Passports Confused

[nycruiser1975]

Do I need passports to sail to the st thomas, tortola and kings wharf now? I am so confused. Should I just get it and have it, but I could use that $. LOL

[NCLFrank]

No a passport is not required to sail to the carribean, however, if anything happens to you while at port or on the ship and you have to be flown back into the USA, you will not be able to fly back in with a birth certificate. Even if your a US citizen, you have to have a passport to Fly into the USA.

[electricron]

You will next year, but not this year. That's assuming you return to the USA with the ship.

 

If you get kicked off the ship, or must leave the ship for a family emergency and fly back to the States, you're going to wish you had those passports.

[nycruiser1975]

sounds like i better spend the $300 to be on the safe side. Can I get my son's stamp when we stop as a little memory somewhere? Where do I go?

[jerhardt]

sounds like i better spend the $300 to be on the safe side. Can I get my son's stamp when we stop as a little memory somewhere? Where do I go?

 

Only "officials" can stamp a passport, so if someone else stamps it, then that could be a problem. Not sure if anywhere you are going you would be able to get that done.

[smeyer418]

To get your passport stamp you will need to make a special request at the front desk. Sometimes they can accomodate you and sometimes they can't. You currently don't need a passport. Currently the passport requirement for ships will come into effect January 2008 unless its postponed again. You don't need a passport if you have to fly back from St Thomas its an US territory....unless the plane lands in some place other than the US or Puerto Rico

[nycruiser1975]

Just last year they kept changing the requirements. One minute you need it for a cruise then you don't. I am afraid that I won't need it now, and as I am getting ready to leave, they change it again.

[KerCar]

Just last year they kept changing the requirements. One minute you need it for a cruise then you don't. I am afraid that I won't need it now, and as I am getting ready to leave, they change it again.

 

As long as your cruise is BEFORE January 2008 a passport is not required for that itinerary. Also, St. Thomas is a US territory, so if for some reason you need to fly home for a family emergency, you can do so from there without a passport. Check out the State Department's home page for lots of great information.

 

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

[mollyeilis]

if anything happens to you while at port or on the ship and you have to be flown back into the USA, you will not be able to fly back in with a birth certificate. Even if your a US citizen, you have to have a passport to Fly into the USA.

 

There are measures in place to help travelers who have emergency situations but no passport. There is info about it on the passport website. Even if someone just had a birth certificate for the land/sea travel, if a problem came up and they had to fly back in an emergent situation, they would be assisted...

[Sheffie]

No a passport is not required to sail to the carribean, however, if anything happens to you while at port or on the ship and you have to be flown back into the USA, you will not be able to fly back in with a birth certificate. Even if your a US citizen, you have to have a passport to Fly into the USA.

 

As Molly said, you don't HAVE to have a passport to fly back in; you will just have to go through red tape to get back in.

 

If you miss your ship and have to fly to catch up to it, then you will HAVE to have it, or you won't be able to go on the cruise at all.

 

About getting the passport stamped - I have read that if you leave the PP with the Purser, they will get it stamped for you. (I haven't done this, just read about it.)