Passports for kids?

How many of you, when going on a closed-circuit cruise leaving and returning from a US port, actually get passports for your kids? Mine will be 4 and 2, and this is their first cruise. DH thinks birth certificates will fine for them (we have passports). We are only planning to get off the ship in Labadee. What do you guys do--passports or BC in this type of situation?

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My grandsons, 8 and 6, had passports when they started cruising during holidays in the Caribbean at an age like yours. They got it because they had plans to go to Europe the following year.

Always good to have passport

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WE always use only BC and DL (BC for kids under 16 is all they need). Not a problem.

We got passports for the kids. We also weren't sure if we were going to take other international trips so we got them just in case.

How many of you, when going on a closed-circuit cruise leaving and returning from a US port, actually get passports for your kids? Mine will be 4 and 2, and this is their first cruise. DH thinks birth certificates will fine for them (we have passports). We are only planning to get off the ship in Labadee. What do you guys do--passports or BC in this type of situation?

 

 

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For children this young I would probably forgo the passport, especially since they're only good for 5 years. If the need DID arise that you had to fly home, the worse that would happen is that you would be delayed a day or so on an island while the U.S. Consulate arranged for a passport for the kids (which probably wouldn't happen).

This is normally at the parent's discretion (we have passports but it is your choice). The one exception is if both parents are not sailing on the cruise. In the US, both parents need to be present at the time of the passport application for a minor, so I don't know if a US consulate would be able to issue an emergency passport for a child without the other parent being present. So I wouldn't recommend grandparents sail with just BC if the parent's aren't going on the trip but in this situation it is up to you.

That's a very interesting point Kitkat. I don't know if emergency passports are 'real' passports, or if they have a limited duration just to get home. You may very well be right, but I would imagine that he parent can present themselves at the local passport agency (meaning the Dept of State location, not the local post office, and permit the passport issuance. There have to be solutions for this sort of thing. With 10s of millions of Americans travelling international yearly - probably have of them to the Caribbean - it probably happens just about every day somewhere down there.

That said, we have had passports for the kids since they were a few months old. They are 7-1/2 and on their second passports now. The first ones were insanely cute. They never legally required the first ones, but we did do a land crossing into Canada on our Alaska cruise where it was required.

My concern would be that if I or my wife were hurt, we would be forced to split up due to the kids being illegal in the foreign country. It's unlikely that would be forced, and in fact I would just miss the boat, but not something I'd want to try to deal with.

We just got our daughter her first passport and she just turned 1. It's a personal decision, we just felt better knowing we all had passports. Just like others have said if you are thinking about any other international travel it's easier to just have a passport on hand. It took no time at all to fill out the paperwork and bring it to a passport office and the turn around was pretty fast. I think I got her passport in three or four weeks.

Just to add context: we cruise about twice a year so we did not, and would not have, spent the money for a single or even a couple of cruises over the almost-5 years.

We also have almost continuously 'planned' to do an AI over the last number of years, but about once a year I look at it seriously and find cruising to be a much better deal and book the next one. :D

My kids have had passports since 2 and 8 respectively. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind IMHO

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This is the closest I've seen to addressing what happens if you need an emergency passport for a minor and the parents aren't present (from the state department website):

Neither parent able to appear

A third party may apply for the child's passport with a notarized statement from both parents/guardians giving that third party permission to apply for the child.

• The statement must include a photocopy of the parents/guardians' identification.
  
• When the statement is from only one parent/guardian, the third party must present evidence of sole custody of the consenting parent/guardian.
  

Please Note: Written authorization from the parent that cannot appear in person must be less than three months old.

I don't really know if this applies when you apply from a consulate instead of within the US.

We got our sons passports for our upcoming trip, mainly because going through customs was so much easier with a passport. The passport line was so much shorter. Plus, I think it's pretty cool that they have passports at such a young age :)

Just to add context: we cruise about twice a year so we did not, and would not have, spent the money for a single or even a couple of cruises over the almost-5 years.

 

We also have almost continuously 'planned' to do an AI over the last number of years, but about once a year I look at it seriously and find cruising to be a much better deal and book the next one. :D

I have seriously looked at AIs as well and every time I come back to a cruise. My kids have so much fun on them. We've done three and the "plan" was an AI in 2018. After all that discussion, I ended up booking a cruise for 2018 last night. [emoji12] As for passports, my kids have them. They give us the freedom to choose our vacation every year. I'm not limited on where we choose to go.

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I have seriously looked at AIs as well and every time I come back to a cruise. My kids have so much fun on them. We've done three and the "plan" was an AI in 2018. After all that discussion, I ended up booking a cruise for 2018 last night. [emoji12] As for passports, my kids have them. They give us the freedom to choose our vacation every year. I'm not limited on where we choose to go.

 

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We didn't start cruising (back in the 80s) until my kids were 8 YO. We got them passports. For me, it is just easier to whip out the international piece of documentation that everyone likes. We cruised mostly Mexico and the Caribbean at that time. As they got older their passports got renewed.

Now they have kids of their own. My now 9 YO DGD had her passport at 6 months for her cruise to New Zealand/Australia. Here is my rule to my kids. You never know when Grandma wants to take a cruise. If you want me to take your little rug rats with me, you better make sure you have a valid passport. Also, we drive to Canada. Again, you want me to take the kids, where is their passport. All four grandkids have one.

For me, it is the best ID to use when traveling. My kids and I have dual citizenship and since around 2000 they have had both passports until they became adults and were too lazy to get the non US one.

While I realize that passports cost money I think the cost so minimal as not to be a discussion. Go to McDonalds. It will cost you almost $10 for lunch per person. The same cost as a passport for a year. But but I can't afford to buy one and I might only use it once so why waste the money. Did you say you went through the drive through just yesterday and bought everyone lunch? :rolleyes: For me, at least, this is how I put it into perspective. Make a sandwich for lunch, take that money and put it in the bucket and fast enough you will have enough for that passport and you won't have to worry about it.

For those that say you can just go to the US Embassy. Take some time before your travels and figure out where there is a US Embassy. Just because that is where you go does not mean there is one where you are going. Or that it is open. So, what would you have to do. You must pay for everyone to stay in a hotel and buy food then maybe pay airfare to get to the place that has the US Embassy. Man, that $100 looks like a good deal now.

Kids passports are about $115 including the photos. They are effectively good for ~4.5 years, though obviously you could stretch that on a closed loop cruise where they are not legally required. The net is that they are closer to $25 per year... which would feed myself and my two kids nearly two meals at McDonald's. ;p

Yes, we will (very happily) skip the McDonald's meals and keep the passports up to date.

Sort of a win/win there. :D

Kids passports are about $115 including the photos. They are effectively good for ~4.5 years, though obviously you could stretch that on a closed loop cruise where they are not legally required. The net is that they are closer to $25 per year... which would feed myself and my two kids nearly two meals at McDonald's. ;p

 

Yes, we will (very happily) skip the McDonald's meals and keep the passports up to date.

Sort of a win/win there. :D

Clearly your kids are not bottom less pits like my 9 and 12 YO kids. They eat one meal a day. Starts at 7 am and continues until 7 pm. Heck just buying 4 basic tacos at Taco Bell cost me almost $7. That was with no drink! Even at $25 I see it as a great investment. Not only do you have the coolest memorabilia ever but you keep yourself open to a spur of the moment travel opportunity. Passport pictures of the kids are awesome.

A little off topic but I'll never forget that when I was in the middle of becoming a US citizen they took my Green Card for processing and I wasn't allowed to use my Canadian passport. My DH had an opportunity to travel to South Africa and I could have gone with him and just paid for my airfare and food otherwise all expenses paid for two weeks, including the safari. I am still pi**ed off that I couldn't go because I didn't have a valid passport. That was almost 20 years ago LOL.

We travel to Canada often and sometimes spur of the moment for family issues. This year I was unable to take my two youngest grandkids because the parents couldn't find their passports and then when they did they were expired. I told them, if you want me to keep your kids in mind for traveling keep that document updated. Especially for this upcoming cruise.

Yeah, we're not there yet. When the 3 of us go to Taco Bell we usually get 2 of the $5 boxes, plus a bean burrito for DS. He'll eat that and one Doritos taco. DD will eat 2 Doritos tacos... and dear daddy gets the leftovers! I think that is about $13 with tax.

Admittedly, my wife does get the $7 or $8 salad wherever we go, so she winds up costing about $8-10 herself. :*

My kids have had passports since they were old enough to get their passport photo taken, I believe around 2 weeks old. But we are originally from overseas so we have to keep an active passport in case an emergency would require us to fly 'home'. Still, I personally would not take the risk of being stuck overseas without one and I certainly don't think it's fair to have my kids in that situation.

I got passports for my kids when they were babies. If there is a family emergency and you need to get back home, it will be a lot easier to get home with passports. I would strongly recommend it, you just never know.

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Our first two cruises, we used birth certificates, ID and marriage license (my name changed from what is on my birth certificate). It was so worrying that one of those documents would get lost, and that they might get damaged.

Our third cruise, everyone got passports. DS was 15. His expires next year, and he is traveling to Scotland for the summer, so he will be renewing his as an adult.

So we leave for our cruise tomorrow. My DD IMs today and asks if I have the kid's passports. Huh? Why would I have your kids passports? You told me to give them back to you so you would know where they were. Well, they spent hours searching last night and couldn't find them. Ummmm, why wouldn't you look for that before the night before. You've know for a year and I started sending out email, texts and phone calls reminding both my kids to get the grandkids stuff in order.

So, my DD and SIL spent the morning with the kids downtown LA getting an emergency passport. Had to prove the hotel for tomorrow night and the cruise. YES, they wanted to see the kid's names on the ship booking. They left the house around 8 this morning and they are still waiting for it. Yup, glad I paid for it the first time!

My kids always do. Ages 14 and 9

Sadly we all need to renew before our next cruise. It's going to be expensive

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My kids always do. Ages 14 and 9

Sadly we all need to renew before our next cruise. It's going to be expensive

 

 

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We are dual nationality so there are 8 passports to be renewed in our house!

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So we leave for our cruise tomorrow. My DD IMs today and asks if I have the kid's passports. Huh? Why would I have your kids passports? You told me to give them back to you so you would know where they were. Well, they spent hours searching last night and couldn't find them. Ummmm, why wouldn't you look for that before the night before. You've know for a year and I started sending out email, texts and phone calls reminding both my kids to get the grandkids stuff in order.

 

So, my DD and SIL spent the morning with the kids downtown LA getting an emergency passport. Had to prove the hotel for tomorrow night and the cruise. YES, they wanted to see the kid's names on the ship booking. They left the house around 8 this morning and they are still waiting for it. Yup, glad I paid for it the first time!

That is crazy! I'm a bit neurotic: I usually get ours out of the fire safe a week or so in advance, just to make sure I haven't lost the key or the lock has broken. I also take all the BCs and our marriage license packed in a separate bag from the passport, to be safe.

My kids always do. Ages 14 and 9

Sadly we all need to renew before our next cruise. It's going to be expensive

Yes, we had 3 out of 4 in the same year, with DW's the following year. Of course, they'll only hit together once more. I'll buy the kids their first "adult" passport and they'll be on the hook for it after that.