Passport book or card?

[cruisegetaway]

Which should we get for our kids, a passport card or book? Anyone have the card?

[cherylandtk]

You can apply for the card now, but they won't be issued for a couple of months. Nobody has one yet.

 

Since the passport card is not accepted for international air travel, the passport book is recommended over that. The card is intended mostly for land border crossers who will eventually need either a passport book or card. The same cannot be said for cruisers, who will be able to continue using just a BC/ID for at least the next several years on round trip cruises from the US.

[siflsockpuppet]

I called RCCL to see if a birth certificate will be OK for a r/t cruise from LA to Baja California in September. They said no, a passport will be required. If this is wrong, please point me to the facts, because it'll make my life a bit easier!

[cherylandtk]

Puppet--If you go to the Sticky thread at the top of this forum entitled Passports you will find everything you need (direct link below). And then some; its a long thread, but if you start around page 10 you will see the links to the DHS website with the actual text of the regulation (which now does not go into effect until sometime after June 2009, and even then cruisers don't need a passport). You will also get tons of opinions and reasons that you may or may not want to hear, but this thread will give you a thorough knowledge of the history and changes.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=467948&page=10

 

Direct government rules

http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders

(scroll down to bottom to see the Cruise passenger requirements)

 

I have spent the last hour or so on the phone with various RCCL folks, asking why they are saying this to potential pax. Having worked my way up to several management levels; all nice people BTW except for the initial CSR who would not put me through to her supervisor, but their basic answer today is they cannot give out updated information until they receive word from 'up above'. However, they did acknowledge to me that they are aware that the government has made changes and RCCL is in the process of updating their website with new information, but will not be putting it out until all the specifics have been checked, double-checked and re-checked with both their own policy makers and the government authorities. "Soon" they said, but they could not be more specific.

 

That does not necessarily help you right now--because you are trying to make a decision that will not land you in difficulty come September. The costlier, but least hassle, choice is to get a passport. If you choose not to do that, you will need to keep an eye on the RCCL rules pages and hope that they get updated before your final payment comes due. I suspect that they will, because RCCL personnel have stated they don't want or intend to turn away passengers without a passport when it is not required by the government.

[ladymonty]

IMHO just go ahead and get the book. While you are going through the trouble to fill out the paperwork and show up in person (both parents must appear or have a notarized letter from the parent that is not there), just go ahead and get the book. You can use it for any international travel now and in the future. Plus if something happens and you must fly home in an emergency or you must fly to "catch" your cruise if you miss it, you need to have a regular passport. We just got new ones for our kids, it is a pretty painless process. (just a little expensive)