Do we need a passport?

[Oceansaway17]

2 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

They could by they have not. Why did they make the exception? What has changed that they would change the exception? 

One day Homeland security might just want to get involved for whatever reason.

 

I for one (to change the topic slightly) do not understand why Europe is now going to in a year or so make it a requirement USA citizens to pay travel visas.  I know we charge them, but not sure why now things will change for USA folks.

[Charles4515]

4 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

One day Homeland security might just want to get involved for whatever reason.

 

I for one (to change the topic slightly) do not understand why Europe is now going to in a year or so make it a requirement USA citizens to pay travel visas.  I know we charge them, but not sure why now things will change for USA folks.

 

Homeland Security is involved. They determined  cruise passengers are low risk.

 

As for the European requirement I think likely it is  tit for tat. They are requiring them because the US has been requiring them. 

[rolloman]

1 hour ago, BND said:

And, if they started being required,  they would come up with the money if they wanted to cruise, correct?  This is my personal opinion.  No group here.  I think it's a horrible assumption to think that so many people can't afford passports.  I think you're making a lot of assumptions about people without any data.  You're basically doing the "elitist" group think.  Those poor people are just lucky to be cruising type thinking.  How many people cruising do you think fit in the category you mentioned?  I'd hazard to say less than 10%.   After 35 cruises, we have met many people and they pretty much all are very comfortable financially.   Everyone has to choose how to spend their money, but I see some who justify what they do by whining.

 

Alcohol packages aren't required either, yet plenty of people buy them, some of who probably don't have the money, but want to drink all day.

Well I have a hundred (100) cruises if you want to brag...and I have met many who were happy after scrimping to be on their first cruise. As a matter of fact just last week while onboard I had some lady come up to me and say she wanted an omelet but couldn't afford it and I happily mentioned to her they were free. With my current position, I know first hand...yes...first hand...there are quite a few passengers who save for their cruise. There is no way the cruise lines will advocate to have the birth certificate rule changed as you propose. Next time you get off a ship watch how many people go through the birth certificate line in customs vs. passport. That should open your eyes. Well, then again, maybe not yours as you are desperately trying to work in the "they have to be birth certificate drunks with a drink package angle"

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

On 1/3/2023 at 10:08 AM, JEN5508 said:

We leave on June 11th out of Pt Canaveral and travel to St Thomas, St Maarten & Coco Cay Bahamas.

Do you? No.  Should you? Yes.  We were just on the Thanksgiving week sailing of the Wonder and we had to divert to San Juan to off load a stroke victim and his three sons.  Luckily it's a US port so probably not an issue.  Had we been further south maybe would have been an issue.  Second, when you debark at PC if you have a USPP they use facial reorganization to clear you.  You don't even show your passport book, just look into the camera, get a green light, and get your luggage.  Two people in line in front of us getting off the ship.  The other line, "government ID and birth certificates" not so lucky.  

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

Why would they?

 Same reason they keep trying to get everybody to get a Real ID, national security.  

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

1 hour ago, Oceansaway17 said:

One day Homeland security might just want to get involved for whatever reason.

DHS is already involved who do you think those CBP officers work for?  

[S.A.M.J.R.]

How many of those saying "everyone should have a passport!" self insure their trip? 

 

Why don't people get so worked up over folks who don't have trip insurance?  Is that also not a good thing to have "in case things go wrong"?  What's the difference? 

 

Don't give me "you can travel elsewhere with a passport"  You can travel all over the US, find heat, cold, history, beaches, everything you can find throughout the world and NEVER need a passport. 

[time4u2go]

8 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

 

 

Don't give me "you can travel elsewhere with a passport"  You can travel all over the US, find heat, cold, history, beaches, everything you can find throughout the world and NEVER need a passport. 

You're joking, right?

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by time4u2go

[BND]

37 minutes ago, rolloman said:

Well I have a hundred (100) cruises if you want to brag...and I have met many who were happy after scrimping to be on their first cruise. As a matter of fact just last week while onboard I had some lady come up to me and say she wanted an omelet but couldn't afford it and I happily mentioned to her they were free. With my current position, I know first hand...yes...first hand...there are quite a few passengers who save for their cruise. There is no way the cruise lines will advocate to have the birth certificate rule changed as you propose. Next time you get off a ship watch how many people go through the birth certificate line in customs vs. passport. That should open your eyes. Well, then again, maybe not yours as you are desperately trying to work in the "they have to be birth certificate drunks with a drink package angle"

I have never seen a long line for BC/ID.  I did not "propose" anything about changing the rules  I said it's possible and can happen lol.   My eyes are just fine.  You are really defensive about all of this.  Seriously?  Just because someone said they can't "afford" an omelet doesn't mean anything except that they didn't do ANY research lol.  Did she just randomly find you and tell you that?  That's kind of weird. Wow, do you attract people who are needy? Desperately lol.  Just making a statement based on many posts on here about the drink package and how important it appears to be to so many.  So much to unpack lololol

Edited January 5, 2023 by BND

[BND]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Homeland Security is involved. They determined  cruise passengers are low risk.

 

As for the European requirement I think likely it is  tit for tat. They are requiring them because the US has been requiring them. 

Do you remember the single (as in one) shoe bomber who changed all the rules about what you can carry onboard a flight?  It doesn't take much to change how things are done.

 

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by BND

[Charles4515]

11 minutes ago, BND said:

I have never seen a long line for BC/ID.  I did not "propose" anything about changing the rules  I said it's possible and can happen lol.   My eyes are just fine.  You are really defensive about all of this.  Seriously?  Just because someone said they can't "afford" an omelet doesn't mean anything except that they didn't do ANY research lol.  Did she just randomly find you and tell you that?  That's kind of weird. Wow, do you attract people who are needy? Desperately lol.  Just making a statement based on many posts on here about the drink package and how important it appears to be to so many.  So much to unpack lololol

I met someone at the end of a cruise who always ate in the buffet because they thought the MDR was extra. 

[BND]

1 minute ago, Charles4515 said:

I met someone at the end of a cruise who always ate in the buffet because they thought the MDR was extra. 

That's just lack of research.  

[Charles4515]

17 minutes ago, BND said:

Do you remember the single (as in one) shoe bomber who changed all the rules about what you can carry onboard a flight?  It doesn't take much to change how things are done.

 

 

Certainly something could change the way things are done. It won’t change because OCD Cruise Critic members can’t stand the fact that people can cruise some itineraries without passports and that people actually do cruise without passports. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

1 hour ago, time4u2go said:

You're joking, right?

 

Nope, one can travel to MULTIPLE places in the US, never get on a plane, and have wonderful vacations.  There's nothing REALLY "special" about other countries that requires anyone to go (for vacation).   And I say this as someone who has been out of the country.  Were the trips nice?  Yes.  Did I see some "neat" things?  Sure.  Could I have seen "neat" things in the US?  Absolutely.  Would my life be any "less" if I didn't get to go?  Nope.

[time4u2go]

2 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Nope, one can travel to MULTIPLE places in the US, never get on a plane, and have wonderful vacations.  There's nothing REALLY "special" about other countries that requires anyone to go (for vacation).   And I say this as someone who has been out of the country.  Were the trips nice?  Yes.  Did I see some "neat" things?  Sure.  Could I have seen "neat" things in the US?  Absolutely.  Would my life be any "less" if I didn't get to go?  Nope.

I don't disagree that you can have wonderful vacations in the US, but that's not what you originally said.  You stated that in the US, you can find "everything you can find throughout the world".

[BND]

52 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

Certainly something could change the way things are done. It won’t change because OCD Cruise Critic members can’t stand the fact that people can cruise some itineraries without passports and that people actually do cruise without passports. 

Okay, so now you're diagnosing people online that you have never met.   Why does me saying it "could" happen bother you so much?  Maybe you should check into that.  I'm getting such a kick out of this thread.  I haven't laughed this hard in a while.

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by BND

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

1 hour ago, BND said:

I have never seen a long line for BC/ID.  

Obviously you weren't on our Thanksgiving week cruise that debarked at Port Canaveral or our July Navigator of the Seas that debarked at San Pedro.  

[Charles4515]

3 minutes ago, BND said:

Okay, so now you're diagnosing people online that you have never met.   Why does me saying it "could" happen bother you so much?  Maybe you should check into that.  I'm getting such a kick out of this thread.  I haven't laughed this hard in a while.

 

I am not bothered that it could happen. Saying it could happen is meaningless. The last time the matter was taken up Homeland Security determined that cruise passengers leaving from an US port and returning to the same port were low risk. There is no indication that they are reviewing the policy. The mainstream mass market cruise lines are not going to require a passport. Certainly the current policies are not written in stone. Maybe Homeland security will change their determination. There have been many changes over the years. You seem to be part of a group of people who are overly bothered that people can cruise without a passport. I don’t think is is wise but a lot of people do unwise things. The fact though is that people can travel on closed loop cruises without a passport. 

[alfaeric]

12 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Nope, one can travel to MULTIPLE places in the US, never get on a plane, and have wonderful vacations.  There's nothing REALLY "special" about other countries that requires anyone to go (for vacation).   And I say this as someone who has been out of the country.  Were the trips nice?  Yes.  Did I see some "neat" things?  Sure.  Could I have seen "neat" things in the US?  Absolutely.  Would my life be any "less" if I didn't get to go?  Nope.

By that measure of "special", there's also nothing REALLY "special" in the US, as well.  Just stay in your county and vacation at home. 

 

If one thinks NYC and Paris are the equal, or Dallas and London are the equal, or Chicago and Rome are the equal, well... why cruise at all?  It's a lot cheaper and easier to go to the many beaches on the Gulf Coast than CocoCay.  I'm sure one can find a dolphin encounter on the coast somewhere.  If a passport is that much of a financial burden, I've tent camped for a song along the many beaches along the Gulf Coast and East Coast.

 

By your measure, there's nothing special on a cruise vs driving to stuff in the US.

 

In terms of closed loop cruises, that's also kind of restrictive, too.  But if all one wants is to visit the islands on the closed loop cruises out of the US, find the same beaches along the thousands of miles of coastline found in the US.

 

There's a lot of world out there that isn't the US.  But if people just want to encounter themselves, that's fine....  

[S.A.M.J.R.]

41 minutes ago, alfaeric said:

By that measure of "special", there's also nothing REALLY "special" in the US, as well.  Just stay in your county and vacation at home. 

 

If one thinks NYC and Paris are the equal, or Dallas and London are the equal, or Chicago and Rome are the equal, well... why cruise at all?  It's a lot cheaper and easier to go to the many beaches on the Gulf Coast than CocoCay.  I'm sure one can find a dolphin encounter on the coast somewhere.  If a passport is that much of a financial burden, I've tent camped for a song along the many beaches along the Gulf Coast and East Coast.

 

By your measure, there's nothing special on a cruise vs driving to stuff in the US.

 

In terms of closed loop cruises, that's also kind of restrictive, too.  But if all one wants is to visit the islands on the closed loop cruises out of the US, find the same beaches along the thousands of miles of coastline found in the US.

 

There's a lot of world out there that isn't the US.  But if people just want to encounter themselves, that's fine....  

My point, that I did not express well, is there is no "requirement" that people travel internationally.  They can have perfectly fine vacations in the US and therefore not require a passport.  

 

I'm *NOT* saying no one should travel internationally.  People should do what THEY want to do, and not allow others to force them to do something they don't want to do.

[alfaeric]

33 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

My point, that I did not express well, is there is no "requirement" that people travel internationally.  They can have perfectly fine vacations in the US and therefore not require a passport.  

 

I'm *NOT* saying no one should travel internationally.  People should do what THEY want to do, and not allow others to force them to do something they don't want to do.

There's not a requirement to cruise, too.  You can have perfectly fine vacations that don't require cruising.  

 

All of this is voluntary.

 

If you JUST want to go on a cruise, fine.  But what are the odds that you just want to do one closed loop cruise for the next decade?

 

BTW, the requirement to have a passport on closed loop cruises is an agreement between our government and the governments of the islands in the Caribbean.  It's not a one sided thing.  Just like Canada is ok with people driving across the border w/o a full passport, but they do require it for flying in.  

[Homosassa]

On 1/3/2023 at 9:27 PM, long4acruise said:

Yes!  Just ask the 100+ would-be Princess holiday cruisers who supposedly said they were told they didn't need a passport. Sadly they were denied boarding and were quite upset. This sad story was constantly repeated on all our local TV channels.

Journalism at its finest.

 

The number of passengers affected  was actually twenty four. Twenty four out of the approximate three thousand passengers did have the correct documentation for the cruise.

 

And BS on the story was called by those of us familiar with Princess notifications of documentation needed for a specific cruise itinerary. 

 

If nothing else when all the other information provided by Princess was ignored, on line check in for that particular itinerary would not have worked with a birth certificate.

 

Remember, the allowance for a birth certificate and government ID for US cruisers on a closed loop tour is only the US requirement for reentering the US.

 

Other countries have the right to require passports for cruisers and there are countries in the Caribbean, South America, and Central America that do.

 

Maybe in denial of what was being told to them in writing about the passport requirement, a call was made to Princess customer service and the question was "Do I need a passport for a closed loop Caribbean cruise?" 

 

Short answer would be no.

 

However, if the person had also stated that their Caribbean cruise included Martinique, Guadeloupe,  and Cartagena (Colombia) as was the case for the Princess cruise, they would have been told the correct information.

 

Princess also requires passports for all people on a reservation when it is a single adult (parent or guardian) traveling with under age children

 

So be a savvy cruiser. Remember that one must always check the ports of call for a cruise for the requirements for the country one is visiting.  Cruise line websites always has this information available for the ports of call for their ships.

 

There are also cruise lines that  require passports for any of their itineraries.

 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

1 hour ago, alfaeric said:

There's not a requirement to cruise, too.  You can have perfectly fine vacations that don't require cruising.  

 

All of this is voluntary.

 

If you JUST want to go on a cruise, fine.  But what are the odds that you just want to do one closed loop cruise for the next decade?

 

BTW, the requirement to have a passport on closed loop cruises is an agreement between our government and the governments of the islands in the Caribbean.  It's not a one sided thing.  Just like Canada is ok with people driving across the border w/o a full passport, but they do require it for flying in.  

Well, it's not just what one WANTS to do, it's what one is ABLE (whether with time off and/or money) to do also.  

 

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

18 hours ago, time4u2go said:

  You stated that in the US, you can find "everything you can find throughout the world".

Where in the US can I find 1000 year old history or even 500 year old?  

[Charles4515]

19 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

Where in the US can I find 1000 year old history or even 500 year old?  

Colorado and Arizona.