passport cards for kids??

[reallyexcited]

Dh and I have passports.. our 3 kids do not.

 

I was told to just get the "cards" for land and sea travel for the kids.

 

Does anyone else have these for their kids? Do i also need to bring their birth certificate? anything else the kids or Dh and I will need as far as documentation??

[boulders]

The passport cards are useful only to expedite land border crossings. They'll do nothing that a birth certificate can't do on a sailing.

 

As long as you and dh are the birth parents of all 3 kids, you won't need any other documentation.

[milton333]

I would get full passport books for all kids (not passport cards).

 

The "closed loop cruise" loophole provides that you don't need passports to re-enter the U.S. if you leave from and return to the same U.S. port by cruise ship.

 

The problem is if something goes wrong with your trip, if someone should get sick or injured and need to fly home.

 

You cannot enter the U.S. by air with just a birth certificate, you need a passport. And the passport card only works if you enter by land or sea - it will not work for international air travel.

 

So, if something should go wrong on your trip, you'd be SOL with just birth certificates, or just passport cards. I would personally not consider just getting a passport card, that's really useless unless you live near the border and frequently travel just to Canada or Mexico. If there's any chance that you will have to fly home from overseas, you all need a passport book.

[reallyexcited]

thanks :)

 

and just to let you a US citizen will never be denied access to the US so I'm not worried about that :)

 

I'm still on the fence about what to do..

[cb at sea]

I wouldn't spend any extra money....as long as the BC will work!

[milton333]

Well, if you're willing to take your changes that the State Department doesn't really mean it when they say that "All U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport in order to enter or re-enter the United States when travelling by air," then <shrug>

[newbiecruiser09]

thanks :)

 

and just to let you a US citizen will never be denied access to the US so I'm not worried about that :)

 

 

Sometimes the problems come in when you have to PROVE you are a US citizen-hence the need for a passport.

[diane.in.ny]

IMO it's not the State Dept you have to worry about...it's the airline and personnel at your departure location. Without a passport, there is a good chance you won't even be allowed on the plane

[cherylandtk]

?...and just to let you a US citizen will never be denied access to the US so I'm not worried about that :) I'm still on the fence about what to do..

Access? Sure. Timely access? Not without a passport.;)

[angielane]

I looked into this too...in the end, we bit the bullet for $120 or so and got the passport for our infant. Of course we only have one child...it's definitely a hefty toll for 3!

 

I'm a frequent traveller and routinely run across airline, security, and travel personnel who don't know the intricacies of travel rules. I just wouldn't want that kind of headache to interfere with our cruise...better to be prepared than to experience unwarranted delays.

 

the good news: the passport came double quick...even without expediting it, we got it in about 20 days (over X-mas and New Years no less).

[6rugrats]

thanks :)

 

and just to let you a US citizen will never be denied access to the US so I'm not worried about that :)

I'm still on the fence about what to do..

 

Access? Sure. Timely access? Not without a passport.;)

cherylandtk is right. If you are on a closed loop cruise, and you aren't worried about an emergency that would necessitate a passport so you can quickly get back to the US, IMO, a passport card is a waste of money. As stated, they really are designed to facilitate border crossings into Canada and Mexico, and they aren't sufficient to get you on a plane back to the US. You'd need a passport book for that.

[reallyexcited]

thanks for all the replies. I am on the fence with what I am going to do. I do have to decide in the next day or so.

 

I am wondering if the passport card will expedite getting through instead of just a birth certificate?

 

My father works for homeland security so I "know" the rules.. !! :)

 

I really don't think I am going to be getting them passports at this time. Airfare for 5 is very expensive so I don't see is needing them anytime soon :)

[uppitycats]

thanks for all the replies. I am on the fence with what I am going to do. I do have to decide in the next day or so.

 

I am wondering if the passport card will expedite getting through instead of just a birth certificate?

 

My father works for homeland security so I "know" the rules.. !! :)

 

I really don't think I am going to be getting them passports at this time. Airfare for 5 is very expensive so I don't see is needing them anytime soon :)

Why bother to ask the question if you "know" what to do, and don't really want an answer??

 

What are you trying to "get through" with a passport card? If you have birth certificates for the kids you can "get through", if you're talking airport security.

 

But as everyone else has said, despite your "father working for homeland security", it'll be difficult to fly back from a foreign port without a passport, should you need to.

[6rugrats]

thanks for all the replies. I am on the fence with what I am going to do. I do have to decide in the next day or so.

 

I am wondering if the passport card will expedite getting through instead of just a birth certificate?

 

 

Why bother to ask the question if you "know" what to do, and don't really want an answer??

 

What are you trying to "get through" with a passport card? If you have birth certificates for the kids you can "get through", if you're talking airport security.

 

Your minor children do not need ANY id to get through security at a US airport when you are flying to a US destination. So a passport card or a birth certificate aren't needed. To board the ship you need the BC, but I really don't think a passport card will speed things up much.

 

You asked the question, and I would again tell you, passport cards for your trip are really a waste of money.

[CruisinIsMyThang]

thanks for all the replies. I am on the fence with what I am going to do. I do have to decide in the next day or so.

 

I am wondering if the passport card will expedite getting through instead of just a birth certificate?

 

My father works for homeland security so I "know" the rules.. !! :)

 

I really don't think I am going to be getting them passports at this time. Airfare for 5 is very expensive so I don't see is needing them anytime soon :)

 

Even if your father works for Homeland Security that doesn't mean that you are going to be able to fly back into the United States without proof that you or your children are American Citizens. Anyone can say that they are an American Citizen, but unless you have the documentation to prove it, you aren't coming in. Yeah you might be able to get help through the American Consulate in the country that you end up in, but it would be a horrific headache, and if you needed to fly home it would be because one of your children was very ill, or because you didn't get back on the ship in time. I say don't be frivolous and figure that "things will work out" and get your children passport books, or don't.. but don't assume that you will be able to get back into the country in an emergency just based on your father working for homeland security and you "knowing" the rules. Rules don't differ for someone just because their father works for a government agency....

[Mack2]

We have expired passports for the kids from when they were 18months old. They are the coolest things.

 

It's just extremely convenient to have them... Hard to question an official passport, you know what I mean?

 

Even when flying domestically, we throw the kids' passports in with the travel documents.

 

Frankly, I wish more places would stamp the passports... that would really make for a nice momento of the places they'd been to when they were too little to remember (aside from trip photos of course). To me, they are worth the cost for the convenience.

[JOwen72]

Very good decision in biting the bullet for the passport. If something happened that required you to fly home quickly and without hassle, the passport is very much the secure thing. Now that you have it, you can be worry free and now nothing will happen :)

[room010]

We have expired passports for the kids from when they were 18months old. They are the coolest things.

 

It's just extremely convenient to have them... Hard to question an official passport, you know what I mean?

 

Even when flying domestically, we throw the kids' passports in with the travel documents.

 

Frankly, I wish more places would stamp the passports... that would really make for a nice momento of the places they'd been to when they were too little to remember (aside from trip photos of course). To me, they are worth the cost for the convenience.

 

An expired passport is as useless as no passport at all.

[Mack2]

An expired passport is as useless as no passport at all.

Yes, but they are great keepsakes.

 

My daughter was 18months old when we got a passport for her for a Disney cruise (and subsequent trips to Canada and the Caribbean). Of course we've had to apply for a new passport when the old one expired, but how many people have an expired passport with their baby picture in it?

 

Which is why I mentioned that I wish customs officials would stamp the things. An expired child's passport with stamps from several different countries would be a cool memento... much cooler than the baby shoes my parents got bronzed for me.

 

Whoever came up with THAT idea? :confused:

[junglejane]

I just renewed my two DDs' passport books and put the old expired ones away to keep as momentos. I agree that the passport cards are a waste of money. If you were someone who frequently drove across the US-Canada or US-Mexico border, they might be useful. Either get the passport books or go with the certified copies of birth certificates and hope you don't encounter any emergency that requires you to fly home. Also hope that nothing (such as bad weather) causes you to miss embarkation and require you to fly to catch up, as happened to this group: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1328540 . Everyone who didn't have a passport was left behind while the rest of the group flew to the first port to catch up.

[russianmom]

Should you unexpectedly have to leave the cruise and fly home....

 

Taken from the Customs & Border Protection website:

 

Documents You Will Need To Enter The

United States

All persons including citizens of the United States

traveling by air between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the

Caribbean and Bermuda will have to present a passport,

Merchant Mariner Document (presented by U.S. citizen

merchant mariners traveling on official business) or

NEXUS Card, NEXUS enrollment is limited to citizens

of the United States and Canada, and lawful permanent

residents of the United States and Canada. Children will

be required to present their own passport.