Passports or no passports....?

[2preschoolers]

Dh and I have expired passports. (Haven't traveled much of anywhere since having kids!) And our kids (2 yrs and 4 yrs) have never had a passport. We're going on Carnival Liberty - Western Caribbean and I realize that passports are not required. We're thinking of getting the passport card for all 4 of us.... has anyone done that or did you get a full passport for everyone?

 

Thank you!

[uppitycats]

Dh and I have expired passports. (Haven't traveled much of anywhere since having kids!) And our kids (2 yrs and 4 yrs) have never had a passport. We're going on Carnival Liberty - Western Caribbean and I realize that passports are not required. We're thinking of getting the passport card for all 4 of us.... has anyone done that or did you get a full passport for everyone?

 

Thank you!

 

So long as you are leaving from and returning to the same American port, you don't need passports.

 

The passport CARD is only good for driving. It really is meant for people who live along the border, and work in Canada (or Mexico) and go back and forth every day..or pretty often. The card WON'T work for FLYING out of the country and into the country. Perhaps not too much of an issue...unless you become ill, or for some reason need to fly home, even from the Caribean. Without a passport, this becomes a real challenge and would delay your flight home. And you won't be able to cruise to Alaska unless you limit yourself to leaving from Seattle (unless you drive to Vancouver, for example), or anywhere else in the world.

 

The actuall passport booklet is much more versatile ..if more expensive.

[SelectSys]

Dh and I have expired passports. (Haven't traveled much of anywhere since having kids!) And our kids (2 yrs and 4 yrs) have never had a passport. We're going on Carnival Liberty - Western Caribbean and I realize that passports are not required. We're thinking of getting the passport card for all 4 of us.... has anyone done that or did you get a full passport for everyone?

 

Thank you!

 

How much do you plan on traveling with your kids after this trip that takes you outside the US? If this is a one shot deal then my answer is probably no. If the answer is yes then get real passports.

 

Remember that under 18 passports only last for 5 years instead of the 10 as is the case for people over 18. You're looking at reapplying three more times before your 2 year old hits 18!

 

Personally, I didn't get a passport for my kids until we took them on an international flight for the first time. This was after taking a Caribbean cruise.

[cb at sea]

If you don't need them, why pay for them? That's my thinking, anyway. A BC and DL for the adults is all that's needed. For the kid's, the BC and a library card, school id or something similar is fine...under 16 doesn't need a picture ID.

[2preschoolers]

Thanks for all the helpful answers! So if my girls are 2 and 4 yrs old, we ONLY need to have their birth certificate, right? (No photo ID...) And the BC is good enough (for kids) get get on and off the ship at ports? (Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica) And for DH and I, we should take the BC and our Drivers Liscense...right?

 

We do not plan to do very much traveling, especially while they are this young. It'd probably be another 2-3 yrs before we even cruise again and that would be another trip to the caribbean.

 

Any chance or rumors out there that a passport will be required by the time we go in January? I really, REALLY don't want to spend the money on passports if we can avoid it. I don't see a huge point in it since we probably won't need to travel internationally for quite some time.

 

Thanks again,

Melanie

[uppitycats]

Thanks for all the helpful answers! So if my girls are 2 and 4 yrs old, we ONLY need to have their birth certificate, right? (No photo ID...) And the BC is good enough (for kids) get get on and off the ship at ports? (Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica) And for DH and I, we should take the BC and our Drivers Liscense...right?

 

We do not plan to do very much traveling, especially while they are this young. It'd probably be another 2-3 yrs before we even cruise again and that would be another trip to the caribbean.

 

Any chance or rumors out there that a passport will be required by the time we go in January? I really, REALLY don't want to spend the money on passports if we can avoid it. I don't see a huge point in it since we probably won't need to travel internationally for quite some time.

 

Thanks again,

Melanie

 

There is no way to know if or when the rules will change. After 9/11, the rules change almost daily about what you can bring/can't bring on board a plane, and new passport rules came up and have continued to confuse everyone.

 

I can appreciate your concern about affording passports for kids. I just hope, like thousands of cruisers before and after you, you won't be stuck in port somewhere..even in the Caribbean...and have hassles getting home.

 

Have a great cruise!

[SelectSys]

...

We do not plan to do very much traveling, especially while they are this young. It'd probably be another 2-3 yrs before we even cruise again and that would be another trip to the caribbean...

 

That is what we thought prior to our first cruise! Didn't turn out that way although your kids are a bit younger than ours were when we first went on a cruise.

[reallyitsmema]

How much do you plan on traveling with your kids after this trip that takes you outside the US? If this is a one shot deal then my answer is probably no. If the answer is yes then get real passports.

 

Remember that under 18 passports only last for 5 years instead of the 10 as is the case for people over 18. You're looking at reapplying three more times before your 2 year old hits 18!

 

Personally, I didn't get a passport for my kids until we took them on an international flight for the first time. This was after taking a Caribbean cruise.

It is actually 5 years for under 16, not under 18. Still won't make a difference to the OP but just wanted to clarify for anyone who has teens.

[newbiecruiser09]

Thanks for all the helpful answers! So if my girls are 2 and 4 yrs old, we ONLY need to have their birth certificate, right? (No photo ID...) And the BC is good enough (for kids) get get on and off the ship at ports? (Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Jamaica) And for DH and I, we should take the BC and our Drivers Liscense...right?

 

We do not plan to do very much traveling, especially while they are this young. It'd probably be another 2-3 yrs before we even cruise again and that would be another trip to the caribbean.

 

Any chance or rumors out there that a passport will be required by the time we go in January? I really, REALLY don't want to spend the money on passports if we can avoid it. I don't see a huge point in it since we probably won't need to travel internationally for quite some time.

 

Thanks again,

Melanie

 

Just make sure the BCs are original or certified copies (and not what the hospital gives parents).

 

We actually got passports for our kids. DS traveled to Canada (by air) quite a bit b4 DD came along so when his was up for renewal we got one for DD as well. I feel better knowing that if we need to fly home (for any reason) while on a cruise, we have the documents to do so.

[ridgecrest]

I don’t know if this pertains to you or not but I recall reading another CC thread that was talking about official papers for children and someone stated that their children had different last names and they needed to have additional paperwork that defined the relationship. I can't recall if the kids were theirs or friends of the family. Does anyone else recall that thread? Enjoy your cruise.

[jtm22372]

remember one thing sometimes things go wrong .. my wife and i traveled the western carribean in 2007 .we missed our ship in miami due to airlines fault .but they had to fly us to jamaica and wait for our cruise ship to arrive if we did not have passports we would not have been allowed in the country and would have missed our cruise completely

[jerseygirl79]

If you don't plan on doing much sea or international travel in the next 5 years, I'd save the money.

 

If you plan on cruising I'd get the passport cards....international....the actuall passports.

 

My 6 y/o older brother sailed with us in May with just his b/c. No problems.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[crusinmama06]

I don’t know if this pertains to you or not but I recall reading another CC thread that was talking about official papers for children and someone stated that their children had different last names and they needed to have additional paperwork that defined the relationship. I can't recall if the kids were theirs or friends of the family. Does anyone else recall that thread? Enjoy your cruise.

 

Yes, actually there are many, many threads on this because it does happen all the time.

 

When you have a different last name than the child, then you need to prove that you are the parent AND have permission from the other parent to travel outside the country with their child.

 

So that's when things like "Consent to Travel" letters with the birth certificate and a passport come in handy.

[crusinmama06]

remember one thing sometimes things go wrong .. my wife and i traveled the western carribean in 2007 .we missed our ship in miami due to airlines fault .but they had to fly us to jamaica and wait for our cruise ship to arrive if we did not have passports we would not have been allowed in the country and would have missed our cruise completely

 

Yep, this is the real reason to get passports. If you miss the ship/need to fly into the port OR if you have a medical emergency and need to fly home -- then you NEED the passports - or you need to spend time getting an emergency passport in the port you are in (emergency situation)

[cruisinreunion]

I am a little confused...doesn't take much some days;) I was with the understanding that kids only needed a BC and ID of some sort (DD will be 15 and I am trying to hold off on passport for her until she is 16), but do adults need the passport/cards or can we also use just a BC. We are traveling in April 2010. I am not worried about flying home, etc. just want to know what to do. We have always just used the BC's on all our other cruises (8 so far) and have other family traveling who are hoping to save on this cost. Thanks for any info

[Twickenham]

So long as you are leaving from and returning to the same American port, you don't need passports.

 

While this applies in the OP's case, this isn't strictly true. The official rule, as stated on the WHTI website (http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/index.html) is the following:

 

"Closed Loop" Cruises: U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

 

So, for instance, a South Pacific cruise that is round-trip LA WOULD require a passport.

 

If you don't need them, why pay for them?

 

Do you purchase insurance? It's the same thing. I personally have never had to claim on an insurance policy - but I always purchase travel insurance. The question to ask is: do you really want to be stuck in a foreign country with your kids, and no means of getting home? The point of insurance is to be prepared for the worst-case scenario; the same can be said for a passport.

 

As it can't be used for air travel, I don't see the point of the Passport card in the OP's case. If you're gonna pay the money, up it a bit and get the full-fledged passport.

 

 

Any chance or rumors out there that a passport will be required by the time we go in January?

 

There were tons of rumours and delays in implementing the current rules. While it isn't impossible that the rules will change, I doubt we will see another rule change with so little notice.

 

Of course, the one way to avoid any worry is to get passports.

[smeyer418]

I just took my 2 1/2 year old grandson to Bermuda, the TA told us a passport was required...it wasn't I knew more than she did. I had to show the BC once when we boarded and never again. they didn't even look at the other papers we had. If it is not required I wasn't going to get it for him. I do believe in passports but not for kids unless there is a strong reason for it. If you have to fly back the passport in an emergency will be the least of your costs.

[crusinmama06]

I am a little confused...doesn't take much some days;) I was with the understanding that kids only needed a BC and ID of some sort (DD will be 15 and I am trying to hold off on passport for her until she is 16), but do adults need the passport/cards or can we also use just a BC. We are traveling in April 2010. I am not worried about flying home, etc. just want to know what to do. We have always just used the BC's on all our other cruises (8 so far) and have other family traveling who are hoping to save on this cost. Thanks for any info

 

It depends. Like Twick posted, is your cruise a closed loop, does it leave and come back to the same US port - and are you only sailing in the Western Hemispehere?

 

If yes, then only a birth certificate and photo ID is required, even for the adults. But check with your cruise line.

[lolakat]

I'm always a little confused when I see these threads. Why would you not get passports? If you have an emergency on one of the islands or miss the boat etc. you will have major problems if you don't have a passport. Why take the risk? Is applying really that painful? We've been cruising with DD since she was 6 months old and I got her passoport when she was about 2 months. It was no big deal. As all the previous posters have pointed out it is still possible to cruise without a passport but it just seems like more hassle and worry than just bitting the bullet and just getting the passport in the first place. Am I missing something?

[Dirtbleed]

I don't get? A passport is good for 10 years. Around $100. It's like 3 cents a day to have a passport. Better safe than sorry.

[highbridge5]

I'm always a little confused when I see these threads. Why would you not get passports? If you have an emergency on one of the islands or miss the boat etc. you will have major problems if you don't have a passport. Why take the risk? Is applying really that painful? We've been cruising with DD since she was 6 months old and I got her passoport when she was about 2 months. It was no big deal. As all the previous posters have pointed out it is still possible to cruise without a passport but it just seems like more hassle and worry than just bitting the bullet and just getting the passport in the first place. Am I missing something?

 

I agree; but it is very expensive. Even for one kid's passport.

 

We just got passports (books and the cards - because we like to drive to Canada) and for 2 adults and 3 kids it was $600. There are the passport fees (65 to 90 each) and then the fee for the pictures ($15 each) and the processing fees ($30 each). This added another 20% of the cost of our cruise.

 

Money would have to be the first reason. If the other reason is not wanting to give info out unnecessarily to the government - there is nothing on your passport application that they don't already know...

 

If my kids get separated from me in a foreign country, I don't want to spend one extra minute trying to get back together. It is not the expense, it is the idea of "I'm sorry. It is saturday and the consulate/embassy does not open until monday, come back then" that convinced me to get the passports.

 

I am also bringing a couple notarized letters with me that my family has

permission to travel outside of the U.S. with my kids during the timeframe of the trip. That way, if some kid and some adult (grandma or aunt) get stranded somewhere, they have a way to answer the questions about a child travelling without both parents. Overly cautious, certainly. It is the stuff my nightmares are made of and if bringing two or three pieces of paper makes those nightmares go away, give me that paper!

 

Just my two cents.

 

hb5

[smeyer418]

I don't get? A passport is good for 10 years. Around $100. It's like 3 cents a day to have a passport. Better safe than sorry.

not for under 16 its only 5 years.

[3jsmom]

Last year we brought passport cards since we knew we would not be flying out of the country anytime soon and knew we would be doing cruises more often. I think next year I will go ahead and get the book b/c we want to go to Europe in 2011 or 2012.

 

Also, I do not taking my bc far b/c I was born in NYC and their was a headache getting them for the passport.:o