Passport Requirement Postponed to 12/31/06

Passport Postponement

On December 31, 2005, the U.S. government was going to impose a new rule on citizen trips abroad.

Specifically, U.S. citizens traveling by air or sea to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central or South America would be required to show a passport for re-entry to the United States.

Well, if you're planning a trip to one of those places this winter and you don't have a currently valid passport, there's no need to rush. The government has pushed back the implementation of the new rules by twelve months.

On December 31, 2006, the required passport rule will take effect for the above regions, and also for air and sea travel to Canada and Mexico. On December 31, 2007, the rule will be expanded to cover land border crossings as well -- unless the government changes its mind again.

You can find out more at travel.state.gov.

That said, a Passport is always a better way to go for anyone travelling outside the USA, even just to Canada or Mexico. It eliminates all questions about what kind of photo id is satisfactory and whether a birth certificate without a raised seal will work.

That's really too bad. Wish they wouldn't have changed it. Why does everyone else on the planet have to have a passport but US Citizens feel they don't need one (and I'm a US Citizen and have had a passport for not quite but almost 20years).

That's really too bad. Wish they wouldn't have changed it. Why does everyone else on the planet have to have a passport but US Citizens feel they don't need one (and I'm a US Citizen and have had a passport for not quite but almost 20years).

In any event, I see the USA being pretty much in line with the rest of the world vis a' vis Passports by 2010.

Does anyone know if there are requirements for passports or birth certificates for those traveling on a Hawaiian cruise (and travelers are US citizens)?

Thanks

RCL explained that we needed the birth certificate/photo ID to get back into US after disembarking in Ensenada -- but when I crossed back in, I sat in the back of the car - the border agent looked at the driver and said "are you all American citizens?" She said yes and they waved us through...no check - no look see nothing....less scrutiny than getting on a plane to Little Rock...now why you'd need one for a cruise that starts and ends in Hawaii I have no idea..

Does anyone know if there are requirements for passports or birth certificates for those traveling on a Hawaiian cruise (and travelers are US citizens)?

 

Thanks

I thought that Royal Caribbean was still going to be all US passengers to have a passport for any of their cruises??

Do you have any knowledge of this?

Thanks

I thought that Royal Caribbean was still going to be all US passengers to have a passport for any of their cruises??

Do you have any knowledge of this?

Thanks

I surely hope not....we will be sailing on RCCL in May with out 6 children, needless to say we were ecstatic to learn that we wouldn't need to get passports yet (money to spend elsewhere on our cruise). I really don't see how they can enforce something like that since US customs regulates it, not the cruise lines.

Sorry, I am sooo.. confused :)

I am traveling with my husband and our baby, and my 2 girls from a previous marriage. We are going on the Costa 01/08/06 Eastern Carribean Cruise.

We all have birth certificates.

I have a certified letter from my girls' father stating i can take them on the cruise, they can leave the country, etc.

My husband and I have photo ids. (DLs)

What else will I need.

I was planning on getting passports, expediting as well. Very costly , as you know.

If I dont' have to spend the money I won't.

Any thoughts???

You need to have your Travel Agent check with Costa. The State Dept moved the Passport requirement to 12/31/06, but Costa's web site still requires Passports from everyone sailing after 12/31/05.

Chances are good that they will accept birth certs and d/l's but you don't want to get a rude surprise when you show up in Ft. Lauderdale on 1/6/06.

Caution. For your protection, if Costa says no Passport is necessary, ask your TA to get that in writing so you can plead your case with proof when you are checking in.

It really has been confusing. Originally PROPOSED in April I think, for implementation at the end of this year, several factors apparently influenced their decision NOT to implement the change Dec 31, 2005. First, the Caribbean tourism departments had a hissy because they thought many people already booked would cancel if they had to go thru the hassle of getting a passport. Second, State realized they'd be bombarded with so many applications in a short period of time that they would not be able to handle the deluge, and third, hurricane Katrina closed the new orleans office, which meant the other offices would be even more overburdened.

Then, to complicate matters, most of the cruise lines implemented their own policy, apparently based on the PROPOSED change for the end of this year, that all cruise passengers would be required to carry valid passports starting January 1, 2006. Even after the US State Department changed the date of implementation to January 1, 2007, the cruise lines continued to advertise the necessity of a passport.

My travel agent looked it up and said Celebrity (this is two weeks ago) and RC were not among those cruise lines that were waiving the requirement. Yet today I read that they are waiving it and will not require passports until January 2007. there. I checked the State Dept website and there is now no conflict as there was a few weeks ago.

Based upon all the above, we realized that in taking two cruises in a 6 week period, one in 2005 and one in 2006 that my daughter could not part with her birth certificate (which has to be sent in in order to get a passport) because of the second sail date in january 2006. So after talking to the passport person at the post office where she needs to obtain a passport, the only solution was that after returning from the Dec. cruise, she should do the expedited passport for an extra $87. Now I guess she can save the $87 and just use her drivers license and birth certificate in january, just like she'll do in December, and do the slow process.

My oh my.

So, I emailed Costa and my Travel Agent (orbitz), orbitz replied back and said that i would not need one for the 01/08/06 Carribean cruise.

So I am taking my DL and my BC and that email, lol.

I think i will be fine, but it is always nice to have it in writing...

:)

I finally got my reply in writing from Costa. They will take a birth cert. with a driv. lic.

So that will save me some bucks...

More money for them I guess, huh!

My wife and I are on the Carnival Liberty. She has her birth certificate and Driver's License. However, she has been married a few times and the name on the drivers license does not match her birth certificate. Will this be a problem?

I finally got my reply in writing from Costa. They will take a birth cert. with a driv. lic.

 

So that will save me some bucks...

 

More money for them I guess, huh!

You are just putting off the inevitable, eventually you will need one and it makes things a lot easier, and they are good for 10 years.

ronamy - I am bringing my marriage certificate, don't know if I will need it, but that is what i am doing just in case they question my name. But when you think about it, most women do change their names when they are married so I wouldnt' think it would be questioned often, but again, I don't know :)

captNcrunch - I know you are right, but we young kids these days just don't listen , LOL :)

ronamy - I am bringing my marriage certificate, don't know if I will need it, but that is what i am doing just in case they question my name. But when you think about it, most women do change their names when they are married so I wouldnt' think it would be questioned often, but again, I don't know :)

 

captNcrunch - I know you are right, but we young kids these days just don't listen , LOL :)

If you have a state issued id-- you needed to show your marriage license to change your name..that is why you wouldnt need your license to cruise.

Now if your state issued id still has a maiden name on it. and your documents are in the married name-- thats why you will need it.

okay - so I was freaking out about our cruise next month. I have my passprt so I am cool. DH does not have his. Also, his birth certificate does not have a raised seal.

So I go surfing the net to Miami-Dade.gov and call the numbers supplied. I ask them what the procedure is to get a birth certificate with a raised seal.

Apparantly, it is quite a simple process. You supply your drivers license and $14.00 and they issue you a birth certificate with a raised seal on the spot. (you have to go in person).

Just to let others know out there what I just went through. Maybe in your state, this will work.

okay - so I was freaking out about our cruise next month. I have my passprt so I am cool. DH does not have his. Also, his birth certificate does not have a raised seal.

 

So I go surfing the net to Miami-Dade.gov and call the numbers supplied. I ask them what the procedure is to get a birth certificate with a raised seal.

 

Apparantly, it is quite a simple process. You supply your drivers license and $14.00 and they issue you a birth certificate with a raised seal on the spot. (you have to go in person).

 

Just to let others know out there what I just went through. Maybe in your state, this will work.

I was born in a little border town in Calexco, California. (Dad was border patrol at the time) All I did was call information (long distance) and got the name of the hospital with their phone number and address since I knew the name of it (thank goodness my Mother told me years ago I was born in Imperial Valley). I sent them a letter with my name, parent's name, dob, etc. and they sent it to me. Didn't take as long as I thought it would either. I guess I got lucky. That was back in '99 when I went to Jamaica. Of course this was before 911. I'll bet its changed now.

I think everyone should get a passport it saves so much time in the long run...and is never questioned.

I was born in a little border town in Calexco, California. (Dad was border patrol at the time) All I did was call information (long distance) and got the name of the hospital with their phone number and address since I knew the name of it (thank goodness my Mother told me years ago I was born in Imperial Valley). I sent them a letter with my name, parent's name, dob, etc. and they sent it to me. Didn't take as long as I thought it would either. I guess I got lucky. That was back in '99 when I went to Jamaica. Of course this was before 911. I'll bet its changed now.

Just remember, a certificate issued by a hospital is not a legal document. You have to obtain your birth certificate from the county (or state) where you were born.

Hi,

U said that right Kathy, all my life I thought I had my actual birth certificate and when I sent everything for my passport they sent it back , saying because there was no raised seal(they questioned the vilidity) I had too contact the state I was born, but thank goodness they issued me a temporary passport for my trip and told me too re admitt at no charge if done within a year, so I contacted the needed people and re mailed everything and got my 10 year passport shortly there after.

Got hubby his also.

Next trip costa rica or bermuda.

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RC-VISIONS OF THE SEA--ALASKA-2003

NORWEGIAN MAJESTY-COZUMEL,GC--2005

HA-VEENDAM-BELIZE---2006

Here's a link to the current rules. New Requirements For Travelers

No changes of consequence.

The proposed timeline will be as follows:

• December 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
  
• December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.

If you will be needing a passport by a certain date, it just took 5 weeks 1 day to get ours.

Okay I am a little bit concerned. My husband and I are leaving tomorrow morning for a cruise. My birth certificate has a raised seal, I also have a passport, but it is expired. My husband's birth certificate does not have a raised seal, but it says certified copy of vital records. He got it in 2003 to go to Mexico. He didn't have any problems there, but also does not remember if they even looked at it.

Do you think that we are going to have any problems? I am getting very nervous.