Cabin-mate lost her birth certificate, any hope of boarding?

My cabin mate just discovered that she can't find her birth certificate. We are taking closed loop NCL Star Trek Cruise, put on by Entertainment Cruise Productions, and leave Thursday. It's now Monday afternoon. She has already ordered a new one, but it is highly unlikely to get to the East coast from her birth state of CA in time before we fly out. She called vital records and they refused to overnight it, and it's slated to be delivered in 3-6 days, which unless it mailed this morning, it's not happening. HOWEVER, I read on some old message boards from the mid 2000s where people stated they had similar incidents happen, and just had to fill out an extra form at the port and were still allowed to board with a valid drivers license. Of note, she does also have an expired passport. Anyone have experience with this and have any good news? And also, if I end up sailing w/o her, will they charge me the single cruiser upcharge? I'm freaking out, and really hoping to hear good news from someone here.

If you are visiting ports I don't see how the requirement can be waived to just a drivers license (and I suppose this cruise is to the Bahamas?). Has she left a copy of her birth certificate with an employer or school? If she can take a copy she should be able to board with it (the regulations allow an original or a copy to be used). Her expired passport is still proof of citizenship and with the drivers license might do the trick even though an expired passport is not listed as an acceptable document. I would rather show up with that than nothing but it may not work. Keep working on trying to find a copy somewhere.

ETA- She can go to a passport agency if there is one nearby and get her passport renewed in a day or so with proof of impending travel. It will cost more but less than forfeiting the trip.

If you sail without her since she has already paid for the cruise it will not impact your charge.

Keith

She won’t get a refund other than maybe port fees so you won’t be charged more for your cruise. I don’t know how to answer the rest of your post. Have you tried calling the state’s birth certificate office directly for overnighting a birth certificate? I found out it was cheaper and faster to call my state directly than go through vital statistics online. What about expediting a renewed passport by going to a passport office? I don’t think they’ll let her board.

In 2008 my dummy husband left his at home but we had a friend break into our house and she emailed a copy and then mailed it to our hotel room. We went to a copy shop and printed the emailed copy. We were able to get on the cruise with the copy and our plan was for me to go to the hotel and retrieve the real birth certificate to get him out of customs after the cruise. Thankfully the customs agent saw my husband’s military ID and talked military with him and hardly glanced and our printed copy and let him through anyways. We got lucky and we had a copy with a back up plan. We also had talked to the port to know we’d be able to get on the ship with this plan and this was 10 years ago. I hope everything works out.

Do you live in a state that has implemented the "real ID" drivers license or also know as "enhanced"? The one where you have proved either with a birth certificate or passport who you are? If so, he/she may be able to sail with just her/his drivers license. https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/~/documents-needed-to-take-a-cruise

If you are visiting ports I don't see how the requirement can be waived to just a drivers license (and I suppose this cruise is to the Bahamas?). Has she left a copy of her birth certificate with an employer or school? If she can take a copy she should be able to board with it (the regulations allow an original or a copy to be used). Her expired passport is still proof of citizenship and with the drivers license might do the trick even though an expired passport is not listed as an acceptable document. I would rather show up with that than nothing but it may not work. Keep working on trying to find a copy somewhere.

I second this. She should show up at the port with her DL and expired passport. It probably won't work, but no harm in trying. The only argument against this that I can think of is if she has cancel for any reason insurance. If she has that, then she can cancel within the allowable timeframe by saying that she just changed her mind. If she doesn't have insurance like that, then she's just out the money if the DL/expired passport doesn't work.

Do you live in a state that has implemented the "real ID" drivers license or also know as "enhanced"? The one where you have proved either with a birth certificate or passport who you are? If so, he/she may be able to sail with just her/his drivers license. https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/~/documents-needed-to-take-a-cruise

No, that's not correct. A driver's license that is REAL ID compliant is not an Enhanced Drivers License, they are two completely different thing. An EDL may be used to proof citizenship and ID with one document but a REAL ID compliant license won't.

Such a bummer. I’d be surprised if they let her on the ship with just a license. What county in CA. If it’sa fairly small county they may be able to do it but I doubt LA county would budge. I’d check about expediting a passport too. I sure hope your friend can go with you.

They are sailing to Roatan, Belize, and Costa Maya. EM

My cabin mate just discovered that she can't find her birth certificate. We are taking closed loop NCL Star Trek Cruise, put on by Entertainment Cruise Productions, and leave Thursday. It's now Monday afternoon. She has already ordered a new one, but it is highly unlikely to get to the East coast from her birth state of CA in time before we fly out. She called vital records and they refused to overnight it, and it's slated to be delivered in 3-6 days, which unless it mailed this morning, it's not happening. HOWEVER, I read on some old message boards from the mid 2000s where people stated they had similar incidents happen, and just had to fill out an extra form at the port and were still allowed to board with a valid drivers license. Of note, she does also have an expired passport. Anyone have experience with this and have any good news? And also, if I end up sailing w/o her, will they charge me the single cruiser upcharge? I'm freaking out, and really hoping to hear good news from someone here.

How out of date is her passport? Is it within 5 years? If so, she could do an expedited passport renewal in person at a Passport Agency:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/requirements/where-to-apply/passport-agencies.html

If she's in Baltimore, I think Washington DC is the closest.

I don't think she can use an expired passport for travel in place of a birth certificate. A long time ago it was allowed, but I'm pretty sure that changed which is why it is no longer listed.

Using a passport expediter company, such as CIBT, may allow getting the passport renewed in time without having to go in person to the Passport Agency office. The fee is $225 from CIBT on top of the government's fee for expedited service.

The cruise is going to Honduras, Belize and Mexico. I just don't know what to do about whether she should fly down to Miami with me or not to try with the DL and expired passport. We don't have the money to get the airline ticket changed (and it's a SW Wanna get away cheapy non refundable cheapy ticket), and she doesn't have the funds to hotel it while I'm on the cruise.

Her passport expired in 2005. :(

Such a bummer. I’d be surprised if they let her on the ship with just a license. What county in CA. If it’sa fairly small county they may be able to do it but I doubt LA county would budge. I’d check about expediting a passport too. I sure hope your friend can go with you.

She's from San Francisco, so not a small county. She called vital records and they wouln't expedite it.

Her passport expired in 2005. :(

Bummer. Maybe she can find a copy of the birth certificate somewhere then.

Thanks Sparks, my confusion as I had to provide my son's passport when he got his permit two years ago.

Still the advice stands, if she/he does have an "enhanced" DL from one of the few states that offer it then that would work- am I wrong?

While thinking about this- if she/he did recently have to get a new drivers license and need this documentation just for the "real ID" type perhaps if they think about what they did when they came home from the DMV they can locate the needed birth certificate.

The cruise is going to Honduras, Belize and Mexico. I just don't know what to do about whether she should fly down to Miami with me or not to try with the DL and expired passport. We don't have the money to get the airline ticket changed (and it's a SW Wanna get away cheapy non refundable cheapy ticket), and she doesn't have the funds to hotel it while I'm on the cruise.

If it's a SW Wanna Getaway, she can't get her money back, but she can change the ticket. I've done this. What you do is cancel the flight. The funds get put into your account as a credit for a future flight. It must be used within one year of the original purchase date. Not the flight date. Original purchase date. And it can only be used by the person on the original ticket. She would need to pay the difference between what the fare was when you purchased it and what it was on the day she was flying back. It might or might not be a wash.

Do you live in a state that has implemented the "real ID" drivers license or also know as "enhanced"? The one where you have proved either with a birth certificate or passport who you are? If so, he/she may be able to sail with just her/his drivers license. https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/~/documents-needed-to-take-a-cruise

I believe the OP mentioned the person lives in California. These are the states that issue the EDL's

Washington, Michigan, New York and Vermont.

I believe the OP mentioned the person lives in California. These are the states that issue the EDL's

 

Washington, Michigan, New York and Vermont.

The OP only stated the BC needed to come from CA, and wouldn't make the east coast in time.....

Do you live in a state that has implemented the "real ID" drivers license or also know as "enhanced"? The one where you have proved either with a birth certificate or passport who you are? If so, he/she may be able to sail with just her/his drivers license. https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1139/~/documents-needed-to-take-a-cruise

The OP only stated the BC needed to come from CA, and wouldn't make the east coast in time.....

Just offering facts ---it was asked ---Do you live in a state that has implemented the "real ID" drivers license or also know as "enhanced"?

Several of you mentioned that a copy of the BC might work. She thinks she may be able to round that up. Are you guys SURE a copy will work? Oh please, oh please, oh please.....

She's from San Francisco, so not a small county. She called vital records and they wouln't expedite it.

If her parents are still in the area they can get one for her. I gotten my adult daughters’ birth certificates from our county in California.

My cabin mate just discovered that she can't find her birth certificate. We are taking closed loop NCL Star Trek Cruise, put on by Entertainment Cruise Productions, and leave Thursday. It's now Monday afternoon. She has already ordered a new one, but it is highly unlikely to get to the East coast from her birth state of CA in time before we fly out. She called vital records and they refused to overnight it, and it's slated to be delivered in 3-6 days, which unless it mailed this morning, it's not happening. HOWEVER, I read on some old message boards from the mid 2000s where people stated they had similar incidents happen, and just had to fill out an extra form at the port and were still allowed to board with a valid drivers license. Of note, she does also have an expired passport. Anyone have experience with this and have any good news? And also, if I end up sailing w/o her, will they charge me the single cruiser upcharge? I'm freaking out, and really hoping to hear good news from someone here.

I assume that you have called the cruise company to see what they say.

DON

Just offering facts ---it was asked ---Do you live in a state that has implemented the "real ID" drivers license or also know as "enhanced"?

Real ID and enhanced aren't the same thing. If the state had enhanced Driver's Licenses, a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship would be needed to get it. I don't know if they would accept the expired passport.

Edited to add: NY DMV has a good page describing the differences:

https://dmv.ny.gov/which-id-right-me

The State Department website says that an expired passport can be used as proof of citizenship to get a new passport. She could try using the expedited process to get a new passport issued since she doesn't qualify to renew. It would require being able to get to the Passport Agency office in DC and pay the expedited processing fee.

Is there any relative who might have a copy of her birth certificate that they can FedEx to her? I know my methodical filing husband still has ones for all our grown kids.

She has no one in CA to get it for her. Her passport expired in 2005 so she can't get a new one based on that. I called NCL and the rep on the phone said no copies, but several people have said they have seen copies work. I know the NCL rep is likely trained not to endorse bringing copies, but I'm really hoping someone with NCL experience ( in recent years) can tell me if a copy worked? I know Carnival accepts copies, but not sure if we can swing this with NCL. I'm just hoping that with a copy of BC, expired passport, and DL, that the NCL rep checking us in will be nice. But I'm still leary having her fly down to Miami on this wing and a prayer. I really don't understand how individual cruise lines get to dictate border policy. It seems this should be standard across the board?