Real id vs passport

[csoud68]

I have a passport and just ordered a real id...

 

Do I have to take both on a cruise? I am returning to Same port as I will be boarding.

[Buckeye_Siggy]

nope - you dont need both.  passport is good enough.

 

my family does take both and we keep separate. i hold on to the real id's and wife has passports. we figure this is a safeguard incase something happens and something were to get lost or stolen.

[csoud68]

Good idea..we can lock the passports in the room safe and know we always have those to fall back on in case a wallet or purse goes missing.

 

 

[sparks1093]

REAL ID really has nothing to do with cruising. Flying to a cruise, possibly (but a passport could be used if one didn't have REAL ID). Boarding the cruise, no. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

28 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

REAL ID really has nothing to do with cruising. Flying to a cruise, possibly (but a passport could be used if one didn't have REAL ID). Boarding the cruise, no. 

@sparks1093, thank you my friend for pointing out that a Real ID is not enough on its own to allow someone to board a cruise ship. 

 

 In addition to your Real ID, you would need your gov't issued US birth certificate.

FYI, a Real ID driver's license  is not an Enhanced Driver's License - please don't confuse the two.

 

@csoud68thank you for having a passport.  Folks get confused about what travel documents are needed to get on a cruise ship.  Please bring your passport on your cruise!

Edited March 25, 2022 by Ferry_Watcher

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

@sparks1093, thank you my friend for pointing out that a Real ID is not enough on its own to allow someone to board a cruise ship.  In addition to your Real ID, you would need your gov't issued US birth certificate.

FYI, a Real ID driver's license  is not an Enhanced Driver's License - please don't confuse the two.

 

@csoud68thank you for having a passport.  Folks get confused about what travel documents are needed to get on a cruise ship.  Please bring your passport on your cruise!

I've read a couple of stories on CC about folks showing up at the terminal with their REAL ID thinking that it was sufficient as a stand alone document (and making folks doing your job harder by becoming very insistent about it☹️). Fortunately for them they had enough time to have a copy of their birth cert faxed to the port. People confuse the two quite a bit (as I'm sure you've experienced).

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 minute ago, sparks1093 said:

I've read a couple of stories on CC about folks showing up at the terminal with their REAL ID thinking that it was sufficient as a stand alone document (and making folks doing your job harder by becoming very insistent about it☹️). Fortunately for them they had enough time to have a copy of their birth cert faxed to the port. People confuse the two quite a bit (as I'm sure you've experienced).

 

All true, my friend.  I am not looking forward to seeing the heartbreak of observing passengers being told that they can't board their ship because they did not bring documentation of citizenship (gov't issued birth certificate or better, their valid passport) 

 

And, not only will they be denied boarding, the cruise lines are under no obligation to refund their fee, nor the fees of their traveling companions who decided not to go on the cruise without their friend/family member who was denied boarding.  So it can be/will be a costly mistake not to bring a passport or a gov't issued US birth certificate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[teknoge3k]

I have read so many people in the cruise groups that have a RealID and think they have an EnhancedID. They state they have a star on their license, and think that's all they need. If you have an EnhancedID (NOT a RealID) then that's all you need. I can only imagine how many people show up at the port with a RealID thinking they have an EnhancedID. 

[satxdiver]

A passport is recognized by all countries of the world and is the best ID one can carry.  If you leave the country, by all means have a passport.  Present it anywhere and no other questions asked.  Get one and carry it.

[sanger727]

I’m not sure if the question was whether you need your DL in addition to the passport. Or the passport in addition to your DL. As stated, a real ID DL won’t get you on the ship. But I still wouldn’t take a trip without bringing it. You’ll need your passport to board. But a DL is such a convenient size to carry around with you. And you never know when an emergency could pop up where you need a second form of ID

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, teknoge3k said:

I have read so many people in the cruise groups that have a RealID and think they have an EnhancedID. They state they have a star on their license, and think that's all they need. If you have an EnhancedID (NOT a RealID) then that's all you need. I can only imagine how many people show up at the port with a RealID thinking they have an EnhancedID. 

Thank you @teknoge3k for pointing this out.

 

Onlu 5 US states offer Enhanced Driver's Licenses (ED'Ls) —

Michigan,

Minnesota,

New York,

Vermont,

Washington State. 

 These EDLs allow land and sea border crossings to Canada and  Mexico.  These Enhanced Driver's Licenses state very clearly at the top of the card "Enhanced Driver's License".  So as others have said, it doesn't matter if your state DL has a tree, or flag logo on it - unless you have a clearly designated Enhanced Driver's License from one of the 5 above listed states, you will need at the very least your gov't issued US birth certificate along with your gov't issued photo ID to board a closed loop cruise ship.

As always, having a current, valid passport is the best form of travel ID.

 

 

Edited March 25, 2022 by Ferry_Watcher

[cruisingguy007]

1 hour ago, teknoge3k said:

I have read so many people in the cruise groups that have a RealID and think they have an EnhancedID. They state they have a star on their license, and think that's all they need. If you have an EnhancedID (NOT a RealID) then that's all you need. I can only imagine how many people show up at the port with a RealID thinking they have an EnhancedID. 

 

That's because it actually takes more documents to get a real ID than getting a passport. When we got our passports, no proof of address documents (electric/banking/bills) are required. Plus they don't accept short form birth certificates, cruises do. Good old government efficiency for you. It should be enough on it's own but of course government had to go and complicate things by making a regular version and an enhanced version. They could have easily gave people the option to upgrade with a Fed background check fee (like when buying a firearm) but no, that would make too much sense. 🤬

Edited March 25, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[ontheweb]

8 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Thank you @teknoge3k for pointing this out.

 

Onlu 5 US states offer Enhanced Driver's Licenses (ED'Ls) —

Michigan,

Minnesota,

New York,

Vermont,

Washington State. 

 These EDLs allow land and sea border crossings to Canada and  Mexico.  These Enhanced Driver's Licenses state very clearly at the top of the card "Enhanced Driver's License".  So as others have said, it doesn't matter if your state DL has a tree, or flag logo on it - unless you have a clearly designated Enhanced Driver's License from one of the 5 above listed states, you will need at the very least your gov't issued US birth certificate along with your gov't issued photo ID to board a closed loop cruise ship.

As always, having a current, valid passport is the best form of travel ID.

 

 

When I (I am in NY state) renewed my driver's license I was asked if I wanted the enhanced license (for a fee). I replied I had a passport that at the time still was valid for 9 years. The answer I was given was there was no need for me to get the enhancement.

 

Moral of the story---a passport is all you need. It is the absolute best form of identification!

[sparks1093]

We use our EDLs for crossing the border that is 8 miles from my door, so we don't need to get our passports out of the safe deposit box. We got them once I realized how much the government charges to replace a naturalization certificate (at the time, $375, now $550), which is what DW has. We debated which document to obtain, the passport card or the EDL and decided to go with the EDL since we always have our license with us when we leave the house so it's one less thing to carry. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

55 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

We use our EDLs for crossing the border that is 8 miles from my door, so we don't need to get our passports out of the safe deposit box.

As a resident of Washington State, I  have a passport, as well as an Enhanced Driver's License.  The same is true for my family members.  The Enhanced Driver's License would allow me to just drive over the Canadian border, because I always have my driver's license with me.   Or, if my passport was being renewed and a great deal on an Alaska cruise popped up, I could take advantage of going without having to use my birth certificate. 

I do realize that most folks don't have the option for getting an Enhanced DL.  That being said, I still would encourage folks (especially adults) to get themselves a passport.  I know for some the cost is a bit off-putting, but when you price out the cost over the tens years it's good for, it really is a good deal.  And it opens up all sorts of possibilities for traveling.

[ngrund]

to add to this-

 

if for any reason you need to get on an airplane back to the US (not coming back in by land or sea) you need a passport

[Purvis1231]

A passport takes the place of REAL ID but REAL ID does not replace a passport. 

 

[ray98]

There is no Real ID vs Passport comparison to be made.  They have nothing in common.

 

[sparks1093]

3 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

As a resident of Washington State, I  have a passport, as well as an Enhanced Driver's License.  The same is true for my family members.  The Enhanced Driver's License would allow me to just drive over the Canadian border, because I always have my driver's license with me.   Or, if my passport was being renewed and a great deal on an Alaska cruise popped up, I could take advantage of going without having to use my birth certificate. 

I do realize that most folks don't have the option for getting an Enhanced DL.  That being said, I still would encourage folks (especially adults) to get themselves a passport.  I know for some the cost is a bit off-putting, but when you price out the cost over the tens years it's good for, it really is a good deal.  And it opens up all sorts of possibilities for traveling.

It only opens up possibilities for traveling if someone has the means. My son got a passport when he went off to college, just in case. Now he has an almost expired passport, two kids and a boat load of student debt. Travel outside the country is not in his foreseeable future (although not too far away we hope). Passports for us would have cost $850 when we started cruising and I just couldn't justify that for a 4 day cruise. And most of those passports would have only been good for 5 years. I encourage people to examine their risks and to make the decision that works best for them. Travel isn't a one sized fits all proposition and neither is travel documentation. (Case in point- I know a family of 4 that got passports to fly to Florida to go to Disney. They flew out of Montreal and saved money on the airfare even after springing for 2 adult and 2 kid passports. They had and have no other international travel planned.)

[Ferry_Watcher]

@sparks1093, I don't disagree with you regarding the upfront costs for passports, especially if needed for a family. 

In my case, my husband and I would have applied for our first passports at the same time.  As the passports expired, my husband would have been keeping his very current due to his work travel.  For me, I probably let it expire for a short period of time, then renewed it.  For each of our kids, we got them passports when they were toddlers, and kept up their passport renewals.  Long story short, each of our passports will expire at different dates/years, so the renewal cost are just for a single passport at any point in time.  But, as I said, I appreciate the cost burden of renewing, or just applying for a first passport for a couple or family group.

[Moviela]

A passport is the only document you need for travel. It is the gold standard. It can be used anywhere a Real ID is demanded. It is also useful "in country" for air travel, to enter federal buildings (except post offices), and whenever authorities compel identification. They used to be cheap and easy. Up to the mid eighties they were $10 all in for five years. Only about 7 million had them.  Then we got 10 years for $35. Still with "same day service" in major cities. After the turn of the Century they determined every community should have "officials" to take passport applications for first timers, for $30, and fees raised to $55 for the book. Then along came Mrs. Clinton at the State Department who determined her budget was too small, she doubled the fee to $110. She also managed to increase processing times to months.  Biden promised he would raise taxes, so a passport is now $130. First timers can add $35. There are now about 145 million passport holders in the US, and fees are about 19 billion dollars.

 

Despite being fleeced at every turn for travel, a passport is still worth the price of admission. Don't leave home without it!

[sparks1093]

9 hours ago, Moviela said:

A passport is the only document you need for travel. It is the gold standard. It can be used anywhere a Real ID is demanded. It is also useful "in country" for air travel, to enter federal buildings (except post offices), and whenever authorities compel identification. They used to be cheap and easy. Up to the mid eighties they were $10 all in for five years. Only about 7 million had them.  Then we got 10 years for $35. Still with "same day service" in major cities. After the turn of the Century they determined every community should have "officials" to take passport applications for first timers, for $30, and fees raised to $55 for the book. Then along came Mrs. Clinton at the State Department who determined her budget was too small, she doubled the fee to $110. She also managed to increase processing times to months.  Biden promised he would raise taxes, so a passport is now $130. First timers can add $35. There are now about 145 million passport holders in the US, and fees are about 19 billion dollars.

 

Despite being fleeced at every turn for travel, a passport is still worth the price of admission. Don't leave home without it!

Legislation was passed that mandated that government services that were only provided to a select group of people would be charged fees to offset the cost of the service instead of passing on those costs to the rest of the taxpaying public. Passports are one of those services and the fees collected by and large pay for the passport operation. I don't dispute that it is a valuable document (which is why ours sleep in our safe deposit box) but many people simply don't need them for the type of travel they can do.

[sparks1093]

18 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

@sparks1093, I don't disagree with you regarding the upfront costs for passports, especially if needed for a family. 

In my case, my husband and I would have applied for our first passports at the same time.  As the passports expired, my husband would have been keeping his very current due to his work travel.  For me, I probably let it expire for a short period of time, then renewed it.  For each of our kids, we got them passports when they were toddlers, and kept up their passport renewals.  Long story short, each of our passports will expire at different dates/years, so the renewal cost are just for a single passport at any point in time.  But, as I said, I appreciate the cost burden of renewing, or just applying for a first passport for a couple or family group.

Yes there are certainly ways of spreading the cost out. I am personally averse to spending money that I don't have to spend for something that I don't need. I've traveled quite extensively in my life without a passport so I guess maybe I don't hold them in the same thrall as others (US military, in case anyone is wondering). When we started cruising in 2009 we decided that our risk was low enough to warrant using birth certificate and ID (or naturalization certificate, for DW) until such time as we actually needed the passport for the travel. We knew in 2009 that we wanted to travel to Europe but we also knew that was some point in the future and that we'd never travel as a family there. That point came in 2015 when we flew to Germany to visit DW's natural family and we've been several times since. I also don't like to set a clock ticking earlier than it is needed so obtaining passports in 2009 would have started that clock ticking 6 years before it was needed. 

[Lane Hog]

Once Real ID is mandatory for things like airport security (deferred repeatedly by TSA, now March 2023), it wouldn't surprise me to see it become allowed for re-entry on a closed loop cruise.  But for now it doesn't.

[Moviela]

A new reason has been added to cruise with a passport. For 60 odd years I had to show my passport when re-entering the USA. Last week the passport holders were segregated from the folks with birth certificates in the Dome. There was no waiting for the passport crowd, simply step up to an iPad on a stick, it takes a picture, and your out the door in 10 seconds. 

 

The "show your papers" crowd waited in a long line snaking across the floor waiting to be checked before leaving.