow you to do that you would not be able to do with the passport? It seems to me to be just an extra unnecessary expense.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as long as the purchaser sees the value in it then it doesn't matter if you see any value or not. Many people buy the passport card with the passport to have a more durable and easier to carry ID for cross border crossings (yes, I know, the passport itself isn't that hard to carry but to each his/her own).

[FSHLOT]

39 minutes ago, BeachChik said:

 

What is there to be safe about? Unless her cruise gets trapped in the Bahamas for six months she will be returning while the passport is still valid. 

 

People love throwing around oh you don’t want to be trapped in a foreign country. When does that ever happen? Been on these boards for years and haven’t read a single story of someone being trapped indefinitely. I have actually read the opposite. A very long post a few years ago from a guy who I believe lost his passport and had to get a new one before he could fly out. Took him about a day and was a pretty painless process. These countries don’t want to keep you. 

 

Never said anything about being trapped in a foreign country. When i say be "safe then sorry" I mean its something that HAS to be renewed every ten yrs. so 6months is getting close to re-newal, why not just do it now?  Funds, Really? Even when its something you know has to be done anyway?

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, FSHLOT said:

OP, so after reading these responses, It sounds like you will have to re-new eventually. So dont get too upset when people say you should just re-new, and consider it part of the price. Pretty simple really.

 

Snarky enough?😀

 

 

Suggesting that the OP renew early isn't snarky, saying that they should have budgeted for it before booking the cruise at least sneaks right up to that old snark line. I know for me I will let my personal travel plans dictate when I renew my passport, so if I'm not planning to travel for a year or two after the cruise I'll wait until those plans are in place.

[pirateg11]

OP, in the end it's your choice.  You're going to find people on both sides; you'll be fine vs. too risky.  I would just keep an eye on the regulations, just in case they changed before you sail.  

 

As an anecdote, I had a February cruise a few years back, and thanks to a recent name change and the threat of a government shutdown, I had had to spend a hefty sum for expedited processing and expedited shipping of a passport, and I promise you the money squeaked  a little coming out of my pockets as it was the holidays.  Not spending the $150 now could cost you expedition fees in the future and there's no guarantee that money will ever be less tight.  

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as long as the purchaser sees the value in it then it doesn't matter if you see any value or not. Many people buy the passport card with the passport to have a more durable and easier to carry ID for cross border crossings (yes, I know, the passport itself isn't that hard to carry but to each his/her own).

Yes, I have read her answer. But my query specifically was aimed at her statement that her budget was tight. That is why I wondered shy she wanted the card that would add nothing that her passport would not do.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

On 7/29/2019 at 2:27 PM, sparks1093 said:

The 6 month rule is only valid for some countries and the Bahamas is not one of them. As long as your passport is valid on the day you arrive back in the US it is fine. What Carnival does is recommend, they don't require.

I agree with this position.