Traveling with infant and toddler - just birth certs ?

[Bsan1221]

My PVP said only birth certificates are necessary for my young children but I didn't see that specified in the guidelines. The ship is sailing out of South Carolina to the Bahamas. 

 

I want to confirm that what she said was correct.  Thank you.

[Illbcruzn4life]

26 minutes ago, Bsan1221 said:

My PVP said only birth certificates are necessary for my young children but I didn't see that specified in the guidelines. The ship is sailing out of South Carolina to the Bahamas. 

 

I want to confirm that what she said was correct.  Thank you.

 

Yes that is correct. 🙂

[grandmarnnurse]

Yes, that is correct. But when we traveled with our 10 month old granddaughter back in 2007, we obtained a passport for her. A child’s passport is only good for 5 years though. 

[sparks1093]

That is correct, and adult US citizens may use a combination of a government issued birth certificate (or Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Naturalization Certificate) and government issued photo ID. 

[stetucke]

So one thing to be careful about with a birth certificate, carnival's website states that a clear legible photo copy is acceptable with a school ID. We had a problem at the Port of Baltimore, the woman stated that it must be an original copy even though we had the school ID. Luckily after looking at both websites we were able to clear it up in a half hour or so. Since then we have always brought official copies and have never had a problem. 

Edited December 10, 2019 by stetucke

[sparks1093]

3 hours ago, stetucke said:

So one thing to be careful about with a birth certificate, carnival's website states that a clear legible photo copy is acceptable with a school ID. We had a problem at the Port of Baltimore, the woman stated that it must be an original copy even though we had the school ID. Luckily after looking at both websites we were able to clear it up in a half hour or so. Since then we have always brought official copies and have never had a problem. 

Legible copies are acceptable under the regulations so the person that was checking you in wasn't trained correctly.

[buckeyefrank]

10 hours ago, Bsan1221 said:

My PVP said only birth certificates are necessary for my young children but I didn't see that specified in the guidelines. The ship is sailing out of South Carolina to the Bahamas. 

 

I want to confirm that what she said was correct.  Thank you.

That is correct.  You only need BC for your young children.  You didn't say, but I assume their father is going also.  If not, make sure you have a notarized statement from the father saying you can take them out of the country.  There may be a form for that also.

[grandmarnnurse]

33 minutes ago, buckeyefrank said:

That is correct.  You only need BC for your young children.  You didn't say, but I assume their father is going also.  If not, make sure you have a notarized statement from the father saying you can take them out of the country.  There may be a form for that also.

And those BC need to be original it’s raised seal.

[buckeyefrank]

5 minutes ago, grandmarnnurse said:

And those BC need to be original it’s raised seal.

Sorry that's not true.  It needs to be a certified copy issued by a government institution.  Not all have raised seals.  Carnival's FAQ section also says a photocopy of a government issued certified copy is acceptable as well.

[grandmarnnurse]

I still contend that the only really safe way to travel is with passports. If you ever need to fly home because if any kind of emergency from another island, a passport is needed to do so. Some people don’t feel it’s worth it to purchase for children, so just know there is always a possibility you may need to travel home from a foreign port. I have 15 grandchildren and every single one of them have passports except the two month old. And those 14 range in age from 8-21.

[sparks1093]

39 minutes ago, grandmarnnurse said:

I still contend that the only really safe way to travel is with passports. If you ever need to fly home because if any kind of emergency from another island, a passport is needed to do so. Some people don’t feel it’s worth it to purchase for children, so just know there is always a possibility you may need to travel home from a foreign port. I have 15 grandchildren and every single one of them have passports except the two month old. And those 14 range in age from 8-21.

Since the only real risk is delay in returning to the US many feel that the risk is low enough. When we started cruising it would have cost us $850 for passports for a 4 day trip that cost $1900. We did our research and decided to wait to get passports when we actually needed them, which was 6 years later. Others would be in the same situation and determine that the $850 was worth it. We're all different and have different travel needs.

[AggieGirl05]

I agree with grandmarnnurse about the emergencies. It's much easier to evacuate with a passport. We obtained a passport for our son prior to his first cruise at age 3 for that reason. Also, I liked knowing that each port could see a legal photo ID of him to prove he was my child. On our 2nd cruise with him (in the Bahamas), the port authority officer on the way back to the ship even asked him his name as she was looking at his passport to verify we were bringing the right child back on board. I realize I have to pay to update it every 5 years but I'll take the peace of mind over convenience when it comes to my kid every time.

[Elaine5715]

On 12/10/2019 at 9:25 AM, stetucke said:

So one thing to be careful about with a birth certificate, carnival's website states that a clear legible photo copy is acceptable with a school ID. We had a problem at the Port of Baltimore, the woman stated that it must be an original copy even though we had the school ID. Luckily after looking at both websites we were able to clear it up in a half hour or so. Since then we have always brought official copies and have never had a problem. 

The school ID is for 16 and older but a BC alone is fine for under age 16

[grandmarnnurse]

2 hours ago, AggieGirl05 said:

I agree with grandmarnnurse about the emergencies. It's much easier to evacuate with a passport. We obtained a passport for our son prior to his first cruise at age 3 for that reason. Also, I liked knowing that each port could see a legal photo ID of him to prove he was my child. On our 2nd cruise with him (in the Bahamas), the port authority officer on the way back to the ship even asked him his name as she was looking at his passport to verify we were bringing the right child back on board. I realize I have to pay to update it every 5 years but I'll take the peace of mind over convenience when it comes to my kid every time.

Very good reasons for obtaining passports for children. We DID have an emergency that made us return home from an island, and I would never want to mess around with not being able to get out as fast as I could. The purchase price, and the renewal every 5 years rather than 10, is irrelevant when you are in an emergency situation. When I had to leave, it was for an emergency back home. We received notice from back home that our 15 year old daughter had gone missing, and her grandparents were frantic. Our adult son had notified us and was working with police until we returned. Do you think we planned for an emergency? Nobody plans for one, but ***** happens. The fastest way home is with a passport. BTW—the daughter was found in South Carolina (we live in Buffalo, NY) so my husband got on another plane for SC as soon as we landed in Toronto, and brought her home. (This was not an abduction. She thought she needed a vacation, as well. 😳) She is now a 40 year old woman with two college degrees, and a mother of three, two are teenagers. 🤣🤣 So, yes, only a BC is required, but a passport is the much smarter way to travel, with or without children. 

[stetucke]

On 12/10/2019 at 10:57 AM, sparks1093 said:

Legible copies are acceptable under the regulations so the person that was checking you in wasn't trained correctly.

Legible copies are not always acceptable. There are age and secondary ID requirements. 

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, stetucke said:

Legible copies are not always acceptable. There are age and secondary ID requirements. 

A legible copy is sufficient for those under 16, for 16 years and older one needs a government issued photo ID to go with it, but in both cases a copy is sufficient under the regulations (and cruise lines may impose a stricter standard)(and it needs to be a copy of an official birth certificate, also). It is best to use the original but it's also good to keep in mind what alternatives are available.

Edited December 12, 2019 by sparks1093