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passport poll

bubbles1209

By bubbles1209,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

Do you have a passport?  

258 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you have a passport?

    • Yes, wouldn't travel without one
      208
    • No, not gonna get it until I have to
      26
    • Have applied for one
      24

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bubbles1209

bubbles1209

Posted
Posted

I know it's been discussed and is a hot topic these days, but with the new travel requirements being implemented, I was curious as to how many people have their passports, or don't. There are always numerous responses to any passport question, so I thought I would start a poll to see close to what percentage has or doesn't have their passports. I have mine, & DH's is on the way, but curious to "see" the results. I know money is tight enough this time of year to make ya wanna say money's tight, times are hard, here's your frieking christmas card, let alone buy a passport, but I think it will be interesting to see the results.

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LegalCat

LegalCat

Posted
Posted

Ive had my passport since I became a citizen about 5 yrs ago, DH saw how much easier it was for me with a passport rather than a birthcertificate plus picture ID and so he got his passport about a year ago, much easier. Now, I just booked today a cruise for May and she told me we are required to have passports, I didnt ask the specifics since we already had them.

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FloridaLaura

FloridaLaura

Posted
Posted

My hubby and I are ordering ours this week (cruising in April). My daughter and my soon to be son in law who are cruising for their honeymoon...she got hers last week, he decided not to spend the money since it is not "needed" to board. Hope he doesn't get stuck in St. Thomas :)

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LegalCat

LegalCat

Posted
Posted
My hubby and I are ordering ours this week (cruising in April). My daughter and my soon to be son in law who are cruising for their honeymoon...she got hers last week, he decided not to spend the money since it is not "needed" to board. Hope he doesn't get stuck in St. Thomas :)

 

I just booked for May 2007 and was told the passports are required now... I didnt ask the specifics since we already have them, but, it may be "needed" now

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MMW37

MMW37

Posted
Posted

I've actually posted in the past advising people to get them even if not required yet - and then of course I lost track of time and now we leave in 6 days and never got around to it. Hopefully nothing goes wrong! Actually had a minor freak out today b/c couldn't find my birth certificate, and made my DH come home from work to help me look. It was in my purse the whole time, where I put it after the last time I needed it for our last cruise. We'll definitely get them before our next one though, and we'll probably need them by then anyways.

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elsje

elsje

Posted
Posted

I grew up in Holland (small country) and have had my own passport since I was 18 (35 years ago). Under the age of 18 I was on my parents passport. Our American raised children all have passports from when they were born. We like to be able to travel whenever and do not like to travel with a birth certificate. We also feel much safer with a passport ~ Els

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serene56

serene56

Posted
Posted

Whew- I am a minority here. I use Birth certificates. And probably wills till use a birth certificate on upcoming cruises in February and August.

They are not needed although they are recommended. If you get stuck in a port you wont be able to get out since passports are a requirement for flying.

I have never experinced a slow check in at the airport or the cruiselines. (never had to show proof except a DL in airports so dont know how a passport will make it any faster then what it is already

 

I did file for a passport in Oct and still didnt get it. (I am hoping not to been flagged for some reason)

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Nightwind

Nightwind

Posted
Posted

Last I heard, the deadline is January 23, BUT that only requires a passport if you are traveling by air into or out of the US. So, you're still OK for a cruise so long as it does not originate and/or return to a place outside of the US. Problems might arise if you're off cruising and need to return to the US via an airplane instead of your cruise ship for some reason, though.

 

That said, I have a passport which expires next year...and is fully stamped, so I'm hoping that I don't need to get it stamped (I've never had to on other cruises...) I'm hoping they have this new passcard thing in place by the time I need to renew the thing. My housemate/fellow cruiser is traveling with an expired passport, although she may get hers renewed before the cruise. Up to her. The kids, who are cruising for the first time, are both traveling with birth certificates. I doubt we can get consent letters from their father in time to get the paperwork submitted in time this time. (We cruise in February, and it was a sort of last minute decision to cruise.) My housemate's relationship with her ex (the kids' father) is pretty acrimonius. We're going to have enough "fun" getting a letter out of him consenting to taking the boys on this upcoming cruise. *sigh*

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mrdood

mrdood

Posted
Posted
I do not understand the "No, not gonna get it until I have to". Hope they do not have to leave a cruise due to an emergency and have to get home after the first of the year. :eek:

 

How many American Citizens are "trapped" in foreign countries because they debarked a cruise ship without a passport - ZERO.

 

Citizenship can be documented and you can be cleared for travel same day with a few phone calls to the State Department. Not the best situation, but manageable in a short amount of time, they have people who deal with emergency situations on a daily basis 24/7, no big whoop...

 

The poll really is misleading, I would be willing to bet that 90% of those that have passports, have them for reasons other than cruising. I have had a passport for over 20 years because of required travel for work and family trips to Europe. If I did not have one anyway, I would not be getting one just to cruise until required.

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buddyjo143

buddyjo143

Posted
Posted

My answer would be yes, not "wouldn't travel without it". We got ours last spring thinking that the law would go into effect for our Christmas cruise. Don't think I would travel with it if we weren't leaving the country.



 

Do others travel on domestic flights and use their passport rather than a driver's license or other photo id?

 

Just curious.

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Nightwind

Nightwind

Posted
Posted
If I did not have one anyway, I would not be getting one just to cruise until required.

 

I tend to agree, actually. I have a passport because, since the age of 17, I have traveled...well, everywhere. Except Antarctica, and one day I'll get there, too. Probably on a cruise. :) I love to travel, and many of the the best places to see, IMO, are outside of N. America. Hence, the passport.

 

People get worked up over various emergencies that might happen, but...Well. like mrdood said, if there was a true emergency, there would be some way to take care of it. You wouldn't be stranded for the rest of your life. (And hey, even if you were, I can think of worse places to be stranded than, say, Aruba. ;) ) Yeah, it might (or might not, actually) be a pain, but the chances of such a thing happening are so very remote that, for me personally, it wouldn't be a factor in any decision I'd make to get a passport strictly for N. American cruise purposes. And for cruises, in my experience...it doesn't make anything faster or easier. You still have to stand in the same darn lines.

 

...Unless you have VIP boarding, which I get to experience for the first time in February. Yay. :)

 

So, yeah, if it was just for cruising and only for cruising, then I agree that the passport thing wouldn't be an issue for me. I'd sail with a BC/Photo ID and feel perfectly OK.

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GoinCruisin

GoinCruisin

Posted
Posted


 

Do others travel on domestic flights and use their passport rather than a driver's license or other photo id?

 

Just curious.

 

 

Yup!! As I answered in the poll, I don't travel without it... it's easier. I also use it in other states as ID, simply because everyone's ID's look so different and I have had mine questioned... nobody questions my passport... It's a Universal ID card... I love it :D

 

Serene, have they cashed your check?? You can call and check on your application... but also see if they have cashed your check. You can't cruise without your birth certificate, and I'm assuming that is with your check somewhere!!! Yikes!! I'd definitely look into it...

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BND

BND

Posted
Posted

I had an expired one last year when we booked our cruise. I went ahead and got a new one (it was too old to renew) specifically because of the cruise. My DH has had an active one for over 20 years. I'm still amazed how many people fight getting one. You'd think it cost $100,000 instead of $100.

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RWolver672

RWolver672

Posted
Posted

"The poll really is misleading, I would be willing to bet that 90% of those that have passports, have them for reasons other than cruising. I have had a passport for over 20 years because of required travel for work and family trips to Europe. If I did not have one anyway, I would not be getting one just to cruise until required."

I don't know about the 90% but three of us got ours two years ago to go cruising.

DW had hers from her place of employment and we all noticed how easily she passed through customs whenever we went out of the US. The rest of us got the third degree from customs, she passed through. Simple enough...we got our too and now pass through customs and airline check-ins and ship check-ins with no problems. Best investment we ever made.

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momofzeke

momofzeke

Posted
Posted

We got ours a year ago when we thought we would need one for our March, 2006 cruise. Turned out we didn't, but I'm still glad I went ahead and got them. I have to admit, though, I don't use it on domestic flights. I still just use my driver's license.

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