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Birth Certificate

madge57

By madge57,
in Ask a Cruise Question

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madge57

madge57

Posted
Posted

Ok here is the question that I got from my cousin but I didn't know the answer. If you don't have a Passport and want to use a birth certificate can you get a mini birth certificate and use it? i have a passport so I had no ideal if this is ok or not. I'm sure someone will have the correct answer and some not. So give it your best shot!! Oh and by the way I will not get offended if you flame for any reason!!! lol

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Keith1010 "Live from...." Rare

Keith1010

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If you have a passport just use it; no need for a birth certificate too.

 

Please note that the OP was not asking about herself (she is the one with the passport) but was asking about her cousin (the one withou the passport).

 

Keith

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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I would absolutely not take the chance the individual who has to make the choice whether to accept it or not may not agree with the majority here. They have the power to deny boarding and have well been known to do so. Why take the risk?

 

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klfrodo

klfrodo

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I would absolutely not take the chance the individual who has to make the choice whether to accept it or not may not agree with the majority here. They have the power to deny boarding and have well been known to do so. Why take the risk?

 

 

I agree. 100% of the posters on here could say Yes, the person checking you in says, NO!. You're missing the cruise.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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Also advise her if for any reason she has to leave the cruise early, she cannot fly home internationally without a passport.

 

If she has enough time until your cruise, she might wish to consider getting a passport. For anyone wishing to travel outside the U.S., passport really should be considered no matter it might not be absolutely required for the cruise.

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beachchick

beachchick

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Generally, the "minis" aren't "legal"...bring your normal, 8X11 sized one.

 

California's official BC isn't 8x11, it's more like 4x6 and it most certainly is legal. There is no option of bringing a larger one. I doubt that CA is the only state to issue BCs that are not 8x11.

 

beachchick

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satxdiver

satxdiver

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The state I was born in issues birth certificates by county. I had to go to my county of birth to get an official copy that is 4x6 and has a stamp, not raised seal, on it designating that county. We have 50 states that do it 50 different ways!

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dkjretired

dkjretired

Posted
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Not all certified birth certificates have raied seals anymore....

 

Carmen is correct, many states are now issuing birth certificates which are the size of a credit card and are perfectly legal. The cruise line is aware of these. The raised seal is important on birth certificates from states that issue it that way, it is not the gold standard anymore due to new technologies.

 

One important thing to remember is that the birth certificate cannot be from a hospital but an official entity...

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Happy ks

Happy ks

Posted
Posted
The state I was born in issues birth certificates by county. I had to go to my county of birth to get an official copy that is 4x6 and has a stamp, not raised seal, on it designating that county. We have 50 states that do it 50 different ways!

 

 

We have 3 birth certificates from CA, my husband, son and daughter. My husbands even looks like a facsimile copy, but it was accepted by the gov't for a passport.

 

Our kids' are the same, but only after we had to apply for a second one for our daughter, they went through a different type of certificate that turned out to not be acceptable in the early 90's. It had the possibility of being reproduced with a home computer, so the state ditched that style after a couple years. I'm sure there are people born in that era not knowing they have an unnaceptable birth certificate.

 

Mine is from a different state and looks like the CA one, but a different size.

 

Moral to the story, make sure you have a valid birth certificate if that is going to be your ID of choice, plus a photo ID issued by the gov't (drivers license works). The burden is put onto the pax and is not the responsibility of the cruise line for any pax to have proper documentation.

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Jobeth66

Jobeth66

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We have 3 birth certificates from CA, my husband, son and daughter. My husbands even looks like a facsimile copy, but it was accepted by the gov't for a passport.

 

Our kids' are the same, but only after we had to apply for a second one for our daughter, they went through a different type of certificate that turned out to not be acceptable in the early 90's. It had the possibility of being reproduced with a home computer, so the state ditched that style after a couple years. I'm sure there are people born in that era not knowing they have an unnaceptable birth certificate.

.

 

My son was born in CA in 1989, and the BC I got from the state was not valid for him for a passport. I had to go back to the state and request a 'long form'.

 

What I got back was the exact same BC I had already gotten for him, photocopied onto a 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, with a seal applied to it. Dumbest thing I've ever seen, but the State Department accepted *that* one.

 

My oldest had a credit-card type BC from Arkansas, and the passport agency wouldn't take that - I had to get a new paper BC for him as well.

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Alliezona09

Alliezona09

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All this bs about a birth certificate, this day and age, why would you not have a passport to cruise ??????????????? Wake up...

 

Well beacuse if you go on a closed loop cruise you do not need a passport~ I have gone on 7 cruises without a passport and am going on another one in Octboer without one.

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

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Well beacuse if you go on a closed loop cruise you do not need a passport~ I have gone on 7 cruises without a passport and am going on another one in Octboer without one.

 

If you ever missed the ship, you would have a hard time getting home without a passport.

 

If you ever decided totravel other than on a closed loop Caribbean cruise you would need a passport.

 

US regulations are likely to soon require passports even for closed loop cruises.

 

The reluctance of people toobtain passports is hard to comprehend.

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phish tales

phish tales

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Posted
Well because if you go on a closed loop cruise you do not need a passport~ I have gone on 7 cruises without a passport and am going on another one in October without one.

 

why would you go on 7 cruises without a passport?????????????

i guess you do not have to fly to the pier. just hope nothing happens that you must fly home from one of the islands..if you do , you are up the creek without a paddle. invest in a passport. they are only $100 and are good for 10 years. that's $10 per year to be safe....

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Travelcat2

Travelcat2

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I almost can understand taking one closed loop cruise using a birth certificate. . . . but cannot imagine seven. In addition to all the other reasons mentioned, without a passport you are limiting your travels. There is a whole world out there -- why only go to the Carribean and Mexico?

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