Passport Not Required for Miami Closed-Loop Cruises - New Policy

[CruisingWalter]

Got a notice from my TA that VV has updated their travel document policy for Miami Closed-Loop cruises to basically match the other cruise lines. Passport recommended but you can now sail with a birth certificate and Driver's License along with other options. This is what they sent at the new policy that dropped yesterday. I still don't see it on the website in the FAQ but this is what they said is now the policy:

 

HERE IS THE UPDATE:

 

Passports are HIGHLY recommended. If we change ports for some reason or there is an emergency that keeps the sailor in another country-they will need passports. We can honor exceptions for closed-loop voyages departing from Miami only, however, the Sailor must make sure they bring both of the following:

Or one of the below combinations of documents :

 

• Original or copy of your state-issued birth certificate AND a physical Government-issued photo ID 
  • Puerto Rico birth certificates issued prior to July 1, 2010,  are not acceptable
  • Hospital-issued birth certificates are not acceptable

 

• Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State AND a physical Government-issued photo ID

 

• Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by US Citizenship and Immigration Services AND a physical Government-issued photo ID

[AdoraBelle]

Hope this doesn't bring in the more obnoxious segment of the party crowd.

[Fogcityca13]

I just hope it doesn’t slow down embarkation and disembarkation. I’ve always traveled with a passport, but remember RCCL had a separate check in for passport holders. 

[cantgetin]

Some lines also have separate lines for non-US citizens.  The intent is not to be discriminatory, but to allow the lines for those with the easiest documents to proceed quickly.  And I agree with separate lines for separate situations.

[_tacocat_]

1 hour ago, AdoraBelle said:

Hope this doesn't bring in the more obnoxious segment of the party crowd.

lol you read my mind.  i saw a post on FB that said "good, now they're in line with the mainstream lines," and had to delete my reply before i submitted it twice to maintain any semblance of civility hahaha 

[cantgetin]

2 hours ago, _tacocat_ said:

lol you read my mind.  i saw a post on FB that said "good, now they're in line with the mainstream lines," and had to delete my reply before i submitted it twice to maintain any semblance of civility hahaha 

I don't do short cruises out of Miami, so this part won't affect me.....ha ha...

[TeresaJ]

5 hours ago, AdoraBelle said:

Hope this doesn't bring in the more obnoxious segment of the party crowd.

Are you saying the party crowd doesn't carry a passport? I'm confused.

[CineGraphic]

11 hours ago, CruisingWalter said:

copy of your state-issued birth certificate

 

This concerns me. I was always under the impression that it must be an official copy, not just a xerox.

 

I never sail without a passport anyways, because I know what happens if you find yourself stuck somewhere without one.

 

[_tacocat_]

2 hours ago, TeresaJ said:

Are you saying the party crowd doesn't carry a passport? I'm confused.

Not the OP, but I think it’s pretty common on say, Carnival, to have people sailing on just a birth cert and license, and Carnival is widely known for basically being cheap booze cruises.
 

On the same FB thread i mentioned before, the always-a-birth-cert people were snapping at others who told them that it would be a good idea to have a passport because “why should 2 people pay an extra few hundred dollars on top of the cruise fare when I don’t actually need to spend that money” 🤦‍♀️ 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

 

So yes, the party crowd has a reputation (deserved or not) as the “cheapo” crowd, and therefore the no passport crowd.

[Fogcityca13]

1 hour ago, CineGraphic said:

 

This concerns me. I was always under the impression that it must be an official copy, not just a xerox.

 

I never sail without a passport anyways, because I know what happens if you find yourself stuck somewhere without one.

 

That’s my impression as well. I think the official copy has the raised seal.

 

I promised a customs agent that I would get a passport. My ex and I flew back from Mexico in December 2006, got a good lecture about how I was cutting it too close to the deadline.

[CineGraphic]

1 minute ago, Fogcityca13 said:

That’s my impression as well. I think the official copy has the raised seal.

 

Every state is different, which just makes matters worse.

This could cause delays checking in, or even being result in being denied boarding if they don't accept your birth certificate for any reason.

If you find yourself left in another port without a passport, you'll spend more than your cruise fare getting emergency passports, hotels, and last minute flights back home. Not worth it.

[cantgetin]

THey think they will save money by not getting passports, but in reality the hassle they will deal with in an emergency will make them wish they had spent it up front.  An emergency passport is the same cost as a standard passport, but it good for only one admission to the US.  After that, it can be exchanged for a standard passport good 10 years from date of issue of the emergency document.

Just make your lives easy and get the standard passport.  It is worth the lime saving in line if nothing else.  

[_tacocat_]

14 hours ago, cantgetin said:

An emergency passport is the same cost as a standard passport, but it good for only one admission to the US.  After that, it can be exchanged for a standard passport good 10 years from date of issue of the emergency document.

i was actually wondering what this process was as soon as they announced the no passport.  i have  basically had a passport since i was evicted from the womb, so i've never had to worry about it. 

 

i thought you had to find your embassy wherever you were and get someone to basically bring you across the border hahah.  i never knew an emergency passport existed - i learned something new today!

[lisabucsfan1]

FWIW when we cruised last month, we didn't even show a passport at customs when we disembarked in Miami. They have a little thing that you look into and if you are recognized they just wave you on through. I've NEVER seen the customs line that short - I mean it was really non-existent. So, if you don't have a passport or have any other way of getting that scan thing done (maybe the new drivers license has it?) then you'd be waiting in a line?

[cantgetin]

4 minutes ago, _tacocat_ said:

i was actually wondering what this process was as soon as they announced the no passport.  i have  basically had a passport since i was evicted from the womb, so i've never had to worry about it. 

 

i thought you had to find your embassy wherever you were and get someone to basically bring you across the border hahah.  i never knew an emergency passport existed - i learned something new today!

To get an emergency passport, you need to contact the embassy or consulate in the country where you are "stuck," and they will process the emergency passport.  They can also process a replacement if your passport is lost or stolen while traveling--it helps if you have a photo or otherwise copy of the passport.  They obviously don't want people to decide to "risk it" which is why the emergency passport costs the same as a regular passport. 

 

I've had a passport for  almost 50 years, and I have a hunch that my birth certificate burned up 20 years ago when my parent's home burned.  I've used my passport for everything that required "official" ID since I completed my formal education.  The state where I was born charges almost as much and takes almost as long to get a replacement birth certificate as it costs for a passport, and I've seen no sense in getting the BC.  

[CineGraphic]

15 minutes ago, lisabucsfan1 said:

They have a little thing that you look into and if you are recognized they just wave you on through. I've NEVER seen the customs line that short

 

This must have been on another cruise line as there are no facial recognition station in Virgin's Miami terminal.

[CineGraphic]

13 minutes ago, cantgetin said:

I have a hunch that my birth certificate burned up 20 years ago when my parent's home burned. 

 

The Department of Vital Statistics lost my birth certificate, so I have a letter from them stating such. Getting my first passport was a tad difficult because of this, so I'll never let it expire. Renewals are a breeze.

Edited June 22, 2023 by CineGraphic

[lisabucsfan1]

1 hour ago, CineGraphic said:

 

This must have been on another cruise line as there are no facial recognition station in Virgin's Miami terminal.

 

UMMMM .... I literally just did it last month (May 26th to be exact). So maybe the ONE day I was disembarking they were testing it out. I promise you I was not on another cruise line.

[CineGraphic]

31 minutes ago, lisabucsfan1 said:

 

UMMMM .... I literally just did it last month (May 26th to be exact). So maybe the ONE day I was disembarking they were testing it out. I promise you I was not on another cruise line.

 

Interesting......and the system compares your face to your passport photo.

https://www.cbp.gov/frontline/cbp-biometric-testing

Edited June 22, 2023 by CineGraphic

[Fogcityca13]

1 hour ago, lisabucsfan1 said:

 

UMMMM .... I literally just did it last month (May 26th to be exact). So maybe the ONE day I was disembarking they were testing it out. I promise you I was not on another cruise line.

This is the second time I’ve heard someone say that they had facial recognition tech at Terminal V. This is certainly a surprise. 
 

I wonder if they have a simi-portable system that boarder control is testing out. 

[neverendingcruising]

It's probably this program:

 

https://thepointsguy.com/news/cbp-facial-recognition-us-cruise-ports/

[dusty bottoms]

Just in case, take your passport because stuff happens.

[Cloud9 Bob]

I just disembarked in Miami from Scarlet Lady June 04 and it was facial recognition. Never touched my passport and got waved right through.

[CruisingWalter]

7 hours ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

I just disembarked in Miami from Scarlet Lady June 04 and it was facial recognition. Never touched my passport and got waved right through.

 

That is definitely VERY recent. We sailed Scarlet in April and had to wait in the long line as Customs went through our Passports. We were commenting how odd it was for a brand new terminal to not have facial scanning when Royal and others in Miami have it. 

[CruisingWalter]

On 6/21/2023 at 9:52 PM, CineGraphic said:

This concerns me. I was always under the impression that it must be an official copy, not just a xerox.

 

I thought that was odd that they specifically mention 'copy' and not 'original' with the birth certificate. We'll have to see how that plays out in practice. We've cruised almost 20 years, never without a passport. 

 

And kudos for 'xerox.' Haven't heard anyone use that word for copies in a long time. 🙂