Do you need a Birth Certificate to travel from Los Angeles to Mexico on the 4d Riviera?

[KyloRen]

I thought you needed a Birth Cert? I just found out that one of the 10 people going with me doesn't have a Birth Cert. Can he get on without it?

Why do I recall needing them but I dont see anywhere on the site saying its necessary. 

He has a Valid Drivers LIC (NO passport) 

Help!?

Thanks!!

Edited September 2, 2021 by KyloRen

[grumpyjr88]

Yes, he needs a birth cert. 

[firefly333]

6 minutes ago, KyloRen said:

I thought you needed a Birth Cert? I just found out that one of the 10 people going with me doesn't have a Birth Cert. Can he get on without it?

Why do I recall needing them but I dont see anywhere on the site saying its necessary. 

He has a Valid Drivers LIC (NO passport) 

Help!?

Thanks!!

Birth certificate unless he has a passport or passport card. Can't board you are correct.

[ColeThornton]

https://www.carnival.com/help#section-0

[my kids mama]

I wouldn't leave the ship in a foreign country unless I had a passport.  I even stash copies in my luggage just in case mine gets lost, or stolen. 

[KyloRen]

1 hour ago, my kids mama said:

I wouldn't leave the ship in a foreign country unless I had a passport.  I even stash copies in my luggage just in case mine gets lost, or stolen. 

I mean ...this will be cruise 21 for me without one. But Ive only ever done Canada and Mexico

[KyloRen]

Thank you so much you guys for the information!!

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, KyloRen said:

I thought you needed a Birth Cert? I just found out that one of the 10 people going with me doesn't have a Birth Cert. Can he get on without it?

Why do I recall needing them but I dont see anywhere on the site saying its necessary. 

He has a Valid Drivers LIC (NO passport) 

Help!?

Thanks!!

When you do online check in, it asks what form of proof of citizenship you will be using

[sanger727]

https://www.carnival.com/help?topicid=3409

 

For cruises that begin and end in a U.S port, the following WHTI-Compliant Documents are acceptable for cruise travel. These standard forms of documentation will enable the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler. If a picture I.D. is not affixed to the WHTI-compliant document, a picture I.D. is required (a valid, unexpired government-issued photo I.D. for all guests 16 years of age or older). If the cruise includes air travel to or from Canada, a valid, unexpired U.S. passport is required.

 

• U.S. Passport
• Passport Card
• State Enhanced Driver's License
• Certificate of U.S. Naturalization
• Native American Indians

For cruises that visit Martinique, guests going ashore are required to carry a valid, unexpired passport. .  

Also acceptable for cruise travel (for cruises that begin and end in a U.S port), U.S. citizens can show proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate  issued by a government agency and accompanied by government-issued photo identification. If the cruise includes air travel to or from Canada, a valid, unexpired U.S. passport is required. Guests who have committed or been convicted of a crime may not be allowed into Canada - for more information, click here.

 

[sparks1093]

16 hours ago, my kids mama said:

I wouldn't leave the ship in a foreign country unless I had a passport.  I even stash copies in my luggage just in case mine gets lost, or stolen. 

That is such a broad statement and not applicable to everyone. Your copy of your passport is fine for providing proof to a Consulate that you are a US citizen, but other than that it has no use at all. I read of one poster years ago who lost their passport on the way to the port. A faxed copy of their birth certificate allowed them to board and to enjoy their cruise. Would you forego the cruise, or would you board with a faxed copy of your birth cert? There are many people now who have applied for a passport renewal and because of the time it is taking may not get their new passport back in time and they are planning on using a birth certificate with their government issued ID. Again, some might decide not to go under those circumstances but I'm guessing most would go with what they have. I can leave the country by taking a left out of my driveway and driving 8 miles. When the border is open I use what most folks around here use for crossing it...an EDL (some use a passport card). Everyone's travel needs are different and some can get by without a passport.

Edited September 3, 2021 by sparks1093

[mkcurran]

14 hours ago, KyloRen said:

I mean ...this will be cruise 21 for me without one. But Ive only ever done Canada and Mexico

As long as you can access a land border, as long as you have your ID and birth certificate you can get back in. Border Patrol is never not going to let a US citizen back in. Will they hassle you a bit? Absolutely. 

Flying back from another country is a whole other ordeal.

[sparks1093]

2 hours ago, mkcurran said:

As long as you can access a land border, as long as you have your ID and birth certificate you can get back in. Border Patrol is never not going to let a US citizen back in. Will they hassle you a bit? Absolutely. 

Flying back from another country is a whole other ordeal.

Except that there are exceptions for waiving the passport requirement for emergencies in order to get US citizens home. Wouldn't have made sense to make a closed loop exception without including provisions to get people home should it be necessary.

[Caps_Shield]

21 hours ago, KyloRen said:

I thought you needed a Birth Cert? I just found out that one of the 10 people going with me doesn't have a Birth Cert. Can he get on without it?

Why do I recall needing them but I dont see anywhere on the site saying its necessary. 

He has a Valid Drivers LIC (NO passport) 

Help!?

Thanks!!

Isn't there an online company that you can get a copy that is usable to cruise lines?  Perhaps you will need to express the shipping depending on when you are leaving but I believe it is at least possible.  

[ray98]

What do you mean you didn't "see anywhere on the site saying its necessary".  You have to choose during online check-in what form of identification you are using.  It is crystal clear.

[SNJCruisers]

The BC needs to have a raised seal that comes from the state where you were born.  A photocopy won't  cut it

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said:

The BC needs to have a raised seal that comes from the state where you were born.  A photocopy won't  cut it

No, it doesn't.  

[Illbcruzn4life]

3 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

The BC needs to have a raised seal that comes from the state where you were born.  A photocopy won't  cut it

incorrect on both parts

[sparks1093]

8 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

The BC needs to have a raised seal that comes from the state where you were born.  A photocopy won't  cut it

It's a pain to copy stuff on my phone but a photocopy is acceptable per CCLs FAQ.

[travelplus]

I strongly advise everyone to have passports not only does it speed up the reentry process of you get sick in Mexico it can be hard to get an emergency authorization to get a passport. Travel Insurance companies highly recommend passports for repatriation and may not even sell you a policy if you don't have a passport.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, travelplus said:

I strongly advise everyone to have passports not only does it speed up the reentry process of you get sick in Mexico it can be hard to get an emergency authorization to get a passport. Travel Insurance companies highly recommend passports for repatriation and may not even sell you a policy if you don't have a passport.

A lot of people recommend passports...CBP, the State Department, cruise lines. But whether or not a traveler gets one is up to the traveler. As mentioned the authorities can waive the passport requirement for those who have to return from a closed loop cruise early due to an emergency. It will take time for these arrangements to be made but they will get you home. I buy travel insurance for every cruise and haven't once been asked if I have a passport. Every policy has contained an exclusion denying coverage for not having the necessary documentation to travel but that covers all documentation issues.

[grumpyjr88]

11 hours ago, travelplus said:

I strongly advise everyone to have passports not only does it speed up the reentry process of you get sick in Mexico it can be hard to get an emergency authorization to get a passport. Travel Insurance companies highly recommend passports for repatriation and may not even sell you a policy if you don't have a passport.

My last 3 cruises have been without my passport and I have never been denied insurance. Statements like this do nothing but cause people unnecessary worrying. 

[SNJCruisers]

23 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

No, it doesn't.  

 

21 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

incorrect on both parts

 

15 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

It's a pain to copy stuff on my phone but a photocopy is acceptable per CCLs FAQ.

I've used passports for 20+ years and I do know that the one to get your passport needs to have a raised seal because I had to pay to get a copy from Harrisburg PA.

But, I will stand corrected on CCL's requirements 

[snowballs mom]

1 hour ago, SNJCruisers said:

 

 

I've used passports for 20+ years and I do know that the one to get your passport needs to have a raised seal because I had to pay to get a copy from Harrisburg PA.

But, I will stand corrected on CCL's requirements 

That's funny - I had to order mine from Harrisburg for the same reason. I had been carrying around the one Miseracordia Hospital gave my parents for decades - never realized it wasn't official until I needed a passport😂

[SNJCruisers]

41 minutes ago, snowballs mom said:

That's funny - I had to order mine from Harrisburg for the same reason. I had been carrying around the one Miseracordia Hospital gave my parents for decades - never realized it wasn't official until I needed a passport😂

Small world....born at Frankford Hospital in NE Philly.

[sparks1093]

7 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

 

 

I've used passports for 20+ years and I do know that the one to get your passport needs to have a raised seal because I had to pay to get a copy from Harrisburg PA.

But, I will stand corrected on CCL's requirements 

Yes, the requirements for obtaining a passport are different (including the form of the passport since the parents need to be listed) but different uses have different requirements. And to be clear these are the government's requirements, not CCL's. CCL can't make its own requirements.