passports required yet?

[knothead]

wondering about Nassau,Bahamas: St. Thomas,USVI;& Philipsburg,St. Maarten? I know it will be a good idea but the cash is a little hard to come up with when your trying to save for the cruise also! $170.00 for both of us!

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

:eek: ....the $$$ up front for passports is a litttle steep...but good for 10 years! Well worth it, who knows the cost of passports may even go up??????

Right now passports aren't req'd......but rather risky to leave the country without one!

You didn't say when your cruise was, hopefully you can save on other things, I'd recommend the passports.

 

 

***

[SUNANDSAND]

knothead,

 

Hi ,Denise here.......Let me give you a little heads up on this. I work for the Postal Service and we accept the applications for passports. The processing takes 5-6 weeks to complete for 85.00. If you need it sooner it will cost over 150.00 each. Any country at anytime can restrict travel to only passports.....If they do this 1 week before you leave you may not be allowed to board the ship....These are new times in America and traveling to another country without a passport is not a good idea anymore......Save your spare change and invest in one.......

 

Denise

[rjg41]

There is a risk without PP but IMO a little overstated here. If you are going to travel a lot, get it. It is not currently needed for any Caribbean itinerary. You'll note our sailings below and we just ordered our first PP because it is a must for South America.

[Coralc]

We just disembarked Monarch OTS on Friday Oct.22 in San Pedro (Los Angeles, CA) My husband and I have passports and were sent to a special express line, but those using Drivers License and Birth Certificate had to do a new thing, and obtain a disembarkation card, prior to leaving the ship. I don't know what was required to get one, but we are very happy having the passports. They work well at the airport, too.

[MrsPete]

I agree that the "risk" of traveling without a passport is overstated.

 

Of course you'd be allowed to board the ship! If one of your port countries suddenly decided that you couldn't visit without a passport, they could prevent you from disembarking at that one port. However, the countries you mentioned have a tremendous need for American tourism dollars, and requiring passports would be like shooting themselves in the foot -- or, more appropriately, it would be like shooting themselves in the wallet.

 

I've been through customs with just a birth certificate, and I've been through customs with a passport. Sometimes it takes a long time, sometimes you walk right through. It depends upon how many other people are going through, what kind of mood the customs folks are in, and other circumstances. Sometimes the "passports only" line is long, sometimes the birth certificates line is long. I wouldn't spend $170 just for the idea that you might save a couple minutes in line.

 

Should you buy one? I think the real question is, how much international travel will you likely enjoy over the next ten years? If you're looking at just one cruise, the $170 is pretty steep. If you're looking at other vacations to different parts of the globe, it would probably be a good idea to get a passport.

[bUU]

I think it is highly unlikely that USVI will ever require Americans to have a passport, eh?

[Firefighterhoop]

Although not required by most countries in the Caribbean sailing lists, we decided to get one this year anyway just to have incase they would make a last minute change.

[lacruiser]

I have to weigh in on the "not necessary for the Caribbean" side. We've cruised the Caribbean every year for the last 4 years. DH, who is a naturalized American citizen, has a passport; I have my Louisiana birth certificate. Neither of us has ever had any issue whatsoever, nor have I ever been required to obtain any different documentation to board or reboard any RCI ship or to enter any port. These include Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, Aruba, Curacao, Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica.

[jwlane]

The processing takes 5-6 weeks to complete...

 

Processing can take 5-6 weeks, but I suspect a much shorter time frame is the norm. Last year we submitted (regular, not expedited) our son's application at a post office in Dallas. On Monday we received a letter from Passport Services. I thought, 'Oh no, what wasn't correct?' Lo and behold, it was his new passport!

[Shanafan]

There is a risk without PP but IMO a little overstated here. If you are going to travel a lot, get it. It is not currently needed for any Caribbean itinerary. You'll note our sailings below and we just ordered our first PP because it is a must for South America.

I have always just used my birth certificate and drivers license. On 7 cruises, I have never had a problem. I did get a passport, but mostly because my Hubby has one, and they do have seperate lines if you have a passport or if you don't. I guess another reason that got me thinking was: some friends invited me to stay at one of their condos in Playa Del Carmen. I needed to bring my birth certicate, marriage license and drivers license. When they asked me, I had about 5 days until we left. It would have been much easier with a passport.

[Coralc]

The disembarkation cards, in addition to your driver's license, birth certificate and customs form, ARE BRAND NEW. Probably three quarters of the ship were non-passports and required to get them. We travel enough that the passports are a worthwhile investment.

[breal6]

why is it that americans are the only people that think they should be allowed to travel to foreign countries without a passport. the rest of the world knows they need them and never question it.

[jkrislc]

We just disembarked Monarch OTS on Friday Oct.22 in San Pedro (Los Angeles, CA) My husband and I have passports and were sent to a special express line, but those using Drivers License and Birth Certificate had to do a new thing, and obtain a disembarkation card, prior to leaving the ship. I don't know what was required to get one, but we are very happy having the passports. They work well at the airport, too.

The disembarkation cards are automatically printed and delivered by the ship. It is simply a way of inputting your identity into the Custom's computer system faster than manually typing the information in. I have never had a problem with a DL and birth certificate, but will admit that disembarkation is much faster with a passport. While I considered getting one for my next trip in December on the Monarch, I never got around to it and don't want to pay the expedited fees, so I way until another cruise that requires proof of citizenship is booked. Although I'm on the Pride of Aloha in January, proof of citizenship is not required.

[Elizanessie]

breal6

 

Got to agree with you on that one :D

 

We have to pay £42 or whatever it is for a passport....lasts ten years...fine....I dont have a problem with that at all :D I am happy knowing that I can travel anywhere as I have a passport.

 

Darn it though...our next cruise is a year away so passport will sit quietly resting in a drawer :rolleyes:

 

Liz

[CMurph]

why is it that americans are the only people that think they should be allowed to travel to foreign countries without a passport. the rest of the world knows they need them and never question it.

 

No one has said Americans think we should be allowed to travel without passports. It is a matter of whether they are required where we are cruising. I have never personally known anyone cancel a cruise or plans to travel just because they aren't willing to purchase a passport. Yes, I travel internationally and have a valid passport and NO, I did not complain about the time or money involved in obtaining one.