Passport or no?

[sparks1093]

7 hours ago, CruisingRealtor2018 said:

So I appreciate everyone’s feedback thus far and I know this has been on here before I just was wondering if COVID has changed our reasoning. I feel it somewhat has for a lot of people the what if we get booted off the boat if we get COVID on it.  Or what if we get sick with COVID and have to fly home.  I think we will look into passports and this may push us into booking the Alaska cruise we have talked so much about as it is not a closed loop and ends in Canada 

Would you get booted off the ship if you had COVID, or would you quarantine onboard? I suspect the latter, but not 100% sure. If you have COVID would you be allowed to fly? I'm inclined to believe no, you wouldn't be but again not 100% sure on that. At this point I don't have firm answers to those questions so I am not really sure what I would do if I were in your shoes. We did many closed loop cruises before getting passports so we have them now, but we got them because we planned a trip where we actually needed them. Nothing has changed as far as the regulations go, the provisions that allow the waiver of the passport requirement for emergencies or humanitarian reasons are still in place and that does apply to return by air if needed. Of course you would need to wait until that process was completed before proceeding, so if you are comfortable with that it's really your decision to make.

[molly361]

If COVID is the only reason for getting the passports I would not bother

 

That said I forgot when I was making all my bookings that I have to renew mine in 2022.  Guess I might be using a birth certificate and DL for a cruise or 2.😇

[D C]

8 hours ago, njkruzer said:

Passport.  No questjon.  Granddaughter has one since her 1st cruise at age 2.

 

Remember a passport card is not the the same as a passport book.  Can't fly into US from a foreign country with just a card.

Thanks.  Excellent point that I hadn't considered with the card.

 

Should one become injured on an excursion and unable to return home via ship, having a passport seems essential.  Though I do wonder what would happen in that situation with a card.  I could drive to Canada or Mexico, become injured and need to be flown home just as well.   (and likewise if all I had was a license and a sea pass card. it must happen)

Edited June 24, 2021 by D C

[Babr]

16 minutes ago, D C said:

Thanks.  Excellent point that I hadn't considered with the card.

 

Should one become injured on an excursion and unable to return home via ship, having a passport seems essential.  Though I do wonder what would happen in that situation with a card.  I could drive to Canada or Mexico, become injured and need to be flown home just as well.   (and likewise if all I had was a license and a sea pass card. it must happen)

The passport card will work for Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, but it is good only for domestic flights. I think it was designed for people who cross the border frequently. It has limited purposes whereas the passport book is universally accepted.

[Babr]

1 hour ago, sparks1093 said:

Would you get booted off the ship if you had COVID, or would you quarantine onboard? I suspect the latter, but not 100% sure. If you have COVID would you be allowed to fly? I'm inclined to believe no, you wouldn't be but again not 100% sure on that. At this point I don't have firm answers to those questions so I am not really sure what I would do if I were in your shoes. We did many closed loop cruises before getting passports so we have them now, but we got them because we planned a trip where we actually needed them. Nothing has changed as far as the regulations go, the provisions that allow the waiver of the passport requirement for emergencies or humanitarian reasons are still in place and that does apply to return by air if needed. Of course you would need to wait until that process was completed before proceeding, so if you are comfortable with that it's really your decision to make.

If someone tested positive and were put off the ship, he likely would not be allowed to fly right away.  In any case, he would need the proper credentials to fly.

[Iamcruzin]

12 hours ago, CruisingRealtor2018 said:

So my family has cruised for many years on just our birth certificate with no issues ever.  With the current COVID problems I wanted to get peoples opinions on if we should finally break down and get passports.  We sail in April.

thanks for your thoughts

 Passports are like insurance. You don't appreciate it until you need it but didn't buy it.

[sparks1093]

16 minutes ago, Babr said:

If someone tested positive and were put off the ship, he likely would not be allowed to fly right away.  In any case, he would need the proper credentials to fly.

As I said, there are provisions to waive the passport requirement for emergencies and for humanitarian reasons. I have yet to read of any US citizen being stuck on an island because they had to leave a closed loop cruise. There would be a delay in getting home, but if leaving the ship because of COVID there would be a delay in any case.

[Joseph2017China]

Getting a passport, getting insurance, or buying a beverage package are all personal financial decisions, that are based on your tolerance of risk factors.  Everyone knows the risk, but the chance of that risk is low.  But say you got all three you just added another $800 per person to the trip.  

 

I have a passport because I travel 2 times a year.  I have insurance that is an annual policy because of age and situation with wife.....and I buy the drink package because I like to go wild.  But I need each one.....so I have no choice (really  I need the drink package).  Make your choices based on your level of concern and tolerance of risk

[Joseph2017China]

5 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

As I said, there are provisions to waive the passport requirement for emergencies and for humanitarian reasons. I have yet to read of any US citizen being stuck on an island because they had to leave a closed loop cruise. There would be a delay in getting home, but if leaving the ship because of COVID there would be a delay in any case.

Plus you would have 10+ days to figure it out....

[sparks1093]

51 minutes ago, D C said:

Thanks.  Excellent point that I hadn't considered with the card.

 

Should one become injured on an excursion and unable to return home via ship, having a passport seems essential.  Though I do wonder what would happen in that situation with a card.  I could drive to Canada or Mexico, become injured and need to be flown home just as well.   (and likewise if all I had was a license and a sea pass card. it must happen)

Driving to Canada and returning by air would be more problematic because you are an unknown entity so more steps would be involved. On a cruise the authorities already have all of your information (which is vetted during the cruise using a number of databases) and when they receive notification from the cruise line that you are leaving the cruise for a specified reason then they can clear you to fly directly back to the US where you would be shunted off to secondary inspection to verify that you are you. I live on the border and it happens a few times a year that someone goes up to Canada and loses their documentation and show up at the border crossing without it. They are sent to secondary and in some cases family is called to bring supporting documentation to the border but they are all let back home.

[D C]

1 hour ago, Babr said:

If someone tested positive and were put off the ship, he likely would not be allowed to fly right away.  In any case, he would need the proper credentials to fly.

In that sense, COVID is no different than any medical emergency requiring hospitalization, such as a heart attack.  Off the ship for some sort of care and then off to home.  A passport takes away one source of worry in a time like that.

[time4u2go]

Yes.

[Ferry_Watcher]

9 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

But you need more than a birth certificate to "get yourselves across the US border".

 

https://www.usa.gov/enter-us

 

Arrival From Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda

American citizens entering the U.S. must show a valid passport, U.S. passport card, a Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI, Global Entry or FAST), or an enhanced driver's license.

For a simple US/Canada land (car, bus, train, walking) border crossing an individual would need a verification of citizenship like a birth certificate along with photo ID, or enhanced driver's license, Nexus card.  Passport cards and a passport obviously are also accepted for land crossings.  Air travel needs a passport (book). 

 

This passenger's scenario stated that she was thinking of an Alaskan cruise sailing from Seattle, but ending in Vancouver, Canada.  If she planned to fly home from Canada she and her family would all need passports as it would be an international flight. 

[smplybcause]

12 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

If you plan to fly home from Canada everyone will need to have a passport.  If not, you will have to get yourselves across the US border by train, bus or car then fly home from an US airport.

 

You need a passport for land crossings too. However a passport CARD is acceptable for the land crossings. It was over a decade ago that they switched to passports - it's what prompted my parents to get me one and I'm halfway through the time on my second book. There's exceptions for under 16. 

[smplybcause]

13 hours ago, D C said:

If my feet are outside of the US, I have a passport with me (or in the room on a ship).  

 

If the worst/unexpected happens, do you really want an ID and a cruise ship card to be all you have in another country? 

 

I'm actually going to get the passport card in addition to a real passport as it seems like a more convenient option for bringing with on cruises. 

 

The card won't let you fly home though so if the purpose is to be able to easily get home if you need it', you'd still need to bring along the book on the cruises. Though you could just show the card to get on the cruise. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

15 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

You need a passport for land crossings too. However a passport CARD is acceptable for the land crossings. It was over a decade ago that they switched to passports - it's what prompted my parents to get me one and I'm halfway through the time on my second book. There's exceptions for under 16. 

With all due respect, as someone who lives in a border state (WA), I can assure you that my birth certificate w/photo ID would get me into Canada if I was driving, or traveling on a bus or train.  (As would my Enhanced Driver's License, Nexus Card, Passport Card or Passport book).  You are correct that there are exemptions for children's group travel for schools, scouts, church groups, etc.

 

[fred30]

3 hours ago, Babr said:

The passport card will work for Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, but it is good only for domestic flights. I think it was designed for people who cross the border frequently. It has limited purposes whereas the passport book is universally accepted.

We always take our passcards with us for domestic travel and keep them in a different location as our licenses.   This way we have backup ID in case our licenses are lost or stolen.

[njkruzer]

5 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

With all due respect, as someone who lives in a border state (WA), I can assure you that my birth certificate w/photo ID would get me into Canada if I was driving, or traveling on a bus or train.  (As would my Enhanced Driver's License, Nexus Card, Passport Card or Passport book).  You are correct that there are exemptions for children's group travel for schools, scouts, church groups, etc.

 

Yes but you can't fly home.

[sparks1093]

5 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

With all due respect, as someone who lives in a border state (WA), I can assure you that my birth certificate w/photo ID would get me into Canada if I was driving, or traveling on a bus or train.  (As would my Enhanced Driver's License, Nexus Card, Passport Card or Passport book).  You are correct that there are exemptions for children's group travel for schools, scouts, church groups, etc.

 

The regulations do not allow adults to cross the land border with a birth certificate/ID unless that adult is 19 and under and on a school trip. The reason we are allowed to use that form of ID for a cruise is because the authorities have time during the cruise to verify all of the info.

[smplybcause]

10 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

With all due respect, as someone who lives in a border state (WA), I can assure you that my birth certificate w/photo ID would get me into Canada if I was driving, or traveling on a bus or train.  (As would my Enhanced Driver's License, Nexus Card, Passport Card or Passport book).  You are correct that there are exemptions for children's group travel for schools, scouts, church groups, etc.

 

 

My understanding is it will get you into Canada but not back into the states. https://traveltips.usatoday.com/documents-needed-between-canada-usa-car-21162.html Old article but back when they changed requirements. Unless those got changed and I didn't know it. 

 

Here found the official site - https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative only mentions birth certificate in regards to minors under 16. 

Edited June 24, 2021 by smplybcause

[Ferry_Watcher]

5 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Yes but you can't fly home.

Exactly!

[Ferry_Watcher]

22 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 

My understanding is it will get you into Canada but not back into the states. https://traveltips.usatoday.com/documents-needed-between-canada-usa-car-21162.html Old article but back when they changed requirements. Unless those got changed and I didn't know it. 

 

Here found the official site - https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative only mentions birth certificate in regards to minors under 16. 

Thank you - I stand corrected.   I learned something new today.  Thank you my friend.

[Fred&Lily]

There was a story in the papers a few years back about a doctor in Atlanta who couldn't attend his mother's funeral in Toronto because he didn't have a passport. This and many other examples we hear about speaks to the issue of American exceptionalism.  I'm not trying to be rude or troll you but please take all the advice you can from Cruise Critic Forums.  From any country in the world except Canada and Mexico you need a passport and an ESTA document or a Visa. 

I'm required to show a passport every time I scoot across the bridge at Winsor/Detroit.  US Customs and Border Protection have been getting pretty thorough over the past few years. They want to see cruise documents, airline tickets and return tickets too and now always the "How much cash are you carrying?" question. 

Really, everybody should carry a valid passport if they intend to step foot outside of the US.

[ArthurUSCG]

Don't bother getting the Card, it is useless except for land crossings.

[Iamcruzin]

Kind of off topic but how long can a passport be expired before you can't renew it?  My father never was able to get a Real ID driver's license due to covid shut down and I thought I would renew it. It's not the best investment since he is going to be 89 in August but the easiest option for airline travel. Would just need a new picture.