Get off the fence about a passport renewal

[satxdiver]

<snip>

I got one of those nice little passport cards, too. I'm going to carry it with me when I go off the ship as my photo ID just in case I get left behind. :eek:

Gina

 

I am curious what you are intending to do if the ship leaves without you and all you have is the passport card. You have to have the passport book to board an airline or exit/enter another country. The card is for land entry from/to Mexico and/or Canada or re-entry into the US on a closed circuit cruise ship.

[TPKeller]

I am curious what you are intending to do if the ship leaves without you and all you have is the passport card. You have to have the passport book to board an airline or exit/enter another country. The card is for land entry from/to Mexico and/or Canada or re-entry into the US on a closed circuit cruise ship.

I'm sure she'll just take up residence in the refugee camp. You've seen them haven't you? Every Caribbean cruise port has them now, the tent city right beside the pier where all the folks who cruise on BC/DL and miss their ships have to spend the rest of their lives? :rolleyes:

 

Theron

[S.S.Oceanlover]

This is just how I looked at it. And $10 for the convenient card - good deal. A dollar a year. :)

 

Gina

 

couldnt you save a dollar a year for the next 10 years and just carry your drivers license?

 

Bill

[Verystormy]

I am so glad to see that a lot more of our cousins in the USA are having to get passports. Hopefully they will feel inclined to get full use of the fee they have paid and explore the world beyond spitting distance of the USA.

[bonnie&clydecruzers]

I guess I will be making an appointment for next week. Thanks for the heads up OP. Where is a good place to get passport photos taken? I"m in SO CAL.

[mommabean]

couldnt you save a dollar a year for the next 10 years and just carry your drivers license?

 

Bill

 

Well, no. It's $2 a year as we figured out anyway.

 

It's not likely I'll be left behind in port, but if I do miss the ship, a passport card will expedite one's trip out of the country much faster than a driver's license. I used to sometimes take my passport off the ship but a card will be much easier. If I DO manage to lose my card, I'd rather not lose my DL since I HAVE to replace it. A passport card isn't required in day to day life.

 

So....I hope I don't need my $20 in the next ten years. :)

 

Gina

[mommabean]

I guess I will be making an appointment for next week. Thanks for the heads up OP. Where is a good place to get passport photos taken? I"m in SO CAL.

 

Any drug store with a photo lab makes passport photos now for around $10. They are printed instantly.

 

Gina

[mommabean]

I am curious what you are intending to do if the ship leaves without you and all you have is the passport card. You have to have the passport book to board an airline or exit/enter another country. The card is for land entry from/to Mexico and/or Canada or re-entry into the US on a closed circuit cruise ship.

 

I believe a US embassy can look up your passport much more quickly if you have your number on your card. If it makes no difference, I rather like my new card. :D

 

I might even start using my card rather than my passport to board the ship. It's now an option when doing the on board check in.

 

Gina

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Well, no. It's $2 a year as we figured out anyway.

It's not likely I'll be left behind in port, but if I do miss the ship, a passport card will expedite one's trip out of the country much faster than a driver's license. I used to sometimes take my passport off the ship but a card will be much easier. If I DO manage to lose my card, I'd rather not lose my DL since I HAVE to replace it. A passport card isn't required in day to day life.

 

So....I hope I don't need my $20 in the next ten years. :)

 

Gina

 

Just going by your earlier post stating it was $10 or $1 per year but thank you for the clarification that it is $20 or $2 per year.:)

 

In theory you would think that the passport card card would expedite you getting a new passport but until that actually happens we don't know that for a fact.

 

You have to remember you are dealing with the government and I don't want to be the poster child to see if this is in fact true about getting an expeditied passport.

 

Bill:p

[mommabean]

Just going by your earlier post stating it was $10 or $1 per year but thank you for the clarification that it is $20 or $2 per year.:)

 

In theory you would think that the passport card card would expedite you getting a new passport but until that actually happens we don't know that for a fact.

 

You have to remember you are dealing with the government and I don't want to be the poster child to see if this is in fact true about getting an expeditied passport.

 

Bill:p

 

I do know that during the course of raising 4 kids we were always told, when they went on school trips, to send a copy of the passport in addition to the passport in case it was lost. They claimed it would make it easier to get a new passport with the help of a US embassy overseas. It's allegedly easier to look it up if the number is readily available. In reality the embassy ought to be able to find it out if they really want to. Maybe it would save the new $150 research fee the passport agency is now charging if you don't have proof of citizenship.

 

For $20, I liked the idea of having it. DH said, "what do you think, we're made of money? " LOL He's just jealous he didn't get one two years ago when he was up for renewal.

 

We figured out the $10 card fee is for minors only. That's probably because it's only good for half as long.

 

Gina

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I do know that during the course of raising 4 kids we were always told, when they went on school trips, to send a copy of the passport in addition to the passport in case it was lost. They claimed it would make it easier to get a new passport with the help of a US embassy overseas. It's allegedly easier to look it up if the number is readily available. In reality the embassy ought to be able to find it out if they really want to. Maybe it would save the new $150 research fee the passport agency is now charging if you don't have proof of citizenship.

 

For $20, I liked the idea of having it. DH said, "what do you think, we're made of money? " LOL He's just jealous he didn't get one two years ago when he was up for renewal.

 

We figured out the $10 card fee is for minors only. That's probably because it's only good for half as long.

 

Gina

 

School trips overseas? Holy Cow!:eek:

 

No wonder I don't get it. Here in Philly if we went on a school trip we went to see the Liberty bell, Betsy Ross' house etc.

 

We didn't leave the city, let alone the country.:p

 

Bill

[mommabean]

School trips overseas? Holy Cow!:eek:

 

No wonder I don't get it. Here in Philly if we went on a school trip we went to see the Liberty bell, Betsy Ross' house etc.

 

We didn't leave the city, let alone the country.:p

 

Bill

 

We went out of the city to Thomas Edison's winter home 3 hours away. :rolleyes: :D

 

The kid's trips weren't open to the general school population. It was quite selective with a very reliable teacher. They've certainly been places I've never been.

 

Gina

[S.S.Oceanlover]

We went out of the city to Thomas Edison's winter home 3 hours away. :rolleyes: :D

 

The kid's trips weren't open to the general school population. It was quite selective with a very reliable teacher. They've certainly been places I've never been.

 

Gina

 

The times they are a changing. lol

 

I remember when I went to school we walked barefoot 3 miles uphill both to school and then the walk home.:D

 

Bill

[negc]

I believe a US embassy can look up your passport much more quickly if you have your number on your card. If it makes no difference, I rather like my new card. :D

 

I might even start using my card rather than my passport to board the ship. It's now an option when doing the on board check in.

 

Gina

 

Gina - are you sure that the number on your passport card is the same as the number on your passport? Given its very limited usefulness (limited to land/sea border crossings between the US and Mexico and the US and Canada) wouldn't you be better off and save money by just carrying a photocopy of your actual passport if you only intend the card to be used by the Embassy should they need to look up and replace your passport?

[satxdiver]

I believe a US embassy can look up your passport much more quickly if you have your number on your card. If it makes no difference, I rather like my new card. :D <snip>

 

That would make it easier for the US Embassy/Consulate to get you a temporary passport so that you could fly home or to the next country to meet the ship. They will have to verify your ID with the State Department in DC. All you have to do is hope there is one nearby and it is open. Remember we are talking about the government which moves at a snail's pace. BTW it is not free.

[mommabean]

Gina - are you sure that the number on your passport card is the same as the number on your passport? Given its very limited usefulness (limited to land/sea border crossings between the US and Mexico and the US and Canada) wouldn't you be better off and save money by just carrying a photocopy of your actual passport if you only intend the card to be used by the Embassy should they need to look up and replace your passport?

 

Actually I'm going to use it to get on and off the ship as my picture ID. It's not likely I'll be left behind when the ship leaves, but you never know. You are right though, it has a different number but it has a magnetic strip on the back that can bring up the basic info needed for identification.

 

I do plan to start using it for basic cruise travel and leave the full size passport home. It easily fits in a wallet which I like. And I really don't like taking my driver's license off the ship. It seems I rarely need a photo ID to board again but the ONE time I didn't bring the DL with me they asked for it - then looked me up on the list before they'd let me back on the ship.

 

I have been known to leave a paper copy of my passport front page in my suitcase while traveling by land in other countries - just in case someone steals my passport from the room.

 

I really like the card and I'm glad I got it. Overall, it's a nice convenience for cruise travel.

 

Gina

[mommabean]

The times they are a changing. lol

 

I remember when I went to school we walked barefoot 3 miles uphill both to school and then the walk home.:D

 

Bill

 

All we had to do was walk back and forth to school in thunderstorms but at least we got to wear shoes. :D My high school in far south Florida didn't even have air-conditioning. But at least we were allowed to wear flip flops and shorts to school.

 

I don't think I even knew what a passport looked like. My mother died having never left the country...and then one of my kids went overseas before I ever did. :eek:

 

Gina

[bplazo]

All we had to do was walk back and forth to school in thunderstorms but at least we got to wear shoes. :D My high school in far south Florida didn't even have air-conditioning. But at least we were allowed to wear flip flops and shorts to school.

 

I don't think I even knew what a passport looked like. My mother died having never left the country...and then one of my kids went overseas before I ever did. :eek:

 

Gina

 

That is one of the reason I finally did get a passport because my daughter was going to go to school in Europe and I wanted to make sure that I could get over there in case of an emergency.