Passports for children?

[cmp137]

My husband and I both have passports but our children do not (ages 17, 14,13, and 11). We will be cruising to Progreso and Cozumel from Galveston. Our TA said that they don't need passports to cruise, but that they would need them if we had to fly back home for some reason. Although it will cost us close to $400, we are willing to get passports for them. My question is if we do get the passports should we carry them on our shore excursions. On previous cruises I always kept my passport on the ship, so I am not sure what to do this time. It seems pointless to spend that much money on passports if they will just stay on the ship. Any advice? TIA

[KwTraveler]

Cruises to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean

 

 

 

U.S. citizens entering the U.S. at sea or land ports are required to present travel documents that comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The documents may be a valid U.S. passport, a passport card, an expedited traveler card or an enhanced driver's license. Children under 16 may use an original or certified copy of a U.S. or Canadian birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad or a naturalization certificate

 

Personally I would get the passports

[njhorseman]

Cruises to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean

 

 

 

 

U.S. citizens entering the U.S. at sea or land ports are required to present

travel documents that comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The documents may be a valid U.S. passport, a passport card, an expedited traveler card or an enhanced driver's license. Children under 16 may use an original or certified copy of a U.S. or Canadian birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad or a naturalization certificate

 

Personally I would get the passports

 

The above quote omits the closed loop cruise exception. US citizens cruising on closed loop cruises from a US port to Western Hemisphere countries are not required to have a passport, and may substitute other documents, including an original or certified copy of their birth certificate plus a government-issued photo ID such as a drivers license.

 

To the OP:

Assuming you are US citizens, and you are on a closed loop cruise (the cruise starts and ends at the same US port), your travel agent has given you correct information. Your three yoiungest children will only need an original or certified copy of their birth certificates (government issued certificate, not a hospital certificate) as they are under 16. Your oldest child will also need a government issued photo ID.

 

Most seasoned travelers believe it is best to keep passports locked safely in your hotel room or cruise cabin's safe, and in fact the State Department also recommends you do that. You can carry a photocopy of the passport with you. You only need to carry your passports in a few countries, and Mexico is not one of them...nor are any of the Caribbean islands.

 

The following Web page from the Department of Homeland Security explains the various exceptions to the passport requirement, including the "birth certificate only" exception for children under the age of 16 (first paragraph on the page) and the closed loop cruise exception (further down the page).

 

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

[iheartbda]

Cruises to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean

 

 

 

 

U.S. citizens entering the U.S. at sea or land ports are required to present

travel documents that comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The documents may be a valid U.S. passport, a passport card, an expedited traveler card or an enhanced driver's license. Children under 16 may use an original or certified copy of a U.S. or Canadian birth certificate, a consular report of birth abroad or a naturalization certificate

 

Personally I would get the passports

 

Just irritates me that a child's passport is $82 and only good for 5 years.:( Yes, children's looks change but it would be nice if the pp. could be updated with a new picture for a lesser fee..

[matj2000]

Why would you need to fly home?

[beachchick]

Why would you need to fly home?

 

Possible scenarios:

 

Someone has a medical emergency and the family has to leave the ship, either to go back to the US immediately or once the family member is well enough to travel.

 

The ship has a major technical problem and gets stuck. The cruise line will almost certainly arrange flights to get passengers home.

 

A weather situation necessitates a change of itinerary to the point where the ship can't get back to the departure port. Passengers would need to fly back instead.

 

 

There are many other things that could happen. But the point is the same: You just never know when you might need to fly home. Without a passport, you have to get to the closest US embassy or consulate and apply for an emergency passport. It's not impossible, but it does take time.

 

beachchick

[Doug R.]

Just irritates me that a child's passport is $82 and only good for 5 years.:( Yes, children's looks change but it would be nice if the pp. could be updated with a new picture for a lesser fee..

 

On the US passports issued today that is a technological impossibility due to the fact that the picture is scanned and is an integral part of the identification page, not laminated over like previous editions. It is still cheaper than adult passports.

[iheartbda]

On the US passports issued today that is a technological impossibility due to the fact that the picture is scanned and is an integral part of the identification page, not laminated over like previous editions. It is still cheaper than adult passports.

Sure, cheaper than an adult pass port? Doesn't matter, I'm talking about children. An adult pp is $100 for 10 years, a child is $85 for 5 years so getting a new for another 5 years make its $190. All you have to do is annualize the cost per year for each, as far as cost and the number of years you get with each, it is not cheaper. If an adult can renew for $75 why can't children renew after 5 years. Maybe not a big difference when you go one for one but if you have several children, it adds up. Plus, an adult would have a pp for 20 years at a cost of $175 while a child for 15 years ends up being $255 and then at 16 they need an adult pp.

 

I know what the new pp's are like since I recently renewed mine. If they could scan the picture from my previous one, why could they not scan an updated one for a child?

[cherylandtk]

Polls show that 93% of the caribbean itinerary cruisers have passports, and ~70% of them leave them on the ship.

 

Factors you need to consider and apply to your own situation:

-Do you have ill or fragile family members at home?

-Would you want to fly back home if they take a turn for the worse? (Consider your ports, the availability and cost of flights home)

-Will you be taking shore excursions far from the port or nearby?

-Are you the type to run late or are you always on time, early in fact.

-Are you taking active excursions that have a higher risk of injury?

-Did you buy trip insurance for the cruise?

-Are you flying to your departure port, and if so, are you coming in the day of the cruise or are you coming in earlier?

 

Only you can make an informed decision as to what is best for you and your family, and to rationally evaluate the likelihood and the risk of the various scenarios. If you want my opinion, I would say get the passports, but the facts are that families cruise on itineraries such as yours every week with only the rare need to interrupt their trip.

[cmp137]

Thank you all for your responses. Can you fly home if the passport is on the ship? Will a photo copy be sufficient or should we take the passports on our shore excursions? We do not plan to be late and miss the ship, but I hate to have something out of our control happen and end up missing the ship. Thanks.

[njhorseman]

Thank you all for your responses. Can you fly home if the passport is on the ship? Will a photo copy be sufficient or should we take the passports on our shore excursions? We do not plan to be late and miss the ship, but I hate to have something out of our control happen and end up missing the ship. Thanks.

 

No, you can't fly home without passports, but most people do not carry them on shore excursions, feeling the risk of theft, loss or damage to the passport far outweighs the chance of missing the ship. Also, some cruise lines will remove your passport(s) from your cabin safe and give them to their port agent if you have not made it back to the ship by "all aboard" time.

 

There's no absolute right or wrong answer...it boils down to your personal choice.

[nannybeth]

Our kids are 5 and 3 and we just received their passports for an August sailing. It is a lot of money, but if something were to happen, we would kick ourselves for not having them. Better safe then sorry is my opinion.

[APDMOM]

Thank you all for your responses. Can you fly home if the passport is on the ship? Will a photo copy be sufficient or should we take the passports on our shore excursions? We do not plan to be late and miss the ship, but I hate to have something out of our control happen and end up missing the ship. Thanks.

 

You would have to keep the passports with you at all times if you foresee needing them. We do - for the peace of mind. I thought it was a lot of money when we got my son's passport, but it is worth it. Also, on our last cruise we were required to take our passports off the ship, according to the daily news. Nobody ever checked them in the port or getting back onto the ship, but it was clear in the announcements that we were supposed to have them with us. Maybe that's just a Costa thing...:)

[kitty9]

You would have to keep the passports with you at all times if you foresee needing them. We do - for the peace of mind. I thought it was a lot of money when we got my son's passport, but it is worth it. Also, on our last cruise we were required to take our passports off the ship, according to the daily news. Nobody ever checked them in the port or getting back onto the ship, but it was clear in the announcements that we were supposed to have them with us. Maybe that's just a Costa thing...:)

 

Seeing that many cruise lines take, and keep, all passenger passports for the duration of the cruise,you may not have a choice. In all my many cruises, I've never heard of any line announcing that passengers must take their passports with them off the ship, especially in the Caribbean. The only ports we absolutely had to have our passports in our possession is in India, Russia and Vietnam.

 

As for needing them just in case, the cruise line can retrieve them for you from the ship in case of emergency. Why take your passports off the ship especially if you're taking beach trips where keeping them safe is difficult.

[room010]

It seems pointless to spend that much money on passports if they will just stay on the ship. Any advice? TIA

 

It's not a question of "value for money" unless you are planning to use your passports for some other reason than ID? :) The reality of modern travel is that passports are required to cross almost any border so get them.

[cmp137]

Does anybody know if Carnival keeps your passports for you or if they give them back and you keep them in the safe?

[APDMOM]

Does anybody know if Carnival keeps your passports for you or if they give them back and you keep them in the safe?

 

It does not depend on the cruiseline, it depends on the itinerary. Most of the time only foreigners have to hand their passports in during the cruise, but on certain itineraries USA citizens also have to hand them in...

[kitty9]

It does not depend on the cruiseline, it depends on the itinerary. Most of the time only foreigners have to hand their passports in during the cruise, but on certain itineraries USA citizens also have to hand them in...

 

Yes, it DOES depend on the cruise line. Lines like Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Regent, Sea Dream all take your passports regardless of itinerary or national origin. Crystal took the passports for an Alaska cruise, Seabourn took everyone's passports for a Canada/New England cruise, Regent took the passports for a Caribbean cruise and Silversea took the passports for a Caribbean cruise.

 

Every cruise line, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Princess takes, and keeps, the passports for non-US citizens. I've heard mixed reports about taking the passports for Canadian citizens, but our Canadian friends with whom we cruise, have always had their passports taken and kept for the duration.

[APDMOM]

Yes, it DOES depend on the cruise line. Lines like Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, Regent, Sea Dream all take your passports regardless of itinerary or national origin.

I stand corrected... I have not been able to afford those pricey lines :D However, on one RCCL (Enchantment) our passports were taken and on another (Majesty) not... So, it is inconsistent. Best policy is probably to call the cruise line.

[Cruisin' Chick]

On our last cruise, we did take our passports off the ship, but to use as photo ID. Hubby and I do have our driver's licenses, of course. But I did show security our tween's passport when we were reboarding the ship. I know it wasn't mandatory, but I did it anyway.

[njhorseman]

It's not a question of "value for money" unless you are planning to use your passports for some other reason than ID? :) The reality of modern travel is that passports are required to cross almost any border so get them.

 

And every time you post an answer like this I'm going to be here to remind you that US citizens are not required to have passports to take closed loop Western Hemisphere cruises departing from a US port. So, the situation under discusion does not fall under your "almost every border" scenario.

[room010]

Every cruise line, including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Princess takes, and keeps, the passports for non-US citizens.

 

Not true. I kept my Australian passport during my Alaska cruise out of Vancouver last year with HAL.

[room010]

And every time you post an answer like this I'm going to be here to remind you that US citizens are not required to have passports to take closed loop Western Hemisphere cruises departing from a US port. So, the situation under discusion does not fall under your "almost every border" scenario.

 

And every time you tell me that passports aren't always required we are going to get endless threads asking "do I need a passport". For that reason alone I'd say getting one is a good idea because it eliminates all doubt.

[njhorseman]

And every time you tell me that passports aren't always required we are going to get endless threads asking "do I need a passport". For that reason alone I'd say getting one is a good idea because it eliminates all doubt.

 

I see...so let's lie and say they're always needed because otherwise we get endless threads about it. :rolleyes:

 

I prefer giving adults the facts and assuming they're intelligent enough make up their own minds about whether to get passports or not instead of talking down to them.

[Doug R.]

Sure, cheaper than an adult pass port? Doesn't matter, I'm talking about children. An adult pp is $100 for 10 years, a child is $85 for 5 years so getting a new for another 5 years make its $190. All you have to do is annualize the cost per year for each, as far as cost and the number of years you get with each, it is not cheaper. If an adult can renew for $75 why can't children renew after 5 years. Maybe not a big difference when you go one for one but if you have several children, it adds up. Plus, an adult would have a pp for 20 years at a cost of $175 while a child for 15 years ends up being $255 and then at 16 they need an adult pp.

 

I know what the new pp's are like since I recently renewed mine. If they could scan the picture from my previous one, why could they not scan an updated one for a child?

 

Why scream at me? To update the picture they would have to rescan the page, disassemble and reassemble the book and would probably charge you out of the nose.

 

The cost is what it is. Pay it and quit fuming at me or leave the children at home.