Carnival just told me passport mandatory

[LegalCat]

So... I know all the talk going back and forth.. and I know I just saw on the news yesterday that the passports wont be needed for cruising until 2008 I think and also what Carnival's own website says..

 

however... I just wanted to say that when I booked a few weeks ago for May I was told that you must must must have a passport AND today I called because we wanted to add another cabin to our booking and I was told again that you MUST must must have a passport... so... whatever the new law is, it just goes to show you that not every one knows what they are saying and you never know who you will end up with at the front of the line in security, but I know I'm not taking that risk. We already have our passports but one person in our group does not and we are making sure she has it before the May cruise

[celticd1]

I just got off the phone with CS at Carnival and was assured that a Passport would NOT be required as per the current regulations.

 

Does your cruise leave from a country other than the US?

[DaytonCruiser]

This is what the Carnival spokesperson said just this past week.

 

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/orl-passport2307jan23,0,6717130.story?coll=sfla-business-headlines

A record 12.7 million passports were issued nationally last year, but until recently just 27 percent of eligible Americans held the travel document.

 

Since sea travelers are exempt from the requirement for now, cruise ship passengers don't need passports. But cruise ship lines, wary of the pending extension of the rule to land and sea travel, are encouraging customers to apply for passports.

 

"The change in the rules for the cruise industry will be here in no time," said Jennifer de la Cruz, spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Lines. "We are doing everything we can to get people to act now."

 

 

Maybe "everything" includes lying :p

[KruznKel]

So... I know all the talk going back and forth.. and I know I just saw on the news yesterday that the passports wont be needed for cruising until 2008 I think and also what Carnival's own website says..

 

however... I just wanted to say that when I booked a few weeks ago for May I was told that you must must must have a passport AND today I called because we wanted to add another cabin to our booking and I was told again that you MUST must must have a passport... so... whatever the new law is, it just goes to show you that not every one knows what they are saying and you never know who you will end up with at the front of the line in security, but I know I'm not taking that risk. We already have our passports but one person in our group does not and we are making sure she has it before the May cruise

 

 

She will be good come May

[mh1973]

I booked on Friday for sail in April and was told I would not need one.

[truecruiser]

where are you leaving from and where are you going to?

[LegalCat]

Leaving from Florida and going to Mexico, Grand Cayman and Jamaica.... I'm a US citizen and have a passport, so is my husband. My daughter is a US Citizen but does not have a passport. We were told she would definately need one... we are going to go ahead and get it anyway.. even though I think she can go without it, but hopefully she will be travelling more with us and I find it easier to travel with the passport...

 

She literally said, you cannot go on this cruise if you do not have a passport.... I didnt argue with her since we already have passports anyway... I just want people to be aware that some people are saying that, and I should say, this was not a CSR, this was the head of customer service

[777mjrseb]

If you are flying to your port from outside the country you will need a passport... example Canada and so on....

[GoinCruisin]

They are probably telling everyone to have one, for the sole reason of if you get stuck in another country, or something happens back at home, you need a passport to get home now... all flights in and out need a passport... of course that does happen, so I'm sure that is one of the primary reasons they are urging people to get them...

[LegalCat]

I can walk to the port from my house... of course, id hate to do it and have to walk across the bridge with all those trucks, lol.. and she knows that I'm local to the port... but oh well...

 

But yeah GoinCruisin that makes great sense... what if some thing happens and you have to fly back....

[truecruiser]

Leaving from Florida and going to Mexico, Grand Cayman and Jamaica.... I'm a US citizen and have a passport, so is my husband. My daughter is a US Citizen but does not have a passport. We were told she would definately need one... we are going to go ahead and get it anyway.. even though I think she can go without it, but hopefully she will be travelling more with us and I find it easier to travel with the passport...

 

She literally said, you cannot go on this cruise if you do not have a passport.... I didnt argue with her since we already have passports anyway... I just want people to be aware that some people are saying that, and I should say, this was not a CSR, this was the head of customer service

 

then as you said b/4, according to their own site, you shldn't need it yet (i think they said 2009, but couldn't be sure that the dates wldn't be moved up on them). this is confusing for pax, and they shld just change their site to require them on bookings from here on.

[mrdood]

...and yet another testimony for the consistency of Carnival customer service - they SUPERSUCK!

 

...the cruise industry was one of the biggest lobbyists for pushing it back.

 

And you will be allowed to return if you have to fly back, State Dept. is prepared for this - here is their link - they are great to work with and can notify the airline you need to travel on so that you can board:

 

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2225.html#12

[KruznKel]

It was 2 yrs ago that we were told that we would need one... how much longer do you need to get one.. you were told at the same time!!

[zqvol]

Carnival has the right to require passports if they want to do so, but unless all cruise lines do they are risking a loss of business.

 

What is more concerning is that, as usual, two different Carnival reps give two different answers to a question that should be black and white. (I don't think either is lying, I just think they are poorly trained and are spouting the gossip they heard as gospel.)

[MamaParrotHead]

Just wondering.

[TwinMom7]

Lots of inconsistancy from Carnival reps. I booked last week directly with Carnival - for April of '08 and was told no passports necessary until June of '09.

 

You'd think their reps would all give out the same information!!

[KruznKel]

Probably not.. but you never know:D all I know is you don't need passports right now.. but as of 2009 you wil

[zqvol]

Check the State Department's Passport web site. It has a wealth of information that is surely more accurate than anything that the cruise lines are going to tell. The site seems to say that as early as January 2008 everyone entering the country MUST have a passport. Since it uses the words "AS EARLY AS" that seems to say that it could be later but would not be any sooner.

 

By then the new pass cards MAY be available. The process for getting one is the same as for a passport, the only difference that I can see is that it is about $25 cheaper.

 

I would suggest that to be safe you go ahead and order the passports.

[zqvol]

Check the State Department's Passport web site. It has a wealth of information that is surely more accurate than anything that the cruise lines are going to tell. The site seems to say that as early as January 2008 everyone entering the country MUST have a passport. Since it uses the words "AS EARLY AS" that seems to say that it could be later but would not be any sooner.

 

By then the new pass cards MAY be available. The process for getting one is the same as for a passport, the only difference that I can see is that it is about $25 cheaper.

 

I would suggest that to be safe you go ahead and order the passports.

[janh7]

Hi. We were just told today that we would NOT need passports for our June 2 sailing to Eastern C. Are you doing any air travel prior to departure that would neccessitate the passport...perhaps???

[maddea20]

I think the reps at Carnival are being told to tell everyone they must must must have a Passport. When I flew to Bermuda in 2004, the airline, USA3000, was saying the same thing to me. Come to find out I didn't need a Passport after all (I got one in 2004 because the airline said I needed one or else I couldn't fly to Bermuda). Anyways, you will still be good to go with a BC and DL this yr if leaving from a US port. I'm telling people in my camp, that don't have a Passport, that it's ok for our Aug trip this yr, but by next yr they'll need a Passport to cruise.

[Sunshineaddict]

I have the Carnival "Welcome Aboard" pamphlet sitting in front of me. Allow me to copy it word for word here:

 

"Carnival strongly recommends its guests travel with a passport since on some cruises it is required, and it will greatly expedite clearance by the Dept of Homeland Security"

 

"IMPORTANT NOTE FOR SAILINGS EFFECTIVE 12/31/06:

The US government will require that all US and Canadian citizens present proof of citizenship in the form of a passport for travel on most of our cruise itineraries, effective 12/31/06. Please make arrangements to comply with this new requirement if your cruise is returning to the US after 12/31/06"

 

As menitoned by another poster, keep in mind that you might need to fly back into the US and to do so, you will need a passport for air travel. Better safe than sorry for a mere $100.

[Sharkin97]

If you travel abroad and do not have a passport, you are giving your life to the government(or lack thereof) of whereever you visit. While a drivers license or birth certificate used to be enough to get you back "across the border", they offer no international legal status. U.S. Customs recognized them as legal documents, but other countries are under no obligation to do so.

 

A passport is an undisputable LEGAL document issued by the US Government, not by some county in the cornfields of some state called Kansas. Because of this FACT, your passport entitles you to legal protections that no other document can offer. Your passport is your "ticket" to the US embassy or consulate should you encounter troubles. Keep in mind that there are countries on this planet where showing the soles of your shoes can get you imprisoned....for a damn long time. Your blue booklet is your ticket to assistance. Even the US Embassy may question your DL, birth cert, ad nauseum. Your passport can be authenticated rather quickly to prove you are a US Citizen.

 

DO NOT leave it in your roomsafe when you are on shore. It does you no good there. If you cannot afford 100.00, your well-being is clearly not important to you...and when you are rotting in some Mexican or Jamaican jail for months without legal representation, well... maybe you will think twice.

 

The US State Department has always urged US travelers to carry a passport for these reasons. Only recently has Homeland Security said " You can't get home without one."

[joepeka]

If you travel abroad and do not have a passport, you are giving your life to the government(or lack thereof) of whereever you visit. While a drivers license or birth certificate used to be enough to get you back "across the border", they offer no international legal status. U.S. Customs recognized them as legal documents, but other countries are under no obligation to do so.

 

A passport is an undisputable LEGAL document issued by the US Government, not by some county in the cornfields of some state called Kansas. Because of this FACT, your passport entitles you to legal protections that no other document can offer. Your passport is your "ticket" to the US embassy or consulate should you encounter troubles. Keep in mind that there are countries on this planet where showing the soles of your shoes can get you imprisoned....for a damn long time. Your blue booklet is your ticket to assistance. Even the US Embassy may question your DL, birth cert, ad nauseum. Your passport can be authenticated rather quickly to prove you are a US Citizen.

 

DO NOT leave it in your roomsafe when you are on shore. It does you no good there. If you cannot afford 100.00, your well-being is clearly not important to you...and when you are rotting in some Mexican or Jamaican jail for months without legal representation, well... maybe you will think twice.

 

The US State Department has always urged US travelers to carry a passport for these reasons. Only recently has Homeland Security said " You can't get home without one."

Totally agree and I'm wondering where Cotton is on this subject as I know she would agree also. I cannot understand why anyone, who is spending thousands on a cruise vacation, would have a problem spending $100 on a passport for the security and peace of mind it buys. :confused:

[denisey]

I agree with the above about the reasons for having a passport.

 

Another, more mundane, reason is that it makes it so much easier to get through customs. They scan your passport and send you on your way. It takes them longer to look over all those other documents.

 

When we went on a Mexican Riviera cruise in '03 there was a VERY slow line for people who had even one person without a passport and a VERY quick line for parties with passports!