Always Travel with a Passport on Your Cruise--Even if You Don't Need One

[Z'Loth]

From my perspective, it's is amusing how some "frugal" (or should I say "cheap") people would be willing to subject themselves to immense difficulties just to save a few dollars whether it be to avoid getting a passport, taking a "red eye" flight on the same day as you board the ship instead of flying in the day before and taking a hotel room, or skipping travel insurance. This short-sightedness may work "most" of the time, but there is always that "one-time" when Murphy decides to show up and that "frugal" short-sightedness ends up costing you more... much more. 

 

Go ahead, laugh at me for not only having a passport, but also having Global Entry which includes TSA PreCheck that has ended up being barely used because it was obtained just before the travel world was turned upside-down. Who knows what opportunities may come up in the next few years? Like a good scout, I am prepared with my passport and my global entry card. 

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Z'Loth said:

Go ahead, laugh at me for not only having a passport, but also having Global Entry which includes TSA PreCheck that has ended up being barely used because it was obtained just before the travel world was turned upside-down. Who knows what opportunities may come up in the next few years? Like a good scout, I am prepared with my passport and my global entry card. 

I have had Global Entry for years and honestly it never saved me any time. I traveled often with a friend who never got it and we always got through customs and immigration at the same time. Since I have two credit card that will pay the cost I got the card but otherwise I probably would not have bothered with the fee. PreCheck with comes with Global Entry is definitly worth it for me not because it saves time but because you usually go through the metal scanner not the machine that sends waves at you and I always end up with them wanding me and touching me after going through that thing. That everyone should get a passport and use it on cruises is common sense but there have been situations that have been posted here where people wanted a passport but it either had not arrived, they could not find it, or it had expired and they had not paid attention to the date. Should we tell them not to travel when they are on an itinerary where they could with a birth certificate? The odds are they would have no issues. Millions are cruising with a birth certificate. When the regulations were being made back in 2008 CBP said they had procedures in place if citizens had an emergency on a  cruise and didn't have a passport. Maybe someday they will revisit that regulation. Regulations and treatys are not forever and have been modified a bunch of times.

[KarlK]

2 hours ago, Z'Loth said:

From my perspective, it's is amusing how some "frugal" (or should I say "cheap") people would be willing to subject themselves to immense difficulties just to save a few dollars whether it be to avoid getting a passport, taking a "red eye" flight on the same day as you board the ship instead of flying in the day before and taking a hotel room, or skipping travel insurance. This short-sightedness may work "most" of the time, but there is always that "one-time" when Murphy decides to show up and that "frugal" short-sightedness ends up costing you more... much more. 

 

Go ahead, laugh at me for not only having a passport, but also having Global Entry which includes TSA PreCheck that has ended up being barely used because it was obtained just before the travel world was turned upside-down. Who knows what opportunities may come up in the next few years? Like a good scout, I am prepared with my passport and my global entry card. 

To each there own. You described me perfect, no passport, no room cost night before, no specialty dining, no drinks on board, little to no shopping, self tip, no casino. I am not ashamed on being a cheapskate, it has afforded me to take a cruise 🙂

[sparks1093]

5 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

Millions of US citizens also wear seat belts when driving, have fire extinguishers in their homes and own handguns for self-defense purposes. Millions have no issues necessitating their use but few that actually do really, really need them.

It's still low risk and a personal decision to make. 

[sparks1093]

4 hours ago, capriccio said:

Of course it is only a recommendation; it couldn't be a requirement unless the WHTI was abolished or all cruise lines instituted their own requirements for traveling with a passport (as a few of them do already).  As to determining if the requirement can be waived, isn't that a function of the Department of Homeland Security's US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)?  So another government agency would be involved.

 

What would really be "well and good" is if people would actually avail themselves of pertinent information before leaving home.  While I don't think anyone except the State Department knows how many emergency passports are issued in a given year - much less to cruisers - everyone should understand that their 'emergency' may not constitute an emergency in the eyes of the local (if it is even local on Caribbean islands) embassy or consulate.

 

My experience with all this was as the spouse of a lowly foreign service officer posted in a major European capital years ago as a political officer.  All non-consular officers below the rank of a section head had after hours consular duties for a week in rotation (one officer per week so luckily in his case at a large embassy it was months between assignment).  It was exhausting and challenging in equal measure and absolutely mind boggling the trouble that people got into from the laughable ("will my fine for not getting a bus ticket go on my 'permanent record'?) to heartbreaking (a high school student on a school trip tried to visit girls on another floor of the hotel by using a bed sheet to climb down from his balcony to their balcony and it didn't work like it does in the movies).  It only took a mostly sleepless week (because he still had to report for his 'regular' day job) of emergency consular duties to understand the unanimous opinion (with the knowledge that would never happen) that applicants should need to take a test for a passport just like a driver's license!

Actually it is a joint function between CBP and State, but this would be something worked out between the cruise line/port agent and their government liaison. As I understand it the traveler waits for that process to conclude. Yes, people should educate themselves and I am sure that there are people (probably many people) who find out they don't need a passport and do no further research to determine if it is something they should actually do, but fortunately for them the odds still work in their favor. If they make the wrong choice that's on them. 

[sparks1093]

3 hours ago, Z'Loth said:

From my perspective, it's is amusing how some "frugal" (or should I say "cheap") people would be willing to subject themselves to immense difficulties just to save a few dollars whether it be to avoid getting a passport, taking a "red eye" flight on the same day as you board the ship instead of flying in the day before and taking a hotel room, or skipping travel insurance. This short-sightedness may work "most" of the time, but there is always that "one-time" when Murphy decides to show up and that "frugal" short-sightedness ends up costing you more... much more. 

 

Go ahead, laugh at me for not only having a passport, but also having Global Entry which includes TSA PreCheck that has ended up being barely used because it was obtained just before the travel world was turned upside-down. Who knows what opportunities may come up in the next few years? Like a good scout, I am prepared with my passport and my global entry card. 

"...willing to possibly subjecting themselves to immense difficulties..." might be a more appropriate way to put it, because the difficulties are only going to arise if something goes wrong. Some people have no choice when it comes to taking the red eye flight, they don't have the ability to travel the day before. So they aren't being shortsighted at all, just living their own reality. I'm not going to laugh at you for having all of that documentation, it's your money and you can spend it as you choose. As long as you feel good about your decision that is all that matters. 

 

When we started cruising it would have cost us around $850 for passports for a 4 day cruise. DW and I knew we wanted to travel internationally, but we didn't know when that would be so after doing all of the research we decided that the risk was low enough to warrant going with passports. That was in 2009. We finally got passports in 2015 when we finally had the opportunity to travel internationally by air. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

As someone who checks in folks on closed loop cruises to Alaska, I can say that having a passport makes the entire process so easy.  It's a visual check for making sure the person presenting the passport is the same individual pictured in the passport.  Then it's a quick tablet scan, or a swipe at the check-in counter.  The machines fill in, or corrects any missing information (like a middle name).  We then make sure there is a credit card on file, and that there is an emergency contact phone number, and then the passenger is on their way.

 

Enhance Driver's license's are easy too, as long as they are truly an EDL (only available from MI, MN, NY, VT, & WA).  These licenses have a bar code and it is a quick swipe or scan.  Folks from other states who have a Real ID DL will sometimes confuse the two, and at that point we are working with the passengers (who showed up at the pier with just their Real ID DL), helping them figure out how to get a copy of their US birth certificate from home electronically sent to them so we can print it out.

 

Traveling with a US birth certificate is fine - they just take additional time to process.

 

I do have to say that the majority of passengers that sail out of Seattle do have passports.  Each season we seem to have fewer folks traveling with birth certificates, and when we do see BCs often times it is because their passport had expired, or that their renewed passport didn't arrive in time for their cruise.

 

At the end of the day, everyone who has the correct and necessary citizenship documents will be on the cruise ship.

Edited December 30, 2023 by Ferry_Watcher

[sparks1093]

2 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

I have had Global Entry for years and honestly it never saved me any time. I traveled often with a friend who never got it and we always got through customs and immigration at the same time. Since I have two credit card that will pay the cost I got the card but otherwise I probably would not have bothered with the fee. PreCheck with comes with Global Entry is definitly worth it for me not because it saves time but because you usually go through the metal scanner not the machine that sends waves at you and I always end up with them wanding me and touching me after going through that thing. That everyone should get a passport and use it on cruises is common sense but there have been situations that have been posted here where people wanted a passport but it either had not arrived, they could not find it, or it had expired and they had not paid attention to the date. Should we tell them not to travel when they are on an itinerary where they could with a birth certificate? The odds are they would have no issues. Millions are cruising with a birth certificate. When the regulations were being made back in 2008 CBP said they had procedures in place if citizens had an emergency on a  cruise and didn't have a passport. Maybe someday they will revisit that regulation. Regulations and treatys are not forever and have been modified a bunch of times.

When the regulations were written DHS determined that a US citizen on a closed loop cruise (as defined) presented a very low risk to the national security and it was that determination, and that determination alone, that led to the exception for closed loop cruises. I don't think there is any danger of it changing until something happens to change that determination. 

[Kristelle]

8 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

Millions of US citizens also wear seat belts when driving, have fire extinguishers in their homes and own handguns for self-defense purposes. Millions have no issues necessitating their use but few that actually do really, really need them.

 

 but isnt that the same as others are saying - leaving aside legal requirements, one decides one's level of risk vs benifit

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, Kristelle said:

 

 but isnt that the same as others are saying - leaving aside legal requirements, one decides one's level of risk vs benifit

That is the logical thought pattern;  however the path frequently taken is simply the less expensive one - which saves not only dollars but the effort required to make an informed decision.

[Kristelle]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

That is the logical thought pattern;  however the path frequently taken is simply the less expensive one - which saves not only dollars but the effort required to make an informed decision.

 

 

 that is same thing - one decides on risk vs benifit - and part of deciding benifit of anything is whether the cost is worth paying for or the risk is worth taking.

[sparks1093]

9 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

That is the logical thought pattern;  however the path frequently taken is simply the less expensive one - which saves not only dollars but the effort required to make an informed decision.

Yes, many people do that, but so what? If things go badly for them it only affects them. It is still a legitimate choice to make regardless of what decision making process is used. Instead of saying something like "if you can't afford a passport you shouldn't take a cruise" give posters food for thought instead- "before deciding that you should forego a passport think about this" (which may result in a counter point being made, but that's how CC works). And even intelligent people can look at the decision and after careful thought make a different decision based on their travel needs. The passport is king of travel documents most definitely. But some people only need a queen or jack for the type of travel they are undertaking.

Edited December 31, 2023 by sparks1093

[K32682]

People who travel to foreign countries without passports fall into the same category as people who travel without sufficient means to get home in the event of disruptions or flight cancellations. Dunderheads for whom I have little sympathy when they whine about being stranded. 

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, K32682 said:

People who travel to foreign countries without passports fall into the same category as people who travel without sufficient means to get home in the event of disruptions or flight cancellations. Dunderheads for whom I have little sympathy when they whine about being stranded. 

About once or twice a year a year the media reports about someone who had issues. Last one I recall about took their passport with them off the ship and got pickpocketed. I do have sympathy for them because they were follwing advice to always carry their passport. They unfortunately told the ship who put them off. They should have waited until the end to tell the ship. 

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, K32682 said:

People who travel to foreign countries without passports fall into the same category as people who travel without sufficient means to get home in the event of disruptions or flight cancellations. Dunderheads for whom I have little sympathy when they whine about being stranded. 

I'm sure they don't care about your opinion. People make choices every day and sometimes they choose wrong. A 3 day cruise to the Bahamas is far different than a 14 day cruise.

Edited December 31, 2023 by sparks1093

[sparks1093]

16 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

About once or twice a year a year the media reports about someone who had issues. Last one I recall about took their passport with them off the ship and got pickpocketed. I do have sympathy for them because they were follwing advice to always carry their passport. They unfortunately told the ship who put them off. They should have waited until the end to tell the ship. 

Yes, passengers are required to have proof of identity and citizenship in their possession throughout the voyage.

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, K32682 said:

People who travel to foreign countries without passports fall into the same category as people who travel without sufficient means to get home in the event of disruptions or flight cancellations. Dunderheads for whom I have little sympathy when they whine about being stranded. 

I consider myself a dunderhead for spending $1000+ on passports for my family for a 3 night cruise to the Bahamas on our first cruise. By the time we needed them again the kids needed new ones. Now that they are young adults they have passports that they actually use.

[K32682]

3 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I consider myself a dunderhead for spending $1000+ on passports for my family for a 3 night cruise to the Bahamas on our first cruise. By the time we needed them again the kids needed new ones. Now that they are young adults they have passports that they actually use.

 

It falls into the same category as travel insurance, fire extinguishers, bicycle helmets, umbrellas, life jackets and other precautions we take in preparation for an unlikely but not impossible outcome. I've never regretted spending the money on something I didn't actually use but have been immensely grateful for being adequately prepared when circumstances changed for the worse. You were not stupid but prudent.   

[navybankerteacher]

55 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I consider myself a dunderhead for spending $1000+ on passports for my family for a 3 night cruise to the Bahamas on our first cruise. By the time we needed them again the kids needed new ones. Now that they are young adults they have passports that they actually use.

Would you also call yourself a dunderhead if you had carried homeowners insurance on your house for years - with no fires, thefts, storm damage or other claims paid? 

[sparks1093]

58 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I consider myself a dunderhead for spending $1000+ on passports for my family for a 3 night cruise to the Bahamas on our first cruise. By the time we needed them again the kids needed new ones. Now that they are young adults they have passports that they actually use.

I was in the same position when we first cruised except it was 4 days and $850. We knew that we wanted to travel internationally by air one day but we also didn't know when that day was, so we decided to wait to get passports until that day came, which was in 2015. I'm sure many will be disappointed that nothing happened to us dunderheads.

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Would you also call yourself a dunderhead if you had carried homeowners insurance on your house for years - with no fires, thefts, storm damage or other claims paid? 

Not quite the same since it is usually mandated and the potential loss is so much greater. If you want to compare travel to insurance a better example would be comprehensive auto coverage. If you have a loan you are required to have it. If you don't have a loan then it's entirely up to you whether to carry it or not and that decision is driven by many factors including how much your car is worth. 

[mjkacmom]

6 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Would you also call yourself a dunderhead if you had carried homeowners insurance on your house for years - with no fires, thefts, storm damage or other claims paid? 

Homeowners that I paid for for years for my $500,000 home seems a lot smarter than spending $1000 for 3 days on the very slight chance something went wrong, and if it did it wouldn’t cost me $500,000. We drive cars into the ground, at a certain point we drop collision, and pay OOP for any damages.

[Charles4515]

19 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Would you also call yourself a dunderhead if you had carried homeowners insurance on your house for years - with no fires, thefts, storm damage or other claims paid? 

I never had any choice. 

[broberts]

On 12/29/2023 at 11:38 AM, navybankerteacher said:

And you believe that the line’s port agent is authorized to issue temporary documentation permitting undocumented people to board flights to the US?  We are discussing handling a specific documentation problem here - not just cruise lines’ staffing policies.

 

Not sure why you are picking on the port agent. It is the first point of contact for anyone leaving a ship early. If for no other reason than finding out how to clear local immigration and customs for a longer stay than the ship. Which would be the first hurdle faced by anyone not carrying a passport. 

[ldubs]

On 12/30/2023 at 7:55 AM, Z'Loth said:

From my perspective, it's is amusing how some "frugal" (or should I say "cheap") people would be willing to subject themselves to immense difficulties just to save a few dollars whether it be to avoid getting a passport, taking a "red eye" flight on the same day as you board the ship instead of flying in the day before and taking a hotel room, or skipping travel insurance. This short-sightedness may work "most" of the time, but there is always that "one-time" when Murphy decides to show up and that "frugal" short-sightedness ends up costing you more... much more. 

 

Go ahead, laugh at me for not only having a passport, but also having Global Entry which includes TSA PreCheck that has ended up being barely used because it was obtained just before the travel world was turned upside-down. Who knows what opportunities may come up in the next few years? Like a good scout, I am prepared with my passport and my global entry card. 

 

Well, at least you found some amusement.

 

No, you should not call people "cheap" or short sighted.  We have taken many international red-eye flights out of choice simply because we just considered it more convenient.  These days we avoid them because we don't deal with jet lag as well as in our younger days.  We don't buy travel interruption insurance because we consider the risk low and the loss potential is not threatening.   Insurance is an easy risk transfer mechanism but we prefer to retain that risk.  

 

I don't think anyone is arguing a passport isn't the superior travel document.  Many give the pro's and con's of using passports vs BC's.   Others seem to take any opposing viewpoint very personally and respond accordingly.    

 

I have a passport because it is required for the vast majority of our travel, and BTW, I agree GE is nice to have.  If I were only traveling a closed loop cruise, I don't think I would bother with one.